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But if I could, I wouldn't be driving...
• Any pink "Mary Kay Edition" of anything
• Any "bling-mobile"
• Any vehicle that screams "LOOK AT ME!"
• Any Detroit iron with a vinyl top, opera lights, fake landau bars, and/or fake wire wheels
• Any "monster truck"
• Any vehicle targeted towards seniors (and I am a senior!)
• Any utterly dull vehicle
Bob
I agree with you, though I'd put Air Jordan in the wealthy department. Am pretty sure that none of his descendants would have to work
Of course, MJ does have a tendency to gamble, so he may never have enough money
I agree that annual income is not a measure of "wealth" (unless, of course, that annual income is measured in the millions and is guaranteed, as in an annuity)
- but I'd call that "wealth"
Regarding the F&F look, what about folks who go to the tuners like Lingenfelter (GM) or Hennessey (Mopar) to customize their Vettes and Vipers?
I've always thought that if my lottery numbers ever hit, I'd take my Saturn L300 to Lingenfelter and have them do some stuff to it - perhaps a supercharger, something like that - to boost output to 300HP or so. As suggested above, improve only the parts that couldn't be seen (suspension, steering, engine, exhaust), add some slightly larger wheels and tires, and really make yourself a Q-ship.
Granted, I wouldn't be able to take an M5 off the line, but it would be fun to surprise a Mustang/3-series owner.
05 Nissan Maxima SE
00 Chevrolet Impala LS
94 GMC Suburban K2500 SLE
82 Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler
New cars I would consider owning, off the top of my head:
Infiniti M35x
Nissan 350Z
Toyota Avalon Limited
Nissan Altima
Toyota Camry
Ford Five Hundred when it gets a real engine
Dodge Ram 2500/3500 with Cummins
Ford F250/F350 with Powerstroke
Chevrolet Impala
Hyundai Azerra looks promising
Volkswagon Passat
Infiniti G35x
BMW 3 or 5 series
Jeep Unlimited Rubicon
I dunno...I kinda like the SRX...it's one of the few wagon-y type vehicles that I'd actually be willing to drive/own (if I needed a station wagon, that is).
Though I don't like it as much as I like the Cadillac XLR...I've seen a few on the road, and (to me anyway) they look amazing!
Who cares?
We're talking about what you wouldn't want to be in. In 100 words or less.
Like......
I wouldn't be caught dead in a VW bus.
Happy New Year
I do have to agree with lowline Kias though. A Rio...no way.
One recent definition of wealth in the USA is $600K in assets excluding the primary residence.
Since virtually 100% of my assets are in my primary residence, I don't qualify.
Back to the topic, I would not be caught dead in any recent SUV, full size sedan or coupe, pickup truck, or sports car, with the sole exceptions of GTI or much older inexpensive reliable (usually Japanese) options.
I like the smaller, older, more modest European cars, and the more efficient Japanese and Korean cars, and that's about it. I am particularly enamored of the ultra-efficient very small models that we don't have in the USA.
Virtually anything else spells values that I do not wish to project.
Wealthy means you have more assets than I do.
marika writes:
Back to the topic, I would not be caught dead in any recent SUV, full size sedan or coupe, pickup truck, or sports car, with the sole exceptions of GTI or much older inexpensive reliable (usually Japanese) options.
In high school and college, I drove a diarrhea-brown 2-door 1972 Ford Maverick so I clearly can't say there's any car I wouldn't be caught dead in.
Today, I commute in a VW GTI and my wife drives the Mountaineer that has the "Geoff" vanity plate on it. I tow a boat and cope with a dirt driveway during mud month at the ski resort so I'm willing to cope with the uncoolness of owning an Exploder variant.
I'm a Hertz five star so I'm no stranger to boring domestic mid-sized and "full-sized" cars. My banned list includes any domestic GM product except a Corvette, any domestic Jeep/Chrysler product, most Ford products, boring Toyota sedans, Subarus, cars from Korea, Mazda 6... essentially, any car that could possibly be in the non-premium rental fleet at Hertz.
The worst car I've been given by Hertz was a Nissan Quest minivan. I drive an SUV but I couldn't park the thing in a strip mall parking lot without backing back and forth several times. It's easier to dock a supertanker. On the road, it was incredibly ponderous with huge body roll and imprecise steering. It has the aerodynamics of a barn door and sucked down fuel. Definite two thumbs down.
that's funny - that's EXACTLY the objective of a definition that puts a great deal of the true "middle class" at war with the rest of the "middle class"
"Tax the wealthy" becomes "tax anyone with more money than me" - as a result, the truly wealthy get a walk in the park while the middle class gets taken to the cleaners
600K in the bank will not put your two kids through college and pay for two weddings - I hardly think that is "wealthy"
and if you lose your health insurance, good luck
I guess if I was 85 and had $600K in the bank, I'd feel comfortable
but not if you are 45
Is there a reason people pour money into mediocre cars? (I'm asking seriously, because I am not a car-guy, so I admit that I might be missing something. Why would anyone put 10 grand into a Saturn, for example?)
VW Wagons are cool. I have a buddy who is selling his 4-year old one and buying a new one. He loves it. And he's not even crunchy-granola or anything.
I would not want to drive a smelly, old Grand Caravan. I've been there done that. But it was so damned practical!!! (even after it started to get a little stanky)
We don't actually tax the 'wealth' until you die. We do tax income tho.....so folks with wealth have paid the tax (supposedly) and are free to spend the cash as they see fit. But once you have accumulated some wealth over many years its hard to part with it.
Getting back on message.....yea - the day I have to own a Kia is the day you can put a fork in me.
Regarding the definition of "wealthy" in the USA, a few years back there was an article in Forbes Magazine pertaining to this very subject. Even back then they stated that a person's net wealth would have to be a minimum of TEN MILLION dollars for them to be considered "wealthy" in the USA. Personally, I think that's a bit excessive. Especially since I don't have ten million bucks myself.
Or a dull, overpriced, dorky, pseudo-rich looking Mercedes-Benz or Porsche. Older or newer model. Doesn't matter how old, they lose my business for a myriad of reasons. Suffice to say they don't deliver value, or, if they do, they do it in a very expensive way. What's more, they look like crap. Just the truth, dudes.
I like the old VW's, ala '66 VW Fastback, but I'm so enamored with the South Korean Kia's that I doubt I would waste my money on any other vehicle, ever. Yep, I know, never say never. There is absolutely no better value in automobiles, no better Warranty and no better body styling. In a nutshell, there is no better car than a Kia.
I would rather drive a car I like than be a mindless drone purchaser that is deathly afraid of trying a "different" brand. Witness what is happening to those that thought they could trust Granddaddy GM. GM stopped caring about cars...they concentrated on big, boaty trucks and SUV's and, what's hard to understand, Americans continued buying them up!
What's biting GM in the hindquarters now is their lack of planning for the automotive future. When you buy a new Kia you get the Long Haul Warranty to cover you. I have bought two new Kia's and the Warranty has covered the few, petty fixes required. At no cost to me. All the while the fix was being done I could wander around and admire the new Kia's and talk to the salespeople, watch tennis on TV, read People magazine and drink marginal car dealership coffee. A nice experience.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
It's still embarrassing to be seen with my peeling overcoat, and I'd feel silly in an automatic sporty car or a large SUV, but as long as I wasn't buying one of those I'd be willing to drive.
Just being honest and unhyperbolic.
People wouldn't even know I had $10 million by all outward appearances. I'd still live modestly with a few token luxuries. I don't want exotic cars. I don't want boats or planes. I most certainly don't want some huge white elephant of a mansion. I don't gamble and have no alcohol, sex, or drug dependencies. Peace of mind and freedom from the evil spectre of unemployment and poverty is all the wealth I need.
Some others I have had personal experience with include Ford Tempos/Mercury Topaz my mother had. They were some of the blandest, most underpowered cars I've ever driven. Also when I met my wife she was driving an 87 Toyota Corolla four door hatchback. It too was brown on brown on brown. Functional, but definitely not a head turner. The worst truck I've ever driven was a mid-70's model Datsun my dad once bought. It was green with one red door and smoked profusely.
There are many recent makes I'd include in my list:
Chevy Avalanche with the plastic body cladding.
Buick Rendezvous
The new Dodge Dakota
Chevy Trailblazer
That new Subaru thing - reminds me of a mole rat.
One vehicle that has been mentioned that I also think would be sweet to have is an older model hearse. Sure it creeps out some people, but folks notice when you pull up in an early 70's model hearse. The Oscar Meyer Weinermobile is also a sure-fire bet to get you noticed.
But my vote for the ugliest vehicle on the road today has to go to the Pontiac Aztec. Is it a car? A wagon? A van? or an SUV? It reminds me of a transformer. I expect that at any time it is going to turn into some kind of robot and start terrorizing out town. What was Pontiac thinking?
There's a couple of potholes I wouldn't be caught dead driving, a Corolla or a Civic. What uninspired gunk. :sick:
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
didn't Michael Jackson have one of those. I have never seen him driving a car though, he always has a chauffeured Escalade.
Alot of people are saying Kia. A few years ago that would have been me also. I think since Hyundai has taken them over they have some interesting Suv' s. The Sorento and Sportage would be on my list if I were shopping for an Suv.
That said I would not drive a Santa Fe, the back door reminds me of my Grandmother's old Norge.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
A "normal"Porsche in my part of town doesn't get you a second look, and that is fine as the people who drive them don't expect attention.
I suspect some people buy Porsches because they like them.
"Today he traded his big 98 Oldsmobile
He got a heck of a deal
On a new Porsche car
He ain't wearing his usual grey business suit
He's got jeans and high boots
With an embroidered star
An today he's forty years old going on twenty"
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Nissan/Infiniti
Toyota/Lexus
Honda/Acura..
....kthx :shades:
Last-gen Pontiac Firebird.
Now I really love pony cars and all, but those Firebirds had such ridiculously over-the-top styling...like a combination of the Batmobile and some kind of demon spawn.
I can't imagine driving one of these things to a restaurant, or a business meeting of some sort... :surprise:
And I would be embarassed to be seen in a Firebird - these are muscle cars.
I do not want to project either the muscle or desperate midlifer images.
As for cheap cars, I have kind of a perverse enjoyment of those. I remember having a Daihatsu Charade once that I used as a daily driver for six months or so. It was like the little engine that could. Were those three-cylinders? I think they might have been. I would drive the Rio if I found an old one that was running OK. I wouldn't use my money to buy a new one though.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I agree on the Firebird. I had to borrow a bright red one with aftermarket exhaust and wheels to go to a job interview. I felt like a total tool, but I did get the job.
If you're a woman it's OK too, I think. But if you're a 40-60 year old male, than uh oh, everybody's going to be thinking the same thing when they see you driving that thing.
Of course, there's a lot to be said for the notion of "who cares what people think", but if we acknowledged that notion in this thread, it would have to shut down! :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I'll take the Porsche in a heartbeat and not give a sh*t what anybody thinks as I'm driving it. It's a effin Porsche people! Talk about some envy going on here.
It's hard to believe we actually got a "I'd rather drive a Kia than a Porsche" thing going on here.
Put me down for the "no Kias here" club. Rather slit my wrist then drive one of those.
As for what I'd actually volunteer to spend money on? Nothing body-on-frame, that's for sure.
Porsche in a sense is a victim of its own success...because they are such amazingly capable cars, they attract both the enthusiasts as well as the poseurs who want to be seen as enthusiasts.
BMW since the 1980s has had a similar stone around its neck...they're great performance automobiles in their own right, but because the yuppies all flocked to them, there's always that unspoken question when someone tells you they own one. "Did he get it because he likes performance driving, or because it's a BMW..."
One thing I will confess to, though...a couple years ago, a buddy of mine bought a new BMW 3-series coupe. I forget the year, but it was pre-Bangled. Anyway, it pretty much squashed my previous perceptions about these things being small, cramped, horribly riding, overpriced leather-clad Chevettes. It was actually quite comfortable in the front seat, and roomy enough for my tastes. The backseat was pretty much non-existent though once you put the front all the way back. It rode very well too, and while the interior still had somewhat of a stark look to it, it still exuded quality, and and was attractive to look at.
Still don't know if I'd buy one, though. I could see myself getting one of these before I'd get a Porsche, though.
As for the 3 series I had a different experience than you. I found the cabin very cramped. Even with the seat all the way down and back and tilted a few notches back my head was still pressed against the roof, the steering wheel was dug into my legs and my left arm was wedged between my body and the door. Can't drive a car like that.
And yes I am well over 6 foot tall, but I can still fit nicely into a $10K Accent.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I have noticed that some newer BMWs, especially the 6-series, have a really bad driving position. First off, the steering wheel is off-center with respect to the seat. But worse, it was angled a bit so that I had to extend my left arm further than my right arm to grip it. I guess you can get used to it after awhile, but it really turned me off. Shame too, because I think the 6 is one of the better looking Bangled cars.
Somedays I miss that car....
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Whats wrong with that? Its not like you have more than two ears. :P
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I think you mean self-image is important to you, because I can't imagine how having a Kia would produce any positive image to the rest of the world.
Can't we all agree that beauty is in the eye of the beholder
good call on the Trans-Ams and Corvettes. I'd feel funny driving one of those. But I could drive a Porsche, no problem. I would have no problem driving a pre-1968 or so Vette.
yeah, I'd feel silly in some jacked-up truck.
No he didn't thos of us who've seen Iluv's posts over the years will tell you he'd really rather have a Kia. Doesn't say much for his sanity does it?
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Me either, the C2 Stingrays are the last 'Vettes a really went for. I'd have no problem driving a pre '71 Ponycar.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Porsche over a Vette easily. :shades: