"As we progress in our careers and as our financial lives become sturdier and sturdier over time, we don’t always notice ourselves slipping into affluence and taking it for granted." I was JUST thinking of this last night, remembering things that seemed financially impossible in the past that would only require small adjustments now. It's so important to remember that everything has a season (cheesy, I know).... even if some seasons are too damn long.
Hope you find a ride that makes you happy. I've been driving something that doesn't suit me for a while and I'm counting down the days (okay, years :|) until I can hand it off to my teenager and get myself something I love, and focusing on the gratitude of being able to do that. (Will my kid want to drive a 12-year-old Prius? Doubtful 😆 but he can learn to love it. I drove a beat-up, poop brown suburban for my first car!)
Hey there. I had to buy a car with similar requirements last summer, and I ended up buying a 2006 Honda CRV. Sort of like if you tried to make an SUV out of a VW Rabbit and failed. it's easy to drive, decent mileage, enough power and AWD to do what you need to do, and enough room for a couple humans and/or canines to go camping or get their stuff from here to there. Highly recommend.
I second what Patrick said. I owned a 2002 Honda CRV until 2013 when I got a new (used) car. My mom has my old Honda and it’s still going strong. I think it’s at around 270,000 miles.
Also here to recommend Honda! Have purchased and leased several. The CR-Vs and HRV’s are everywhere and you should be able to get one for a good deal. We love our HRV’s. Highly recommend-- a no frills car that is reliable, smooth and gets the job done. After owning a Euro car you will be amazed at how cheap it is to get a Japanese car repaired!
I don’t have any good car recommendations for you, I just wanted to chime in and say that I am absolutely obsessed with all those especially the old ones. It is my dream to own a baby blue 1984 Volvo sedan or wagon. It is possible that my obsession also goes back to Beetlejuice, considering that was the most formative movie on me in terms of my personal aesthetic.
It’s frustrating how dependent we are on our vehicles and the fact that they cost so much money. I think generally transportation in the United States is a big fail.
Hi Orlando! So much of this resonates with me right now - we bought our first house! (yay!) but now we're poor (boo!) - or "house poor" as some folks call it. But it is hard to go from feeling flush with your hard-earned down payment and then WHOOSH it's gone and you're left taking a very critical eye to every little expense. That very specific anxiety in the pit of your stomach that is related to finances is so real, and something I'm always trying to make go away.
ANYWAY, I wanted to put in a plug for a Volkswagen... they have a similar sturdy, utilitarian feeling as a Volvo, and might be less expensive. We love the Atlas (SUV) because it can hold SO much - like a family, our dog, and ALL of our crap/stuff/camping gear, whatever. We even shove 2 kayaks in there and don't deal w/ a roof rack. If the Atlas is too big, try a Tiguan - VW's midsize option. Chelsea at Broadway Volkswagen in Oakland is sort of a magician - able to find the right car at the right price when other dealerships are giving the full runaround.
I had a Volkswagen Passat in the early 2000s and loved it, but when it popped out 10 years later we switched to Japanese models and haven’t looked back. So reliable and cheap to repair, compared with VW and other Euro models.
I was lucky enough to buy a car right before the pandemic. I used Carvana and it was a pretty good experience (besides the car they sent out that was listed as an automatic that was instead a manual) You get to drive it for several days and send it back if you don't like it with no questions asked. I tried an electric Leaf but it didn't have the charge range I needed. They came out and picked it up - easy, peasy. I ended up with a Mazda and it was all pretty easy and I feel like I got a good deal. I paid cash (an inheritance) so I don't know what going through financing is like with them but you might want to check them out. Looked at some cars through dealers and hated that experience.
The writer shares fond memories of their Volvo 240 station wagon, which was also their first car. While the narrative focuses on various aspects, one element that naturally aligns with the Volvo brand is its commitment to car seats safety. Volvo has a long-standing reputation for innovating safety features, including the revolutionary three-point seatbelt. For someone like the author, who navigated the twisting routes of Yosemite regularly, the safety measures associated with their car seats would have been a silent but crucial assurance. This blend of safety and style made their vintage Volvo not just a nostalgic treasure but also a reliable safeguard.
I'm hoping things ease up for you soon. My woo-woo friend would sage you right this minute!
Cars are insanely priced right now. They seem to be just catching up with supply shortages from the pandemic but dealers are holding on to the high profit margins they've enjoyed these past few years. I don't have great advice except to look at used cars with low-ish miles. And don't get sucked in to the low entry prices of luxury cars like BMW, MBZ etc. The expense is in the high price of repairs and service. Our last two repairs were $5k. And with the amount of miles you're driving with Satie, I would lean away from that.
I’m a car guy in PR. The new Honda CRV Sport Touring Hybrid is worth checking out. Dark blue with black wheels. Nicely styled, great tech, lux features and lots o room. Hella reliable and inexpensive to own. Toot toot. Beep beep.
I love Volvos too! I have an S90 and always admired your XC90. I lucked up and bought mines used right before the car market got crazy. I would’ve loved an XC90, but I couldn’t afford one. There’s such a huge premium for an SUV compared to a sedan and it’s all profit for car makers. I agree that “regular cars” are more expensive than ever, which makes “luxury cars” seem reasonable. I can’t wrap my head around a $1,000 car note becoming so common. Me and Vince (my car’s name) are in it until his wheels fall off!
Thank you for sharing your personal journey and reflections on your first car, a Volvo 240 station wagon, and your experiences with cars throughout your life. It's clear that your car has been more than just a mode of transportation; it's been a source of memories, friendships, and even a symbol of your financial journey.
Life often throws unexpected challenges our way, and your honest portrayal of facing financial setbacks and the need for a new car is relatable for many. Your willingness to ask for help and your determination to build your credit back up are admirable qualities.
Your perspective on finding gratitude in what you have and the importance of enjoying the present moment is a valuable reminder. It's not always about constantly striving for more, but also about appreciating the beauty and joy in the journey.
I wish you the best of luck with your upcoming kitchen renovation and finding the perfect replacement car. Your resilience and positive outlook are inspiring, and I hope your future endeavors bring you the financial stability and success you deserve.
My first car was also a Volvo 240 wagon, turbo, with gold leather interior and a stick-shift. I loved that car more than I knew was possible for a human to love a machine. Called her the “cheetah”, long sleek and fast. Made the transition from high school to real life bearable haha. Give thanks to to the Volvo wagon gods gods for carrying us through time and space safely. Rough transition for all.
I had the Volvo dl 240 and the thing was a tank with the miles stuck at 320,000 and something. I loved that car so much I wouldn’t mind getting another one, but in Europe they are pretty pricey. Good luck on your car hunt!
We had the same first car, mine was a 1991 or 1992, whichever was the last year they made it & was silver.
I live in NYC & don’t drive but I certainly understand the difficulty of feeling you should be moving forward but find yourself treading water at best. I so appreciate you sharing the truth behind the glamour.
I don’t know at what kind of cars you’re looking, but my only “luxury” car driving godmother has switched to Hundais, the sedan & then the SUV & adores them.
Subarus are so expensive & hard to find 2nd hand because they run forever & no one ever gets rid of them!
Cars are so expensive now! I was just shopping for a decent used truck... and was unwilling to pay what they cost. For my budget of around $30k I ended up getting a great deal on a 3 year old X3, which is plenty big enough to transport some tile or furniture and I love the way it drives. Back in the day my sister had a green Volvo 240, and I had an old 122S, then a P1800e for a couple years. All of my cars were junkers until I was at least 35. I feel like these days there are the 1% super rich and the rest of us are just getting by.
"As we progress in our careers and as our financial lives become sturdier and sturdier over time, we don’t always notice ourselves slipping into affluence and taking it for granted." I was JUST thinking of this last night, remembering things that seemed financially impossible in the past that would only require small adjustments now. It's so important to remember that everything has a season (cheesy, I know).... even if some seasons are too damn long.
Hope you find a ride that makes you happy. I've been driving something that doesn't suit me for a while and I'm counting down the days (okay, years :|) until I can hand it off to my teenager and get myself something I love, and focusing on the gratitude of being able to do that. (Will my kid want to drive a 12-year-old Prius? Doubtful 😆 but he can learn to love it. I drove a beat-up, poop brown suburban for my first car!)
Hey there. I had to buy a car with similar requirements last summer, and I ended up buying a 2006 Honda CRV. Sort of like if you tried to make an SUV out of a VW Rabbit and failed. it's easy to drive, decent mileage, enough power and AWD to do what you need to do, and enough room for a couple humans and/or canines to go camping or get their stuff from here to there. Highly recommend.
That's a green suggestion! Thank you!
*great
I second what Patrick said. I owned a 2002 Honda CRV until 2013 when I got a new (used) car. My mom has my old Honda and it’s still going strong. I think it’s at around 270,000 miles.
Wait, is this HAPPY HONDA DAYS in AUGUST? Love it!
Also here to recommend Honda! Have purchased and leased several. The CR-Vs and HRV’s are everywhere and you should be able to get one for a good deal. We love our HRV’s. Highly recommend-- a no frills car that is reliable, smooth and gets the job done. After owning a Euro car you will be amazed at how cheap it is to get a Japanese car repaired!
Honda CRVs and Subarus run forever and low cost of ownership!
Lowest prices of the season!
I don’t have any good car recommendations for you, I just wanted to chime in and say that I am absolutely obsessed with all those especially the old ones. It is my dream to own a baby blue 1984 Volvo sedan or wagon. It is possible that my obsession also goes back to Beetlejuice, considering that was the most formative movie on me in terms of my personal aesthetic.
It’s frustrating how dependent we are on our vehicles and the fact that they cost so much money. I think generally transportation in the United States is a big fail.
Hi Orlando! So much of this resonates with me right now - we bought our first house! (yay!) but now we're poor (boo!) - or "house poor" as some folks call it. But it is hard to go from feeling flush with your hard-earned down payment and then WHOOSH it's gone and you're left taking a very critical eye to every little expense. That very specific anxiety in the pit of your stomach that is related to finances is so real, and something I'm always trying to make go away.
ANYWAY, I wanted to put in a plug for a Volkswagen... they have a similar sturdy, utilitarian feeling as a Volvo, and might be less expensive. We love the Atlas (SUV) because it can hold SO much - like a family, our dog, and ALL of our crap/stuff/camping gear, whatever. We even shove 2 kayaks in there and don't deal w/ a roof rack. If the Atlas is too big, try a Tiguan - VW's midsize option. Chelsea at Broadway Volkswagen in Oakland is sort of a magician - able to find the right car at the right price when other dealerships are giving the full runaround.
Good luck! and keep us posted.
I had a Volkswagen Passat in the early 2000s and loved it, but when it popped out 10 years later we switched to Japanese models and haven’t looked back. So reliable and cheap to repair, compared with VW and other Euro models.
I was lucky enough to buy a car right before the pandemic. I used Carvana and it was a pretty good experience (besides the car they sent out that was listed as an automatic that was instead a manual) You get to drive it for several days and send it back if you don't like it with no questions asked. I tried an electric Leaf but it didn't have the charge range I needed. They came out and picked it up - easy, peasy. I ended up with a Mazda and it was all pretty easy and I feel like I got a good deal. I paid cash (an inheritance) so I don't know what going through financing is like with them but you might want to check them out. Looked at some cars through dealers and hated that experience.
So sorry :(. I hope that at the very least your car loan helps you build back your credit? Dumb optimism?
The writer shares fond memories of their Volvo 240 station wagon, which was also their first car. While the narrative focuses on various aspects, one element that naturally aligns with the Volvo brand is its commitment to car seats safety. Volvo has a long-standing reputation for innovating safety features, including the revolutionary three-point seatbelt. For someone like the author, who navigated the twisting routes of Yosemite regularly, the safety measures associated with their car seats would have been a silent but crucial assurance. This blend of safety and style made their vintage Volvo not just a nostalgic treasure but also a reliable safeguard.
I'm hoping things ease up for you soon. My woo-woo friend would sage you right this minute!
Cars are insanely priced right now. They seem to be just catching up with supply shortages from the pandemic but dealers are holding on to the high profit margins they've enjoyed these past few years. I don't have great advice except to look at used cars with low-ish miles. And don't get sucked in to the low entry prices of luxury cars like BMW, MBZ etc. The expense is in the high price of repairs and service. Our last two repairs were $5k. And with the amount of miles you're driving with Satie, I would lean away from that.
I’m a car guy in PR. The new Honda CRV Sport Touring Hybrid is worth checking out. Dark blue with black wheels. Nicely styled, great tech, lux features and lots o room. Hella reliable and inexpensive to own. Toot toot. Beep beep.
I love Volvos too! I have an S90 and always admired your XC90. I lucked up and bought mines used right before the car market got crazy. I would’ve loved an XC90, but I couldn’t afford one. There’s such a huge premium for an SUV compared to a sedan and it’s all profit for car makers. I agree that “regular cars” are more expensive than ever, which makes “luxury cars” seem reasonable. I can’t wrap my head around a $1,000 car note becoming so common. Me and Vince (my car’s name) are in it until his wheels fall off!
Thank you for sharing your personal journey and reflections on your first car, a Volvo 240 station wagon, and your experiences with cars throughout your life. It's clear that your car has been more than just a mode of transportation; it's been a source of memories, friendships, and even a symbol of your financial journey.
Life often throws unexpected challenges our way, and your honest portrayal of facing financial setbacks and the need for a new car is relatable for many. Your willingness to ask for help and your determination to build your credit back up are admirable qualities.
Your perspective on finding gratitude in what you have and the importance of enjoying the present moment is a valuable reminder. It's not always about constantly striving for more, but also about appreciating the beauty and joy in the journey.
I wish you the best of luck with your upcoming kitchen renovation and finding the perfect replacement car. Your resilience and positive outlook are inspiring, and I hope your future endeavors bring you the financial stability and success you deserve.
My uncle had a Saab in the 80s. He was all about it.
You may have gotten your car by now. I hope whatever you found serves you well.
My first car was also a Volvo 240 wagon, turbo, with gold leather interior and a stick-shift. I loved that car more than I knew was possible for a human to love a machine. Called her the “cheetah”, long sleek and fast. Made the transition from high school to real life bearable haha. Give thanks to to the Volvo wagon gods gods for carrying us through time and space safely. Rough transition for all.
I had the Volvo dl 240 and the thing was a tank with the miles stuck at 320,000 and something. I loved that car so much I wouldn’t mind getting another one, but in Europe they are pretty pricey. Good luck on your car hunt!
We had the same first car, mine was a 1991 or 1992, whichever was the last year they made it & was silver.
I live in NYC & don’t drive but I certainly understand the difficulty of feeling you should be moving forward but find yourself treading water at best. I so appreciate you sharing the truth behind the glamour.
I don’t know at what kind of cars you’re looking, but my only “luxury” car driving godmother has switched to Hundais, the sedan & then the SUV & adores them.
Subarus are so expensive & hard to find 2nd hand because they run forever & no one ever gets rid of them!
Good luck, we’re all rooting for you!
Cars are so expensive now! I was just shopping for a decent used truck... and was unwilling to pay what they cost. For my budget of around $30k I ended up getting a great deal on a 3 year old X3, which is plenty big enough to transport some tile or furniture and I love the way it drives. Back in the day my sister had a green Volvo 240, and I had an old 122S, then a P1800e for a couple years. All of my cars were junkers until I was at least 35. I feel like these days there are the 1% super rich and the rest of us are just getting by.