Hey all,
The author is detailing his father-in-law's 27-year ownership history a Nissan Maxima daily driver. The actual article spends a bit too much time, in my opinion, projecting values onto the car's owner in order to rag on baby boomers indirectly, so it's not perfect. I kind of just changed that around a bit in my mind to think of it more as frugal people who realize the worth in having long-lasting equipment you take care of versus people who lease cars instead of a generational thing. The overall point is sound though, and I really like the stylistic pictures taken of what is essentially a reliable daily driver.
The site which hosted it isn't bad but most of their financial advice is really just about purchasing whatever car you want for the lowest price, avoiding fees, etc. It was refreshing to see someone step back and just appreciate a car like this, where the worth is about what the car has and will continue to provide for the owner.
http://jalopnik.com/this-love-affair-with-a-1987-nissan-maxima-has-lasted-2-1792597319From the article: "No one would ever say this Maxima is fast. It’s not. The old 3.0-liter VG series V6 engine has likely lost some compression over the years, and Greg feeds it a quart every 3,000 miles. In his trunk is every fluid he might need as a spare, towels, and a small tool kit. Greg is prepared for anything that might beset the path of his Maxima.
“I don’t think I have spent more than two car payments per year on this car. I told Erin (his daughter, my girlfriend) to just sock away a car payment every month for five years, and you can buy your next car with cash,” Greg said.
It’s a mentality that doesn’t exist in the modern world, but it resounds with me, because I have purchased every car I have ever owned with cash. We’re kindred spirits in that sense: Financing a depreciating asset is for suckers.
