Hypothetical Dilemma
 

Okay, imagine that Mrs. X has been driving a boring old mommy mobile for the past 7 years. So she and Mr. X decide that it's finally time to retire said mom mobile and get Mrs. X something she's not embarassed to drive around in.

So then, Mr. and Mrs. X go to their friendly neighborhood BMW dealer to look around because Mrs. X really, really wants a BMW. She wants a 530i. Mr. X, however, is choosing to be a tightwad about the whole thing and says that she can get the 330i but he won't spend an itty bitty bit more so she can get what she REALLY wants.

Mrs. X is concerned that, if she gets the 330i, the people in her snotty little town will be thinking, "Oooh, the X's must not be doing very well; poor Mrs. X's new car is from the 3 series :eek: " Is Mrs. X being ridiculous? Is there merit in her thinking? Mrs. X is in her mid-thirties, so granted she shouldn't care what other people think, especially about something as unimportant as a car. But, at the same time, do people over 30 drive 3 series???

Maybe Mrs. X should just remember that 20 years ago she was driving a 1978 Toyota Corolla and shut up and be happy.

So people in Mrs. X's town thinks a BMW even if it's a lower class means the family is poor and not doing well? lol I feel sorry for the people in Mrs. X's town that drive Kia's. No offense to any GC Kia owners.

If you (I mean Mrs. X) don't want it, I'll take the BMW 330i. :)

I think that the price difference between those two cars is about $10,000. That's not an itty bitty bit of money. Don't worry about what the neighbors think. Enjoy your new BMW. :)

Are You Red Headed or What?????:D

Jeeze, XXXXXXX's and OOOOO's:rolleyes:

BMW, you better figuer on higher repair bills, :

Oil Changes
Brake Work
Tune Ups.

More than just paying for a Car.

Big Bucks
Higher Interest Rate
Higher Insurance.

Oh, dont have any body work!:(

Suggestion, get a Honda!:)

I'd kind of be ticked if Mrs. X was my wife. In the end, it's only money. It'd depend a lot on if we could afford it or not. $10,000 isn't just pocket change though.

BMWs are ugly. Scrap the BMW idea altogether and get a Jag.

I'll be honest...we make fun of 3 series people at work. Whatever I don't drive but it's not just people I hang around with. There are a series of articles out there about taking luxury goods and targeting them to a different income class. It's still a good but it's no longer a luxury good in the same sense you know?

Anyway, I say get what you'd like...maybe a better car in the same price range or an older 5 series? I think you'd look really cute in a Lotus.

-Rudey

Have you ever DRIVEN a luxury car? I'm going to say no, since you said something so presumptous. She didn't ask for any indication of your "knowledge" of all things automobile related, okay? I imagine since Mr. X is going to go for a BMW at all, then they are quite aware--and prepared for--the related costs.

Mrs. X, I'm going to have to say get the 530i. I used to think the C class Mercedes were a good idea. They're designed for people who basically want the "name," but aren't going to get the quality. The 330i reminds me, no offense, of an earlier model Toyota Tercel.

It's like getting an iBook vs. a PowerBook. iBooks are fine for basic computer stuff like Word and internet, but they can't hold a candle to the PowerBook in terms of pure speed and capability.

In my mind, it isn't about the neighbors. It's about the quality. :)

Tracy, i'm going to be calling a lifelong resident of your area today (or at least a peninsula up from you), I'll ask him his opinion ;)

All I can say is that if Mrs. X get any beemer, she WILL be chauffering for the next Pittsburgh GC get together ;)

Can you ask Mr or Mrs X if I can borrow an itty bitty bit of money?

Back to your question. It's hard to answer not knowing what your current lifestyle is like.

I'd say if it was a problem for your husband other than him being a tightwad that might have some merit.

If you can truly afford it I'd say you stand firm on what you want.

Why look poor to your neighbors if you can afford it?

I have a 3 series. It was my first car back in the 11th grade. Nothing wrong with it other than the fact that any time something breaks on it I have to take out a damn loan to get it fixed. Regular maintence is ok, but even to get a damn timing belt changed costs a few hundred.

Anyway, take the difference between the two cars and put your money to work.

Rudey sweetie, I KNEW I could count on an honest opinion from you! :)

I'm thinking that the 3 series is the vehicle equivalent of A/X as opposed to Armani or DKNY vs. Donna Karan. Or the folks that walk around with t-shirts that say "Chanel" on them and believe people think that it's just a little something they picked up on the rue du Faubourg de St. Honore.

It's not really a money issue; it's more Mr. X's mindset. Or so Mrs. X tells me. He really hates to finance things and the money is there in the X Family car fund for a 330 but not a 530. So they'd get a car loan for the difference. I don't think that's a big deal, but he does.

And she can't get a used car because part of the fun of a new car is the new car smell.

PS Mrs. X sounds like a mad diva, but she's really a very nice person! :)

You are absolutely right.

What squicks me out is Polo Sport.

If Mrs. X earns half the money, then she should get to choose where her hard earned money goes.

Statements like this being uttered by couples are often the first steps down the road to divorce.

The 3 series from BMW, the C series from Mercedes, and all those lower entry models are simply there to target that very profitable group because let's face it, not too many people can buy the high end versions.

I would probably agree with your husband though...no need for a loan :) How long can ahem Mrs. X hold out for another car though? That way you can raise the money. Even more ridiculous than the people who buy lower end luxury goods for the name (A/X :) ) is the people who not only live paycheck to paycheck but go into debt to create the image. Patience...patience I say.

-Rudey

Oh, I get it now. Get what makes you happy if you have the means. There is nothing wrong with financing a car especially if the interest rate is low.

I never saw the BMW as being a luxury car. Porsche, Jaguar, Rolls Royce, and Bentley are luxury cars to me. Is Mercedes Benz a luxury car? I guess so. I've been pretty spoiled. :)

yes people in their 30's drive 3 series-I have one. I guess I am the type of person that would say if it is your money then you should be able to get the car you want. If it is not then I guess MrX gets to make the decision. I am not married so I am the only income and can buy what I want, but if I do get married we will have our own separate bank accounts so I can do what I want with my $$$ and don't have to bother with MrX.

ETA: I love my 3 series. It is sporty, easy to handle and looks fantabulous when the top is down :).

Tom,

i actually got a 1.9% interest rate on my BMW (but paid for most of it with cash) and my insurance went up a small amount-but not too bad (and i have a convertible which is more expensive to insure)

Umm All of those are considered luxury cars with cars like the Rolls, the Bentley, the Mercedes Maybach, Volkswagen Phaeton, etc. considered extreme luxuries often had by people with money to pay for drivers.

Porsche makes a lower end boxster which is again, ridiculous. People buy it to say they have a Porsche but it's not what Porsche is. The same thing with the Jaguar X which starts out under 30.

And yes there is quite a bit wrong with financing something you don't need. Interest rates are not that low enough to justify it. It's the reason why so many Americans carry large levels of debt and live paycheck to paycheck. If you need a car, buy a car but if you want to be able to brag that you're part of a very select group of people make sure you really can afford it.

-Rudey
--I take public transport and the ladies love it.

Lol maybe so. But if both people are fair about where the money goes and don't put themselves in debt I don't think it would lead to divorce. But if one person is unfair and keeps being unfair I could see it as a possiblity.

Definitely is.

Working in the realm of family law, money (and where it goes) is a HUGE reason why many marriages don't work out. Working where I am will one day make me a very smart husband. It's like every day getting bombarded with what NOT to do in a relationship.

So what would be your solution? Let the wife get whatever she wants so there is no arguement about money? Even if it could lead to debt?

The husband obviously has no clue how to attack the situation. I would buy her a 10,000 dollar piece of jewelry from say tiffany. She would get all teary eyed and wouldn't know what was up. Then I would buy a small little car a day later that would cost say 10,000. Total that is 20,000 and is less than a BMW 5 series. She can't flip out because I got the necklace. I haven't tried this out and it could be a very costly mistake but I am thinking it's brilliant.

-Rudey

lol.

I like it. Sounds like a good idea to me.

that's pretty much what my boss did when he bought his boat.

It's not a question of "letting" me, um, I mean Mrs X have her 530i. Her name is on everything so if she wanted to she could access the money set aside for her new car, sell some stock or cash in a CD, be bop down to the BMW dealer and have her new baby in the driveway before Mr. X got home from work.

I think Mrs. X is looking at this from a "Is it worth it for me to keep nagging him to agree that we should get the 530 now? Or should I wait a year or so when we have the money in the car fund? Or should I just suck it up and get the 330 or something else in the 330 price range because I'm sick of the mom mobile I'm driving now? At least that's what Mrs. X tells me :)

AggieAXO, convertibles are cool no matter how much they cost!

Depends on the financial situation.

I'd go for a used one or we'd decide that we'd keep the car for a longer period of time than usual (like 6+ years).

The trouble I've seen is when neither party is willing to give any ground.

Well it all comes down to Mrs. X's vanity. If her life will be so bad to wait til the car fund built up or getting the 300 series now then go ahead and get it. I guess it would be better than spending 10,000 with a shrink to help Mrs. X not having the 500 series. How did Mrs. X get by all these years without one? :p

Nagging is never a good thing. If the old mom mobile still safe and working, I think that you could drive it for a little while longer until you have the entire amount for the 500 series. Are the 2005 cars in yet? Maybe you can wait and buy a 2004 when the dealers need to make room for the 2005. I think that they lower the price.

So I was just outside for a little while and saw quite a few BMW 500 driving by. They looked nice, and I thought about you, KilarneyRose, I mean Mrs. X and her dilemma. My dilemma is that I don't have a car at all. BTW, does Mr. X have a brother? ;)


Rudey, I take public transportation also, and it's fine by me. Most places I want to go are a few minutes away. I see your point about financing something that you don't need. I thought that the interest rate was still low enough to justify it. I know a few people who own luxury cars. Most of them paid for them in full.

Be happy you don't live in Potomac/Bethesda/Chevy Chase or the Joneses would be talking about it *ONLY* being a 5-series.

I agree that Mrs. X should wait until the car fund is enough for the 500 series. If Mr. X is being stingy on this decision that's his choice but this can be used as leverage by Mrs. X in the next big money decision discussion. Shouldn't going through childbirth and raising children earn you some extra triple bonus points sometimes?

Mrs. X didn't settle for second best when she married Mr. X. Why should she settle for second best when she gets a car?

Cars, = , ego symbols, and maybe even stupidity.:(

Have I ever driven Luxuary Cars?

Does E-Jag, Lincoln Continental, or Buick Riveria count?

Oh also VW's, Bug Eye Sprite, and a few others.

I feel good in anything that makes Me Feel Good and gets me to and fro.

Oh, and out of the damn garage and overly high inflated bills to stand over the fender!

A Divorce, know it well, but is fading! She always got the new cars!:(

If Mrs. X wants the 5-series, she needs to be willing to make some compromises, such as waiting a year until the X's have more cash on hand, or holding off on another purchase she'd really like to make.

Peaches-n-Cream's suggestion about buying a 2004 when dealers need to make room for the 2005's is a good one. My husband and I did that with our last car, and got a sweet deal with 0% financing. We can live with the fact that it had a lower blue book value from day one.

Alternatively, Mrs. X could make Mr. X drive around in the mom-mobile for a while... :p

lol. my bf said that.

Ain't THAT the truth.

I say KR, I mean Mrs. X coudl wait for 6 months. I am sure by then he will have softened and the funds will be closer to where they need to be w/out financing it.

Even though Mr. X knows Mrs. X wants it and woudl make her happy, theres a chance he coudl begin to resent the car and subcounciously Mrs X for makign him go against his wishes and having to finance it. Guys are all wierd like that.

Ya never know how that resentment thing will work out.
The construction company I worked for until a few months ago had this problem come up. The VP of Marketing was the owners wife. They were always bitching about needing to cut costs and that they didnt have enough $$ for Christmas bonuses, yet for christmas, the company bought her, in cash, a brand new Audi converttable. Employees were not pleased. We all enjoied watching her drive around in our christmas bonus.

It could be a polarizing issue. Tell Mrs. X to just let it go for now & keep driving the mommymobile. She'll win tons of points for just waiting a while.

Seriously? I hadn't really noticed an unusually high number of 7-series BMW's in that area. I go to Montgomery Mall every couple of weeks; isn't that in Bethesda?

I HAVE noticed that the folks in that area engage in Volvo worship. Couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting an XC (not that I swing dead cats; you know what I mean :) )

I guess its technically Bethesda, as in it is a Bethesda mailing address, but I'm thinking River Road Bethesda land of Prep Schools. I hear you on the volvo thing.

I agree with Lifesaver, nagging is never good, even if you win you lose. And men will secretly hate you a little for doing it.

You need to confront him and say directly: "I looked at both options and and I want the 5 series. We can afford the 5 series. I don't mind financing it. "

If he says no, you reply, well. Like I said, I want it, we can afford it. Get back to me when you think I can have it.

And then don't bring it up again. He'll get the point.

Part of the problem seems to be that its more important for Mrs X to be on par with the social expectations of the neighborhood.

This is very understandable if Mrs. X is not working and therefore the social side of everyday life is of a major importance.