I also live at home. Its complicated...

I rent the top floor of my mother's lake house. and I pay all the damn bills, minus the hefty mortgage....5000 a month..ouch

 

I've lived here almost my entire life. And, I happen to be half white folk, half south korean.

And, truth be told, I do still live with my parents but thats only because they want me 100% financially off before they let me go. Which means, no school loans (which is almost gone. Yay!) and when real estate calms donw. Hurricane Katrina really screwed that up!!! But hey! I pay bills too!

 

Wow ! That statement right there says everything about you we need to know.

1) Lives in a rich suburbian area where all his friends are rich
2) Is ignorant to the fact that most people in the world aren't wealthy
3) Parents may not have bought the car for him but probably is a "Pompous rich kid" who would see somebody driving a Toyota Camry and think he's better than them

 

stereotypes..like I said have their truths, but are never true

 

where I am, people don't even look at the IS... 18yr olds drive IS's, early twenties drive M3's, late twenties better be driving 5series or E class.

 

That's why I'm going to buy the IS-F....so I can put some distant between me and the rest of some of you younger guys LOL.









j/k

 

My advice to all young IS owners is to not worry too much about all the stereo types, keep a good head on your shoulders and to better yourself for when mommy and daddy are no longer around. What loving parent would not want to see thier kids happy and successful.
-Will
Btw, I'm 40 and have 2 kids of my own.

 

So if I might play Devil's Advocate for just a few posts because for whatever reason, the young people here think this was just made up a few years ago (older people questioning their motives) but it's existed a long long time, welcome to the club, there is nothing you can do about it so don't sweat it, it is what it is.

Anyway, let's say I am an older gentleman worked at this company for 25 years, finally can afford a new car, let's say a $40k caddy. You're 24 and you come to work for just a few short years and you pull up in a $44 Lexus. I'm going to have something to say about it.

So you probably don't know this but at age 24, is driving a Lexus a wise choice? Perhaps instead you should take that money, no matter how much extra it is, and put it into some sort of investment, your 401k, save it. No matter how much money you make, even if you don't have any student loans or credit card bills, even if you live at home, if you have to go get a car loan and pay $800/month or you put $10,000 down on a car, you are much much better off driving a nice new accord/camry and saving your money. Save your money!

You don't have to drive that nice car. You only think you need to. That's where the age thing comes in. Sure there are car enthusiasts and the few people who love cars and there are those who have worked their way up thru the car classes....but there's nothing you can say that will convince an older person that the Lexus IS is a must. Nice to have, great warranty, no maintenence, reliable brand, whatever....plenty of those cars around. Do yourself a favour and go buy a $25k Hyuandai, put your money in the bank, and when you get to be 45 or 55 years old, you can live in a nice house, support your 3 kids and their college, and help your parents when they get older. Again, you don't know this right now but if someone had of told me this when I was younger, I wish someone had but I guess I wouldn't have believed them either.

Figure out how to save money and make money and do whatever you can to not spend it today....tomorrow you're a lot better off. Trust me.

[/devil's advocate OFF]

If it means anything, I went thru the same thing. I even went so far as to sell my Acura Integra when I came to one of my new jobs so the new young guy coming into the office driving a 1990 Acura Integra GS (back in the day when the Integra brand meant something)....just so I wouldn't stand out. It happens with cars, clothes, your home and it's furnishings....even today this Ducati I just bought, old man like me and a few co-workers are still talking....LOL.

As for the military and the pay grades and status (having spent some time in the military) at government jobs, you had to have seen that coming. As long as you are in that environment, you can't avoid it. You can't be a corporal driving a colonel's car. From what I remember, the Lexus IS350 would be the equivalent of what a Major (O-4) would be driving.

Of course in the end, it doesn't matter. You may or may not act the same way when you get older, probably not. But it will look strange (young person driving a "fast" car and you might have "different" thoughts about it as well; thoughts you've developed over time with experience. Good luck with all your toys!

 

I'm 23, graduated college in May, got a full time job, and moved out of the parents house May 31.

What makes me mad about this whole ordeal is that people give those of us whose parents helped us during our lives (whether it be paying for college, buying the first car, allowing us to live at home while we save money, etc) a bad rap for nothing. The majority of us have NEVER asked our parents to do any of these things for us. They do it because they want to, and for some, including my parents, its their instincts. I'm sure I speak for a lot of us when I say this, but I am very greatful for everything my parents have done for me. I truly appreciate all they have done.

 

That made me crack up!

Your Devil's Advocate post was well said. The importance of saving money and contributing the max to my 401k has been pounded into my head since the day I accepted this job offer. Unfortunately, at my company you have to work here for a year before you can start contributing to the 401k plan. So in 5 months I will be maxing out my contributions. In the mean time I invest in the stock market.

It's always good to have someone with experience and knowledge play devil's advocate

 

You live in bubble.

 

Happens to me all the time when other people in there early twenties see me in the IS300. As nice as the second gen is that would probably happen more often.

 

kensteele, you sound like my mom, dad, sister, and even some of my friends. Especially my dad, though.

Sooo many people did everything in their power to convince me not to buy this car... All to no avail. I'm still saving a good amount of money... but I want to go a little crazy while I'm young and don't have anyone to worry about except myself.

Anyways, with my parents, they would disapprove no matter what. Even if I was a multibillionaire, they wouldn't understand the purpose of anything more than a Corolla. That's the way they've lived their life, and that's the way they expect me to live mine...

 

I am 35 and live in a very nice home and finally bought myself a "nice" car. But if I did not get married so young then I would have bought a nice car a lot sooner than at my current age.

My philosophy is that you work for a living and you should do what makes you happy. You work for your money, no one else does, so it is up to you how to spend it. I have three kids and they all have funds for school and weddings (two girls and one boy). They came first and after that came our nice car.

I went to a very wealthy school where most of the kids drove mercedes and bmw's. I drove a few different cars over the years of high school. All of these cars I bought with money I earned at Mcdonald's flipping burgers and getting up at 3am to do the truck unloading. They may have had the "nicer" cars but mine was always better taken care of than any one of the kids who drove the "fancy" cars because I had EARNED my ride.

I also find as I get older the "kids" annoy me more and more. As time goes by many of us will turn into the old men behind the car. Every time I see a kid with his pants hanging down I want to give the guy a melvin.

Heck...maybe I am getting older at heart.

 

Not sure what planet you grew up on but most people in their 20s can NOT afford a Lexus as an entry level car.