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Lisa's |
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Write:
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While driving on Northern State Parkway today, I couldn’t help notice the car in front of me. It was a white, Chevrolet Caprice Classic, late 1970’s model. That should have been MY car, twenty years ago! I bought my first automobile, a light blue 1977 Chevy Nova, in 1986. I really wanted a white Caprice Classic, but a luxury car like that was a few hundred dollars out of my price range. I went to look at one for sale, anyway, just for the heck of it. When push came to shove, I didn’t have enough self-confidence to take it for a test drive. No, I just wasn’t worthy of being behind the wheel of a car like that. Not even a used, almost ten-year-old one. I told myself I was too small to handle the Caprice; I refused to be a petite girl with a big ego. The Nova was more my speed. And my size. I hadn’t seen an SUV yet; those were the days. When I saw that white Caprice Classic coasting along the highway today, it appeared a strange sight. Perhaps it was the fairly new, red, compact car riding neck in neck that accounted for the oddity. The round, bubble-like vehicles today emphasis the boxy, bony, appearances of their forefathers. I don’t see too many outdated cars on the road these days. Years ago, as a kid, I recall seeing the old klunkers wherever I went. Rust-buckets ware all around us, disabled on roadsides, smoking like chimneys. It was commonplace to see middle class families purchasing these cars. And not from dealers, but by For Sale by Owner in the local papers. No-one minded cleaning the cars inside and out. It was fun, and the cars were new again. New to us. If a neighbor bought a brand new car, it was a very big deal. Everyone in eyeball distance wanted to see it, sit in it, and if lucky, ride in it. New cars were special back then; they were precious status symbols of financial success. Boy, how things have changed! Nowadays, new and nearly new automobiles are all over the place. An average Joe or Joanie can walk into a dealership and purchase a $30,000.00 vehicle, just like that. And why not? Payments make it possible. Lease, buy, pay it off. What’s a little more debt? After all, it’s the American way. And Americans are learning early. I don’t see too many jalopies in college parking lots or on sites of entry-level jobs. How about bumper stickers slapped on the shiny gems that read: I don’t have a #$% to *@% in! Yeah, yeah, people say they buy new and nearly new cars to alleviate the fear of purchasing lemons and the fear of breaking down; they have no choice in the matter, it’s pure necessity. Hasn’t anyone heard of AAA? The issue I have with new cars is this: Once driven off the lot, they’re not new anymore; they automatically lose value. Therefore, when planning to buy or lease a car, make sure you relish the moments of starting the engine and pressing the gas pedal. Because after that, you are driving a used car. Here’s how to do it the right way: Have the dealer drive the car off the lot BEFORE you buy it. Then, tell him or her it is now a used vehicle, therefore, worth a few thousand less. Keep your eyes locked with the salesperson’s and enjoy the horrified expression. I am not begrudging others from buying and leasing new automobiles. Everyone deserves to do what they wish and makes them happy. I do, however, think that new cars, in general, are no longer rewards; they’ve become entitlements. If one is able to purchase a vehicle, resulting from a promotion, or due to saving money for the event, without putting financial strain on the family, that’s another story. College students and young adults employed at their first full-time jobs don’t need to get themselves in debt by driving cars they can’t afford. This will not give them prestige as it would have years ago. Struggling middle class families don’t need the headache of payments, either. People should not spend above their means just to have what so many others have. New cars just do not mean a thing anymore. I’m sure I’ll continue to see fancier, sleeker, and more expensive automobiles as time goes on. They’ll be taken for granted, of course. After all, why should anyone be nervous maneuvering a $50,000.00 SUV with $45,000.00 still owed? No big deal. And to think, I was worried about the Caprice.
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