i drive a '95 Chevy Cavalier 4-door, or drove, i should say (i don’t drive now because i’m touring ten months out of the year and don’t want to pay insurance.). it’s a girl car, i think…
…but i’ve probably gotten more BJs in that car than my friends with a BMW or Mercedes can claim if they add their numbers together…
…and you can bet that when i walk past some guy in a Beamer that i’m thinking, ‘so what’s this guy making up for?’
…and, no. i don’t think everyone with a nice car is suffering from some form of personal crisis or lack of self-esteem. but when i see a guy who looks to his car for reassurance, i start pointing fingers. i do the same thing about any possession, though…
…if you’re showing off your things, i feel it’s because you don’t feel your SELF is worth showing off…
…my verdict: fuck the fancy car. if you get one, let it be because you got financially comfortable and have the extra cash, not because you feel like you need it to get laid/feel respectable/approach situations confidently…
Clearly your choice of car is a personal choice. What do you look for in a car? Some people love the thrill of driving or appreciating a machine that can perform well. It is also fun to know that you have a fast car, and once you drive it it is addictive. Of course they are more expensive. My personal opinion is to buy quality used cars. Basically when I buy a car I say I have this much in the budget to spend, 10K or 30K or whatever and then I try to get the nicest car I can with that. When I was getting ready to buy a car a few years ago I told my friend “I can buy a brand new Honda Accord, V6, interior just the way I want it or I can buy a slightly used, well taken care of, low mileage Corvette for the same amount.” He just looked at me like I was stupid and that pretty much summarized it. So I got the Vette and never looked back. I also have a 4Runner for carrying more people or stuff or bad weather.
Cars are like anything else that is basically material, you have to go into it with your eyes open and make a decision. Do you want your wife to have a fat ring on her hand or not? It is not a symbol of your love but it is still nice. Do you want a muscular body or to just look normal? Sure you can get around looking normal but it is nice to look and feel different. Some people would say all of the money and time people spend working out is not worth it, I would differ. Having a sweet car is nice and great if you can do it, but it is not the end all be all.
I grew up in Naples Florida and $200,000 cars were everyday eyecandy. Truth is though that 90% of the guys driving them were old/and or nerds. So truthfully a cool ride only makes you cool when you’re in it. Now I hear you guys talking about dorks driving M3’s and Mercedes and not getting women but when you drive a $320,000 Lamborghini it doesn’t matter what you look or act like, you’re getting some ass. But for the 99.9% of us who currently can’t afford a new Enzo get something cool within your budget. I don’t understand guys who get a new '06 Neon but for the same price could’ve gotten a '99 Trans Am or Camaro SS. Best advice is get a new sportbike. They’re cheap, very fast, allow girls to see how built your body really is(may not good for all), and you have to be one scrawny/ugly mofo not to look cool on one.
[quote]BIGRAGOO wrote:
I just love my Titan. No validation needed, I just love the truck. It’s black with chrome and hauls ass. I enjoy the hell out of it:)[/quote]
[quote]E-man wrote:
Best advice is get a new sportbike. They’re cheap, very fast, allow girls to see how built your body really is(may not good for all), and you have to be one scrawny/ugly mofo not to look cool on one.[/quote]
[quote]rrjc5488 wrote:
BIGRAGOO wrote:
I just love my Titan. No validation needed, I just love the truck. It’s black with chrome and hauls ass. I enjoy the hell out of it:)
You have the 305hp V8, right?[/quote]
Damn right. And plenty of roads to open it up on. I haven’t had so much fun with a vehicle yet. It’s roomy, comfortable, and strong. Not to mention it looks really nice all cleaned up.
[quote]BIGRAGOO wrote:
Damn right. And plenty of roads to open it up on. I haven’t had so much fun with a vehicle yet. It’s roomy, comfortable, and strong. Not to mention it looks really nice all cleaned up.[/quote]
Yeah, but its a truck… when is it actually ‘cleaned up?’
[quote]rrjc5488 wrote:
BIGRAGOO wrote:
Damn right. And plenty of roads to open it up on. I haven’t had so much fun with a vehicle yet. It’s roomy, comfortable, and strong. Not to mention it looks really nice all cleaned up.
Yeah, but its a truck… when is it actually ‘cleaned up?’
[/quote]
It usually is clean, unless it rains. I baby my vehicles.
Piece of advice I’ve never forgotten on this topic:
You spend two hours a day in your car and sixteen hours a day in your clothes. Spend accordingly.
I asked my female housemate about this before I posted, and she said that she likes for a guy to have a car that matches the rest of his lifestyle-- so if you live large, drive something hot. If you live modestly, don’t drive something pricey. Just have it all match up and seem like you’re not under-or-overspending.
Don’t misunderstand my post- I am not nor would I ever “rely” on a car to help me get laid. I just mentioned the BJ as an aside. The chick was really into me looks-wise, she didn’t know I had a brand new SUV.
Besides, there’s a lot sexier cars out there than an SUV.
My friend’s point was that men seem to get some sort of validation from their cars, and I’m wondering what others think of that.
FWIW, he’s always had sweet cars, and he’s probably the most impressive ladies man I’ve ever seen. But these days he drives a POS and is going thru a second divorce and retirement is nowhere near.
(Of course 2500/mo in child support & alimony will kill your cash flow.)
Make of that what you will.
And to the guy touring- if you’re a musician or a performer, I know why the car you drive is irrelevant.
It usually is clean, unless it rains. I baby my vehicles.
As do I, but it still is a truck and should be dirty every so often.
It sees it’s share of towing and hauling stuff.[/quote]
I have (pay for) a galaxy (fancy black) Titan, my wife loves it. We traded in the minivan for one. It hauls the three kids around just as comfortably as the van did plus if we need to haul shit we have a truck.
I get to drive the 1990 GMC Jimmy-removable top- it rules! I got it free from my brother so the price was right too! In the spring/summer/fall I ride my bike to work.
[quote]Sonny S wrote:
What is T-Nation’s opinion on the value of having a sweet car? What are the benefits? What car do YOU drive? Is it important to your self-esteem to drive a nice car?
This is an interesting topic.
While I think it is valid to point out that attraction has a lot to do with one’s self confidence rather than your posessions, I would argue that attraction could also be defined as how much percieved “power” you hold.
In other words, power can be represented in many different ways:
For men it consists of, among other things-
Your general aura- self confidence
How much money you have
How many posessions you have
Muscularity
Social status
Skills and abilities (“girls only want boyfriends with skills! You know, numchuck skills, bowstaff skills…” Napoleon Dynamite)
ect…
So, while a nice car won’t elevate you to rockstar status, I would argue that it does offer some, albeit small, reference to the amount of power you hold; thus it could contribute to your overall percieved attractiveness.
I mean, you could take this to the next level and suggest that you move back in with your parents to save money too. But the fact is, no women wants to date a man who has to tiptoe into his bedroom so as not to wake his mommy, no matter how self confident he is.
That said, I would never suggest to someone that they live above thier means to impress others, that’s just stupid. I do, however, understand where you’re coming from.
Ride a bike. Might be problematic to get a blowjob on it (And why the heck are blowjobs used for car worthiness rating here? ;)) but your body will thank you for it
A car comes into play in lousy weather or for really long distances or when you need to move stuff. I use my Audi A6 to move the girlfriend and two bikes to the beach and have a nice, active day, for example
I have a '04 S4…but I am a car nut!! Yeah, I get lots of compliments and attention but I don’t think I have ever used it to get ass…I would think girls would be more turned off than anything when you say “Hi…my name is … oh…and by the way I drive a …”.
Sure, I pay a ton for it but I am not scraping by either, I just choose to spend my money on things I enjoy…like my car. The shoes I got last weekend…Payless. Lunch yesterday…tuna fish sandwich. People at work always give me hell for spending so much money on a car and then I ask them how much they spend eating out…hmmm…about the same per month as the payment on my car :)!!
So…get what you want…not what you think someone else would want you to have.