Being a car person comes with a distinct set of responsibilities, one of which is that everyone in your life will come to you for car buying advice. This would normally be fine, if the end result wasn’t that your advice gets routinely ignored. Now, if you’re just trying to convince your friends to buy heavily-depreciated German luxury cars, being ignored isn’t such a bad thing, but when you’re a small voice of reason who just wants people to not get screwed, it’s aggravating to see someone who should be driving a reliable Corolla driving something that very much isn’t a reliable Corolla.
For instance, I have three different family members who each paid money for a Nissan Versa Note with the infamous JATCO CVT. Now, I love these people, but a Versa Note with the CVT isn’t the greatest car in the world from a performance, longevity, NVH, build quality, reliability, or ease of maintenance perspective. It’s exceptionally cheap and astonishingly roomy, but so is an IKEA bag, and I’d rather not drive around in one of those.
Conversely, the last time someone in my life took my car buying advice, I was just convincing a car friend to do something stupid, so that doesn’t really count. However, I have a weird track record, in that I’ve been able to successfully recommend a Genesis G90 and a Lexus LC 500 to people. Needless to say, they absolutely love them.
So, when was the last time someone in your life actually took your car buying advice, and how did it go? On the flip side, when was the last time someone completely disregarded your car buying advice, and what happened?
(Photo credit: Lexus)
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I told the last person who asked to buy an Audi and she ended up with a Lexus, so it’s probably for the best. I am not to be trusted.
Shockingly often. I’m not that smart.
CRV Hybrid
C-Max
C-Max Plug In
F250 (they needed an extended cab long bed for <$20k… tough to find)
Civic
Vibe
They’ve mostly all worked out OK except for the 08 Vibe when they traded it for a 2012 Equinox that was $10k more because “they said it was leaking oil”.
A co-worker was looking at buying a Chevy Malibu. She needed a new car and she had always had American cars growing up because her dad was a big American car guy. I suggested she test drive a Mazda3 to get some variety (aka, something a little fun). Needless to say, she ended up the Mazda3.
No one has ever taken my advice on a new car purchase. They sometimes listen to me if I am inspecting a used vehicle.
I WISH my nephew had asked me for my opinion before he bought a ’98 Cadillac DeVille; it would saved so much heartache. Of course, he didn’t and it’s a complete disaster, blown head gaskets, etc. I made him promise me next time he wants to buy a car PLEASE give his ol’ uncle a text first.
I just feel a million times better knowing that I’m not the only one. I’ve been asked by family, friends, and co-workers about cars and every single time they’ve ignored my advice. Not just ignored, but ignored AND thought that a Dodge Omni was a better choice.
I’m just so much happier now.
“Dodge Omni” just makes it…perfect. Well played!
Better than a Plymouth Horizon.
The dodge omni is only the better option when the alternative is being eaten alive by angry Sentinelese who’ve had it up to here with your shit.
You win !! Hands down the 6 family/friends who ignored my advice, concerning cars to buy, did not stoop to that level. Congratulations my friend, you win big time !!
I am not even worthy of listing the shit boxes they bought. Not even close.. lol
“Win” 🙂
This is one of those articles where i just sit back and read the comments.Great stories
Exactly once. When my brother-in-law asked me if it was a good idea to buy a first gen Tacoma that ran and drove for $3500 but had a rough body (little beat up, ZERO rust). My answer was that ANY runs and drives Taco was worth almost double that.
8 years later and still going strong!
Never.
Last time I attempted to help someone out was my 79 year old mother. She wanted advice about buying a new small cuv that had a nice ride quality and interior. She wanted a cuv for something easy to get into and out of and something smaller because it’s just her and dad and a tiny dog 99% of the time. I did some research because I have little interest in small crossovers. Sent her lots of pictures to see what she might like aesthetically.
She bought a Mercedes E class sedan. Which fulfilled none of her criteria except that it has a nice interior. I asked why, she says “it was just so pretty!” I give up.
Truly, the aesthetic appeal of cars is there for me, but is almost a non-factor in what I’d actually buy.
The only car whose aesthetic I truly hate is the back view of a Nissan Cube, but I’d still take/use one if it was given to me…
Anyway, I drive a 2012 Prius v so you know aesthetics aren’t high on my priorities.
I actually thought about a Prius V when has a job where I traveled more. I ended up with a tdi Jetta sportwagen instead because I drove mostly highway (got around 50mpg hwy) and the VW was more fun to drive. I figured I would take a big bath on resale but it would be worth it.
Plot twist: they bought the tdi back for dieselgate. I put almost 70k miles on that VW over three years and they bought it back for only $3000 less than I paid for it new.
I really liked that car, but it sucks about the emissions chicanery.
Fair enough! It’s funny, after driving an Econoline for 7 years and then moving on to the Prius, I think to myself “this thing handles in corners so well”, only in comparison.
Presumably, if I ever actually drove a Miata, I’d achieve nirvana.
Compared to an Econoline that Prius IS a Miata.
The last time for me was helping my parents get a 2005 Subaru Legacy Outback LL Bean in 2019. They needed new OEM catalytic converters (California) a year later, but they love the car and, judging by the price of old Subaru wagons on BaT and Cars and Bids, they still would make money if they sold it.
My girlfriend just commandeered my parked (on her property, long distance relationship), rust-free 2003 Legacy manual transmission wagon last week, and is now driving it in New England winter (cringe) because her Sienna is on its last legs (unfixable rust, bad wheel bearings, won’t pass next inspection, next destination junk yard). If I can find her a reliable Sienna AWD under $5K, she wouldn’t have to finance. I see high mileage ones that fit the description and rust-free in California, so I might have to assist in buying to save my Subie from the salt.
My girlfriend was wanting a RAV4 Hybrid or NX Hybrid, until she came with me to pick up my new Mazda3.
She’s enjoying her new CX-30! So I guess last week
In 2008, my father-in-law finally took my advice and bought a Lexus RX350 after the Volvo XC90 he bought on impulse ate its transfer case. The Volvo replaced the 99 Grand Cherokee they also bought on impulse that ate its rear differential.
Sadly he ignored my advice in 2017 and replaced the Lexus with an Audi Q3 rather than refreshing the suspension of his stone reliable fully paid off Lexus. The Audi has run thousands in repairs some warranty, some out of pocket, is very cramped for anyone over his 5’6″ height and they bought folding bicycles because their driveway was too steep to allow a hitch rack.
I’m hoping that borrowing my Mazda CX-5 when the Audi is in the shop shows the light.
More recently my son’s friend followed our advice and replaced his totaled 2010 Kia Soul with a used CX-5 and he is very happy.
As a side note, my advice to myself panned out when we bought the Mazda5 I’d wanted for years. It really was an awesome family hauler until it was T-boned.
I’ve told two seperate people not to buy specific used models they were looking at because of head gasket issues, and both ended up having severe head gasket issues almost immediately after purchase, one was so bad it totaled the car.
Oh man,the mixed feelings!
*to clarify they bought the cars I specifically told them not to because said cars were known for head gasket issues, then they both had the head gaskets go on two different cars almost immediately after purchase
A few years back an old guy I had wrenched for started texting me about an Audi Allroad on CL. He’s disabled and spends days searching for cars. I immediately bombarded him with why not too (it was right at the major service mileage, etc), ending with all caps don’t do it/I will not even touch it for you.
Go over there a couple weeks later lured in by possibly rewiring an old Dodge. Of course he had bought the Audi. I told him sharply to dump it at a loss and refused to even go near it. Haven’t heard from him since—a shame cause he did neat stuff like clocks from air cleaner covers, hot rod mower, even a sb Chevy planter hanging from an old swing set
I told my sister-in-law that a minivan would be perfect for her need to have space for two adults, two kids in car seats, a 90 pound golden retriever, and extra space when her dad visits. She bought a Honda Passport.
I can’t really say my wife took my advice to buy an Accord Hybrid because after test driving a few vehicles it was already her first choice. I suppose I could have suggested the Nissan Rogue for the sake of being able to say she ignored my advice, but why would I take that risk? What if she said “Well you know more about cars than me” and we wound up with a Rogue?
I did once advise someone to buy a Scammell contractor. She still has not entirely forgiven me.
People kinda listen when I tell them what not to buy but then instead of buying what I tell them to get they find some other pile I hadn’t even thought to recommend against. At this point I’m down to just saying “get the Toyota version of whatever you want” and just leaving it at that unless I’m talking with actual car people.
Last time? Probably never. Just in the last few months, my gf wanted to ditch her 04 Taurus which has proved to be bulletproof in the 5 years she’s owned it, for her late dad’s 08 Acadia, and asked me what I thought. Everything I read said that year was one of the worst. The local GM dealer wouldn’t buy it. My buddy who runs the service department at another GM dealer said it’s bad news. But she bought it anyway for market price. We will see. If it takes a shit it’s not my problem.
And in the 90s when my sister’s Shadow pretty much fell apart. Something like a camshaft seal blew out of the engine. Trans stuck in 2nd gear. Rear bumper fell off. Door striker bolt ripped from the body. Yet the car wasn’t rusty. She asked my advice and I said don’t buy a Dodge. So she buys a few years old Neon. 2 head gaskets and a transmission in a few years and finally sold for scrap.
I have a tendency to recommend odd stuff sometimes, but sometimes people take my recommendations.
My parents bought a used PHEV CT6 on my recommendation almost 5 years. They have been very happy with it.
My wife is to the point where she trusts me enough that she doesn’t even look at the car or test drive it anymore. I don’t like this level of trust, because she says she trusts me, but I know all will be forgotten if she ends up hating the car. So far she has liked them all, and the 330e she’s driving right now has her absolutely in love with it.
I talked a friend out of buying a Ford Ecosport recently.
Serious question: is the Ecosport bad, or just unexceptional, or bad relative to its price point, etc.?
Having grown up in a Ford family (two Econolines, a Flex, and a Focus), maybe I’m a glutton for punishment.
But I drive a Prius now and am continually floored by how few unplanned maintenance issues it’s had in comparison.
I’ve just heard there are some issues with the 1.0L engine and longevity, and the one she was looking at was a 1.0L. Specifically the oil pump design. It also hasn’t had very favorable reviews compared to competitors.
Friend’s sister had a RAV4 Prime, was looking to get rid of it for a Venza for whatever reason. We’re talking February 2022. I asked what she wanted for it. He came back with a mere $27K, for a 2021 model year with like 14K miles, and basically mint.
“You don’t like your sister, right?”
“Right.”
“You’ve been wanting to replace your 2005 Corolla because car seat. If you don’t buy her RAV4 Prime, I’ll cut her a check ASAP.”
Considering I don’t drive to get around, he realized — considering the markups — that it was indeed way too good an offer to pass up.
He’s very happy with it. Hopefully is still driving it come 2036. His sister is looking to upgrade the Venza to a Crown.
Me: Buy a van. You want a van, you just said the words “family hauler” and your budget allows for a new Toyota. JUST BUY THE VAN.
Normie Friends: Ew, no. I’ll just buy this 3 row SUV in which 3rd row will never be folded up and only serve to catch detritus.
Truly, my dad’s 2014 Sienna blows me away whenever I borrow it. You get this much space, 23 highway mpg, and 250 horsepower? Insane.
On the flip side, even a used conversion van could be a good idea for a “family hauler”. Sure it’s big and slow-ish, but you’ll never have to worry about “comfort” or fitting all the cargo for your vacation.
Conversion vans can usually tow things, too.
I don’t take most of my own car buying advice so I certainly shouldn’t expect others to do so.
My wife listened to my advice over the summer. I found a used Model Y that had been bouncing from various dealerships and auctions since EV prices peaked in 2022. I looked at the value of the Y and her trade and came up with an out the door number that was fair for all parties. We got a smoking deal (at the time) and they had an easy to move trade-in that would cancel their losses on the Y. It still took the dealership two days of number crunching to accept it. I don’t think they made any money, but they didn’t take a $10k loss on that Y at auction.
My mom on the other hand, has probably made a massive automotive mistake. She bought a 2012 Nissan Rogue against everyone’s advice. I even found her a manual transmission Kia Soul (she prefers manuals) that was pre-USB theft era and didn’t have the engine that randomly caught fire. It also had a price at the low end of the market.
I seem to be the ‘go to’ guy about cars. The fact I used to be a tech, and work in fleet management now probably mean I do know what I am talking about. I have a strong focus on resale values and encourage people to check service histories (confirm it has one) and spend money on brands they know, rather than things that look cheap.
I have not talked people into cars so much as talked them OUT of looking at certain things. I have talked people out of Holden Captiva and Holden Cruze which were sold here in the early 2000s. There is a bunch of these for sale all the time and they are cheap, like 1/2 the price of equivalent cars, for a reason. They fall apart and need a lot of love to keep them going.
Tyres are another one I get asked about a lot because they are big $ and every tyre looks the same…. but that is another topic
I tried to talk my wife out of a pretty rough used ’06 mini clubman with no history, but she was in love with it. Cooling system started coming apart within a couple months and the transmission self destructed inside of a year. Ended up donating it.
Recently, actually, but it was another car buddy of mine He sent me a listing for a completely ragged out, rusty, non-running Thunderbird Super Coupe, with a moldy interior. He also asked if I wanted to go on an 8 hour (each way) road trip with him to pick it up. I said I’d love to go on a road trip, but buddy that ain’t the one. He knew I was right, but allowed the fact that it was a 5-speed car to delude himself for a bit.
The last time a non-car person listened to my car advice was around 2009ish. They don’t want advice. They just want you to confirm that their terrible idea is a good idea, and when you don’t you’re just a pushy a-hole.
That last sentence rings true in my experience.
I now only make gentle suggestions: “Well, if you’re set on that one, I recommend that you have the cvt fluid changed every 40k miles”, and the like.