Cars that will hurt your career or social life

[TripletDaddy]

Subaru Baja

Is that thing in production? Holy crap, that would definitely not help your career if you picked up a client in that thing.

Also, what exactly is that guy planning on doing with that surfboard? When car ads incorporate surfboards, they should at least photoshop some waves into the picture. he might as well go waterskiing.

[Soccermom]

The death trap also known as a Smart Car.

[Gidget]

On of my ex-boyfriends cousins tried to get me to buy one of these. Him and his wife had one and said it was the best purchase they had ever made. I thought it looked like a car lesbians would drive.

[falafel]

We have a 2008 Kia Sedona and we love it. Kia has actually gotten quite a bit better lately. If you get a 2006 or later Kia (sorry falafel), you are getting a good car.

No problem. My kia has actually been rock solid (knock on wood). Its just not an impressive car.

Kia is now owned by hyundai. I really like the hyundai genesis (not the coupe).

Sent from my Sprint EVO 4G

[Pheidippides]

Any minivan. Minivans are fine and all (I own one) but it's not a car I'd take to work or to pick up buddies.

Also:

Mini Cooper

Scion xB

Toyota Yaris

Ford Econoline Van

[EuropeanFootballMale]

when I was working in SF I was basically in residency at the W Hotel for a year.

I hate that place. Really dark everwhere and weird music playing all the time. All of the lobby and hallway tables had body building mags on them. Maybe it wasn't like that in 02.

[CardiacCoug]

The death trap also known as a Smart Car.

I would NEVER get in one of those things.

Yeah, they're smart until you have a collision with an SUV.

Not really on topic, but I'm gonna go out and test drive a Chevy Volt as soon as possible -- just out of curiosity more than anything. I could see electric cars catching on fast, especially with gas at $4+ per gallon.

[Clark Addison]

My best friend in college went to law school and got a job with Gibson Dunn & Crutcher in LA. This would have been in the mid-90s. After a few months, he started feeling self-conscious in the highly competitive environment because he was still driving his old college beater. So he went out and baught a new Ford Taurus. He was rather quickly and directly told by a partner that his choice in cars hadn't helped him.

[CardiacCoug]

My best friend in college went to law school and got a job with Gibson Dunn & Crutcher in LA. This would have been in the mid-90s. After a few months, he started feeling self-conscious in the highly competitive environment because he was still driving his old college beater. So he went out and baught a new Ford Taurus. He was rather quickly and directly told by a partner that his choice in cars hadn't helped him.

I guess there are some careers where it would make sense to have a luxury vehicle. But honestly I would be more likely to be turned off by someone driving "too nice" a car.

If my lawyer or realtor drove a super-expensive car, my main thought would be that they are might be screwing over me and their other clients.

I imagine patients seeing me driving a really nice car and then thinking of their huge hospital bills -- I think I'd rather have them see me driving around in a PT Cruiser than a $100K vehicle.

[San Juan Sun]

I imagine patients seeing me driving a really nice car and then thinking of their huge hospital bills -- I think I'd rather have them see me driving around in a PT Cruiser than a $100K vehicle.

If you drove a PT Cruiser, they might think you're a bad cardiologist.

[Pheidippides]

I guess there are some careers where it would make sense to have a luxury vehicle. But honestly I would be more likely to be turned off by someone driving "too nice" a car.

If my lawyer or realtor drove a super-expensive car, my main thought would be that they are might be screwing over me and their other clients.

I imagine patients seeing me driving a really nice car and then thinking of their huge hospital bills -- I think I'd rather have them see me driving around in a PT Cruiser than a $100K vehicle.

At my old firm (same peer group as Gibson Dunn) some of the cars were as follows:

Mercedes SL500
Mercedes C60
BMW 3 series (a lot of these)
BMW M3
Infinity I35
H3 truck
Porsche 911 Turbo
BMW 7 series
Maserati Gran Turismo S

And then my lowly outclassed used Acura TL.

[CardiacCoug]

If you drove a PT Cruiser, they might think you're a bad cardiologist.

I've heard people say that, too. But think about the scenario of you (as the attending) operating on someone who dies, then the family sees a $50K+ bill from the hospital, and then they see you tooling around in a ridiculous luxury car.

Not really a stretch to think a family might take note of that, and not in a good way. I think in pretty much every scenario, I would be more embarrassed by the overly extravagant car than the POS car.

[San Juan Sun]

I've heard people say that, too. But think about the scenario of you (as the attending) operating on someone who dies, then the family sees a $50K+ bill from the hospital, and then they see you tooling around in a ridiculous luxury car.

Not really a stretch to think a family might take note of that, and not in a good way. I think in pretty much every scenario, I would be more embarrassed by the overly extravagant car than the POS car.

I totally understand. I was just joking around.

[CardiacCoug]

At my old firm (same peer group as Gibson Dunn) some of the cars were as follows:

Mercedes SL500
Mercedes C60
BMW 3 series (a lot of these)
BMW M3
Infinity I35
H3 truck
Porsche 911 Turbo
BMW 7 series
Maserati Gran Turismo S

And then my lowly outclassed used Acura TL.

Yeah, one of the guys in my group has that Maserati and I rode in it with him once. Pretty sweet.

Hey, at least you don't have to worry about your car getting scratched or dented in the parking lot.

[old_gregg]

some of gaudy italian cars (lambo, ferrari, alfa, etc.) and even impractical cars like an nsx probably can't help one's career/social life. the good news is by the time you can afford a murcielago you can also afford to not give a crap what you look like in it.

edit: i forgot to mention a riced honda/acura/subaru/neon: