Cars with a professional look at a college price

[Ferzerp]

Someone is doing it wrong. Average starting salary for an engineer from my college is $61k... but that might be skewed by NYC salaries.

errr, 61k in NYC is equivalent to only 32k in the city that this guy is in. (assuming you live in the city you're working in).

 

[JCH13]

errr, 61k in NYC is equivalent to only 32k in the city that this guy is in. (assuming you live in the city you're working in).

How did you math that? I'm curious.

 

[Ferzerp]

http://swz.salary.com/costoflivingwizard/layoutscripts/coll_start.aspx

 

[JulesMaximus]

Almost $20/hour looking at a $25,000 car, what am I missing? There are few professions in which a nice vehicle matters, and engineering isn't one of them. I work with plenty of people making 6 figures and most are driving the same car everybody else does. Out of hundreds of employees we have only a handful of luxury cars. To be honest, I'd feel embarrassed pulling up in a new BMW, for example. It would stick out like a sore thumb since even the boss isn't driving one. Your future at the company has nothing to do with the vehicle you're driving.

At my place we have blue and white collar workers and on the whole I'd say the blue collar workers drive worse cars, as expected, but that there is a disproportionate amount of nice vehicles among them, too. These are people trying to put up an image nobody believes. For example a new G35 coupe if you're making 30-35k/year we know you're a stupid idiot with money, nothing more, you fool nobody.

BTW, there are some cars that totally hide your actual willingness to spend money on a car. For example a Prius, it doesn't really say if you're doing ok or stinking rich, since even rich people drive them. Or an older Jeep that just looks cool even though it may not be worth much.

Same here except we have over 600 employees and lots of engineers. A small number of luxury cars including 1 Corvette, 1 Porsche 911, and 1 Porsche Boxster, a few Mercedes (including a CLS550 - my boss drives that one). Hell, the CEO drives an older 750i-the pre Bangle one.

Most of the cars in the lot are just run of the mill sedans and suvs. Nobody gives a crap what anyone else drives. I'm a car guy so I notice but nobody else really cares.

The guy who drives the 911 commented that he really likes my Ducati though.

 

[m0r1san]

Just get what you want and do not let the outside world dictate what you should drive.

I am also an engineer and have a lot engineer friends across the country and in general people like to buy cars that they like. Car that engineers like inherently tend to have impressive engineering and are bound to be sporty or fuel efficient vehicles. 90% of my engineering friends do not face clients. However, the ones that do (startups / small companies) do tend to have nicer cars. They also tend to have nicer paychecks.. they are starting engineers out of college close to 6-figures in the bay-area right now.

If you legitimately want to have a nice car so that you can impress clients (as an engineer), then by all means buy a nice-looking car. My buddy was just in this same boat and spent $15k on a TSX. You don't have to spend $25k, especially out of college.

 

[gevorg]

At entry-level job and under $50K pay, I would avoid German and luxurious Japanese cars.

Chevy Cruze seems like a nice fit and starts at under $20K new.

 

[KCfromNC]

seeing as you'll be the one buying a car, what do you want in your vehicle?

how many people should it seat? cargo room? FWD, AWD, RWD? sedan? coupe? fuel economy? power/torque? is your car going to be an appliance do you want it to be more sporty?

there are a bazillion vehicles you could get under $25k. without answering some basic questions, we can only help you so much.

Yep, if you're buying it to be happy with, you'll be disappointed if you buy to try and impress others. And if you're buying a generic entry-luxury $25K car to try and impress other people in industry, you're also likely to be disappointed since they're either not interested in cars or already have something cooler.

Don't be the guy who looks like he's trying too hard in stuff that doesn't matter.

 

[Throckmorton]

This thread shows how low salaries have dropped over the last 40 years. It used to be that someone at an entry level professional job, not to mention an engineer, would be able to afford a new car. Ever heard the maxim that anybody with a job can afford a Camaro? The OP can't even afford a 4 year old Camaro. Think about that.

 

[Ferzerp]

This thread shows how low salaries have dropped over the last 40 years. It used to be that someone at an entry level professional job, not to mention an engineer, would be able to afford a new car. Ever heard the maxim that anybody with a job can afford a Camaro? The OP can't even afford a 4 year old Camaro. Think about that.

Yes, few can afford a 4 year old camaro, because a 4 year old camaro would be a concept car, and those tend to be pretty pricy if you manage to find one for sale....

Maybe a different analogy would be better?

 

[MixMasterTang]

This thread shows how low salaries have dropped over the last 40 years. It used to be that someone at an entry level professional job, not to mention an engineer, would be able to afford a new car. Ever heard the maxim that anybody with a job can afford a Camaro? The OP can't even afford a 4 year old Camaro. Think about that.

Did you just pull that out of nowhere, or do you have any facts to go along with your bold statements?

 

[m0r1san]

Coincidentally a new hire I'm training right now (engineer) just bought a 2012 V6 Camaro 6MT. Was shocked at how much car $22k can get you these days.

 

[manimal]

Coincidentally a new hire I'm training right now (engineer) just bought a 2012 V6 Camaro 6MT. Was shocked at how much car $22k can get you these days.

Any really good v6 mustang vs v6 camaro tests out there?

 

[manimal]

Any really good v6 mustang vs v6 camaro tests out there?

Here let me google that for your



http://www.caranddriver.com/compari...-vs-2010-chevrolet-camaro-rs-comparison-tests


thx me

 

[master7045]

Pick up a used Lexus/BMW/MB if you want to try to play the game. Those are the top 3 that executives drive (for the most part). Also, if you're trying to ahem play the game, then you also need to pick up a mid level or higher trim, i.e., a Lexus GS, BMW 5 series, MB E class are you minimum trims you can buy.
I'm not saying that anything less is a bad car, far from it. Most executives don't even know why they are buying an E class over an C class, but hey it's more expensive so it's got to be better.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Yes, few can afford a 4 year old camaro, because a 4 year old camaro would be a concept car, and those tend to be pretty pricy if you manage to find one for sale....

Maybe a different analogy would be better?

both of these.

OP, really no one is going to give a crap what you drive, so as long as you like your vehicle, who gives a shit.

now that you've given us some details:

I'm not really interested in one right now. It would be (for me) probably FWD commuting with excellent fuel economy, and enough power to be an interstate cruiser that has the ability to climb an onramp (0-60 in 8 seconds or so? I mean I'm used to a 12-14 second SUV ). Mostly an appliance. My drive is bettered by the performance in the car, not under the hood really. I want tech, I want a radio with a big easy to read display for long drives, bluetooth built in, informational dash, ergonomic design (arm rest, interior lighting ect). That's alot of the reason I'm likeing the new Kia's an Hyundai's right now.

see, now you've given us something to work with. offhand, here are some new vehicles that you could check out. i dont know exactly what their ergos/tech/connectivity are like, but they at least start well under $25k and are cool cars IMO.

ford focus
ford fiesta
hyundai elantra
hyundai veloster
hyundai sonata
chevy cruze
chevy sonic
fiat 500
mazda 3

obligatory camcord civic corolla. no idea what kia's product portfolio is like.

also, take a very honest look at your financial situation. is it financially SMART for you to buy a car right now, or can you simply make do with your current vehicle? if your current vehicle is perfectly functional, i'd hesitate to get a new car. my old car was on its way out, and while i love my brand new car, having a car payment SUCKS. assuming you still want to replace your current vehicle, you may be better off getting a good quality used vehicle over a brand new one, so don't exclude used vehicles from your search. if i bought a 2004 pontiac GTO instead of my 2010 genesis coupe, i could have paid in cash if i really wanted (but alas GTOs were damn near impossible to find in my area and the 04 models had certain issues i wasnt sure i wanted to deal with).

given the max limit of $25k, are you buying in cash or financing? how much would you be putting down? what kind of interest rates can you get on a loan? all of this will determine your monthly payment, assuming you finance (and whatever you do, dont tell the sales person "i can afford X monthly payment" because they can sell you a paperclip for that much. negotiate ONLY on final price).

a person on a forum i visit said "should i buy this used car if the payment is $300 per month while a brand new version is $400 per month?" the $300 figure was within budget but $400 was not. I suggested they not purchase either vehicle, because things can go wrong that may not necessarily be covered by insurance or warranty (hell, things outside of your vehicle may go horribly wrong), and you should be trying to build up your savings as fast as you can, IMO.

 

[jlee]

This thread shows how low salaries have dropped over the last 40 years. It used to be that someone at an entry level professional job, not to mention an engineer, would be able to afford a new car. Ever heard the maxim that anybody with a job can afford a Camaro? The OP can't even afford a 4 year old Camaro. Think about that.

Please show me this 4 year old Camaro of which you speak.

 

[Via]

I love them myself . That and the Hyundai Elantras, pretty sexy cars. I kind of liek the Veloster as well, but again its appearance still gets more of a teenage point of view than up and coming professional.

I'm not so sure the Optima screams "teenager".

Just a few weeks ago I attended a business lunch. Carwise it was nothing too high end, mostly mid-2000s BMWs and Lexus types and some SUVs.

Some guy came in a 2011 Optima turbo, and it didn't seem out of place to me in the slightest. As a matter of fact, I thought it really stood out in a good way.

 

[SparkyJJO]

This thread shows how low salaries have dropped over the last 40 years. It used to be that someone at an entry level professional job, not to mention an engineer, would be able to afford a new car. Ever heard the maxim that anybody with a job can afford a Camaro? The OP can't even afford a 4 year old Camaro. Think about that.

That, or shows just how expensive cars have gotten D: But I guess that is partly due to all the features, comforts, and safety features (or annoyances in some cases lol) that cars have now that they didn't have 40 years ago.

 

[Viper GTS]

Please show me this 4 year old Camaro of which you speak.

His point is that 4 years ago the Camaro didn't exist.

Viper GTS

 

[jlee]

His point is that 4 years ago the Camaro didn't exist.

Viper GTS

are you sure we read the same post?

 

[Throckmorton]

That, or shows just how expensive cars have gotten D: But I guess that is partly due to all the features, comforts, and safety features (or annoyances in some cases lol) that cars have now that they didn't have 40 years ago.

You get way more car for the money now, and adjusting for inflation they aren't any more expensive. It's wages that went down. You don't see that in the statistics because they're based on HOUSEHOLD income, which includes all the women who have gone into the workforce.

 

[Throckmorton]

His point is that 4 years ago the Camaro didn't exist.

Viper GTS

Huh? I thought it came out for the 2008 model year. Bumblebee was around way back in 2007!

 

[jlee]

Huh? I thought it came out for the 2008 model year. Bumblebee was around way back in 2007!

Text

 

[rh71]

Obligatory "$25k is a college price??!!?!?!"

yeah no, out of college you want to save for your first home downpayment... not pay for a brand new car. Set yourself back 5 years why don't you?

 

[Pariah]

At my old job, my assistant made $23 an hour + full medical, and she didn't even have a college degree. Her position pay started at 18 an hour.

Shit I made $19 an hour in college as an SAT tutor.

Don't know where you live, but those numbers are nowhere near typical. Median US salary in 2010 was under $30,000. Note that is median, which is a far more useful statistic than average. Median household income was just under $50,000, which was a decrease from 2009, and a 7.1% decrease from the all time high set back in 1999. So the average US worker today is making 7% less than the average worker 13 years ago. That's pretty depressing when you consider cost of living has certainly not decreased during that period.

An assistant making nearly $50,000 should consider themselves very fortunate in this market when more Americans are living below the poverty line than ever before.