Only people with giant SUVs should be embarrassed:

America’s SUV Spree Spurred Pedestrian-Death Surge
https://usa.streetsblog.org/2021/07/27/study-americas-suv-jag-spurred-pedestrian-death-surge/

I think you're smart for not feeling the need to spend the money on a new car.

Yes, I bought a new one and gave the embarrassing one to my teens. This was at the start of the pandemic, back when I thought it would be a few weeks and before the chip shortage.

I'm not really embarrassed. If I had a newer car, someone might want to steal it. Mine is 20 years old. There is something wrong with it (not the fault of my car though) and I need to get it fixed but don't want to spend the money. I was sitting at a traffic light the other day and heard a rattling noise. I thought it was coming from my car. I look next to me and see a rusty van. I felt like, wow, my car is in good shape. No rust!

OP, as so many posters have pointed out, you're making a really smart choice and have nothing to be embarrassed about.

I suggest you give your car a really cute name. Then you will have endearing thoughts about it instead of feeling embarrassed.

Mimi, Zuzu, Jujube, Willow, Ernie, Horace, etc. Something that makes you smile. Maybe peruse some Dr. Seuss books for funny ideas. If it's green name it Sam-I-am or just Sam.

Anonymous wrote:That’s a you problem, not your car’s problem.

True this.

There is ZERO reason to be ashamed of your car, especially in this area. Heck, many high-income educated people are PROUD of their old car around here. Especially, the high-income people who drive old Japanese cars..the fact that you drive your Subaru from when you were in law school is like a freaking status marker in North Arlington. (And when you get another car, it will of course be another subaru, paid for in CASH.)

I recently got rid of my 2004 subaru. I was not embarrased by it. There were some rips in the driver's seat, so I put a car seat cover on it. I loved that car.

I live in a neighborhood where the median home value is over $750K. I make over $100K.

When the car started smoking, that's when I was embarrased by it. You could see the smoke coming out of the hood. That's when I got rid of it.

But the wear and tear doesn't bother me. But then, I'm not a showy person, and I'm fairly frugal.

If your car is reliable and tidy, then anyone who's benefiting from getting a ride with you is in no position to complain.

Anonymous wrote:I drive a car that over 15 years old. It's reliable and gets me from A to B. I've been noticing lately I'm becoming embarrassed of my vehicle. For instance, I would never want to give someone outside of my immediate family a ride in it. Even though I'm embarrassed, I don't care enough to spend thousands of dollars on a new nicer car. Those of you with old cars do you feel embarrassed about your car?

I have a 2004 and a 2005 and I understand what you are saying. I care but not enough to buy a new car.

Anonymous wrote:I drive a 2009 Ford Escape with 170K miles on it. I love it and don't ever want to get another car. It's safe, reliable, comfortable, doesn't look too bad, I love the color, it has lots of room inside, and it has taken me on many road trips. Also, it's paid off. I only use synthetic oil and never miss routine maintenance. I don't mind the occasional repair bill either. Nothing about it embarrasses me even when others have brand new cars. I figure they mostly also have $700 car payments.

Also, it is not correct English to say "I'm embarrassed of my car". You could say "My car embarrasses me." or "I find my car to be embarrassing." YWIA

Fascinating. I was taught that the construction, "I find X to be __________ " is not correct. We learned to use, "I find X dreadful or uncomfortable or unacceptable." And yet I actually do not know whether the phrase you used is grammatically incorrect.

I used to be a little more worried about what others thought of me, and I did go through a period of shame about my Corolla

Now, I couldn't care less. I love that car. It's 16 years old and does better than our more recent car. Respect my venerable Corolla, people!

Just what embarrasses you about the car? As long as it's not dirty, a mess or stinks, there's nothing to be embarrassed about - and as PPs have noted, regular cleaning/detailing can fix the dirt/smell.

We have 5 cars (for 2 parents and 3 kids). The newest car is from 2010 (which I bought used 2 years ago) and the oldest is from 2000. With the exception of the car from 2003, we bought all of them used. The 2003 was purchased new by my ILs and we inherited it in 2006. We plan to run them into the ground. I'm not embarrassed at all because I don't value the opinion of anyone who would judge me for my car. That's pretty shallow whether your car is a clunker or luxury car.

Anonymous wrote:My 2006 minivan has nearly 200,000 miles and still gets me where I need to go. I recently test drove a new minivan, but I’d rather keep the $50k.

As I get older, I’m less interested in buying new stuff. I would much rather have financial freedom, no debt, and money to spend on experiences rather than things. After dealing with settling my parents estate after they passed, I want to live simply and have less stuff. We can’t take it with us when we die.

+1

Not. to mention, with the way people drive in this are, you really don't want a nice car for them bang around on.

Our cars are 11 and 14 years old and I’m not embarrassed by them. No one cares, op. As long as you’re not a total slob, it’s fine.o