Do You Own a "Car?"

[EmilyG]

I have an old 2006 Malibu. It was the family car but I inherited it when my mom could no longer drive.
I usually get around without driving. I don’t even have the car at my new place. It’s still at my dad’s place. I’m not so sure the car still works.

[Gatopescado]

I own many.

@Rocketeer

We own two cars (Fiat 500 and Suzuki Aerio SX hatchback).

I’m not surprised. I’m guessing you built both!

(for the record, I own Fiats and a Suzuki as well. Great minds, and all that )

[Beckdawrek]

There certainly are a bunch of cars on the road. The only car we currently own us my college girls Ford Fiesta. It’s a piece of shit but, she loves it. I hope it lasts through her college years.

[bump]

Technically I do, although my wife drives it probably 80% of the time. It’s a 2012 VW Passat.

The main reason we got that one is that we’re both tall, and that was the only car we could find that we could both sit in the front seats comfortably and have child car seats behind us at the same time. Most cars required us to move the passenger seat forward to accommodate the child car seat, and that made it uncomfortable for the passenger. The Passat has enough leg room for it to work.

Very happy with it- plenty of room, good handling, good economy, and decent performance.

[Kent_Clark]

When I retired we downsized to one vehicle and kept the SUV. I handed my car down to my son. All three of my adult children drive cars.

[jz78817]

Nope, I’ve got a Ranger.

though if I had the space to have more than one car, I’d still have a Mustang.

[peedin]

2010 Toyota Camry.

[Onomatopoeia]

@IvoryTowerDenizen

Well, I drive an SUV because I’m short and I find I have much better visibility than in a sedan. We also use it multiple times a year moving the kids to and from their dorm rooms, hauling large loads of garden and home repair materials, and monthly from Costco. We also used it when the kids were younger for our yearly camping trips, to haul tents and supplies.

Not to argue with you, especially since I’ve heard this sentiment many times, but I don’t understand how an SUV gives you better visibility than a sedan. I’m 5’7" so, yeah, short, but I have never owned an SUV, truck, or even a minivan. I am drawn to small vehicles, even though you wouldn’t know it today since my Tesla is a freakin’ boat.

Anyway, I used to love my 2011 Honda CR-Z which, as you may know, is very small, and I never felt l had less visibility than I would in other cars. It just felt right to me, and was quite zippy and responsive, which is infinitely more important to me than sitting a foot or so higher than others.

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

@kayaker

I have a Jeep Wrangler, which I guess is considered an SUV. My gf has a Silverado (not sure who makes those) as a “farm truck” and her daily driver is a Subaru Crosstrek which I’ve seen called a “compact SUV”.

So no, I guess we do not own a “car”. Huh.

Does she like her Crosstrek? I sell Subarus for a living and love them. I mean, the Crosstrek IS an Impreza with a different SUV-ish “rugged looking” shell. But it does have almost 9" of ground clearance for plowing through deeper snow and such, gets relatively good MPG with full time (and very capable) AWD. Now that I have learned more about the brand, their cars, their highly developed AWD systems…I wish I could afford one. Just not in the cards right now.

@control-z

Yes, I have a Ford Focus ST, it’s a small 5 door hatchback.

Those cars are a riot to drive. I’d love to have an RS for a toy car.

@Telemark

We have two cars (Prius and Outback) with no intention of getting a truck or SUV. However, my Outback is close to the “crossover” category which may be on table when it’s time to buy a new vehicle.

Hrmm, looking up sales figures the Outback is already classified as an SUV. So, we own one car and one SUV (that drives like a car).

Good on you with the Subarus! The culture surrounding the loyalty factor of Subaru owners is like a hive mind sometimes! Subaru Borg.

@senoy

Lots of people own cars. Between a third and a half of the top 20 best selling vehicles in the US are cars. Ford Fusion was in the Top 20 last year. The biggest problem with cars is profitability. People are willing to spend much more on SUVs than cars. Profit margins on small cars can be as little as 400 dollars. You have to move a ton of units to justify keeping those lines open when compared to SUV and crossovers where your margins can be ten times as much.

What you tend to see is that people that buy cars are more frugal consumers. That could be because they are younger or they have less discretionary income or they are looking at gas mileage and maintenance fees, regardless, they are not as willing to fork out high dollars for their vehicles. People who buy SUVs and Crossovers tend to have more income and are less discerning on price. Cars like a Hyundai Elantra cost something like 1500 dollars less per year in total costs than say a Ford Escape and 4000 less per year than say an Expedition. People who know that and get that are not people that you make a lot of money from, so the American manufacturers are cutting their losses and letting Korean and Japanese companies fight for those scraps while they try to make higher margins on more luxury vehicles.

If I had to take a guess, they’re gearing up for the Chinese Revolution. Chinese vehicles are going to explode into American markets within the next decade and they’re going to be cheaper and of surprisingly good quality. American manufacturers likely want to position themselves as upscale manufacturers and so they are shedding low-margin, bottom-end vehicles. I think that the South Korean brands are going to be the ones to suffer most and I look for there to be a real cut-throat fight to capture that low-end market and it’s a fight that the Big 3 don’t want to be in. Don’t be surprised if you see 10 thousand dollar Geely’s or GACs on the market within a decade and honestly I’d expect them sooner.

It seems to me that the Big 3, and now GM and Ford in particular, are heavily investing in the development of electric vehicles and autonomy technology. I read just yesterday that GM is going to spend a BILLION dollars for R&D for that purpose (which may be tied to all the plant closures, salaried employee buyouts, etc).

@TRC4941

We have a Subaru Crosstrek and a Subaru Forester. We haven’t owned anything that wasn’t AWD or 4WD in 20 years. Even the last 2 “cars” we had were Subaru Imprezas (AWD) and the last time we had one of those was 8 years ago. Jeeps (Cherokees & Wranglers), Subarus and a Ram have been our vehicles in the last 20 years.

When you live where we do, having the peace of mind with a AWD/4WD is worth everything. Many times I’ve come to work in the morning with clear roads only to have it snow like crazy all day. Then try to get home when home is uphill the whole way! With AWD you only have to worry about the drivers without, because they’re spinning their tires all the way up the hill and you’re behind them.:mad:

You are awesome! Now all you need is a WRX to round out your Subaru collection…and have a little fun in the summer on twisty roads!

@split_p_j

I own a '10 Mustang GT. It’s my dream car, like a Ferrari or a Lambo to me. It is now retired from daily driving and resting in my garage most of the time. My real life vehicle is a Ford Escape 4-wheel drive, a compact CUV. I love this thing, it’s more like a car, and I think the OP is wrong on one point. I think he would find that CUV’s sell more than trucks and SUV’s, because they are so car like.

What they really need to do is bring back the station wagon. I traded my '02 Taurus wagon for the Escape, but only because it was the only thing I could buy now that is close to a wagon. I think the only wagons you can get now are super expensive like Audis or Volvos

I am seriously jealous. I felt the same way about my 2008 GT Premium. Sure, it was “only” 300HP, but it looked great, sounded great and I kept it immaculate. I always got comments on it everywhere I went, and even got out of TWO speeding tickets because the cops always loved the car. It looked pretty much like this one: https://d3dxp4akn1otfb.cloudfront.net/2008-Ford-Mustang-Modern%20Performance--Car-101042632-ecbbb143873da1e11750284b3e2c3f04.jpg?w=1280&h=720&r=thumbnail&s=1

Hope that link works!

@BrickBat

Yes. Sports coupe/muscle car.

I value performance and handling the most. The trunk is large enough for daily practical use, and the fuel efficiency is surprisingly good.

Well, don’t keep us in suspense! What is it?

@Onomatopoeia

Yep, I have two cars:

2012 Volkswagon Beetle Wife’s car - It’s much roomier inside than I would have thought. Back seats are very comfortable. We are thinking about trading it in for a Tesla Model 3
2016 Tesla Model S 90D My car - After 2.5 years, I think I am done. The fit and finish is not wonderful; QC was not that great for my model year, and the vehicle as a whole just has a standard sedan feel, nothing special. Even the vertically oriented touch screen feels dated at this point. Also, regardless what any Tesla fan boy (or girl) will tell you, range anxiety is real, and having to stop for at least 30 minutes to recharge every couple of hundred miles has become a pain in the neck.

I traded in my old 2004 Porsche 986 for the Tesla, and now find myself drooling over Porsches again and spending way too much time in the Configurator. I’ve been to the dealership in Princeton twice in the past month so it is only a matter of time before I trade in my Tesla for a new 911 991 Carrera 4S in Miami Blue.

I have seen a 911 in that color in the wild…they are BEAUTIFUL cars. Do you at least enjoy the performance of the 90D? I mean, it’s not completely insane like the P100D, but it’s still a very fast car. I am dying to be a passenger in a P100D just to experience that sheer acceleration.

Of course with the Porsche, you get the “mechanical music”, which to me is a very important part of owning a sports car. It has to sound good, whether it’s a V-8 muscle car burbling at idle or a turbocharged V-6 at full wail, it has to have that “something” in the sound category.

If you end up getting the Porsche at some point, PLEASE brag about it and post pictures!

Oh yeah, I have a 2007 Toyota Avalon Limited (with only 70k miles on it) that my Dad gave me when I came out of my 2015 Buick Regal lease in July (and that was a VERY nice and quick car, by the way), then Dad bought a Forester from me. The Avalon is big and drives more like a Buick than my Buick did. Lots of slop in the steering but a very cushy ride…and since it’s a Toyota, it’ll last. I just wish I could trade it in and get a Subaru for the AWD. If I had my druthers I’d get a Forester Sport.

[kenobi_65]

Yes, I do. I own a Ford Mustang (one of the few car models that Ford has kept). My wife has a crossover SUV (a Mazda CX-7).

Before I bought the Mustang (which I freely admit is my “midlife crisis car”), I hadn’t owned an actual car since 2001.

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

@kenobi_65

Yes, I do. I own a Ford Mustang (one of the few car models that Ford has kept). My wife has a crossover SUV (a Mazda CX-7).

Before I bought the Mustang (which I freely admit is my "midlife crisis car"), I hadn’t owned an actual car since 2001.

Mine was too. Bought it almost immediately after my divorce in 2011. When I bought my GT it had 8900 miles on it. When I traded it away at the end of 2013 (for a frikkin Corolla!) it had like 44,000 miles on it. I had bought a beater Hyundai to get around in the winter but I always wanted to drive the Mustang. Just starting it up in the morning before work woke up my senses and sometimes even raised the hair on my arms I loved it so much. I regret getting rid of it, especially since in early 2013 the motor was half rebuilt under warranty for a bad oil solenoid that caused the heads to get scorched.

[scr4]

I own one of the car models GM just discontinued (Chevy Volt).

[kayaker]

@FoieGrasIsEvil

Does she like her Crosstrek?

She loves it. She’s had a few different Subarus over the years. Our road isn’t plowed so she needs something high enough to handle Pennsylvania winters. She hasn’t missed a day of work due to weather yet.

[suranyi]

Yes, I bought a new 2018 Honda Accord a few months ago.

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

@kayaker

She loves it. She’s had a few different Subarus over the years. Our road isn’t plowed so she needs something high enough to handle Pennsylvania winters. She hasn’t missed a day of work due to weather yet.

I laughingly tell my customers all the time that the biggest drawback of owning a Subaru is that once your boss finds out you own one, you can no longer play hooky from work when it snows.

“I can’t make it up my driveway, so I won’t be able to come in today”

“Bullshit! I saw that picture of your new Crosstrek on Facebook, get your ass in here!”

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

@Onomatopoeia

Not to argue with you, especially since I’ve heard this sentiment many times, but I don’t understand how an SUV gives you better visibility than a sedan. I’m 5’7" so, yeah, short, but I have never owned an SUV, truck, or even a minivan. I am drawn to small vehicles, even though you wouldn’t know it today since my Tesla is a freakin’ boat.

Anyway, I used to love my 2011 Honda CR-Z which, as you may know, is very small, and I never felt l had less visibility than I would in other cars. It just felt right to me, and was quite zippy and responsive, which is infinitely more important to me than sitting a foot or so higher than others.

I’m 5’ 2" which is much shorter. I can see better over the nose of my suv than when I drive any of the sedans we’ve had. Also, I am a bit higher than the cars in front of me, so less likely to be blocked by a car, so I can see around traffic better. In my sedan I feel like I’m sitting on the pavement and straining to see. I’m open to the possibility that it could be a placebo effect, though I don’t think so.

@kayaker

Without an SUV I wouldn’t be able to drive in and out of our lane (a private road that doesn’t get plowed) when we get significant snowfalls. I’d also have trouble taking our three large dogs to work every day.

Ditto for us- our drive way was extremely long, steep, and snowy in the winter. My suv was necessary to get out.

[enipla]

@BwanaBob

So when does the next phase in “I’ve got a bigger dick” contest start?

We all drive Hummers, or Tractors from a tractor-trailer? Maybe surplus army tanks?

I see so many yahoos around here (and in my neighborhood) with these monster 4x4s or SUVs big enough to move a family of 4’s belongings.
Rarely if ever do I see them actually use them for their original purposes. And these folks are the same jerks who cry when gas goes to $3.50 a gallon.
It’s like buying a UHAUL because maybe once or twice a year I might have to haul something. Really? Never heard of truck rentals?

I used to have an SUV because I was a sheeple. Then after a while it dawned on me that I was getting shitty 25 miles/gallon at best and used the “space” for maybe 2 or 3 times a year for a trip, or getting a bulky item home from a store. All that “convenience” for an extra 7000 of vehicle + untold in extra gasoline. Genius.

Uh huh. We’ve already had 5 feet of snow so far this year. The real snow happens in the spring.

[Heracles]

I have a hatchback (Chevy Volt) and my hubby has a German sedan. We had a minivan about 10 years ago because his work required it, and I had a Suzuki Sidekick, back in the late 20th century.

[RTFirefly]

My wife and I own an Accord and a Civic, respectively. I have owned a couple of small pickups, but they were more about “this is a good deal on a vehicle from someone I trust, so why not?” than “I’d like to own a pickup.” A few times a year, there’ll be a situation where I’ll think, “it might be handy to have a vehicle that has more cargo capacity,” but the moment passes, and the rest of the time a car is fine.

[RTFirefly]

@IvoryTowerDenizen

Also, I am a bit higher than the cars in front of me, so less likely to be blocked by a car, so I can see around traffic better.

Please keep in mind that people driving cars are lower than you, so they’re often going to want to be in front of you so that they can see. So don’t take it personally when they make a point of getting around you.