You’re Worth It! Everyone Deserves A Nice Car

How sexy is this parking job? Love my Rhino

Everyone deserves a nice car. If you've been saving and diligently for years, then a nice car you should get!

After analyzing the safest cars on the road and researching the best mid-life crisis cars to buy, I've finally come to a decision on what to get next. For almost three years, I've been driving a Honda Fit to weave my way around Bay Area traffic. The $235/month business lease is almost over, and it's time to move on. I'm turning 40 this June, and gosh darn it, I think I deserve to drive something nicer!

Given I've spent my whole life being frugal, it's been extremely hard to spend more than $20,000 on a car. It just feels dumb when my car will just sit in the garage for 23 hours a day on average. Further, cheap ride sharing options are everywhere. What used to cost $25 to go downtown via taxi from the western side of San Francisco now costs only $6 through Lyft line!

To help overcome my frugality, I asked three folks with nice vehicles to share their perspective. For those who are also suffering from frugality disease due to an intense desire to never have to work for anybody again, I think you'll find this post to be incredibly insightful.

How To Feel Good Spending Lots Of Money

Let's say you want to spend lots of money on a nice car. But you don't want to feel guilty. Here are some examples of how to do so.

1) Henrique, 26, $8,000 net worth, $48,000 salary, drives a 2016 $72,000 BMW M4

Hey Sam! Cars are more than just going from point A to point B for me. It's a lifestyle brother! Whenever I pull up to the club in my pearl white M4 with black tint I feel woke! The ladies turn their heads to see who's driving because they all want to talk to me once I'm inside. The guys ogle even more because I got the freshest rims and the slickest aftermarket lights.

When I could only afford a beat up Toyota Corolla life was hella boring. Now I feel like a confident man. When you have confidence, everything gets better. I feel like a million bucks driving my M4 for only $985/month. That's a great deal to me!

BMW M4

2) Lacy, 29, $150,000 net worth, $130,000 salary, drives a $81,000 2017 Porsche Boxster S 718

I just love convertibles. It's sunshine all the time in California so why not? Before coming to Newport Beach, I worked in dreary Washington D.C. for six years and took the subway everywhere. Hated it! I don't know why anybody would willing stay on the East Coast if they knew how awesome it is out west. For those six years, I patiently saved my pennies. When the new Boxster S 718 came out, I just had to have it. It's a dream car that handles better than the 991, for less!

I'm determined to live my 30s the way I want. Not only did I leave my old job for a new one with better pay and benefits, I also left a guy that I thought was the one. Turns out he was a scumbag. I work hard at my asset management job. I max out my 401k. My parents only live a 1.5-hour drive away so I'm saving money on flights. I see no problem living it up a little.

Porsche Boxster 718 S

3) Sanjay, 45, $3,000,000 net worth, $600,000 salary, drives a $199,000 Mercedes Benz S600 Maybach

Sam, I fully admit I'm in full on mid-life crisis mode! My hair is thinning, my stomach is growing, and my wife made me get a vasectomy before we divorced! I hate her. But, I love our kids. But, I still hate her. Is that weird?

When you get to my age, you start wondering what's it all for? I've been in the business for over 20 years now as a Group Vice President. I'm a multi-millionaire, even after my divorce.

Thus, I should be able to buy whatever the hell I want! I have good friends who've passed away because of cancer before their 50th birthday. And I know all about your views on Stealth Wealth, but dude, that's what blackout tinted windows are for.

Oh, and one more thing. When I turn on the ambient lighting in the Maybach, it's game over! No woman can resist. There's no better family car for a 44-year-old executive than what I'm rolling in now.

Mercedes S-Class S600 Maybach
Mercedes S600 Ambient Lighting
How can anybody not get in the mood with ambient lighting?

Time To Live It Up!

It's helpful to listen to other people's reasons for why they spent so much on a depreciating asset. Perhaps it's because I've been trained so long to only invest in potentially appreciating assets that spending a lot of money on a car just feels so wrong.

But I plan to start a family so it's all about safety first, second, and third. The key for any middle-aged family man is to find that one vehicle that combines safety, fun, looks, and performance all in one. Given I live in sunny San Francisco, I've obviously got to have a convertible. But I can't get no dinky two-seater because I've got to get one large enough for the kids!

OK folks, are you ready to judge?!

I've decided to put down a $25,000 deposit for the 2018 Mercedes G650 Maybach arriving this fall! Not only is it a tank, it also has a convertible section in the back to soak up the rays.

Now that global warming is over, I plan to go up to my place in Lake Tahoe all the time now. We've got a record 600 inches of snowfall in Squaw Valley this year! So sick.

Financial Samurai G650 Maybach Exterior
Financial Samurai G650 Maybach Interior
How baller is this back seat for the kids?

The funny thing about the G650 Maybach is that I actually owned the G500 version of it way back in 2002 when I was 24. It was one of my largest financial mistakes since I sold it a year later for a ~$16,000 loss because it was too tall to fit in the condo garage I wanted to buy! The body hasn't changed since it first began production in 1979.

I'm kind of embarrassed to admit the purchase price of the G650, but here goes nothing. This limited edition vehicle, which can certainly become a collector's item that appreciates in value one day, will cost me $520,000.

I know some of you are now unsubscribing because that's just a ridiculous sum of money to spend on a vehicle. But hear me out on why I think I deserve this vehicle besides the fact that it's safe and good for the mountains.

Why I Deserve A Nice Car!

  • I purposefully went to William & Mary, a public university that cost $2,800 a year in tuition instead of attending a private university that cost $25,000+ a year in tuition at the time. That was a $100,000+ savings.
  • I'm no longer going to buy another property in Honolulu or San Francisco due to additional maintenance headaches and property taxes. Instead, I plan to continue paying down my mortgages after paying off one rental mortgage in 2015. It feels so good to have less debt and a simpler life.
  • From 2005 – 2012 I drove a used Land Rover I bought for $8,000. From 2012 – now, my business has only had to pay $165/month after deduction for my Honda Fit. This means that for the past 12 years I've driven a much cheaper vehicle than I can afford. All I wanted to do was invest in the bull market!
  • I successfully negotiated a severance package that may or may not be equal to more than the value of the G650 Maybach. If I had quit, I would have got zilch. The severance feels like free money that should be spent however I wish. There's something to be said for proper planning and negotiating.
  • A $60,000 private equity investment I made in 2007 is finally making a profit after the company was sold earlier this year. It's not a big windfall as I'll share with you in a future post. But it's certainly more than the $0 I thought I was going to get since it's been so long!
  • A Financial Samurai post went aggressively viral, bringing me a respectable five-figure revenue windfall in one week as a result. How many people can say they were a “Twitter Moment” for three days in a row? That's Big Time Blogger (BTB) status. My English teacher would be so proud!
  • I'll be paying over $50,000 in income taxes on top of over $50,000 in property taxes for 2016 as an early retiree. It kinda makes me ill seeing the amount spelled out like that, but I feel proud to help contribute to the greater good of this country.
  • More than 12 people have already privately written in saying that some post I wrote in the past has helped improve their finances for the better. Making a difference in 12 people's lives was one of my goals for the entire year. At the end of the day, helping others while providing some entertainment is what blogging is all about.

So there you have it. If you want to still judge me for my purchase, so be it. But I feel that after all this saving, investing, planning, and writing, I deserve to finally drive a luxury vehicle.

The main thing I kept on going back to is whether I could live with myself if my family got injured in a car accident because I wasn't willing to pony up for a larger, more expensive vehicle. The answer was always no.

Money is meant to be spent, otherwise, what's the point of working so hard? Now to find me a tinted window shop to keep up the stealth!

Related: The 1/10th Rule For Car Buying Everyone Must Follow

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128 thoughts on “You’re Worth It! Everyone Deserves A Nice Car”

  1. Car enthusiast

    FS. You only live once. If you don’t care for cars and only see a car like a transportation appliance, just like a fridge is a cooling appliance, then go for a used well maintained Camry or the likes and you will be fine. Affordable to own, safe (You have a family, priceless!) reasonably comfortable, not expensive and it gets you from point A to B and nobody knows you are rich. Or maybe a nice used (hybrid) SUV of family prefers that. This really won’t break your bank. I have spent more on my car than you would advice in your blogs, but I enjoy driving my new car. And even though it has been almost 2 years now, it still smells like new, because I keep it like new, borderline insane. And I don’t just use for for driving from-to work (apart from Corona, now I temp work from home), but I also go out just for a joy ride, get an ice cream or coffee somewhere and drive back. I enjoy this. I don’t smoke, drink, have fancy clothes, don’t care for luxury furniture or have an overly expensive home, so why someone cannot have a hobby one can afford? Death can come unexpected, I have seen that with one of my uncles who became quite rich later on in his life but only enjoyed it for a very little time. How sad! If you like something (car, boat, motor cycle, whatever) and it is affordable well within your means (Important!) then go for it. It is good to be financially well off, great for your kids but you can’t take your wealth into your grave. Enjoy, but enjoy responsibly. Because when it is time to go, it is time to go without delay!

    1. Sure, sounds good. YOLO right?

      But how do you define affordable? What is your metric? I’m always open to hearing what other people think in the personal finance realm.

      I’ve been driving my 2015 Range Rover Sport since December 2016 and it’s been a great ride. Nice to have a bigger car for family too versus my Honda Fit.

      1. Car enthusiast says

        FS. The definition of affordable is not clear cut, I totally understand. But let’s take a look at it from this stand point: You have an excellent retirement plan from your employer, you have a 15 year mortgage (not 30), you have 6 months worth living expenses in the bank and you have a solid health savings account. You have no credit card debt or student loans. This won’t make you a millionaire, but for sure you will be reasonably well of. Now if driving a nice car is something you really enjoy, then I don’t see anything wrong in spending a little extra if you are going to enjoy every ride for the next many years to come. Look, our handy man whom we have known for over 10 years, was always living frugal. Then one day, he bought a Dodge Charger. He said that this was his dream car. Within a year he got cancer and last week, he died. How sad! He barely enjoyed his purchase. You can’t take your money with you when the Higher Authority thinks your time is up. I once needed an MRI for a standard procedure, but I did not know how to read the medical report. The MRI was “tested” against couple of neurological diseases, but the way the report was written, it looked like the conclusion was that I had MS. I felt my life was completely up side down. After I frantic call to the office I learned the truth that I was fine. No disease. I can tell you that my perspective on life and money has changed quite a bit after that experience. My advice: Safe as well as spend both within REASON. Life is short.

  2. Phil @ PhilanthroCapitalist

    I find it hilarious that people would actually threaten to stop reading your blog over something so trivial.

    “You have the money to buy an expensive car, and now you’re going to buy an expensive car!? Looks like all that advice you gave me about my 401k is bullshit now.”

    If you wanted to waste half a mil on a funny-looking car, go ahead. I still wake up in the morning LOL.

  3. My $220k Mercedes SLS actually costs me less to own that your Honda fit lease. I bought a 2012 model a year ago for about $150k cash and it’s still worth the same amount I paid for it, probably even a little more. SLS prices bottomed out around 2014 and have increased between 10% to 20% since then. Appreciation rate slowed a bit this year but they have showed no sign of going down in price.

    If you play your cards right, you can drive an awesome car and make money on it, or worst case, not lose too much.

  4. Arm The Lawyers

    Bro, you’re having a midlife crisis and this car won’t help you solve the underlying issue. But it’ll feel good for a year, so there you go, enjoy.

    Your case studies are a mixed bag. #1 is just a plain trainwreck, #2 not very smart, but – good for her! sounds like she knows how to have fun, #3 sounds a bit like you, financially, actually, but… hates his wife? hope you’re not in that kind of crisis, it must be horrible.

    Here’s my take on what “living it up” by buying a car that feels nicer than your house, in which you hopefully spend more time, accomplishes:

    1. Jolt of joy. We all like buying shiny new things. This joy is not durable, though.
    2. Signaling wealth, in general. If you feel like you need this, your money will probably be better spent on talking to a qualified clinical psychologist.
    3. Getting girls. Yes, it absolutely works, and anyone saying otherwise is lying. It has very limited utility if you’re in a stable and satisfying relationship already. If you’re single, the kind of girls this will attract… well, not the best kind for your long-term well-being. Fun for a short time though.
    4. Self confidence. This is tricky, because long term this will ruin your self-confidence because you’ll depend on this thing, externalizing your self-worth. This happens all the time. Women identify with their beauty or youth, men with their wealth or strength. Or Mazerati. When it goes away, so does self-confidence. Henrique, 26, $8,000 net worth, will do much better if he works on his self perception. If he respects himself a little more, he’ll get the girl, get the job, won’t spend $985/month on a pretty piece of tin, and still will feel like a million bucks. Best of all, he’ll get the right girl, the right job, and this feeling will stay with him regardless of what happens. Continue on the current path, and he’ll probably be pretty miserable when his girl dumps him because he can’t afford a {vaction, nice place, diamond ring}, or when his car gets repossessed because he definitely lives above his means.

    When I got ~150k salary, I bought a used Toyota for $12k. Next time I already earned ~300k and I bought… a new Subaru. For $30k. A practical kind, not a BRZ. A few times I was contemplating “living it up” (I can easily afford a nice Audi or Tesla, and not have to take out a loan), and looking back – it was always during a time of personal crisis that I thought it could improve my quality of life.

    So, my friend, it sounds to me like you’re in a minor crisis, whether you want to admit it or not. Hope this jolt of joy will help you go through the pain of resolving your crisis a bit easier.

  5. Marcus Verderer

    Don’t be so harsh,
    I know of one guy who drives one of those, Mesut Ozil the footballer currently negotiating a $450,000 USD a week salary with current club Arsenal. SO yes I’m sure Mr Ozil will agree with Rearden

  6. I see a lot of young kids driving around in $70,000 cars similar to Henrique. I always wonder how they can afford it. I always chalk it up to them having rich parents. I am saving for a nice used 2012 911S, but will be giving my M3 to my son. Congratulations on your new purchase!

  7. I read your article many years ago, about your car being 2% of your salary. That wisdom kept me grounded for a long time.

    Stats:
    Age 29, Networth $370K, Salary $210K, Drives 2010 Used Prius $10K

  8. This is an April Fool’s joke, right? Just about the dumbest purchase ever, and horrible advice for anyone other than the Sanjays of the world. Anyone with less than $1M net worth should be trying to use all their cash to fund an early retirement, so they can use their most precious asset – time – on the people they love and the things they love doing. Driving a “baller” car may seem cool, but it’s only cool to shallow people who will just want to spend your money, suck you dry, and leave you broke. To anyone who actually takes this advice I wish you luck.

    1. carsaregood

      What if you want to spend your time enjoying driving a car that brings you joy? Should you not be spending money on hobbies? Are you supposed to hate your life while stashing away for old age?

      I’m sure there are plenty of things you spend money on that I’d think are dumb, too. ;)

  9. Nice! Once you have gamed out all the consequences, and are sure you won’t later regret blowing this money, go for it.

    I paid off our mortgage just before my wife’s 50th birthday 3 years ago; we already have kind of too much in a college 529 for our 6th-grader ($350K); we have enough in IRA/401(k) plus taxable accounts ($4.5M total liquid) that we could live on 3-4% without invading principal; and total net worth is just over $6M.

    So 2 years ago I bought a BMW M6 4-door with cash ($135K MSRP but I paid $120K before sales tax). We picked it up in Munich and wrapped a family driving vacation into the experience. It is awesome, and I keep cars for a long time (I bought my first for cash at age 40 and kept it for 11 years, and the M6 is my second car). I am a car guy, so I was buying it for my own pleasure, not because other people like it or care. (In fact, people don’t usually recognize how super fast this dark blue sedan is. It is kind of stealthy.) So this car is the one reward I allow myself.

    I didn’t want to be the guy who says — or of whom people say — “Boy, looking back, that M6 was too much.” So I made sure all my other finance boxes were checked, as explained above. You have all those boxes checked, so go for it!

    1. OK! You were kidding. I just figured your income from this blog (undisclosed) was higher than I pictured. But I wasn’t! I even followed your 1/10 rule. You do need a new car with a kid, just maybe not the Crazy G.

  10. Hi Sam,

    A little late to the party on this one but your output has been legendary this year so I’m behind a post or two!

    The three examples listed above were easily identified as sarcasm and the Mercedes jeep is ridiculous, but part of me was happy for you to get a safer vehicle. Either way, I’m even happier to see it was an AFD post that you had me fooled :)

    Take care,

    Alan

  11. I can’t imagine the amount of wealth someone would need to justify a $500k car. I know this is a joke, but I think someone like you would rather invest that in real estate than a car!

    Personally, my dream car is that new Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan. Holds all the cargo and people and gets great gas mileage! Although at 60K, I’ll be waiting a few years for a used lease-return before pulling that trigger.

    1. I absolutely would rather invest in something like real estate or stocks to potentially make more money, than buy a car. It’s how I’ve felt for so long, and what I’ve done. But now, at almost age 40, with the real estate market slowing and the stock market getting pricey, I’m no longer inclined to invest. I’m inclined to live it up!

      It’s actually pretty good timing.

    2. “my dream car is that new Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan.”

      Some things we will only hear once in our entire lives.

  12. Sam,

    Since the G650 is not available in the United States, I’m afraid I sniffed out your joke then.

    As a car guy, I was hoping you would finally let your hair down a bit. With your business income a significant lease would not be harmful to your finances IMO.

  13. Despite AFD joke or not. If life is good, you made it, enjoy it and live alittle. Nothing last forever! You don’t really have to justify your BIG purchase to anyone. Besides,
    what’s the use of having FU money if you can’t say FU

  14. I read this days after AFD, not realizing it was posted on that day. It was like the most incredulous thing I thought you’d write….I mean “sunny San Francisco”??? But then realized it was fake when said you’d for go buying a Hawaii property. No a chance in hell that was going to happen

  15. My blood pressure continued to rise as I read this. Higher, higher, higher until I read the words “Happy April Fools!” at the end. Great piece Sam.

  16. Vancouver Brit

    Wow, reading this days after April Fools, I was about to come here and seriously question your judgment until I read the other comments. Glad it’s a joke, that thing for half a million is insane!

    And I have to say, who is Enrique kidding saying $1,000 a month for that car is worth it, only for his confidence? He earns $48,000 a year, so probably less than $40,000 after tax, and hes blowing $12,000 a year on something he’ll never own (excluding gas, insurance, parking etc.)? That car costs almost twice his net salary, probably above that once you add all other costs of car ownership. I’m sure the ladies will quickly see he is actually abhorrently poor after getting to know him.

    At least the other two examples are high earners/net worth individuals.

    1. There are many, MANY Henriques I’ve encountered over the years who justify their massive purchases, relative to their income and net worth. In 10 years, things many not look so good. The joy of the car fades, the opportunity cost of lost investments mount, and there’s often times a look back, asking whether it was all worth it.

      But it takes time to realize our mistakes. Can’t tell anybody to do anything they don’t want.

  17. Hi Sam!

    This article made me think that I should share my experience. It may help someone who is in a bind as I was to make the correct decision and learn from my mistake.

    A few months ago, my Scion TC that I had bought as a rebuilt title back in 2013 died on me early January 2017. I had just driven it up from Florida to Chicago, the car made the journey just fine which is the silver lining of the story, the sad part is that the engine blew as I was on the 290 highway in 10 degree weather a couple of days after I had arrived in Illinois.

    I had been dealing with less than able mechanics who charged me an arm and a leg to perform subpar maintenance on my car. Before I made my trip, I took my car to the mechanic to have the water pump replaced and antifreeze coolant placed into the car in preparation for the artic temperatures I would be driving in. Instead, the water pump was installed incorrectly and the coolant was not anti freeze. This wasn’t the first time I’d received terrible service from so called “mechanics” and as a result, my engine blew since the coolant was frozen and wasn’t circulating to cool my car’s engine properly.

    This led me to think that I should get a new car, to avoid having to go to any third party mechanic anymore since I was tired of getting ripped off. Just when I thought I was done getting ripped off…

    I ended up paying 29,000 dollars for a 2016 Nissan Sentra that was worth 11,000 dollars as soon as I drove it off the lot… talk about the mother of all rip offs. Since I wasn’t in the correct state of mind, I allowed the 0% interest for the life of the loan cloud my judgment and think that the car was a good deal. My wife and I have very good credit and the salesman told us that we wouldn’t have to pay a cent in interest charges.

    Unfortunately, I realized after that all the interest charges were simply added to the sticker price of the car, with an MSRP of 19,000 dollars for a 2016 Nissan Sentra (over budgeting, it’s actually a bit less), the other 10,000 that they ended up charging me for the “features” of the car (heated seats, rear view camera, and remote start) were simply hidden fees. It’s easy for a salesman to tell you that you’ll have 0% interest on your loan if the price of the financing is already included in the inflated sale price of the car.

    The moral of the story being, don’t believe anything that people tell you. Do your own research, use Kelly Blue Book and Google, Auto Trader, anything to gain the informational advantage on those that are trying to take advantage of you in your panicked state of mind. Also, be present, don’t get upset when life punches you in the face, take the hit and prepare to hit back even harder.

    I’m currently stuck paying 29000 dollars on a car that is worth 11,000… but don’t let this happen to you. Take heed of my warning, be present, see the opportunity rather than the

    1. (cont) negative situation. If I was going to end up paying 29000 dollars for a car, I wish I had purchased a used Subaru BRZ, or a Mustang, or anything that would’ve given my car enthusiast self some validation… But you live and learn, this, hopefully, will never happen to me again.

      1. Never discuss financing and price together.
        Just say wait it’s to confusing (they already assume you’re an idiot)
        Get the price as low as you can and walk away if it’s not what you want to pay…
        The. Talk financing or just pay cash.

        1. I realize that now. I also realize that if you’re going to get yourself into a new car, the best possible option is to find a car that depreciates less than other cars in the market. Aka Subarus or Jeeps.

          Or, if depreciation is inevitable, find a car that will satisfy another one of your criteria, say if you’re a car enthusiast and you appreciate performance as a measure of value.

  18. April 1st? I’m a bit late to the post so you got me there for a second. Wow, that ridiculous Mercedes is expensive.

  19. I remember reading this post on Saturday and thinking: “Wow, if even Sam can (eventually) succumb to such temptation, what chance to the rest of us have?” I’ll admit that I have gave my ’05 Lexus LS with a 150K miles a contemptuous glance on Saturday afternoon and daydreamed (for a moment) about a new M5…

    Great post!

  20. I know this is an April Fools post, but hear me out!

    If you play your cards right, Sam, you could buy a sweet ride that APPRECIATES! I have a sweet weekend ride that has gone up a crazy amount from an investment stand point since I purchased it. I’ll give further details below, but let me answer your question. If this car brings you joy and happiness, I say go for it. You can clearly afford it. Buying this one thing won’t magically flip your entire lifestyle and send you on a crazy spending spree that leaves you broke. I think thats the great thing about your followers as well. I am crazy when it comes to budgets and managing my money, investing and saving for the future and early retirement, I’ve just managed to work my car into that because a) i plan on having it then, and b) i have a strong passion for cars, they come next after my family as my main hobby and interest.

    Now, here you go:
    T, 32, $245,000 net worth, $145,000 salary, commutes in a 2010 Corolla S, weekend/nice day car 1993 Toyota Supra Turbo Targa.

    I bought the car for 27k back in 2014. It’s a clean, low mileage car in almost mint condition with 109k miles. The going rate for them now is upwards of 40-45k (do a few checks for yourself!). I get more attention in this car than some exotics. It has a cult following from everyone who loved the Fast and the Furious movies! Constantly getting people beeping, thumbs up, pictures, and people just wanting to come up and talk to me and see it!

    My salary has jumped fairly big over a few promotions from where I started at 52k back in ’08. Currently have 0 debt minus our mortgage, and 2 maxed out pre-tax 401ks, plus saving on the side for both us (12% of after tax dollars) and children’s college funds (10% of after tax dollars). I have a very strict budget for car related items, but as you can see, it’s actually an investment for me!

    If done properly, you can have your cake and eat it too!

    1. Congratulations on your super sweet ride. I aim to be like you, but I have to learn to be more methodical and less impulsive.

  21. Charles Sarahan II

    April Fool’s joke or not, Sam you can do with your money as you wish. It is all a matter of balance. I have no issues with Sanjay he clearly has accumulated enough wealth so more is not always better. Lacy gives me some pause but clearly she is making choices so it is her life. Henrique scares the crap out of me. Too little assets, too much debt, and not thinking about the future. Ouch…

  22. Nice prank post! Almost had me until I saw the car and the price tag. =P What about the 6×6 G63 700 hp Brabus? Even more an exercise in over-indulgence. Seriously though, after years of driving a 1999 Accord, I bought a Lexus GS (used and with cash mind you) and have never regretted it. Some things are worth a little more and sometimes you need to live a little. You bust your butt so long in school and save up…for what?

  23. Good one….and happy belated April Fools Day! But why I do I get the feeling a small part of you still want’s a luxury car (given posts I’ve read in the past), albeit not a 500k one, hmmmm???

  24. Charleston.C

    Happy April Fools Sam!

    Wonderful opportunity to present a different, but also semi-logical view on spending to keep us human instead of being a saving money robot.

    7.5 years ago after landing my first graduate job, I bought a used BMW M3. I will never argue that the money was well spent, but I will say the association I was able to make because of the car is more than just fun and games. Because of the car (and subsequently joining a car club), I was able to network with entrepreneurs, business owners, accountants, lawyers, financial advisers, doctors, and many more. All of those associations would’ve been out of reach for me as a 22 years old college grad. Fast forward to today, still with same group of friendly associates, still with the same M3 paid off years ago, I can hardly call the purchase a mistake.

    As a car person, I’ve done the math on this many many times. The only way one can be a sure (financial) loser is replacing a car frequently, absorbing the depreciation losses every 3 to 5 years. I would argue that buying a BMW 3 series (MSRP $33,450) vs a Honda Accord (MSRP $22,455) have a negligible affect on finances if one were to keep the car for 10-15 years. Not saying people should stretch their budget, but if we apply Warren Buffett’s preference for buying and holding stocks long term to houses and cars, that’s a major factor in preventing wasteful spending beyond just buying a cheap car.

    1. The difference MAY or MAY NOT be negligible. Depends on how you invest the gap. Also, a lot of folks may or may not earn the money they want or have the career they want down the road. You just never know!

      It’s hard not to buy a sweet ride out of college. But, I do encourage folks to be more frugal until they know they’ve made it or are on the path to making it.

      1. Charleston.C

        Absolutely!

        Just want to make sure people understand there’s more to not buying an expensive car to start with! Someone who bought a cheap car but replaces it every few years could be mislead into thinking he or she is being frugal, but in reality spending more than the guy or gal who bought a more expensive, fancier car but keeps it for a decade or 2.

  25. Your First Million

    Age: 28
    Income: ~$240,000
    Net worth: > $1 million

    I drive a 2013 Toyota Prius C that I bought new for $22,000 with 0% financing. I paid off the car in about 18 months. It has an 8 gallon gas tank and will drive about 400 miles on a full tank (it averages 50 mpg). I only pay between $50 and $75 per month on gas, depending on how much I drive. It has about 54,000 miles on it now and I don’t plan on getting rid of it any time soon. My buddy has a Prius with 270,000 miles on it and it’s running strong. I love my car and it has been a great financial decision.

  26. Courtney Krause

    You totally had me going there! I was so confused on how you would advocate spending that much cash on a car.

    BTW I love your website!

  27. Hahaha Sam, you didn’t get me this year with your April fools shenanigans. After reading your posts for 4 years, I knew there was NO WAY IN HELL you would drop 500k on a car. I will say that you got me good last year with your April Fools post about being burned out and and wanting to quit writing. Keep up the good work man, I love the site!!

  28. Good one Sam! But seriously if you get a chance go to your local dealer and drive a BMW M2. You might change your 10% rule. : )

    I have the lessor version (M235i) and it will put a smile on your face every day. Cheers.

      1. supernova72

        Hmm..not super small actually. It’s basically the same size as the previous gen E46 M3 I had. It seats 4 and weighs 3500 ish lbs.

  29. RetireOnDividends

    It will be interesting to see how car ownership changes with self driving cars. Renting cars may become far more common. Cars may also become far more homogeneous.

  30. Geez, you actually got me on this one! Your April Fool’s prank was better than mine. And I thought mine was pretty good.

    Unfortunately, there are too many Henriques out there. And wow, someone could easily put that last sentence into quotations and accuse me of being one of Trump’s more stereotypical supporters.

    Happy Belated April Fool’s Day!

    Sincerely,
    ARB–Angry Retail Banker

  31. Awww you got me!

    I admit, I was feeling a little proud of you … until I saw that figure (you actually made me snarf my coffee–good one!)

    A long time ago, when my ~15yo Accord left me on the side of the road for the 3rd time in the same trip, I finally broke down and got a new car.

    Being a frugal person, it was hard for me to plunk down the $12,500 for the Honda Civic Value Package. Anti-lock brakes were an $1800 option, if memory serves. My thought was, “Who needs that? I’ve been stopping my car just fine for years! Anti-lock brakes–what a racket!”

    A few short months later, I was run off the road by a guy in a Camaro who came flying out of a liquor store parking lot. I locked up my brakes and totaled my brand new car.

    Since I paid cash -as opposed to financing with an affordable, cancelable gap coverage- I couldn’t eat the depreciation and replace it. (New car replacement-type insurance coverage was not a “thing” in those days.) So I had the car fixed and drove it another 10 years–without incident, I might add.

    Fast forward to starting a family. I was not about to cheap out on a safety feature again. I spoke to a first responder who works the I-70 corridor between Denver and Vail and he said there where two cars he’d never had to extract someone from: Audi and Volvo.

    I took home an Audi Q5 and it has become a member of the family. Absolutely everyone who gets in it swoons, including my extremely practical mother and mother-in-law.

    YOU are your car’s #1 safety feature. But YIKES when you see how many people operate multi-ton vehicles and can’t be bothered to pull their eyes away from their phone to focus on the road–That’s why I chose this car and I honestly feel like it’s the best *personal* investment I could make.

    Sure, I work hard to retire a little early, but I also work hard to be able to safely and enjoyably make it to retirement age!

    1. How AWESOME are the back bowls of Vail? My favorite.

      I was thinking of getting the Audi Q5 as well, as it’s a good size for tight SF. But I figured, if I’m going to get an SUV, I’m gonna go BIG, b/c the Q5 is still too big for a lot of parking spots.

      The new Volvos look pretty sweet, I agree. But I’m not 60 yet.

      1. “Greetings, from the bunny slopes!” I’ve /heard/ great things about the back bowls :)

        I’m not more than a couple years older than you, but when I went to look at a brand new Volvo at a dealer, it seemed like pretty much everything on it was already broken (the rear middle seat, a clip for a seat belt, a mirror, a faulty switch–it’s been a couple years so I forget which exactly). Struck me as super odd. No wonder the aftermarket warranties are so outrageous–the price gives a pretty good idea of what you might be in for to continue owning the vehicle.

        My Q5 has the same or better turning radius than that 04 Civic, believe it or not. My mama taught me well and I’ve never had a problem parking it. SF is quite another story though. prefer smaller vehicles, but I probably would have gone for the Q7 if the new one were available, despite my jitters about first model year overhauls. It’s pretty suave!

  32. I am a big car guy too with a BMW Z4 for the summer and a BMW X5 for the winter. I waited until our net worth was healthy before indulging this passion, but love the FEELING OF THE OPEN ROAD. I am shocked so many people view cars strictly as APPLIANCES. I wrote a post on my guilty pleasure for luxury cars that you might enjoy.

  33. You made it to obvious with the 500k car. Couldn’t pick like a 200k car to keep it more subtle?
    The subject is timely for me as I just had this conversation last night with a friend. He couldn’t understand the car I drive (he has a total of 5 cars, he and his wife just bought new cars last year to add to the collection). I tried to explain the finances of it. His only responses were:
    1. But you could easily afford the payments
    2. Your car is not cool.
    It’s amazing because he’s actually a smart guy. It gave me insight into the blinders some people put on when making really terrible decisions.
    1. I can afford to light a 100 dollar bill on fire but it’s still a stupid thing to do.
    2. We’re approaching 40 with kids. The only place we’re still “cool” is in our own minds.
    I guess the bottom line is I’m saving up to afford the best luxury of all, financial freedom. It’s hard to show off at the club but it’s more exclusive than a Porsche

      1. Let’s see high school tennis coach…
        5k down, finance the rest over 100 years. We can make this work, and most importantly you deserve it!
        You’re probably more like the guy in the third example of your post. Not the best use of money but probably okay.

  34. I think it’s a joke. That’s a lot of money.
    But hey, I don’t judge. It’s a beautiful car indeed, although too expensive, and it will probably pay a lot of taxes.
    I believe it’s an AFD joke.

  35. LOL. You got me. I was mostly wondering why you would buy such an ugly beast. And, honestly, I have raised 7 children and you may scoff now but in terms of practicality the minivan rules when you have children. Especially with no center counsel (sp?) so you can cruise to the middle and rear seats to attned to barf and tears and other emergencies without going outside in the rain. And the storage options. Oh and if you keep it long enough it is a perfect care to teach a teeneager to drive in – and when it is a 16 year old car who cares if it gets dinged anymore? But it is still safe.

    1. I’m impressed you had and raised 7 children! The minivan is sweet. I am bummed my G650 Maybach has a center console. But, at least it gives me room for two children before it starts getting cramped.

      I’m driving around a beat up Suburban for work to shuttle the kids to practice. Love driving a better. The seas part all around me!

  36. I started reading this post thinking “good for Sam.” Then saw the $520,000 price tag and knew that I’d been rick rolled. Very well done

  37. Now that it is April 2nd, just get the Porsche, put a smile on your face, and save yourself some dough.

  38. Go Finance Yourself!

    I didn’t get this post delivered to my inbox until today but knew it had to be an AFD joke. If there was any doubt, the now that global warming is over line sold it for me :)

    Does that ride really cost over $500k? Not a huge fan of the boxy looking SUVs.

  39. I’ve been reading this blog for a few years now and I had to admit (as a reformed car-aholic myself) I was thinking if you got the money go for it. The little voice in the back of my head was saying “that is an awful lot of capital to put into a depreciating asset. I completely forgot about April fools day…..

    By the way Sam, I really enjoy the blog. You have helped me to “tighten up” my investing as well as be comfortable with the success I have had in life and be able to enjoy the money with my family. We leave for Disney Cruise number two in 2 months, the wife and kids love it!

  40. Has the FS gone off the deep end…or is this some April Fools joke?

    This kind of this is Not good for my high blood pressure…

  41. Amazing April Fools! You couldn’t have picked a better subject, because your call for more responsible car purchases is probably one of your most consistent, deeply ingrained themes. Even if you decided to purchase an expensive car (though $500k is something only people with $20+mm net worth should probably be considering), it would’ve been irresponsible of you to post it on your site.

    You got me so good, that I felt the need to talk to vent to my wife about it. Needless to say, she didn’t find it as bothersome as I did.

  42. poorversionofsam

    First guy making 48k gross takes home about 37k net. Has almost zero net worth and likely poor future job prospects with his salary at age 26. Unless he’s a medical resident or something. Unlikely since most residents have 200k or more in debt.

    BMW M4 costs 16k a year in operating costs with 15k miles driven a yr. If he bought it new it’d be 43 percent of his net income. Cray cray. The other examples in article are not ideal but I can understand them; they can also swing their 100k cars with gross incomes in the top 1-2 percentile of Americans.

    https://www.edmunds.com/bmw/m4/2017/cost-to-own/

    I have colleagues at work who finance vacations with credit card debt while making 50k as medical residents. Living it up a little is fine but when you save a few percent of your income like most Americans it’s a recipe for a poor financial future.

    My big material expenditure will be for a 20k lightly used luxury car originally selling for 35-40k new. Gross salary will be 200-250k in a year and living on 20k currently.

  43. Wow awesome post, great to see you living it up!

    I’m a young man who was considering an investment in van mutual funds but you’ve got me eyeing that Lexus I’ve always wanted.

    CNBC they explained that the SP could decline by up to 55%, so a 30% dep loss on a Lexus seems a okay.

  44. BChicagoTeacher

    I am a long-time reader and I am disgusted that you are buying such an expensive car. This is why the middle class hate the rich as they are wasting money. As a teacher, I have kids that cannot afford to eat. I am disgusted by teachers that have pricy purses and clothes which cost more than the rent for the families in Chicago.
    I am a Prius owner (my parents bought me but I am happy to say that I saved the money instead of spending the money I saved on worthless, expensive crap), but we had Camrys in the past due to safety. My dad was in a bad accident in 2001 and the doctor said that due to him being in the Camry…he is alive today and did not have anything besides some bruises due to the accident. (A tanker spilled oil on the street, another car slid and then slid into my dad’s car totaling the Camry.)

    Safety yes. $500,00 vehicle – are you the President?

    Oh wait – is this an April Fools joke??

  45. Great 4-1 post! You had me going for a while. Like you, I struggle with the balance between maximizing finances vs enjoying the fruits of labor. I bought a nice sports car when I was 21 (that cost 200% of my income at the time) and owned it for almost 12 years until my mechanic got hit while test driving it. I now drive a 13 year old used economy car I bought cheap (~2% of my income), but I miss the enjoyment of driving.

    What is ironic though is that I came close to buying a very nice car about two years ago, one that I had been dreaming about for many years. The responsible side of me took over and I decided against it. That same car today is worth close to $100k more than I could have bought it for. So in some form of twisted logic my cheap economy car actually cost me $100k, and it’s not even fun to drive!

    The trick is to buy something that has already depreciated and has the potential to appreciate. If you do that you can own some very nice cars for not much money. Maintenance can be high but nothing like the steep depreciation of a new car.

    Great blog – I truly enjoy reading your posts!

      1. I was referring to a car worth $100k MORE than I almost bought it for. There are probably plenty of examples that have gone up recently, most are six-speeds because most manufacturers aren’t making them anymore. The one in particular I was talking about was a Ferrari F430 six speed. They were $130-140 a few years ago and now $200k+. Similar with the Ferrari 550. $70-80k before and now $140-180kish. There are probably Porsches with similar jumps in price (GT3s, etc). Basically anything in limited numbers with features that most likely will never be made again – manual transmission, naturally aspirated, etc.

  46. Knew it from the start – your more like me – but a 09 911t 6 speed with PCCB brakes – drove it for a few years and make money on the sale. Certain cars u can buy and make money so why would anyone do anything else….

  47. The Alchemist

    *grin*

    Good one, Sam!

    Speaking of mid-life crisis cars… I was all set to buy mine, a real honey: A bright red convertible sports car with a genuine *manual* transmission! What more could you want? It was gonna cost me an eye-popping thousand bucks, but boy, it woulda been worth it! It’s the Toyota Celica 5-speed that was the mid-life crisis car of my high-school best friend’s Mom…in 1988. Now she wants to free up the space this little baby is currently occupying in her driveway.

    I was so ready to jump at the chance to give this beauty a loving new home— after all, she only has 105k miles on her! But then I found out that my rental property needs a new roof. So alas, there goes the mid-life crisis car! But the crisis remains…

    1. Ah, new roof. At least it will last 10-15 years. Try FLEXSEAL. I used that this year on a leaky roof, and it should help for at least 1 year, if not 3-5 years! Buy it at your local hardware store for $25. Get the original black version.

  48. Jack Catchem

    Love where you are going with this and how you got there, Sam. Despite this you may be limiting yourself. It’s been an amazing year and you have limited yourself respectably for the majority of your life. Time to take off he shackles.

    Abandon the Mercedes “tank” idea and embrace a TANK! You can purchase excellent decommissioned tanks sans guns.

    No parking? Park ON TOP of the competition. Also, you won’t need a cheauffer, any guy off the street will pay YOU for the opportunity to drive it. Finally, tickets from cops? Never again. Cops are predators of the roads, but a tank is an APEX PREDATOR. You are now KING.

    Happy AFD.

  49. Congrats! What a beautiful machine. You failed to mentioned they’re only making 99 of these cars. In total. For the entire world for the entire year. That’s a different kind of stealth wealth — only those truly in the know will know how wealthy you are.

    PS You should probably keep the Fit around as your daily driver.

  50. Haha april fools. Honestly that car is so ugly. No way in hell I would drop 500k for that. Lol. There will be plenty of discounted luxury cars when the marlet slows after 8yr bull

  51. Ms. Conviviality

    Every time the subject of car buying comes up in your posts I’ve always thought that if anyone deserves to drive their dream car it would be you but I never imagined there were cars that could cost half a million dollars! Seems like a ridiculous amount that could be used elsewhere like a Hawaiian home that would probably provide more joy for the rest of your family.

  52. I’ve been where Lacy is and have the ten year old 45k new Corvette to prove it. Was it a great financial move, no. Did it make that much of a difference to my financial future? Well somewhat yes, somewhat no. Yes to the positive as a car nut it broke me of the desire to modify or buy another sports car. 45k over ten years isn’t so bad for a hobby. Yes to the negative, invested in the market in 2007 when I bought the car I’d have 60-70 percent more, so maybe 70k. No to the overall. In my mind back then the choice was by a house or the car. My family was pushing the house. The house where I would have bought would still be under water today, the car still retains fifty percent of its value.

    Ultimately we make our choices in life. You can buy anything, you just can’t buy everything. To put it another way Sam, you choose to live in San Fransico. The land your car sits on probably costs more then my acre rural lot in the middle of nowhere. You chose the location.. you didn’t choose the car. Choose your vice and poison.

    Now back to the AFD joke, as I’m much too serious for the rest of my comment. Did you at least get some off-road training, armor plating, and a driver for your 500k?

    1. I’m mulling over the ex-NAVY seal chauffer for $110,000 a year. He’ll be on duty for 42 hours a week, 49 weeks a year. Could be good!

      It’s good your luxury car saved you from buying a house that’s still under water. Wish I was so lucky back then to have such foresight. Live and learn.

  53. P.s u got me for April fools day. However, i stand by everything i said abiut spending on the things that bring you joy.

  54. Sam i could always sense that you were a car enthusiast. I could tell that you felt you were making a big sacrifice by not treating yourself to a better car. So power to you. I have always felt that a man should enjoy the fruits of his labor, as I see healthy people become sick people, just as I see the living become expired on a regular basis because of my work. I am not a big spender and dont care for watched, brand name clothing, or fancy meals etc. If there is one thing that I enjoy and like from childhood is cars. It is not a status thing, i would enjoy a good car even if i were the only one on the road and there was no one there to see me. That being said, i also do not mind the extra attention. I could not be cheap on somehing that I am so sure i will enjoy. Otherwise, why make the money in the first place? Leave it for others to enjoy it all? As a father of 2, family of 5, I therefore, treated myself to a 2017 Audi A7. Perfect mix of agression/sports sedan that is safe and comfortable for my family. I enjoy every single trip i take in it, especially, when i switch it to sports Mode, and the throttle gets a little deeper, and the gears shift quicker. Let Audi have my monthly payments, and let me have the car. What a shame, had that money been still been sitting in the bank wasting away. Some will say i could have invested that money. Invest to make more money for what? So i can re invest, meanwhile i keep depriving myself of things that are cherish and enjoy now and today. I am not a big spender, but by God i will spend on the few things that I am certain will give me joy. So should everyone before you are incapable of doing so. The fear of the future that may never come handicaps us from living fully now and today. After my A7 lease is up, i plan to get a even more high end car as i feel that is money well spent.

  55. I know it is April 1, but is it ok to leave a serious comment?

    I followed the principles of save and invest for many years. I drove Toyotas and Hondas and kept driving and driving them as they kept on running well for so many years. The extra funds went into retirement accounts, taxable accounts, and rental real estate investments.

    Now I have 2 Teslas. Why? Because after so many years of saving and investing, I can drive anything I want and it won’t have any effect on my net worth or my lifestyle. The investments have grown so large. My kids keep telling me that I worked hard and invested well, so they keep pushing me to spend some of that hard earned money and I am.

    But my cautious financial habits are still strong. My first Tesla was the least expensive Model S 60 with limited options. It is cheap to own as the electricity to charge it is way less than gasoline. And the maintenance is almost nothing.

    Four years later, my second Tesla is the Model S 90D with all wheel drive for the snow, and autopilot just for the fun of it. If you follow financial samurai’s advice for 3 decades like I have been doing, you will likely be sitting pretty and be financially free to do just about anything you want to do.

    1. OK, I agree that you are entitled to splurge on a vehicle or two, if it doesn’t affect your net worth.
      But besides spending money on a car or two, are you spending money at a similar rate for other, say charitable, causes?

      If I were in that situation, I can think of many places I can put 50-80k a year that would make a difference – talking about non-profits, charities, any large NGOs that do things in the US and around the world. It would feel kind of pointless to have another 2-ton piece of metal in the garage that I drive from time to time.

      1. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

        Actually, I do give to all kinds of charities, both international and domestic… I filed my taxes today, and in 2016 I could have bought more new cars with all the money I gave away… For malaria prevention in Africa, for the homeless, for struggling kids, and I personally volunteer my time with Big Brothers Big Sisters among other things. I am back from a volunteer mission in Guatemala to help the local indigent Mayan people.

        It is quite easy to judge others, but I try not to do that. I would rather judge myself and continue to try to make the world a better place in the ways that I think are right. And driving a car that uses no gasoline and having solar panels on my roof are a few small ways I can help prevent more CO2 in the atmosphere.

    2. I guess with 2 Teslas, you get the economies of scale with the garage charger! My electrician was gonna charge $2,000 to set it up, and then it’s another $3,000 for the charger right?

      Spend more, SAVE more!

      1. I set up a double charger in my garage, 240 volts each, one for each Tesla. The electrician put a 100 amp sub panel in the garage, with two 50 amp circuits, one for each vehicle.

        The cost was less than $1,000 because the run distance was short. To top it off, I got a tax credit of $7500 for each Tesla vehicle, and then a tax credit for installing the home charging station. If I remember correctly the tax credit for the home charging station was $750, so the net cost to set up the 240 volt outlets in the garage was minimal.

        The government has all kinds of incentives for energy efficiency. The solar panels got a huge subsidy from the government too, but its nothing in comparison with the subsidies received by the oil companies, estimated at over $400 billion per year.

  56. OMG! I didn’t see the last note about April Fool’s! I was thinking the whole time reading your blog- “that is not like Sam to spend so much money on a car!” I’ve been reading your blog for a few years and you are not a big fan of expensive cars! By the way….that Mercedes is UGLY and I’m a Mercedes fan. I’d pass!

  57. The real question, aside from the implication above that this could be an April fool’s post, is whether the car purchase is 10% or less of your annual income!

    1. Well he probably doesn’t make 5.5 million a year but ‘m pretty sure he’s worth over 8 figures (10 million+) so it’s safe to say this would still follow his 5% NW rule. That being said someone who is under 40 and setting aside 60k for a midlife crisis car would not spend 10x that. This is an April’s Fool joke for sure :) Because if you lived another 50 years would that really be money well spent would you could get another save baller car for 10-20% the cost of this car.

      PS if you did do it, oh well you’ll make millions more like the rest of us sooooo enjoy it… but I’d wait to go all on until your kid is in middle and high school to really enjoy the awesomeness of your wealth with those cars and such ;)! Congrats on the potential new ride haha.

  58. Apathy Ends

    Have no problem with people spending money in things they love – if you can afford it, go nuts.

    I see your April fools note at the bottom and remember last year…….not sure I believe you.

  59. What makes this so funny Sam is all the justification!

    Why not just say “Hey, I’m gonna piss away a ridiculous amount of money on a car because I can and I want to!” But c’mon, the dozen bullet points about how it’s really not thaaaaaat bad? Not fooling anyone–much less yourself. :)

    Except for Henrique, who is closer to “broke” and “dope” than “woke,” the rest is all a judgement call. You’ve got the money, go for it.

    Enjoy your new ride.

      1. Did EVERYONE Miss the Happy “APRIL FOOLS DAY” Joke? Because, as I was reading, I kept asking myself “wtf, has SAM fallen or his head?”! Because, No Way in Hell, Heaven or Earth would the Guru spend $500K on 1 darn vehicle, even if I found $2 Mil Cash in a bag for Free, I would Not do that, let alone Sam! :) :) :) Man, what a Relief to find out it’s an APRIL FOOLS DAY JOKE!
        Now, I could see and understand if you had said a HUMMER or something along those line at $60K or less. Here’s a thought, if I had $500K in extra change, I’d Negotiate a Pre-buy 10 Hummers with the company to issue 1 new every 10 yrs ( x 10 yrs = 100 yrs) at dealer cost probably $400K max, Invest $100K to cover for 9 yr maint & Rpr and 1 yr lease as I sell the 9 yr old or pass on to oldest child while transitioning to the next; like this the Whole Family would have rides for 100 yrs pre-paid! :) :) :)

        #1) And as for that broke joker of Henrique, he’s digging his own Financial grave, and the joke’s on him. ’cause them girls, will NOT be attending his funeral!
        #2) That low self-esteem and Status Junkie is not embarrassed to say ASSET Management Job, in the same breath with driving/paying a car that cost more than 1/2 of you Net Worth! :) :) :) I wanna make sure that she’s Not with my Asset Mgr Firm.
        #3…. Poor, poor Mr. RICH Guy… That “Middle Age Bug” sure bit his butt beyond repair! :) :) :) He’d do better by getting hair transplants/thinning hair, personal trainer at a gym/lean & fit, Philanthropy and volunteering some of his precious time added to his follies. :)

  60. I have a feeling it doesn’t matter how tinted those windows are going to be. It’s hard to have stealth wealth riding in a half a million dollar vehicle :) Congrats on the all the success and the best part is if it makes you happy great. I look forward to the follow up posts once you receive the vehicle. Hopefully you give a couple of uber rides :)

  61. Wow you have some mad parking skills to fit into that spot! Small cars are so great in the city for that reason although I don’t have the coordination to squeeze into spots like that even if I tried lol.

    I’ve never had any big desire for a particular type of luxury car but I do agree with you on the importance of safety. I’ve seen too many close calls and was in an accident myself when I was younger. Fortunately no one was hurt and I was in a fairly large station wagon that held up.

    I’m so glad technology has improved safety in cars. My dad was injured in two different car accidents when he was younger which could have been avoided if there had been airbags in the cars.

    It’s so important to buckle up and not text and drive!

    1. That may be the saddest choice of vehicle ever.

      1-Drives like a tank. Handles like a turd. Zero fun to drive factor except in a very straight line.
      2-Parking it will suck.
      3-Gas mileage will be close to single digits.
      4-Totally ostentatious in the worst way.
      5-Insanely overpriced.

      I wouldn’t be seen in one if I was a billionaire. I’d get an ML or GL in AMG63 guise if I wanted the family thing. Both way better vehicles.

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