Big life decisions

[LilyChiba]

Any model car can have its issues, doesn't matter what it is. I've had the chance to drive quite a few in my young life already and my first car was a honda. It broke down on the side of a highway, 90km away from home after having it for 3 years. Yeah it was an 89, but it was because I didn't look after it. As others said, long as you look after it, it will last. It's just like anything else that needs constant maintainence. Anything mechanical needs to be looked after. I've also driven my mum's Jeep and they are supposed to be good. Guess who had to pay for a new engine within the first 8 months of owning it? And that's a brand new car. My house mate just bought a Ford and he has to fix his entire engine, new car. My other house mate has the Mitsubishi Lancer we drive and its a charm. (I had a lancer before him and I need a new engine for that, 95 model). Again, its all about how you look after it and how it was looked after before you get it.

As to whether you should have been let in on the decision. No. You may be driving it in the future, but you are not the one driving it now and you are not paying for it. So no offence, but it is up to him what he likes. As long as the car was checked out before he bought it, there's no harm. We did a full inspection of my house mate's car when we got it in April, we got it serviced right after we got it and I was the one to test drive it since I had many more years experience not only with Lancers, but in driving in general. We just happened to have an affinity for Lancers XD But that aside, it was his decision, since it was his money. My only pre-req was that it was not a big car, since I would be driving it and I feel uncomfortable. Most would wonder why he listened to me in this regard and its because a. he doesn't have his license yet and b. I was driving him around in both my honda and lancer for 5 years before he got his car. So yeah. I kinda went off track with that. Haha.

Also, reviews aren't all they are cracked up to be. You have to drive the car to know its decent. Reviews are just there to keep in mind really. There isn't anything particularly wrong with Ford, I personally don't like them but that's because Australia is Ford vs Holden and I dislike both of them due to that. But its more so how a person drives a car. You can have the best car in existence and it would still be dangerous if you didn't drive safely. Vice Versa.

[Kanga]

In my opinion Fords aren't that good of cars. I have my reasons, but if you take care of the car oil changes, etc. It shouldn't be an issue. Besides this is his first car, usually first cars are the ones you beat up on. Ding here Scratch there, and it doesn't matter. Guys really don't care about that stuff, unless its a car they "love". I'm sure he'll give it the repairs and keep tracks on it like oil changes, etc. I've had my Scion tc for almost 7 years one accident, and keep regular oil changes, tires, tags, etc, and got it brand new when I was 17. As far as letting it go, just say your say sorry, and that you were worried, but your excited he found a car he likes and can get to point A to point B when needs, too. It's a good thing, its progress. Which is what you want right?

[floridaellen]

P.S. My fiance is also from the UK, and he said that HBB probably wouldn't have been able to get a Honda for 1,000 pounds unless it was really old.

I agree. My SO just had to buy a new car. We really wanted to get him either a Toyota or a Honda due to our personal experiences with cars and reviews. However, with his budget of $2500, it was impossible to find any Hondas or any Toyotas with less than 200,000 miles (which I think is a better indication of a car's reliability anyway but that's just me). He ended up getting a Hyundai and has had some trouble with it. But with any used car, you're inheriting problems.

[Tooki]

Ford's in Australia aren't bad at all, but we also don't stock the American models.

Just let HBB get whatever car that he wants. Yes it's always good to consult with your SO, but you aren't going to be using the car (often at least) and you aren't helping pay for it. You have to suck up your pride and just let them him do what he wants (I have the same problem as well, and I know how hard it is to keep your mouth shut and say "I'm sorry")

[D.4C]

while i can understand how you feel...i guess it was his money to do with as he wanted...even though you will be moving there...maybe he should have said something first...just to be nice...but i get ya...i hate fords too...only one i would buy is a mustang carwise...i would buy a ford truck...i just sold a honda passport...and it was a great vehicle...i've had two hondas actually...and both were good cars...reliable

[MadMolly]

I wouldn't blink if my guy bought a car, or anything big like that, without consulting me. Until I am actually there, living there with him, it's his life to do what he pleases and I have no need to dictate what decisions he makes.

[Jezah]

Wow, this took off. I stopped checking it after Moon's post about saying sorry since it seemed to have died....guess not!

What ended up happening is that, completely unrelated, HBB pulled typical HBB crap and arrived home an hour after he said he would be home so instead of the apology I planned we had a fight. I could care less that he was late, but not telling me led to me worrying he was in an accident or something (since as far as I knew he had txted me when he left) meaning I spent 30 minutes on edge unable to distract myself worrying. Turns out he was getting a ride home with his mom and didn't want to "be rude" by asking her to bring him home when she said she would, and his phone died so he couldn't let me know. If this had been the first time something like this happened....but no

Anyways, it was resolved when he seemed to at least realize he was being an ass and apologized. Then I apologized for the car thing, I still can't seem to get up my excitement for the car but I am not being negative at least. It is a good car as far as the fact that it has low miles (60,000) and is new-ish (2002) plus being in supposedly great mechanical shape. I guess my dislike of Fords just taints my view, and he had found several Honda's for under 1000 pounds (really need to learn the alt code for the pound sign) but according to him the salesmen he spoke to said all Honda's for that much were in bad shape. So he settled for a cheaply built car in good shape rather than a reliably built car in bad shape.

[Tooki]

If his battery did run out, there isn't much reason to get annoyed at him in my opinion. It has happend to me and my GF a few times, we just suck it up and move on without argument.

And Honda's are generally a bit more expensive. Although there has to be a reason for the Ford to be that cheap, so we'll see how the car pans out.

[MadMolly]

Jezah, I think you need to relax a bit and not be so involved in what he's doing every hour. Half the time I don't know what my guy is doing with his day and I don't think to let him know where I am either. I know you worry but freaking out over someone being just *1 hour* late is bizarre to me. I'm not surprised it caused a fight! The stress of being so involved with tiny movements of eachother's lives is bound to blow up in your faces a lot.

[Jezah]

The fact is, he knew he said when he would be home, knew his phone was dead so he couldn't update me....and he still chose to not ask his mom if they could get going. It wasn't like he was physically unable to leave, he just didn't want to be rude to his mom (which I doubt it would have been) so he just caused me stress instead. Perhaps it was "odd" to be freaked out so easily by his being an hour late, but I have anxiety pretty bad which he knows. I also sorta expect bad things to happen, so yea I worry. I didn't worry though until he was like 30+ minutes late with no word

I think the reason that Ford is so cheap is possibly because brand new loaded versions of this car only went for 5000 pounds. So 10 years later....1000 seems sorta expecte

[Tooki]

Fair enough, but I think that you should cut him some slack. He was only an hour late, and he was upfront about what happened.

And that makes sense then if the newer models are so cheap.

[MadMolly]

That's what I'm saying. Don't stress about the little things. It just causes dramas and tension.

[eveningsky]

Don't stress about the little things. It just causes dramas and tension.

This, try to talk it out calmly instead, and...
Fords are okay. At least he didn't get a Dodge.

[Romeo s Juliet]

you are being so judgmental about such a little thing. he dont live with you, he is a guy, let him do what he likes when choosing things for his use. let him be the guy, support his choices, even though u feel it s stupid. its his choice. maybe you will use that car a when you re over there, but it aint ur money or your choice. get over it already

you seem to jump into drama every time you have a choice. if drama is not on your side you are chasing it.
honestly, imo no guy wanna hear their women poke their heads into all the damn shit they do. you are his gf. not his mom.

[rubydissolution]

I really wouldn't worry about it too much. You live and learn in the car world. Some car brands that some people hate other people swear by. Fords aren't my cup of tea, however...I really REALLY want a Ford Mustang sometime in my life lol.

As for him not consulting you about it. It was his money, he's going to be driving it let him pick the car he wants. Least he went over his options with you by searching online. If you were living together and sharing expenses then it would be a different story. BC you would be sharing the financial burden of driving a car that constantly needs repair. I wouldn't worry about the safety rating, bc as another poster said, if it wasn't safe they wouldn't allow it on the market. This from a Toyota driver who's car was in the year of all those brake failure recalls.

Hondas...well yea they are super reliable and great on gas but you hit something and the car is trashed or totaled real quick. Seriously they smush like a soda can.