Ah, don't let them get to you. You drive your car because you like it, not because you want to impress others.

I drive my 1989 because I love the ride. Sure, it does have a few issues but nothing I can't deal with or handle over time.

My cars are one of my hobbies. I realize that a car in America needs to be reliable since it is needed to get to work and take care of errands. (At least where I live) That is why I try my best to inspect the car weekly and make sure nothing is out of the ordinary.

If you want to use an older car as a daily driver, you just have to accept the additional responsibility with maintaining (18) year old mechanical and electrical systems.

If people make fun of you, just try your best to shrug it off. At least you are not bound to a payment, or own a low quality car such as a Kia. The Lexus cars are nice now, I no longer feel like they are just a hopped up Toyota. However, as with all these new cars, the bills for repair will be high. I guess that is why the car has become a 4 year then dump it item.

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2006 BMW M5 "Heidi" @ 109,000 miles
2005 MBZ C55 AMG "Lorelai" @ 165,000 miles
1991 MBZ 300E "Benzachino II" @ 165,000 miles
1990 MBZ 500SL "Shoshanna" @ 118,000 miles

(On the hunt for a good used M103 engine as of 6/10/23, PM me if you have one to sell!)