Three for the Road (Third car a trend?)

NewsWeek via MSNBC ^ | 11/23/2003 | Keith Naughton

[PeteFromMontana]

For today’s American family, two cars just aren’t enough. We need a nice ride for every occasion. Date car, anyone?

Dec. 1 issue — Robert Baller is an American everyman. The earnest 40-year-old software engineer works out of his stucco-style home in suburban Sacramento, Calif. He has a wife, a 13-year-old daughter and an 80-pound Labrador. But inside his three-bay garage is nearly a hundred grand worth of heavy metal: a Honda Civic, a Toyota minivan and a racy Nissan 350Z. “The Z is our date car,” he explains. That’s fine, but isn’t three cars for two drivers a bit much? “Some people might think it’s excessive,” says Baller, “but our friends haven’t said anything.”

[PeteFromMontana]

I must be out of it, I have never heard of this..anyone?

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Got me?

I have one car that I use for everything.

Maybe it's a new trend? I have no idea...I'm not hip anymore.

Grandpa Simpson: "I used to be 'with it'! Then they changed what 'it' was. Now what I'm 'with' is no longer 'it', and what's 'it' just seems wierd and scary!"

[PeteFromMontana]

"I'm not hip anymore."


I suspect anyone over the age of 40 that thinks they are still hip is probably pretty creepy

[Rebelbase]

When you're keeping up with the Jones' and have the cards maxed out, whats another car payment?

[cavtrooper21]

Not that far off myself.
Have two cars and a truck.
Economy car for me - work and errands
Economy wagon type for the wife - her work and errands
Truck for us -hauling just about anything, camping, hunting, vacations and as a "spare" if either car has problems.
works out well.
As far as a "date car", well, my wife wants a Firebird, but she'll be waiting awhile, I want a boat.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

I suspect anyone over the age of 40 that thinks they are still hip is probably pretty creepy

I'm 27.

I'm also convinced I was born about 20 years too late.

[Elliott Jackalope]

I used to go out of my way to be "unhip", since the whole concept of being "hip" struck me as being pretty dumb to begin with. Now that I'm over 40 I don't have to worry about it anymore. Getting older is not all bad.

[Libloather]

Always keep a spare SUV on hand. Ya never know...

[Ditter]

What is the big deal? I have a Tahoe, he has a Tahoe & there is a pickup for hunting & going to feed the cows. Sounds right to me.

[truthandjustice1]

Well,my wife drives a Solara, I drive a Camry for work, and we have a 2001 Corvette convertible for play.

[wardaddy]

yep....whose business is it anyhow.

[Tony in Hawaii]

In 1963 my Dad had a car to go to work in, Mom had a car for shopping and errands and such, and we had an International Scout (an "SUV" long before there was such a term) for vacations.

Yep, it's a new trend.

[elmer fudd]

I like cars and I used to keep several of them around, but I found it just took too much money. If you have a car you need to maintain it, insure it and license it and it depreciates all the while. It works out to be an extremely expensive luxury. At one point I did the math and figured that I'd spent something like $10,000 I couldn't recover on cars I didn't need.

[RedWhiteBlue]

Doesn't seem so strange to me. I have my car, a 328i convertible and hubby drives an Envoy. The Envoy was meant to replace his Ford pickup, which has been up for sale for a few months, but the used car market is lousy and he hasn't been able to generate any interest in it. He also has two toys -- 1932 Ford highboy convertible streetrods, one that he built himself about 15 years ago and another that has a hemi engine that is for sale.

So we have 5 autos, two of which are for sale. However, with a 4 car garage, we don't look like a used car lot, since only one will not fit inside. When he sells the pickup and the hemi-spiked streetrod, no doubt in my mind that he will be on the prowl for another toy to fill that empty space in the garage. He likes to buy them on a good deal, drive them a while, and then sell them and make a little money.

[Tax-chick]

When I was in high school (early '80s) we had 4 drivers and 3 cars: Dad's 240Z, which hardly ever worked; Mom's Camry, which usually worked; and a Toyota pickup that always worked, but only had 2 seats. I was the youngest and almost never got to drive!

I took the 1981 pickup when I left home, and drove it until we had our 3rd child in 1996.

[PeteFromMontana]

I'm 27.

I'm also convinced I was born about 20 years too late.



I always felt that way as well, that might be a conservative thing

[Leo Carpathian]

I like cars and I used to keep several of them around, but I found it just took too much money. If you have a car you need to maintain it, insure it and license it and it depreciates all the while. It works out to be an extremely expensive luxury.

Try old classics, no need for expensive insurance, you can fix them yourself, much safer than toy styrofoam bumpered "compacts". Love'm! There was nothing like big American cruisers of the road.

[Muleteam1]

I must be out of it as well. My wife and I have one minivan, one truck and four farm tractors.

Yep, I am definately "out of it" and if "it" is like cow paddies, I plan to stay that way.

Muleteam1

[Muleteam1]

Oops! Forgot about the '24 Dodge Brothers in the side of my garage.

Muleteam1

[dixiechick2000]

FWIW, some of us Nanas drive grandchildren around, but we like sportscars.

Hubby drives a Yukon. I kept my old BMW 325 to drive the grandkiddies around when I got my new Z4 early this year.

I chose the Z4, over the 350Z and Boxster, because the passenger side airbag can be turned off to accomodate a child.

I think my reason for choosing it is sick.