Failed education system or maybe he's planning a permanent trip to Canada.

Cars today are too expensive. Too many useless features. Whatever happened to simple and affordable? We keep adding things to new cars to jack up the prices. The only thing I need in a car is A/C and a heater. Perhaps a simple radio because I mostly listen to music on my headphones whilst driving.

An awful lot of people don't actually understand how financing works; they see a monthly payment, and they say "I can swing that" without thinking about the maturity period for the loan--or how much over sticker they're going to be paying for the vehicle once interest is factored in if they're only making said minimum monthly payment.

Same reason credit card debt is so damn high in the US; few people think past "if I just make a payment, I'm good."

As for the US car market specifically, there are a host of factors at play. Part of it is market uncertainty surrounding the tariffs being enacted here (no, this isn't all Orange Man's fault, but it *is* contributing); that uncertainty is causing dealers to buy up used inventory to compensate for a smaller number of new model year vehicles coming in--and because no dealer will ever eat a loss on a vehicle if they can help it, they'll jack the price up.

As an example, I drive an Escape. Yeah, yeah, it's a middle-age mobile, but I can put myself, my wife, our dogs, and our stuff in it and drive across the country easily.

Our local dealership has been up my butt to purchase said Escape since last year, offering me well above the KBB value. It would sound attractive if it weren't for the reality of "if they're paying X for my old Escape, I'm definitely paying Y for another vehicle."

The rest of it is artificial market scarcity, leftover misgivings from President Obama's well-intentioned but poorly-executed "cash for clunkers" programs (like too many modern Democrat policies, it appealed to feelings for a good long-range goal without really thinking through short and medium-term problems for American citizens), across-the-board inflation, and the cost of sourcing chips for vehicles that have on-board navigation and other significant computerized elements.

The market sucks, but it sucks worse because consumers are suckers who were educated in a public system that teaches Trig, but not basic finance.

Kinda off topic but a silly friend of mine got a car whilst in the military. As an e2 he says he makes around 2000 dollars a month and pays for a car that is 1200 dollars a month. I get it that you live on base and get free food but that’s like… half of your pay.

Edit: Not sure what car he has because I’m not car savvy but it’s a fancy sports car of some sorts.

Originally posted by Xero_Daxter:

Kinda off topic but a silly friend of mine got a car whilst in the military. As an e2 he says he makes around 2000 dollars a month and pays for a car that is 1200 dollars a month. I get it that you live on base and get free food but that’s like… half of your pay.

Edit: Not sure what car he has because I’m not car savvy but it’s a fancy sports car of some sorts.

For some odd reason, I'm getting a feeling that the loan is 60 months. Add in insurance and gas, he is cooked.

Originally posted by Xero_Daxter:

Kinda off topic but a silly friend of mine got a car whilst in the military. As an e2 he says he makes around 2000 dollars a month and pays for a car that is 1200 dollars a month. I get it that you live on base and get free food but that’s like… half of your pay.

Edit: Not sure what car he has because I’m not car savvy but it’s a fancy sports car of some sorts.

This is pretty common for low-ranking enlisted. The car dealerships around the base I used to live near all had signs declaring "we finance E-1 and up!"

In the service itself, the running gag is that E-3s (PFCs) and below can predict the rest of their career trajectory over whether or not they purchase a Hellcat/Corvette/Charger right out of AIT, and how fast they need to apply for BAH because they decided to marry the stripper who gave them their first lapdance.

I'm *very* pro-military, but you give a 17/18/19 year old kid a paycheck and tell them their housing and food is covered (assuming they live on post and eat at the DFAC), some of them are going to be goofy with that money.

...it's why there are so many "gently used" sports cars on lots around bases. Inability to make the note results in repossession, and your 1SG didn't get where they are by coddling goofy financial decisions.

That guys not paying that for the life of the lease.

I think all of these cars are going to get repo'd and sold for actual value at an auction.

Maybe that's where everyone should go car shopping these days?

Originally posted by Xero_Daxter:

Cars today are too expensive. Too many useless features. Whatever happened to simple and affordable? We keep adding things to new cars to jack up the prices. The only thing I need in a car is A/C and a heater. Perhaps a simple radio because I mostly listen to music on my headphones whilst driving.

i dont agree, i need my car to brew coffee for me and massage me amd run AAA games. or i cant consider it a car

Originally posted by WarHeRo:

Originally posted by Xero_Daxter:

Cars today are too expensive. Too many useless features. Whatever happened to simple and affordable? We keep adding things to new cars to jack up the prices. The only thing I need in a car is A/C and a heater. Perhaps a simple radio because I mostly listen to music on my headphones whilst driving.

i dont agree, i need my car to brew coffee for me and massage me amd run AAA games. or i cant consider it a car

I mean… you can as long as you’re willing to pay for it. Why you think yachts exist? It’s a house on water. Haha.

Originally posted by WarHeRo:

Originally posted by Xero_Daxter:

Cars today are too expensive. Too many useless features. Whatever happened to simple and affordable? We keep adding things to new cars to jack up the prices. The only thing I need in a car is A/C and a heater. Perhaps a simple radio because I mostly listen to music on my headphones whilst driving.

i dont agree, i need my car to brew coffee for me and massage me amd run AAA games. or i cant consider it a car

PS: RIP to anyone that has a car with a subscription model

Originally posted by Yew Nough:

Originally posted by WarHeRo:

i dont agree, i need my car to brew coffee for me and massage me amd run AAA games. or i cant consider it a car

PS: RIP to anyone that has a car with a subscription model

*laughs in never buying an ElmoMobile*

I just did a quick search, around my area, a 2021 Passat goes for $15k-$24k.

How is $140k even legal?

Crazy to think some cars are more expensive than a house.

I wonder how terrible credit scores they have?

To be able to borrow money at a cheap rate, you must first prove you don't need to.