Do You Treat Your Vehicle As An "Extension" Of Your Family?

[GAC]

I'm amazed at how many people treat (or maybe obsess) over their personal vehicles. They pamper them and treat them like their "favorite child". I take care of them, perform routine maintenance to keep up on them; but for me, they are simply a mode of transportation to get me from point A to point B. Nothing more.

I'm not one who trades his vehicle in, or feels he has to, every 2-3 years. I guess I should be glad that there are a lot out there doing it, since I work for a car manufacturer (Honda); but I sometimes wonder "Who in the heck is buying all of these cars!!!" :lol:

My wife and I bought our first new car back in '87, about 5 years after we got married. It was a Mercury Sable. I drove that car for 13 years. In the last few years of it's life I "inherited" it as my work car as we'd buy a new vehicle (usually a mini-van) for the wife and kids. And that has been the "pattern" in this household, so to speak - Once the car has possibly out lived it's usefulness, give it to Dad as a work car.And I don't mind it, because again, I just don't put that much into vehicles.

We just bought a brand new Honda van this past summer. Again, for the wife and kids. Dad is driving an 12 year old Sable (a different one). I've taken care of it, and it's still in pretty good shape. But I two teens starting to drive this spring. They'll be driving the Sable, and Dad is thinking of buying him a new Civic. :mooner:

Question: How many own a nice, new, loaded pickup truck that has never had anything hauled in the bed. You wouldn't want to scratch it. ;)

[zombie-a-go-go]

*laugh*

I buy a used, beat-up vehicle, run it into the ground until it dies, and then buy another one.

What was the question again?

[Roy Tucker]

IOnce the car has possibly out lived it's usefulness, give it to Dad as a work car.And I don't mind it, because again, I just don't put that much into vehicles.



Boy can I can relate to this.

The Tucker fleet is up to 4 cars (3 cars and a van) and Dad drives the oldest car. At least the heater works in this car. My previous vehicle had me driving in a parka and gloves in the winter.

When I was single I used to name my cars and pamper them. Marriage and children rid me of that habit post haste. Cars don't mean nearly as much to me any more as they once did.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

My first car: my dad's used Chevy Lumina with 200,000 miles on it. It's still running just fine;)

A car's a car to me.

[GIK]

I go through cars too fast to become emotionally attached. The longest time I've owned a car is 22 months. Most I own about a year. I'm under 30 and I'm well over 15 cars. I've only lost $ on one of them, though, and usually make a decent profit. Drives my wife crazy as I'm shopping constantly.

[KittyDuran]

My first car: my dad's used Chevy Lumina with 200,000 miles on it. It's still running just fine;)

A car's a car to me.Same here but with a Chevy Prizm with 230,000 miles on it - no AC but runs just fine.

[RFS62]

I look for one to two year old cars with low mileage, preferrably around 20K.

I let you guys pay for that first two years of depreciation.

[GAC]

I go through cars too fast to become emotionally attached. The longest time I've owned a car is 22 months. Most I own about a year. I'm under 30 and I'm well over 15 cars. I've only lost $ on one of them, though, and usually make a decent profit. Drives my wife crazy as I'm shopping constantly.

We, in the car industry, thank consumers like you. You put meat on our table and keep my kids in Nikes.

I'm 51, and from 1973 to present I have owned 12 cars.

[gonelong]

My cars are no different than a screwdriver to me.

GL

[paintmered]

I look for one to two year old cars with low mileage, preferrably around 20K.

I let you guys pay for that first two years of depreciation.

Yep, that's the best strategy.

[westofyou]

I'm 51, and from 1973 to present I have owned 12 cars.

I owned 2 in the past 25 years, cars are tools... I take care of my tools. But I don't love em.

[BRM]

I've went through quite a few trucks the last 10 years but I never spent much money on them. I always bought "classic" or "antique" trucks. Cleaned them up, drove them a while and usually sold them for more than I paid for them. I stopped doing that a couple of years ago and now I drive a 2003 F350. I plan on driving this one until it dies.

[GAC]

I owned 2 in the past 25 years, cars are tools... I take care of my tools. But I don't love em.

Same here. And of those 12 I've owned, only five were brand new car purchases. I really don't see how some people can afford new vehicles these days with the prices reaching in the high 30 thousand and up. What? Do they finance them for 10 years?

[GIK]

I rarely buy brand new cars. This is a fun exercise...here's my list, in order:

1978 Jeep Cherokee Chief 4x4
1963 VW Beetle
1987 Honda Accord LX
1991 Jeep Cherokee Limited
1975 Jeep CJ5
1987 Toyota 4Runner SR5 Turbo
2001 Ford Focus SE
2000 Ford F-150 XLT 4x4
2002 VW GTI VR6
2002 Ford SVT Focus
2003 Ford SVT Focus
1977 Jeep Cherokee 4x4
1987 Honda Prelude Si
1994 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4
2000 Ford Explorer XLT 4x4
1994 Mazda Miata
1992 Ford Mustang LX 5.0

I need to find a car I can be happy with for a loooong time.

[westofyou]

Currently I'm driving my Brother in laws car (he's out of town for work) it's a 1973 BMW 2001 TI, windows fog up in the rain (no ac is the culprit) and it's as safe as rowboat in the ocean... but it's fast as hell.

Makes me appreciate my Outback Wagon a lot more then I do.

[GIK]

2002 TI? Awesome car. I'd like one of those too. :)

[Johnny Footstool]

My father-in-law treats his cars like his kids. Granted, he's owned some incredible cars, including a '67 Jaguar he purchased new. He treated that thing like his first child. He recently sold it and bought a friggin' Dodge Viper. Some guy in Omaha bought the Jag, and when my in-laws visited us back in September, they took an extra two day trip to *visit the car*.

His main car is a Cadillac SRX. He babies that think like you wouldn't believe. He intentionally parks it in the farthest spot in the lot to avoid door dings. Unfortunately, the last time they were here, he parked it in the back of a lot, and a runaway shopping cart tore up the side of the car. I wanted so badly to point out that it wouldn't have happened if he had parked next to another car, but I managed to hold my tongue.

[Puffy]

I look for one to two year old cars with low mileage, preferrably around 20K.

I let you guys pay for that first two years of depreciation.

Did you used to do that with horses when you grew up?

[RedsBaron]

I've owned cars that I loved, and cars that I loathed, but I've never considered one to be part of the family. There are a few cars I miss. One is the first car I have any memory of ever riding in, a 1956 black and white Chevy. Back then, there were no child seats. I'm told I used to stand up in the seat and yell at my daddy to step on it! I'd love to see that car...but then I'd love to see my dad.
In rough order, these are the other cars I've owned, counting a few that were titled in my parents' names:
1968 Ford Mustang-"my" first car, which dad bought used (22,000 miles) when I turned 16 back in 1971. I wrecked it, it was repaired, it was re-painted twice, going from white to sky blue to navy blue with racing stripes. It had a little 289 V-8, vinyl seats, an 8-track player I installed, no A/C, no power steering--yeah, I'd like to drive it again--it held a lot of memories.
1976 Pontiac Firebird
1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (first car ever titled in my name). I bought this one after I got out of law school. T-tops--everything a West Virginia boy needed.;)
1983 Pontiac Firebird
1981 Chevrolet Corvette-only buy a 'Vette if it can be your second car.
1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am-I kept Pontiac in business for years.:)
1990 Nissan Maxima-a married man gets practical.;)
1986 Ford Escort-this was my wife's car at the time we married-I hated it.
1992? Toyota Camry-this replaced the Escort
1994 Ford Probe-my first of many a mid-life crisis-replaced the Maxima
1996 Dodge Grand Caravan-by then we had two kids
1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue-replaced the Probe-a good, underappreciated car.
2001 Pontiac Montana-replaced the Grand Caravan-we now have 3 kids
2000 Ford Ranger 4X4-replaced the Olds
1977 Chevrolet Corvette-mid-life crisis #2
2005 Chrysler Pacifica-my wife wanted one
1992 Chevrolet Corvette-replaced the '77 Vette
2003 Audi A4

Of these vehicles, all four Firebirds, the Maxima, the Escort, the Grand Caravan, the Olds, the Montana and the Pacifica were all purchased new.
We presently own the Ford Ranger, Pacifica, '92 Corvette and Audi. My oldest son turns 16 in two weeks.:eek:

[pedro]

I'm not very into cars. My current car is a 2000 Jetta which I've had for 6 years. (It had 10,000 miles on it when I bought it)

I would never buy a NEW car.

Since I got my license in 1984 I have had the following cars.

1975 - VW Scirocco
1977 - VW Scirocco
1984 - VW Scirocco
1990- Honda Civic
2000 - VW Jetta

My next car will have all wheel drive. Probably a subaru as they are as plentiful as trees out here in oregon.

[RichRed]

At almost 38 years old, I have owned 3 cars: '89 Ford Tempo, '93 Toyota Camry, '01 Infiniti G20. Before that, I drove my mom's hand-me-down Plymouth Reliant. The chicks really dug the K-car. (They didn't.)

The G20 is the only one I've bought new. I was single and making decent money so I decided to splurge. I'll drive it 'til it drops then probably get a smallish used pickup.

[KronoRed]

I treat my cars well until they die, then they are useless

I'm cold like that.

[gonelong]

His main car is a Cadillac SRX. He babies that think like you wouldn't believe. He intentionally parks it in the farthest spot in the lot to avoid door dings.

I bought a new car a few years back and I stopped at a store on the way home .. came out and the door was dinged. It hadn't even been home yet. :laugh:

I laughed because I knew I'd have the car til it was scrap anyway. Still driving it today at 176,000 and going strong.


High School/Parents
1971 Ford Pickup
1983ish Chevette (new)

1984 Chevy Cavalier
1998 Mercury Topaz (new)
1998 Ford Escape
1999 Ford Ranger
2000 Ford Taurus (new)
2002 Ford Escape (new)

That would explain why I have never had a fascination with vehicles. I have never had one to be fascinated with. :)

GL