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[quote=”chaparral66″ post=81495]What I’m trying to say, I think, is that it was not much fun for me to try to squeeze extra life out of that car as I watched it age to where it was not financially prudent to repair it any longer.[/quote]
I have to disagree with you quite a bit.My first car, which I still drive, is a 64 Lincoln Continental. I paid $2200 for it, and I’ve probably sunk 15k more into in the past 22 years. I put about 26k miles on it every year. I’m likely going to have to put another 10k into it before the end ’14 simply because the engine has over 500k miles on it. Man those 430 MEL’s were made to last. But when you really think about it, even though I’ve restored the car twice, I’ve still spent less on keeping it running than I would have if I had bought replacement cars over the years.
Do the math. Loan principal + interest + full coverage for five year or more. This really applies to any car. Keeping the one you have running will almost always be cheaper than replacing it every 5 years. The only way to spend less is to buy a $500 every rear and hope it make it though the year.
I own used luxury vehicles because the upfront cost to purchase is very low. Since I do all of my own maintenance and repairs, my cost of ownership is only in time and parts, if any. Most people I talk to think cars are difficult to work on but I say the opposite. Keep in mind that cars are designed to be assembled, at the factory, by unskilled labor. Now disassembly or gaining access to the offending part may be difficult, but typically the correct diagnosis is more difficult than the repair. When listening to DIY repair stories, I find that a large number of DIY’ers just throw parts at the car and hope for the best.
Engines today usually go 300,000 miles without a fuss. No more points, condenser, timing, carb balancing, valve adjustments, pretty much nothing to do but filters, oil, and spark plugs every 80-100,000 miles. When a repair is necessary, yes, there is the occasional stuck bolt, getting dirty, having a garage and tools, lack of detailed knowledge or experience, and other problems to overcome but in general, most are not too bad.
For that, I get to drive a 7-Series BMW or an S-Class Mercedes, granted the car is 6-12 years old but the ride is nicer, the creature comforts are welcome, and the (electronic) technology is old enough that understanding has become common knowledge.
The tough part is reading proprietary codes, Volvo VIDA, Mercedes STAR, BMW TIS systems now require a subscription and off line aftermarket readers only do a so so job. BMW readers from Peake Research readers are the best but, there not too many low cost alternatives for other brands available to us DIY’ers. Every once in a while I’ll have to pay to have a code cleared or a retro fit activated, but that does not cost much and most of the time I can figure something out.
Having a good relationship with the dealer is nice too. My dealer has given me so many unrequested free services that I gave the service manager and the mechanic a Christma$ bonu$ last year. They really appreciated that. Going old school really has paid off there.
I remember when the Ford Explorer first hit the showrooms. The spouse and I were visiting family in Colorado. My brother-in-law had to drive as much family as he could fit into his automobile across town so we could view a Ford Explorer parked at the curb in front of his friend’s house. That is all we did, we just drove by. Every one in the car made ooh and aah noises while I tried to figure out what was the big deal. Little did I know.
So, what you need to be seen driving in is what everyone wants. Then you have arrived. A luxury car will work but it doesn’t have to be a luxury car it just has to be what will cause people to make those noises. And what evoked the reaction I saw so many years ago to the first Ford Explorer I’m still trying to figure out.
But figuring it out is what makes managers at car companies famous and it is also what drives design to be sillier and sillier, year after year until, suddenly, everyone turns their collective backs on the design and goes another way. Remember the big vans that everyone had to have and how they suddenly couldn’t be sold off of a used car lot. Now, the bed height in pickups goes up every year. How far can the designers go with that? Or why does Chevy even bother with putting fenders on pickups, the wheels are not in them?
I often wonder what a car would look like if it was designed by a bunch of engineers who had been instructed to worry about aerodynamics, handling, driver convenience and safety but not at all about looks. And, could they sell any?
Anyone remember the station wagon?
[quote=”barneyb” post=81784]I often wonder what a car would look like if it was designed by a bunch of engineers who had been instructed to worry about aerodynamics, handling, driver convenience and safety but not at all about looks. And, could they sell any?[/quote]
Ever heard of the Gumpert Apollo?[video width=420 height=315 type=youtube]tHuu0HoF9ZY[/video]
All I can say its this. Most of my life all I could afford were econoboxes and cheap trucks. They did the job and did it well, but after driving long distance in my ’94 S-10 your back and hips will SCREAM at you.
If I could afford a decent luxury vehicle I would in a heartbeat, not because I think I am special or “keeping up with the Joneses” but, because after a long trip I would not feel like I aged another 40 blasted years.
As you get older and start to fall apart, luxury takes on a whole new meaning.
[quote=”Raistian77″ post=81908]All I can say its this. Most of my life all I could afford were econoboxes and cheap trucks. They did the job and did it well, but after driving long distance in my ’94 S-10 your back and hips will SCREAM at you.
If I could afford a decent luxury vehicle I would in a heartbeat, not because I think I am special or “keeping up with the Joneses” but, because after a long trip I would not feel like I aged another 40 blasted years.
As you get older and start to fall apart, luxury takes on a whole new meaning.[/quote]
First of all, I’m 67. What I drive rides more like an ox cart than a luxury car but it came equipped from the factory with Recaro seats. Years ago I was at a car show. After walking around for several hours, up on the third floor of the auditorium I found a display of Recaro seats. I was ready to sit down and so I planted my butt in one. Instant bliss.
Now, I don’t want to suggest that a Recaro seat is the solution to comfort for everyone, some people don’t like Recaro seats. Everyone is made differently. However, a seat that is comfortable for you in an otherwise plain car can make it seem luxurious. I can drive all day in my car without complaint. Forty five minutes in my wife’s car and my back is killing me.
So, in general, when shopping for that next vehicle, spend some time in the driver’s seat.
As far as im concerned, i have driven a “spartain luxury car”.. by which, i mean, it has a high-end interior finish, smooth suspension, comfortable seats, and drives like a dream.
I dont find my car to be basic transportation. I take care of it, and it is plenty comfortable enough to be considered luxurious by my standards.. however, a few Japanese options like heated seats and automatic climate control would go a long way.. but only to make it seem more luxurious. As it is, the double wishbone suspension on all four corners offers the smoothest ride of any “normal” and more recent car i’ve been in, and i dont need heated seats cos i dont drive it in the winter, and automatic climate control? Im fine with my buttons and sliders. All i need is my comfortable ride, good handling, fun to drive, and high-quality interior.
[quote=”barneyb” post=81948][quote=”Raistian77″ post=81908]All I can say its this. Most of my life all I could afford were econoboxes and cheap trucks. They did the job and did it well, but after driving long distance in my ’94 S-10 your back and hips will SCREAM at you.
If I could afford a decent luxury vehicle I would in a heartbeat, not because I think I am special or “keeping up with the Joneses” but, because after a long trip I would not feel like I aged another 40 blasted years.
As you get older and start to fall apart, luxury takes on a whole new meaning.[/quote]
First of all, I’m 67. What I drive rides more like an ox cart than a luxury car but it came equipped from the factory with Recaro seats. Years ago I was at a car show. After walking around for several hours, up on the third floor of the auditorium I found a display of Recaro seats. I was ready to sit down and so I planted my butt in one. Instant bliss.
Now, I don’t want to suggest that a Recaro seat is the solution to comfort for everyone, some people don’t like Recaro seats. Everyone is made differently. However, a seat that is comfortable for you in an otherwise plain car can make it seem luxurious. I can drive all day in my car without complaint. Forty five minutes in my wife’s car and my back is killing me.
So, in general, when shopping for that next vehicle, spend some time in the driver’s seat.[/quote]
I have been toying with the idea of pulling the bench and installing bucket seats, hummmmmmmmmmmm.
Thanks for the food for thought.
Getting back on topic but still talking about seats, I can’t imagine any car, no matter the price or the amount of soft leather or the number of gizmos on the dash, seeming very luxurious if the seat kills your back.
My other opinion(s) about luxury cars is that many people that don’t care about cars or people that really want to portray their individuality, success, etc. care more about a luxury car’s brand than automotive enthusiasts do.
Depending on an individual’s needs, some luxury may be required by them. For instance, if someone likes to travel for vacation but is not good at using road maps would need a navigation system. Or someone that lives in North Carolina or anywhere north of that;If they have really cold hands in the winter and gloves just aren’t enough, they would need a heated steering wheel more than someone that didn’t suffer from cold hands in the winter.
Some Luxury Vehicles are a niche car.
I actually bought my E36 328i for two reasons.
1. I couldn’t find a Jetta TDI 5-speed at a reasonable price.
2. Until I find the former, I wanted a Rear-wheel drive, fun, 5-speed, inexpensive sedan. If I had to get a coupe, it had to have a big enough back seat for a kid. The rear-wheel drive desire eliminated most (boring) cars I could have considered.So my co-workers and friends know that I bought my BMW because it is fun, RWD, a 5-speed, and inexpensive. Many people may just see me get in my car and think differently.
Consumer Reports annual auto issue (April 2014) claims the upscale brands of automakers outscored their mainstream models for quality. I don’t doubt that this is true, at least in initial years of ownership. Still, interesting, so what is the difference? Is it better attention at the assembly plant, or since the cars are made of essentially the same parts is it parts picking?
I think it has more to do with expectation than anything. I worked for a luxury car dealer for more than 8 years and I can say that they are a certain type of customer. They have higher expectations. As a result, the vehicles get a different treatment by the manufacturer. Most ‘luxury’ vehicles are really just a rebadge of a lesser model in the ‘base’ lineup. The Acura Integra for example, is really just a rebadged Civic. Do they spend as much time and effort on the ‘details’ of a Civic that they do an Integra? Sort of. I think it’s just a question of build cost and ROI. I think it’s more about filling the expectation of the customer. An example of this is how they label a particular color. On a luxury vehicle it might be “Mediterranean oyster pearl” where on a non luxury vehicle it would be, “White”. In fact, I would argue that perception is what dictates automotive design more than anything. Well that and market research.
You had me there with ROI and I attended business school. I was trying to fit that acronym to something automotive. So, I guess, and I’m not trying to put words in your mouth, is that you are saying that even the testers at Consumers Reports are blinded by the “Mediterranean oyster pearl”. Ha, it could be true.
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