2 seater in a 2 car family household?

[sportyaccordy]

I'm 28, I have 2 older married sisters and a shit load of uncles, aunts and family friends.

[L. ed foote]

I don't see what is so impossible about having a Mustang with a kid or two. It might not be easy, but people do it.

Try moving them in and out of that cramped back seat, or check the lack of trunk space for their stuff...

[L. ed foote]

I'd hope my gf would embrace the joys of driving stick and enjoying driving as well.

How good of a driver is she now?

[Tave]

Who is putting car seats in Mustangs?

No one, evidently.

Plus its not like each person would have to be limited to only one car. I have no probs driving a minivan, I'd hope my gf would embrace the joys of driving stick and enjoying driving as well. Yea things would change but you guys are taking things to unrealistic extremes.

By saying things change when you get married?

I specifically avoided making any blanket statements, and Onslaught admitted he's half-joking. I don't see any extremists in this thread.

I'm 28, I have 2 older married sisters and a shit load of uncles, aunts and family friends.

I was talking more about MrH, 2o6, thecarnut, and hodrodalex. I think you know exactly what we're talking about, but for some reason you got all bent out of shape when Onslaught started cracking jokes.


FWIW, I know plenty of married people with cool cars and fun toys, but a lot of them also scraped by and did without when they first got married and were trying to get on their feet.

I could have said it more bluntly, but my main point was that it's not about what your wife wants versus what you want: it's about what you both want for your family. Some of these guys are going to learn what they "want" changes when they take on other responsibilities. That's not to say that they won't still enjoy cars, won't own cool cars, won't continue to be a hobbyist, etc...

[sportyaccordy]

How good of a driver is she now?

I haven't seen her in action in the city, but on the highway she is a much better driver than me. Plays the balance between aggression and safety much better.

I could have said it more bluntly, but my main point was that it's not about what your wife wants versus what you want: it's about what you both want for your family. Some of these guys are going to learn what they "want" changes when they take on other responsibilities. That's not to say that they won't still enjoy cars, won't own cool cars, won't continue to be a hobbyist, etc...

I do agree that the younger guys are being a bit naively rigid. People need to directly address who & what they are responding to.

But I really don't even want do have to daily drive a car I don't enjoy. And I'm hoping my cars in the future are all nicer than the ones I've had.

[Onslaught]

Thank you Tave. You get it.

[SVT666]

Well it can't be that funny; you just confirmed what Onslaught and I were telling them!


I don't claim to be an expert on marriage, but I think I know a little bit more about it than some of these younger guys, given that I'm old enough to where I have a lot of married friends and a lot of friends with children. You learn some things about marriage from them that you never learned from your parents.

Who said I was referring to you?

I'm referring to the guys saying things like, "I won't marry anyone who won't let me have two cars", or "men who sell their cool cars are controlled by their wives and I will never let that happen to me", and all that other nonsense.  Sure there are some men who let their wives control them....and vice versa, but not every man who sells his sports car when a kid arrives is doing it because he was told...they do it because if they don't it makes life hell trying to live with a sports car in a 2 car family with kids.  It doesn't work and that is why you never see it.  Not because the man is controlled by his wife.

[Tave]

Gotcha.

[2o6]

I dunno. Stickshifts and females are making a comeback. I see a lot of non-stereotypes when I load stuff into people's cars:


Late 50's black woman with a handicap placard - 5MT Saturn Astra 5-door

Late 50's overweight black woman, also with a handicap placard - 5MT Chrysler PT

Mid 40's Older white woman - FWD 5-speed Escape

Early 50's older white woman - FWD 5-speed Sportage

Late 40's older white woman - 5-speed Mazda 3 Hatch, with JDM Axela badges




I sold my neon to a guy who bought it for his wife, and that car was also a 5-speed.

Loaded mulch for a lady in her late 30's, early 40's


New Fiesta Sedan 5MT, uplevel SEL with leather.

[Lebowski]

I like driving the vette but even as a single guy w/ a dog it was getting to be a pain, especially once I bought a house.

In the case of a 2 car household w/ a kid, you're either going to have to make the 2-seater a third car or compromise and get a fun 4-door like a 3-series.

Me I think I'll always have a fun car but will also have 2 cars just for me (if I was married we'd have to have 3 or more cars).

[2o6]

I like driving the vette but even as a single guy w/ a dog it was getting to be a pain, especially once I bought a house.

In the case of a 2 car household w/ a kid, you're either going to have to make the 2-seated a third car or compromise and get a fun 4-door like a 3-series.

Me I think I'll always have a fun car but will also have 2 cars just for me (if I was married we'd have to have 3 or more cars).

What is your other car?

[Tave]

Loaded mulch for a lady in her late 30's, early 40's


New Fiesta Sedan 5MT, uplevel SEL with leather.

Do you think it's a coincidence that all those women are over than the age of 40?

Stickshifts aren't making a comeback; you're simply running across people who learned how to drive during the 70s, when stickshifts were common.

If it was making a comeback, you'd be seeing young girls driving stick, not older women.

[Lebowski]

What is your other car?

Fjordrunner

[Vinsanity]

Well, come to think of it, there were quite a few girls at my HS who drove stickshift; they were mostly hand-me-down 1980's BMW's, or new MkIV Jettas that mommy and daddy bought them. The thing is, that when they buy their own cars, they're almost always automatics. Hell, my sister changed her mind on buying my old NA Miata because she thought that driving stickshift was too much of a hassle.

[2o6]

Do you think it's a coincidence that all those women are over than the age of 40?

Stickshifts aren't making a comeback; you're simply running across people who learned how to drive during the 70s, when stickshifts were common.

If it was making a comeback, you'd be seeing young girls driving stick, not older women.

The lady who bought my Neon was only a few years older than me.

[hotrodalex]

My dad has always had either a project car or two cars. He had a Chevelle when my parents first got married, then sold it to get another Chevelle which was in worse shape for DD/family duty (much more racecar than DD), and then there was a line of 2 door sport coupes, including a BMW 6 series when my brother was born. His next car was his Camaro, which he kept when he bought his next car (Jeep Cherokee) and thus has had two cars ever since. I believe he has only had two 4 door cars, one of the Jeeps and his current BMW.

I will say that part of it was because my parents didn't have kids until they were 30, but I plan on doing the same if I can. (I'd rather be married for a few years and enjoy the company of my wife than start poppin out kids right after the honeymoon and never have alone time with my wife until I'm 50)

[SVT32V]

Try moving them in and out of that cramped back seat, or check the lack of trunk space for their stuff...

I had two full child seats in the Mustang Cobra, you don't need to take the seats out all the time, you put 'em in there and they stay. For the record, it was fine with two small kids, hell they liked it, and if you are in reasonable shape, it isn't so hard to get them in and out. Even now they like rides in the cobra, as of now, there is one car seat in the cobra for situations where I need to be somehwere with one and and the wife with the other. While the family hauler (7-seat commander) has the other cars seats all the time.
It can be done and it isn't that bad but I wouldn't want to do a long trip.

Actually I find the need for more room as they get bigger they have activities with friends and you are a douche if you aren't doing your share of the driving. At this point, it seems 4 seaters are not enough.

[MrH]

No one, evidently.

By saying things change when you get married?

I specifically avoided making any blanket statements, and Onslaught admitted he's half-joking. I don't see any extremists in this thread.


I was talking more about MrH, 2o6, thecarnut, and hodrodalex. I think you know exactly what we're talking about, but for some reason you got all bent out of shape when Onslaught started cracking jokes.


FWIW, I know plenty of married people with cool cars and fun toys, but a lot of them also scraped by and did without when they first got married and were trying to get on their feet.

I could have said it more bluntly, but my main point was that it's not about what your wife wants versus what you want: it's about what you both want for your family. Some of these guys are going to learn what they "want" changes when they take on other responsibilities. That's not to say that they won't still enjoy cars, won't own cool cars, won't continue to be a hobbyist, etc...

  I'm closer in age to you than I am to most of them.

If having a few thousand tied up in a second car is a make or break for having kids, I'm in no position financially to be having kids.  You have no idea who I am or what I value to be saying that it's a given I'll be trading in my keys for a minivan when I have kids.  I'll always drive something fun.  It will probably be in the form of 2 cars, one being horribly impractical.  Doesn't need to be a Ferrari either.

[Cookie Monster]

  I'm closer in age to you than I am to most of them.

If having a few thousand tied up in a second car is a make or break for having kids, I'm in no position financially to be having kids.  You have no idea who I am or what I value to be saying that it's a given I'll be trading in my keys for a minivan when I have kids.  I'll always drive something fun.  It will probably be in the form of 2 cars, one being horribly impractical.  Doesn't need to be a Ferrari either.

I actually agree with you for once.

But yeah, if I need to trade a car for diapers or something I think I'd rather not have kids and wait till I'm at a more financially stable point to have kids.

[Tave]

 I'm closer in age to you than I am to most of them.

If having a few thousand tied up in a second car is a make or break for having kids, I'm in no position financially to be having kids.  You have no idea who I am or what I value to be saying that it's a given I'll be trading in my keys for a minivan when I have kids.  I'll always drive something fun.  It will probably be in the form of 2 cars, one being horribly impractical.  Doesn't need to be a Ferrari either.

"That's not to say that they won't still enjoy cars, won't own cool cars, won't continue to be a hobbyist, etc..."


The point is even you don't know what you value or what you can afford until you're put in that situation. No one does. It's something that you have to figure out as it unfolds.

[sportyaccordy]

For all my sports car lust, I think I would drive a civilian car if it meant being able to have a kid right now. We are ready emotionally but the pieces aren't in place. However, it would be nice to have the cake, and also eat the cake. E46 M3 maybe

[Tave]

I actually agree with you for once.

But yeah, if I need to trade a car for diapers or something I think I'd rather not have kids and wait till I'm at a more financially stable point to have kids.

You're not getting it, the diapers comment was a joke. It's not that simple.


Here's a hypothetical:

What if things are going along fine financially, but then a couple expenses arise within a 6month-1year span that you didn't plan on: your hot water heater dies sooner than it was supposed to, your daughter gets pneumonia and spends a couple days in the hospital, your fence is damaged in a storm, and your wife decides to cut back her hours at work while she tries to find a better-paying job.

Now, you're not insolvent or anything--you can still afford to pay your bills and put food on the table--but things have gotten a bit tighter since everything happened. Between the repairs on the house, the cost of the hospital visit your insurance didn't cover, and your current net earnings, you're simply in a different position than you were. You start thinking: you were planning on getting braces for your son next year and taking the kids to see their grandparents for a couple weeks during the summer. You know you can cover everything, but it is going to eat into your cushion a little more than you'd like it to.

Then one day, a friend comes along and offers to buy your old Miata off of you. You love the car, but to be honest, you haven't been driving it as often as you used to, and it needs a little work to get into the type of shape you wish it was in. Also, the clutch is going out and it'll cost you $1000 to replace it. You talk with your friend, and he's willing to pay a little more than it's worth because he's always wanted a Miata, and he'd rather buy it from someone he knows who knows what it needs.

You think, "Ha, well this will work out perfectly! We can still take that vacation next summer and I won't have to move money out of savings. I wasn't enjoying driving that old thing all that much anyway; I think I'd rather save up and buy something in the future that's a little cooler."

You eventually do get something else, but not until some time passes.




Please tell me that isn't a perfectly plausible, mundane, completely understandable scenario. I'd love to hear you try.

[2o6]

Tave, the knower of the universe.

[SVT666]

I actually agree with you for once.

But yeah, if I need to trade a car for diapers or something I think I'd rather not have kids and wait till I'm at a more financially stable point to have kids.

If you wait until you have enough in the bank before having kids...you will never have kids.

[Tave]

Tave, the knower of the universe.

The only prognosticators in this thread are the guys claiming to know how many and what type of car they're going to drive at some indefinite point in the future when they're living a completely different life than they are now.

[Cookie Monster]

You're not getting it, the diapers comment was a joke. It's not that simple.


Here's a hypothetical:

What if things are going along fine financially, but then a couple expenses arise within a 6month-1year span that you didn't plan on: your hot water heater dies sooner than it was supposed to, your daughter gets pneumonia and spends a couple days in the hospital, your fence is damaged in a storm, and your wife decides to cut back her hours at work while she tries to find a better-paying job.

Now, you're not insolvent or anything--you can still afford to pay your bills and put food on the table--but things have gotten a bit tighter since everything happened. Between the repairs on the house, the cost of the hospital visit your insurance didn't cover, and your current net earnings, you're simply in a different position than you were. You start thinking: you were planning on getting braces for your son next year and taking the kids to see their grandparents for a couple weeks during the summer. You know you cover everything, but it is going to eat into your cushion a little more than you'd like it to.

Then one day, a friend comes along and offers to buy your old Miata off of you. You love the car, but to be honest, you haven't been driving it as often as you used to, and it needs a little work to get into the type of shape you wish it was in. Also, the clutch is going out and it'll cost you $1000 to replace it. You talk with your friend, and he's willing to pay a little more than it's worth because he's always wanted a Miata, and he'd rather buy it from someone he knows who knows what it needs.

You think, "Ha, well this will work out perfectly! We can still take that vacation next summer and I won't have to move money out of savings. I wasn't enjoying driving that old thing all that much anyway; I think I'd rather save up and buy something in the future that's a little cooler."

You eventually do get something else, but not until some time passes.




Please tell me that isn't a perfectly plausible, mundane, completely understandable scenario. I'd love to hear you try.

Sure, that's perfectly plausible and I'm not going to deny that. But that's assuming I'm not using the car as a DD, or a as a track toy every weekend, or that I'm just letting it sit around. At that point, yeah I'd sell the car, just as I'd sell anything else that was just sitting around, not being used. I do it now, even. If I'm not using it for what it's worth, it's better off to me as money in the bank.

However, if it's my DD, in good condition, why would I sell it? It's paid for, gets good gas mileage, etc. I'd cut down on other things first (not going out to eat so often, not spending money to hang out with buddies, not getting a new computer and tough it out with the old one for a while longer, etc). When times get tough, why automatically go and sell your car? As a last resort, sure, but if it's getting used a lot, there are many other things I would cut down on first before cutting out a paid off car. It's all about priorities. Cutting back doesn't always mean cutting out the car.

And I know I'm young but I also know people who've kept the car as well as the kids. They just cut something else out somewhere. It's not like the 3rd car is the only luxury item in the family.

[Cookie Monster]

If you wait until you have enough in the bank before having kids...you will never have kids.

So you're saying it's financially impossible to not go into debt while having kids?

[Tave]

Sure, that's perfectly plausible and I'm not going to deny that. But that's assuming I'm not using the car as a DD, or a as a track toy every weekend, or that I'm just letting it sit around. At that point, yeah I'd sell the car, just as I'd sell anything else that was just sitting around, not being used. I do it now, even. If I'm not using it for what it's worth, it's better off to me as money in the bank.

However, if it's my DD, in good condition, why would I sell it? It's paid for, gets good gas mileage, etc. I'd cut down on other things first (not going out to eat so often, not spending money to hang out with buddies, not getting a new computer and tough it out with the old one for a while longer, etc). When times get tough, why automatically go and sell your car? As a last resort, sure, but if it's getting used a lot, there are many other things I would cut down on first before cutting out a paid off car. It's all about priorities. Cutting back doesn't always mean cutting out the car.

And I know I'm young but I also know people who've kept the car as well as the kids. They just cut something else out somewhere. It's not like the 3rd car is the only luxury item in the family.

You aren't getting my point. Whether you keep the car or not is irrelevant. Whether you're using it as a DD doesn't matter.

The broader lesson is that you don't know what life is going to bring you until it happens.

[Cookie Monster]

You aren't getting my point. Whether you keep the car or not is irrelevant. Whether you're using it as a DD doesn't matter.

The broader lesson is that you don't know what life is going to bring you until it happens.

OK, what I'm asking is, why should the car be the first to go? There are many other things that can be let go first before the car. It's what you prioritize. Yes, ultimately, I'd let go of the car if I had to, but I'd cut out other, less important (to me) things like buying myself new clothes, eating out, etc.

[Tave]

So you're saying it's financially impossible to not go into debt while having kids?

He's saying it's financially improbable to pay for a kid before he or she is born. He's pointing out that you have to work for years to afford a kid, while you're raising that child.