A recent experience made me realize the best time to own the nicest car you can afford is when you have children. The nicer the car, the safer the car usually is.
Although there’s a nice mental health benefit to driving an old beater, I’m willing to spend up as a father in my 40s with two young children.
For two months, I drove a rental car after my car got bashed while under valet care. The rental car was a 2020 Nissan Armada with 60,000 miles. I had hoped for a newer Chevy Tahoe, but this Armada was all the rental car company had at the time.
Although the Nissan Armada was roomy, it handled like a boat. The steering felt loose and it easily oversteered. The car looked fine, but the interior felt cheap. Whenever I played a podcast, I wasn’t able to pause it. Most importantly, the car didn’t feel as safe as my 2015 Range Rover due to poor handling.
But something interesting happens after you’ve driven any car after the fifth time. You get used to it. After two months, I no longer thought about the poor handling and lower quality. Then I switched back.