I'm at the age (67) where I am thinking very hard about just how much living to do now, versus waiting. If I run out of money when I'm 85 years (which is only 18 years away), am I really going to care? What would I do at 85 that I would really enjoy? Or perhaps, what would I need with money at 85, above and beyond food and shelter?
For some reason......we think age 85 is way off in the distance and when we get there we won't want to be around....but, once you get there you will have a will to live. The Beatles sang about When I 'm 64........which seemed like being really past the expiry date, but, there you are 67, and here I am 71!
This is spot on. I hear people complaining about roads, schools, all kinds of bad services and then adding in the second breadth that they "paid enough" taxes. But think about it, if about 25 percent of the people (or sometimes more) make a living based on government paying them directly (employees, retirees, welfare) or indirectly (contractors, subsidized industries), even if a portion of it recirculates back (taxes on wages and services), do people honestly believe they "paid enough" to have good/great schools, infrastructure, safety net for those in need and the enormous military this country maintains all over the world and sends to wars practically every ten-fifteen years? I just don't think so. The math simply doesn't add up, but nobody wants to hear about it. We will all pay some day. Probably not tomorrow, probably not day after, but "some day" may be sooner than anybody thinks. And it will not be announced. It's just like the old aristocrats, who were always "good for it", until the debtors ask "how about now".
Exactly. You can't really buy time, and buying healthy time is also difficult.
That's one reason I want to travel more now than waiting til I am old, if I am lucky enough to be old - I am physically able. The future isn't guaranteed. I could just save the money and sit on my recliner during my vacation days, and drive a 2001 Yaris until it disintegrates, hoping for something that might not happen, but that seems like as much of a waste as blowing it all on lottery tickets.
Exactly what I said; I don't think that the Sentra is a bad car, but I think it's mid-pack in its market segment at best. I sincerely think that there are very few self-described enthusiasts who would pick an SR over the ST if the prices were roughly equivalent. Just my $0.02. As I said, different strokes.
Here's how I'd respond to the above: if I really wanted the Nissan Versa S still, or a Chevy Spark, or a Nissan Sentra S, I would really have to pick the Ford Focus ST in a heartbeat and be done. But I pick the Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed stick because of the car's design - both inside and out. I love cars and driving them - period. I love being inside them, admiring their dials and switchwork - even more so when lit up at night. I love to use their stereos and rock to some good Canadian Tragically Hip.
RIP Gordon Downie
I love changing the dials - I love planning a road trip out. I love maintaining my car like the finely-built specimen it is. I like my cars to run like tops. I like listening to ZZ Top's 'Fandango' album in my car as I drive to go see ZZ Top. I like driving safely - I like preserving life. I love cars. I love the looks of the cars I buy. Sure, the Ford Focus ST is a fine looking car and I may decide on one eventually. I'm just not a racer - I'd rather stop and read the historical road signs alongside the road. This country's chock full of history and I hate missing out on some good history along the way. Having said that about not needing to race, I do remember driving my Lancer GTS in Tucson with it's heavy cross-town traffic. The Lancer GTS had a 152-hp 148-ft.lb. of torque 4-cyl. engine with an automatic CVT transmission with paddle shifters. I would as a practice rev up that engine and get myself out of some of the nastiest traffic jams and pull out in front - way out in front with a jubilance of Shawn Kemp when dunking the ball off of Michael Jordan's head in the '96 NBA Finals. VAROOOMMM!!! That Mitsubishi motor could be wrung out with a fairly quick succinction of power on the spot to get away from nasty pools of traffic. That and U-Turns: Tucson is the city of U-turns. My point about this is that I sometimes enjoy a little road racing - a burst of power to get in and out of the holes on the road like a hard-running NFL halfback. It's run. This Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed would give me that power for quick city-burst getaways. I'd spin them with glee. I'm not totally immune to the appeal of driving a car hard and I'm somewhat interested in track driving - just not enough to pursue it with immediate abandon. That's all. It could be learned and I could see it being sort of a obsessive compulsive disorder buzz of some kind - the kind that the Ford Focus ST would deliver in an instant. Ford engineers have done a marvelous job with the Focus ST - I'm really proud of them. It's a shame they're poop-canning car production for the U.S. I hope they change their minds on that decision.
The 2017-18 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo is 188hp coming in at 5600rpm and 177 ft.lb. of torque that comes in at a low 1600rpm (that stays flat all the way up to 5200rpm) contained in this engine Nissan took out of their Juke: a 1.6L 4-cyl direct-injected gasoline turbocharged engine. That is coupled with an intercooler and a compression ratio of 10.5:1, all linked with a 6-speed transmission. In this YouTube video Motoman drives a silver 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed and shares what he learns. In a nutshell, he describes it as "enough power:sure - but would you want more power? Ahh...yes."
As I was describing earlier, I don't live to race. Simply put it boils down to what the car has - which, to me, is a lot of cool body design and a smart interior layout with loads of room in the backseat for guest riders as well as the Mrs. and I in the front. Plus, what I think is a killer body design. This is my Datsun 510 sedan in 2018 form. The 510 is the subcompact that Nissan took and made the Sentra design off of - I knew there was something cool about the Sentra that was lingering around, thick and deep with history - well, that's it - it's continuously harkening my mind back to the late 60's with 411 Bluebird and 510 imagery fleshed out in 2017-2018 as the Sentra. It's subtle yet firm as a swift take down from someone like Dennis Rodman under the Detroit Piston frontcourt. Right up and in my face, car nuts!
Reliability has been good for the Sentra - the 2017-18's no exception. The SR Turbo 6-speed I save for will be like the one I detailed last night with the lighting kit for automatic fade-in and fade-out lighting upon entry, special SR Turbo stitching on the doors and floormats, on-board tech package and rear-view camera, sunroof, heated front seats, foglights up front and a small spoiler out back that gives a subtle splay off the taillights and separation up above the Nissan Sentra trim in back. I think it's slightness works well back there and adds to the design instead of some of the ridiculous spoilers of the past. My 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS had a larger spoiler, but Mitsu pulled it off by designing the taillights to pry down and up to the right at the rear corners. Design like that isn't stumbled upon - it's earned by doing it right. Just right.
So, in conclusion of this little pamphlet I've made, roadburner - I can understand where you're coming from on the immediate speed-mobile thing - the Ford Focus ST would be a natural there. If you have time, though, watch Motoman's Part II of III video I have plopped up above on the 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 6-spd stick. Watch him take the car off the line and in to and out of mountain turns.
I really think I would love this car. Fades out to Deep Purple's megahit 'Highway Star.'
I just checked the ad for the 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed for sale at Bill Luke Tempe. They dropped the price down to only $11,575! The price for this car has dropped $800 in two days. Humm...I'm really starting to get tempted now!! That is cheap for this car - it only has 7,686 miles on it!
Exactly what I said; I don't think that the Sentra is a bad car, but I think it's mid-pack in its market segment at best. I sincerely think that there are very few self-described enthusiasts who would pick an SR over the ST if the prices were roughly equivalent. Just my $0.02. As I said, different strokes.
Here's how I'd respond to the above: if I really wanted the Nissan Versa S still, or a Chevy Spark, or a Nissan Sentra S, I would really have to pick the Ford Focus ST in a heartbeat and be done. But I pick the Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed stick because of the car's design - both inside and out. I love cars and driving them - period. I love being inside them, admiring their dials and switchwork - even more so when lit up at night. I love to use their stereos and rock to some good Canadian Tragically Hip.
RIP Gordon Downie
I love changing the dials - I love planning a road trip out. I love maintaining my car like the finely-built specimen it is. I like my cars to run like tops. I like listening to ZZ Top's 'Fandango' album in my car as I drive to go see ZZ Top. I like driving safely - I like preserving life. I love cars. I love the looks of the cars I buy. Sure, the Ford Focus ST is a fine looking car and I may decide on one eventually. I'm just not a racer - I'd rather stop and read the historical road signs alongside the road. This country's chock full of history and I hate missing out on some good history along the way. Having said that about not needing to race, I do remember driving my Lancer GTS in Tucson with it's heavy cross-town traffic. The Lancer GTS had a 152-hp 148-ft.lb. of torque 4-cyl. engine with an automatic CVT transmission with paddle shifters. I would as a practice rev up that engine and get myself out of some of the nastiest traffic jams and pull out in front - way out in front with a jubilance of Shawn Kemp when dunking the ball off of Michael Jordan's head in the '96 NBA Finals. VAROOOMMM!!! That Mitsubishi motor could be wrung out with a fairly quick succinction of power on the spot to get away from nasty pools of traffic. That and U-Turns: Tucson is the city of U-turns. My point about this is that I sometimes enjoy a little road racing - a burst of power to get in and out of the holes on the road like a hard-running NFL halfback. It's run. This Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed would give me that power for quick city-burst getaways. I'd spin them with glee. I'm not totally immune to the appeal of driving a car hard and I'm somewhat interested in track driving - just not enough to pursue it with immediate abandon. That's all. It could be learned and I could see it being sort of a obsessive compulsive disorder buzz of some kind - the kind that the Ford Focus ST would deliver in an instant. Ford engineers have done a marvelous job with the Focus ST - I'm really proud of them. It's a shame they're poop-canning car production for the U.S. I hope they change their minds on that decision.
The 2017-18 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo is 188hp coming in at 5600rpm and 177 ft.lb. of torque that comes in at a low 1600rpm (that stays flat all the way up to 5200rpm) contained in this engine Nissan took out of their Juke: a 1.6L 4-cyl direct-injected gasoline turbocharged engine. That is coupled with an intercooler and a compression ratio of 10.5:1, all linked with a 6-speed transmission. In this YouTube video Motoman drives a silver 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed and shares what he learns. In a nutshell, he describes it as "enough power:sure - but would you want more power? Ahh...yes."
https://youtu.be/FzUzGwLn3CgMotoman's YouTube video on the 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed: Part II of III
As I was describing earlier, I don't live to race. Simply put it boils down to what the car has - which, to me, is a lot of cool body design and a smart interior layout with loads of room in the backseat for guest riders as well as the Mrs. and I in the front. Plus, what I think is a killer body design. This is my Datsun 510 sedan in 2018 form. The 510 is the subcompact that Nissan took and made the Sentra design off of - I knew there was something cool about the Sentra that was lingering around, thick and deep with history - well, that's it - it's continuously harkening my mind back to the late 60's with 411 Bluebird and 510 imagery fleshed out in 2017-2018 as the Sentra. It's subtle yet firm as a swift take down from someone like Dennis Rodman under the Detroit Piston frontcourt. Right up and in my face, car nuts!
Reliability has been good for the Sentra - the 2017-18's no exception. The SR Turbo 6-speed I save for will be like the one I detailed last night with the lighting kit for automatic fade-in and fade-out lighting upon entry, special SR Turbo stitching on the doors and floormats, on-board tech package and rear-view camera, sunroof, heated front seats, foglights up front and a small spoiler out back that gives a subtle splay off the taillights and separation up above the Nissan Sentra trim in back. I think it's slightness works well back there and adds to the design instead of some of the ridiculous spoilers of the past. My 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS had a larger spoiler, but Mitsu pulled it off by designing the taillights to pry down and up to the right at the rear corners. Design like that isn't stumbled upon - it's earned by doing it right. Just right.
So, in conclusion of this little pamphlet I've made, roadburner - I can understand where you're coming from on the immediate speed-mobile thing - the Ford Focus ST would be a natural there. If you have time, though, watch Motoman's Part II of III video I have plopped up above on the 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 6-spd stick. Watch him take the car off the line and in to and out of mountain turns.
I really think I would love this car. Fades out to Deep Purple's megahit 'Highway Star.'
I just checked the ad for the 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed for sale at Bill Luke Tempe. They dropped the price down to only $11,575! The price for this car has dropped $800 in two days. Humm...I'm really starting to get tempted now!! That is cheap for this car - it only has 7,686 miles on it!
Great post, but now I'm late for work.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Not to mention delusional trickle down tax policy that has no basis in reality, but due to TEM syndrome, is tried and tried again.
Oops, hope that isn't "class warfare".
The attitude of each generation to the next is "I got mine, to heck with you" - as long as that can is kicked down the road, nothing will change.
We can relitigate things many times, if you wish. The facts are that 70 percent of revenue from income tax in 2015 was coming from those evil top 10 of earners, almost 38 percent of revenue from the most evil 1 percent. Their participation in total income is much smaller. Of course, to be fair, you'd need to add FICA taxes, which would shuffle the percentages a bit in favor of the lower brackets, but the facts remain.
So I would like you at least say "thank you" to those people who actually keep this country afloat, not vilify them. After that we can have rational discussion, whether or not it may be good for them to chip in more to shore up our nation's ailing balance sheet, not just demand they pay more because they're evil and owe the rest of us everything they've got. No can do? That's where the problem lies. Ideology trumps the facts, for both sides.
I don't think we are particularly overtaxed. Anybody who lived a day abroad knows we are not. But I do think we are spending too much, not just on military. We have grossly overpromised to future seniors (including myself in the future), particularly in Medicare, also a bit in Social Security. It's really startling when you hear that it will me middle of next decade already when the funds go insolvent (i.e. payments exceed receivables and zero savings on the account), yet everybody is acting like it's not there. Ignoring it only going to make the hammer fall harder. I already assume that if I get 75% of my currently calculated SS (adjusted for inflation), I'll be a lucky man. If you ever looked at your own Medicare statement and see how much you paid into the system (I did), including your employer's contribution and compare it with costs of care and rate of consumption amongst people over 65, the numbers miss each other not by 10 or 20 percent, they miss each other by factor of three or four, even if you adjust for people who will never consume it (died prior eligibility). It's a joke, but not very funny. It can't be fixed by raising the tax, there is no amount that can shore that up without killing the economy. The only way to fix it is to do both - raise the rates a little and rework the entitlement promise (yes, reduce it). But anobody, who raises the issue in its earnest, tries to propose any rational changes, is vilified as pushing grandma from the cliff.
How did she finally get out of it? And how big a loss?
Stick....my sister never did tell me the numbers, as I warned her against buying anything without a clean title. Apparently she mentioned something to our late Mother, bemoaning she lost “5 figures” on the car.
She shopped it around to BMW dealers and got no takers (not even an offer). She advertised it as a private owner car, and didn’t get any sniffs either (this was when CarFax was just strarting out and people could look up a car’s history).
She ended up selling it to another small used lot just to get some cash out of it.
I have no problem with RAmsey. REally all he’s doing is regurgitating common sense finances. Don’t spend more than you have to and certainly not more than you have. Don’t pay interest charges. Live below your means not above them. Simple stuff really. That all makes sense.
But, there’s no “cookie cutter” strategy that fits all the people all the time. Yes, there are certain things to adhere to (like the above), but I’ve been known to extend myself a bit for an asset that I thought would appreciate quite a bit (like some stocks and certainly when I bought my first house). Aside from minor hiccups, those investments have paid off handsomely.
That said, I’m trying to think of any time that I’ve even spent 50% of my yearly income on a car. I’m struggling to think of an instance where I got close.
When I was eating “rice and beans” because of my budget, I was buying used cars that had a reputation of reliability (pretty mundane Toyotas and Hondas that were miled up). That was a long while ago, though (thankfully).
As these things go, there are exceptions to every rule. If a car has a rebranded title, but it’s cheap, you probably don’t have much financial exposure with it if a catastrophe happens. Same goes for older cars. Those may not matter one way or the other if they have a rebuilt title or not.
But, a manufacturer buy back? Wouldn’t touch one with a stack Gordon Ramsey financial advice books. That’s just begging for a disaster, both financially and automotively.
@iluvmysephia1 ...If you’re hell bent on that Sentra, do yourself a favor. Drop $250 and get that car THOROUGHLY INSPECTED bumper-to-bumper, nut-to-nut by a trusted ASE certified mechanic to find out what the issue was with that car in reality. Find a mechanic with a code reader to give you some idea the history of the mechanical repairs that were done. Get someone to pull up all the repair orders on it (Nissan should have them and a dealership should be able to pull them up.....ALL OF THEM).
I know that Q traced my old Caddy to Columbus, OH but I never did find out how they branded the buyback or if they resold it at all. IF they did, I can see them describing the reason for buy back as “new wiring harness”....no mention of it catching on fire, or that they couldn’t make a wiring harness that would fit, etc, etc, etc!
The amusingly emotional and somewhat strawman use of "evil" and "castigate" speaks volumes. Some out there want to return to a time when things were "great", why not also return to its tax policies and socio-economic spectrum? The gap is much wider now than then.
There is no credible data in the world that shows the trickle down fantasy actually produces positive results - yet some will run with it to their dying days. What percentage of wealth is held by those "evil top 10" (really??), and how was it attained? It's not exactly an unfair system for that segment, definitely much more favorable here than in other (quasi) developed areas.
Definitely we are not overtaxed, some of us much less than others. Nobody said we are overtaxed. We pay little, and receive little in return, relative to peers in other locations. That's the Murkan way, bootstraps, temporarily embarrassed millionaires, medical bankruptcy, etc. It works well for some, while others are left behind.
Good luck reducing SS in this day and age, when due to wage stagnation, increasing living costs not factored into inflation numbers, and a Gatsbyesque socio-economic chasm, many simply can't afford to save for the future, and because pensions now don't exist save for citizens deluxe working for public agencies and a few remaining industries, SS is all some will have. Political suicide, nobody would run with it. Regarding anything medical, eventually there will be real pressure for some form of single payer system.
It's interesting to see the insane lack of self-awareness from some demographics out there, usually those kept afloat by family or public sector largesse, who think they built something themselves. Entitlements, both in numbers and mentalities, go both ways.
I'd like a lot of things, too. Good luck with that wish.
Oh yeah, the Tax Foundation also receives its fair share of questions and criticism. It isn't as non-partisan as it may claim.
We can relitigate things many times, if you wish. The facts are that 70 percent of revenue from income tax in 2015 was coming from those evil top 10 of earners, almost 38 percent of revenue from the most evil 1 percent. Their participation in total income is much smaller. Of course, to be fair, you'd need to add FICA taxes, which would shuffle the percentages a bit in favor of the lower brackets, but the facts remain.
So I would like you at least say "thank you" to those people who actually keep this country afloat, not vilify them. After that we can have rational discussion, whether or not it may be good for them to chip in more to shore up our nation's ailing balance sheet, not just demand they pay more because they're evil and owe the rest of us everything they've got. No can do? That's where the problem lies. Ideology trumps the facts, for both sides.
I don't think we are particularly overtaxed. Anybody who lived a day abroad knows we are not. But I do think we are spending too much, not just on military. We have grossly overpromised to future seniors (including myself in the future), particularly in Medicare, also a bit in Social Security. It's really startling when you hear that it will me middle of next decade already when the funds go insolvent (i.e. payments exceed receivables and zero savings on the account), yet everybody is acting like it's not there. Ignoring it only going to make the hammer fall harder. I already assume that if I get 75% of my currently calculated SS (adjusted for inflation), I'll be a lucky man. If you ever looked at your own Medicare statement and see how much you paid into the system (I did), including your employer's contribution and compare it with costs of care and rate of consumption amongst people over 65, the numbers miss each other not by 10 or 20 percent, they miss each other by factor of three or four, even if you adjust for people who will never consume it (died prior eligibility). It's a joke, but not very funny. It can't be fixed by raising the tax, there is no amount that can shore that up without killing the economy. The only way to fix it is to do both - raise the rates a little and rework the entitlement promise (yes, reduce it). But anobody, who raises the issue in its earnest, tries to propose any rational changes, is vilified as pushing grandma from the cliff.
hat's your opinion, you are entitled to it. Wealth is taxed right now.
Those who benefit most from maintenance of a society should support it most, as they did when with little complaint or fanfare when things were "great", but now words like "evil" and "castigation" are used to create pity.
hat's your opinion, you are entitled to it. Wealth is taxed right now.
Those who benefit most from maintenance of a society should support it most, as they did when with little complaint or fanfare when things were "great", but now words like "evil" and "castigation" are used to create pity.
Using same language, words like "fair share" are to create envy and resentment. Cuts both ways.
On my way from my daughter's high school. Miles driven per month is now around 900, a far cry from 2500 a couple of years ago. I bought the Accord 5 years ago as of Sept 8, so about 16k/yr.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
The tax and legal codes are way too complicated. There are many somewhat hidden to most tax dodges if you are rich enough like some kinds of trusts. But right now hiring lawyers and CPA's is expensive for most. Should all income be taxed for things like social security? The recent tax cuts hasn't gotten into these things and payola in congress may mean it never does. However, if all this stuff was simplified and more easily understood by most Americans maybe we could better assure a fair system without class warfare.
hat's your opinion, you are entitled to it. Wealth is taxed right now.
Those who benefit most from maintenance of a society should support it most, as they did when with little complaint or fanfare when things were "great", but now words like "evil" and "castigation" are used to create pity.
Using same language, words like "fair share" are to create envy and resentment. Cuts both ways.
When some one says that they want everyone to pay their "fair share"it basically means soak the successful members of society.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
hat's your opinion, you are entitled to it. Wealth is taxed right now.
Those who benefit most from maintenance of a society should support it most, as they did when with little complaint or fanfare when things were "great", but now words like "evil" and "castigation" are used to create pity.
Using same language, words like "fair share" are to create envy and resentment. Cuts both ways.
When some one says that they want everyone to pay their "fair share"it basically means soak the successful members of society.
I suggest we discontinue the discussions on the economy and our society before we get too political. Just that I am concerned about where this topic is leading us.
I'm good. All systems are go. I can now access Edmunds on all my devices---i.e. Desktop, Laptop, Smartphone and Tablet. And I did it all without tech support. Come to think of it, why do I need all these devices anyway. In addition to my eBook reader all I really need is a smartphone to stay connected, all this other stuff is overkill and a waste of money---but the Tablet and eBook were retirements gifts that I'm waiting to re-gift as soon as I tire of them.
How did I do it? I signed in as an existing user using my original email and password but changed my first and last names. To my surprise it worked on both Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers.
I suggest we discontinue the discussions on the economy and our society before we get too political. Just that I am concerned about where this topic is leading us.
Just like with discussions on speeding, it's always the same usual suspects initiating or continuing those things.
@iluvmysephia1 - have you considered a VW GTI S model with a 6-Speed MT? Towards the end of the year, dealers always seem to have lingering S (base) models & AUTOBAHN (loaded) models.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
In case anyone missed it, the show is annual in Russia, Ohio.
If they yanked those hokey skirts that 64 Ford would look a LOT better. Also someone has "popped" the rear spring shackles. That boosts the rear of the car an inch or so and gives the car a crappy ride. We used to do that a lot when I was a kid!
I continue to get 6-7 robot calls a day on my landline phone and 3-4 on my cell phone. These come in the form of “final” arrangement insurance, extended warranties on cars that I no longer own, viruses identified on my computer, knee and back braces, IRS criminal lawsuits against me, credit card balance reductions, home security systems, police and fire memorial funds for injured and deceased first responders, etc. I got a new one today stating they had a job offer for me.
This has gotten out of hand. My phones don’t pick up the scam calls because they come through to me using my own area code. There has to be a way to stop these constant calls. Thank goodness my HOA is eliminating the requirement for a land line phone effective October 31st. I can cancel my ATT landline that costs over $40 a month - and I never use the phone.
These calls invade our privacy - the States Attorney should pursue legislation to end this maddness.
I'm getting them too like never before. We are on the Do Not Call List but they are getting around that. The tipoff is the hesitation after you pick up the phone and say "Hello". I'll say hello twice and then I hang up.
Those are distressing pictures of the Seattle skyline.
I remember when we had some major forest fires here in CO; while the smoke and ash weren't that bad, folks still had a hard time breathing and it was suggested that they stay indoors.
Seattle is a lovely city, when the weather is nice. I think my first trip there was in November many years ago, and the temperature didn't fluctuate between 55 and 60 the whole week - day, night, it didn't matter. Persistent drizzle, as well.
Actually, here in Seattle we have two seasons. The Rainy Season and August!
If I don't recognize the number (90% of my calls, I don't recognize it), I just let it go to vmail. If it's important (rarely if ever), a message will be left. Since the only family I have left is my wife, she's the only call I care about.
I know that Q traced my old Caddy to Columbus, OH but I never did find out how they branded the buyback or if they resold it at all. IF they did, I can see them describing the reason for buy back as “new wiring harness”....no mention of it catching on fire, or that they couldn’t make a wiring harness that would fit, etc, etc, etc!/blockquote>
I recall I traced that VIN using BMV records and the title showed it registered to GM in Columbus. I speculated it might have been put in service at a vocational school where cars are donated by manufacturers? If you still have the VIN, let's give it a try again. See where the title is, if still in Ohio
Protip: when calling out someone on language, only use quotes when showing what they actually said. I never said "fair share" in any context but pointing out that the Tax Foundation can be questionable.
As many would say, especially those in lucky demographics, almost always lacking self-awareness, who have had a life that was more than fair, life isn't fair.
Many of those originate from outside the country, with spoofed numbers.
If I don't know who is calling, I don't answer. If it is important, they will leave a message. Sometimes I get robo-voice messages in hilariously bad English.
I'm getting them too like never before. We are on the Do Not Call List but they are getting around that. The tipoff is the hesitation after you pick up the phone and say "Hello". I'll say hello twice and then I hang up.
@iluvmysephia1 ...If you’re hell bent on that Sentra, do yourself a favor. Drop $250 and get that car THOROUGHLY INSPECTED bumper-to-bumper, nut-to-nut by a trusted ASE certified mechanic to find out what the issue was with that car in reality. Find a mechanic with a code reader to give you some idea the history of the mechanical repairs that were done. Get someone to pull up all the repair orders on it (Nissan should have them and a dealership should be able to pull them up.....ALL OF THEM).
graphicguy - yep, I would pry pretty deep if going over to actually make a deal. And pay someone a little chunk a change to check the history out. This car checks all of my boxes outta the box, but what happened to the original owner with it? I'd wanna know first before we sit down and draw numbers up.
If they yanked those hokey skirts that 64 Ford would look a LOT better. Also someone has "popped" the rear spring shackles. That boosts the rear of the car an inch or so and gives the car a crappy ride. We used to do that a lot when I was a kid!
I'll mention those things to him when I see him around the next time.
If a Sentra SR Turbo gives you goosebumps then have at it; it's your money and your life.
Right now the 2017 and/on Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed is in first place with the 2013 and/on Ford Focus ST in 2nd by just a titch. Considering that I'm still paying on the Kia Soul for about 21 more months and I'm at about 103,388 miles on the car, I'm probably sitting still as far as trading in. But the '17 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed is going to auction soon, and if they keep hacking hundreds of dollars off the price, I might have ta do the same song and dance I did in March of 2007 while living in Willcox, AZ.
I walk out into the living room swinging my car keys, heading towards the front door of the house.
My wife: "Where ya goin'?"
"I'm headin' ta Phoenix ta go buy me a new Mitsubishi!"
My wife's response: "Wait for me, I'm comin' too!"
Insert a slightly-used Nissan for the Mitsu.
$11,595 for a 2017 with only 7,696 miles on it? It would have ta be checked out by a mechanic thoroughly first, for sure.
So, here's the Wrangler I found; it's a new 2017 JK Sahara with the Winter Edition Package. Decent enough deal, methinks, and every feature I want- LED headlamps, rear locking diff, Alpine audio, and heated seats.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Comments
The Beatles sang about When I 'm 64........which seemed like being really past the expiry date, but, there you are 67, and here I am 71!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Oops, hope that isn't "class warfare".
The attitude of each generation to the next is "I got mine, to heck with you" - as long as that can is kicked down the road, nothing will change.
That's one reason I want to travel more now than waiting til I am old, if I am lucky enough to be old - I am physically able. The future isn't guaranteed. I could just save the money and sit on my recliner during my vacation days, and drive a 2001 Yaris until it disintegrates, hoping for something that might not happen, but that seems like as much of a waste as blowing it all on lottery tickets.
Here's how I'd respond to the above: if I really wanted the Nissan Versa S still, or a Chevy Spark, or a Nissan Sentra S, I would really have to pick the Ford Focus ST in a heartbeat and be done. But I pick the Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed stick because of the car's design - both inside and out. I love cars and driving them - period. I love being inside them, admiring their dials and switchwork - even more so when lit up at night. I love to use their stereos and rock to some good Canadian Tragically Hip.
RIP Gordon Downie
I love changing the dials - I love planning a road trip out. I love maintaining my car like the finely-built specimen it is. I like my cars to run like tops. I like listening to ZZ Top's 'Fandango' album in my car as I drive to go see ZZ Top. I like driving safely - I like preserving life. I love cars. I love the looks of the cars I buy. Sure, the Ford Focus ST is a fine looking car and I may decide on one eventually. I'm just not a racer - I'd rather stop and read the historical road signs alongside the road. This country's chock full of history and I hate missing out on some good history along the way. Having said that about not needing to race, I do remember driving my Lancer GTS in Tucson with it's heavy cross-town traffic. The Lancer GTS had a 152-hp 148-ft.lb. of torque 4-cyl. engine with an automatic CVT transmission with paddle shifters. I would as a practice rev up that engine and get myself out of some of the nastiest traffic jams and pull out in front - way out in front with a jubilance of Shawn Kemp when dunking the ball off of Michael Jordan's head in the '96 NBA Finals. VAROOOMMM!!! That Mitsubishi motor could be wrung out with a fairly quick succinction of power on the spot to get away from nasty pools of traffic. That and U-Turns: Tucson is the city of U-turns. My point about this is that I sometimes enjoy a little road racing - a burst of power to get in and out of the holes on the road like a hard-running NFL halfback. It's run. This Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed would give me that power for quick city-burst getaways. I'd spin them with glee. I'm not totally immune to the appeal of driving a car hard and I'm somewhat interested in track driving - just not enough to pursue it with immediate abandon. That's all. It could be learned and I could see it being sort of a obsessive compulsive disorder buzz of some kind - the kind that the Ford Focus ST would deliver in an instant. Ford engineers have done a marvelous job with the Focus ST - I'm really proud of them. It's a shame they're poop-canning car production for the U.S. I hope they change their minds on that decision.
The 2017-18 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo is 188hp coming in at 5600rpm and 177 ft.lb. of torque that comes in at a low 1600rpm (that stays flat all the way up to 5200rpm) contained in this engine Nissan took out of their Juke: a 1.6L 4-cyl direct-injected gasoline turbocharged engine. That is coupled with an intercooler and a compression ratio of 10.5:1, all linked with a 6-speed transmission. In this YouTube video Motoman drives a silver 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed and shares what he learns. In a nutshell, he describes it as "enough power:sure - but would you want more power? Ahh...yes."
Motoman's YouTube video on the 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed: Part II of III
As I was describing earlier, I don't live to race. Simply put it boils down to what the car has - which, to me, is a lot of cool body design and a smart interior layout with loads of room in the backseat for guest riders as well as the Mrs. and I in the front. Plus, what I think is a killer body design. This is my Datsun 510 sedan in 2018 form. The 510 is the subcompact that Nissan took and made the Sentra design off of - I knew there was something cool about the Sentra that was lingering around, thick and deep with history - well, that's it - it's continuously harkening my mind back to the late 60's with 411 Bluebird and 510 imagery fleshed out in 2017-2018 as the Sentra. It's subtle yet firm as a swift take down from someone like Dennis Rodman under the Detroit Piston frontcourt. Right up and in my face, car nuts!
Reliability has been good for the Sentra - the 2017-18's no exception. The SR Turbo 6-speed I save for will be like the one I detailed last night with the lighting kit for automatic fade-in and fade-out lighting upon entry, special SR Turbo stitching on the doors and floormats, on-board tech package and rear-view camera, sunroof, heated front seats, foglights up front and a small spoiler out back that gives a subtle splay off the taillights and separation up above the Nissan Sentra trim in back. I think it's slightness works well back there and adds to the design instead of some of the ridiculous spoilers of the past. My 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS had a larger spoiler, but Mitsu pulled it off by designing the taillights to pry down and up to the right at the rear corners. Design like that isn't stumbled upon - it's earned by doing it right. Just right.
So, in conclusion of this little pamphlet I've made, roadburner - I can understand where you're coming from on the immediate speed-mobile thing - the Ford Focus ST would be a natural there. If you have time, though, watch Motoman's Part II of III video I have plopped up above on the 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 6-spd stick. Watch him take the car off the line and in to and out of mountain turns.
I really think I would love this car. Fades out to Deep Purple's megahit 'Highway Star.'
I just checked the ad for the 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed for sale at Bill Luke Tempe. They dropped the price down to only $11,575! The price for this car has dropped $800 in two days. Humm...I'm really starting to get tempted now!! That is cheap for this car - it only has 7,686 miles on it!
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
So I would like you at least say "thank you" to those people who actually keep this country afloat, not vilify them. After that we can have rational discussion, whether or not it may be good for them to chip in more to shore up our nation's ailing balance sheet, not just demand they pay more because they're evil and owe the rest of us everything they've got. No can do? That's where the problem lies. Ideology trumps the facts, for both sides.
I don't think we are particularly overtaxed. Anybody who lived a day abroad knows we are not. But I do think we are spending too much, not just on military. We have grossly overpromised to future seniors (including myself in the future), particularly in Medicare, also a bit in Social Security. It's really startling when you hear that it will me middle of next decade already when the funds go insolvent (i.e. payments exceed receivables and zero savings on the account), yet everybody is acting like it's not there. Ignoring it only going to make the hammer fall harder. I already assume that if I get 75% of my currently calculated SS (adjusted for inflation), I'll be a lucky man. If you ever looked at your own Medicare statement and see how much you paid into the system (I did), including your employer's contribution and compare it with costs of care and rate of consumption amongst people over 65, the numbers miss each other not by 10 or 20 percent, they miss each other by factor of three or four, even if you adjust for people who will never consume it (died prior eligibility). It's a joke, but not very funny. It can't be fixed by raising the tax, there is no amount that can shore that up without killing the economy. The only way to fix it is to do both - raise the rates a little and rework the entitlement promise (yes, reduce it). But anobody, who raises the issue in its earnest, tries to propose any rational changes, is vilified as pushing grandma from the cliff.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
She shopped it around to BMW dealers and got no takers (not even an offer). She advertised it as a private owner car, and didn’t get any sniffs either (this was when CarFax was just strarting out and people could look up a car’s history).
She ended up selling it to another small used lot just to get some cash out of it.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
But, there’s no “cookie cutter” strategy that fits all the people all the time. Yes, there are certain things to adhere to (like the above), but I’ve been known to extend myself a bit for an asset that I thought would appreciate quite a bit (like some stocks and certainly when I bought my first house). Aside from minor hiccups, those investments have paid off handsomely.
That said, I’m trying to think of any time that I’ve even spent 50% of my yearly income on a car. I’m struggling to think of an instance where I got close.
When I was eating “rice and beans” because of my budget, I was buying used cars that had a reputation of reliability (pretty mundane Toyotas and Hondas that were miled up). That was a long while ago, though (thankfully).
As these things go, there are exceptions to every rule. If a car has a rebranded title, but it’s cheap, you probably don’t have much financial exposure with it if a catastrophe happens. Same goes for older cars. Those may not matter one way or the other if they have a rebuilt title or not.
But, a manufacturer buy back? Wouldn’t touch one with a stack Gordon Ramsey financial advice books. That’s just begging for a disaster, both financially and automotively.
@iluvmysephia1 ...If you’re hell bent on that Sentra, do yourself a favor. Drop $250 and get that car THOROUGHLY INSPECTED bumper-to-bumper, nut-to-nut by a trusted ASE certified mechanic to find out what the issue was with that car in reality. Find a mechanic with a code reader to give you some idea the history of the mechanical repairs that were done. Get someone to pull up all the repair orders on it (Nissan should have them and a dealership should be able to pull them up.....ALL OF THEM).
I know that Q traced my old Caddy to Columbus, OH but I never did find out how they branded the buyback or if they resold it at all. IF they did, I can see them describing the reason for buy back as “new wiring harness”....no mention of it catching on fire, or that they couldn’t make a wiring harness that would fit, etc, etc, etc!
The amusingly emotional and somewhat strawman use of "evil" and "castigate" speaks volumes. Some out there want to return to a time when things were "great", why not also return to its tax policies and socio-economic spectrum? The gap is much wider now than then.
There is no credible data in the world that shows the trickle down fantasy actually produces positive results - yet some will run with it to their dying days. What percentage of wealth is held by those "evil top 10" (really??), and how was it attained? It's not exactly an unfair system for that segment, definitely much more favorable here than in other (quasi) developed areas.
Definitely we are not overtaxed, some of us much less than others. Nobody said we are overtaxed. We pay little, and receive little in return, relative to peers in other locations. That's the Murkan way, bootstraps, temporarily embarrassed millionaires, medical bankruptcy, etc. It works well for some, while others are left behind.
Good luck reducing SS in this day and age, when due to wage stagnation, increasing living costs not factored into inflation numbers, and a Gatsbyesque socio-economic chasm, many simply can't afford to save for the future, and because pensions now don't exist save for citizens deluxe working for public agencies and a few remaining industries, SS is all some will have. Political suicide, nobody would run with it. Regarding anything medical, eventually there will be real pressure for some form of single payer system.
It's interesting to see the insane lack of self-awareness from some demographics out there, usually those kept afloat by family or public sector largesse, who think they built something themselves. Entitlements, both in numbers and mentalities, go both ways.
I'd like a lot of things, too. Good luck with that wish.
Oh yeah, the Tax Foundation also receives its fair share of questions and criticism. It isn't as non-partisan as it may claim.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Those who benefit most from maintenance of a society should support it most, as they did when with little complaint or fanfare when things were "great", but now words like "evil" and "castigation" are used to create pity.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
How did I do it? I signed in as an existing user using my original email and password but changed my first and last names. To my surprise it worked on both Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
Still, this is really getting old!
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
As many would say, especially those in lucky demographics, almost always lacking self-awareness, who have had a life that was more than fair, life isn't fair.
If I don't know who is calling, I don't answer. If it is important, they will leave a message. Sometimes I get robo-voice messages in hilariously bad English.
graphicguy - yep, I would pry pretty deep if going over to actually make a deal. And pay someone a little chunk a change to check the history out. This car checks all of my boxes outta the box, but what happened to the original owner with it? I'd wanna know first before we sit down and draw numbers up.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Right now the 2017 and/on Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed is in first place with the 2013 and/on Ford Focus ST in 2nd by just a titch. Considering that I'm still paying on the Kia Soul for about 21 more months and I'm at about 103,388 miles on the car, I'm probably sitting still as far as trading in. But the '17 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 6-speed is going to auction soon, and if they keep hacking hundreds of dollars off the price, I might have ta do the same song and dance I did in March of 2007 while living in Willcox, AZ.
I walk out into the living room swinging my car keys, heading towards the front door of the house.
My wife: "Where ya goin'?"
"I'm headin' ta Phoenix ta go buy me a new Mitsubishi!"
My wife's response: "Wait for me, I'm comin' too!"
Insert a slightly-used Nissan for the Mitsu.
$11,595 for a 2017 with only 7,696 miles on it? It would have ta be checked out by a mechanic thoroughly first, for sure.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
You're not alone though.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6