ext_58972: Mad! (0)
Charlie Stross ([identity profile] autopope.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] andrewducker 2011-12-01 12:11 pm (UTC)

I will concede that implicit in the thumbnail character sketch was the issue that this person has to commute for work by car (and given their profession may have to drive a lot to remote work sites). So it's quite likely she needs a car and, sitting in the thing for 10+ hours a week, it's not unreasonable to want a nice one.

But the car pictured was a rather newish compact hatchback.

That's basically pissing away money on a nasty-but-fashionable tin box that will be dying after 80,000 miles/five years.

She could spend the same amount of money instead on a 5-6 year old BMW 3 series or similar, rather than a 1-2 year old tin box. A much nicer car, somewhat more expensive to maintain but more reliable and built to last a lot longer. Then she'd get 4-5 years' use out of it instead of 1-2 years. Which works out cheaper in both the short and long run.

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