# Who buys crappy cars? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 4, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546 "2011-10-04T13:44:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Anachronism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Anachronism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anachronism)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/41 "2011-10-04T21:11:29Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > I’ve taken some crap for buying a Caliber 2 years ago, but I’m quite satisfied with it. > I bought it used, and it was WAY cheaper than anything comparable. I could afford to spend more, but I chose not to. It gets me to work and back every day, gets pretty decent gas mileage and it’s comfortable to drive for a relatively big guy like me. > It doesn’t look like anything else, which IMO is a feature, not a bug. The look has actually grown on me. > > Do I own the fanciest car on the block? Nope. But I contend that it was a good buy for my money; it suits my needs just fine and I’ve yet to have the slightest hint of a problem with it. “Crappy” is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. I specifically exempted people who bought used for a great price. If you are buying used high depreciation is a plus. High depreciation is one of the reasons I bought my current car, although it also has generally good reviews and good reliability. (2003 Maxima bought used 5 years ago) ---
**Author:** ![BTEzra04](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9f8e36/32.png) [@BTEzra04](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BTEzra04)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/42 "2011-10-04T21:14:48Z")
My knee-jerk reaction upon reading the thread title: My dad. This man has had so many used 80’s Isuzu pickups over the years that it’s a miracle the yard doesn’t look more like a junkyard. He’s obsessed with trying to fix them up. He had the fuel pump go out _again_ on it the other week. :smack: He also just bought a giant Ford extended cab that came with a smokestack. Smokestack was removed at least. Did I mention it’s bright yellow? My mom and I call it the Pimp-Mobile 😃 Then there’s the '93 Volvo station wagon that keeps giving out on me in bad places that he won’t give up on…yeah, it’s a Volvo. But I want something with more protection than one airbag. He seems to have this inability to buy new vehicles. Oh well. Fun hobby for him, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/43 "2011-10-04T21:45:10Z")
The issue here, I think, is just that the OP is having trouble understanding why some people might value some criteria so much differently. Seriously, for some people, they value styling so much more that it could have all kinds of mechanical problems and they’d still love it. Hell, I’m sure we’ve all at least met someone like this, who loves their car, but it always seems to be in the shop. For other people, a car may have better handling, breaking, stability, and all sorts of other things, but it’s lacking something that the buyer deems necessary, and so they’ll take a vehicle that is generally considered inferior. Maybe size or mileage is important. Or maybe long-term cost isn’t nearly as much of a concern as upfront cost, because they can only get a loan for, say, 12.5k and don’t have the savings to put more down, so that 13k car that will get cheaper in the long run just isn’t affordable, but the 12.5k one is. And, of course, there are a lot of people who just don’t do any real research at all. I imagine there are tons of people who were impressed by an ad for whatever reason, or saw one, or have a friend that got one, and go to the dealer to check it out and get talked into it, where had they done research they might have chosen something else. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/44 "2011-10-04T21:55:19Z")
Gee, I must have owned the only decent '79 Chevette. We put over 150K miles on that little thing - hard miles - we used it like a mini truck. When we replaced it, we got a pity trade-in of $200. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/45 "2011-10-04T22:07:45Z")
> **[Shopping Teams](https://xkcd.com/309/)** > > I am never going out to buy an air conditioner with my sysadmin again. And anyway, if the car is selling, it must have sufficient value (and sufficiently low crappiness) that some people are buying it, so, in a sense, the question answers itself. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/46 "2011-10-04T22:12:20Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > The issue here, I think, is just that the OP is having trouble understanding why some people might value some criteria so much differently. I agree. “This is such a big financial decision, why _wouldn’t_ you do all the research, and pick the car with the best ratings?” ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/47 "2011-10-04T22:37:11Z")
For some people, it doesn’t matter what the reviews say, the most important detail is whether the car will fit them. At 6’4", my first husband wasn’t freakishly tall, but he had a long torso and shortish legs. He bought more than one vehicle based on “what can I afford without sticking my head out of the sunroof?” My mother-in-law is only 5’ tall, and a bit heavy and busty. She chooses cars that are comfortable for her to drive, without checking the reviews. My dad is very heavy, and unable to fit behind the wheel of many vehicles, plus he has a hard time standing up from a low position, so sedans are right out. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/48 "2011-10-04T23:55:25Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > There is space for all that behind the seats. The rear visibility might be compromised if the dog food bag was on end, but the shelf was designed to hold groceries. > > In a city like Chicago, being able to fit into a particular parking space is worth thousands of dollars. We own one garage space and no other parking is available to us. If we wanted two cars, two Smart cars would fit in the one space. Luckily right now we don’t even want one car so we have space to park the gas grill and whole lot of stupid crap. But that would be a significant reason for us to buy Smart car(s). ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/49 "2011-10-05T00:44:21Z")
The lower end of the used car market is absolutely flooded with Aveos (that I’m guessing were rentals). I was just shopping for used cars, and Aveos were easily 2k-4k cheaper than other small cars of a comparable vintage and condition. It’s not such a ridiculously bad choice if you can only afford to pay $7k – that’ll get you a 5 year old Aveo with less than 50k miles, compared to a 10 year old Civic in very rough shape with more than 100k miles. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/50 "2011-10-05T01:42:16Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I really don’t see the appeal of the Fortwo, unless you’re parking in the city a lot and the small size is appealing for that reason. Bingo, the Fortwo is a great extra car for the city. It also discourages people asking for rides, help running errands, or ugh, the dreaded help moving. It’s kind of like a motorbike with metal shields on all sides. It has a great I-want-to-enjoy-some-me-time vibe. ---
**Author:** ![Anachronism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Anachronism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anachronism)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/51 "2011-10-05T02:43:55Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > The issue here, I think, is just that the OP is having trouble understanding why some people might value some criteria so much differently. Seriously, for some people, they value styling so much more that it could have all kinds of mechanical problems and they’d still love it. Hell, I’m sure we’ve all at least met someone like this, who loves their car, but it always seems to be in the shop. For other people, a car may have better handling, breaking, stability, and all sorts of other things, but it’s lacking something that the buyer deems necessary, and so they’ll take a vehicle that is generally considered inferior. Maybe size or mileage is important. Or maybe long-term cost isn’t nearly as much of a concern as upfront cost, because they can only get a loan for, say, 12.5k and don’t have the savings to put more down, so that 13k car that will get cheaper in the long run just isn’t affordable, but the 12.5k one is. > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I agree. “This is such a big financial decision, why _wouldn’t_ you do all the research, and pick the car with the best ratings?” I have no problem with people ranking cars differently depending on their needs. Different reviewers will rank cars differently depending on their focus - driving enthusiasts, car technology, or general consumers to name a few. But there are always a few cars that all the reviewers pick last. Using scores to make my point - If the top car is rated 80 points and someone says the 5th ranked car that is rated 70 points suits them better or looks cooler I totally understand. Even if they said the 10th best car with 60 points suited them better I would understand. But when people pick the car with 30 or 20 points that every reviewer says is awful and ranks last I can’t imagine what criteria is so important except in a few rare cases. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/52 "2011-10-05T03:25:25Z")
> [@Anachronism](#): > > I have no problem with people ranking cars differently depending on their needs. Different reviewers will rank cars differently depending on their focus - driving enthusiasts, car technology, or general consumers to name a few. But there are always a few cars that all the reviewers pick last. > > Using scores to make my point - If the top car is rated 80 points and someone says the 5th ranked car that is rated 70 points suits them better or looks cooler I totally understand. Even if they said the 10th best car with 60 points suited them better I would understand. But when people pick the car with 30 or 20 points that every reviewer says is awful and ranks last I can’t imagine what criteria is so important except in a few rare cases. You’re still assuming that everyone is going though the car-buying process in the same way you do: look at several different models, assign some sort of ranking system to the cars or their attributes, and pick the car which comes out at the top of their rankings. You’re also assuming that people are always looking at what reviewers have to say about the cars which they’re considering. I suspect that not a few people make their purchases completely differently. They may fall in love with a particular model, and they’re going to buy that model _no matter what_. They may not read any reviews or third-party ratings at all. They may buy a Dodge, because their brother sells Dodges, and can get them a good deal, or a Ford, because their family always buys Fords. They may have decided that they are going to pay no more than $X, even if $X can only buy a poorly-rated car. In short: they may not be making their decision in anything approaching a rational “best choice” fashion. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/53 "2011-10-05T07:21:02Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > Having looked at the list that **Anachronism** posted, I’m wondering if a big part of the answer to his question might be “rental companies”, which results in high numbers of these cars showing up in the used car market, where they are really cheap. That could be. It seems like every time I rent a car, it is a worthless piece of crap - so many cars I would never consider buying after having rented it for a couple of days! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/54 "2011-10-05T11:45:53Z")
I wonder how much brand loyalty to one manufacturer exists. I have owned a number of different manufacturers, as did my father, and don’t have any particular brand loyalty. But there are people who “only own a Chevrolet because that’s what Dale Earnhardt drove” or some such thing (such as the Korean woman I work with who has only Korean products). It’s also within the realm of possibility that if you buy a crappy car cheap, you will get one that is well made. Not every car in the same brand is the same. If it’s not, get another car. ---
**Author:** ![Galileo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@Galileo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galileo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/55 "2011-10-05T12:03:13Z")
Over the years, I’ve noticed that there’s an inverse correlation between a car’s ratings (consumer ratings, car magazine ratings) and the aggressiveness of the sales people who are trying to sell that car. Also, in general (but with several exceptions) I’ve found sales people at American car dealerships to be more aggressive than those who sell import brands, although, perhaps, it’s not so much that they are more aggressive but that they are more into “putting together a deal”. Also, FWIW, I’ve noticed another slight correlation: the more expensive the car, the more easy-going the salesperson. When I am shopping for a new car, my main reason for going to a dealer is to test drive the car\*. At some dealerships, the salesman tries “closing” me within the few minutes: “What can we do today to put you in one of our cars?” “If I can put together the right combination of car and pricing, would you be prepared to do something today?” And the still common leading question “What color are you looking for?” I’m pretty good at deflecting those questions but it’s a game of numbers: At some point, a prospective buyer is ready to buy and will be a prime target for the next salesperson, regardless of the make and model of the car. Of course, buying a _new_ car is not a rational choice for many people, especially if the primary consideration is the total cost of ownership. And why are people buying inexpensive new cars that they still can’t afford when, for less money, they can buy a good quality used car? > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > In short: they may not be making their decision in anything approaching a rational “best choice” fashion. Yup. And that’s the case with many decisions besides buying cars. - I know several people who have purchased new cars without test driving them. To me, that’s unthinkable, but, obviously, those people don’t think the same as I do. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/56 "2011-10-05T14:17:18Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > And, of course, there are a lot of people who just don’t do any real research at all. Definitely. I know someone who bought a used yellow VW Beetle because she considered it a fashion accessory. :smack: The fact that it’s one of the least reliable cars on the road was of no consequence. Also, some people, especially in large cities, will go to the most convenient dealer and buy whatever is in their size group. When I lived in NYC, I knew at least 2 people who only bought subcompact Chevys or Geos, no matter how crappy they were, because there was a Chevy dealer in Forest Hills and no other dealer in the immediate area. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/57 "2011-10-05T15:35:26Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > Definitely. I know someone who bought a used yellow VW Beetle because she considered it a fashion accessory. :smack: > The fact that it’s one of the least reliable cars on the road was of no consequence. sometimes I get the feeling that this is the only way VW can sell any cars at all. ---
**Author:** ![mattwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@mattwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mattwan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/58 "2011-10-05T16:10:38Z")
> [@Galileo](#): > > Of course, buying a _new_ car is not a rational choice for many people, especially if the primary consideration is the total cost of ownership. And why are people buying inexpensive new cars that they still can’t afford when, for less money, they can buy a good quality used car? Unfortunately, I have some experience with this. It happens because it’s much, much easier to get a loan for a new car than for even a cheap used car. I spent several months carless in a semi-rural area with no public transportation. After I’d saved up about $1500, I started looking into what my options were. With not-so-great credit, I couldn’t even get a $5000 loan for a used car, which is what I wanted. To my surprise, though, I could get full financing on a cheap, crappy, brand-new car. That’s how I ended up with a new Aveo when I really wanted a 10-year-old Civic or somesuch. ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/59 "2011-10-05T17:12:55Z")
How much advertising is factually based? Most of it is about an image. If people didn’t allow themselves to be manipulated that way, the car companies would change their ads. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546/60 "2011-10-05T18:18:49Z")
The fact is, these “crappy” cars all get sold-somebody buys them. And if you look at the ratings, there is not much difference between a top rated car and a low rated one-in an era of traffic congestion and clogged roads, that Dodge Neon will get you there just as fast as your $300,000 Bentley. The avergae car of today is lightyears ahead of what was available 20 years ago, and the reliability is much better. Yes, the low-rated cars probably sell at a big discount. I myself have boght such cars-8 years ago, my wife needed a new car. Instead of a Honda, we bought a Saturn ($3000 less). Now the car is at 126,000 miles, and has only had minor repairs. I figure we’re ahead of the game. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-buys-crappy-cars/598546.md?page=4)