My truck is a 3/4 ton 1980 Dodge pickup, 318 V8 engine. Has 90,000 original miles.
Less miles than most two year old cars at used car lots. It does not sputter, only grumbles in the morning before it gets its morning coffee.
It's not fuel injected, has no A/C or radio. Cost me $2500 six years ago when it had 32000 miles on it.
The entire truck is rust protected. Only rust is where the paint was scratched off.
Tag, license and insurance is cheap.
I can out race most new cars and trucks from 0 to 40 at a stoplight.
Above 45 though they will usually catch up but I will have had 3 car length head start on them and already reached the speed limit (they only pass me when their speeding).
Spare parts are "inexpensive" and it's easy to maintain.
If a part brakes or wears out and I can fix it, I will go and buy the best part from NAPA to do it.
I am frugal, not cheap.
I will shop around for quality and save to get it.
I don't buy a lot of fancy stuff just to have it and impress others.
I only buy things if I need them, not if I want them.
I know the differences between "needs" and "wants".
I usually won't buy something unless I have the cash to pay for it, and I can put it to two good uses. Otherwise it turns into a frivilous purchase.
I don't "want" a new car as mine gets me around just fine, so don't be diss'n my ride!
I prefer to be debt free and not a slave to a banker paying off a car loan. (Not that I couldn't pay $30,000 cash for a new car if I wanted one.)
Oh, you don't want me dissin your ride. At first I thought you were purrrposing, hehe. Not dissin your ride at all, just havin a lil fun.
Just remember, if you plink down $10,000 or more for an automobile, your payment gets reported to the Feds. It's an unfortunate side effect of the War on (Some) Drugs, if I remember correctly.