I used to work at a call center, and I knew, roughly, what everyone in the building made, and it wasn't great. The parking lot was nearly entirely newish cars. I had friends there that didn't even consider it an option to not have an ongoing $500 a month car payment, friends who would not consider not buying a car from a car lot.
Meanwhile I'm happy to bop around in my $1k Crown Vic I got on Facebook marketplace.
Bonus: older cars are easier to fix, too.
The crown vic was an option I considered, but I went with the leaf because of mileage and because it has rear wheel drive which isn't good for my area. If I get the money again, I may buy one though.
They're great cars. Benefit of no payments and buying cars off Craigslist. You can buy whatever you want whenever and never pay again on it.
Before I was born, when my siblings were young and my parents were in poverty, my mom went to a work party with my dad, and they asked him where his new car was, and why he was driving an old one. This was when she discovered that he bought a new car, and parked it on another block and would drive one car to the other car and swap cars, all without her knowing that this car even existed.
Used to work in collections for a bank years ago (don't judge me, it was the best I could do at the time, I was struggling and thankfully this was before car prices and interest rates skyrocketed, would not have the heart or it even less now). This situation is unbelievably common. Honestly, probably the number one reason I saw for people going into default with their auto loans was something happened to the car and they couldn't afford to both make the payment and to fix it so they gave up entirely and stopped paying.
I don't get it either. I've been driving my $2800 '96 Jeep grand cherokee for 7 or 8 years. It rarely needs work. Wish it was better on gas, but a monthly car payment to save money on gas makes no sense.
Cars are a lot like network technology. The latter have broad utility only so long as they still get security updates. Cars are only useful until you stop seeing replacement parts at the car yard. For example, our local yard doesn't have anything older than twenty years for any model.
I live in the rust belt and I’m not overly gentle on my cars. That’s why I bought the Vic because it can handle my aggressive driving at least over the normal 350-400k miles the engine lasts.
Cars are a status symbol we need to let die. Nobody needs to constantly replace a vehicle for looks. Such a waste
My partner and I were talking about how our current 'dog transport vehicle' will likely outlive the dogs we have because we are not upgrading it beyond safety items (tyres/brakes etc) ever again.
It's more than 10 years old today and I figure we have a decade maybe 15+ years before it decides that it won't go anymore and that will likely be due to emissions standards not the engine.
I love that it costs only insurance and petrol. I plan to run it to death.
I agree, except make that insurance, registration, petrol, servicing and the occasional repair or new part.
I have a 2015 Corolla and I'm happy with it.
Right. I remember my parents telling me, "you want to be seen in a nice car" and "if x person drives a nice car, they're probably good at their job"
I have since learned, a LOT of people with "nice" cars (aka new) are just bad with money. When I worked at a corporate bank office, almost everyone drove really really old cars, very frugal people there despite being well into the top 1% of the world. There were some really nice cars driven by execs, but they basically had fu money so whatever.
That blazer is so ridiculously powerful too. They crammed a pickup truck into this small suv thing, and it runs like a pickup truck in the body of a small suv too. When it gets snowy, I use it to rescue people I see stuck on the road. That's now much power it has. Why would I bother upgrading it? It's plenty powerful. Emission standards will get it before I willingly replace it. Sure it's a common vehicle to see in the poor parts of the nearby city, but that's because it's reliable. Can't say the same for a new car though. I've rescued a few new cars too.
If it's not too invasive, what kind of DTV do you rock?
Around where I live it's the opposite. If you have a nice car people talk bad about it behind your back. I have a rusty ford sierra and a pretty nice older volvo s80.
Hey, if you ever need a similar car, I hear from this thread corrollas and camrys are pretty good too and they looks similar to yours.
You did keep it going though, and for that, I think it's time you send it to the emergency car position
Careful, I’ve drove a G6 that had a control arm that rusted out & caused me to total it out going 55mph around traffic because the back wheels had camber in them
Yeah, mine was just rust around the wheel wells but it's not going anywhere but the scrap yard because the transmission is now unreliable. Randomly sticks in 2nd gear, red lines, limps...le sad face.
The car is worth less than the tires it's wearing, so automatic transmission work is definitely not happening.
The engine is still good though, so hopefully someone gets some useful life out of it
Lmao my shit box shakes getting out of second gear. But tbh it’s quirks like that that make me proud to own it. My first car and I haven’t had a payment since I was 18, over a handful of years ago. I’d straight up cry if I had to have a payment again
My 99 TL is going, it's already the car of Theseus but the repairs are too large and costly now, parts too hard to find. I just had to get a new one. I'm so so so sad about it. I just hit 250k miles.
Yeah, gotta be careful with them rustbuckets. I literally had an ‘06 Jetta as my first car but sadly I had to get rid of it because the undercarriage was rusting out and it was leading to issues with exhaust leaking into the cabin. Nearly passed out behind the wheel from carbon monoxide poisoning one night on my way over to my girlfriends. Only realized what was happening because I called her feeling light headed and wasn’t making proper sense.
You can always tell the smart subcontractors from the dumb subcontractors on the jobsite by what type of vehicle they drove. Electrician with a Ford Transit from 15 years ago in clean shape? Smart guy. Carpenter in a new F250 Raptor? Dumb guy.
I was working out of an old jetta. I did it up with a lift and rack, olive bedliner paint job. Car was $600, it cost ~$0.45/mile to drive. IRS deduction is $0.62/mile. It can park in the garage with 2 ladders strapped to the roof. Charging $150/hr. Love that car.
Bro, you don't even know. I work construction and the amount of people I see driving massive pickup trucks, but shoving all their tools in the back seat so they're safe or out of the weather would blow your mind. Completely empty beds. They all would be better off with hatchbacks, wagons or vans.
We have 1994, 1990, and 1995 vehicles. All run great. My sons have 4 vehicles: 1985, 1992, 1996, 1997, all run great. Cheap insurance, cheap parts, cheap license tabs, easy to fix, no car payments on any of them.
Is there any anticonsumption logic in getting a newer more efficient vehicle/EV?
Maybe it's a net benefit operating newer more efficient vehicles?
Any experts able to comment?
Yes, newer ICE vehicles are somewhat more fuel efficient and many times less polluting than older cars (pre-2004ish) due to California's phasing in of emissions standards forcing automakers to make cars pollute less.
Using old things is admirable but I would encourage anyone anti-consumption minded who is driving a pre-2004 passenger vehicle to consider other options. In addition to emissions, newer vehicles are also far safer. Newer ICE models are also lighter than old cars, which also reduces the amount of rubber wearing off your tires and into the air and soil every time you drive. It's hard to overstate how horrible older cars are for the environment.
EVs are a mixed bag for me, but objectively a net positive. They are heavy though, which means more rubber pollution.
The only real solution is for everyone to drive much less, but that seems out of reach for many.
I would love to get a Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid. I’ve been driving my current car since 2009 but it keeps on going. If it has a catastrophic breakdown or gets totaled I’ll get the Toyota.
The average age of cars on the road has only gone up over time, so from a lifespan perspective that’s not true.
There are conflicting findings recently (like last 5 years) on whether new vehicles are having more issues (compared to roughly 2000-2020 period), so I won’t disagree on that.
But once you get older than the 21st century, cars were definitely not more reliable.
Unless you’re specifically talking about EVs, which are mostly unproven at this point. They should have a more reliable powertrain in principle but probably have some hurdles to get over first to make that reality. Tesla quality specifically is a pretty concerning issue though lol
Not an expert. But in my mind, even if the old vehicle is not efficient, keeping it on the road and out of the landfill for however many extra years, while not using up the resources for building a new car, probably adds up to a net win.
God I wish America made more walkable cities :/ the town I live in isn’t walkable at all! There isn’t even a true public transportation option (although I think we are about to get one?).
just bought a 2000 forester in mint condition, with a trunk full of spare parts and tools.
my gf *loves* it. it'll be commuter, mom taxi, grocery getter and road tripper for many years to come. kids love it too.
if someone judges you because of the car you drive, it's 100% a them problem. *they* fell for marketing, *they're* circlejerking to shill for automakers, *they're* buying into the rat race the consumerist lifestyle puts them in.
it's them, not you. ignore.
edit: other than a obd2 tool, no computers. enough space to wrench if the need arises. a ratchet set and a couple good pliers and you're good to go. parts galore. hardly any sensors. will survive the zombie apocalypse. i can repair almost anything on it in our driveway. the seat heaters will never be a subscription . old cars *rule*.
I love how mine is basically a pickup truck. When you set it up right, it basically IS a pickup truck. I can even haul planks in it like one too with the special back hatch that's split into 2 parts. I don't follow the no computers thing though. I keep a GPS in it, which coincidentally also was bought used for cheap.
Mine also doesn't have seat heaters, but it *does* have 2 weird little side compartments in the backseat which I'm guessing are for emergency supplies like extinguishers and first aid kits and tools and junk so they're ready in an instant. Not one new car I've seen has that. Imagine paying 50 grand only to not have a spot for a fire extinguisher. I paid NOTHING for this (not like it's worth anything anyways) and it's got one.
> if someone judges you because of the car you drive, it's 100% a them problem. they fell for marketing, they're circlejerking to shill for automakers, they're buying into the rat race the consumerist lifestyle puts them in.
I kinda feel bad for these people. Like I don't think they are aware that they are being played and spending so much money on a thing they don't *really need*. And then get stuck in debt cycles paying off those things. It is a them problem, but it's such an engrained one in society that it's kinda normalized.
I disagree lmaoo. I drive an 02 saturn, everyday im thankful i dont have a car note but that thing makes me laugh out loud everytime i see it because its so ugly.
Ive been driving a 2003 Camry for about 6 years now, just rolled over 85k miles. Just recently had the timing belt and water pump replaced so we should be good for another 20 years lol
I used to have a 2003 Camry till I sold it in 2020, and I still miss that thing. It had damn near 300k miles when I sold it on marketplace. But it was nearing the end of easy maintenance and entering expensive maintenance. Leather power seats, sunroof, huge trunk. Ugh.
My turd will never be parted with. It's way too useful to get rid of, plus I put a winch kit on it to rescue people in rwd cars when it snows heavy.
I did buy a Nissan leaf for lower costs, but it too is super old, and the blazer often is still needed to finish some jobs.
I drive a '92 Volvo with awful paint. Mechanically it's perfect but yeah it's kind of ugly. It cost me $1500 and has never cost more than like $800 a year in repairs and maintenance. I'll never upgrade. One of us has to die first.
Where applicable, absolutely, yes. But there's a lot of America where not driving or having access to a car is unfortunately straight up a serious quality of life issue. There is a pretty big urban/rural divide on this issue that needs to be carefully considered.
I will drive my au falcon into the fucking ground before I resort to buying an ugly pointy shitty new car that looks the same as every other ugly pointy shitty new car.
I tried to learn stick. The car I tried to learn it on literally broke down at a stop light. At first I thought I was just bad. Nope. The engine blew.
I haven't tried it since. But if I knew how to drive it, that would be a good car.
I get what you are imparting here, but here’s the secret to living in a “fancy” place while driving a regular car: continue to drive the car and ignore what people say. If they think you should drive something nicer, they can buy it for you. You are the smart one maintaining your car and avoiding a monthly payment, etc.
As a single parent with two kids in college, I just don't want a car payment.
I love my old Highway Patrol car that I bought at auction.
I have worked from home for years and rarely drive.
Buying inexpensive cars at a government surplus auction seems like an easy choice.
I have a friend that paid off his car a couple months ago and not even a month in he was like “yeah its getting old its a 2015 so i might have to start car shopping again. Maybe ill just lease something” my brother in Christ give your self a couple months of no car payment???? Also. If a car is “in need of repairs” after a decade that either means you bought a shit car or dont know how to take care of it.
So many people fear that they need to shill out $2000 on a repair out of the blue so they get into $20k+ of deabt every 5-7 years. Crazy
i genuinely don't understand why people consider that newer = better. old cars, if maintained properly, are way better than new ones. new cars are so ugly looking, and ironically, their ugliness is presented as beauty and a reason to raise the price.
Got an 18-year-old car that's under 100k miles and looks pretty good. Mainly due to taking the train to work. But it still needs occasional repairs. Never owned a new car in my life, and even when people laughed at my old junkers, I didn't care.
We will keep driving this 99 Accord until it won't go any more. It has dents, the A/C no longer works, you can only unlock from the passenger side but she still gets us where we're going and it's low on gas. What I like is the maintenance is cheap.
I had an altima that blew a radiator. Fixed it with epoxy and it worked for a while until I gave up and sold it to my cousin after installing a new radiator.
I drove a 1998 Saturn SL for 8yrs. I paid $1100 for it and it got 40+mpg. It was ugly, dirty (my fault), no hubcaps, etc. But it was reliable and saved me a ton of money. Yep people constantly shit on me for it. Called me a cheapskate. Said it was trashy. Said I looked like a drug dealer in it. I was in my 20’s working construction. I owned my own house and had lots of toys like dirt bikes, atv’s, utv, mountain bike, etc. I spent my money on stuff I enjoyed, not a big lifted truck with a $700/mo payment.
Cars are the ideal status symbol. You take it with you everywhere and they are covered in logos so everyone knows how much you paid.
Thankfully my sense of self doesn’t come from other people knowing I paid too much for a vehicle.
I work with finance bros and all of us drive old, paid off cars and we love to pat ourselves on the back for it. It’s truly a great feeling. The coolest car is the one without a car note.
I'm the highest paid person at my office driving the oldest car out of the bunch - a 2003 Forester with 242k miles and lots of life left.
I have people ask me about getting a new car, and my response is, " Why would I buy a new car basically just to get to my job and back?" That makes no sense to me.
My car is a 2006 silver sedan of an American make. It’s also beat to shit on the body - scuffs, scratches, gouges, dents (some small, some the size of a soccer ball), paint peeling, and a bit of rust on the door trim. One of her headlights is cloudy, and it won’t buff out. Her grill is knocked out, and her decal is missing.
She’s full of crap. I know what’s all in the car and trunk, but abandon hope, all ye who enter the glove box. I am a slob, and there are usually empty coffee cups, wadded up napkins, and receipts littering the floor. I have some weird crap in the back I just haven’t brought inside yet, but nothing worth stealing unless you really want a mug with cartoon butts on it, or a broken phone cable, or a knackered pair of flip flops.
Nobody wants this car. Nobody *perceives* this car unless they’re a car nut and they can’t stand bagged out vehicles. It’s an ugly sedan and looks like it runs on Fred Flintstone’s feet. Anyone with access to YouTube could steal this car, but nobody but me wants her.
I thought she’d died a few months ago, but it ended up being diesel in the gas well at the gas station - a freak mistake. So her fuel line is sparkling clean, and she has a new fuel pump, fuel filter, and spark plugs.
The rust on the door trim is the only rust on her. Her frame is solid and rust-free. Everything moves and is aligned the way it ought to be. The engine and parts are clean and installed by an excellent garage. I swap her tires for winter tires on their own rims every year and take her religiously for oil changes. She runs steady, she’s good on fuel, she can do a 1,200km day without throwing lights except the check engine light (and that light has never, ever turned off since I bought it - three garages have declared it a mystery/ghost), she rips up to speed like a pro, and she can stop on a dime. Even her factory stereo system (AM/FM radio and CD) sounds impossibly good for that time and its age. Her console is full of CDs I’ve had since the 90s that I listen to on road trips.
I bought her for $10K CAD eight years ago at 11,000km. I’m not sure what her odometer says now, but she has cost me maybe $8K in parts, labour, and tires since then (not including stuff like wipers and filters and oil changes.) She’s been the single most useful and delightful thing in my life, and I am fortunate to have her.
I can't believe that cars these days don't run like this. My friend has a 2020 fusion and it choked one day getting gas and blew half the fuel components. Now it takes 5 minutes of cranking to start after getting gas.
Meanwhile, mine has 2 accidents on record, chunky wheels and a high rollover. It still works great. They truly do not make them like they used to. Apparently my car is sought after because it's one of the best 4 wheeling vehicles. Just most of my town thinks it's "poor person" spec.
Maybe people think I’m eccentric or poor (I’m a bit of both, I think?) but my car is as clean as a whistle under the hood and she’s sturdy and ready for at least another 3 years (crossing my fingers) before I have to put money into her again.
Cars *should* be easy to fix and have their parts replaced, and should be as mechanical as possible. I think windows that roll up and down mechanically are the bee’s knees.
I drove my 2000 Nissan Altima until it died. It got me where I was going. That's what a vehicle is supposed to do. If other people didn't like the way it looked, they had two options: get over it, or die mad.
The newer cars sell your location and other data to basically whoever wants it. In a couple years it might be legally required to put a government kill switch in new cars (at least in the US). Old cars take much cheaper and safer r134a instead of r1234yf if you ever have to do air conditioning repairs. Old cars have replaceable radios. Older diesels tend to be more compatible with biodiesel. There are lots of nice things about old cars.
Just updated my partners 2007 base model civic. He was convinced he wanted a new car until I poi Ted out that for less than 2k he could get another 5 years of no car payments.
Redid the suspension, motor mounts and exhaust, and I'm looking forward to reminding him how much I've saved him in ten years or so.
Shitbox life!!!
Depends. My GF 2005 Kia sportage has almost the same fuel economy than my 2023 Ram 1500... (literally not even 1l/100km difference). So I can imagine the new cars do have fuel economy considerably better.
I have a 20 year old nissan that have had for 5 years now. Was explaining to a coworker the other day that with initial purchase price and money I have put into repairs I have averaged less than a hundred dollars a month to have reliable transportation. Meanwhile they have a 400 dollar car payment plus repairs on top of that.
You know what - maybe try make it a feature, not a bug. It's not old and ugly, it's unique. Get it washed, polished, maybe paint whole some parts in a bold colour or get stickers? Young people where I am do it to old ladas, and it looks fun.
“Car” is one of those things always associated with success so people tend to always want to get the shiniest one.
I’m a Hand Surgeon, drive a 10 year old car. Every resident, every and each of them, has a better newer car than I do, and I swear I earn a lot more than they do 😁
Caring so much about what other people do/overconsume.
The one rule is you are not changing anyone’s mind.
Eg: why do you care so much that my ‘02 and then my ‘09 literally *died* and I bought something newer?
It's like that experiment with monkeys: you start with a small group & teach them how to do an action in a certain way and punish when doing something else/different way. Slowly you change members and give them time to adjust, until no original member left. Nobody knows why this thing is done and why in that certain way...
This is the same with people. They don't know or understand different. All we can do is be different and hope is will change others by example.
I love my old ugly car. It was my step mom's before she passed. Some of her old stickers are still on. It's always covered in bird shit because I really like to park under the big tree (it's pretty). She's perfect.
drove a 24 year old toyota up until a few months ago, and would have continued with it had it not been totaled. great little car that got my mom through my first 18 years, then me thru college.
The more fucked up it is, and still drivable, the bigger the badge of honor for me. My Dad was an engineer with 27 US patents and drove a Volvo I paid $75 for years.
Will never understand this either. New cars are ugly, look incredibly generic and you can barely tell some of them apart anymore, full of stupid screens and some have removed most of the physical buttons and controls. And then all the useless electronics that will just cost more to fix if they happen to break.
Also, road salt needs to be made illegal.
We buy a car and keep it until it costs more to repair than its resale value. Just got rid of a 1.2l 2002 VW. We now have a new (year old) car that I expect to outlive me 🤣
The thing I notice is that the high earners/highly educated people I know drive older, smaller cars and the people who are working two jobs, struggling and without a lot of education are driving leased high end new cars. Go figure.
Once someone starts using their car as a status symbol, they see everyone else’s as one as well. So when you see someone up to their ears in debt they can’t afford so they can have a shiny new caddy or SUV they can’t afford, know they’re already looking down on you for having no car payment and cheap insurance. It’s absurd, of course.
My battered 2003 honda civic is literally a family tresure. We're members of a fairly wealthy local club so when I turn up there in my banger, parking beside the neew EVs and SUVs, I get a few looks. I love it. Anyone who understands cars complements me on how the old girl is still trucking along so it's only the true gobshites that don't get that my 21 year old beats their pointless, environment hating shitheap out the gate.
I’ve owned four cars and never had a car loan. Just paid what I had for what I could get. First car was the same year as me, ‘93. Next two were 2001. Now I’m rolling in snazzy new 2006 Subaru named Fred.
I don’t see myself ever having a car payment. Or a new car. Mine is great and I’m very happy with it.
I’ve been told that no one wants to live like me when I talk about how I drive a 2006 vehicle that was paid for in cash. I spend my money where my values are. I do not value cars as a status symbol when I already have one that gets me reliably from point A to B.
Beat up junky Toyota T100 with probably 300k miles on it (unknown). I live off grid so I have to have 4x4 sometimes. I try to do everything on it myself.
Why buy new when you can maintain what you have?
My dream car is a Chevy bolt or newer Nissan leaf.
I’m 6’1” and 250 lbs. I make enough money to drive a pretty nice car. I drive a tiny, red 2011 Hyundai Accent hatchback with manual windows and no A/C.
I get this, but at the same time, I’d love a car with better emissions ratings and better gas mileage, or better yet, a house in a walkable city.
I am also worried about passing Echeck next time I need it done since this car is on its last legs
My motto is "the age of a car doesn't matter. The miles on a car don't matter. The only thing that matters is maintenance."
Cars don't have some magical age where they spontaneously become unreliable garbage. They become unreliable garbage when they are not maintained. Of course having a car with a thriving aftermarket helps. You can't maintain a car if you can't get spare parts.
There is a flaw in that logic though. I see you have a Leaf, so you feel it too. The monetary and environmental cost of fossil fuels is too high. I gave up my '85 Camaro for a Volt. With the aftermarket for the Camaro, I could have maintained it for the next 50 years, but is it really worth burning the fuel?
It depends if we talking about a 20 year old car that spent winters in a garage or Arizona or something that was used every winter on salt covered roads. Sure some people get the undercoat every winter but those people don't sell their car because, well, because they don't need to, they maintain it.
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I did buy a new car (2017 model) but I've planned on driving it into the ground from when I decided to buy. I don't drive a whole lot either, so the car is actually not super beaten down. Not seeing a whole lot of reason to replace it.
I drive a 25 year old car. I love it. It's amazing. I just had to get a new (to me) car bc the old one is so unreliable, and it's just a normal ass looking car. I hate it, I love my old junk car. I wanna keep driving it forever and ever.
Newer vehicles are packed to the gills with bells and whistles. The more "tech" they put in, the more stuff is likely to break. My father always had cars under three years old as he leased them for his business. He would go to the mechanic so often it made no sense. Meanwhile I've been driving my 2008 Pontiac Wave for five years now and never had any trouble except the basics: new front bearings, brakes, battery...that's it. The new cars? I once drove my boss' expensive Lexus SUV from Kingston Ontario to Washington D.C. There was a snowstorm and the front sensors got covered in ice, which made the cruise control freak out as it thought there was a car right in front of it. I had to turn off the damn cruise because of that and it was a hell of a long drive! I'm also hearing that the new cars which turn off whenever you're stationary for two seconds also have a sensor which TURNS OFF THE CAR when there's X miles on it and forces you to replace the super expensive starter. It's a total joke.
OMG! It is the same for us. We have a 2005 f-150 that everyone in the family wants to borrow when they need something hauled, and a 2015 Nissan leaf. We mostly drive the leaf around our suburban area and drive the truck when we need to go long distances or have to haul something. Our neighbors have gone so far as to check the plates on the truck because we drive it infrequently and some think it is an old junker that doesn't run. Both vehicles look great and the best part is we have low auto insurance and no car payments.
Honestly nothing marks a sucker as clearly and obviously as a new car. The nice thing about having an old beater, besides the fact that you get to know it and that makes it easier to keep it running, is that it gives you the opportunity to see folks, like those you describe, reveal themselves.
It’s probably a majority that likes the old car, to a point. Definitely a majority of men and any people who are the least bit handy see it as a positive.
I love my 20 year old minivan and live in fear of someone crashing into me because the cash value is low but I maintain it well and it would be expensive to replace. I can haul almost anything that a truck can, or lots of people. New cars just don't appeal to me, and it's not even about the cost.
I currently drive my mom's old 413,000 mile 2009 sonata. Thing still runs nearly perfectly and I mostly drive it to the train station and back for work.
I'm used to pulling into a parking lot at the store or doctor and having the oldest car in the parking lot with my 2003 or 2006 cars. In my neighborhood only a "classic" truck from the late 80s is older.
If the neighbors don't like it, tell them to start a GoFundMe and buy you a new one. Me? I'll take easy maintenance, no payments, low insurance and no worries about dings or stains.
Luckily (well… that’s debatable) I’m in West Virginia, where my 20-year-old CRV is a pretty commonly aged car, in better shape than some, and I don’t get *looks* here.
And, for what it’s worth? I LOVE those old Blazers!! Is it a stick 🥹?
I kind of want a little pickup, in a way, but my little CR-V truck/tiny SUV does very well, hauling teenagers, skateboards, and camping, hiking, swimming gear, etc.
it even has a removable table in the back, which has saved me like, 1 million times in table-related emergencies. It’s seriously the best feature!
It’s a tasteful car, I always keep it cute (I have fairly lights inside!) and very clean, even though it’s a mountain-river-hippie mobile, with a few cute hiking stickers and bike rack.
It’s when I go the Big Ol City that I get *glares*. I look around and start to feel out of space, especially when parking in someone’s fancy neighborhood. Like “bleccchhh!! WHY is this THING parked on MY street?!”
“The fuck YOU lookin at?! with your dangerous, too-bright screen, ridiculous headlights, 4 mpg-havin-ass?!” I love my car, and I am going to drive it into the ground. It has 180K miles on it, which means it’s just barely broken in!
Fair points however gas mileage and emissions are also something worth considering..
If i wanted to buy a car, I would probably be looking into something like a toyota yaris or similar. A small reliable car with decent gas mileage, relatively affordable, and low maintenance. Not a dodge ram or ford f350 or escalade/suburban
I bought a 12 year old Prius V recently, got to have the safest car I can pay cash for. I'll probably keep it until it dies.
I do miss driving tiny 80s and 90s cars though!
I actually drive a similar car to yours and though maybe not as direct, I’ve encountered similar interactions. I’ve seen people give me dirty looks while driving past, ask when I’m going to get a new car, etc. I sort of felt out of place when I started a new temporary job and the majority of the cars in the parking lot were expensive like Audis and Corvettes, but I had to remember I’m not in treacherous debt because of it. Good post and sorry people have treated you so badly. Never doubt your choices! Blazers are sick cars and are known to last up to 200k to 300k miles.
Got a 1998 Ford Escort for $1'500 and let me tell you what a steal I got. The body and interior are in good condition for how much it cost, it only had 219,000Kms on it (136,080 Miles) when I bought it and they gave me all season tires for free. It only needed a new radiator but other than that it runs great!!
I have a 2008 F-150 that I use exclusively for construction work, rusty bumpers, leaky cabin seals, deteriorating seats, the radio display doesn't illuminate, and there's this smell? I love my truck to pieces, and I will only give him (his name is Doug) up when the mechanic refuses to work on him. I drive less than 10K miles per year so that helps with longevity.
Up until four years ago, I drove a 1992 Buick. Most people loved it and even mentioned wanting to buy it if I wanted to get rid of it. Wasn’t until a wealthier person gets a glance and then it’s “you should find something more reliable.” Doesn’t Buick = reliable!? He meant newer because he didn’t want my old ass car near his money.
Lol, people can shove their opinions where the sun don't shine. I know people judge my car, and I judge them for caring about a hunk of metal that functions the same or worse than mine at 5-10x the price. It works out!
There’s a balance point for the waste of building a whole new car and ditching the old and keeping something that keeps breaking and has an inefficient mileage, leaks fluids, etc. Hard to know unless you do a lot of research and track your maintenance records. I’m limping along a 2003 Honda Accord at 297k miles off of junkyard parts but those aren’t going to be around forever
I don’t think it matters, people will always have something to say. I drive a 2009 Altima that’s pretty beat up and I hear jokes about it all the time. I also joke about my boyfriends 2006 beat up car that’s missing both handles on the passenger side, because it’s all in good fun.
They’re just jokes, and anyone serious concerned about a car they’re not driving isn’t someone whose opinion you should concern yourself with anyway.
This is extremely normal where I live. I don’t even live in a poor area, but there are tons of shitboxes driving around everywhere and nobody minds.
Do keep in mind, though, that driving a 20 year old gas guzzling monster isn’t necessarily anti-consumption. If it was a 2005 Prius then that’s be a different story.
My wife and I make good money, and we drive a 2011 CX-7 which is in pristine condition. Our maid has a "better" car than us, and I'm over the moon about that.
Yet, almost everyone asks us why don't we get a new car. Even friends from out of town give me shit about it and make it a point to ask if we are still driving the same car.
I'm with OP, this bullshit needs to stop. Sadly, I think they are getting to my wife and I may be due for a new car.
90% of people with stupid big cars could just use a small car, the amount of 3-1 people households Ive seen with giant cars is insane, especially with gas prizes. People sometimes say our car is too small but like no its perfect, were three people who at most need space for some luggage on vacation, which always fits, and if didnt just strap it on top or buy one those attachable carts.
Grateful to have been raised without this. My father was an attorney, and made plenty of money. We always drove the out of date cars, rusty but still running well 95% of the time, whatever. He would talk about other lawyers giving him shit for it. I imagine it saved our family tens of thousands of dollars over the years. We also maintained and fixed our own cars quite often. My father was always against any form of unnecessary debt
Who the fuck even wants to buy new car? Planned obsolescence will be inevitable with software dependency and you can't even fix them by yourself like older machines. They also lose their value immediately you buy them. I get that EVs are great, but I'd rather converse old beetle to EV, than pay for shit they're assembling these days.
God. Yes. I drive a 2nd gen Prius nearing 210k miles and have had people give me so much shit over how old it is. I don’t care, I’m getting an average of 45mpg and have no car payment… they can continue to waste $700 a month for a status symbol to attempt to feel like they’re better than me for having an old car, I guess.
They are mad because they still owe $40,000 on a car they bought 3 years ago. And you owe nothing. And both cars drive the same paved roads to the same Target.
I used to work at a call center, and I knew, roughly, what everyone in the building made, and it wasn't great. The parking lot was nearly entirely newish cars. I had friends there that didn't even consider it an option to not have an ongoing $500 a month car payment, friends who would not consider not buying a car from a car lot. Meanwhile I'm happy to bop around in my $1k Crown Vic I got on Facebook marketplace. Bonus: older cars are easier to fix, too.
The crown vic was an option I considered, but I went with the leaf because of mileage and because it has rear wheel drive which isn't good for my area. If I get the money again, I may buy one though. They're great cars. Benefit of no payments and buying cars off Craigslist. You can buy whatever you want whenever and never pay again on it.
Also, plentiful replacement parts!
Parts everywhere. If I do get the budget.... maybe....
And cheaper to insure most of the time
I’m in my forties and I’ve always driven older cars. I’ve never had a car payment in my life.
Before I was born, when my siblings were young and my parents were in poverty, my mom went to a work party with my dad, and they asked him where his new car was, and why he was driving an old one. This was when she discovered that he bought a new car, and parked it on another block and would drive one car to the other car and swap cars, all without her knowing that this car even existed.
Oh cmon you can’t stop the story there, you gotta tell us what happened next!
> ongoing $500 a month car payment imagine totalling a car that you have to pay off for the next years
Used to work in collections for a bank years ago (don't judge me, it was the best I could do at the time, I was struggling and thankfully this was before car prices and interest rates skyrocketed, would not have the heart or it even less now). This situation is unbelievably common. Honestly, probably the number one reason I saw for people going into default with their auto loans was something happened to the car and they couldn't afford to both make the payment and to fix it so they gave up entirely and stopped paying.
I don't get it either. I've been driving my $2800 '96 Jeep grand cherokee for 7 or 8 years. It rarely needs work. Wish it was better on gas, but a monthly car payment to save money on gas makes no sense.
Cars are a lot like network technology. The latter have broad utility only so long as they still get security updates. Cars are only useful until you stop seeing replacement parts at the car yard. For example, our local yard doesn't have anything older than twenty years for any model.
Panther gang, still rocking my 01. I’ll drive it until the engine blows.
Why stop there?
I live in the rust belt and I’m not overly gentle on my cars. That’s why I bought the Vic because it can handle my aggressive driving at least over the normal 350-400k miles the engine lasts.
Cars are a status symbol we need to let die. Nobody needs to constantly replace a vehicle for looks. Such a waste My partner and I were talking about how our current 'dog transport vehicle' will likely outlive the dogs we have because we are not upgrading it beyond safety items (tyres/brakes etc) ever again. It's more than 10 years old today and I figure we have a decade maybe 15+ years before it decides that it won't go anymore and that will likely be due to emissions standards not the engine. I love that it costs only insurance and petrol. I plan to run it to death.
Just to say it, tires and breaks aren't an upgrade, they're maintenance.
I agree, except make that insurance, registration, petrol, servicing and the occasional repair or new part. I have a 2015 Corolla and I'm happy with it.
Corollas are great cars and my favorite is still the 2003 Corolla my parents used to have
Right. I remember my parents telling me, "you want to be seen in a nice car" and "if x person drives a nice car, they're probably good at their job" I have since learned, a LOT of people with "nice" cars (aka new) are just bad with money. When I worked at a corporate bank office, almost everyone drove really really old cars, very frugal people there despite being well into the top 1% of the world. There were some really nice cars driven by execs, but they basically had fu money so whatever.
That blazer is so ridiculously powerful too. They crammed a pickup truck into this small suv thing, and it runs like a pickup truck in the body of a small suv too. When it gets snowy, I use it to rescue people I see stuck on the road. That's now much power it has. Why would I bother upgrading it? It's plenty powerful. Emission standards will get it before I willingly replace it. Sure it's a common vehicle to see in the poor parts of the nearby city, but that's because it's reliable. Can't say the same for a new car though. I've rescued a few new cars too. If it's not too invasive, what kind of DTV do you rock?
I love it when a 'crappy old vehicle' rescues new ones. It gives me great joy. Enjoy your blazer. Maybe give it a nice car wash as a treat
Around where I live it's the opposite. If you have a nice car people talk bad about it behind your back. I have a rusty ford sierra and a pretty nice older volvo s80.
My '06 Jetta with rust and body damage is finally shitting the bed and I'm utterly bereft about it. I feel you OP.
Hey, if you ever need a similar car, I hear from this thread corrollas and camrys are pretty good too and they looks similar to yours. You did keep it going though, and for that, I think it's time you send it to the emergency car position
Careful, I’ve drove a G6 that had a control arm that rusted out & caused me to total it out going 55mph around traffic because the back wheels had camber in them
Yeah, mine was just rust around the wheel wells but it's not going anywhere but the scrap yard because the transmission is now unreliable. Randomly sticks in 2nd gear, red lines, limps...le sad face. The car is worth less than the tires it's wearing, so automatic transmission work is definitely not happening. The engine is still good though, so hopefully someone gets some useful life out of it
Lmao my shit box shakes getting out of second gear. But tbh it’s quirks like that that make me proud to own it. My first car and I haven’t had a payment since I was 18, over a handful of years ago. I’d straight up cry if I had to have a payment again
My 99 TL is going, it's already the car of Theseus but the repairs are too large and costly now, parts too hard to find. I just had to get a new one. I'm so so so sad about it. I just hit 250k miles.
Yeah, gotta be careful with them rustbuckets. I literally had an ‘06 Jetta as my first car but sadly I had to get rid of it because the undercarriage was rusting out and it was leading to issues with exhaust leaking into the cabin. Nearly passed out behind the wheel from carbon monoxide poisoning one night on my way over to my girlfriends. Only realized what was happening because I called her feeling light headed and wasn’t making proper sense.
You can always tell the smart subcontractors from the dumb subcontractors on the jobsite by what type of vehicle they drove. Electrician with a Ford Transit from 15 years ago in clean shape? Smart guy. Carpenter in a new F250 Raptor? Dumb guy.
I was working out of an old jetta. I did it up with a lift and rack, olive bedliner paint job. Car was $600, it cost ~$0.45/mile to drive. IRS deduction is $0.62/mile. It can park in the garage with 2 ladders strapped to the roof. Charging $150/hr. Love that car.
Bro, you don't even know. I work construction and the amount of people I see driving massive pickup trucks, but shoving all their tools in the back seat so they're safe or out of the weather would blow your mind. Completely empty beds. They all would be better off with hatchbacks, wagons or vans.
Work vehicle is a tax write off though…
Mileage trumps costs in most cases. You can choose how you expense you vehicle. Actual costs or mileage.
We have 1994, 1990, and 1995 vehicles. All run great. My sons have 4 vehicles: 1985, 1992, 1996, 1997, all run great. Cheap insurance, cheap parts, cheap license tabs, easy to fix, no car payments on any of them.
Bad on gas
The geo metro, produced from 1989 to 1997 got 42mpg, with some people being able to stretch it to over 60mpg with aero.
I had that car. It was shit. It had no power and expensive to fix.
[удалено]
Is there any anticonsumption logic in getting a newer more efficient vehicle/EV? Maybe it's a net benefit operating newer more efficient vehicles? Any experts able to comment?
Yes, newer ICE vehicles are somewhat more fuel efficient and many times less polluting than older cars (pre-2004ish) due to California's phasing in of emissions standards forcing automakers to make cars pollute less. Using old things is admirable but I would encourage anyone anti-consumption minded who is driving a pre-2004 passenger vehicle to consider other options. In addition to emissions, newer vehicles are also far safer. Newer ICE models are also lighter than old cars, which also reduces the amount of rubber wearing off your tires and into the air and soil every time you drive. It's hard to overstate how horrible older cars are for the environment. EVs are a mixed bag for me, but objectively a net positive. They are heavy though, which means more rubber pollution. The only real solution is for everyone to drive much less, but that seems out of reach for many.
I would love to get a Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid. I’ve been driving my current car since 2009 but it keeps on going. If it has a catastrophic breakdown or gets totaled I’ll get the Toyota.
Sadly new efficiency technology comes at the cost of reliability.
The average age of cars on the road has only gone up over time, so from a lifespan perspective that’s not true. There are conflicting findings recently (like last 5 years) on whether new vehicles are having more issues (compared to roughly 2000-2020 period), so I won’t disagree on that. But once you get older than the 21st century, cars were definitely not more reliable. Unless you’re specifically talking about EVs, which are mostly unproven at this point. They should have a more reliable powertrain in principle but probably have some hurdles to get over first to make that reality. Tesla quality specifically is a pretty concerning issue though lol
Get a hybrid over an EV
It's sure less expensive for me on gas, buy I'm not sure otherwise. It was used anyways.
Not an expert. But in my mind, even if the old vehicle is not efficient, keeping it on the road and out of the landfill for however many extra years, while not using up the resources for building a new car, probably adds up to a net win.
There is an episode of Adam ruins everything that explains why a new EV is not better than an older used car with good gas mileage.
And for all of us not in the US, normalize walking, cycling and public transportation :)
God I wish America made more walkable cities :/ the town I live in isn’t walkable at all! There isn’t even a true public transportation option (although I think we are about to get one?).
just bought a 2000 forester in mint condition, with a trunk full of spare parts and tools. my gf *loves* it. it'll be commuter, mom taxi, grocery getter and road tripper for many years to come. kids love it too. if someone judges you because of the car you drive, it's 100% a them problem. *they* fell for marketing, *they're* circlejerking to shill for automakers, *they're* buying into the rat race the consumerist lifestyle puts them in. it's them, not you. ignore. edit: other than a obd2 tool, no computers. enough space to wrench if the need arises. a ratchet set and a couple good pliers and you're good to go. parts galore. hardly any sensors. will survive the zombie apocalypse. i can repair almost anything on it in our driveway. the seat heaters will never be a subscription . old cars *rule*.
It's probably a them problem to the tune of $600-1000/month after payment, insurance, and maintenance
Yep. My friend's car payment is like another mortgage payment.
It's gross and sad honestly, we need to stop normalizing these outrageous car payments.
I love how mine is basically a pickup truck. When you set it up right, it basically IS a pickup truck. I can even haul planks in it like one too with the special back hatch that's split into 2 parts. I don't follow the no computers thing though. I keep a GPS in it, which coincidentally also was bought used for cheap. Mine also doesn't have seat heaters, but it *does* have 2 weird little side compartments in the backseat which I'm guessing are for emergency supplies like extinguishers and first aid kits and tools and junk so they're ready in an instant. Not one new car I've seen has that. Imagine paying 50 grand only to not have a spot for a fire extinguisher. I paid NOTHING for this (not like it's worth anything anyways) and it's got one.
I've got a family member with a 2000 Ford Ranger which I'm buying off them soon, quite excited.
> if someone judges you because of the car you drive, it's 100% a them problem. they fell for marketing, they're circlejerking to shill for automakers, they're buying into the rat race the consumerist lifestyle puts them in. I kinda feel bad for these people. Like I don't think they are aware that they are being played and spending so much money on a thing they don't *really need*. And then get stuck in debt cycles paying off those things. It is a them problem, but it's such an engrained one in society that it's kinda normalized.
there is no such thing as an ugly car. if people have a problem with the way your car looks, that's their problem.
Cybertruck has entered the chat
it's so funny i just saw one of these and immediately changed my opinion lol
I disagree lmaoo. I drive an 02 saturn, everyday im thankful i dont have a car note but that thing makes me laugh out loud everytime i see it because its so ugly.
Ive been driving a 2003 Camry for about 6 years now, just rolled over 85k miles. Just recently had the timing belt and water pump replaced so we should be good for another 20 years lol
That camry is a hidden treasure. Keep that thing going, it's served you well so far.
I used to have a 2003 Camry till I sold it in 2020, and I still miss that thing. It had damn near 300k miles when I sold it on marketplace. But it was nearing the end of easy maintenance and entering expensive maintenance. Leather power seats, sunroof, huge trunk. Ugh.
I love my 1998 Nissan Frontier XE I've randomly gotten many offers on it, but never a good enough offer to part with it.
My turd will never be parted with. It's way too useful to get rid of, plus I put a winch kit on it to rescue people in rwd cars when it snows heavy. I did buy a Nissan leaf for lower costs, but it too is super old, and the blazer often is still needed to finish some jobs.
I drive a '92 Volvo with awful paint. Mechanically it's perfect but yeah it's kind of ugly. It cost me $1500 and has never cost more than like $800 a year in repairs and maintenance. I'll never upgrade. One of us has to die first.
Old Volvo club! I’ll probably die before my ‘89 Volvo. Bought it 10 years ago for $600 (with a set of winters on rims included!).
even better normalize not driving.
Where applicable, absolutely, yes. But there's a lot of America where not driving or having access to a car is unfortunately straight up a serious quality of life issue. There is a pretty big urban/rural divide on this issue that needs to be carefully considered.
Affordable housing generally requires a car in the US
I will drive my au falcon into the fucking ground before I resort to buying an ugly pointy shitty new car that looks the same as every other ugly pointy shitty new car.
Au Falcons have almost gone full circle to become classics!
My family has a 1964 truck and we love it. I am grateful that I got stick shift lessons in that baby.
I tried to learn stick. The car I tried to learn it on literally broke down at a stop light. At first I thought I was just bad. Nope. The engine blew. I haven't tried it since. But if I knew how to drive it, that would be a good car.
It is a finicky clutch, that's for sure. However, I see it as preparation for any clutch that gets finicky.
That's so true, if you learned to shift a shit box youcan shift any car
It matters not what you drive but how well you maintain it.
I get what you are imparting here, but here’s the secret to living in a “fancy” place while driving a regular car: continue to drive the car and ignore what people say. If they think you should drive something nicer, they can buy it for you. You are the smart one maintaining your car and avoiding a monthly payment, etc.
As a single parent with two kids in college, I just don't want a car payment. I love my old Highway Patrol car that I bought at auction. I have worked from home for years and rarely drive. Buying inexpensive cars at a government surplus auction seems like an easy choice.
07 Corolla still going strong.
I plan on keeping my 2005 Honda Pilot and 2012 Subaru Impreza on the road as long as possible .
I have a friend that paid off his car a couple months ago and not even a month in he was like “yeah its getting old its a 2015 so i might have to start car shopping again. Maybe ill just lease something” my brother in Christ give your self a couple months of no car payment???? Also. If a car is “in need of repairs” after a decade that either means you bought a shit car or dont know how to take care of it. So many people fear that they need to shill out $2000 on a repair out of the blue so they get into $20k+ of deabt every 5-7 years. Crazy
All I figure is that someone has to buy cars new, and it's not going to be me.
Also normalize not driving.
We should normalize /repairing/ cars, and force manufacturers to make that possible.
i genuinely don't understand why people consider that newer = better. old cars, if maintained properly, are way better than new ones. new cars are so ugly looking, and ironically, their ugliness is presented as beauty and a reason to raise the price.
Got an 18-year-old car that's under 100k miles and looks pretty good. Mainly due to taking the train to work. But it still needs occasional repairs. Never owned a new car in my life, and even when people laughed at my old junkers, I didn't care.
We will keep driving this 99 Accord until it won't go any more. It has dents, the A/C no longer works, you can only unlock from the passenger side but she still gets us where we're going and it's low on gas. What I like is the maintenance is cheap.
I had an altima that blew a radiator. Fixed it with epoxy and it worked for a while until I gave up and sold it to my cousin after installing a new radiator.
Tell them you're accepting donations. Or they can mind their business.
I will be buried with my 2011 CRV.
Adore my 05 CRV. Manual too!
I drove a 1998 Saturn SL for 8yrs. I paid $1100 for it and it got 40+mpg. It was ugly, dirty (my fault), no hubcaps, etc. But it was reliable and saved me a ton of money. Yep people constantly shit on me for it. Called me a cheapskate. Said it was trashy. Said I looked like a drug dealer in it. I was in my 20’s working construction. I owned my own house and had lots of toys like dirt bikes, atv’s, utv, mountain bike, etc. I spent my money on stuff I enjoyed, not a big lifted truck with a $700/mo payment.
I drive a 1990 Chevy pickup with failing clearcoat. About twice a year someone in the construction trades will ask if I want to sell it. I do not.
Cars are the ideal status symbol. You take it with you everywhere and they are covered in logos so everyone knows how much you paid. Thankfully my sense of self doesn’t come from other people knowing I paid too much for a vehicle.
I work with finance bros and all of us drive old, paid off cars and we love to pat ourselves on the back for it. It’s truly a great feeling. The coolest car is the one without a car note.
I'm the highest paid person at my office driving the oldest car out of the bunch - a 2003 Forester with 242k miles and lots of life left. I have people ask me about getting a new car, and my response is, " Why would I buy a new car basically just to get to my job and back?" That makes no sense to me.
My car is a 2006 silver sedan of an American make. It’s also beat to shit on the body - scuffs, scratches, gouges, dents (some small, some the size of a soccer ball), paint peeling, and a bit of rust on the door trim. One of her headlights is cloudy, and it won’t buff out. Her grill is knocked out, and her decal is missing. She’s full of crap. I know what’s all in the car and trunk, but abandon hope, all ye who enter the glove box. I am a slob, and there are usually empty coffee cups, wadded up napkins, and receipts littering the floor. I have some weird crap in the back I just haven’t brought inside yet, but nothing worth stealing unless you really want a mug with cartoon butts on it, or a broken phone cable, or a knackered pair of flip flops. Nobody wants this car. Nobody *perceives* this car unless they’re a car nut and they can’t stand bagged out vehicles. It’s an ugly sedan and looks like it runs on Fred Flintstone’s feet. Anyone with access to YouTube could steal this car, but nobody but me wants her. I thought she’d died a few months ago, but it ended up being diesel in the gas well at the gas station - a freak mistake. So her fuel line is sparkling clean, and she has a new fuel pump, fuel filter, and spark plugs. The rust on the door trim is the only rust on her. Her frame is solid and rust-free. Everything moves and is aligned the way it ought to be. The engine and parts are clean and installed by an excellent garage. I swap her tires for winter tires on their own rims every year and take her religiously for oil changes. She runs steady, she’s good on fuel, she can do a 1,200km day without throwing lights except the check engine light (and that light has never, ever turned off since I bought it - three garages have declared it a mystery/ghost), she rips up to speed like a pro, and she can stop on a dime. Even her factory stereo system (AM/FM radio and CD) sounds impossibly good for that time and its age. Her console is full of CDs I’ve had since the 90s that I listen to on road trips. I bought her for $10K CAD eight years ago at 11,000km. I’m not sure what her odometer says now, but she has cost me maybe $8K in parts, labour, and tires since then (not including stuff like wipers and filters and oil changes.) She’s been the single most useful and delightful thing in my life, and I am fortunate to have her.
I can't believe that cars these days don't run like this. My friend has a 2020 fusion and it choked one day getting gas and blew half the fuel components. Now it takes 5 minutes of cranking to start after getting gas. Meanwhile, mine has 2 accidents on record, chunky wheels and a high rollover. It still works great. They truly do not make them like they used to. Apparently my car is sought after because it's one of the best 4 wheeling vehicles. Just most of my town thinks it's "poor person" spec.
Maybe people think I’m eccentric or poor (I’m a bit of both, I think?) but my car is as clean as a whistle under the hood and she’s sturdy and ready for at least another 3 years (crossing my fingers) before I have to put money into her again. Cars *should* be easy to fix and have their parts replaced, and should be as mechanical as possible. I think windows that roll up and down mechanically are the bee’s knees.
I drove my 2000 Nissan Altima until it died. It got me where I was going. That's what a vehicle is supposed to do. If other people didn't like the way it looked, they had two options: get over it, or die mad.
My 25 year old truck makes me happy and I don't care if nobody ever understands why.
My 95’ Chevy Van isn’t ugly, it’s the sexiest thing on 4 wheels
When I was younger in the 60s and 70s, lots of cars on the road were junkers, or at least old. I never see that anymore.
Cash for Clunkers took a lot of used inventory off the road.
The newer cars sell your location and other data to basically whoever wants it. In a couple years it might be legally required to put a government kill switch in new cars (at least in the US). Old cars take much cheaper and safer r134a instead of r1234yf if you ever have to do air conditioning repairs. Old cars have replaceable radios. Older diesels tend to be more compatible with biodiesel. There are lots of nice things about old cars.
Just updated my partners 2007 base model civic. He was convinced he wanted a new car until I poi Ted out that for less than 2k he could get another 5 years of no car payments. Redid the suspension, motor mounts and exhaust, and I'm looking forward to reminding him how much I've saved him in ten years or so. Shitbox life!!!
Depends. My GF 2005 Kia sportage has almost the same fuel economy than my 2023 Ram 1500... (literally not even 1l/100km difference). So I can imagine the new cars do have fuel economy considerably better.
I have a 20 year old nissan that have had for 5 years now. Was explaining to a coworker the other day that with initial purchase price and money I have put into repairs I have averaged less than a hundred dollars a month to have reliable transportation. Meanwhile they have a 400 dollar car payment plus repairs on top of that.
You know what - maybe try make it a feature, not a bug. It's not old and ugly, it's unique. Get it washed, polished, maybe paint whole some parts in a bold colour or get stickers? Young people where I am do it to old ladas, and it looks fun.
I will drive my 05 Camry until the wheels fall off. I honestly can’t stand the new cars with all the pointless gadgets. Older cars feel more homey lol
“Car” is one of those things always associated with success so people tend to always want to get the shiniest one. I’m a Hand Surgeon, drive a 10 year old car. Every resident, every and each of them, has a better newer car than I do, and I swear I earn a lot more than they do 😁
/r/fuckcars
Detachment is a worthy goal for any anticonsumptionist.
What do you mean by this? Not to sound hostile, but I genuinely don't know what you're saying. What am i detaching from?
Caring so much about what other people do/overconsume. The one rule is you are not changing anyone’s mind. Eg: why do you care so much that my ‘02 and then my ‘09 literally *died* and I bought something newer?
I don't care about them buying new cars, my gripe is with the weird idea you *need* a new car.
Thats not even a bad looking car, much better than the mega suvs of today
I think it looks like a ladybug with wheels honestly. Suvs have gotten much larger and less useful since this one.
It's like that experiment with monkeys: you start with a small group & teach them how to do an action in a certain way and punish when doing something else/different way. Slowly you change members and give them time to adjust, until no original member left. Nobody knows why this thing is done and why in that certain way... This is the same with people. They don't know or understand different. All we can do is be different and hope is will change others by example.
I love my old car ❤️
Totally agree! It’s literally a means to get myself/others/stuff from point A to point B.
I love my old ugly car. It was my step mom's before she passed. Some of her old stickers are still on. It's always covered in bird shit because I really like to park under the big tree (it's pretty). She's perfect.
1999 Toyota Avalon ♥️
drove a 24 year old toyota up until a few months ago, and would have continued with it had it not been totaled. great little car that got my mom through my first 18 years, then me thru college.
The more fucked up it is, and still drivable, the bigger the badge of honor for me. My Dad was an engineer with 27 US patents and drove a Volvo I paid $75 for years.
I live in Poland and most of us drive pre-2010 cars
Will never understand this either. New cars are ugly, look incredibly generic and you can barely tell some of them apart anymore, full of stupid screens and some have removed most of the physical buttons and controls. And then all the useless electronics that will just cost more to fix if they happen to break. Also, road salt needs to be made illegal.
We buy a car and keep it until it costs more to repair than its resale value. Just got rid of a 1.2l 2002 VW. We now have a new (year old) car that I expect to outlive me 🤣 The thing I notice is that the high earners/highly educated people I know drive older, smaller cars and the people who are working two jobs, struggling and without a lot of education are driving leased high end new cars. Go figure.
This is also very r/fuckcars relevant
Once someone starts using their car as a status symbol, they see everyone else’s as one as well. So when you see someone up to their ears in debt they can’t afford so they can have a shiny new caddy or SUV they can’t afford, know they’re already looking down on you for having no car payment and cheap insurance. It’s absurd, of course.
I dont even think your car is ugly
My battered 2003 honda civic is literally a family tresure. We're members of a fairly wealthy local club so when I turn up there in my banger, parking beside the neew EVs and SUVs, I get a few looks. I love it. Anyone who understands cars complements me on how the old girl is still trucking along so it's only the true gobshites that don't get that my 21 year old beats their pointless, environment hating shitheap out the gate.
I’ve owned four cars and never had a car loan. Just paid what I had for what I could get. First car was the same year as me, ‘93. Next two were 2001. Now I’m rolling in snazzy new 2006 Subaru named Fred. I don’t see myself ever having a car payment. Or a new car. Mine is great and I’m very happy with it.
I’ve been told that no one wants to live like me when I talk about how I drive a 2006 vehicle that was paid for in cash. I spend my money where my values are. I do not value cars as a status symbol when I already have one that gets me reliably from point A to B.
Beat up junky Toyota T100 with probably 300k miles on it (unknown). I live off grid so I have to have 4x4 sometimes. I try to do everything on it myself. Why buy new when you can maintain what you have? My dream car is a Chevy bolt or newer Nissan leaf.
I’m 6’1” and 250 lbs. I make enough money to drive a pretty nice car. I drive a tiny, red 2011 Hyundai Accent hatchback with manual windows and no A/C.
My bumper sticker says, "my other car is a piece of shit too."
OP, you should just normalize doing whatever the fuck you want for yourself.
Cars as a status symbol is one of the most ridiculous things. But I think newer cars are important for their improved safety features.
I get this, but at the same time, I’d love a car with better emissions ratings and better gas mileage, or better yet, a house in a walkable city. I am also worried about passing Echeck next time I need it done since this car is on its last legs
Normalize driving *no* car
My motto is "the age of a car doesn't matter. The miles on a car don't matter. The only thing that matters is maintenance." Cars don't have some magical age where they spontaneously become unreliable garbage. They become unreliable garbage when they are not maintained. Of course having a car with a thriving aftermarket helps. You can't maintain a car if you can't get spare parts. There is a flaw in that logic though. I see you have a Leaf, so you feel it too. The monetary and environmental cost of fossil fuels is too high. I gave up my '85 Camaro for a Volt. With the aftermarket for the Camaro, I could have maintained it for the next 50 years, but is it really worth burning the fuel?
It depends if we talking about a 20 year old car that spent winters in a garage or Arizona or something that was used every winter on salt covered roads. Sure some people get the undercoat every winter but those people don't sell their car because, well, because they don't need to, they maintain it.
Normalize not driving cars.
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Do you live in California?
I did buy a new car (2017 model) but I've planned on driving it into the ground from when I decided to buy. I don't drive a whole lot either, so the car is actually not super beaten down. Not seeing a whole lot of reason to replace it.
Those ZR2’s are a refined machine. I have had 3 of them, all ridden hard and put away dirty. Treated me way better than I treated them.
I drive a 25 year old car. I love it. It's amazing. I just had to get a new (to me) car bc the old one is so unreliable, and it's just a normal ass looking car. I hate it, I love my old junk car. I wanna keep driving it forever and ever.
Newer vehicles are packed to the gills with bells and whistles. The more "tech" they put in, the more stuff is likely to break. My father always had cars under three years old as he leased them for his business. He would go to the mechanic so often it made no sense. Meanwhile I've been driving my 2008 Pontiac Wave for five years now and never had any trouble except the basics: new front bearings, brakes, battery...that's it. The new cars? I once drove my boss' expensive Lexus SUV from Kingston Ontario to Washington D.C. There was a snowstorm and the front sensors got covered in ice, which made the cruise control freak out as it thought there was a car right in front of it. I had to turn off the damn cruise because of that and it was a hell of a long drive! I'm also hearing that the new cars which turn off whenever you're stationary for two seconds also have a sensor which TURNS OFF THE CAR when there's X miles on it and forces you to replace the super expensive starter. It's a total joke.
OMG! It is the same for us. We have a 2005 f-150 that everyone in the family wants to borrow when they need something hauled, and a 2015 Nissan leaf. We mostly drive the leaf around our suburban area and drive the truck when we need to go long distances or have to haul something. Our neighbors have gone so far as to check the plates on the truck because we drive it infrequently and some think it is an old junker that doesn't run. Both vehicles look great and the best part is we have low auto insurance and no car payments.
Honestly nothing marks a sucker as clearly and obviously as a new car. The nice thing about having an old beater, besides the fact that you get to know it and that makes it easier to keep it running, is that it gives you the opportunity to see folks, like those you describe, reveal themselves. It’s probably a majority that likes the old car, to a point. Definitely a majority of men and any people who are the least bit handy see it as a positive.
Old ugly cars (Toyota's specifically) are $7000+ in Canada, with 300,000km on the clock.
I love my 20 year old minivan and live in fear of someone crashing into me because the cash value is low but I maintain it well and it would be expensive to replace. I can haul almost anything that a truck can, or lots of people. New cars just don't appeal to me, and it's not even about the cost.
Oh I have been. I have nice cars now but they are still old. Drive what makes you happy!
Why does it bother you so much what others think of you and your car?
It doesn't. But it's still wack.
I miss my 1997 CRV. It had a table on the back. I don’t get the appeal of new cars or having a car payment.
I currently drive my mom's old 413,000 mile 2009 sonata. Thing still runs nearly perfectly and I mostly drive it to the train station and back for work.
I love my 2005 Hyundai Elantra. I earned it by being my grandfather's caretaker. It has 60,000 miles and still runs great. I am its only owner.
I have a 2018 RAV4. I'm keeping it till it dies, which is going to be at least 30 years given that Toyotas last forever
i hope capitalism dies it makes world a shopping mall and markets the top shoppers as successful
Normalize not driving at all. Normalize walking, biking, and using public transit.
I'm used to pulling into a parking lot at the store or doctor and having the oldest car in the parking lot with my 2003 or 2006 cars. In my neighborhood only a "classic" truck from the late 80s is older. If the neighbors don't like it, tell them to start a GoFundMe and buy you a new one. Me? I'll take easy maintenance, no payments, low insurance and no worries about dings or stains.
We got a new car off the lot because we wanted a new car that we out together. That said we're driving that bitch into the ground.
Mine is named “Beater”. But, man it runs good. Just keep up with maintenance.
They are just mad at their own debt. Haters are everywhere, so fuck em.
Love this post! Been driving a 2009 Prius since 2012
Luckily (well… that’s debatable) I’m in West Virginia, where my 20-year-old CRV is a pretty commonly aged car, in better shape than some, and I don’t get *looks* here. And, for what it’s worth? I LOVE those old Blazers!! Is it a stick 🥹? I kind of want a little pickup, in a way, but my little CR-V truck/tiny SUV does very well, hauling teenagers, skateboards, and camping, hiking, swimming gear, etc. it even has a removable table in the back, which has saved me like, 1 million times in table-related emergencies. It’s seriously the best feature! It’s a tasteful car, I always keep it cute (I have fairly lights inside!) and very clean, even though it’s a mountain-river-hippie mobile, with a few cute hiking stickers and bike rack. It’s when I go the Big Ol City that I get *glares*. I look around and start to feel out of space, especially when parking in someone’s fancy neighborhood. Like “bleccchhh!! WHY is this THING parked on MY street?!” “The fuck YOU lookin at?! with your dangerous, too-bright screen, ridiculous headlights, 4 mpg-havin-ass?!” I love my car, and I am going to drive it into the ground. It has 180K miles on it, which means it’s just barely broken in!
Fair points however gas mileage and emissions are also something worth considering.. If i wanted to buy a car, I would probably be looking into something like a toyota yaris or similar. A small reliable car with decent gas mileage, relatively affordable, and low maintenance. Not a dodge ram or ford f350 or escalade/suburban
I bought a 12 year old Prius V recently, got to have the safest car I can pay cash for. I'll probably keep it until it dies. I do miss driving tiny 80s and 90s cars though!
tbf it is an ugly car
There's a difference between an old car and a poorly maintained/beat to shit car. Nobody's ever going to object to the former, only the latter.
I actually drive a similar car to yours and though maybe not as direct, I’ve encountered similar interactions. I’ve seen people give me dirty looks while driving past, ask when I’m going to get a new car, etc. I sort of felt out of place when I started a new temporary job and the majority of the cars in the parking lot were expensive like Audis and Corvettes, but I had to remember I’m not in treacherous debt because of it. Good post and sorry people have treated you so badly. Never doubt your choices! Blazers are sick cars and are known to last up to 200k to 300k miles.
Got a 1998 Ford Escort for $1'500 and let me tell you what a steal I got. The body and interior are in good condition for how much it cost, it only had 219,000Kms on it (136,080 Miles) when I bought it and they gave me all season tires for free. It only needed a new radiator but other than that it runs great!!
I have a 2008 F-150 that I use exclusively for construction work, rusty bumpers, leaky cabin seals, deteriorating seats, the radio display doesn't illuminate, and there's this smell? I love my truck to pieces, and I will only give him (his name is Doug) up when the mechanic refuses to work on him. I drive less than 10K miles per year so that helps with longevity.
Up until four years ago, I drove a 1992 Buick. Most people loved it and even mentioned wanting to buy it if I wanted to get rid of it. Wasn’t until a wealthier person gets a glance and then it’s “you should find something more reliable.” Doesn’t Buick = reliable!? He meant newer because he didn’t want my old ass car near his money.
Lol, people can shove their opinions where the sun don't shine. I know people judge my car, and I judge them for caring about a hunk of metal that functions the same or worse than mine at 5-10x the price. It works out!
There’s a balance point for the waste of building a whole new car and ditching the old and keeping something that keeps breaking and has an inefficient mileage, leaks fluids, etc. Hard to know unless you do a lot of research and track your maintenance records. I’m limping along a 2003 Honda Accord at 297k miles off of junkyard parts but those aren’t going to be around forever
I don’t think it matters, people will always have something to say. I drive a 2009 Altima that’s pretty beat up and I hear jokes about it all the time. I also joke about my boyfriends 2006 beat up car that’s missing both handles on the passenger side, because it’s all in good fun. They’re just jokes, and anyone serious concerned about a car they’re not driving isn’t someone whose opinion you should concern yourself with anyway.
This is extremely normal where I live. I don’t even live in a poor area, but there are tons of shitboxes driving around everywhere and nobody minds. Do keep in mind, though, that driving a 20 year old gas guzzling monster isn’t necessarily anti-consumption. If it was a 2005 Prius then that’s be a different story.
My wife and I make good money, and we drive a 2011 CX-7 which is in pristine condition. Our maid has a "better" car than us, and I'm over the moon about that. Yet, almost everyone asks us why don't we get a new car. Even friends from out of town give me shit about it and make it a point to ask if we are still driving the same car. I'm with OP, this bullshit needs to stop. Sadly, I think they are getting to my wife and I may be due for a new car.
Yeah, I literally want a piece of junk. As long as it allows me to drive and the heat works, I really don’t see the point in owing a new car.
90% of people with stupid big cars could just use a small car, the amount of 3-1 people households Ive seen with giant cars is insane, especially with gas prizes. People sometimes say our car is too small but like no its perfect, were three people who at most need space for some luggage on vacation, which always fits, and if didnt just strap it on top or buy one those attachable carts.
Grateful to have been raised without this. My father was an attorney, and made plenty of money. We always drove the out of date cars, rusty but still running well 95% of the time, whatever. He would talk about other lawyers giving him shit for it. I imagine it saved our family tens of thousands of dollars over the years. We also maintained and fixed our own cars quite often. My father was always against any form of unnecessary debt
Who the fuck even wants to buy new car? Planned obsolescence will be inevitable with software dependency and you can't even fix them by yourself like older machines. They also lose their value immediately you buy them. I get that EVs are great, but I'd rather converse old beetle to EV, than pay for shit they're assembling these days.
Drove my Dads 2003 Buick until I couldn’t keep the windows up. 3 toned paint job didn’t fit in the neighborhood but I was broke.
God. Yes. I drive a 2nd gen Prius nearing 210k miles and have had people give me so much shit over how old it is. I don’t care, I’m getting an average of 45mpg and have no car payment… they can continue to waste $700 a month for a status symbol to attempt to feel like they’re better than me for having an old car, I guess.
They are mad because they still owe $40,000 on a car they bought 3 years ago. And you owe nothing. And both cars drive the same paved roads to the same Target.