American cars seem to cost so little money.
Mar 27, 2008 at 11:17 AM Post #6 of 136
Quote:

Originally Posted by fordgtlover /img/forum/go_quote.gif
It seems that cars in the US are so cheap. Why doesn't everyone drive a Shelby Mustang or similar?

First Drive: 2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT


Speaking only for myself, I would say because they handle poorly and are priced poorly relative to some of their competition. I've seen 2007 Shelby GT's like the one in your link go for between $35-$60+K. You can do quite a bit better for the money in all the ways that matter to me.

Then of course, there's the obvious reason that not everyone in the US is at all interested in driving a performance-oriented car.
 
Mar 27, 2008 at 11:18 AM Post #7 of 136
Quote:

Originally Posted by en480c4 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
One word. Snow.


Nah...snow just adds to the excitement.
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Mar 27, 2008 at 11:21 AM Post #8 of 136
japanese cars are much cheaper. you can get a brand new car for 8000 usd that will last for years though you got to pay a bit more for biyearly inspections and petrol which like it or not is still dirt cheap in usa.

by the way: we are talking about the 60's shelby right? or is there a new shelby? i alwyas thought those go for much more, ive heard of 40 year old shelby going for over 300 000$
 
Mar 27, 2008 at 11:36 AM Post #9 of 136
one good reason, its a mustang

a few other reasons, look at what else you can get with comparable HP in that price range, most with 4 doors

EVO, STi, 135i, 335i to name a few, i'm sure you'd be more comfortable in the BMW's, and for ~1500 you can send the ECU off for a retune to 400hp in both the BMW's while the others offer 4 doors and AWD

then think about what kind of performance is available in the mid 20's now.

I don't know, i just look at what else is available and you can get nearly the same performance with the same if not more interior space for 10k less or possibly more, similiar if not better performance and other advantages in the same price range, or for a bit more, you can start to look at things like a used M3, S4 etc. that just offer some much more then the price increase would suggest over the shelby mustang.

I don't know, maybe its just me, but I think the shelby GT is kinda pointless unless your a hardcore mustang fan
 
Mar 27, 2008 at 12:08 PM Post #10 of 136
I was using the Mustang as an example of a tasty car (to me at least) that seems to be pretty low cost.

So, it seems that for between $30k & $40k, Americans can buy a really nice car. Be it an American Muscle car, or a hot little Japanese number.

While I stated that American cars cost so little money, I guess what I really meant was that cars in America seem to cost so little money.

So, does almost everyone drive nice cars in the US because they cost so little?

As a side Q. Can you really buy a new car for $8k?
 
Mar 27, 2008 at 12:16 PM Post #11 of 136
Quote:

Originally Posted by fordgtlover /img/forum/go_quote.gif
So, does almost everyone drive nice cars in the US because they cost so little?


No. Insurance can cost several thousand a year on top of the car. And at least here in the North-East, a car will only last 8-10 years before the road salt starts to really destroy the sheetmetal.

Quote:

As a side Q. Can you really buy a new car for $8k?


No. Very few cars are available for under $20,000. Most "cheap" cars are 25-30k new.
 
Mar 27, 2008 at 1:03 PM Post #12 of 136
Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock&Roll Ninja /img/forum/go_quote.gif
No. Insurance can cost several thousand a year on top of the car. And at least here in the North-East, a car will only last 8-10 years before the road salt starts to really destroy the sheetmetal.


No. Very few cars are available for under $20,000. Most "cheap" cars are 25-30k new.


no, you can easily buy cars below 20g, a base mitsu lancer is 13-14, scions start well under 20, 25-30k cars are not "cheap", 25-35k is really a normal everyday car that most middle class families would buy new

consider that 42k and up is what the industry considers "luxury" cars, so 25-30 is definitly not cheap

suzuki's and kia's are dirt cheap

and to answer the question can you buy a new car for 8k, i'm not sure, but i know you can for 10k
 
Mar 27, 2008 at 1:32 PM Post #14 of 136
Quote:

Originally Posted by cash68 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Average income in America is about 30-35k a year.


That's far too low.

Median income is considered a more salient statistic, and according to the US Census, that figure was $48,200 in 2006.

US Census Press Releases

I can't find the corresponding average for 2006, but average income is typically 35 to 40% higher than the median....so the average would be roughly $66,300.

Historically, American families only paid 20 to 25% of annual income for an average new vehicle. Seems to me that current prices indicate that percentage has risen to 30 to 35%. Also, more buyers paid cash in the past than they do now, as far as I know.

On the other hand, I remember that my dad's 1958 Mercury was starting to rust pretty badly by the summer of 1963, and reaching 100k miles on a pre-1970's American vehicle was truly something to brag about. My first car, a 1974 Ford Pinto station wagon, needed a new trans and was burning oil at only 42k miles.

My 2003 Mazda Protege5 seems hardly broken in at 38k. I drove a 1996 Infiniti G20 (a Nissan Primera outside of the US) to 126k with the original battery. It went back to the dealer once in 8 years to replace the clutch cable, and to a local shop at 116k for a new clutch. Other than fluid changes and tires, that was it! I'd love to buy an American vehicle that would provide me with the same quality....so far, I have yet to find one.

Last July was the point at which the US domestic manufacturer's share dropped to less than 50% of the US market. The split was 48% domestic, 45% Asian makes, and 7% European. With the weakening dollar, that might change.

Any idea of what the average Aussie family vehicle costs as a % of average or median income, fordgtlover?
 
Mar 27, 2008 at 1:34 PM Post #15 of 136
Sometimes you can get a kia rio for around 8k. You can also get closeout deals on the chevy aveo for 8-9k.

I just bought a 2008 Mazdaspeed 3 for $23,000. It has a powerful turbocharged engine, gets decent mileage, and is really fun to drive. My family all drive mazdas: We have a Mazda 3 hatchback with an auto, another 3 in sedan form with a 5-speed, and my mom drives a Mazda CX-7.

Funny enough, all 4 cars use the same engine, but my car and my mom's CX-7 use the DISI Turbo version. Oh, and mine is a 6-speed manual.
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