You ever feel like just driving to the dealership and trading your car in??
10-10-07, 11:01 AM
#18
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: New Jersey
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funny that is exactly what i did last thursday / friday. went to a MB dealer to look at the c 300 sport , inquired about a 4matic and pricing then was washing my new car saturday morning 
do miss the IS at times and thank goodness the mrs didnt kick me out of the house for doing so 
do miss the IS at times and thank goodness the mrs didnt kick me out of the house for doing so
10-10-07, 11:03 AM
#19
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Vancouver, BC
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as an econ major i understand a random change of cars is a very inefficient allocation of time and resources when the current car doesn't really have anything against it. reason for new car would be if new car were SUBSTANTIALLY better, but to waste all that time/energy/money only to get something marginally better? no, i can do better things w. the same resources (or for other econ mojors out there: ... starting from the same endowment point)
10-10-07, 12:12 PM
#20
happen to me all the time.. my only problem was instead of trading the car i just go buy another one.. now all I have to do is think about my parking problems and how little i use my cars and that hold me back of buying another car.....it works for me everytime...
10-10-07, 06:34 PM
#21
Lexus Fanatic
When I got a letter from our Lexus dealership saying they were paying top dollar for 2nd Gen GS and offering great deals on 3rd Gen I debated whether I wanted to just get a newer one that had a warranty. After many people mistaking a 3rd Gen for a Altima or Maxima and saying yours looks much better I was not all that thrilled. I went to go see it again and it just did not look like a luxury car, I sat in it and headroom was poor and some materials felt kind of cheap and that they would not last. It had no more horsepower then my car and did not seem like much of an upgrade from my2nd Gen and in some ways a downgrade so I passed on it.
I test drove an RL and really fell in love with it and sort of debated whether to see what they could do for me on a trade in but I did not feel like getting into a new expensive car in my current situation. Everytime I see a M3, NSX, or 911 I get a little envious and wish I had a sports car but there are drawbacks for each of those cars when they are your only car. I saw a 04 Mercedes CL600 that was gorgeous but knew it would be a stupid investment to get that car even though I love it. Same with the BMW 8 series coupe and the previous JagXK coupe.
It does kind of suck that all these inexpensive family sedans and coupes are getting 250hp+ engines and are almost as fast if not as fast as the GS430 and have most of the options as well as some we don't but I guess we have to deal with it or do something like make the GS faster. I will be keeping the GS for awhile until my situation changes or I find something I just gotta have. The GS is fine for me right now and nicer then most cars out there.
Last edited by UDel; 10-15-07 at 08:11 PM.
10-10-07, 07:50 PM
#22
Lexus Fanatic
I usually get a new car every 4-5 years on the average, regardless of mileage, and either trade the old one or sell it......you usually get more selling it (and I do get offers), but trading is usually less of a hassle. I generally don't put huge amounts of money into new cars, though....the most expensive car I have ever actually owned was my IS300.
I hear a lot of arguements that the best way to keep a car is to drive it to the end of its useful life....till it falls apart, but I'm not convinced. True, you put off the big expense of replacing it, but the older it gets after the first 3-5 years or so, the more hassles you have to deal with, and the more repairs you make, just keeping it running.....so instead of one big expense you end up making a lot of smaller ones instead. It all adds up, either way......and with a new car every few years you generally don't have the hassles of breakdowns or failures (except with a few very unreliable brands like Land Rover)
I hear a lot of arguements that the best way to keep a car is to drive it to the end of its useful life....till it falls apart, but I'm not convinced. True, you put off the big expense of replacing it, but the older it gets after the first 3-5 years or so, the more hassles you have to deal with, and the more repairs you make, just keeping it running.....so instead of one big expense you end up making a lot of smaller ones instead. It all adds up, either way......and with a new car every few years you generally don't have the hassles of breakdowns or failures (except with a few very unreliable brands like Land Rover)
10-10-07, 08:08 PM
#24
Lexus Fanatic
Not really. A lot of 20 year-olds drive whatever they can afford (and cops, of course, know that). I didn't get my first new car until age 23. A cop usually doesn't care if you are in a brand-new Dodge Viper or a 1986 Hyundai Excel....he or she has to enforce the same traffic laws with the same tickets.
Last edited by mmarshall; 10-10-07 at 08:20 PM.
10-10-07, 09:31 PM
#25
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
First, I guess I don't like owning a car that isn't made any longer. I don't like having a generation behind what's currently being sold. Usually when a prior gen is sat next to the newest gen the differences are so obvious and the prior gen looks ANCIENT in comparison. Even though I loved my 2GS and don't care that much for the 3GS, when I parked my highly modded 2GS next to a 3GS my 2GS still looked very old to me. I kinda knew then I wanted to move on... the love was gone even though I then irrationally felt guilt about feeling this way about my 2GS! When the day came for the guy to pick up my 2GS though I was happy for him, and happy for me to be moving on.
Second, I kinda like having a warranty. Kind of silly really when one thinks what it really costs when getting a new car vs. keeping the old one. But I like being able to go to the dealer if something's not right and feeling like I've got more leverage for them to fix it and it's a win win really because I'm not going to pay but they are going to get reimbursed, whereas when a problem hits a car out of warranty, they may make some money, but I'm sure not happy about shelling out for it!
Third, with each car I've owned there just comes a point of boredom, or wanting a change. Typically 5-6 years of ownership is it for me.
Fourth, being a 'techie' I like improvements that new technology brings. The nav in my 2GS was awesome in 2000. By 2005 when I sold it new systems had better screens, MUCH faster processing, and more features and I wanted those! My Explorer's nav blows away what I had in my 2GS. But beyond gadgets there's safety improvements and other conveniences. My Explorer has lights on the bottom of the side mirrors that come on when I get out of the car or unlock it, illuminating where you're stepping (puddle lights?) and the door area. My Explorer is very programmable by ME - I don't need to go to the dealer. I prefer a 6 speed auto over the 5 I had before and the 4 I had a loong time ago (had a couple of sticks in between).
Fifth, while not an older car's "fault" I get tired of doing even the maintenance like new tires, brakes, the 'big' expensive scheduled maintenance visits, etc. With a new car you kinda put that off for 30K miles!
Last, I guess I just like change (probably related to third item about getting bored) and the excitement and intrigue of learning a new car, its features, the idiosyncrasies, the things I didn't know I didn't know before buying,
the tweaks and mods that can be done. The voyage of discovery!
10-10-07, 10:07 PM
#27
I drive by a lexus dealer on my way to highschool and work. I just began my highschool job 2 months ago...and i make about 500 a month.
I see the big Lexus sign next to the freeway "Lease an IS250 $399 a month" I'm thinking to myself..."Sure...I can afford a brand new lexus lol"
But....
If you buy a Lexus/Toyota, you won't have to worry about dumping a lot of $$ on repairs
I see the big Lexus sign next to the freeway "Lease an IS250 $399 a month" I'm thinking to myself..."Sure...I can afford a brand new lexus lol"
I usually get a new car every 4-5 years on the average, regardless of mileage, and either trade the old one or sell it......you usually get more selling it (and I do get offers), but trading is usually less of a hassle. I generally don't put huge amounts of money into new cars, though....the most expensive car I have ever actually owned was my IS300.
I hear a lot of arguements that the best way to keep a car is to drive it to the end of its useful life....till it falls apart, but I'm not convinced. True, you put off the big expense of replacing it, but the older it gets after the first 3-5 years or so, the more hassles you have to deal with, and the more repairs you make, just keeping it running.....so instead of one big expense you end up making a lot of smaller ones instead. It all adds up, either way......and with a new car every few years you generally don't have the hassles of breakdowns or failures (except with a few very unreliable brands like Land Rover)
__________________
I hear a lot of arguements that the best way to keep a car is to drive it to the end of its useful life....till it falls apart, but I'm not convinced. True, you put off the big expense of replacing it, but the older it gets after the first 3-5 years or so, the more hassles you have to deal with, and the more repairs you make, just keeping it running.....so instead of one big expense you end up making a lot of smaller ones instead. It all adds up, either way......and with a new car every few years you generally don't have the hassles of breakdowns or failures (except with a few very unreliable brands like Land Rover)
__________________
If you buy a Lexus/Toyota, you won't have to worry about dumping a lot of $$ on repairs
Last edited by tuan92129; 10-10-07 at 10:12 PM.
10-11-07, 06:09 AM
#28
Lexus Fanatic
And you will have to replace tires, brakes, hoses, belts, water pump, timing belt, CV/universal joints, headlights, and minor wear items like wiper blades and other components on any car as it ages, in addition to regular service items like fluid changes......that, of course, costs money, and it adds up. The car also depreciates more and loses more value the longer you keep it, though on a flattening curve after the first two years or so...while new car prices generally keep going up. In states with personal property taxes, however, you DO save tax money as the car ages because of its depreciation...that is one of the advantages to holding on to an older car. The flip side to that is that personal property taxes are deductible on your Federal 1040, Schedule A, so you get part of the tax money back.
Last edited by mmarshall; 10-11-07 at 06:15 AM.
10-11-07, 08:14 AM
#29
I usually get the urge when I start thinking that my car is close to turning 10. That usually triggers the thoughts, but what kills it is the fact that my car is paid off... I love having no car payments and I intend on keeping that way as long as I can... 
