How would you feel if your significant other gave you a vehicle for Christmas?*

[Rain Man]

* If you are from a non-western culture, you may substitute another gift-giving holiday at your discretion.


I'm watching these commercials, and people are getting up on Christmas morning to discover that their spouse has gifted them with a brand new vehicle. One company even upped that, and the husband bought both a pickup and an SUV for him and his wife.

Am I unreasonable that this would tick me off? A vehicle is really expensive, first of all. It's going to involve either payments or a very large check. But even more than that, I buy a car less than once per decade. It has to be the right car. It has to be a car that I bond with, a car that melds with me both on the road and in my personal brand. I would want a specific set of options that would serve me well over the next decade. I would want - nee, I would require - that I be in on the decision to purchase said car. I wouldn't want a car to just show up with the statement that it's now mine.

Or are these couples talking about it beforehand in the commercials? Do you think that TV commercial husband is saying to the wife that he wants X car with A, B, and C options in an apricot color? If that's the case, then is it really a gift? Is the buying spouse just weaseling out of buying a gift by taking delivery of a vehicle that they're destined to buy anyway?

I find the whole vehicular Christmas gift thing to be highly suspect. Am I alone in this, or do others feel the same way?

[cooper barrett]

There is an important one that's missing....



Who wears a watch anyway...unless you're in Singapore...

Originally Posted by chinaski

I'm extremely particular and have specific taste with the following things:

Cars/Trucks
Wristwatches
Firearms
Fishing Gear
Tools

I would prefer to make my own decisions on those items.

[MIAdragon]

Originally Posted by cooper barrett

There is an important one that's missing....



Who wears a watch anyway...unless you're in Singapore...

Everyone I know does. And an apple “watch” doesn’t count.

[PunkinDrublic]

How bad did you **** up to where the only way to avoid a divorce is to have someone roll up in a Lexus with a bow on the hood on Christmas Day? That’s the Hail Mary of avoiding a financially crippling divorce.

[cooper barrett]

She seems nice....compared to my exwife.

Originally Posted by DanT

I like that GMC 'One for you, one for me' commercial, mainly because I think the actress, Morgan Matthews, is strikingly pretty and fun to watch. She's a Nebraskan, by the way. it is cute to me that her character wants the truck. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5796482/
I think the guy's reaction is funny and relatable, too. If you do something crazy, like buy two big, beautiful vehicles for your wife and you as Christmas presents, you better be able to go with the possibility she is going to want the vehicle you thought would be yours.
Sure, it is a silly commercial, but it entertains me. i hope Morgan Matthews scores some good roles in Hollywood.

[cooper barrett]

Originally Posted by Tombstone RJ

FFS people, grow up. Mercedes has been doing these stupid-****ing-car-is-a-Xmas-gift commercials for years and all the made-up characters have Uber money.

I bought my ex a Benz (E class coupe) for Christmas...Best sex ever about 2 weeks earlier with her close friend....Jewelry wasn't an option.

[RedRaider56]

I've given a car for Christmas before. Granted it was two years old, so it wasn't a $60,000 car with $800/month payments.

[Bearcat]

I've done a ton of research when buying cars, so I think the only situation where it's okay would be if I had already been researching for a while, had all the options picked out, and had test driven, but just hadn't pulled the trigger..... then it would be more like "just buy the ****ing car already".

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by cooper barrett

You'd drive a Chevy Vega?

Well, not now, but sadly I have before.

[TinyEvel]

BTW Lexus is the one that invented the big red bow on the car. Something like 25 years ago, they started the "December to Remember Event" and featured the cars with the big red bows on them (the bow is actually made of thin sheet metal)
We had to get one to shoot in a commercial for something else, and had to borrow it from the local KC Lexus Dealer.

[FAX]

Originally Posted by TinyEvel

BTW Lexus is the one that invented the big red bow on the car. Something like 25 years ago, they started the "December to Remember Event" and featured the cars with the big red bows on them (the bow is actually made of thin sheet metal)
We had to get one to shoot in a commercial for something else, and had to borrow it from the local KC Lexus Dealer.

Not all of them are sheet metal, Mr. TinyEvel. Sometimes they're made out of plasticky nylon or some sort of latex material ... guaranteed to eventually make it to the ocean and kill a whale. Also guaranteed to flappity-flop like an annoying bitch all the way home.

So I say, save the whales and buy your SO a nice seasonal gift package from Harry and David. They deliver free and you can personalize the accompanying card.

FAX

[MahiMike]

Totally agree with you Rainman. That commercial where the guy's wife prefers his truck over the Tahoe...Come on! That's $100K just for transportation. Yikes! Of course the wife is happy now. But when they can't afford her new shoes, there will be hell to pay.

[dj56dt58]

She better let him piihb

[cooper barrett]

Originally Posted by TinyEvel

BTW Lexus is the one that invented the big red bow on the car. Something like 25 years ago, they started the "December to Remember Event" and featured the cars with the big red bows on them (the bow is actually made of thin sheet metal)
We had to get one to shoot in a commercial for something else, and had to borrow it from the local KC Lexus Dealer.

It, the ad campaign from S+S Team One, started in 1998 in the LA market and nationally in 2001 and I believe the bows were made by King Size Bows.

[Dayze]

If I did get one, it sure as hell wouldn’t be one of the $75k trucks that GMC seems so proud off.

I try to keep my cars for as long as I can, then when it’s time for another, I try to keep the purchase price about 8-10% of my annual income. And if financing, only term to 36 months.

Doing so allows us to contribute a shit load each month to savings. We put an entire check from my wife’s pay into savings each month, directs deposit. Don’t even miss it

I can’t even imagine having a $500+ per month payment for likely 5+ years. Jesus Christ. I used to do that shit when I was young and has some decent money. Now, I still make decent , money but that car pay,ent is going into my account instead of a car. And I now have a good stash of money for my “oh shit” fund to draw from when shit goes wrong with the house, cars, or whatever else.

[JakeF]

Unless you are uber rich and buying a car is like buying a pack of gum, you shouldn't buy something that expensive without input from the person who is going to drive it.