Selling my STS and I find I'm elitist. . . or something
I am selling my STS. One of my employees wants to buy it. She and her husband test-drove the car and loved it. I found myself thinking that these people wouldn't understand the finer points of this fine car. I was also wondering if they would even learn about all of the different options and wonderful electronic things the car does. Will they understand that the STS isn't just another big car? That the Northstar V8 is a revolutionary engine? Are these folks sophisticated enough for this fine car?
Then I started to think that I needed to stop being such an elitist snob. Who the h*ll am I to judge them on what kind of car they should be driving? Just because they have blue-color jobs they can't appreciate and enjoy a fine automobile?
So what happens to luxury cars that start to get past their prime? I guess I see the owners and the market for Caddys as Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. I'm a secondary owner. I would not buy an STS new for many reasons . . . nor any other car, but that is my own personal financial philosophy. In the case of my car, the Primary owner paid $56,000 for it new in 2001. He (an MD) drove it for 60,000 and sold it to me for $15,000. He paid $.68 a mile for his 3+ years of driving an STS. I put an additional 50,000 miles on it and will sell it for $9,000. My cost of driving an STS is $.12 a mile. As secondary owner, I get a much cheaper cost per mile when the purchase price is divided out by the miles, but the primary owner had almost NO maintenance issues. The secondary owner usually has several maintenance issues. In my case I had radiator and water hose issues, speed sensor and wheel hub issues, crank shaft position sensor issues, etc. . . I also have had to deal with a new onset oil leak and the Service Engine light came on right after I bought it (TC solenoid lockup), but ignored it for 50,000 miles. Even still, my cost per mile is greatly reduced from that of the primary owner. Will the tertiary owners luck out? I think they are facing a greater risk of high cost maintenance issues. The tertiary owners, however, are getting the car for less than 1/6 of its original price. If the tertiary owners get 13,000 miles out of the car and then junk it, they would get the same cost per mile as the original owner. And I think they would probably appreciate and enjoy it far more too.
I think the original owner, Mr. Rich Doctor, drove the car because he though he was entitled to it. He was an MD and had to look the part. Did he enjoy it and appreciate its finer points? No, I think he took it for granted. The Secondary owner, me, is an enthusiast. I shopped for months for that particular year and model, cut a hard deal and knew exactly what I was getting. I know the finer points and appreciate the evolution of the Seville. I didn't think I earned, deserved or was entitled to a fine luxury car. I bought it because I loved it. I think the tertiary owners are going to be thrilled that they get to drive such a fancy car. They may never learn all about all of the fancy electronic options. They will most likely NOT see what it can do WOT on the way down their street, but I hope that they will have at east half the enjoyment I had . . . and that's probably enough.
Re: Selling my STS and I find I'm elitist. . . or something
I think most of the time when you a buy a car, you get what you pay for. If new, you pay more but get more in terms of lack of problems, appearance, pride of ownership, operation, etc. No car that has 60,000 miles on it looks and runs the same as new - that is why it costs less. There is nothing wrong with buying a car with 60,000 miles on it, or even 160,000 or 260,000 miles, as long as the price reflects the miles and years and condition.
Personally, I think the best "deal" is to buy a car brand new, mid to late in the product cycle, so the bugs are worked out, and market pricing is better, and then drive it a long time - not necessarily "into the ground", but over 100K and until it is no longer reliable, comfortable, and attractive to you.
I know that many people would disagree, and I do not say that I am correct - it is only an opinion
Re: Selling my STS and I find I'm elitist. . . or something
last new car i bought...95 sts...hg gone at 102,000 go figure...50 grand for 100,000 miles!! and i keep my machines up!! never never again...pay 4 or 5 hundred a month to drive it..newness wears off after a few months anyway...or stick a hundred a month away for dat rainy day when the used "breaks down" believe me it cheaper to get the used especially when u look at your "investment" after a couple yrs. it doesnt make sense...course if ya dont save any money for the rainy day which WILL come...then u stress and cuss. anyway u slice it...a used seville with all the bells and whistles is a fun drive no matter the age...rather have a 97 seville stuck in my driveway than a 08 cobalt..yeah im crazy but that is the fun in life! tell ya employees "GOOD LUCK' and remember guys the sale is FINAL and my office door is closed for yr next car problem!!! u playin with fire there...but u r to b commended in the fact that u recognized your weakness in recognizing your elitism without a shrink ,,its refreshing to see on this site of cash rich jerks who subbscribe to the let them eat cake ...and we all know what happened to her....
Re: Selling my STS and I find I'm elitist. . . or something
I am one of the secondary owners...I shopped for a long time before I bought mine and it was 9 years old when I got it from the original owner but I wouldn't trade my Deville for anything but another Caddy...I have looked at the brand new too but that seemed like such a waste of money, they go down in price so much after even the first year or two. Even though I say "go for it" to those that want to keep buying new, that just menas there are more newer "used" ones for people like me! People that are long time owners state that usually their Caddys run forever as long as they keep them up. Mine may be 11 years old but it runs like a dream and I still get compliments on it and won't replace it until I have to or a great deal comes along and then I'll pass this one on to my of my sons.
Re: Selling my STS and I find I'm elitist. . . or something
Some percentage of vehicle owners consider their purchase as much more than 4 wheels and gasoline. For these people, their car is an investment, a posession, a statement to be enjoyed and cared for. Each hiccup and tire chirp is cause for hand wringing or laughter. The more "fun" and "faithful" the machine, the closer the attachment. Young or old, we all have had vehicles which we hated to see disappear from our garages.
Re: Selling my STS and I find I'm elitist. . . or something
I can't quite figure out what is meant by "elitist" here. Is it a person that thinks he is in the know,
and therefore superior, because he has thought and rationalized his reasons for buying a "used" Cadillac and thus feels superior to the "new" Cadillac buyer? Is it because a person who hesitates selling his "used" Cadillac to a lower income individual who he feels can't really appreciate the car or afford to own it.
Sometimes we ascribe our feelings of superiority to our own self-annointed "elitism" when in fact it is really just our own ignorance and lack of experience in the breadth of motivations involved in an individual's decision making.
