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Actually I did something to make life seem much longer tonight. My taxes. They say now that 49% of the people in the US don't pay any income tax. I'm in the 51%. :sick:
I'm convinced that car guys do think alike. That's what I just did. I always wait to the end and I always get money back. I subscribe to the 'snake' philosophy of doing your 1040..."it's un-American to not cheat on your taxes". However, like most Americans that get a refund you don't get away scott free you just pay less. :mad:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Richard
She made one point which surprised me. She said that the average age of a car on the road today is 10 years. That seems a little high to me. But then, I live in an area where discretionary income is above average. BTW, Weston drove an Explorer like mine, but just inherited her husband's Volvo. He purchased a new Volvo. She didn't push the Ford or Volvo brands; she just mentioned what they both drove.
I think that getting 250K miles out of a car is great. I just prefer to trade more often than that. As for car ownership costs, it's less painful if you love what you purchased.
Richard
Ah what? When did I say that?I am a professional tax preparer and every tax return I do is designed to pass an audit while getting the best refund (or owe the least). Never would I advise cheating on taxes.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I have become pretty good at it....I have to dig myself out quite often.
But, I will illustrate my point. Right now, according to the newspaper ads you can buy a Malibu well equipped, for about $22,000 Cdn. That's about the same price as a comparably equipped Honda Civic. Yet way more people buy a Civic. I have driven a Civic, and I have sat in a Malibu. Although I wasn't too impressed with the design or feel of the Malibu, I would probably choose it over a Civic. Yet, the Civic will outsell the Malibu by a huge margin.
I have to think it is perceived or real value (rightly or wrongly) people place on the Civic.
I am hoping I confused you so much I have dug myself out again.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I think that getting 250K miles out of a car is great.
I guess your planning on keeping the Explorer for a long time now....does your wife know about this?
As for car ownership costs, it's less painful if you love what you purchased.
Very true. But, I think you will love it even more if it doesn't break down to often, and if it is worth more at trade in time.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I will vouch for snake on this one. He has always said he would only make legitimate deductions, and never cheat on taxes. JM, I hope there aren't any IRS guys reading your post :P
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Richard
Richard
Do you really want me to go back over 53K + posts to find it? Then again, maybe I got you confused with one of the guys in the biz that said that. Don’t tell me they wouldn’t say THAT, given they do what they do for a living. :confuse:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Richard, this isn't my full time occupation. If you guys want to get together and pay me $50 or $60k a year for my wit and insight I will read your posts more carefully. I did go back and reread your post and you are correct, you did say, that though the Explorer could go 250,000 miles, you don't want to keep your car that long. I just thought that since you are getting such good use out of the Explorer, and since your lovely wife might be using your Explorer more often...you might reconsider and keep it going.
Wow, I am not sure if I dug myself out of that one. :sick:
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
For many years he owned what was probably the best auto repair shop in Oakland CA. They were always booked weeks in advance. This guy REALLY knew what he was doing.
He absoultly HATED "foreign" cars and he refused to work on them.
In 1979, he sold his shop and I put him in the tool business. I had a brond new Toyota Celica at the time. for the life of him, he couldn't understand how any American could drive a Japanese car. He would be quite vocal about this.
Now, this guy would typically buy a new Cadillac about every five years.
Fast forward to now...He bought a new Lexus LS 430 a few years ago and just loves it. I reminded him of his former stance on Japanese cars.
" Yesh, I know but when you buy three troublesome Cadillacs in a row, you start looking other places".
I know what you are saying 100%.
*Yesterday, I saw an old neighbor. He bought a new Lincoln every 2 years. He tried one in 2007, thought it was crappy. Tried a Lexus and loves it.
*Yesterday we had 2 sets of people for dinner. They both used to drive American cars as well as their wives. Now their cars and their wives cars are all foreign.
*I can think of at least 12 people I know who have been strong supporters of American cars....and they have converted and will not be going back. I am not making this up. Any one who does not try a foreign make for comparison is not getting the whole picture. If a person prefers an American car after comparing then by all means go with it, but I haven't heard of any one going from foreign to American. Sad but true!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Sounds like my step-dad. He was furious at me when I bought my first Nissan, 30 years ago. This was after I had bought not just one but two Ford Pintos, God help me, which I owned during my 20s, because he was a big Ford guy and he had recommended to me that a Pinto would be perfect for a first car for me, right out of college. I bought one, which was ok, kept it for a couple years or so, and then bought another one, which was a disaster.
Then I bought a Datsun 310, which I loved, and he just was livid, although he only told my mother that, didn't really say much to me directly. He genuinely thought it was very un-American of me.
Fast-forward 30 years, and now I own a Volvo (as of four days ago), which until recently was owned by Ford. Step-dad is of course long gone now, but I wonder what he would have made of that.
I'll admit to my prejudices though. My own dad fought in WWII (as did my step-father) and was shot and wounded, lost the sight of one eye and the tips off three of his fingers. He died very young, in his 40s, probably not related to his war injuries but perhaps the stressful experiences may have played a part. I will not buy a German car to this day. I don't care how good they are, I can't make myself walk into one of their showrooms.
Completely irrational, I know, but there it is.
I’m not worried about that. Once I explain to them (they can come over anytime for a visual) how to detail a car all will be forgiven.
‘snake’ taught me that ‘brownie points’ with those guys is the best way to handle them.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I'm impressed with your talent. You should really do research before posting. You should be comparing the Malibu to the Accord, not to the Civic. Time to move on to another topic.
Completely irrational, I know, but there it is.
Awhile back I said I would not buy a car from a country that we went to war against and I heard the very same thing. Like you, especially Germany.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Completely irrational, I know, but there it is.
Not sure if you were around when I posted this, but about a year ago I was in Israel for work. I was surprised at how many German cars there were.
Let's hope that North Korea never buys Hyunday :P
Richard, you have us convinced you are in your 80s....... You're not that much older than the senior work force in here!
Now, if you really are at the age where they won't sell you a three minute egg unless you pay in advance and you have no kids I certainly hope you will remember your favorite poster in the will. Unless it isn't me.
This could be the old routine, "To Steve who I promised to remember in my will - hi, Steve."....
Between taxes last night and the doctor bright and early this morning I am exhausted and have not yet gone into work. I'll be depending on you guys to keep me awake later. Tuesdays are my late shift - 1 - 9. I'll be fine as long as I don't have to use my brain. Maybe I'll leave it home.
Really makes no sense, but goes to show how large a part emotions can play in car buying, even when we try to be as logical as possible.
I don’t care if they do buy Hyunday. As long as they don’t buy Hyundai but I knew what you meant.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I'll bet you don't even buy green bananas!
It seems unfair to kick them when they're down like that.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
My wife had an uncle who recently passed away. He got to participate in the Bataan Death March. Two things he would never do. He would never talk about his war experiences and he would NEVER buy an imported car.
He once did tell a story about how a German woman shared potatoes with them. They knew those potatoes were a huge sacrifice for her.
I can't imagine the horrors that man saw.
I think it's one of the ugliest SUVs out there. They should have another Do Not Buy warning based on the looks alone of that ogre of a SUV.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I can also understand the ones who will not consider Japanese because of the war.
My theory is if you don't want another war the best way to prevent it is to keep our economies tied to each other so I'll buy either.
Where in the heck have you been? Lost in the lower 40 in your new Vandura.
What makes them rollover?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
...Uh, Richard...are you going to say something? I have a kind of mental picture, but it's too pornographic to recount in this family forum
Gogiboy
Fortunately, I did not have any family members who were injured during WW2 but I grew up in a neighborhood where that was not the case. Always heard the family and the neighbors talk about that and at the time they meant German cars; the Japanese were not a player at that time (50’s). So, I just can’t forget.
I’m talking about an era when doctors made house calls. I remember hearing about a doctor that showed up one time with a Mercedes, he was never back in that hood again. I also remember talk about this doctor getting a Buick like some of the other doctors but by then it was too late for that guy.
Really makes no sense
It does to me.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
We must be of the same generation. When I was a kid, at summer parties conversation among the dads would sometimes turn to talk of where they'd been and what they'd done in "the war." Our neighborhood was one of those that were hastily built after WWII to house the returning GI's, their brides, and all of us kiddies that became the "Baby Boom." Houses full of kids all up and down the street, constant birthday parties, and relief for our parents at having survived and being able to build normal lives.
Buicks and Cadillacs were the aspirational cars; the common man drove a Chevy, Ford, or Plymouth. We had a couple of Plymouth station wagons and then bought Chevys.
Both my folks served during WWII but were never overseas. I've never bought a car built in Arizona or Virginia.... only because they didn't make any there. Mom was in the Navy at Norfolk. Dad was around Tuscon with the Army Air Corps.
Very funny...really. Like I said, this isn't my full time job. For $50 or $60k a year I will edit my posts more carefully.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I'm glad to know someone else has waited until the last few days to do their taxes. I always start on my birthday if I don't have the paperwork done. I had all the numbers documented from the kid's scholarship work so I put off placiing the pencil to paper until last evening.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I figure I'll be done by 6:30 P.M. 4/15, on the dot. Then, I just have to make it to the post office before they close up.
it seems our family didn't feel so strongly. do the math.
one of my friends father was in the BTM, like one of isell's uncles.
he was a great guy and a carpenter. he literally built his own home and most of the furniture in it.
he drove a honda civic.
The Germans were great guys!! Just a little naive, is all..
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What country that makes cars that we haven't gone to war against and would you buy their cars?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
His next car will be a Tata Nano :P
my wife is half Italian and half Irish. Yikes!
i decided to buy a Mexican car, a Ford Fusion.
I call it EL HENRY. hopefully someone gets that.
South Korea?
Sweden?
And if they get any wise ideas I could always return to Detroit.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I resemble that remark. I think GG has some Italian blood in him too. :shades:
Yes, and my understanding is you finished second.