You know what would be terrible? Terrible in a sort of dystopian, capitalism-run-amok sort of way? Imagine buying a brand-new, fancy, premium-grade car. From an automaker with a respected name. Like, say, BMW. This is a machine with some status! Let’s say it costs, oh, $61,500, and you’re paying, what, about $1300 a month? Something […]
I call it a car subscription, and it’s for people who make poor financial decisions. It’s better to buy a car you can afford, pay it off, and own it until it becomes unsustainable to keep it running.
Eh… I think it’s fine if some people want to subscribe to a car. Some people really like cars, and want to have the newest model. They can lease a car, then return it (lightly) used for someone who is price conscious to get a cheaper car with warranty protection.
I buy old, used, cheap cars because I don’t give a flying fuck about what I drive. The cheapest I can get my $/km, while having a reliable vehicle, the better. Sub $10K CAD direct buyer sales are great, for me.
I think it’s a waste of money, but I’ve spent $thousands on my hobbies, so who am I to judge someone else for their hobby spending, assuming they can afford it.
I don’t know, I think that a “hobby” should be linked to use or an activity, specifically, not simply ownership. Consumerism for the endorphins isn’t really a ‘hobby’, it’s an addiction at best (and I have some personal experience in this area).
If you’re renting or leasing cars for a specific use, like racing or camping, I think that’s completely defensible; I even think certain vehicles like RVs should probably mainly be rented or leased, to make sense.
But “having the newest car for my ego” isn’t a ‘hobby’ without diluting the meaning to nothingness.