Why are people judged by their cars/value of cars?

sevenhills

motorguy said:

sevenhills said:

NBLondon said:

sevenhills said:

, but I would say someone with a people carrier is not a selfish person, because they have bought a car with others in mind.

How come?  If you have a people carrier that is mostly occupied by one person you are taking up more road space than you need and consuming more resources.  2 doors and 2 seats is all we need because we haven't polluted the planet with children or dogs   

If you buy a car because that is what you want, it's a selfish act. Nothing wrong with being selfish occasionally.
Do you think about grandad getting in the back seat, or helping your family out?
That sports car could be 0.1% of your free cash or it could be 10%

I have had estate cars too, I am a practical person 

Within the context of affordability -

If someone ekes out their life only buying what they need and not what they want, then i think they'll have many regrets on their deathbed.

I dont think buying what you want rather than what you need means you're selfish.

We all do selfish things every day. Buying something for yourself is a selfish act, but people also do many unselfish acts.

motorguy

sevenhills said:

motorguy said:

sevenhills said:

NBLondon said:

sevenhills said:

, but I would say someone with a people carrier is not a selfish person, because they have bought a car with others in mind.

How come?  If you have a people carrier that is mostly occupied by one person you are taking up more road space than you need and consuming more resources.  2 doors and 2 seats is all we need because we haven't polluted the planet with children or dogs   

If you buy a car because that is what you want, it's a selfish act. Nothing wrong with being selfish occasionally.
Do you think about grandad getting in the back seat, or helping your family out?
That sports car could be 0.1% of your free cash or it could be 10%

I have had estate cars too, I am a practical person 

Within the context of affordability -

If someone ekes out their life only buying what they need and not what they want, then i think they'll have many regrets on their deathbed.

I dont think buying what you want rather than what you need means you're selfish.

We all do selfish things every day. Buying something for yourself is a selfish act, but people also do many unselfish acts.

Oops.  I managed to delete my post.

Agreed yes.  Theres a balance to be had.

strawb_shortcake

diystarter7 said:

Hi

Interesting debate.

People get credit from me if they are raod legal regardless of the car they drive

They get extra credit for driving properly and carefully.

It makes me happy, feel good when someone I know, someone on our roads buys a nice car for cash as often they are and have paid their bills and have money in the bank to ensure they can keep the car road legal.

Some people do get jealous of nice cars and especailly if the person driving/owning it does not meet their warped crtieria of a friend.

Many people will always judge others not just for their car but everything esle like we all do for one thing or another.

I can tell when someone is jealous about a car or something else I have bought by what they say or not say. When I was younger it wouund me up but these days I have a quiet checkkle and think, what a loser as I appreciate people doing well or feeling good via their hard work,

Thanks

I think where some people with expensive cars go wrong in their assumptions on how people react to their cars, is that the car isn't the issue it's the person being a twit. 

I know people that own AM's, Bentley's, other fancy high end sports cars, all over and well over in some instances £100k.

The one that thinks everyone is jealous, is the one with a £78k Land Rover,  they constantly have to tell you how wonderful they are, that they are self made man, and constantly refer back to the price tag of everything. Sadly for him his partner happily tells people when he can't afford the £100 to fill up his brand new, two week old toy 🤣
He's one of those people that always disrupts the thread/conversation no matter the subject to always highlight how successful and wonderful they are - sure you know the sort

No matter how much money I have some one will always have more. However poor I am/feel some one else will always be worse off. Jealousy is the biggest waste of any emotion a human can have. 

Bonniepurple

Last year, I bought my most expensive vehicle to date.  I spent £14,000 on a 2014 Peugeot Expert Independence because I use a power wheelchair out and about and I needed a ramp to get it in and out of the car.  Given that I normally (pre the rise in car values) buy something for £5k and keep it for about 4 years, it was a nerve racking decision!

My husband has got a 13 year old Peugeot Partner, bought last month to replace a 13 years old Berlingo that got written off.  We both like the Berlingo models as they are practical, easy to drive and, because they are basically vans, cheap for cars and non VAT bearing.  

I did have a 16 year old Jazz which I bought for commuting- in early March 2020. That got written off last year.  I will be replacing it, but, as I’ve inherited some money, I’ll be replacing it with a newer version to treat myself.  I’m also aware that it may be “borrowed” as my daughters get older.

motorguy

annabanana82 said:

No matter how much money I have some one will always have more. However poor I am/feel some one else will always be worse off. Jealousy is the biggest waste of any emotion a human can have. 

Well said!    

GenieBoy

Not everyone treats a car as white goods. Some people like cars as a hobby and driving something nice makes them happy. Just the same as people who buy jewellery or people who go out and play bingo. Owning/running a car doesn't always have to be about the bottom line.

GenieBoy

And so what if someone wants to drive a big gas guzzler when it's only them in the car instead of an economic city car. I was reading an article the other week where someone missed their flight because the car chargers on the way to the airport were broken. That is an oxymoron right there.

As someone who has never been on a plane, I'll have no regrets driving my V8 SVR when it arrives. 

MattMattMattUK

caprikid1 said:

MattMattMattUK said:

I drive a 16 year old VW Golf, the same car I drove when I earned 30k pa, the same car I drove when I when I earned £100k+, the same car I drove during Covid when my income fell to £12k pa and the same car I drive now I earn ok money again. I will drive it until it dies and then buy something that lasts and keep going until it becomes unreliable. Generally the people I know who have flash cars or who think cars give them status are people who have their car on finance, or lease etc. and cannot really afford the car, but think it makes them more important because they drive a £50k+ car. 

Some people like to use inverse snobbery by how old their car is in relation to their earnings, that's almost as relevant to some people as how flash and new a car is to others.

My Golf is 20 years old and I earn...... (-;

I recently employed a new senior engineer, I was devastated he had an older car than me !

It is the way people talk about their cars, the ones who have to drop it randomly into conversations about what the drive, how new it is, how their £80k BMW/Merc etc. was "a great deal" (whilst we all know they have just taken a huge loss on a depreciating asset), all to try and use it as a status symbol. Then there are the rest of us who use a car as a mode of transport.

I tend to find the same with designer clothes, expensive watches etc. but then it is all conspicuous consumption because they feel that it somehow raises their social status. 

motorguy

MattMattMattUK said:

caprikid1 said:

MattMattMattUK said:

I drive a 16 year old VW Golf, the same car I drove when I earned 30k pa, the same car I drove when I when I earned £100k+, the same car I drove during Covid when my income fell to £12k pa and the same car I drive now I earn ok money again. I will drive it until it dies and then buy something that lasts and keep going until it becomes unreliable. Generally the people I know who have flash cars or who think cars give them status are people who have their car on finance, or lease etc. and cannot really afford the car, but think it makes them more important because they drive a £50k+ car. 

Some people like to use inverse snobbery by how old their car is in relation to their earnings, that's almost as relevant to some people as how flash and new a car is to others.

My Golf is 20 years old and I earn...... (-;

I recently employed a new senior engineer, I was devastated he had an older car than me !

It is the way people talk about their cars, the ones who have to drop it randomly into conversations about what the drive, how new it is, how their £80k BMW/Merc etc. was "a great deal" (whilst we all know they have just taken a huge loss on a depreciating asset), all to try and use it as a status symbol.

Then there are the rest of us who use a car as a mode of transport.

Its not an either / or though.

You seem to be forgetting the large group of us in the middle who drive a particular car because we want to and get pleasure from owning and driving it, not just as a mode of transport.

jimjames

jackieblack said:

Are people judged by their cars/values of cars? Is that really a thing? 
Why does anyone care what car someone else drives? 

I love the fact that some people do judge that and it really confuses them. Friend and I both have cars that are 20 years old and both say nothing about our financial status. If I wanted I could buy new outright but no inclination to do so.