When are you too old?

[DCIV]

To drive something like a wrx? We are all getting older and making money to be able to buy and daily nicer wrx (or similar factory ricer cars). But when you picture yourself in one for some reason I just feel like a wanna be kid. In return take that same amount and look at bmw’s or merc. Something you look more established or an actual grown up.

Thoughts?


Coop

[aaronatstate]

I wanted my Focus RS more than any BMW or Mercedes.

I got my RS when I was 34, and I'll be 38 next year and would still buy the RS again if I was in the market (and they were still sold new).

Guy from our Denver HQ was here last week. I had to chauffeur him around in the RS, because there were no rental cars to be had at the airport for whatever reason. His fun car, is a 2016 Cayman GT4 with about 25k in upgrades to it (suspension, intake, exhaust, tune), and he loved my RS.

Basically I don't give 2 shits about what my car "says" about me. I want something that I enjoy driving, and meets most of my needs.

[Duck Vader]

This.

Just get what you want. Who the fuck cares what other people think? Do what makes you happy.

[vr4]

You're never too old to make bad decisions

[Jeff V.]

It's not so much an age thing as a perception thing, but I bought my Corvette in spite of the stereotypes and the aging boomer community that surrounds it. If people want to associate me with that, then that's their problem. Not mine.

[DCIV]

I’ve always loved wrx…to me a 4 door sports car are hard to come by and then a decent price.

Had one pull out infront of me this morning. In the escape. I thought, ass hole, then he took off hard. So I tried my best to keep up in the escape. It’s just no contest. It’s curvy roads and most people can’t drive them fast. I’ve been driving them fast since I was 15. Well, 70mph and he was still pulling on me. Which is fine!!! It’s expected. But made me want one again. But I just feel like I’m that old guy who should have a more respectable car. I wish they had a less annoying exhaust but then a cut out for sport mode. It’s not the loudness. It’s just annoying.

I don’t know.


Coop

[Chris GTO TT]

I was all set to buy a brand new 2021 STi and then made the horrendous decision to wait for the 2022 :d oh: I was 37 then don't care about the stigma.

[aaronatstate]

[quote=""DCIV""]I’ve always loved wrx…to me a 4 door sports car are hard to come by and then a decent price.

Had one pull out infront of me this morning. In the escape. I thought, ass hole, then he took off hard. So I tried my best to keep up in the escape. It’s just no contest. It’s curvy roads and most people can’t drive them fast. I’ve been driving them fast since I was 15. Well, 70mph and he was still pulling on me. Which is fine!!! It’s expected. But made me want one again. But I just feel like I’m that old guy who should have a more respectable car. I wish they had a less annoying exhaust but then a cut out for sport mode. It’s not the loudness. It’s just annoying.

I don’t know.


Coop[/quote]

Again, who cares what other people think?

Back when Michael Schumacher was still racing in F1, his daily driver was a Fiat 500 Abarth. Arguably the best F1 driver of all time, drove a Fiat 500. He could have had any car in the world, and he drove a Fiat 500.

If you want a fun, sporty 4 door car, that isn't terrible expensive, get an Honda Civic Type R, a VW GTi or R, or a Corolla GR. Or get a use STi, RS, or something along those lines. If you can make do with an Escape, you can make do with one of those, as the Escape is more or less a lifted Focus anyway. All of them can be had for significantly less than an equivalent BMW or Mercedes.

If you think you need a BMW or Mercedes to have a respectable car, all you really care about is the image of owning one of those, and what "status" other people think you have. I know I personally don't think people who daily drive BMWs or Mercedes have a more respectable car. I just think they overpaid for something that will end up giving them a lot of maintenance headaches down the road.

[Jeff V.]

A Fiat 500, and this.



https://supercarnostalgia.com/blog/buga ... schumacher

[alienviking]

Sadly - depending on your job you do have to at times care what other people think. Beth would definitely have been judged on both her car and how she dressed in her former jobs. Not so much now though since it is in a far different field of work. The exec level is a bit different I have come to learn haha.

For myself.. I don't care what people think but I am definitely far past where I am willing to sacrifice performance for comfort and/or practicality in my daily car. For a secondary car - that is a different story.

[alienviking]

Also - Schumacher was not the greatest F1 driver of all time

[aaronatstate]

[quote=""Jeff V.""]A Fiat 500, and this.



https://supercarnostalgia.com/blog/buga ... schumacher[/quote]

Well yeah, he had plenty of other amazing cars. Just his daily was a Fiat500

[quote=""alienviking""]Also - Schumacher was not the greatest F1 driver of all time [/quote]

I did say arguably

[vr4]

Word is the 500 abarth is incredibly fun

[aaronatstate]

[quote=""vr4""]Word is the 500 abarth is incredibly fun[/quote]

Yeah I've heard that too, and I think they even talked about it on Top Gear when Schumacher said he drove one.

[DCIV]

[quote=""alienviking""]Sadly - depending on your job you do have to at times care what other people think. Beth would definitely have been judged on both her car and how she dressed in her former jobs. Not so much now though since it is in a far different field of work. The exec level is a bit different I have come to learn haha.

For myself.. I don't care what people think but I am definitely far past where I am willing to sacrifice performance for comfort and/or practicality in my daily car. For a secondary car - that is a different story.[/quote]

This is true. My dad would always make sure he had American vehicle as he was selling stuff to Americans and they notice. Coaching I wanted a nice car but not nicer than the parents. So it does play into things.

I do and don’t care what other think…but if I see a 50yr old driving a wrx (paul) I’m gonna think a certain way vs if I see a 30yr old driving one. Same with other cars. I don’t think bad about them, just think of them as different than if they got out of a suv or truck. We all do.


Coop

[Jeff V.]

I get it. There was a point where I really didn't want to take either of my Corvettes to work. I didn't want people to think I was flaunting it or something.

Then I realized that's their problem. Not mine.

[ChargerX3]

[quote=""vr4""]Word is the 500 abarth is incredibly fun[/quote]

I test drove one. Its tighter than my Cappuccino and wasn't any faster.

[alienviking]

[quote=""Jeff V.""]I get it. There was a point where I really didn't want to take either of my Corvettes to work. I didn't want people to think I was flaunting it or something.

Then I realized that's their problem. Not mine.[/quote]

So that wasn't her problem. She was the only female leadership in a very male dominated and chauvinistic field (heck the only other women were executive assistants) so she had to "live up to the standards" to be taken seriously. Sucks that some fields still are like that but.. such is life.

Funny to me - here at my company the upper leadership tends to drive trucks hah. That is construction for you. The President/CEO just traded his Merc S500 in on a Wrangler though. That made me chuckle a bit (he also has a HD truck to pull his horses).

[aaronatstate]

[quote=""alienviking""]The President/CEO just traded his Merc S500 in on a Wrangler though. That made me chuckle a bit (he also has a HD truck to pull his horses).[/quote]

So it won't be long before you have the exact same fleet he does

[alienviking]

[quote=""ChargerX3""]I test drove one. Its tighter than my Cappuccino and wasn't any faster.[/quote]

Except for being 2.3 seconds faster to 60, 4 seconds faster 1/4 mile, 31 mph faster top speed