Actual car-buying advice, given to actual car-buying people, is a weird thing. Mostly because the people asking for the advice never actually want it.
Whenever people hear that I write about The Automobile for a living, the first question they ask is whether or not the toaster they’re planning on buying makes for a good car. No, I invariably tell them, because a toaster is not a good car.
“Okay,” they say. “Well I’m just going to get that toaster then.”
And that tends to be the end of those conversations, as polite society doesn’t tend to encourage confused, angry tirades about toasters and cars without the follow up question being about putting you in some sort of home.
But today, two people actually chimed in with great advice as to why that is. And for that, both Garrett Davis and AggregateDemand both are our vaunted Commenters of the Day:
It’s not your advice they seek, you see. It’s your affirmation of all of their life choices. And so, when they ask you if a toaster is the right car for them as they’ve already bought it, maybe just sort of shuffle off and mumble something next time? I don’t know, all suggestions welcome.
Anyways, don’t buy toasters for your transportation needs. Only for your toasting needs. And you can take that advice to the bank.
Photo credit: Gotcredit.com
Contact the author at ballaban@jalopnik.com.
Public PGP key
PGP fingerprint: 0D03 F37B 4C96 021E 4292 7B12 E080 0D0B 5968 F14E