Cultural Differences

[njdesi]

I just bought a used '97 Escort with 100,000 miles for around $2,000. Including a total body paint job and a new battery, the total cost of the car is $2,500. What I find interesting is the different reaction I get based on someone's ethnicity.

When I talk to my Jewish friends, we talk about the bargain, and how other's are chumps for buying cars new and taking the huge depreciation hit. If you can get another 70K out of the car, they say, you've "won." There is no bigger way to gain face than being seen as outwitting the system or getting a good deal.

Old school Indians are like Jews. They tell me I am cheap bastard, but with a sense of pride. The hip hop wannabe ones tell me I am a cheap bastard with a sense of disgust.

My Thai friends tell me, "The car looks nice." and then add, "Don't worry. One day you will be able to afford a Lexus." They get confused when I explain that I can afford a Lexus right now. It's a given that someone will stretch for the most car they could afford in order to gain face.

Black guys laugh at my puny subcompact and ask me if I am going to trick it out and what type of sound system I have. When I tell em it is four speakers with a cassette deck, they shake their head. Meanwhile, the guys are file clerks driving Mercedes SUVs with kick ass rims.

White Americans think I am taking too big a risk buying used. The women are especially concerned about safety and reliability. That is why they always buy new. Their worst nightmare is being stranded on the road and having a brown guy in an escort or a black file clerk in an SUV offer to help them.

[KID]

DAMN, and here i just bought a 84 Chevy Caprice w/ 1633,000 for $300 but had to put new brakes and rotors on it and a few other minor things ( I am white) i get offered to sell it at least every other day by blacks and Mexicans ( gangster style car )$1,600 top offer so far but I am holding out for $2,000 good god i hope none of the blacks or Mexicans mug me , maybe i should go back to driving my conversion van?

[Silent Ninja]

How can the Thai people afford all those Mercedes, Lexus, etc.? Do they borrow tons of money to be able to gain a bit more face?

[Thetyim]

How can the Thai people afford all those Mercedes, Lexus, etc.? Do they borrow tons of money to be able to gain a bit more face?

Yes they do.

I know one thai guy who has a pick-up, an estate car, a minibus, a Merc E class and a Merc S class .
None of them have a road tax because he hasn't got the money for it.

[Spin]

^ My gf has a new car, the whole family chip in to make the payments because the monthly amount payable is more than any one family members salary.
Hilarious!
The whole country is run like this!

[Skulldigger]

Then again, there are some who really are filthy rich.

[barbaro]

I just bought a used '97 Escort with 100,000 miles for around $2,000. Including a total body paint job and a new battery, the total cost of the car is $2,500. What I find interesting is the different reaction I get based on someone's ethnicity.

When I talk to my Jewish friends, we talk about the bargain, and how other's are chumps for buying cars new and taking the huge depreciation hit. If you can get another 70K out of the car, they say, you've "won." There is no bigger way to gain face than being seen as outwitting the system or getting a good deal.

Old school Indians are like Jews. They tell me I am cheap bastard, but with a sense of pride. The hip hop wannabe ones tell me I am a cheap bastard with a sense of disgust.

My Thai friends tell me, "The car looks nice." and then add, "Don't worry. One day you will be able to afford a Lexus." They get confused when I explain that I can afford a Lexus right now. It's a given that someone will stretch for the most car they could afford in order to gain face.

Black guys laugh at my puny subcompact and ask me if I am going to trick it out and what type of sound system I have. When I tell em it is four speakers with a cassette deck, they shake their head. Meanwhile, the guys are file clerks driving Mercedes SUVs with kick ass rims.

White Americans think I am taking too big a risk buying used. The women are especially concerned about safety and reliability. That is why they always buy new. Their worst nightmare is being stranded on the road and having a brown guy in an escort or a black file clerk in an SUV offer to help them.

Good points.

I have always considered a car as a form of transportation. Nothing more.

I've never wanted to get a new car, a hot sports car, or flashy car.

I really despise making car payments. I prefere to save it for travelling or investing, or whatever.

People can laugh at my car. I laugh at theirs.

[njdesi]

DAMN, and here i just bought a 84 Chevy Caprice w/ 1633,000 for $300 but had to put new brakes and rotors on it and a few other minor things

Did you buy it knowing that a Caprice is the favored car of gearheads and gangsters?

I hate making car payments too. I am starting to get interested in the mechanical aspects of how cars work, but for the most part a car is necessary evil. One of the things I liked about living in Bangkok was the public transportation system. If I needed to get to an out of the way destination, I could always get a taxi for cheap.

I have to admit, though, I do enjoy riding in my cousins tricked out Lexus SUV. Eight speaker surround sound, thumping bass, a DVD player in the dashboard, PS2 in the back, and the feeling of power from looking down on all the peons driving sedans. But is it worth $30,000? Not really.

[Thetyim]

But is it worth $30,000? Not really

They cost 3.5 million baht over here

[dirtydog]

I only bought my car cos it looked sexy, drove past it day after day sitting on the lot, good fun car to drive but really I didn't need it, it's done just over 60,000kms in the last 6 years so should probably last me another 20 years without too much expense, might rent it out for a couple of months over the tourist season to recoup some of the initial expense.

[njdesi]

My mistake, it costs around $48,000 (1.9 million baht) for a 2005 Lexus LX 470 in the US.

[Silent Ninja]

Good points.

I have always considered a car as a form of transportation. Nothing more.

I've never wanted to get a new car, a hot sports car, or flashy car.

I really despise making car payments. I prefere to save it for travelling or investing, or whatever.

People can laugh at my car. I laugh at theirs.

Agree, I laugh too when I see people driving something that can't really afford. What's the fun of having a Mercedes if you haven't got any freedom to quit your job, go travelling, etc.?