Miata Mailing List: March 1996, Message #218
sponsored by



     


   From: JEANNIE_HOBBS@HP-SantaClara-om3.om.hp.com
Subject: Re:  Great license plate!
   Date: Mon, 4 Mar 1996 16:24:20 -0500


>Nope, sorry, uh-uh, can't buy that one Jeannie.  Follow your argument to 
>it's logical conclusion and you SHOULD be driving something OTHER than a 
>Miata.  For the money, the Miata is a totally impractical car.  $18,000? 
>For two seats, mediocre performance, and next to no trunk space?  Take a 
>look at what ELSE you can get for much less than $18,000...
     
     I paid $11,500 for mine (used, 9K miles) in March 1991.  $18K is not a 
     reasonable or practical cost for my car IMO, but $11.5K was.  I didn't 
     need more than two seats, I didn't need top-end performance, and I 
     didn't need a lot of trunk room.  I DID need great handling, good gas 
     mileage, decent insurance costs, and reliability (and I got it...for 
     80K miles, that is!).  I also had a yen for a convertible (no pun 
     intended) and a 30th birthday coming up.  You couldn't get that in any 
     other car for that price at that time.  The fact that the Miata was 
     absolutely adorable was gravy, as was the fun factor, the club, and 
     this list.
     
>People are going to purchase whatever they want, for reasons that escape you 
>and me.  (why on earth would someone buy a Suzuki Samurai?), but those 
>reasons, to them, are EXTREMELY important.  Again, look at the Miata.  Looks 
>great, handles like a dream, but most important, how does it make you FEEL 
>driving it?  Isn't that what you bought it for?, or better yet, why you keep 
>it?  (I'm getting misty-eyed thinking about MY car, while it's sitting in a 
>cold dark shop, getting BIGGER lungs installed...)
     
     And how many people feel this way about their megabucks status 
     machines?
     I rest my case.
     Samurais are cute too (but awfully tippy).
     
>So my point is if it takes $50K or $5k to make you feel this way, then by 
>all means, (if you have the means) spend it.  It's only money.
>Snobbery is usually a state of mind of SOMEONE else, not the person 
>accused of the SNOBBERY.  I don't know too many people who buy cars 
>because of how it makes others think of them personally. 
     
     I have to disagree.  I know many people who buy Lexus because it's not 
     an Acura (to them, a Honda), Mercedes because it shows they've 
     "arrived", and Cadillacs because "they're baaaad, man," even if they 
     seriously overextend themselves to buy the cars.  I can't understand 
     folks who don't have their priorities at least somewhat in order.  
     Hmmm, maybe I'm too familiar with "have-nots" and don't know enough 
     "haves" (or don't know the right kind) to understand their side.
     
     And of *course* snobs won't admit to being snobs!  :)
     
>Like my daddy used to tell me,  always buy the best, you'll rarely be 
>dissapointed.
     
     As you pointed out, people differ in their opinions of "the best".  
     And many people don't understand that "the best" does not always 
     equate to "the most expensive."  In some cases it does, but why buy a 
     white T-shirt at a boutique when you can get the exact same brand at 
     Mervyn's for one-third the cost?  Because the boutiques know that many 
     wealthy customers "wouldn't be caught dead" at Mervyn's.  Snobbery 
     strikes again!
     
     Jeannie
     Have-not $$
     Have Miata, happy home, flowers, mountain living, job I like, etc.
     Happy for the right reasons