Wife's veiw on cars

[Russell]

My wife hates my car(s) The one under the most fire now is my DD 1993 Lincoln Mark 8 there is a project car page if you want to check it out. I drive it 100 miles a day so we do spend a lot of money on gas it has been getting about 23 mpg that with the cruise set around 78. She says its ugly and beat, and does not get good enough mpgs. She says we make to much money for me to drive a $1000 car. She also says why do I keep my 89 mustang you don't every drive it. Well the last 6 months I had issues getting it inspected, and it stored at my partents 75 miles away so yeah it does not get driven much, I did put more miles on it last year than we put on our 1968 mustang that she likes to ride in as long as it not so hot that she sweats. We also have a f150 and a 08 Nissan that She drives, and I have a few more projects and part/junk cars. Anyway if you are keeping count he have five with tags and insurance. Her solution to the problem is to go buy another car for me to drive to work that is newer and gets better milage. So we will not have to worry about breaking down and can take it places instead of her Nissan. Then she tells me she saw a 2008 civic on CL that was nice, and she could drive it some. After we got off the phone I looked those things are like 11-16k. :o

I don't get spending 13k to try to save $150 a month, that over a 7 year payback, I don't think a 08 civic will stay up to her standards for another 7 years.......

I know I may not be "normal" and I am cheap. Do I fight it, or chalk it up to the cost of her being happy and not giving me such a hard time about my other cars / projects?

[Gary 351C]

Re: Wife's veiw on cars

I guess I'm lucky. The blue Mercury rarely gets driven and it's ugly but I keep the registration current and it's insured. The tan Mercury runs but it's not driveable, but the registration is also current and it's also insured. My DD is an old cop car that gets 18 mpg at best. My wife says if they make me happy, she's happy.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: Wife's veiw on cars

my brother-in-law just bought a (almost) new DTS, this after a fight of at least 10 years. He was driving a 90(ish) Civic that literally was falling apart as he drove it... had something like 400k miles. So his wife and he are in pretty loud fights over buying a new car - him, he loves the Cadillac and has been oogling them for at least 10 years... his wife, keeps telling him to buy a new car. He won't - huge fights... really, what she was saying to him is "I want you to have a nice car because I love you" what he heard "you're driving a POS you cheapskate".... of course, to him, being called a cheapskate was a good thing... so the fights continued until it was pointed out he didn't have his "wife translator" in place. When he heard the the 1st line, he then bought the new car.... strange, not hearing of many fights anymore.

maybe applies, maybe doesn't... use if it applicable.

[LORENSWIFE]

Re: Wife's veiw on cars

As a car guy wife, I am good with whatever Loren wants to do in the way of rolling stock at our house.
He takes a longtime sometimes to get to projects but we chalk that up to having to deal with other responsiblities, when he does work on cars it is always amazing, the engines he puts together are awesome, but the sheetmetal work he puts out is PERFECT! I am always so proud to ride shotgun with him in any of his creations! It is great to roll down the road and have people looking at you. On the other side of the coin I love my beater Cherokee because it is also great to roll down the road and have people get out of your way because it looks like you are not afaid of a little bump now and then, plus I can leave the keys in it anywhere and no one looks twice... ;)
All the old cars we both love get bad gas mileage oh well...
~Gail

[catchmeblue70]

Re: Wife's veiw on cars

Personally, I think she's hinting that she wants a different vehicle. That's exactly what my mama does. She hints that whatever daddy is driving is wearing out and/or ugly and he needs something better then BAM!...she ends up with a new daily driver. It's happened 3 times in the last 15 years. I'd fight it a little and try to find a way for both of y'all to be happy.

[Cyclone03]

Re: Wife's veiw on cars

Yup,sounds like she wants a new one.
My wife and I,after 25 years together,made it easy,she gets whatever she wants to pay for.
I get to do whatever I want with what she cast's off to me,sell it, keep it,whatever.
She calls my Mustang names(see naming cars thread) but for the most part I can do what I want.

Now if you want to fuel a small spark into a full on 200,000 acre forrest fire do the math on cost per mile for your 23mpg paid for,cheap to insure DD v. anything newer she has to make payments on.
Just like all us BS say our old junk in total cost of ownership comes out pretty good in the long run.
Now if you have TWO running, paid for cars on your side the break down part becomes a moot point,unless you blow the engine trans and rear the same month if you do the work that car may still be cheaper to own than a newer payment- every- month car.

[JOES66FURY]

Re: Wife's veiw on cars

Sounds like she might be embarrassed by older cars...my wife is the same way. Do the math and show her that even tho the car is older you're saving money.

[STINEY]

Re: Wife's veiw on cars

You need to think politically about this.....if embarassment is the issue, then meet the issue head on.

Sell your current driver and get one that is 100x worse in appearance. Or 1000x. The point is to have a new reference standard for negotiations from.

Then once her total horror reaches its peak, agree that it is attrocious and you really need to do something.

Then find something that makes you happy and ask if that option would be an improvement on the horror.

Compromise is a good thing, accomodate her. ;) ;D

[Russell]

Re: Wife's veiw on cars

Personally, I think she's hinting that she wants a different vehicle. That's exactly what my mama does. She hints that whatever daddy is driving is wearing out and/or ugly and he needs something better then BAM!...she ends up with a new daily driver. It's happened 3 times in the last 15 years. I'd fight it a little and try to find a way for both of y'all to be happy.

Sounds like she might be embarrassed by older cars...my wife is the same way. Do the math and show her that even tho the car is older you're saving money.

Both of these are very good points. She has said she is embarrassed of my lincoln. She said she liked having a little car, she had a civic before she got the Rogue. She "needed" a new car when she got out of college said the tranny was going on her old civic. The rogue was bigger and a better value. I think she misses the civic but the rogue is useful and I don't think she wants to trade it in. I can see it now she wants to give me the rogue and she gets the civic unless she needs the bigger rogue or the civic needs cleaning our or gas put in the tank. All in the name of saving a few bucks on gas. D@mn you OPEC!!!!

[JOES66FURY]

Re: Wife's veiw on cars

Ask her point blank..Is all this because you're embarrassed of MY car that I drive or is this because you want a civic...If she wants a civic..then maybe give mama the civic... because we all know..if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. It is easier to ask about the root cause than guess.

[Russell]

Re: Wife's veiw on cars

Ask her point blank..Is all this because you're embarrassed of MY car that I drive or is this because you want a civic...If she wants a civic..then maybe give mama the civic... because we all know..if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. It is easier to ask about the root cause than guess.

I will do that. I think its both, and she wants to keep her rogue. Maybe we should sell the 68 and buy her a civic...

[1trickpony]

Re: Wife's veiw on cars

Maybe we should sell the 68 and buy her a civic...

^^^RE-READ the above statement.

[Hemi Joel]

Re: Wife's veiw on cars

If she is like lots of women, you can do math on the mileage thing till the cows come home, and that won't get you anywhere. Women talk in code, and it is impossible to figure it out all the time, but I think what she is saying is that she wants your cars to make a favorable impression on the people who notice what you drive. The statement that you make too much to drive a $1000 car is a real hint. She wants people (her friend's) to know that you are successful, and she wants a car that she will look good in and be proud of. You show up in a nice looking vintage Corvette, and the fuel mileage calculations will be meaningless and she will only be thinking about how good she will look in it and how everybody will know that you are smart and successful enough to have a Vette.
I would suggest that you consolidate a bit. Get rid of some of the beaters and roll the $ into something that you dig because it is old and fast, and that she digs because it is expensive and nice.

Good luck, Joel

[Tazracing]

Re: Wife's veiw on cars

you can more than likely get a new civic for the same beans as used..
and I agree, she's looking at a way to get a civic and force you into the nissan..
if you have 6 cars and she has one, fight'n this will cause hell..
we have to go down to one car payment, because of my health,,
my hhr gets over double the mpg that her sport trac, will be payed off in 14 months,,
but she wants here sport trac,, I can fight it(there all in my name) and force her into the hhr..
but I might as well store minime and forget about spending a dime on any thing car related.
untill she'd end up with a sport trac again..
some fights are not worth it..

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Wife's veiw on cars

hell , get it down to 2 cars or your kids will be in rags LOL