With cars absolutely go with the statistical average, not anecdotal. Consumer reports and Lemonaidcars are good resources. Someone will have a bad experience with a Camry even though it is statistically one of the best cars you can own.
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The car worked well and was dependable. I only kept it 2 or 3 years but I put a lot of miles on it driving a long commute to work and roadtrips to compete in far away places. It was a very uninspiring grocery getter. I hate automatics, and it was automatic. I hate gutless cars, it was gutless (But a lot better than the Civic). The biggest issue was the interior layout. The tunnel coming from the dash to the console put my knee at a bad angle and caused me a lot of physical pain, starting within 15 minutes or so of getting into the car. I just hated driving it. After that I decided that Japanese cars are built for little Japanese people, and German cars are designed for big Germans. The Subaru is equally uninspiring as a car, but itās fine for point A to point B driving.
You just have to get it sideways with all 4 wheels spinning.
Same. Last 4 cars have all been manuals, and 3 have been focus. I find those to be fun to drive (small, and handle well with the same engine and suspension as the Mazda 3). I drive the old 2005 ST which only came as manual, which handles even better. It does leave something to be desired as far as power with only 151 hp.
Maybe I need a German car, then. Iām 6ā2", so our little Hyundai is uncomfortable. My Camry also wasnāt the most comfortable ā the seat/headrest were permanently fixed in this weird position.
Iām 6ā0, but 280, so I donāt fit a lot of places.
I think itās pretty hard to beat a Ford truck or mustang for all around value, reliability, build quality, and comfort. Iāve owned Volvoās, VWs, Jeeps (have two Wranglers at the moment), Toyotas, Hondas, F-150s, and right now have a 2016 Mustang GT/CS. Volvoās are garbage. The Jeeps are probably my favorite because theyāre capable and I can fix literally anything on them with the toolset Iāve built up over the years of modding them. But for a comfortable, reliable vehicle at a good value I would go Ford all day.
Current plan is to sell the Mustang in 2-3 more years and get a Gladiator Rubicon V8 when they hit the used market, which I will then probably drive until it disintegrates.
Especially used. I love the value I get with the used for focus. I have had 4 of them total. Great little cars. Mazda 3 and the Focus share the same suspension and motor (Focus gets the previous generation of both), but they are often found for about half the money.
Just donāt buy the latest generation of focus with the automatic. It is a trash design. Stick with manual and they are solid cars. Not as good as Honda or Toyota, but if I was buying corollas, I would be paying about double for a same year and mileage.
This is sad, but I donāt know how to drive stick. Iām one of those millennial chumps 
Itās on my list of things to learn, up there with handstand walks and jiu-jitsu.
I am a millennial too. It is sad the manuals are going away eventually IMO. Still something you should learn.
Now a lady who drives manual goes up 2 points on the 10 point scale.
Donāt do it. Iāll never own another one.
Actuallyā¦ theyāve gotten better, but I would NEVER have one outside of warranty again. I had a BMW 550i and had constant issues, gaskets always leaking, headlight wiring insulation disintegrated, control arm bushings, water pump, lots of issues with oil and water leaks, more stuff than I can even remember right now. I actually loved the car other than the issueā¦ if it had been under warranty I would have kept it
Sounds like it still would have been in the shop a lot.
I mean Iām an old millennial and two of my cars are stick. They still make manual Mustangs and Jeeps.
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Best way to not get your car stolen is to have a stick. The car thieves canāt drive them.
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Real estate prices are going to take a big hit in the next year or two. Listen to the Joe Rogan podcast episode with Peter Schiff #1508.
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Racist.
(Just kidding)
Highly recommend the Trump: American Dream Netflix series.
Iām in academia in the NE, so pretty much everyone in my social sphere hates the guy, but I find him endlessly fascinating. Despite his lifestyle, this dude somehow seems to have T coursing through his veins.
On a related note ā after watching this series and listening to the amazing Peter Schiff podcast @dextermorgan recommended ā Iāve been thinking about ways to be smarter about taxes. It seems the wealthy really get this and the middle class doesnāt.
My wife is an independent contractor, so we absolutely hemorrhage money on her income ā 40% of it goes to the government each quarter. Anyone know of ways to minimize that cost (aside from, obviously, just not paying)?
His total T is in the 400ās and he takes finasteride FYI. Saw that somewhere when he released his medical records. Though, it also said he was 6ā 3", haha.
Iām not sure if heās a sociopath or just a narcissist? Do narcissistic sociopaths exist? Not sure. Iām not a fan but I think heās a prime example of 1. how people will tend to vote for ātheirā party no matter what (Joe Biden is another good example) and 2. how bad people want a president that isnāt a career politician. Put the two together and you get a reality TV star as president.
Anyways. Not trying to derail this thread into politics.
This is the life of a sole proprietor. The tax burden for the self-employed is obscene and a crime against liberty. I paid through the nose for about a decade as an independent contractor.
Itemized deductions. Home office in the same building as the house. Spend it all on the business.