Income/Vehicle

My income/age are

  • I am under 35, and make $0-30K

    Votes: 1 1.3%
  • I am under 35, and make $30-50k

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I am under 35, and make $50-90k

    Votes: 11 14.1%
  • I am under 35, and make $90k+

    Votes: 13 16.7%
  • I am over 35, and make $0-30K

    Votes: 1 1.3%
  • I am over 35, and make $30-50k

    Votes: 6 7.7%
  • I am over 35, and make $50-90k

    Votes: 21 26.9%
  • I am over 35, and make $90k+

    Votes: 25 32.1%

  • Total voters
    78
:
RDX Aspec Adv.
I have a friend who seems to feel that various income levels seem to drive various vehicles, or rather, are represented by them, or whatever. I don't know the term or exact definition, just that "that car is for highschoolers", "this car is for successful middle-class people", "I make XXX amount, so I should be driving XXX car." etc. seems to be an assessment or perception that this friend has.

I have assured them that income and vehicle choice do NOT match, especially at the upper end of the tax-bracket ($250k/+), with many of my friends who are in that tax bracket driving things like CX-5's, old pickups, and whatever. So...I am curious...how does that stack up, here?

This poll presumes that your CX-5 is your only, or main (driven most often) vehicle.
The votes are private.
 
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Poll is biased against 35 year olds, they will have to wait for a year to vote.
 
Poll is biased against 35 year olds, they will have to wait for a year to vote.

I was about to say, I'm 35 I don't find an option for me :( lol

In my case instead of buying one $60K+ vehicle I chose to buy a CX-5 and a Mazda 6. I'm very happy with my choices, I don't really give a s*** about having this sense of living a luxurious lifestyle cause you make a certain amount. I didn't come from money so to me personally I tend to try to get the best value for my bucks.
 
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I was about to say, I'm 35 I don't find an option for me :( lol

In my case instead of buying one $60K+ vehicle I chose to buy a CX-5 and a Mazda 6. I'm very happy with my choices, I don't really give a s*** about having this sense of living a luxurious lifestyle cause you make a certain amount. I didn't come from money so to me personally I tend to try to get the best value for my bucks.

A+ amen, AGREE !! the gap between non-luxury and luxury is almost non-negligible these days, not like the old days when non-luxury were cheap looking plastics and knobs while luxury was top notch material. Good example is the new CX-9 interior !! I find it better than luxury models. Why pay $10K to $15K more for the same thing ? Worst waste of money I saw was when the first Porsche Cayenne came out, granted the Cayenne has gotten better looking and reliable over the years , but the 1st gen was a piece of crap and was really just a disguised VW Toureg, only the naive yuppies thought it was a "real" Porsche. Don't worry what other people think, buy what you like and the most bang for your buck.
 
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I'm sure I don't fit the profile. I'm over 35 and make over $50K, and I've been daily driving the same Integra that I bought in 2001. It's my 2nd car, still using it. No car payment since 2002. The CX-5 is my wife's first car since high school in the late 90's. It's definitely the newest car we've ever had, and is officially the 2nd newest car among both our families (we had the 2 oldest cars before). Also my first car payment since 2002, wife's first car payment since ever.
 
The cost of a CX-5 is not the same throughout the world. Some countries have substantial additional taxes. I am thinking OP was thinking US only. Even in the US, the cost of living, mostly housing, is not the same and not by a little bit, but by a lot!
In some countries fuel is also expensive, and in some you pay more taxes for more displacement or power, so people are encouraged to get smaller, more economical vehicles.

For me, a car should be functional, convenient and reasonably fun to drive. While I could easily afford a more expensive vehicle, for me it would just be a waste of money. I don't even appreciate the tech package or any extra found in the GT trim. Got the Touring for the 2.5L, the extra safety features. If not for this vehicle's AWD, I would get something even less expensive and more fun to drive.
We typically pay cash when we buy a car.
 
If you don't own the car if you are paying it off monthly. You only own the responsibility. :))
 
Poll is biased against 35 year olds, they will have to wait for a year to vote.

This is not correct. Either you are 35+, or your are under 35. If anyone is posting on the exact day of their 35th birthday, then I do apologize, but age 35 DOES place you beyond the range of the typical "safe-space" user, so you should be able to handle it...


That said, I am not at all surprised by the poll data, and it was pretty much what I was expecting.
 
The cost of a CX-5 is not the same throughout the world. Some countries have substantial additional taxes. I am thinking OP was thinking US only. Even in the US, the cost of living, mostly housing, is not the same and not by a little bit, but by a lot!
In some countries fuel is also expensive, and in some you pay more taxes for more displacement or power, so people are encouraged to get smaller, more economical vehicles.

For me, a car should be functional, convenient and reasonably fun to drive. While I could easily afford a more expensive vehicle, for me it would just be a waste of money. I don't even appreciate the tech package or any extra found in the GT trim. Got the Touring for the 2.5L, the extra safety features. If not for this vehicle's AWD, I would get something even less expensive and more fun to drive.
We typically pay cash when we buy a car.
This is 100% correct. You cannot talk about a car in Belgium like this the same way.
 
I'm >40 and I'm not the primary driver of the CX-5 it is the wife's but we use it for all road trips.

After totaling the '14 CX-5 we shopped the X1 and she insisted on another CX-5.

We have two late model vehicles, circumstances allow that, however our #1 priority is still maintaining a healthy financial balance.
 
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I'm >40 and I'm not the primary driver of the CX-5 it is the wife's but we use it for all road trips.

After totaling the '14 CX-5 we shopped the X1 and she insisted on another CX-5.

We have two late model vehicles, circumstances allow that, however our #1 priority is still maintaining a healthy financial balance.

Might've been helpful to note that your other vehicle is a '15 M4.... o_O
 
""that car is for highschoolers", "this car is for successful middle-class people", "I make XXX amount, so I should be driving XXX car." etc."
I dont care to belong to any club that will have me as a member". ... Groucho Marx
 
I find it difficult to believe people who are earning USD250K have a CX-5 as their main car.

I really like my CX-5 but I'm under no illusion, were our household in that income bracket, that we'd be driving a Range Rover/Discovery.

I guess, here in the UK, I live in an area where cars are high priority for people so, if they can afford it/manage repayments, they'll get a BMW or Merc. Lot of Range Rovers and Discoveries where I live too.

So, back on point, CX-5s are family run around second cars for high household incomes and, where the CX-5 is the principal car, those would be medium income (GBP40K+) families, me included.
 
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I find it difficult to believe people who are earning USD250K have a CX-5 as their main car.

I really like my CX-5 but I'm under no illusion, were our household in that income bracket, that we'd be driving a Range Rover/Discovery.

I guess, here in the UK, I live in an area where cars are high priority for people so, if they can afford it/manage repayments, they'll get a BMW or Merc. Lot of Range Rovers and Discoveries where I live too.

So, back on point, CX-5s are family run around second cars for high household incomes and, where the CX-5 is the principal car, those would be medium income (GBP40K+) families, me included.
Disagree with your last statement, if you grew up poor and earn 250K USD you will most likely drive a 3 or 4 year old Camry. Its just how your life experiences have been. Besides there are people who invest ferociously and for them Cars are a money pit. The Land Rover depreciates faster than a falling meteor here in the USA. They are not very reliable - so the depreciation hit in the first 2 years alone equals a new CX-5. Atleast the Touring Trim.
Plus there are people who consider their carbon footprint as more important than luxury or appearance. If Toyota did not go down the Mirai BS putting money back into energy companies I would have bought the Hybrid Rav4 for 3K more than my CX-5.
 
Disagree with your last statement, if you grew up poor and earn 250K USD you will most likely drive a 3 or 4 year old Camry. Its just how your life experiences have been. Besides there are people who invest ferociously and for them Cars are a money pit. The Land Rover depreciates faster than a falling meteor here in the USA. They are not very reliable - so the depreciation hit in the first 2 years alone equals a new CX-5. Atleast the Touring Trim.
Plus there are people who consider their carbon footprint as more important than luxury or appearance. If Toyota did not go down the Mirai BS putting money back into energy companies I would have bought the Hybrid Rav4 for 3K more than my CX-5.

I'm only reflecting on my own experience as I see CX-5s on the road. I think we, in the UK, may think differently about cars. Diesels are really big here and I think they've eaten massively into the hybrid market share. I think hybrid and electric are gaining traction though (no pun intended).
 
I'm only reflecting on my own experience as I see CX-5s on the road. I think we, in the UK, may think differently about cars. Diesels are really big here and I think they've eaten massively into the hybrid market share. I think hybrid and electric are gaining traction though (no pun intended).

So was I, always wanted to come to UK and maybe see the Arsenal play at emirates. But not now with Stan Kroenke turning it into a profit only club.
UK will be a great market for electric since US is huge and except California / Colorado no other state gives you too much. For e.g. in Colorado you could get 13,500 USD off your Leaf if you buy one. What are the rebates in UK if you were to go electric?
Here the best electric / hybrids are Leaf / Volt Hybrid / Toyota Prius family / Ford has 2 cars one electric and other Plugin hybrid / hybrid / Volkswagen e Golf only in Cali. We even had a Rav4 Electric made only as a compliance car in California as well.
What other brands do you have that we dont?
For me my next car might be a Ford Fusion Hybrid or a Sonata Hybrid. Love the 40 mpg city ratings - plus they are usually very well equipped. Might nick one or wait for a used e-Golf with all those parking sensors / auto parallel park features.
 
My boss grosses over 3 mil a year. He owned a nice BMW M5, but sold it because of all the cost of maintenance it required and also when someone followed him home and tried to rob him at his house. He now drives a Toyota Prius.
 
My boss grosses over 3 mil a year. He owned a nice BMW M5, but sold it because of all the cost of maintenance it required and also when someone followed him home and tried to rob him at his house. He now drives a Toyota Prius.

Same thing happened to my boss !! he used to drive a Porsche Cayman S, got followed on his way home but he realized he was being followed so he drove right in front of the police station, the would be robbers high tailed out of there quick. He sold the Porsche and now drives a Toyota Highlander.
 
Tbh in a Prius the chances of you getting run over by a faster car are higher so he went from a safe but risky car to a slow but risky car.
Atleast it put money in his pocket. Here in the big D Porsche's / Tesla's are so common you have to drive a Maserati or higher to even get a look from the thieves. Btw my boss drives a new Hyundai base model - if he could he would even get one without any mats to save a few bucks. No robber ever chased him.
 
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