Chris_V wrote:
I buy what I like and what I can afford. Most of the time, that's used, but some of the time it's new. Sometimes I simly LIKE the fact that I've owned the car since it has less than 5 miles on it, and know every mile that was put on it. I like the fact that if something goes wrong I don't HAVE to be the one to wrench on it. Yeah, I can, and yeah, a lot of times it's fun. But it isn't always fun, and I'd like to leave that for my hobby cars. If I HAVE to work on a car just to make it to the office, that makes wrenching on the hobby cars less fun.
I've gotten cars for free, and daily drove cars that only cost me $100 to buy. So what? Doing that doesn't necesarily make you a better person than the person that spent more to get what THEY wanted.
Your three cars cost you less than 2 grand total. My current daily driver 740iL cost me $7500 to buy, and I've put a couple grand into it in repairs and custom modifications. Am I a worse/stupider person (as the tone of your post implies) for having spent so much?
I thoroughly enjoyed being the first owner of my SVT Contour back in '99, and it served me well for the three years I had it. I bought it because I wanted it and could afford it. I have no regrets about owning it, nor moving on to something else later. I didn't find it overpriced just because it was new.
I'm not talking down to anyone that buys new.... if you read the whole thread, my main point is that you buy what you want, if it's worth it to you.
I want to buy a new Tundra. Call me dumb, call me whatever. But i WANT a new 5.7 loaded Tundra. Because its awesome and ridiculous on so many levels.
But i won't. Because it's not worth it to me, and it's a bit beyond my comfy financial means.
I have a simple recipe for what i want, one that encompasses cars from $500 (or less) to the moon.
1) Fun
2) reasonably light
3) 5/6 speed STICK. No flappy paddles.
4) It's a CAR. Not an appliance. I don't want to feel like i'm driving my living room. I want to FEEL the road. I want to HEAR the car, i want SIMPLE easy to reach, ergonomic controls. I couldn't care less if it was front, rear, or awd. If i DRIVE it rather than RIDE it, it's cool. Celicas. Mr2s. Hondas. BMWs. Miatas. RWD nissans. RX7s. RX8 (DO WANT), etc...
5) If it's a truck, it better feel like a TRUCK. Bouncy, torquey, unrefined, and reliable.
The SVT Contour you mentioned would fit the bill pretty perfectly, and then some. I love those cars.
