What do you guys of "downgrading" your car? The only reason I ask is because, on the rare occassions when I drive to work, I really don't want anyone knowing that it's a 400. I would feel better if my co-workers/managers think that it's a GS300 instead. Two of my supervisors already commented on it.....one said "isn't that V8 consuming more gas than you like?". While they other one asked why I didn't go with the 300.

A lot of people that are higher up in the corporate ladder drive a "lesser" car than I do. I don't know if driving the "higher end model" will rub off the wrong way. The last thing I want them to think is that I'm being paid too much (which is FALSE)....the last thing I need is for them to screw me during raise/bonus time. What they DON'T know is that there's only a $4k difference in price when I was shopping between a 300 and a 400.

But aside from that, I really don't want to stand out. Most GS that I see are 300s. I just want to be "just like them". I don't want/need/care for that extra attention.

Please don't take this the wrong way. I'm not here to say that I'm not proud of GS4s. I absolutely love mine.....but no one else really needs to know that.

I think I know the outcome already.....but I'm just curious of what everyone else thinks.

 

my thoughts...

Do what you want, but if you aren't out to impress anyone and don't care what you have, just debadge the car completely and stick an Aristo front grill on with the Toyota emblem

 

Debadge!

I changed to the L-Tuned grill and now people have to walk around to the back just to figure out what kind of car it is...



With all the badges off just say it is just some Toyota you picked up.

 

I'd personally just debadge if I were in your situation and had your concerns. Rebadging will raise more questions with your supervisors at this point.

OR you can just make up random / responses or craft a story which sounds like more fun to me. Cycle through answers like:

• I need the extra power to pull my Kite/Hydrogen suspended portable generator
• Yes, but the battery recharges itself with solar power
• Meh, it's a diesel
• It's aluminum. (offer no extra explanation beyond that)
• Yes, but I've converted it to run on clean burning natural gas
• I need to to carry all the cages when I check my spotted owl traps on weekends

 

If anything debadge it or put on an Aristo badge. No offense but I wouldnt put a 300 on a 400/430 or a 400/430 on a 300.

 

Or just tell them the 400 is a special 4 cyl. that gets great gas mileage

 

I never realized what high level of recognition was associated with a emblem until I got the L-tuned Grill! I get alot of older (and sometimes younger) people that simply do not know what my car is from the front. I have gotten "what is that the new Maxima?" all the way down to "that is nicest Toyota I have ever seen!!!" lol

I had one stupid girl ask me, "I thought people take their badges off when they want others to think they have a higher model". I'm like "idiot savant, the badge that identifies the model is STILL ON THE CAR!!"

I say debadge, and leave the front and rear "L". Or be prepared to accept Maxima and Camry compliments from little old ladies!

 

I can't believe that people would be that shallow or naive. You could have purchased your GS used, auction, salvage title, etc. I would think that those who are responsible for your merit increases, pay raises, or bonuses would distribute those funds based on your work performance and not what you drive. If that is not the case, then I would be worried about the policy structure of where you work. Other than those people, I say who cares what the other employees think. More gas consumption or not, that's your choice and you shouldn't have to explain why. Leave it as it is.

 

i agree. these days, you don't really have to be extremely wealthy to have a nice car. hell, high school kids have $30,000+ cars nowadays- sure, some of them were bought by their parents, but i know plenty of people who legitamately worked their asses off saving for a car they like.

if not, just remove all badges like the gentlemen above have mentioned.

 

hah WTF Dave...so random ...but whitty !

 

Debadging is the best solution. The car has a cleaner appearance, it's easier to wash and wax, and it should adequately address your concern regarding the higher-ups.

Fwiw, I might add that I AM the higher up (along with my partners) in my practice and I don't think twice about what any of my employees drive when considering bonuses/raises. While the cynic in me thinks that you may have some justification for your concern (I'm sure there are some scrooge-like bosses out there who take inordinate interest in their employee's activities), I also think that it's far more likely that you really have nothing to worry about. Jmho, tho.

 

yea thats life, I had one idiot ask me how the drug dealing was going. I was a director in the company he was a SVP and the Presidents brother. Mind you this wasnt a mom and pop shop, it was a 1 billion dollar company.
People can be assess.

My direct supervisor at the time asked me how I could afford it, I told him my wife was independently wealthy and I was living off of her like all black men. He just gave me a blank stare and didnt know what to say. He realized that he had stuck his foot in his mouth.

 

i believe you should be extremely proud to be able to drive what you drive. i felt that way too when i first purchased the car and i brought it out. alot of family and friends stared and wondered how i could be drivng such a beautiful car. i was every embarassed. but after a while you learn to love your car for what it is.

 

Dave, you had me rolling!

NT2, I would love to stick a Aristo front grille with a Toyota sign.....but that would cost me more $$$....something I don't have.

D2, I guess it attracts more "unwanted" attention huh

Rexdr, as a matter of fact, I picked up the car USED. And it cost me around $20k. This supervisor just kept grilling me about where I picked it up, or how much I paid and how many miles on it, etc. I tried to avoid the questions and I was as vague as possible.

He makes over $200k/yr. I make about 25% of that. He lives in a house that's worth $900k (9 bedrooms, 3 car garage & circular driveway). I live in a house with my parents.

He drives 3 Lexus. He owns a LX, RX & ES. I guess he feels like me (making so little money) shouldn't be driving around in a Lexus.

Mooretorque, I understand where you're coming from. You seem to be a fair & professional superior. I certainly hope that my promotions will be based on my performance. I also think I'm a good performer. I joined the firm 4 years ago (straight from college), worked in 3 different departments, and received 2 promotions (the recent one made me an "officer" of the firm which employs close to 50k employees and have offices in over 30 countries).

To tell you the truth, I'm really not concerned about the raise/bonus thing. I really don't think he'll hold that against me. What I'm concern about is the "image" he has of me. He probably thinks that I come from a rich family that somehow helped me with an "expensive" (in his mind) car purchase.

But the truth is, we were on Welfare & foodstamps when we came to America. My family never had a car that was 8 years or newer. We never had a car that was worth over $3,000 simply because we couldn't afford it (until I graduated from college and worked).

But with his perception of me, I'm afraid when it comes time to allocate bonus, if he has to decide between me and someone else to give the extra $3k to, I'm afraid he may give it other the other person (even though I did a better job through out the year), just because he thinks I really don't need it.

Another thing that frustrates me is that, somehow everyone in the department knows that I own a Lexus. Everyone time someone mentions cars, they'll always mention "Ohhhhh, Cadd drives a Lexus". I guess someone told the entire department......I know I didn't.

Every time that comes up, I just remind them that their late model Accord, Maxima, C240, 325i, Camry, etc. cost more than my Lexus.

And of course half these people have no idea which model I have. Hell, they have no idea about cars in general. Hence, the debadging/rebadging dilemma.

 

Cadd, the only thing I can then tell you is this:

In my previous job (worked there for 7 yrs) and yes I did own and flip alot of different cars in those years (I think 9 cars to be exact) and after each one just got better and more expensive, I know my boss looked at me different when I said I bought a Lexus and didn't even go into that it was a GS400.

But you know what? I said **** him....**** all of em bro! You don't need their acceptance to realize what you have and how much you can enjoy it. Do your job to the best of your ability and if they don't reward you or compensate you accordingly, consider it a sign and start looking for more gainful employment


stay strong!