Why do most people try to sell their cars when they have a baby?, Is that really a good business decision? Options

[yarik83]

We have all heard about them or seen them or have them as members of our families and in some cases you are the kind of person that decided to sell his or her car when your baby (and or theirs) was born.

The question is why?

Overwhelming majority of people that I know that had a newborn decided to sell their perfectly fine 4 door trucks or 4 door sedans that they purchased in past 3 years for something "cheaper". I think I need help understanding this because its too mind boggling for me.

Lets say a 2010 toyota tacoma truck costs 27500 out the door. Ok.. family buys it and come 9 months later they are looking to sell their car because baby is born and they need something cheaper. At best that truck could be sold for 25000 but family that wants to sell that truck would be upside down on a car loan... therefore selling the car (at least according to my math) would leave them with 2500 left to pay for car they no longer own. On top of that... same family makes a decision to purchase something cheaper... at which point they are taking out another loan to pay for an older less reliable, less safe, less advanced car. Even if they spend 6000.. thats still 6000 to pay for + remaining balance from old car... which will put them into a monthly payment of about 400 which is more than what it would cost to keep paying off their loan on their now sold 2010 toyota tacoma.

It does not have to be a tacoma but that exact topic has come up on my tacoma forums where one guy sold his perfectly fine 2007 double cab (thats 5 seats) with a lockable tonneau cover so that he could purchase a 2001 dodge dacota for 6000.

I see similar scenario play out across all kinds of cars and across all kinds of circumstances such as selling a car so they could afford monthly payments on their mortgage.

Either I am not understanding it or I am really not understanding it....

To me it seems like people are trading perfectly fine newer reliable cars onto something more "family oriented" but rarely a minivan and in either case old, high miles and with all kinds of gremlins that they have to fix.

I figure.. if you are in a position of wanting to bring a child into this world and you are planning to buy a house and the RIGHT kind of car... should not you do all of those things BEFORE having a child? How easy would it be to just buy a minivan, sell irrelevant cars, buy 1-2 commuter cars for both parents, buy a house and THEN have a child with all of those issues squared away...

I just dont get people these days...

This post has been edited by yarik83: Aug 11, 2010 - 11:34 PM

[malpaso]

My opinion: because they do not think (or they think they think but in fact do not think at all). Clear?

OK once more... anyone who has baby has feeling they need "family" car as other families has (big with a lot of doors). I ask why? My parents had two door sports car till my 15. Than they sold it because they had feeling the are too old for sports car... Not because me and my sister wanted "own doors" in car or any other reason related to us (as kids).

So: There is no true reason to sell a car just because you have baby.

[Hanyo]

Most married couples own there own cars before getting married. These cars they have are called the bachelors car, meaning the car they used when they where a single person (bachelor). After marriage the couples lives essential remain the same, they can go out late and hang out with makes or go to the bar and drink with friends. However when they have children; their lives change dramatically. Their personal lives and routine no longer work and have to take on a whole new roll as a parent. Along with this whole new role, they view there marriage as a unit, and feel the must make sacrifices to support the family. This includes getting rid of their "personal car" and getting a "shared" vehicle AKA family car.


Most new parents get hit with a sudden realization that they have hit a whole new stage in life. What they did before becoming a parent no longer can continue. This paradigm shift is the reason people sell there cars right after the kid comes.

[yarik83]

Well without a doubt having a child is a life changing event... but what exactly makes a car a family car? Most people already drive 4 door cars that have adequate trunk space and a back row of seats to put a car seat into.

Here is a good example.
I have 2 co-workers that are married to each other... I know them both for the past 3 years. One used to own a 4 door nissan altima and another owned a 4 door toyota corolla. So they sold both cars and bought a 4 door nissan frontier or whatever its called truck and a nissan maxima. Both replacement cars were older and came with a boat load of issues so they keep driving each other to work while their cars are in and out of mechanic's. Maybe I am just not seeing something...

What exactly makes a car a "family car"? In other words... what qualities does a car need to posess that 2 adult human beings tell themselves... "we need to acquire THAT car through self sacrifice"?

[Hanyo]

Well without a doubt having a child is a life changing event... but what exactly makes a car a family car? Most people already drive 4 door cars that have adequate trunk space and a back row of seats to put a car seat into.

Here is a good example.
I have 2 co-workers that are married to each other... I know them both for the past 3 years. One used to own a 4 door nissan altima and another owned a 4 door toyota corolla. So they sold both cars and bought a 4 door nissan frontier or whatever its called truck and a nissan maxima. Both replacement cars were older and came with a boat load of issues so they keep driving each other to work while their cars are in and out of mechanic's. Maybe I am just not seeing something...

What exactly makes a car a "family car"? In other words... what qualities does a car need to posess that 2 adult human beings tell themselves... "we need to acquire THAT car through self sacrifice"?

Its not the cars fault.

The whole idea is, you want to start a family on a clean slate. Or on the right foot.


So you want to get ride of your old cars full of memories of being single. Lets put it this way; Lets say you just bought a brand new car. You would never want anyone else but you to drive it. But lets say you and a friend pitch in money to buy it, you would not feel to bad about letting him drive it. Same kind of concept happens, when you buy a family car your getting a car for everyone in the family.

Your still thinking about how come a SUV or a truck is better then a regular 2 door or 4 door cars. Which isn't true. People buy what ever car they see fit. Some couples actually go down from an SUV to a eco box corolla as a family car.

[Random_Stranger]

Ay, in the world, people sell off their kids. It's kinda the same thing. I know people who fix up cars and turn around and sell them for new projects and they just keep doing that. I don't see the point in that, but I guess its like this. Those who sell their car, weren't really into it from the beginning. It was just a phase. So when they do that, (sell due to "growing up" or whatever), then they were just going through a phase until Midlife Crisis hits.

Either that, or the car isn't practical for their daily lives, and want to sell off the car for a down payment on a house or whatever.

[cheela]

it's called "fast money" you sell it you get it you spend it. that's it.

[njccmd2002]

its actually dumb. Its what i call backwards technology. Buying a new digital sharp image lcd for your computer, and then installing a privacy glass on top of it. Like in most doctors office or hospitals.

Its just dumb.

Buying an old car, when the baby arrives, lol because the new one is not fit.

Most people dont think that they are upside down in cars. and dont think, period.

When I had my baby, went from a 2002 accent that i bought new, to a 2005 corolla, then she grew and we went to a new 2009 camry. and now she dont fit in the back, and were thinking of something bigger.. and we are only a family of three.

Yes car payment will go up. but every morning that car will start. if it breaks, warranty takes care of it.

In my case, i drive the celi and the 150k miles runner, cuz i dont care enough for a new car.

But people are driven by society.

Ask me why i some people stray away from the venza, solara convertible and the minivans.

each one has a stigma.

I guess, when most married couples have kids, they have to assumme their roles.

the truck and minivan combination.... LOL.