Anonymous
Post 07/22/2025 15:06     Subject: How do so many young families have $80k SUVs?
Anonymous wrote:Different priorities.

The receptionist at my doctors office this morning was talking about the challenges of parking her brand new massive SUV, and then bemoaning that her child is off to college next year with no college fund.

But there’s also a lot of money out there.


+1 That's true of a lot of people I've met around here. Renovate the house for 300K sure. Then complain that you're too "middle class" to pay for college.
Anonymous
Post 07/22/2025 15:04     Subject: How do so many young families have $80k SUVs?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher off for the summer. Everywhere I look there seems to be a SAHM running errands with 3+ little kids getting into a brand new looking Suburban, Tahoe, Expedition, etc. These moms look 35 or less. I see this in the dismissal car line at our public school too. How do they afford this?


Where are you driving? If you are in Bethesda, Potomac, NW, McLean, Arlington, then a very large percentage of the families living there are making $400k plus. If you venture over to Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Alexandria outside old town, Fairfax county beyond McLean, etc., you will see many fewer of these because the incomes are lower.


Not really..most wealthy are neither showy nor wasteful. My hairdresser has two such vehicles AND her teenage son has a charger Heim (about $70k). She is a single mom working two jobs living in Herndon
Anonymous
Post 07/22/2025 15:02     Subject: How do so many young families have $80k SUVs?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I acutally think that those huge boats are often leased, not purchased. Our realtor told us she gets a tax incentive to lease a vehicle but it has to be a giant SUV; if it's fewer than X tons it doesn't qualify.


Yes my in-laws do this and claim it as a business expense


Just so that everyone knows claiming the vehicle as a business expense does not mean it’s free. You save about 25% or whatever tax bracket you may be in
Anonymous
Post 07/22/2025 14:25     Subject: How do so many young families have $80k SUVs?
Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of it is spouses with high paying jobs plus family money. My kids public school is filled with these families. We live in an old tiny house in Bethesda, and I’m always amazed at all my kids friends who live in $2.5 million plus houses, drive expensive cars, send kids to sleepover camp that’s at least $15k per kid, mom’s have multiple expensive purses, fancy vacation etc. I assume spouses are making big salaries and grandparents help too.


We know people who grew up wealthy and jointly make around $250-300K and live like they make $1M, because they want to maintain the type of lifestyle they grew up in and are able to use family money to do so (ie, supplement their HHI income). If you don’t have family money, or a lot of it, accept that it’s not going to be an apples to apples comparison.

Most SAHMs who are under 35 and have kids in elementary school (ages 5+) didn’t make tons and tons of money between the ages of 23-30. Most college grads are not going to Jane Street or Citadel immediately following graduation.
Anonymous
Post 07/22/2025 12:12     Subject: How do so many young families have $80k SUVs?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:These cars are extraordinarily selfish - they’re dangerous to others and bad for the environment. But they’re a good representation of the people that drive them and their excesses and entitlement.
The problem is that you (and your family) are not likely to survive a crash with a large commercial vehicle in a small car. I would feel more comfortable driving a smaller car if there weren’t so many of these on the road on the highways near my house.


This is such a stupid rationalization and marketing ploy. By FAR the biggest factor in surviving a crash is the skill of the driver by not getting into one in the first place.


+1
I've always driven small cars. I'm the driver that slows down for you to merge when I see a signal. I ignore a$$hole drivers and give them plenty of space. And when someone cuts me off - I let them. I've literally had ZERO accidents - ZERO. I avoid them for over 30 years. I also have had zero tickets - one warning for going 8 mph over the speed limit, but the officer let me off with a warning.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2025 21:48     Subject: How do so many young families have $80k SUVs?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:These cars are extraordinarily selfish - they’re dangerous to others and bad for the environment. But they’re a good representation of the people that drive them and their excesses and entitlement.
The problem is that you (and your family) are not likely to survive a crash with a large commercial vehicle in a small car. I would feel more comfortable driving a smaller car if there weren’t so many of these on the road on the highways near my house.


This is such a stupid rationalization and marketing ploy. By FAR the biggest factor in surviving a crash is the skill of the driver by not getting into one in the first place.


Definately driver skill is a factor. But hell yes, If I get into an accident with a Suburban/Large Lexus or BMW SUV/etc, I'd rather not be in a corolla or civic. I'd prefer to be in a Honda CRV or larger. Because you cannot avoid all accidents (the other drivers might be bad and often are) and you won't fair as well in a tiny vehicle. So if 50-75% of the cars are huge (plus trucks) in your area, you might not want a tiny vehicle
By definition slightly more than half of the car accidents (with other vehicles), will be due to the fault of other drivers and there is very little that can be done to minimize the risk of not at fault accidents. The odds of death from a car crash by passenger vehicle are around 8-10x higher in the most dangerous passenger vehicles in comparison to the safest passenger vehicles. A perfect driver that in one of the most dangerous passenger vehicles will still have a higher risk of death from driving than a bad driver in one of the safest passenger vehicles.


But what is that baseline risk? Pretty low, right?
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2025 21:45     Subject: How do so many young families have $80k SUVs?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:She doesn’t need an suv to drive two kids around.


We don’t “need” lots of things in our lives.



He said she needs it to drive the two kids around.


It's all about image, of course. She needs it to look good.

No one thinks that Lexus looks good.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2025 21:43     Subject: How do so many young families have $80k SUVs?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't really see much of a correlation between wealth and driving nice cars/SUVs. Most high net worth people I know drive beaters or a used Corolla. They are millionaire next door types maybe worth a couple mill. I used to live in the hood and you would see lots of nice cars. Also worked many low paying jobs back in the day and coworkers had expensive cars as well. I know firefighters driving around in bad ass trucks and I know for a fact they don't make enough money to justify those purchases every few years. When I see someone with a really nice car, I just think that they are either showing off or bad with money.


Give me a break. Go drive around Spring Valley, Kenwood, Edgemoor, and similar neighborhoods. I can tell you how many Corolla's there are in those driveways - ZERO. What you will see is lots of very expensive cars.


Only a small percentage of people live in those striver neighborhoods. Millionaire next door types would be broke if they tried to live in those neighborhoods. A vast majority of people driving around in those 50k cars don't have a pot to piss in.


Yeah. I live next to spring valley (AU), but walking in spring valley there are plenty of corollas and rav4s. I don't know if it is the nanny or the homeowner, but there are plenty there.


It's the help.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2025 21:13     Subject: How do so many young families have $80k SUVs?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The cars are leased.
The husbands ear good money.
They bought houses at low interest with downpayment provided by grandparents.
They have family money so do not worry about saving for retirement.


Yup. Not having to save for retirement must be a game changer. Saving for retirement AND college is a massive drain. PLUS getting financial help to buy a home?


Not if you make enough money. We have zero family help and have saved aggressively from day 1. College is paid for (3 kids) and we have close to $9m saved outside of real estate. Everyone always yells family help but it’s not always the case.


Good for you for working hard and saving. A bit of humility wouldn’t hurt though. Plenty of people work hard and save aggressively.


Clearly they’re not saving or making enough.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2025 21:05     Subject: How do so many young families have $80k SUVs?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't really see much of a correlation between wealth and driving nice cars/SUVs. Most high net worth people I know drive beaters or a used Corolla. They are millionaire next door types maybe worth a couple mill. I used to live in the hood and you would see lots of nice cars. Also worked many low paying jobs back in the day and coworkers had expensive cars as well. I know firefighters driving around in bad ass trucks and I know for a fact they don't make enough money to justify those purchases every few years. When I see someone with a really nice car, I just think that they are either showing off or bad with money.


Give me a break. Go drive around Spring Valley, Kenwood, Edgemoor, and similar neighborhoods. I can tell you how many Corolla's there are in those driveways - ZERO. What you will see is lots of very expensive cars.


Only a small percentage of people live in those striver neighborhoods. Millionaire next door types would be broke if they tried to live in those neighborhoods. A vast majority of people driving around in those 50k cars don't have a pot to piss in.


Yeah. I live next to spring valley (AU), but walking in spring valley there are plenty of corollas and rav4s. I don't know if it is the nanny or the homeowner, but there are plenty there.


I live in spring valley and don’t know one person who drives a Corolla or rav4. Those belong to the nannies.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2025 20:25     Subject: How do so many young families have $80k SUVs?
Anonymous wrote:They have more money.


I have more money and would not buy or drive one of these monster sized trucks. Such an non essential was of fuel, oxegen, ozone layer.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2025 20:16     Subject: How do so many young families have $80k SUVs?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You can get any of those cars a couple years used for like $40k.


not true at all.


Very true. Especially if you go through an auction.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2025 12:54     Subject: How do so many young families have $80k SUVs?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't really see much of a correlation between wealth and driving nice cars/SUVs. Most high net worth people I know drive beaters or a used Corolla. They are millionaire next door types maybe worth a couple mill. I used to live in the hood and you would see lots of nice cars. Also worked many low paying jobs back in the day and coworkers had expensive cars as well. I know firefighters driving around in bad ass trucks and I know for a fact they don't make enough money to justify those purchases every few years. When I see someone with a really nice car, I just think that they are either showing off or bad with money.


Give me a break. Go drive around Spring Valley, Kenwood, Edgemoor, and similar neighborhoods. I can tell you how many Corolla's there are in those driveways - ZERO. What you will see is lots of very expensive cars.


Only a small percentage of people live in those striver neighborhoods. Millionaire next door types would be broke if they tried to live in those neighborhoods. A vast majority of people driving around in those 50k cars don't have a pot to piss in.


Yeah. I live next to spring valley (AU), but walking in spring valley there are plenty of corollas and rav4s. I don't know if it is the nanny or the homeowner, but there are plenty there.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2025 12:53     Subject: How do so many young families have $80k SUVs?
Its the nanny. we let the nanny use ours. there are very few SAHM in our neighborhood.
Anonymous
Post 07/20/2025 21:42     Subject: How do so many young families have $80k SUVs?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:These cars are extraordinarily selfish - they’re dangerous to others and bad for the environment. But they’re a good representation of the people that drive them and their excesses and entitlement.
The problem is that you (and your family) are not likely to survive a crash with a large commercial vehicle in a small car. I would feel more comfortable driving a smaller car if there weren’t so many of these on the road on the highways near my house.


This is such a stupid rationalization and marketing ploy. By FAR the biggest factor in surviving a crash is the skill of the driver by not getting into one in the first place.


Definately driver skill is a factor. But hell yes, If I get into an accident with a Suburban/Large Lexus or BMW SUV/etc, I'd rather not be in a corolla or civic. I'd prefer to be in a Honda CRV or larger. Because you cannot avoid all accidents (the other drivers might be bad and often are) and you won't fair as well in a tiny vehicle. So if 50-75% of the cars are huge (plus trucks) in your area, you might not want a tiny vehicle
By definition slightly more than half of the car accidents (with other vehicles), will be due to the fault of other drivers and there is very little that can be done to minimize the risk of not at fault accidents. The odds of death from a car crash by passenger vehicle are around 8-10x higher in the most dangerous passenger vehicles in comparison to the safest passenger vehicles. A perfect driver that in one of the most dangerous passenger vehicles will still have a higher risk of death from driving than a bad driver in one of the safest passenger vehicles.