Comments on: Are You A Practical Car Shopper?

By: Odeku Ogunmola

Odeku Ogunmola — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 02:56:16 +0000

That’s exactly why I bought my 2007 CPO GTI. I’m about to get married and have kids but I kill SUV’s on the turnpike and eat Honda’s and Nissans for afternoon early evening rush hour snacks. I’ve had all seats filled, transported a friend’s 2 kids plus a car seat and was none the worse for wear. Yesterday a guy in a new 328xi stopped me and said he missed his Mark V GTI. Why I asked? The Beemer guzzled gas!

By: Taylor

Taylor — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 07:06:13 +0000

I go for desirably practical. I like Jeeps and trucks so when I bought my Jeep I went for the Unlimited. This gives me what I desire in the abilities of the Jeep and the practicality of being able to take on 3-4 more people (four people and all necessary camping gear fits quite nicely in it).

I am also currently looking at buying a Tundra quad cab, with the same aspects in mind.

The way I figure, if I am going to make payments on something for a few years and put out a significant amount of money for it, I want to be happy in doing it.

Also, say in the case of a truck, most people (myself included) don’t need a truck anywhere near 100% of the time but I feel that the cost of ownership of a truck is offset by not having the cost and hassle of arranging for a rental truck or moving service if, in that twenty or so percent of the time, I do need move or haul something.

By: Canrith

Canrith — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:23:14 +0000

I try to be practical in the sense that everything I buy has to be reliable. But when it gets down to it none of the cars I enjoy for the fun factor, or just looks, even comes close to practical. Stripping out the back seat didn’t help on that front either…go figure.

By: Willhelm

Willhelm — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 01:51:06 +0000

I was trying to find a fuel efficient car to handle the brutal winters while still being reliable and able to do road trips for more than two people… Somehow i ended up getting an Audi TT so I guess i’m not practical =)

By: Mark Smith

Mark Smith — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 01:26:01 +0000

My last two cars, I was forced to buy for a practical commute car and ended up with a first generation Honda Insight (manual transmission, and not horrible to drive) and a Toyota Prius (which I HATE to drive but gets good mileage). In both cases, I was looking for something more fun to drive but my choices were vetoed.

Finally, I got so sick of driving the Prius every day that even my wife saw I was miserable. At that point, I threw practicality out the window and bought what I really wanted (well, a blend of what I really wanted and what was a LITTLE cheaper) and put a Cayman S on order. I take delivery of the car in December, but will probably keep the Prius and split commute time between the two cars, at least for a couple of years.

By: Jwag

Jwag — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:50:50 +0000

I usually go for practical performance, Mini cooper S is my most recent purchase. I’m willing to make sacrifices for performance. Though my general rule is to keep a backseat, and a hatchback is never a bad option.

By: a

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:25:36 +0000

I had a Town Car a while back because it was relatively safe and a cheap luxury, but it also made me next purchase a manual miata, whenever I save enough money for it.

By: Adam

Adam — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:59:16 +0000

I usually balance the two. As a nearing-time-to-have-a-family-man I’m looking for a new car and I’ve happily set my sights on the VW GTI. It’s practical but not boring and feels great to drive.

By: Auto Service Marin

Auto Service Marin — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:58:10 +0000

I’m extremely impractical. I don’t have to think about other people cause no one ever uses my car except me and I’ve only had passengers once in 4 years. If I were practical I would drive a Prius but I don’t. My car only gets 23 mpg and I drive from OC to LA all the time. Every time I do it seems like it consumes a ton of gas, like almost half a tank if I drive around in L.A. I don’t like the style of any of the fuel efficient cars; I don’t like the looks of hybrids or affordable cars. I feel like my car is an extension of me; it’s like a handbag. It represents me. So it has to look good!

By: James

James — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:53:01 +0000

I totally went for what I wanted. Two years ago I bought a 2000 BMW 323 convertible. Thought about getting a VW GTI or a first gen CTS but it was summertime and the sky was calling, not to mention the irresistible red leather interior of the Bimmer. As a single guy it really isn’t that impractical though. On the occasion that I have a passenger sitting behind me I do have to move my seat up to a not so desirable point, but it doesn’t happen often. My mother was concerned about me driving a rear wheel drive car in Cleveland winters, but with snow tires I was never at a loss of traction or control. Also, a snow laden parking lot and a rear wheel drive vehicle is a brilliant recipe for fun!