Originally, I was going to call today’s post “Frugal Friday, 25 Miles From Home Edition” and briefly talk about Charles Edwin Hatcher, better known as Edwin Starr. (He was a singer and the first of his two top ten hits was “25 Miles From Home.”) I was going to show the least expensive cars with engines of at least 8 cylinders no more than 25 miles from my home zip code.
All of those cars were either Camaros, Challengers or Mustangs. As my vehicle universe is far smaller than that of the rest of the world I am beginning to wonder if Frugal Friday has outlived its usefulness. I will always be grateful to David Banner (not his real name) for suggesting the feature, but after almost two years (the first Frugal Friday post was in February of 2019), I am reminded that all things must come to an end.
Does anyone have any thoughts on the topic? I would be happy to read them.
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One of the reasons Chevrolet/GM made the “radical” change to a mid-engine design for the Corvette was to bring new buyers to the Corvette market. Granted, the rollout was compromised by the damn virus and UAW strike, but so far that seems to be the case. According to Vice President of Chevrolet Steve Hill, two out of three C8 buyers are new to Chevy. [emphasis mine]
Interestingly, prospective C8 customers have been cross-shopping the new Stingray with its long-time rival, the Porsche 911, more than any other car. Since the 911’s price is in six figures and one can buy a nice C8 for $70,000-$75,000, it should be no surprise that many people are choosing the Vette. Of course, the Corvette has long been an unbelievable bargain in the world of performance cars. It’s just that a lot of buyers in that market would not consider buying a front-engine car. You can call them “snobs” if you like, but people’s perceptions and preferences are what they are.
From Car Buzz, a picture of a 2021 Corvette:
We see a lot of C8 Corvettes here in the desert, but we see A LOT more Porsches. Obviously, the former is a brand-new model while the latter is not.
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The tile and carpet work are all done. My wonderful wife and I are very happy with the outcome. Although no one reading this has any frame of reference (well, except maybe K Squared), we are just overwhelmed at the transformation of the house from dark space to light space. Remember this photo?
We chose a local company over a “big box” retailer. The latter wanted significantly more money AND wanted additional bullsh*t fees AND wanted us to do some of the work! So far anyway, we are happy with our choice. Yes, the newly carpeted rooms have that new carpet smell. This, too, shall pass. Of course, little carpet fibers are still everywhere as you can see in the picture. We will vacuum this weekend.
Speaking of the weekend, I hope all of you enjoy yours.
#FrugalFriday
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#somanycarsjustonelife
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Disaffected Musings 
Amazing what a flooring color change can accomplish! We prefer wood and/or laminate as flooring. Our house also has some areas with tile and carpet where appropriate, but the majority is wood laminate.
I like Frugal Friday as a feature. It doesn’t have to be every Friday, just as you deem necessary.
Yes, there are a lot of drivers who prefer that German performance make in Arizona. Many are probably just enamored with the name. I think Chevrolet was wise to try to increase its customer base by gambling on producing a mid-engine car. I think Ford would be wise to also “think outside the box” on some of its models.
Big box stores have their advantages, such as a 10% veterans discount at Lowe’s. But when it comes to service, the local contractor will generally give you a higher quality job. Besides it circulates the cash in your town rather than nationwide. I am a big, big fan of locally owned businesses as is my brother, Paul.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Philip.
I think Ford is lost at the moment and GM is not far behind, but I could be wrong, of course.
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“I think Ford is lost at the moment and GM is not far behind, but I could be wrong, of course.”
I think all three of the domestic based manufacturers are lost, and losing more by the day. They have all pretty much surrendered the car market, other than the “pony car” market. There are even rumors circulating about Chrysler being eliminated as a brand.
That being said, I’m not helping matters as I’m not buying “new” cars. They’re just not old enough for me. The last time I bought a brand new car was 1986 (still have it). I have bought new pickup trucks in the years since, but I sold the last one, 2018 model, I bought new after I finished building the “old” one, 2001 model, last year.
As there are still a lot of older cars I would like to have before I become a meal for the buzzards, I probably won’t be buying new anytime soon.
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I think your situation is not common, but I could be wrong. Ironically, improving reliability hurts demand because cars don’t have to be replaced as often. I think lack of excitement and imagination also hurts as I think a mind-numbing sameness has permeated the “car” business.
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You can’t tell one make from another, they all look alike, which matches your “mind-numbing sameness”. The only reason I own a 2017 Journey is because the 1995 Riviera became unreliable as a daily driver. And the Journey was bought used. I will continue to work to finish my 1948 project truck.
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I concur with Phillip, maybe Frugal Friday can be a post when you come across a vehicle that fits the topic.
I’ve bought new cars every two-three years for some time now, but they have all been “foreign”. I am supporting American workers though, at least to some degree, in that the Avalon is assembled in a factory in the U.S. with a high percentage of U.S. components. I haven’t researched the U.S. brands for parts count, but I’d suggest that both Honda and Toyota build quality products in certain models that are assembled in the United States with as high a percentage of North American components as the so-called U.S. manufacturers.
I am starting to research for a new car purchase in the next year or so, and I’ve been thinking about checking out Cadillac and Buick. After a family member’s good experience and an opportunity for me to drive it, I was planning on an MKZ, but Ford (in their lack of infinite wisdom) has decided they aren’t a high enough profit point.
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Thanks, JS. In a previous post I wrote about the “most” American cars and, IIRC, a couple of Honda models were on the list.
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I will have to check out that post. Thanks!
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