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

diystarter7

GenieBoy said:

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. 

Hi

Great post and one that made me chuckle re getting to the airport.

It is what it is when people judge and the same people will judge you or anyone for anything
and everything

What we must never forget is the MSE money mantra as part of my signature.

If you can afford a car and want a certai car be it a 500-pound job, a million pound car or something between those figures, it is your choice. People buy cars just like houses for various reasons.

My car is rarely washed and the iside is rarely cleaned as it stays elan on the inside as we dot eat/smoke etc and every week, take out the front mats and shake the pebbles off them. In the back the mats can get a bit more dirty and batter vac as at times we pick up our grandkid/s. The oustide is dirty because the car often gets vandalised, I say often, 3 times is three times too many.-
its happened when we have been out to the shops etc and parked o a street, side street I thin but at times you cn miss the damage and only note it when you or another see's it.

We have always had an ok to good car as did dad. We see it as a comfy way to get from a to b and like some people feel good about going on hols, buying a new watch, jewellery etc, i feel good having what I deem to be a nice car. A couple of people we kow and one is nephew will always have something to say a the sad fact is he does not even have a car to his name but has been buyig one for years - an example of things that people will say when you buy a new, brand new car, "oh its too big i would never buy that - the AMG is better - the colour is not one I would buy - rather than say nothing or like some say without me sayig anything "nice car"  etc etc.   You can hit back at people like the exmaple I gave you, but that would make me no better than him and others like him - I could have easily said, 'so when are you buying the AMF' knowing full well he could not afford to buy it never mind run it but as I said, this is not the way forward, I'm just pleased we were able to buy the nice cars and currrent one and my parents were proud of this as we would be when our kids buy something nice and they really like for cash.

When I see something nice, a car for example as this is the thread about cars, I'd say nice car. At work people often asked me what I thought re their new car, I'd tell them I was pleased for them as they got the new car they wanted and never said anyhting negative as people's choices vary and their priorities vary as detailed by posters in this thread


As I said, if you have paid your bills and have money in the bank, get a car if you want one and if others are judig you, let them.

TBH, I found it really easy to upgrade our car but it would be hard to step down and the same applies to the house/telly/future etc etc but I guess that applies to most of us that have worked hard and been sensible with money to get where we are.

People buy or dont buy cars for different reasons and if I could afford it, I'd buy a prvate jet - aspirations is not a bas thing

Call it judging but those lease deals etc, its money down the drai unless you are doing massive miles IMO

Thanks

diystarter7

jimjames said:

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.

Hi

I don't "love" that but older and wiser it does make me chukkle and roll eyes.

I could easily afford another new car bigger and better but chose not to as it would be money down the drain and the current car is still very pleasing. and we have not worked for years. It is what it is.

Thnaks

CliveOfIndia

Personally I'm in the camp of buying older cars outright, look after them and fully expect years of relatively cheap motoring.  If I had unlimited funds then sure, I'd have a Ferrari.  More realistically, I could go out and buy a brand new "middle of the range" car if I wanted, but to me that's just a waste - there's other stuff I'd far more spend my hard-earned cash on.

I do remember a few years ago I did a stint working at Lidl.  2 regular customers in particular stuck in my mind - one drove a brand new top-spec Range Rover, then other one had a beautiful older-model Rolls Royce.  They were the nicest, most down-to-earth people you could wish to meet, always really friendly, always having a good old natter with the staff.

I don't know for certain, but I suspect they were the type of people who had got rich through sheer hard graft and still recognised the value of money.  They could afford to drive a car they liked, purely because they liked it rather than as a status symbol, but still didn't like to waste money by shopping at Waitrose when Lidl was perfectly fine

I might be completely wrong, of course, that's just my take on it.

I don't "judge" people by their car.  Yes, I'll look at it and say to myself "nice car" if something catches my eye, but I don't form an opinion of the person who owns it.

diystarter7

CliveOfIndia said:

Personally I'm in the camp of buying older cars outright, look after them and fully expect years of relatively cheap motoring.  If I had unlimited funds then sure, I'd have a Ferrari.  More realistically, I could go out and buy a brand new "middle of the range" car if I wanted, but to me that's just a waste - there's other stuff I'd far more spend my hard-earned cash on.

I do remember a few years ago I did a stint working at Lidl.  2 regular customers in particular stuck in my mind - one drove a brand new top-spec Range Rover, then other one had a beautiful older-model Rolls Royce.  They were the nicest, most down-to-earth people you could wish to meet, always really friendly, always having a good old natter with the staff.

I don't know for certain, but I suspect they were the type of people who had got rich through sheer hard graft and still recognised the value of money.  They could afford to drive a car they liked, purely because they liked it rather than as a status symbol, but still didn't like to waste money by shopping at Waitrose when Lidl was perfectly fine

I might be completely wrong, of course, that's just my take on it.

I don't "judge" people by their car.  Yes, I'll look at it and say to myself "nice car" if something catches my eye, but I don't form an opinion of the person who owns it.

Dear Clive of Indian

That was a very nice post.

People do spend, spend a lot on one thing and not another. Re "Waitrose" ther items are over-prices often the case as we have had the online shop and a tin of Heinz beans is the same in all supermarkets other than the prices as is the Weetabix

Save money by buying sensibly the same item and then use that to buy a trat and in this case possibly upgrade your car etc

motorguy

CliveOfIndia said:

..... They could afford to drive a car they liked, purely because they liked it rather than as a status symbol...

I don't "judge" people by their car.  Yes, I'll look at it and say to myself "nice car" if something catches my eye, but I don't form an opinion of the person who owns it.

Well said!

B0bbyEwing

From my own personal experience of reading comments online & chatting with 'car folk'.... No car is off limits. 

Makes & models get slated regardless. People just like to chat nonsense. 

I also think a lot of people that do this could be classed as similar 'types' of people if we want to start boxing folk off. 

Personally I'm loyal to no badge. If the car works then it's good, if it's a problem then it's not good, until its fixed, but if it keeps being a problem then it's just a headache & eventually needs to go. 

Car_54

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   

The OP’s Zafira is about 90mm longer then the equivalent Astra, so the difference in road space is negligible.

victor2

Many years ago, the company I worked for was getting proposals for a complete new computer system to run the business. We were waiting for one presentation and saw a very new Porsche pull up in the car park. The well dressed driver got out, put his jacket on and brushed it down with one of those dust removing rollers. 
The CEO commented that we couldn't afford that guy's proposal - he was right!

fred990

B0bbyEwing said:

From my own personal experience of reading comments online & chatting with 'car folk'.... No car is off limits. 

Makes & models get slated regardless. People just like to chat nonsense. 

I also think a lot of people that do this could be classed as similar 'types' of people if we want to start boxing folk off. 

Yup totally agree...it's types of people as you say.

On this forum one particular character (a prolific poster with a little coterie of sycophants) piled into a poster that chose a particular car.....rubbish, unreliable, worthless resale value, etc.
Oh how he laughed and scoffed, he'd 'won' in an attempt to close the thread. 

Fast forward a few months and someone else said they really fancied the SAME car and along comes you know who...... to say he'd quite like one too!!

Unbelievable...

motorguy

B0bbyEwing said:

From my own personal experience of reading comments online & chatting with 'car folk'.... No car is off limits. 

Makes & models get slated regardless. People just like to chat nonsense. 

I also think a lot of people that do this could be classed as similar 'types' of people if we want to start boxing folk off. 

Personally I'm loyal to no badge. If the car works then it's good, if it's a problem then it's not good, until its fixed, but if it keeps being a problem then it's just a headache & eventually needs to go. 

Indeed.  There are just certain types who cant say anything nice.

Saw it recently even within my family circle.  Nephew got himself a BMW 118d which although quite old he really was quite pleased with, and he posted some pics on Facebook.  Quite a few "hearts", "likes" and positive comments from friends and i think from memory i put "health and strength to enjoy!", as you do.  My BIL went down the "why did you buy a hairdressers car?  Awful choice" route.  Just completely unnecessary.  

My wife and i do tend to stick with one brand.  We do like the cars, theres good, sports versions and there is a really good independent mechanic literally up from the road from us who specialises in them.  Hes not hard to pay and has all the gear.  

Where we live is quite rural so quite pleased that hes so close to us.

By comparison i'd a Volvo S40 T5 some years ago and the nearest indy was a 30 mile return trip away, which when you factor in someone picking you up and taking you back is 90 miles covered.