The $5,000.00, Sunroof

The Lovely Bride wishes to acquire a new vehicle and wants a sunroof.

The model and brand she's insistent upon acquiring, does not offer a sunroof in the base model.

So, we move to that model's package upgrade, and ca-ching, that's $2,000.00, more; for creature comforts about which, she cares not; but to which, she will quickly become accustomed, and will therefore be a necessity in the next vehicle.

But it doesn't stop there. The sunroof on the upgraded model package can only be ordered, if one also orders an additional (ca-ching) $2,000.00, option package; for yet additional creature comforts about which she cares not; but to which, she will also quickly become accustomed, and which will therefore be a necessity in the next vehicle.

So, a $1,000.00, sunroof adds five large to the price of the vehicle.

@&%%$&@!$&%! (I hope I spelled that correctly).

Rant over.

TomR

Can you afford it? That's the bottom line in my book. I bought a Hyundai Sonata 2.0 turbo! Did I need it? No. Did I want it? Yes! Could I afford it? Yeah... We expand our standard of living to fit our income.

Tom-R,   

I feel for you, yet I understand how her desires quickly add up. We need, and I want, a new car.  I have no desire for a sunroof, but I require leather and heated seats.  Love those heated seats.  To get there in some of the cars I desire, it seems like I'm doomed to have a sunroof and other stuff I don't care about.  It is those dammed packages.  I want X, but to get that I need to also include packages A, C and Y.  I'd like some of the features of C and Y--but not all of them. Who doesn't want that feature that tells you if someone is in your blind spot?  I've delayed my purchase for several years and now it looks like if I wait much longer I will seriously consider whether to get even more features I don't care about just to include some of the newest safety technology.  My next car will definitely exceed the cost of my first house.

I took a car from 48k to about 74k just to add the few options (red paint, leather, heated rear seats, engine, body/wheels, NAV) we wanted.  The rest that came with I could have lived without.  We lived without some of it.  Options are where the money's at.

A/C and sirius thats pretty much the list.

The racecar is another story.

F.W.I.W., sunroof leaks are one of the reasons for which people visit my cousin's shop. Sometimes they can be fixed. Other times, not so much.

That is one option I will never order on my future cars.

I think I am one of the few people (at least in my own family) who doesn't care for a sunroof open. (I also don't particularly care for driving in a convertible). 

I am going to need to get another car soon (passing my 2012 on to the almost 20 year old) and I'm not looking forward to the process of buying a new car again. 

You are not the only one.  Plus, I always view a sunroof as more ancillary parts and moving pieces which will break over time and need repair.  IMO, there are much better ways to spend and enjoy $5000...

shh said:

I think I am one of the few people (at least in my own family) who doesn't care for a sunroof open. 

I have a sunroof.  Barely use it.  It's one of those things that sounds better than it really is.

my truck will have a sunroof soon if I don't get some paint on it.

Yeah, sunroofs are not my thing. I think of a car as a way to get away from the outdoors, especially since I have bad allergies, but I get wanting one. 

Filmcarp, that's very funny.

I'm too absentminded to have a sunroof. I know I will leave it open in the rain, like I do the side windows, but with worse consequences.  Also, I'm the practical type, so I don't get any extra options on a car unless it's for safety. Not usually an option anyway since I buy used or what's sitting on the lot.  Would spring for a better stereo though -- that's one thing I think I would get enough enjoyment out of to justify buying.  And better air conditioning -- the inexpensive cars I drive always seem to have lame air conditioning.  So, to each his/her own.  If you spend a lot of time in the car, an upgrade may make you happy. 

This was one of the pluses we found to ordering a Mini, they are much more customizable than most cars. Thus you can get just the options you want without being forced into a specific trim-level or options only being in packages.

So we got our sunroof and didn't have to get any of the creature comforts for 'soft' people like heated seats, motorized retractable side mirrors (the car is narrow anyway). We preferred performance upgrades (S, since it's a Countryman and needs the extra power) and, why not get some stripes on it, it's a Mini after all. We like the sunroof and our kid loves having the 'window' above his seat.

The only downside was having to wait so long after ordering it! (It was about 2 months, I think). We love the car and our plan when it's paid off is to get another new one. We're not sure if we'll trade the old one in or go to a 2 car family.

krnl said:

Tom-R,   

I feel for you, yet I understand how her desires quickly add up. We need, and I want, a new car.  I have no desire for a sunroof, but I require leather and heated seats.  Love those heated seats.  To get there in some of the cars I desire, it seems like I'm doomed to have a sunroof and other stuff I don't care about.  It is those dammed packages.  I want X, but to get that I need to also include packages A, C and Y.  I'd like some of the features of C and Y--but not all of them. Who doesn't want that feature that tells you if someone is in your blind spot?  I've delayed my purchase for several years and now it looks like if I wait much longer I will seriously consider whether to get even more features I don't care about just to include some of the newest safety technology.  My next car will definitely exceed the cost of my first house.

Unless you really want the leather, you can now get heated seats in many models without the leather. Heated seats were one of my few requirements downgrading from Luxury to mid market since I went from leasing to buying, and I was surprised to find a lot of models with heated cloth seats without breaking the bank. 

You might do well to look at used cars. They've always been OK for me.

I'm the opposite, couldn't imagine owning a car without one...

Tom, Since you live in NYC, why would you buy a new car.  Also, do you have nothing better to do with your time than prattle on about this stuff?

buy the same car off lease. new cars are a scam. 

Robert_Casotto said:

buy the same car off lease. new cars are a scam. 

If I was looking for a really expensive car that might make sense, but for the vehicles I'd be interested in, there's only a few thousand dollar difference between brand new and two years old. Considering we have two college tuitions within the next few mos, I'd probably finance most of the purchase (because at 0% it doesn't really make sense not to do so, at least for our circumstances). So, I know people say to buy a car off lease but I'm not seeing a significant difference. 

i could be wrong though. 

2018 with my tesla model 3's full-roof sunroof can't come soon enough..

thechamp said:

Tom, Since you live in NYC, why would you buy a new car.  Also, do you have nothing better to do with your time than prattle on about this stuff?

As opposed to everyone else prattling on about this stuff above?  How odd to single out Tom.

shh said:

(I also don't particularly care for driving in a convertible). 

Blasphemy!  (Use a twisty hair thingy?)  :-D

My car (and the last 2) had sunroofs because of the packages but I never use them.  As soon as you go above 20 mph the weird sound/pressure thing bothers the heck out of me.

ctrzaska said:

shh said:

(I also don't particularly care for driving in a convertible). 

Blasphemy!  (Use a twisty hair thingy?)  

I cut my hair off! It's not that. Local driving maybe but as Eliz says, I can't even drive with the windows open faster than locally. 

krnl said:

Tom-R,   

I feel for you, yet I understand how her desires quickly add up. We need, and I want, a new car.  I have no desire for a sunroof, but I require leather and heated seats.  Love those heated seats.  To get there in some of the cars I desire, it seems like I'm doomed to have a sunroof and other stuff I don't care about.  It is those dammed packages.  I want X, but to get that I need to also include packages A, C and Y.  I'd like some of the features of C and Y--but not all of them. Who doesn't want that feature that tells you if someone is in your blind spot?  I've delayed my purchase for several years and now it looks like if I wait much longer I will seriously consider whether to get even more features I don't care about just to include some of the newest safety technology.  My next car will definitely exceed the cost of my first house.

It appears that we're on opposite sides of the same coin.

You can't have the seats you want, without The Lovely Bride's sunroof; and, can't She have her sunroof without your seats.

Doncha jus love car-buying?

-------

Tom_Reingold said:

You might do well to look at used cars. They've always been OK for me.

I ain't picking the vehicle; jes payin the overage. Same ole, same ole.

I made my vehicle suggestions last year, and she jes wants a bigger new truck.

She owns the vehicle she wishes; as do I.

I suspect that this arrangement will work unless, and until, I decide to get back up on two wheels.

Marriage is somewhat like car-buying.

If you put the time in to make the right choice, you'll, most likely, be very happy with the decision; but getting there can be tough.

TomR

ctrzaska said:

thechamp said:

Tom, Since you live in NYC, why would you buy a new car.  Also, do you have nothing better to do with your time than prattle on about this stuff?

As opposed to everyone else prattling on about this stuff above?  How odd to single out Tom.

Indeed. Personal animus much?