I would like to think I wouldn't, but the truth is I don't know. Unless I was a multi-millionaire, I would never spend more than probably 30 grand on a car. A house, that's another story. It's just that I've had crappy cars all my life and I see them as something to get me from one place to another, not show off how rich I am, or increase my chance of dying/getting pulled over.
How about just enjoying life because you earned it, deserved it, and can afford it? If you can truly say that driving in a car decked out in comfortable leather, with all the electronics (GPS, bluetooth, iPhone connector, etc) you've come to enjoy in our 21st century life, safety enhancements (rear view camera, nightvision, sleep detection, Onstar) is no different to you than driving a little Kia... then it truly is just something to get you from one place to another.
I kind of get where Eddie is coming from. My parents are the same way. I am to some extent, but not as much. There are people that just want to get from point A to point B, and for them, that's all a car should do. There's nothing wrong with that. Just because a car costs $80k more than a $20k car, doesn't mean you're getting any value or $80k worth of "advances". People driving Kia Rios, Honda Fits, etc. aren't dying by the thousands simply because they don't have $80k in advancements. Now, if I were a billionaire, there'd definitely be a few Aston Martins, Lambos, and Ferraris (and a herd of mechanics to fix those unreliable POS's) in my garage. :grin:
The point of diminishing returns comes much higher than 30K though. $30K buys very little in the current new car market.
I totally understand that. Some people put more worth in some things than others. But for a billionaire it's so inconsequential. That's like you wanting some gum, knowing you would like Wrigley's more... but getting Chiclets instead because Wrigley's is 8 cents and Chiclets is 2 cents and afterall, gum is gum. PS - And yes, that argument is valid ratio-wise. lol Bill Gate's Net Worth/Car $50,000,000,000/$80,000=100,000 ratio Your Net Worth/Gum $50,000/$.08=100,000 ratio
Yeah, but "very little" is subjective. To a person that just wants a reliable car, with good acceleration, and fairly modern technology, they could get a loaded Accord for something similar. If you want a 7-speed transmission, rain-sensing wipers, 0-60 in under 5.5 secs, wipers on your headlights, AWD, 300+ hp, etc., sure you'd pay more, but there are people who don't care about those things and won't really miss them. Heck, I'm even considering getting an Accord in the next year or two when my TL hits 200,000-215,000 miles (though, deep down, I think I'll still stick with either Acura, Infiniti, or Lexus).
Warren Buffett used to run around in a Lincoln Town car. I remember he auctioned it off for charity. Not sure what he replaced it with. :grin: I still don't agree with what you're saying, though. I could be buying $150 pairs of jeans and expensive shirts. When I was a kid I cared about that (but still couldn't afford it), but now that I'm older, just give me a t-shirt and jeans. Just because you have more money doesn't mean you should spend more money which is what your "ratio methodology" seems to mean. lol. There are just certain things I really don't care to spend much money on - like clothes. By the same token, cars are something a lot of people don't want to waste a ton of money on. We all have things we waste/blow money on that seems stupid to other people.
I agree. I said so as much above. But my main point is that when you have that much money you don't think about it as much as when you don't have it. So getting an $80k car might be a 'waste' to some people... and might even be to these guys if they ever sat down and thought about it... but it's so inconsequential they probably don't put much thought into it. When I was in high school and minimum wage was still below $4/hr... eating lunch was a big deal because a lot of times the cost of lunch would be equivalent to an hour or two of me working. Nowdays my lunch is 10 minutes of working and is not a big consideration for me anymore. I don't gorge myself everyday on expensive meals but I'm not going to agonize over the cost of lunch at Del Frisco's. Still, as you say, to some people food is food and even if they could afford it they would never pay more than $20 for steak. But somehow I'm doubting that even Warren Buffet is eating at Golden Corral instead of Morton's.
I understand the appeal, but if I could spend a ton of money on just one car, it certainly would not be an old muscle car. I like turning too much.
I want to own nice cars because I can appreciate the engineering courtesy of Gran Turismo and they'll last a long time, provided good maintenance. The car highest on my list is the Audi R8. Just a beautiful machine and practical. I'd probably own an Ariel Atom as a toy, a Ford Focus hatchback for utility, and either a BMW or a Merc luxury car, though, I'm leaning towards the new BMW 6 series coming out next year.
