do you LOL at them or let it go?

[mpvue]

were you ever in a conversation and the other (non-car-oriented) person reveals something about their car and you just want to facepalm?
like when a friend wants to show off his 'new' jaguar, and you see it's an X-Type?
or a co-worker says her son's car had the oil light come on, and sure enough, it has the 2.7?
should you always try to offer your opinion, or just let it go?

 

[Astro14]

They know that you have some car knowledge, so they're asking for some help...best not to laugh...best to gently suggest what they might consider doing next...like taking it to a good shop...if they're that clueless, you don't want to be turning wrenches on this thing, otherwise, the next failure will be your fault, because you were the last one to touch it...

 

[JHZR2]

If they are asking, I'll say what I know. Otherwise it depends upon how I know them. If friends, I'll unload pretty completely just for their info to help them out. If just acquaintances, I'll usually give them some seeds to start from, or help them with a search.

 

[mpvue]

this is not about helping fix it, or even them asking for advice; it's more about when you hear something and it makes you go 'DOH!'

like the jaguar X-type example; car guys know how bad they are, and the horrible reputation they have. but lots of fake-rich people buy them since they are on the market cheap now. all they know is they have a 'jag', and think it's hot.
guess it's better to just let it go and not say anything.

 

[JHZR2]

Around here lots of project type people have "real" jags and Cadillacs. So?

Someone might engage in stupid fake rich behavior (though arguably anyone leasing or financing a car is no better because they also couldn't afford their purchase), but that is nothing new. And remember that people will always engage in self-destructive behaviors.

If its none of your business, then just laugh it off. It sounds to me that the swooning of the uninformed makes you jealous. I think that is human nature if somebody gets something nice and other people make a big deal about how great it is, especially if in your heart and mind it isn't that great. You may well be correct, but to some extent why rain on their parade? I can't imagine that it's any better to be right, and hurt their feelings or be smug against them, then it is for them to be smug about what they have when it isn't really anything all that special.

That's a tough one!

 

[SteveSRT8]

Best is not to worry about others and work on yourself.

You are extremely unlikely to be able to make any difference in someone else's behavior.

But you can change you.

 

[Spazdog]

Why is the X-Type not a "real Jaguar"?
It certainly had all the electrical problems associated with real Jaguar ownership.

It's the "Jaggiest" Ford Mondeo ever!

As far as the 2.7 with the oil light? I would never laugh (at least not where they could see me) I would tell them the prognosis for that motor is not good and to tow it to a trusted repair facility.

 

[mpvue]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Around here lots of project type people have "real" jags and Cadillacs. So?

Someone might engage in stupid fake rich behavior (though arguably anyone leasing or financing a car is no better because they also couldn't afford their purchase), but that is nothing new. And remember that people will always engage in self-destructive behaviors.

If its none of your business, then just laugh it off. It sounds to me that the swooning of the uninformed makes you jealous.

I don't know why you are quick to say I'm 'jealous'; I didn't say anything about ALL jags, and I didn't mention caddys. I SPECIFICALLY said the X-type, which was known to be a troublesome car, but to the uninitiated, it's a great car.

I'm just having a conversation here, why do you want to muck it all up with telling me I'm jealous?

I also called out the chrysler 2.7, am I jealous of those people too?
you sound like the clueless Mom who tells her bullied son 'oh, they're just jealous of you'...

 

[SLCraig]

I always lend a hand.
I had a friend who had an Impala, he was going to meet me for a ride and called me and said he could not come cause his car was losing coolant and he was getting sporadic temp gauge readings. I told him to take it in an tell them its the lower intake manifold gasket. It was. He was happy I mentioned it.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: mpvue
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Around here lots of project type people have "real" jags and Cadillacs. So?

Someone might engage in stupid fake rich behavior (though arguably anyone leasing or financing a car is no better because they also couldn't afford their purchase), but that is nothing new. And remember that people will always engage in self-destructive behaviors.

If its none of your business, then just laugh it off. It sounds to me that the swooning of the uninformed makes you jealous.

I don't know why you are quick to say I'm 'jealous'; I didn't say anything about ALL jags, and I didn't mention caddys. I SPECIFICALLY said the X-type, which was known to be a troublesome car, but to the uninitiated, it's a great car.

I'm just having a conversation here, why do you want to muck it all up with telling me I'm jealous?

I also called out the chrysler 2.7, am I jealous of those people too?
you sound like the clueless Mom who tells her bullied son 'oh, they're just jealous of you'...


Notice how I updated my post to add more. You did say that they are on the market cheap now. Not sure how any luxury car on the market "cheap" is any different really.

Im making a comment on human nature. Ive been there and I think everyone has. Everyone wants the spotlight, and if someone else is getting it, especially if making a big deal out of an item that people more in the know recognize as inferior for some reason, it is that much more bothersome. Mechanical/maintenance like the 2.7 example is far different.

As I said, I dont know whats worse, to rain on their parade and be smug about it, or them being smug over something that you know may not really be all that great. Neither one does much in the long run, and you can only tell/help people so much. Why ruin their joy?

 

[BrianWC]

Financing a car makes you fake rich?

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: BrianWC
Financing a car makes you fake rich?


Financing is a "fake rich" behavior, as youre trying to buy something that you cannot afford. Ditto for leasing (one might make an argument for a business, but I still dont buy it, because the MF interest rates are so high). Perhaps it is necessary for some reason, but the basis behind it is still the same. You want to show that you have something better than you could actually afford with the funds that you have.

We can make handwaving arguments all day about 0% and how much more one may make in the market or whatever, and I fully recognize that sometimes there is a better deal to grab by using financing. But for most of the population, theyre not financing a $30k car because they have $30k in the bank and are making 12% on it while paying 0% interest. If that was the case, people in this country would be in a vastly different financial position as a whole.

 

[bepperb]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: BrianWC
Financing a car makes you fake rich?


Financing is a "fake rich" behavior, as youre trying to buy something that you cannot afford. Ditto for leasing (one might make an argument for a business, but I still dont buy it, because the MF interest rates are so high). Perhaps it is necessary for some reason, but the basis behind it is still the same. You want to show that you have something better than you could actually afford with the funds that you have.

We can make handwaving arguments all day about 0% and how much more one may make in the market or whatever, and I fully recognize that sometimes there is a better deal to grab by using financing. But for most of the population, theyre not financing a $30k car because they have $30k in the bank and are making 12% on it while paying 0% interest. If that was the case, people in this country would be in a vastly different financial position as a whole.


Anytime you finance something you're paying a lot of money to someone else for the luxury of having that item earlier. It might be for a good reason, like someone who just graduated from school and got a good job... or a variety of bad reasons. But let's not pretend like paying that interest to a bank/financing department is something people would do if they could afford not to.

Sorry JHZR2, not really a reply to you. I agree with your opinion. I think the OP had two points, sometimes people buy something that think is "nice" and yeah... grin and bear it. Sometimes people ask car questions but to be honest if they aren't wrenching themselves it's just going over their heads so why waste your time.

 

[JHZR2]

bepperb, I do know people that do have the cash in the bank and use 0% financing because they think they can do better with the money elsewhere. I dont deny that this happens once in a while.

But I think you are exactly right, and while this discussion is a little off from the OP's initial premise, IMO these "normal" behaviors are no different than scooping up an x-type cheap and pretending that youre fancy (Ive never been in an x-type, it may well be really nice inside, and ride well).

I totally agree with you.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Aren't the X-Type related to the ford contour?

 

[rjundi]

My wife finances cars with payments we can afford on one salary. And then ends up paying off the loans at an accelerated rate. She took out 5 year loans on our last 3 cars but then ended up paying each within 9-12 months. I let her juggle

The same is true on our mortgage a 30 yr one. We are currently paying to be done in 18 years.

That all being said if someone is happy with an x-type, let them be! These cars can be had for little money and just because generally they are not known for reliability they may be perfectly fine for the new owner.

 

[eljefino]

I don't really have many friends who even brag about cars. They're all a-to-b appliances. They'd be more likely to brag about cell phones, kids, pets, clothes. That's the real facepalm. In the 70s everyone was a car guy and cars wore their cubic inches on fender badges like having hearts on a sleeve. Kind of a societal thing.

 

[Win]

Originally Posted By: mpvue
were you ever in a conversation and the other (non-car-oriented) person reveals something about their car and you just want to facepalm?
like when a friend wants to show off his 'new' jaguar, and you see it's an X-Type? ...


My sister bought a new one in '04 a few weeks after I bought my wife her Xj8, and she (my sister) has had no trouble of any consequence with hers that I know of. She still has it.

I wouldn't mind having one of the estates to haul the dogs and baby back and forth to our lake house. The AWD would be handy a few weekends a year.

Will you facepalm me for that? What's so great about what you are driving?

Maybe you should just let it go and be pleased that they value your opinion.

 

[Kestas]

It depends on what type of conversation the person is making. If they're querying people for their opinion, that's one thing.

All too often I find people are simply making conversation and looking for an audience. There have been times somebody asks my advice on cars, and I find they're the ones doing all the talking... can't get a word in edgewise. I don't do well in such competitions. I just let them run off at the mouth with their nonsense and let it be.

My metric for judging how I should handle these situations is to ask, "Does this affect me personally?" If the answer is "no", I let it go.

 

[bigmike]

I try to let things go usually, unless they're asking my advice. Rarely does that happen.