Chevy Spark discontinued. 2022 is its last model year.

[7milesout]

It's kinda like that in the suburb where I live. The wife is kinda like that, but doesn't realize that kia is the bottom of the barrel when it comes to status lol.

TRUE!

A lot of co-workers have been buying new vehicles lately. Many make slightly above min wage and went through roach financing. And I look like the idiot.

OMG I've been laughing so hard at that! You make TOO MUCH SENSE. There's a new guy at work, and he just bought a brand new GMC Terrain or Acadia or the like ... some such GM turd pail. I'm sure his payments are $800+ a month ... and I look like an idiot for driving a paid-off, reliable Mirage? What a joke, and it's on them! But they don't know...

[Mark]

A buddy just bought a new Silverado 1/2 with a 6.2l. He claims it's as good on fuel as his previous ecoboost(which really wasn't great). He never did tell me what he paid for it but I looked it up easy enough at the one and only gm dealer in the small town they live in. $72k is the msrp, financed for 84 months and probably got sucked into extra warranty and rim insurance. He makes decent money and has a pension that I'm jealous of but doesn't have a pot to piss in. Only thing that's paid off is an old oil burning honda quad that's in a million pieces. Now that I think of it, this friend has been making steady truck payments for about 10 years and has nothing to show for it. They've gone through a 2010 dodge, 2014 F150, 2017 F150, and they were all traded in before they were paid off. Now they have a used escape that's financed and the new chevy. They plan to flog the escape in a while and buy a second new truck. Again. Because trucks are cool dude.

I suggested countless times they just buy a used Mirage since they were both commuting 200km a day for work...But they aren't practical people. His wife has owned horses while they lived in town for over a decade now. They figured it'd make sense to buy an acreage 60 miles away from their jobs in the next town over than to continue paying for a grazing lease where they lived. It's not my money but I get tired of hearing about how they're broke all the time and have to borrow money from their family.....

I don't remember either of my grandparents ever owning a new vehicle. I still have vague memories of my grandpa's Rambler when I was a young kid.

Scotty Kilmer has spent something like $7,500 on vehicles for himself in his lifetime. He does splurge on vehicles for his wife, however. He paid $3,000 for her 2002 Lexus with 60,000 miles on it some time ago. They also share a Matirx. He claims the 1994 Celica as his car. I forget what little amount he paid for it.

Scotty Kilmer doesn't waste money on vehicles. He recently moved from Houston, Texas to Portsmouth, Rhode Island. He bought a modest $580,000 New England home & paid cash for it.

https://www.dirt.com/gallery/enterta...nd-1203453833/

[7milesout]

He recently moved from Houston, Texas to Portsmouth, Rhode Island. He bought a modest $580,000 New England home & paid cash for it.

https://www.dirt.com/gallery/enterta...nd-1203453833/

I think he went from TX, to TN, then the RI. But I could be mistaken.

[Mark]

I think he went from TX, to TN, then the RI. But I could be mistaken.

That's true. He was in TN for a time. I think one son lives in one spot, and the other son lives in the other.

Some put his net worth at 10 million, but who knows?

He reminds of a guy who climbed into dumpsters at our dorms while in college to collect aluminum cans. Rumor was that he was one of the wealthy men (multi-millionaire) in the city.

[Dirk Diggler]

That's true. He was in TN for a time. I think one son lives in one spot, and the other son lives in the other.

Some put his net worth at 10 million, but who knows?

He reminds of a guy who climbed into dumpsters at our dorms while in college to collect aluminum cans. Rumor was that he was one of the wealthy men (multi-millionaire) in the city.

I loved seeing Jerry Jones, owner of America's Football Team the Dallas Cowboys, using an old flip phone in his viewing box.

Warren Buffet still drives around Omaha in a ten-year-old base Cadillac sedan.

[fc321]

Yeah I have been thinking about it from a philosophical point of view about this whole idea of "Spending above your means and accumulating debt in order to give off a social image that you are more wealthy than is true".

The only problem with this notion is that if everybody else is doing the exact same thing and is even buying a $1200 iphone that is tied to a contract of service that is over $80 per month and also is financing a new car in 2022 (When car prices are at an all time high) and obligated to have full coverage insurance and paying over $1000 per month just for their vehicle payment and add to that all the other status symbols that they must spend for such as jewelry, designer clothing and other accoutrements............

All in an effort to "keep up with the Joneses" or whatever........... Its a no-win proposal because how will you out-peacock these others if all of them are engaged in the same phoney theatrics of "pretending" they are richer than what they truly are. And also who do you even impress when you strut around like a peacock? The sad truth is the neighbors will more likely be jelous of you and talking sh!t behind your back or family members come out of the woodwork to ask you for a loan and when you tell them you cant afford to loan them the cash they will assume you are lying and being selfish.

I have an uncle that is very wealthy guy and many family members have asked him for a loan and he always refuses and now they cant stand him and dont even want to invite him over for thanksgiving turkey because they are so indignant that he wont lend them any money.

Imagine I was a high school football player and all my team-mates are on steroids and also all the other teams we play against are also taking anabolic steroids. If that is the case then what is the point of me taking steroids? They would offer me no competitive advantage being that all the others are already on the roids. I would recognize that situation as a no-win game so would be better off to either compete naturally just for fun or else quit the team.

In the same way I find "Keeping up with the Joneses" to also be a no-win game. Better to focus on developing my character and my inner qualities to impress society rather than to try to impress them with status symbols and materialism. In dating a girl now and she doesnt care about the Mirage car. Says its good that the car is dependable and gets good gas mileage.

The good thing with dating is that when you approach a girl and get her phone number and set up the date she is not going to know what car you drive until the second date. And if she first date goes well and then she says she wants to leave you because of your Mirage well....... That indicates she is not a good prospect for long term relationship.

[Dodge Aries K]

And if she first date goes well and then she says she wants to leave you because of your Mirage well....... That indicates she is not a good prospect for long term relationship.

Ah, this brings back some memories from many years ago. I had a few cars that were more respectable and then a beat to hell 1994 Plymouth Voyager that was dark purple. Can you guess what I always drove for the first date? My figuring was if she's too materialistic to get pissy about my $200 van then she ain't for me.

[Dirk Diggler]

I've convinced a lot of people to consider the Mirage both online and in person with maybe a 5% success rate if I'm just pulling numbers outta my ass. I tell them all the same thing about the Mirage. Which is it's not a big sacrifice driving this to save money, especially around town. It's fun in its own way. When my buddies do uturns in the Mirage it always puts a smile on their face, like they're 10 again. The amenities for the base ES is very good! It's got a cushy ride, handles dips and bumps well, AC is of Mitsu Heavy Industry quality, just the seats and seating position is mediocre. The Mirage isn't going anywhere IMO, they are flying off the lots in my town. It's why I had to drive 3 hours to pick my new one up last December. I willing to bet Mitsu sells 30k units next year and even more the next year. It's a good alternative to expensive EVs and hybrids. Mitsu knows this. Have you noticed the reviews are starting to show a little more respect for the Mirage? I have. I pray to Zeus that a bigger aftermarket develops for Mirage parts. This can only be done when 300k or so Mirages are on American streets. I had a JDM gear buddy tell me this, 300k units being the magic number to us spending less on parts. I hope he's right because we're on our way to 300k units for the NA market!

[defensivetackle88]

If that’s the case, I do hope for more dealerships being widely available. 300+ location is just too little.

[AtomicPunk]

That's true. He was in TN for a time. I think one son lives in one spot, and the other son lives in the other.

Some put his net worth at 10 million, but who knows?

He reminds of a guy who climbed into dumpsters at our dorms while in college to collect aluminum cans. Rumor was that he was one of the wealthy men (multi-millionaire) in the city.

I just saw you can get a 5 speed manual on a base "S" Nissan Versa. Have you driven any of those? I'm not a Nissan fan, but at least they are still offering a manual.