Ok? You’ll have to be more explicit as to the relevance of that though.
This is your neighborhood where? In Taiwan?
I think the other poster is suggesting that anybody who lives in his neighborhood and drives a fancy car must be a financial idiot because they can’t have as much money as he does and he doesn’t drive a fancy car? 
As you know from the thread where Silicon Valley salaries were discussed to death, some people have a hard time coming to grips with the possibility that people around them might earn and have a lot more money than they do.
I’m frequently reminded of the George Carlin observation, “Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?”
2 Likes
“People here all claim” that Taiwanese people are living beyond their means? Huh?
But I’m curious: since you said owning a fancy car is financially stupid, are all the Taiwanese who drive a Benz financially stupid?
1 Like
DC metro area.
I also find that statement odd, maybe he thinks he is smarter than people in Taiwan. I would think most people here think if you own a nice car your smarter. (Does not always mean that is case, bit I think that. There could a few people that won lotto and not smart but rare)
1 Like
There are lots of people with expensive cars who can absolutely afford them, and there are lots of people with expensive cars who are overextended. Unless you can look at a person’s finances, you never know which category they fall into.
3 Likes
What OysterOmelet is saying is perfectly understandable, even if you disagree.
a) A car exists to get you from point A to point B.
b) Other reasons- it’s beautiful, I like to go fast, it’ll help me get girls or boys, I can flaunt my wealth- shouldn’t be taken into account.
c) Flashy cars are a bad investment- you have to put money into them, and they depreciate, especially if you drive them every day and on the street (ain’t necessarily so).
d) You should buy a cheaper car (that’s reliable) and invest your money elsewhere. As Hunter Thompson said in the book Hell’s Angels in 1967 “Anybody with enough sense to pour piss out of a boot should take the money they’d spend on a new motorcycle and buy Honda stock” (wonder what a 67 Harley is worth these days?).
(Saw an add for a Jaguar that was perfectly attuned to its target audience- old farts who want to pick up young chicks but don’t have the cash or the balls for a Lamborghini.)
1 Like
For Taiwan , an luxury car (here , maybe not the the states or in Singapore where saw them as Taxi’s))from the USA (via an Italian Auto company) edit: saw it’s made in Canada not the USA
1 Like
It’s understandable if you view cars as only tools, and if your goal is primarily maximizing wealth. It’s like saying that food’s job is to provide you energy and beyond that it’s a waste of money so you should only eat the cheapest, most nutrient dense food, worrying about stuff like taste, sustainability, etc is a waste of money. Or that clothes are only to protect you from the elements… Life is short. Some people go crazy with savings, some people go crazy with spending, others try to balance it all. But that balance is different for everyone, and what they want to “waste” their money on is going to differ.
1 Like
Who made you judge and jury?
Spoken like a person who doesn’t know high-end cars.
As I noted, some of these cars actually appreciate in value, and “rich people” have financing options that the not-so-rich don’t have, meaning that it’s actually possible to drive an expensive car for a lot less than you think.
By your previous logic, isn’t the old fart who buys a Jaguar less stupid than the old fart who buys a Lamborghini? So why be so harsh on the Jaguar buyer?
Of course, they’re both stupid, right? I mean, that old fart should be investing his money in the stock market so that he has some extra cash for the afterlife.
are you sure you aren’t thinking of the ad from crazy people? ;D
Far be it from me to judge if an old fart labours under the delusion that driving a hot car makes makes him more attractive to young girls (or boys). Old farts often attract hot girls due to their material possessions- I’m sure we can all think of some recent examples
1 Like
If old farts “often” attract hot girls due to their material possessions, like cars, then it’s not a delusion is it?
For what it’s worth, all of the old farts I know who drive “fancy” cars have been married for a long time and have been driving those kinds of cars since well before they were old farts.
In my experience, the people who delude themselves into believing that every man who buys a fancy car is doing so to attract women have issues of their own.
[quote=“RBE, post:131, topic:196493”]
Who made you judge and jury?[/quote]
I was posting to explain what I thought was OysterOmelet’s position- which was fairly obvious.
Which is why I said “ain’t necessarily so”- I was disagreeing with OysterOmelet and agreeing with what apparently is your position
Because an ad for a Lamborghini usually emphasises the car’s performance. This particular ad didn’t- unlike, say, the ads for the E-type from my youth, which played on performance of the car but also on the sex appeal of the driver, who was shown in (roughly) the same age range as his target.
Now, OysterOmelet may be justified in adopting this position on cars- in in other fields, no. I could easily show why a 1200cc motorcycle capable of 140 mph is an absolutely practical necessity on an island you can circumnavigate in a weekend…
And they all work for ad companies with contracts with luxury car manufacturers.
In fairness, this only applies to some models of cars- you won’t find this in an ad for a Rolls or saloon-type Mercedes or Jag.
But for gentlemen of, er, a certain age, the ads for luxury sports cars are certainly sometimes aimed at them- see jokes about mid-life crisis.
I’m looking at second hand cars and cars in general. So many new cars on the streets, and a lot of car lots specialise in 2nd hand luxury type cars as well.
You can get good deals on any Taiwan made cars (new, 2nd hand including SUVs), but anything imported costs $$$.
Given the number of 2nd hand BMWs and Mercs on the lots either financially stupid or have enough money not to care and they just buy new ones all the time.
1 Like
There are other possible explanations and these conclusions cannot be made without analyzing the financials of the individuals/business buying/leasing these vehicles.
1 Like