/RANT: Why do consumers keep on buying inferior vehicles?
06-27-18, 03:01 PM
#31
Lexus Fanatic
I myself have never financed a car, and probably never will. If I can't write a check for it (a check that won't bounce LOL)
.....I simply don't buy it.
06-27-18, 04:05 PM
#32
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
There is still depreciation, but it pales in comparison. My car lost $16k in the first year before I bought it, and $27k total in the seven years since. Probably close to half of that came in my first year (the car's second). So the depreciation the first two years is double that of the next six. $2.3k/yr is not a lot of depreciation, especially compared to $15k/yr.
I do wish I had adaptive cruise and cooled front seats, but don't want for much else, and certainly wouldn't consider a high-spec E90 with more torque than a C7 Corvette a "crappy old flip phone" 
. I do think $200-300/year in maintenance plus one $373.42 repair over 7 years beats the hell out of paying $600-800/mo (plus $1200/mo depreciation) for the past 6 years.
. I do think $200-300/year in maintenance plus one $373.42 repair over 7 years beats the hell out of paying $600-800/mo (plus $1200/mo depreciation) for the past 6 years.
even if you financed it, a finance payment is going to be more than a lease payment so i could still invest the difference and get ahead of the depreciation.
06-27-18, 06:26 PM
#33
Lexus Champion
A friend of mine was shopping for a vehicle, I helped him narrow it down between an 18 Camry & 18 Accord based on his needs (good gas mileage, safety tech like adaptive cruise, reliability). He shows up Monday proud of his new 18 Altima, bought it because he got $7k off (compared to $3k off Camry or $2k off Accord).
Not a Nissan hater but it is a glorified fleet car with horrid resale values on the cusp of a refresh in 2019. My sentiments on why (at least US) consumers get lulled into buying crap cars are:
- Advertising on credit (get approved if you make $400/week....on a new Mitsubishi)
- Advertising on "why buy used when can get new) for a sub-$10k Mitsubishi Mirage
- Selling features vs quality, a key reason why the Dodge Journey sells like hotcakes, it is "the cheapest 3 row seat SUV", ignoring the fact it has an anemic 4 cylinder with a 4 speed automatic
- Brandmonger, because "as long as it is a Jeep...with the same crap 2.4L Tigershark 4-cyl that underpowers the Journey means my Compass is as awesome as a Wrangler + it is Trail rated!"
Well built cars like the 18 Accord sits on dealer lots because most of America keep on making bad decisions and getting ripped off. All this to say, while many consumers (like some of us on these forums) do our due diligence to stretch the dollars we earn, most of America ignore facts, available research and recommendations to buy regrets they trade later. The inability for many buyers to do something as simple as getting pre-qualified means inferior cars will still be commercial successes.
/rantover
Not a Nissan hater but it is a glorified fleet car with horrid resale values on the cusp of a refresh in 2019. My sentiments on why (at least US) consumers get lulled into buying crap cars are:
- Advertising on credit (get approved if you make $400/week....on a new Mitsubishi)
- Advertising on "why buy used when can get new) for a sub-$10k Mitsubishi Mirage
- Selling features vs quality, a key reason why the Dodge Journey sells like hotcakes, it is "the cheapest 3 row seat SUV", ignoring the fact it has an anemic 4 cylinder with a 4 speed automatic
- Brandmonger, because "as long as it is a Jeep...with the same crap 2.4L Tigershark 4-cyl that underpowers the Journey means my Compass is as awesome as a Wrangler + it is Trail rated!"
Well built cars like the 18 Accord sits on dealer lots because most of America keep on making bad decisions and getting ripped off. All this to say, while many consumers (like some of us on these forums) do our due diligence to stretch the dollars we earn, most of America ignore facts, available research and recommendations to buy regrets they trade later. The inability for many buyers to do something as simple as getting pre-qualified means inferior cars will still be commercial successes.
/rantover
06-27-18, 06:44 PM
#34
Pole Position
A friend of mine was shopping for a vehicle, I helped him narrow it down between an 18 Camry & 18 Accord based on his needs (good gas mileage, safety tech like adaptive cruise, reliability). He shows up Monday proud of his new 18 Altima, bought it because he got $7k off (compared to $3k off Camry or $2k off Accord).
Not a Nissan hater but it is a glorified fleet car with horrid resale values on the cusp of a refresh in 2019. My sentiments on why (at least US) consumers get lulled into buying crap cars are:
- Advertising on credit (get approved if you make $400/week....on a new Mitsubishi)
- Advertising on "why buy used when can get new) for a sub-$10k Mitsubishi Mirage
- Selling features vs quality, a key reason why the Dodge Journey sells like hotcakes, it is "the cheapest 3 row seat SUV", ignoring the fact it has an anemic 4 cylinder with a 4 speed automatic
- Brandmonger, because "as long as it is a Jeep...with the same crap 2.4L Tigershark 4-cyl that underpowers the Journey means my Compass is as awesome as a Wrangler + it is Trail rated!"
Well built cars like the 18 Accord sits on dealer lots because most of America keep on making bad decisions and getting ripped off. All this to say, while many consumers (like some of us on these forums) do our due diligence to stretch the dollars we earn, most of America ignore facts, available research and recommendations to buy regrets they trade later. The inability for many buyers to do something as simple as getting pre-qualified means inferior cars will still be commercial successes.
/rantover
Not a Nissan hater but it is a glorified fleet car with horrid resale values on the cusp of a refresh in 2019. My sentiments on why (at least US) consumers get lulled into buying crap cars are:
- Advertising on credit (get approved if you make $400/week....on a new Mitsubishi)
- Advertising on "why buy used when can get new) for a sub-$10k Mitsubishi Mirage
- Selling features vs quality, a key reason why the Dodge Journey sells like hotcakes, it is "the cheapest 3 row seat SUV", ignoring the fact it has an anemic 4 cylinder with a 4 speed automatic
- Brandmonger, because "as long as it is a Jeep...with the same crap 2.4L Tigershark 4-cyl that underpowers the Journey means my Compass is as awesome as a Wrangler + it is Trail rated!"
Well built cars like the 18 Accord sits on dealer lots because most of America keep on making bad decisions and getting ripped off. All this to say, while many consumers (like some of us on these forums) do our due diligence to stretch the dollars we earn, most of America ignore facts, available research and recommendations to buy regrets they trade later. The inability for many buyers to do something as simple as getting pre-qualified means inferior cars will still be commercial successes.
/rantover
Even if adaptive cruise wasn't a must-have for him, he may have evaluated it and realized it was effectively a $4k option (the difference of $7k off vs. $3k off) and thought it wasn't worth it. People justify things in their minds in strange ways. Maybe (hopefully) he got the best car for him and his situation. An Altima checks the box of fuel efficiency and reliability.
06-27-18, 06:57 PM
#35
06-28-18, 03:23 AM
#36
Super Moderator
if you paid it i can argue i could have tripled that money investing that amount in google, microsoft, facebook, amazon stock. even if you financed it, a finance payment is going to be more than a lease payment so i could still invest the difference and get ahead of the depreciation.
even if you financed it, a finance payment is going to be more than a lease payment so i could still invest the difference and get ahead of the depreciation. That's how my "car fund" has grown to the point that I could buy 2 or 3 cars for cash before depleting it. . Couple more years of this, and It'll get to the point where I could withdraw a $500/mo payment indefinitely without cutting into principal over the long term.
06-28-18, 05:12 AM
#37
Like it or not, today's Dodge Journey is a better product than the typical Dodge/Chrysler SUVs we've seen in the past. Yes, Dodge still ranks rather low on today's reliability scale, but their products are noticeably better than they were before Fiat bought them out 10 years ago.
06-28-18, 06:06 AM
#38
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
And $0 is a lot less than a lease or finance payment, so I can invest the difference That's how my "car fund" has grown to the point that I could buy 2 or 3 cars for cash before depleting it. . Couple more years of this, and It'll get to the point where I could withdraw a $500/mo payment indefinitely without cutting into principal over the long term.
That's how my "car fund" has grown to the point that I could buy 2 or 3 cars for cash before depleting it. . Couple more years of this, and It'll get to the point where I could withdraw a $500/mo payment indefinitely without cutting into principal over the long term.
06-28-18, 06:16 AM
#39
Lexus Fanatic
I am sure the dodge journey is better now than it was years ago, still doesn't make it a smart purchase. It has a reputation of being the most sold car to people with low/bad credit who have families, and while everyone needs a car, there are better options out there that are used VS a new dodge journey that is going to TANK in depreciation and will not likely last much past the loan term in reliability.
06-28-18, 08:18 AM
#40
drives cars
Me being used to newer cars, I could see why you'd say this, too. However, I have driven a couple of high-ish mileage cars recently, and can say that honestly, the car's overall character is not going to change with age. For instance, the G80 I drove with just shy of 60k miles still felt "nice" to drive, certainly not like a 60k-mile car. I would have never guessed it to be that high if I didn't look at the odometer. Granted, 7 years for most people would be near 100k miles, which would probably make a more noticeable difference - but just sayin'. So I admire folks who stick with a car for a long time - for me I like having new things - especially if they have a warranty, just for peace of mind and also for the new features and performance.
06-28-18, 08:35 AM
#41
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
Me being used to newer cars, I could see why you'd say this, too. However, I have driven a couple of high-ish mileage cars recently, and can say that honestly, the car's overall character is not going to change with age. For instance, the G80 I drove with just shy of 60k miles still felt "nice" to drive, certainly not like a 60k-mile car. I would have never guessed it to be that high if I didn't look at the odometer. Granted, 7 years for most people would be near 100k miles, which would probably make a more noticeable difference - but just sayin'. So I admire folks who stick with a car for a long time - for me I like having new things - especially if they have a warranty, just for peace of mind and also for the new features and performance.
06-28-18, 09:07 AM
#42
drives cars
06-28-18, 09:07 AM
#43
I rack up about 20-25k per year on my vehicles and in my opinion everything has a service life and value. Depending on the make/brand I place the sweet spot at around 70-120k before replacing it, trading it in for a new. Surely, some will call this a complete waste of money and I'm sure I can squeeze out couple more(thousands) of miles if I tried and i know it's possible but it comes at a cost. Cost such as insurance, car washes, tires, maintenance and brake jobs, allignments and the likes... all of which i just don't have the time for.
06-28-18, 05:16 PM
#44
Lexus Champion
06-29-18, 01:29 AM
#45
If someone offered me $7k off a new Nissan Altima, sure why not? I don't think it's bad vs the Camry and Accord, other than better looking i'm sure it drives just as well from point A to B. Plus it's an outgoing model i'm sure all the issues off it has been fixed already for the long term both the Camry and Accord have been redesigned this year so not sure what issues if any are there around . I myself, usually do not pick up the first year redesign of a model but not sure about others.