What is your car payment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Please tell us. What are the major differences between a loaded GM/Ford/Toyota/Honda/Kia sedan and a loaded BMW/Mercedes/Audi/Lexus sedan?

Design, driving dynamics, comfort, material quality, build quality, features, engine choices, drivetrain choices, body style choices, appearance, dealer service quality, and yes, status and exclusivity.

You may not value these things, but there are those of us that do.

[Anonymous]

Zero.

I don't buy cars that I can't pay for in cash, or with a home equity line for which I have the cash available to pay it off immediately or within a month or 2.

General outlay is ~$20-35k. We keep our cars 6-12 years and tend to have one new, one "pre-owned".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Please tell us. What are the major differences between a loaded GM/Ford/Toyota/Honda/Kia sedan and a loaded BMW/Mercedes/Audi/Lexus sedan?

Design, driving dynamics, comfort, material quality, build quality, features, engine choices, drivetrain choices, body style choices, appearance, dealer service quality, and yes, status and exclusivity.

You may not value these things, but there are those of us that do.

BMW and to some extent Mercedes have made enormous compromises on material and build quality over the past 10 or so yrs. to keep up with Lexus &c. and build to a price.

And it shows. Compared to previous BMWs and Mercs, the more recent ones, especially BMW, really feel harsh and cheap after 6+ years. Moreover, they use much more cheap plastic in interior and trim pieces and many of them break during repairs.

My friend has owned an independent Porsche/ Audi/ BMW/ VW/ Merc (their focus though they work on most models) for 25 yrs. and no longer recommends that his customers buy new BMWs. Moreover, build quality has really suffered in the German cars with overly complicated and less than well tested components. I love driving them (my 9 yr. old Audi still drove like a new car even though it had terrible reliability issues) but they are often horrible cars to own once the warranty is over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Please tell us. What are the major differences between a loaded GM/Ford/Toyota/Honda/Kia sedan and a loaded BMW/Mercedes/Audi/Lexus sedan?

Design, driving dynamics, comfort, material quality, build quality, features, engine choices, drivetrain choices, body style choices, appearance, dealer service quality, and yes, status and exclusivity.

You may not value these things, but there are those of us that do.

BMW and to some extent Mercedes have made enormous compromises on material and build quality over the past 10 or so yrs. to keep up with Lexus &c. and build to a price.

And it shows. Compared to previous BMWs and Mercs, the more recent ones, especially BMW, really feel harsh and cheap after 6+ years. Moreover, they use much more cheap plastic in interior and trim pieces and many of them break during repairs.

My friend has owned an independent Porsche/ Audi/ BMW/ VW/ Merc (their focus though they work on most models) for 25 yrs. and no longer recommends that his customers buy new BMWs. Moreover, build quality has really suffered in the German cars with overly complicated and less than well tested components. I love driving them (my 9 yr. old Audi still drove like a new car even though it had terrible reliability issues) but they are often horrible cars to own once the warranty is over.

so much wrong in this post. Cars last longer and are much better than ever before, which is why used car prices are so damn historically high.

[Anonymous]

People have an irrational attachment to older BMW and Mercedes. The new ones are still very much the benchmark of the market. Lexus make fine vehicles, and they are probably more reliable. But the difference is very minor these days. New cars are generally all pretty darned reliable. Unless you own something truly esoteric like a Bentley.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$0

Always buy for cash.

+1 (actually 2, since we own 2)

Also only pay cash. To do this, we keep cars a long time...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Please tell us. What are the major differences between a loaded GM/Ford/Toyota/Honda/Kia sedan and a loaded BMW/Mercedes/Audi/Lexus sedan?

Design, driving dynamics, comfort, material quality, build quality, features, engine choices, drivetrain choices, body style choices, appearance, dealer service quality, and yes, status and exclusivity.

You may not value these things, but there are those of us that do.

BMW and to some extent Mercedes have made enormous compromises on material and build quality over the past 10 or so yrs. to keep up with Lexus &c. and build to a price.

And it shows. Compared to previous BMWs and Mercs, the more recent ones, especially BMW, really feel harsh and cheap after 6+ years. Moreover, they use much more cheap plastic in interior and trim pieces and many of them break during repairs.

My friend has owned an independent Porsche/ Audi/ BMW/ VW/ Merc (their focus though they work on most models) for 25 yrs. and no longer recommends that his customers buy new BMWs. Moreover, build quality has really suffered in the German cars with overly complicated and less than well tested components. I love driving them (my 9 yr. old Audi still drove like a new car even though it had terrible reliability issues) but they are often horrible cars to own once the warranty is over.

so much wrong in this post. Cars last longer and are much better than ever before, which is why used car prices are so damn historically high.

No, so much right based on first hand knowledge. See the 8 yr old BMWs with interior panels no longer fastened at each spot because cheap plastic fasteners broke. These are legion.

Up to a point you are right. Modern systems can be more relliablev-- when they work - but they are also far more complex and far more full of complicated technology that is much harder to fix.... If you even can fix it or find a replacement part. -?than on simpler, older cars.

I have a 42,yr old Porsche for which I can still get parts (from Porsche) and have other parts rebuilt.

Think you'll be able to have this circuit board or that, or this proprietary electronic part for your 2000-2014 BMW/VW/Honda/Whatever , replaced in 2025 or 2030 or 2040? Good luck, amigo.

So much wrong (so many unfounded assumptions) in your post ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
No, so much right based on first hand knowledge. See the 8 yr old BMWs with interior panels no longer fastened at each spot because cheap plastic fasteners broke. These are legion.

Up to a point you are right. Modern systems can be more relliablev-- when they work - but they are also far more complex and far more full of complicated technology that is much harder to fix.... If you even can fix it or find a replacement part. -?than on simpler, older cars.

I have a 42,yr old Porsche for which I can still get parts (from Porsche) and have other parts rebuilt.

Think you'll be able to have this circuit board or that, or this proprietary electronic part for your 2000-2014 BMW/VW/Honda/Whatever , replaced in 2025 or 2030 or 2040? Good luck, amigo.

So much wrong (so many unfounded assumptions) in your post ...

That's a silly comparison. I bet you bring that up at auto meets at least three times each. Your 42 year old Porsche is an enthusiast's vehicle. There's a horde of you that maintain that car, supporting a market for parts. Most of modern BMW/VW/Honda/Whatever are not enthusiast cars - they are far more utilitarian and accessible. However, take a modern Porsche and I bet the chances are pretty good that there would be a stockpile of parts maintained until 2025/2030/2040.

[Anonymous]

Smart car at $170 month. Super cheap and cheap to insure. Also, have a paid off focus(paid cash and was 3 years old) both great cars.