• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

New car for an upwardly mobile young professional

rjakapeanut

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2008
Messages
1,878
Reaction score
6
Originally Posted by redcaimen
It generally means your future social and financial prospects are bright because of your job. Its not a particularly sinister phrase.

yeah but the guy is a pretty big douche for putting that in the title, hahahahahaha
 

username79

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2007
Messages
2,102
Reaction score
15
Originally Posted by DocHolliday
What do you guys find appealing about that Kia over, say, a Civic? I can't say the front end is doing it for me, though the side isn't bad.
See one in person. It is very striking. I'm a car guy. I can tell, even before I can even make out what make or model a car is, that a car is something special. The Kia got me good. When light hits it, it plays off certain angles and you can tell it was designed to be aesthetically pleasing. The Civic is much like the Corolla. Completely innocuous and forgettable, designed to be a reliable A-B car with no passion or interest. I often wonder how anyone can actually have "pride" in owning something so bland. The Kia is quite refreshing, much like the Genesis Coupe is in the next segment up. This ad sums it up: "no one ever dreamed of driving a mid sized sedan, until now." Notice the focus on the lines of the car, the rev counter increasing, the lights on the dash, and the *sound*, the engine sound! Maybe the engine even sounds like that, rather than the high pitched nasal whine of the Honda/Toyota engines since around '08. Suddenly, an economy car that someone might actually enjoy driving! The commercial is very effective:
IMPORTANT NOTICE: No media files are hosted on these forums. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website. We can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. If the video does not play, wait a minute or try again later. I AGREE

TIP: to embed Youtube clips, put only the encoded part of the Youtube URL, e.g. eBGIQ7ZuuiU between the tags. It is exciting to see the potential return of desirable cars in the low price segment. When I was growing up, there were many affordable cars one could actually want to own. The MR2, Celica GT-S, Acura Integra Type R, RSX, etc. all come to mind. What has there been in the last decade? A Civic with a three foot dash? The Scion Tc? What happened?
 

RSS

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Messages
11,554
Reaction score
4,516
Originally Posted by LabelKing
What an hideous and odious combination of words: upwardly mobile young professional.
They are quite common in the Bay Area and Seattle ... less so in the San Juan Islands. I so love the San Juans.
 

fredfred

Distinguished Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2008
Messages
1,108
Reaction score
2
In 1990 I got a used 2 year old mercerdes 190. It had about 20K miles on it. It cost $20K. I drove it almost for 10 years, getting to about 120K miles. Sold it for $5K. It went another 80K miles.

I took care of it. It looked new for the 1st 7 years of it's existence with me. I got laid because of it ("I've never done it in a Mercedes". Umm, ok). Driving a "new" mercedes has an impact on people. I could tell when I'd open the doors for girls and let them in it. They were surprised and impressed I had one. I'm pointing out facts I noticed, nothing else. It surprised me how much of an impact it had.

One of the best purchases I've ever made. Loved the car.

I wouldn't expect 200K miles out of a hyundai. Take care of a benz and it can go to 250K or 300K.
 

BC2012

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2010
Messages
287
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by username79
It is exciting to see the potential return of desirable cars in the low price segment. When I was growing up, there were many affordable cars one could actually want to own. The MR2, Celica GT-S, Acura Integra Type R, RSX, etc. all come to mind. What has there been in the last decade? A Civic with a three foot dash? The Scion Tc? What happened?
You grew up between 1984 (GT-S) and about 2001 (RSX)? 17 years is a long ass time. The RSX is and the newest Civic look almost the same and the base models have essentially the same engine (the type-S had a larger HP engine). The Kia isn't bad looking at all. But why buy a low-end sedan made by a company that the average buyer thinks is terrible and cheap and will have no resale value? That's where Honda and, less so, Toyota come in. Reliable, good gas mileage, potential to get some of your sunk capital back when you upgrade. Kia has none of these, at least not historically, so it takes a leap of faith to get someone to buy one.
 

mkarim

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2008
Messages
3,976
Reaction score
29
Originally Posted by BC2012
You grew up between 1984 (GT-S) and about 2001 (RSX)? 17 years is a long ass time.

The RSX is and the newest Civic look almost the same and the base models have essentially the same engine (the type-S had a larger HP engine).

The Kia isn't bad looking at all. But why buy a low-end sedan made by a company that the average buyer thinks is terrible and cheap and will have no resale value? That's where Honda and, less so, Toyota come in. Reliable, good gas mileage, potential to get some of your sunk capital back when you upgrade. Kia has none of these, at least not historically, so it takes a leap of faith to get someone to buy one.


Agreed. Honda/Toyota/Nissan would be better buys.
 

username79

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2007
Messages
2,102
Reaction score
15
Originally Posted by BC2012
The RSX is and the newest Civic look almost the same and the base models have essentially the same engine (the type-S had a larger HP engine).
I was referring to the 1999+ GT-S, the ones that would rev to 8400rpm. The fantastically fun to drive rockets Toyota replaced with the tC. The RSX was/could easily be a hot car, especially in Type-S trim. The new Civic has been ugly in all iterations. You're ignoring details. The RSX was fun to drive; the interior was focused on the driver. The next generation Civic removed the "fun to drive" quotient, redesigned the interior to make it .. simply ugly? .. and added a ton of weight. Honda stopped caring about making their cars attractive sometime in the early 2000s, instead focusing on efficient cars that were also so obviously ugly that they became somewhat endearing, a la the Fit. Nissan makes some decent cars, but not in this segment (Sentra?). An Altima 2.5S coupe ends up being priced in the mid to high 20s, where the Genesis Coupe is now ******** on just about everything.
Originally Posted by BC2012
The Kia isn't bad looking at all. But why buy a low-end sedan made by a company that the average buyer thinks is terrible and cheap and will have no resale value?
I believe this is something the company (their ad agency) is working very hard to change. If the Optima is any indication, they are going to be successful. They have a 10 year/100,000 mile warranty. Last time I looked at Honda they were still only offering 3 yrs. Things may have changed.. I would love to see some competition for Honda/Nissan/Toyota. In my opinion, these automakers abandoned their roots (especially Honda). They once produced cars for people who enjoyed the sensation of driving, but decided sometime in the early 2000s to make strictly utilitarian penalty boxes. If a competitor can create a beautiful and enjoyable car that is also reliable and has a warranty several times better than Honda's, for the same or less price, then this is great news!
 

longskate88

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Messages
1,218
Reaction score
6
Originally Posted by fredfred
In 1990 I got a used 2 year old mercerdes 190. It had about 20K miles on it. It cost $20K. I drove it almost for 10 years, getting to about 120K miles. Sold it for $5K. It went another 80K miles. I took care of it. It looked new for the 1st 7 years of it's existence with me. I got laid because of it ("I've never done it in a Mercedes". Umm, ok). Driving a "new" mercedes has an impact on people. I could tell when I'd open the doors for girls and let them in it. They were surprised and impressed I had one. I'm pointing out facts I noticed, nothing else. It surprised me how much of an impact it had. One of the best purchases I've ever made. Loved the car. I wouldn't expect 200K miles out of a hyundai. Take care of a benz and it can go to 250K or 300K.
Me neither, more like 500K
devil.gif
My '96 Civic has 260K, and that's a 14 year old car. Seems like cars should last even longer these days.
 

RSS

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Messages
11,554
Reaction score
4,516
Originally Posted by LabelKing
Also common in NYC.
Style Forum as well ... or so it seems.
 

ramuman

Distinguished Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2009
Messages
4,615
Reaction score
710
I'd pick something more timeless in your situation. E30 through E46 M3s and W113 and R107 SLs and the like come to mind.

As cynical as I can be, I dig where the Korean companies are going with design, far more so than the Japanese. However, almost any car made in a certain year looks dated shortly thereafter if it's not truly timeless. The best way to check for that is to go after cars that have withstood that test.

The E46 M is too soon as far as timeless, but there are many cars you'd hardly be embarrassed to run around town yourself in or shuttle a woman or boss around in five to ten years from now.

Upkeep might be expensive, but so will depreciation on a newer car. Plus, do you think a Genesis or Civic will have a similar appeal of unique sexiness in five years? They might still carry the body lines, a warranty, and a tidy engine, but it will, almost certainly, look dated in five to ten years.

My 2 cents.
 

akatsuki

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2008
Messages
2,652
Reaction score
201
I'd say go with the Koreans - you get a new car and a killer warranty.

Here is the thing, if you are "upwardly mobile" you will have more money relatively soon. You can ditch the car if the brand name doesn't work for you. If your plans don't work out, you aren't stuck with a huge car payment or high repair bills.

And you aren't the douche lower level exec that is driving around in a car nicer than your bosses. Believe me, people will comment and will not look kindly on it.
 

Ben85

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2010
Messages
136
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by fredfred
In 1990 I got a used 2 year old mercerdes 190. It had about 20K miles on it. It cost $20K. I drove it almost for 10 years, getting to about 120K miles. Sold it for $5K. It went another 80K miles.

I took care of it. It looked new for the 1st 7 years of it's existence with me. I got laid because of it ("I've never done it in a Mercedes". Umm, ok). Driving a "new" mercedes has an impact on people. I could tell when I'd open the doors for girls and let them in it. They were surprised and impressed I had one. I'm pointing out facts I noticed, nothing else. It surprised me how much of an impact it had.

One of the best purchases I've ever made. Loved the car.

I wouldn't expect 200K miles out of a hyundai. Take care of a benz and it can go to 250K or 300K.


How can you not expect 200k out of a Hyundai? An old one I can understand, but the new ones have some of the best warranties available. Take care of any car and you can easily hit 250-300k The difference between the Benz and the Hyundai is, that the Hyundai is gonna be a lot cheaper to fix.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 45 40.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 44 39.6%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 5 4.5%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 18 16.2%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 25 22.5%

Forum statistics

Threads
504,441
Messages
10,573,984
Members
223,700
Latest member
almerickso
Top