[AlphaM911]

Made in Germany = unreliable.

Honda has been the best engine builder globally well before the late great LJK Setright pointed it out. Toyotas routinely exceed 300 K miles.

European "luxury" cars are for posing. Garbage.

To clarify: just because it's not listed doesn't make it the right choice. Check the chassis. If it says "Made in ____" and the country is Germany, Italy, UK, you've bought the wrong car.

Sell high before it breaks, buy a Honda or Toyota.

You're welcome.

You obviously are not a car person. Porsche has been in the top manufacturers in the JD Power & Associates Dependability. It's been #1 or top 3 in the JD Power & Associates Initial Quality.
The generalization of "all European" cars being unreliable shows your obvious lack of knowledge to any car enthusiast.

Posing? The Porsche GT4 has been named as the best car/best drivers car by many reviewers this year. The GT3/GT3RS has won the multiple awards as well.
Do you not know Porsche's racing roots?

By posing, did you mean the Lexus ISF's fake factory exhaust tips?

It's sometimes fun arguing with people who can make a point, but arguing with someone who clearly has no knowledge about the topic and pulling claims out their....is just pointless.

I've owned Porsches for years and also currently own(ed) multiple Acuras for almost 15 years. I've had more problems with my Acuras than my Porsches quality, electronically, and reliability-wise.
In fact, even after buying an Acura as my first car and owning 4 other Acuras since, I'm trading in my Acura MDX for a Porsche Macan S this summer.
Porsche is obviously on a whole other level in terms of luxury. Lexus, Acura, Infiniti, etc. don't even come close. They don't make anything that even comes close to the 7-series, S-class, A8, Panamera..

 

[HerrNano]

A favorite running route of mine takes me from the standard middle class homes I live in past a large, not so nice apartment complex. I have long noticed how the parking lot of the apartment complex has a disproportionate number of late model, expensive cars and trucks, while right across the road, the houses all have older cars in the driveways. The explanation I came to is that young people more eager to impress with a car live in the apartments, while older people with no desire to impress anyone live in the houses. Unless cars are a particular hobby or love, I would think that most people would eventually just learn the merits of buying a good quality car and running it to death before having to buy another.

 

[Drumguy]

I was just having a discussion with my pals over some beer and this topic came up.

Why do some people drive around in a fancy car but chose to live in the slums?

What is going on through their mind when they have no qualms about popping serious money on a nice car which could have been used instead as a downpayment on a nice home in a upscale area?

Also, why do people living in older affluent neighborhoods drive around in Camry's and Honda's when they clearly have the money.

Is this phenomena common worldwide or is it an Asian thing? I am living in South East Asia by the way.

The short answer is most people are dumb assess. I think older people realize that saving money is better than a new car when the one they own works while younger people do not have their priorities straight yet and are more concerned with impressing others by appearing to be successful.

 

[Harley90]

After having bunch of cars and houses, I'm now in the downsizing camp. 1 last year of school for the boy then looking to downsize to town homes, Atlanta and Charleston. The missus and I like both cities and have business and family in both. We converted to Toyotas after blowing money on cars for years, our cars are paid off, trouble free, still look good and are fun to drive, little problems.
The big house is a pain to upkeep, new roof, new hvac, paint, yard work, new driveway needed, just on and on.
We spend a lot of time on the road so headed toward a little luxury after the move.
Not a choice of cars or house but could have more in either direction if wanted.....just a balance was good for us.
So after all of that, buy what makes you happy,priorities change.

 

[zengineer]

There's really no making sense of it all, some people are just wired differently. An guy I know who has to be making 500k or more a year plus a healthy monthly car allowance finally traded his econobox sedan for a Buick of some sort. This week he had on a unique watch I didn't quite recognize... odd proprietary strap, maybe some AP or something I'm not in tune with...but then I got a better look, $35 Timex Ironman. I get it, he's not a watch guy but spring for a $150 Seiko or something. Brilliant guy, weird taste.

Yeah, I know, not really on topic, but the original puzzle is unsolvable.

 

[shnjb]

As someone who drives a cheap car and lives a big house, I sort of do wish that I had a nicer car.

But someone who owns a nice car they can't afford is no different from someone who owns a nice watch they can't afford.
In the end, people have different priorities.
Obviously it's smarter in general to spend less on depreciating "assets," if you can even call cars that, but it is also true that driving a Ferrari is quite exhilarating.

 

[Golder]

People live very different lives, and have very different priorities, and this leads to very different decision making.

There are probably some trends that are common among these different groups bad house/good car vs good house/bad car.

Bad House/Good Car - I think most of these folks don't have kids. It would be difficult for most folks to compromise on the living conditions of their children while spending money on a very nice car. However there are plenty folks with no kids that do not mind very modest living accommodations. This then free's up some of their cash, and since we are human we want to spend money on things that make us feel good. Very nice cars can make people feel good. When they are driving around in their corvette, no one that sees them may know they live in a place that some may find embarrassing. They can drive around thinking "I am awesome, and all these people looking at my car think I'm awesome." A very nice house is a much higher expense to get this feeling, and also you only get it when you invite people to your house, not every day when you get in your car.

Good House/Bad Car - Trend is flipped for kids. For the typical family in the USA the "right neighborhood" is important. Often the right neighborhood comes with the right schools, the right neighbors, the right friends for your kids. Americans will spend an amazingly high percentage of their income to get the house they want because it comes with these other things. This contributed to the housing bubble and crisis of ~2008, it didn't matter how high prices got, people picked the neighborhood/house level they wanted, and they would pay whatever it took to live there even if it completely destroyed their finances. This is still a fundamental problem with housing in the USA, I'm not sure it will ever stop being this way. Spend every penny you have on your house and there is not much left for cars. This is probably some portion of the good house/bad car crowd. The rest is probably folks that understand the depreciating asset issue. At least a percentage of the money spent on an expensive house is an investment (you do not get your high real estate taxes back), however every penny you spend on a car is truly a penny spent. You don't get it back. People that understand this and are savers don't want to spend money on a nice car. For these people money in the bank gives them better happiness return than money spent on a car.

Very interesting thing happened with a family that lives down the street from me recently, upper middle class, guy is in sales, wife is a nurse, two kids, plenty comfortable but not rich. They had a for sale sign in front of their house but then a month later it went away. They told us they had their eye on an upgrade house, however when it came time to finance and they actually figured out exactly what their payment would be they decided they couldn't afford it. Two months later a brand new white corvette showed up in his driveway. People want things to help them be happy . . . .

 

[TheWalrus]

 

[TheWalrus]

In case it wasn't obvious - I'd take a small house and a nice car over a big house and a regular car any day.

A 'big house' is luxury too. i don't intend on having more than one or two kids. I don't need a big house - in fact it's wasteful when you consider how much extra a large house costs to maintain and heat and clean. Give me a modest house (in a decent area), with a reasonable yard... or heck - even a nice townhouse or larger condo plus a couple cars I actually enjoy driving any day.

 

[tzakiel]

Cars depreciate. House appreciate.

I wish I could agree. Currently sitting on a condo worth $290k that I paid $365k for in 2006.

 

[Toothbras]

I like my Honda. Would drive it even if I was super loaded.

 

[Heinz]

"You can live in your car, but you can't drive your house"

 

[nevada1995]

Cars are a horrible investment and big homes are a money pit. Neither is the right choice. Live within your means.

 

[Al Garete]

In general I prefer to keep my mouth shut on these types of questions, but I can't help but notice the conflation of "Big house = luxury/fancy." They are not equal concepts.

Back in the States, where we will retire, I drive a sensible car, and my wife and I live in the best quality house we could afford when we bought.

 

[AlphaM911]

In general I prefer to keep my mouth shut on these types of questions, but I can't help but notice the conflation of "Big house = luxury/fancy." They are not equal concepts.

Back in the States, where we will retire, I drive a sensible car, and my wife and I live in the best quality house we could afford when we bought.

I completely agree. More likely than not I pay more for rent in my 1 bedroom apartment in Manhattan than some amazing 4,000+ sq ft. 4-5 bedroom houses in Texas or Atlanta for example.

 

[zengineer]

I like my Honda. Would drive it even if I was super loaded.

Please don't drink and drive.

 

[Micro]

I chose a house and a car that are within my means and fits my needs, leaving me with enough discretionary funds to enjoy life.

 

[TheWalrus]

I completely agree. More likely than not I pay more for rent in my 1 bedroom apartment in Manhattan than some amazing 4,000+ sq ft. 4-5 bedroom houses in Texas or Atlanta for example.

That doesn't follow. There's a legitimate presumption in this discussion that we're discussing similar properties in similar locations - in which case more space is definitely a luxury. ie. you'll pay more for a 2 bedroom apartment in Manhattan and a 5000+ square foot house in Texas.

 

[bonero]

Old car and new apartment
I owe an VW T2 and love it a lot!!

Since January I'm also living with my family at Pompano Beach in Florida! It is such an amazing lifestyle! I love it here! The sun is shining most of the time, I go for a run like every morning! I could write you a very long entry about what I love but better just read for yourself on http://sabbiabeachcondos.com/lifestyle/
No winter any more

 

[seiko_1]

it is all about priorities, i love big houses and also love fancy cars but if i'm to choose one, then i will go with the big... that is comfort for the whole family