What do all these people driving new Range Rovers do for a living?

[Anonymous]

I live in NWDC, my office is in DC, my kids are privates in DC and close-in VA, I am often in close-in MD on the weekends, and I definitly see these cars everywhere too. More $$$ cars in the area than modest ones. And its increased significantly in past 2-5 years. I used to think people here didnt care much about luxury cars, unlike where I am from (Southern city where people spend more on their cars than there houses) but that has changed in DC area so much in just a few years.

[Anonymous]

OP, there are just a lot of people who earns lot of money. Also there are folks who stretch themselves to buy nice cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, there are just a lot of people who earns lot of money. Also there are folks who stretch themselves to buy nice cars.

Yup think about all the million plus houses these days plenty of people can have nice cars if they can do that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, there are just a lot of people who earns lot of money. Also there are folks who stretch themselves to buy nice cars.

+1

Also, there is a thriving used car market. Those $80k SUVs turn into $40k SUVs (or less) fairly quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are so many Range Rovers and Mercedes Benz GLSes. How do so many people afford 85k trucks? Car allowances from work? What do they do for work? We have a HHI of 300k in medicine and can't come close to affording those kind of cars.

The same people living in the 2-3+million dollar houses all over NW and Chevy Chase and Bethesda, sending kids to 50K a year privates, joining country clubs for 100K, carrying 5K handbags,,,,,and so on......
LOTS of wealth in this area.
Then some of them are stretched and HAVE to have the luxury car but really shouldn't be spending that much,
also some could be used.....
Although Range Rovers typically suck after 3 years/50K miles!!

[Anonymous]

You can lease the bigger range rover for $750/month, and the smaller ones for $350/month:
http://www.landroverusa.com/current-offers/index.html

I don't know about RR, but for Mercedes, the vast majority are leased, especially the more expensive models like the S-class. I think people are writing it off to their business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH works in Finance and I work part-time, mainly because my kids are in school and I don't want the commute of my original job. Our HHI is about $350k. We have a pretty hefty mortgage which we are double paying right now, but no other bills other than household bills. We both work and like nice things. We have driven brand new Hondas and 10 year old luxury cars and to us there is a big difference in the quality and feel, even if other people think it is not worth it to them. Just like my co-worker says there is a big difference in a ChicfilA sandwich and one from Wendy's (FOR EXAMPLE), there are people who know the difference in cars and houses and value that enough to pay more (especially if it's is "nothing" to their pockets.)

Just to give some insight... if you have $2Million in investments, $100k average balance in the bank and bring home $30k gross every month, it's nothing to buy a $80k car cash (and it's probably not even that much if you sell the dealer your current luxury car for $25k). We buy everything cash, by the way. The money is just adds up otherwise. And... we do donate $50k+ every year to the school athletic boosters, university alumni, our church, and endowments every year. We don't have any allowances for cars or wardrobe or housing. It's all us.

I want a Range Rover Sport (because I think it's such a sexy car) but I don't have one. (My DH has issues with the brand from "way" back, even tho he would buy it if I insisted.) We do own a luxury car that we have had "forever" and it is fine. And it's nice to have something to dream about. I like that I can literally drool over this car when I see one (and I see a lot), but I don't need it or "really" want it (sort of).

+ 1. I (DW) just traded in my German SUV for an equally nice but much less flashy Japanese SUV. Of course we can appreciate the differences but it's a matter of what we deem to be more valuable to us. We have never bought a new car - always one or two year old used cars. We have a nice house and yet could have afforded much more if we wanted - but we are actually looking forward to downsizing in a few years. Investment accounts are 2m+ and that's apart from retirement accounts (DH's pension will be 3m+ and my 401(K) will be about 1m). College accounts for all three kids are fully funded and are at the point where we no longer have to make contributions. We don't buy things we want, we buy things we actually need. Despite having the means to do anything our hearts desire (and we do splurge on things important to us), we have no interest in keeping up with the neighbors.

[Anonymous]

My favorite is watching the bottle blonde women who drive these cars try to park them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My favorite is watching the bottle blonde women who drive these cars try to park them.

+1

Hilarious! Driving a tank, because they can't drive. LOL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, there are just a lot of people who earns lot of money. Also there are folks who stretch themselves to buy nice cars.

+1

Also, there is a thriving used car market. Those $80k SUVs turn into $40k SUVs (or less) fairly quickly.

People in the 'in' crowd can tell if your luxury car is old. And YOU can tell, obviously. Driving a used car is depressing. The new car smell, that new car shine is a day-maker. Try it sometime, you'll never go back to used.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can lease the bigger range rover for $750/month, and the smaller ones for $350/month:
http://www.landroverusa.com/current-offers/index.html

I don't know about RR, but for Mercedes, the vast majority are leased, especially the more expensive models like the S-class. I think people are writing it off to their business.

$999 a month for the big one because they know mid and high level execs have $1000/month caps on car allowance. Many of you sound salty you're in the wrong industry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, there are just a lot of people who earns lot of money. Also there are folks who stretch themselves to buy nice cars.

+1

Also, there is a thriving used car market. Those $80k SUVs turn into $40k SUVs (or less) fairly quickly.

spouse drives one of these.i find in ostentatious but the truth is it cost less than the acrua mdx he considered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH works in Finance and I work part-time, mainly because my kids are in school and I don't want the commute of my original job. Our HHI is about $350k. We have a pretty hefty mortgage which we are double paying right now, but no other bills other than household bills. We both work and like nice things. We have driven brand new Hondas and 10 year old luxury cars and to us there is a big difference in the quality and feel, even if other people think it is not worth it to them. Just like my co-worker says there is a big difference in a ChicfilA sandwich and one from Wendy's (FOR EXAMPLE), there are people who know the difference in cars and houses and value that enough to pay more (especially if it's is "nothing" to their pockets.)

Just to give some insight... if you have $2Million in investments, $100k average balance in the bank and bring home $30k gross every month, it's nothing to buy a $80k car cash (and it's probably not even that much if you sell the dealer your current luxury car for $25k). We buy everything cash, by the way. The money is just adds up otherwise. And... we do donate $50k+ every year to the school athletic boosters, university alumni, our church, and endowments every year. We don't have any allowances for cars or wardrobe or housing. It's all us.

I want a Range Rover Sport (because I think it's such a sexy car) but I don't have one. (My DH has issues with the brand from "way" back, even tho he would buy it if I insisted.) We do own a luxury car that we have had "forever" and it is fine. And it's nice to have something to dream about. I like that I can literally drool over this car when I see one (and I see a lot), but I don't need it or "really" want it (sort of).

+ 1. I (DW) just traded in my German SUV for an equally nice but much less flashy Japanese SUV. Of course we can appreciate the differences but it's a matter of what we deem to be more valuable to us. We have never bought a new car - always one or two year old used cars. We have a nice house and yet could have afforded much more if we wanted - but we are actually looking forward to downsizing in a few years. Investment accounts are 2m+ and that's apart from retirement accounts (DH's pension will be 3m+ and my 401(K) will be about 1m). College accounts for all three kids are fully funded and are at the point where we no longer have to make contributions. We don't buy things we want, we buy things we actually need. Despite having the means to do anything our hearts desire (and we do splurge on things important to us), we have no interest in keeping up with the neighbors.

Is there a reason why you are telling us this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many Range Rovers and Mercedes Benz GLSes. How do so many people afford 85k trucks? Car allowances from work? What do they do for work? We have a HHI of 300k in medicine and can't come close to affording those kind of cars.

The same people living in the 2-3+million dollar houses all over NW and Chevy Chase and Bethesda, sending kids to 50K a year privates, joining country clubs for 100K, carrying 5K handbags,,,,,and so on......
LOTS of wealth in this area.
Then some of them are stretched and HAVE to have the luxury car but really shouldn't be spending that much,
also some could be used.....
Although Range Rovers typically suck after 3 years/50K miles!!

What jobs in this area pay that much? Sure, Chris Matthews makes a few million bucks a year...but all these drivers look regular.

[Anonymous]

When the new Range Rover came out you could drive it for a year and sell it for what you paid because there was such a long waiting list. Meaning, those snobs were paying $0 to drive it, while you schlepped around in your depreciating shitbox.