Jaded with cars.

[Vic Vega]

Warning. Cool story bro ahead next 10 miles. Probably boring.

I just don't care about cars anymore. I'll try to explain the line of thinking which led to this conclusion.

My daily driver is a 1996 model. This is not a beater; I've had it for many years. It's in fantastic condition and has no issues. The body, interior and the function of the engine, transmission, etc, etc is perfect – it even smells like a new car, which is to say, it doesn’t stink. I have taken care of this car and it has served me well. This car is nearing 180,000 miles and frankly it drives like new. All things considered it could continue to serve me well for another 180,000 miles and relative to a new car payment costs essentially nothing to maintain per month. It's amazing how well made modern cars really are and what they can accomplish if cared for.

I'll also mention I have a 2002 SUV, a 2004 convertible sports car, a 2006 "luxury" sedan and a 1967 classic pony car. These are not cars I merely have access to, they're mine, and I own them. Not trying to horn toot, and my small automotive fleet is really nothing too special to toot about anyway, just some background info.

Despite having a great daily driver and for lack of anything better to do along with money burning a hole in my pocket and my desire for material advancement, I've been shopping for a new car for about a year. Yeah, that long. I've driven probably 30 new cars over the last year of every sort, sedans, sports cars, trucks, yadda, yadda, yadda. It dawned on me leaving work last night as a coworker and I walked to our cars. He has just bought a 2010 BMW 5-Series, V8, 6Spd manual, all the toys. It's a great car; I've driven it and drove one just like it at the dealer about six months ago. It dawned on me that when all is said and done I just don't care, I’m perfectly happy with my “old” 1996.

I started to think what the new BMW had which my daily driver didn't and the list was short. Heated seats, integrated sat-nav with Bluetooth, HID head lamps, LED brake lamps, 160,000 fewer miles, $1,000 month car payment, black paint and "the ultimate driving experience". Maybe the prestige of owning a new car but I've never worried about this and bought several cars new. Oh, and a warranty.

So what about things my car has in common with the BMW? V8? Check. Full leather interior? Check. RWD? Check. 8-Way power driver and passenger seat with memory? Check. Power-everything else with sun roof? Check. Will easily exceed 100 MPH and go faster than I'm going to drive it? Check. Able to cart myself and my family around safely and comfortably? Check. Tackles 1,000 miles car trips with ease? Check.

Now, I'm not trying to say that my 16 year old car is as good as a new BMW. It's not. I'm not saying that. But these cars side by side, driving to and from work, carting the family around and what they realistically offer me, there is no difference. And for the few minor advantages the new car has, I just don’t care. Don’t take this thread as a slight on BMW, they’re great cars. It’s more a slight against cars in general. What does a new car offer? Well, safety and fuel economy – beyond that they all drive. For my specific car, which is still in production, it’s not even safety as this car was one of the safest built in 1996.

I guess I’m waiting for that leap forward in cars to make me want to go get another one. This is why the new TDI Passat caught my eye. 43 MPG highway without a complex hybrid system (which causes more pollution to manufacture than it ever saves on the road). Sweet. Even that disappointed though.

There’s no real closing to this post.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

So what is this 1996 miracle vehicle?

 

[Dr. Detroit]

A lot of us have gotten to this point -

I know I have. I started carpooling with a coworker who owns a Prius about a year ago. I would have never bought a Prius and rolled my eyes at them. Now I'm a believer.

There is no such thing as a horrible car in America anymore - the sub $20k cars do an excellent job in pretty much everything. Sufficiently sporty, economical, nice features, great safety and excellent fuel economy.

After test driving a Cruze, Elantra, Civic, Corolla, Matrix, & Focus I walked away knowing I'm done with premium fueled sport sedans and $100+ oil changes as daily drivers.

Car pool buddy is moving away from me and my 90 mile RT commute will begin solo - I'm thinking Hyundai Accent, Prius or Impreza hatch.

 

[Vic Vega]

So what is this 1996 miracle vehicle?

1996 Crown Victoria LX HPP. Every single option offered for 1996 excluding the digital instrument cluster, which I didn't want. It's funny because options that were premium back then like auto-dimming review mirror, memory seats, etc are pretty much standard fare these days, even on economy cars.

A lot of us have gotten to this point -

I know I have. I started carpooling with a coworker who owns a Prius about a year ago. I would have never bought a Prius and rolled my eyes at them. Now I'm a believer.

There is no such thing as a horrible car in America anymore - the sub $20k cars do an excellent job in pretty much everything. Sufficiently sporty, economical, nice features, great safety and excellent fuel economy.

After test driving a Cruze, Elantra, Civic, Corolla, Matrix, & Focus I walked away knowing I'm done with premium fueled sport sedans and $100+ oil changes as daily drivers.

Car pool buddy is moving away from me and my 90 mile RT commute will begin solo - I'm thinking Hyundai Accent, Prius or Impreza hatch.

Yeah, I have given up looking for a new car at all. If I had a commute like your I would definitely be looking still though.

 

[j&j]

wait, you're comparing a crown vic to a bmw 550i?


you don't even have real leather seats. don't even try say you have a v8 too, when that old POS v8 in the vic shouldn't even count as a v8.

 

[BoberFett]

Vic

I'm perfectly content with my Mark VIII. I've test driven new cars, and honestly nothing has wowed me so much that I wanted to ditch the Mark. Sure, it's got some rattles that a new car wouldn't have, but a new car eventually turns into an old car. And nobody right now is making a gigantic luxury coupe that compares to the Mark in driver comfort, not that I've driven anyway.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Motorcycles killed cars for me. It would have to be a bloody impressive car that would get my interest. Something light weight with an excellent chassis, great handling, superb brakes, reasonable power, mid-engine, and a Lotus badge on it.

My neighbor is funny, he bought one of the new 5.0l Mustang GTs and he thinks that car is the shit. It is nice and reasonably powerful but my bike is much faster and way more engaging and visceral to ride.

 

[Atty]

My neighbor is funny, he bought one of the new 5.0l Mustang GTs and he thinks that car is the shit. It is nice and reasonably powerful but my bike is much faster and way more engaging and visceral to ride.

The thing is, I'd rather have a lot of metal and chasis between me and the rest of road (who I think we can all agree are mostly idiots) than just some tough clothing material.

That is the only thing that will ever hold me back from bikes.

 

[kornphlake]

If you're the type to drive the speed limit everywhere (nothing wrong with that, I'm one of those guys) you don't care about safety, you don't care about marginal gains in MPG, don't care about modern styling, creature comforts, etc. there's nothing wrong with a car that runs no matter what the age. For a point a to point b appliance it's irrelevant how old a car is, what the body style is or what the drive train configuration may be, from a practical standpoint if it gets you from point a to point b reliably the rest doesn't really matter.

For some reason we see so many posts about cars that are primarily used as commuters but people want to have a car that is "fun" or "sporty" for whatever reason. It makes you think maybe there's something wrong inside your head for being content to drive a reliable, functional vehicle for 99% of all conditions at the expense of 1% that you don't even realize or care you're missing out on doesn't it? It's as if the 99% of the driving you do is irrelevant in light of the 1% of driving you could do if you had a different car.

This isn't exclusive to cars either, a 30 year old fiberglass fishing pole with an old Mitchell reel and mono filament line will catch fish, that doesn't mean forums won't always chatter about that the newest graphite rod with a full ball bearing Shimano reel and the newest braided super-line.

 

[jlee]

wait, you're comparing a crown vic to a bmw 550i?


you don't even have real leather seats. don't even try say you have a v8 too, when that old POS v8 in the vic shouldn't even count as a v8.

Just because you disagree with a definition does not mean the definition is invalid.

A V8 is a V8, even if you don't think it should be. Shocking, isn't it?

 

[thedarkwolf]

I still have my 89 dodge caravan beater that I bought for $800 12.5 years ago lol. It has power everything, cruise, and working a/c what more do I really need? I've been trying to replace it this year but there just isn't crap in the used car market below $3k and I can't justify spending much more than that for as little as I drive. I have a 95 miata too and between both cars I maybe drive 8k miles a year. The cars I can find have just as many miles as my van if not more and I just don't see much point in buying something in equal at best mechanical shape.

 

[Vic Vega]

wait, you're comparing a crown vic to a bmw 550i?


you don't even have real leather seats. don't even try say you have a v8 too, when that old POS v8 in the vic shouldn't even count as a v8.

Troll, troll troll you're blocked.

 

[Vic Vega]

Vic

I'm perfectly content with my Mark VIII. I've test driven new cars, and honestly nothing has wowed me so much that I wanted to ditch the Mark. Sure, it's got some rattles that a new car wouldn't have, but a new car eventually turns into an old car. And nobody right now is making a gigantic luxury coupe that compares to the Mark in driver comfort, not that I've driven anyway.

Those are nice cars. Always liked them.

Those Marks have air suspension on all four corners if I recall, or was that the Conti? I can't remember. I doubt there is a new car today that rides as nice. Keep it!

 

[Vic Vega]

If you're the type to drive the speed limit everywhere (nothing wrong with that, I'm one of those guys) you don't care about safety, you don't care about marginal gains in MPG, don't care about modern styling, creature comforts, etc. there's nothing wrong with a car that runs no matter what the age. For a point a to point b appliance it's irrelevant how old a car is, what the body style is or what the drive train configuration may be, from a practical standpoint if it gets you from point a to point b reliably the rest doesn't really matter.

For some reason we see so many posts about cars that are primarily used as commuters but people want to have a car that is "fun" or "sporty" for whatever reason. It makes you think maybe there's something wrong inside your head for being content to drive a reliable, functional vehicle for 99% of all conditions at the expense of 1% that you don't even realize or care you're missing out on doesn't it? It's as if the 99% of the driving you do is irrelevant in light of the 1% of driving you could do if you had a different car.

This isn't exclusive to cars either, a 30 year old fiberglass fishing pole with an old Mitchell reel and mono filament line will catch fish, that doesn't mean forums won't always chatter about that the newest graphite rod with a full ball bearing Shimano reel and the newest braided super-line.

Excellent points all around, and I feel roughly the same way, but really I'm not even spared features with the old car - well, ok I'd like to have in dash sat nav. I can fix that if I really wanted to, but not a deal breaker. I'll probably never do anything about it honestly.

I hate to get to the "appliance" zone with cars, because I've always been somewhat of a gearhead, but I feel myself being drawn that way.

I've even thought of selling the '96 and just driving my Explorer, but somehow I haven't done it. The old car just "works".

 

[BarneyFife]

I know how you feel. Have a 12 year old daily driver and bmw 550. The BMW is nice and that and it sure is fast but sometimes I go weeks without even driving it. The dealership probably is stunned when I bring it in once a year for oil change and I put like 2500 miles on it. I drooled over a BMW for years and when I finally got the money to buy it and then the "it" factor wore off. Don't get me wrong, I love the car and have no plans on selling it but I don't go crazy over 99.999% of the cars out there anymore.

 

[Vic Vega]

I know how you feel. Have a 12 year old daily driver and bmw 550. The BMW is nice and that and it sure is fast but sometimes I go weeks without even driving it. The dealership probably is stunned when I bring it in once a year for oil change and I put like 2500 miles on it. I drooled over a BMW for years and when I finally got the money to buy it and then the "it" factor wore off. Don't get me wrong, I love the car and have no plans on selling it but I don't go crazy over 99.999% of the cars out there anymore.

That is literally the same situation I am in with my 2006 LS8. I hardly drive the thing. It's almost six years old now, very low miles. My wife drives it more than I do. It's been a month since I've driven it at least.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Vic

I'm perfectly content with my Mark VIII. I've test driven new cars, and honestly nothing has wowed me so much that I wanted to ditch the Mark. Sure, it's got some rattles that a new car wouldn't have, but a new car eventually turns into an old car. And nobody right now is making a gigantic luxury coupe that compares to the Mark in driver comfort, not that I've driven anyway.

I love the 2nd Gen LSC's with the full rear light-bar. Still a stunning looker today.

Only car out there I would recommending you upgrade to would be a Benz CL550. Then again for the $110K MSRP I'd stick with the Mark.

 

[SparkyJJO]

wait, you're comparing a crown vic to a bmw 550i?


you don't even have real leather seats. don't even try say you have a v8 too, when that old POS v8 in the vic shouldn't even count as a v8.

It has 8 cylinders, in a V pattern. It is a V8, plain and simple, so he is 100% correct in saying he has one.

 

[j&j]

It has 8 cylinders, in a V pattern. It is a V8, plain and simple, so he is 100% correct in saying he has one.

but trying to pass it off as equivalent is retarded, he was comparing features. that car is a sluggish boat compared to the 550i, there is no comparison drivetrain wise.

it's like saying a 1990 honda civic has a 4cylinder and so does the new 2010 civic si, so my car is just as good because each has the same number of cylinders....


pretty stupid eh?

 

[j&j]

Just because you disagree with a definition does not mean the definition is invalid.

A V8 is a V8, even if you don't think it should be. Shocking, isn't it?

you serious? you that ignorant? he's trying to compare ancient, and extremely inefficient v8 to the 4.4L turbo v8 in the bmw.

given your posts about cars, you should know better.



just because he thinks his crown vic has all the same creature comforts as a new 5 series, doesn't mean he's right?

it's just his opinion, just like mine is mine.



the vast majority of people would not think the same way, which is why we see so many bmw, lexus, acura, mercedes on the road today.

 

[MotF Bane]

Welcome to the ignore list, Mr. V8 is not a V8.

 

[mvbighead]

but trying to pass it off as equivalent is retarded, he was comparing features. that car is a sluggish boat compared to the 550i, there is no comparison drivetrain wise.

it's like saying a 1990 honda civic has a 4cylinder and so does the new 2010 civic si, so my car is just as good because each has the same number of cylinders....


pretty stupid eh?

This is where you are, for the most part, wrong.

The point the OP is getting at is that his vehicle does exactly what he needs it to. It has more than enough power to accelerate to 100mph, no? It can also do that quick enough to not be a burden to other drivers when merging onto a highway/freeway.

EDIT -> I should clarify, being capable of going 100mph is not a requirement for interstate driving. Simply a fairly high number that should encapsulate the highest speed limit in US. Pretty sure the fastest is about 80 or so, so any car with the ability to go 100mph safely is a perfectly capable vehicle.

The reality is, people get so caught up with numbers in cars when 90+% of the time, they will be driving like every other driver on the road: within 0-10 mph of the speed limit. Whether the car does 0-60 in 10 seconds, or 0-60 in 6 is of little importance because most drivers don't bury their foot in the gas to get up to the speed limit. So whether a 96 Civic has 106hp vs a 2011 Civic that has 140 is of very little importance unless he's meeting up with Vin Diesel and Paul Walker risking his pink for someone else's hoopty, and in that case, he better have a heckuva lotta more than a stock vehicle.

The reality is, a LOT of people agree with the OP. I am one of them. I own an 07 Impala and a 00 Jeep Grand Cherokee. To be honest, I like driving cars more than trucks for the ride. But I have 0 interest in buying a car because it can accelerate better than the Impala. I also have 0 interest in buying a new Jeep because it can accelerate better than my current one, or because it has better features. The 07 most likely will be my last "new" purchase (I quote new because I bought it used with 30k miles). To be honest, it just isn't worth the premium.

And there are a lot of guys on here buying new(er) vehicles. Jlee and alky both come to mind, and I can't fault either purchase. If you like and want a particular car and have the money to do it, go for it. But the point the OP makes is solid, IMO. Too many look to replace a perfectly serviceable vehicle for the simple reason that the new model has X. The sad thing is that, in most cases, X feature is roughly going to cost them the entire purchase price of a new vehicle. For instance, the OP would be trading in a vehicle and receiving less than 5k, and paying out in excess of 30k to get a new one. So is a Sat/Nav system worth 25k or better? Hardly. If he is happy with his vehicle, why replace it?

 

[jlee]

This is where you are, for the most part, wrong.

The point the OP is getting at is that his vehicle does exactly what he needs it to. It has more than enough power to accelerate to 100mph, no? It can also do that quick enough to not be a burden to other drivers when merging onto a highway/freeway.

The reality is, people get so caught up with numbers in cars when 90+% of the time, they will be driving like every other driver on the road: within 0-10 mph of the speed limit. Whether the car does 0-60 in 10 seconds, or 0-60 in 6 is of little importance because most drivers don't bury their foot in the gas to get up to the speed limit. So whether a 96 Civic has 106hp vs a 2011 Civic that has 140 is of very little importance unless he's meeting up with Vin Diesel and Paul Walker risking his pink for someone else's hoopty, and in that case, he better have a heckuva lotta more than a stock vehicle.

The reality is, a LOT of people agree with the OP. I am one of them. I own an 07 Impala and a 00 Jeep Grand Cherokee. To be honest, I like driving cars more than trucks for the ride. But I have 0 interest in buying a car because it can accelerate better than the Impala. I also have 0 interest in buying a new Jeep because it can accelerate better than my current one, or because it has better features. The 07 most likely will be my last "new" purchase (I quote new because I bought it used with 30k miles). To be honest, it just isn't worth the premium.

And there are a lot of guys on here buying new(er) vehicles. Jlee and alky both come to mind, and I can't fault either purchase. If you like and want a particular car and have the money to do it, go for it. But the point the OP makes is solid, IMO. Too many look to replace a perfectly serviceable vehicle for the simple reason that the new model has X. The sad thing is that, in most cases, X feature is roughly going to cost them the entire purchase price of a new vehicle. For instance, the OP would be trading in a vehicle and receiving less than 5k, and paying out in excess of 30k to get a new one. So is a Sat/Nav system worth 25k or better? Hardly. If he is happy with his vehicle, why replace it?

I agree entirely. If I was still living in a snowy state, I'd be keeping my Forester without hesitation.

 

[SearchMaster]

I agree with the OP. My car is 13 years old and has 222K miles, but is in fantastic shape and costs me very little to operate (>30 MPG in the 17 months I've owned it, very low repair/maintenance costs). It's the perfect compromise between roominess for my family and benefits of a small car. And even though its condition is excellent, I don't freak out if it gets a ding or the kids stain the seats.

My wife has mentioned several times about upgrading for me. All our vehicles are paid for and we have the cash and income to justify it, but I can't think of a single reason to do so. My brother-in-law has well over a quarter million dollars worth of cars in his garage, and while I enjoy driving them, none of them would make sense for me to own. I might pick up a fun weekend car at some point but until then, I love what I drive.

[edit]I do disagree with the OP's statement "I just don't care about cars any more". I *do* care about cars, I love driving different cars from time to time; I love reading about them, and I love all the great tech being put into them now. I just can't justify getting rid of a great car right now.[/edit]

 

[Zap]

There are plenty of things I don't care much for, but I don't go around posting that in forums which deal with those topics. That would be... like trolling...

:hmm:

I now feel that I'm missing out on something big. Some opportunity. After all, so many things I don't care for, so little time.

Maybe I should go into Politics and News and discuss how apathetic I am, or All Things Apple to crow about how I don't own any Apple products? We don't have a religious forum here besides All Things Apple, but maybe I should find some somewhere and post about being agnostic?

Am I missing out on something if I don't participate in topics which I don't care much for?