In Cars

 Here in my car. 

I feel safest of all.
I can lock all my doors.
It’s the only way to live in cars.

I saw a couple articles online this week that suggest many Americans can no longer afford to buy a new car. It’s a sad commentary on the tough economic times.

In days gone by, a new car was a status symbol and a statement. Think about some of the big cars of the past decades and some of the tv commercials that helped to sell them. Strong. Dominating. Dynamic. Buying a new car was part of buying into the American Dream.

Of course, back in those days, you weren’t talking about new automobiles costing twenty, thirty, or forty thousand dollars. And the thought of financing a new set of wheels for three, four, five or even six years was unheard of. But, stretching out the payments is the only way some folks can afford those pricey machines (unless, of course, they lease them - new topic for a different blog).

I started thinking about the notion of buying new cars vs. buying used ones and I realized that we have bought a house more recently than we have bought a new car in this family. Lisa’s (ahem) veteran vehicle - the Honda - was actually purchased in the days right after 9/11. 

We moved into this house more than a year later. That puts it in perspective. 

Since then, I have purchased the Jeep (and before it, Big Blue, the Expedition).

I purchased both vehicles used (from Carmax). And, of course, we also purchased Holly’s car used (purchased from a man who purchased it - a former fleet vehicle - at auction). In fact, upon learning about both the Jeep and Expedition, both of them were company cars too.

We’ve had pretty good luck with fleet vehicles. Generally, they’re well maintained and not driven all that hard. The Expedition, which became our baseball vehicle, was first owned by a land development company in Florida; the Jeep, which was an appropriate size when we downsized cars, was also a company car of some sort (though details weren’t as readily available on it).

But, in all cases, our decision to buy gently used automobiles is really more financially philosophical than anything. You’ve heard the old adage about how when you drive one off the lot, it loses half its value. I’m not sure if the equation holds true but the sentiment certainly does.

Buying one brand new just doesn’t seem to be as great of a value. I guess it would mean more to a car buff. That’s just not me.

So, whereas I agree in the notion of the American Dream and the principles behind it, I just haven’t been an active participant in THAT aspect in more than a decade. And, unless someone can convince me otherwise, I’m not sure when I will go back.

I do like the look and smell and feel of a new car and I hope lots of folks will continue to to buy them (or more importantly that they will have the ability to do so if they wish). After all, someone has to buy one first and drive it for a while so I can get a good deal on it after it has been broken in just the right amount.

JG

(Source: Yahoo!)

Originally posted 3/4/2013