Something different to think about

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I realize this is a dental forum where people come to ask/answer questions concerning (pre)-dentistry. But I figured it wouldn't hurt to post a question that can give people something to look forward to after their hard work in, and even after, dental school. Additionally, most of the threads on this forum are become slightly monotonous (and boring?).
My friend and I began talking about when the day comes where we will finally be able to be a little loose with our cash -- after most loans are paid off -- and it was kind of fun.

This question applies to anyone interested in dentistry (whether you've been accepted this term or not):

So after accumulating hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt from dental school (some of us less) and finally entering the work force where we can start to pay off our loans, what car(s) do you hope to eventually own?

Same car I have now.....

Advice from a "car guy" who works in the automotive industry. Get something cheap and practical, even if you have the disposable income.

1. buy used
2. don't get a coupe. 2 doors suck
3. good fuel economy

That being said... When I get out, I plan on getting either a Prius V or a Lexus CT200h hybrid

not going to lie. I will probably get a nice car. Like a mercedes or Lexus.
I feel we deserve it

Originally Posted by pk62281

1. buy used
2. don't get a coupe. 2 doors suck
3. good fuel economy

I guess my plan to get a Cadillac (used) would fit here.

But I also need to satisfy my hunger for american muscle so I might pick up a '69 Camaro to keep in the garage. Either that or a 1986 Buick Grand National -- wishful thinking never hurt anyone haha

I'll probably have a nice used sedan (bmw/ audi) and a rubicon for when I want to take the boat to the River.

a jeep

Originally Posted by yellowishbluish

a jeep

Yes. (If you are referring to a Wrangler).

I'm getting a used black cadillac escalade esv right after school. Need the room for a family and two big dogs, plus it'll be handy in the summer time for towing a boat. The dentists I look up to are the ones who set the bar high and maintain a high quality image but thats just me.

Probably a ferrari, whats another 100 grand in the grand scheme of things.

just kidding. the first thing I would do is honestly buy my mom a red jeep wrangler, she's always wanted one

I currently own a 2004 330ci and i'd probably just buy another used bmw since i've grown used to them, maybe a couple year old 5 series would be nice.

Realistically speaking a bare bones Mustang GT.

I drive a 2000 accord right now & plan to drive it throughout dental school + my 2 years of residency

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk

If you're going to buy a nice car my advice is to get a Lexus or Acura. The European brands like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes have horrible resale value. Remember how American cars used to have a reputation for bad quality? Believe it or not, the European brand's quality is actually much worse. Pretty much after the 3 year mark, you'll be paying a lot of money that should be going to loans for maintenance and repairs. You'll also be paying more for depreciation. American car companies have come a long way when it comes to quality too, so a Cadillac may be better.

A Jeep? Really? The fuel economy on those things are ridiculous! Gas is only going to get more expensive people. A Jeep would be good for an extra vehicle. I can't imagine using it as a regular commuter, esp if you work farther away.

If you're a guy and think girls dig guys with nice cars. In my experience, that isn't the case. The ones that do you probably dont want to date anyway.

I would like an F150, I love home improvement and yard projects, great car for it.


Otherwise, whatever Clarkson is currently recommending.

Originally Posted by pk62281

If you're going to buy a nice car my advice is to get a Lexus or Acura. The European brands like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes have horrible resale value. Remember how American cars used to have a reputation for bad quality? Believe it or not, the European brand's quality is actually much worse. Pretty much after the 3 year mark, you'll be paying a lot of money that should be going to loans for maintenance and repairs. You'll also be paying more for depreciation. American car companies have come a long way when it comes to quality too, so a Cadillac may be better.

A Jeep? Really? The fuel economy on those things are ridiculous! Gas is only going to get more expensive people. A Jeep would be good for an extra vehicle. I can't imagine using it as a regular commuter, esp if you work farther away.

If you're a guy and think girls dig guys with nice cars. In my experience, that isn't the case. The ones that do you probably dont want to date anyway.

Man, if I'm a dentist, and I'm still worrying about gas prices I'll kill myself. I thought the whole point of going to school is to get a well paying job so you can make more money and treat yourself and those around you to a better life.

Originally Posted by ataha

Man, if I'm a dentist, and I'm still worrying about gas prices I'll kill myself. I thought the whole point of going to school is to get a well paying job so you can make more money and treat yourself and those around you to a better life.

This is a great point. Make sure you mention this at your interviews.

I guess I'm just speaking from experience. I'm a bit older and in my younger years, I really wanted a nice car that looked cool and would impress the ladies. Now I've realized that I really don't give a sh*t. Actually, I do care. I don't want to drive a beater, but as long as the cars works well, has good gas mileage, doesn't give me issues, and is comfortable to drive, that's all I need. A 30,000 would do that in flying colors.

In a few years there will be some sexy electronic/hybrid cars rolling around, who needs gas anyways?

http://www.acura.com/future/NSX#1

Originally Posted by ataha

Man, if I'm a dentist, and I'm still worrying about gas prices I'll kill myself. I thought the whole point of going to school is to get a well paying job so you can make more money and treat yourself and those around you to a better life.

I hope you're not one of those people who think they're going to be riding around in a Ferrari after dental school.....

Originally Posted by Seahawk

This is a great point. Make sure you mention this at your interviews.

lol, it's not like that's the ONLY reason. But let's face it, if dentists were paid less than $100k a year there would be a lot less of a reason to go through all that trouble of all that schooling. You guys are seriously fooling yourselves if you think that you don't care about the money. Money is at LEAST 51% of the contributing factor of the decision to become a dentist, the remaining 49% is different for most people.

Originally Posted by AwesomeTeeth

I hope you're not one of those people who think they're going to be riding around in a Ferrari after dental school.....

I believe hard work buys a BMW, a little luck gets you into a ferrari, so no I don't think becoming a dentist will get me a ferrari but I have a lot of business intuition, and I'm blessed with great parents that will help me pay for school (as much as they can afford) so i don't pay another $100k in loans. So not to get ahead of myself since there is a long road ahead, but the plan is once i graduate from dental school I'll be a free man to do whatever I want without debt holding me back. So yes, I'll probably be rolling in a USED, 2-3 year old 5 Series BMW.

Good day sir.

Originally Posted by ataha

I believe hard work buys a BMW, a little luck gets you into a ferrari, so no I don't think becoming a dentist will get me a ferrari but I have a lot of business intuition, and I'm blessed with great parents that will help me pay for school (as much as they can afford) so i don't pay another $100k in loans. So not to get ahead of myself since there is a long road ahead, but the plan is once i graduate from dental school I'll be a free man to do whatever I want without debt holding me back. So yes, I'll probably be rolling in a USED, 2-3 year old 5 Series BMW.

Good day sir.

A 3 year old BMW may cause you some issues. If you do some research, you'll find they tend to have a lot of problems after the warranty is up. If you have the disposable income for the maintenance than it's no biggie. just sayin..

currently driving an '07 4x4 tundra that i plan to drive until the wheels fall off.
will replace with something similar.

if i can find/build a reliable '57 chevy truck with the big back window, that'll be my daily driver. (so long as my commute is under a mile or so).

oh, and if i wanted a fuel efficient vehicle, i would get a motorcycle.
instead, i want to win when (not if) i have an accident.
I will gladly spend 2k more a year. so give me a big vehicle with more mass and wrap around airbags and let physics do the rest.

Originally Posted by txaggie03

currently driving an '07 4x4 tundra that i plan to drive until the wheels fall off.
will replace with something similar.

if i can find/build a reliable '57 chevy truck with the big back window, that'll be my daily driver.

lol. You're not going to believe this but I helped design parts of that truck.

I'm definitely going to get a motorcycle, but that's after I have decent disability insurance. I already have one, but am going to sell it.

Originally Posted by pk62281

I'm definitely going to get a motorcycle, but that's after I have decent disability insurance. I already have one, but am going to sell it.

I could not imagine getting rid of my bike, its all about how and where you ride it.

Originally Posted by pk62281

1. buy used
2. don't get a coupe. 2 doors suck
3. good fuel economy

1. Agree 100%

2. Disagree... i love my Mustang GT 2 door coupe. The front seats are comfortable in a coupe, you feel like you are actually "in" the car.

3. Disagree... i love that my car is fast. I still get 21 to the gallon, which is enough for me.

Sure, your car can be looked at like a tool. But you should drive what you like... i would feel weird and embarrassed if i drove a Prius (no offense to prius owners), just not my style.

As far as cars go... someday i would like to own a....

1. F-150 Raptor

2. '69 Camaro

I'll drive my current car (2004 Mustang) into the ground, and hopefully by the time it gives out electric cars will be fashionable.

I'll drive my prius to work, and play with this on the weekends.

Originally Posted by pk62281

lol. You're not going to believe this but I helped design parts of that truck.

Well, I should hit 100k in the next month or so. I got it with 27k on it, and have had no major complaints (knock on wood). I put right at 75 miles every school day on the thing, so we have gotten rather close.

I came from a 2000 single cab 1500 dodge ram with a V6, and moved to this double-cab 5.7 V8. So needless to say, it was a step up. We bought it because we were having my baby, and didnt want to put a car seat in a single cab for safety reasons. At the time, it was the only full size truck to have side-curtain airbags, which really sold me over the big-three.

If you can, would you mind sharing what parts you designed/tested?

Originally Posted by txaggie03

Well, I should hit 100k in the next month or so. I got it with 27k on it, and have had no major complaints (knock on wood). I put right at 75 miles every school day on the thing, so we have gotten rather close.

I came from a 2000 single cab 1500 dodge ram with a V6, and moved to this double-cab 5.7 V8. So needless to say, it was a step up. We bought it because we were having my baby, and didnt want to put a car seat in a single cab for safety reasons. At the time, it was the only full size truck to have side-curtain airbags, which really sold me over the big-three.

If you can, would you mind sharing what parts you designed/tested?

Good choice on getting the Tundra. Parts of the cooling, intake, fuel, and emissions system. I'm also working on the next generation, but can't take it to production because I'll be quitting soon for dschool.

Originally Posted by pk62281

Good choice on getting the Tundra. Parts of the cooling, intake, fuel, and emissions system. I'm also working on the next generation, but can't take it to production because I'll be quitting soon for dschool.

Very cool. As someone who actually designed parts of the intake and fuel, are products like STP gum-out even needed with today's ethanol laden gasoline?

Also, if you dont mind me asking, what degree (if any) did you get and how long have you been working in the automotive industry before deciding to make the jump to dentistry?

I only ask because I graduated in '03 with a biological systems engineering degree, worked for 6 years for a consulting firm, and then decided that I wanted to do oral engineering. I have several engineering buddies who have chosen to jump ship and look for other career paths. It sure seems like it is becoming a trend.

Originally Posted by txaggie03

Very cool. As someone who actually designed parts of the intake and fuel, are products like STP gum-out even needed with today's ethanol laden gasoline?

Also, if you dont mind me asking, what degree (if any) did you get and how long have you been working in the automotive industry before deciding to make the jump to dentistry?

I only ask because I graduated in '03 with a biological systems engineering degree, worked for 6 years for a consulting firm, and then decided that I wanted to do oral engineering. I have several engineering buddies who have chosen to jump ship and look for other career paths. It sure seems like it is becoming a trend.

I'm sorry. I really can't say anything about STP gum out. Even if I did have an opinion, I don't think I'm allowed to say anything. I think if you follow your maintenance schedule, you should be fine.

I have a mechanical engineering degree that I got in 03, and have been working in the auto industry for about 8 years. One dentist that I shadowed used to work for GM as an engineer and jumped ship to dentistry. I know another who worked in aerospace and is now an orthodontist. I guess it's not as uncommon as one may think. The skills required to be a good engineer, an a good dentist, is not that different either, so I guess it makes sense.

Originally Posted by pk62281

I'm sorry. I really can't say anything about STP gum out. Even if I did have an opinion, I don't think I'm allowed to say anything. I think if you follow your maintenance schedule, you should be fine.

I have a mechanical engineering degree that I got in 03, and have been working in the auto industry for about 8 years. One dentist that I shadowed used to work for GM as an engineer and jumped ship to dentistry. I know another who worked in aerospace and is now an orthodontist. I guess it's not as uncommon as one may think. The skills required to be a good engineer, an a good dentist, is not that different either, so I guess it makes sense.

Maybe after you become a dentist...

Well best of luck to you, and if you need anything or have any questions, hit me up.

BMW 335is coupe and if I'm lucky later on in life, a BMW 6-series coupe

Originally Posted by MaceG1

BMW 335is coupe and if I'm lucky later on in life, a BMW 6-series coupe

I like your style, sir.

lease a lambo. and put the clinic logo on it = write off as company car = tax deduction = +1 for dentist .....comeon guys you made it this far learn to play the game!

decked out tahoe.

for 2nd car, if i wanna blow money
jaguar XF or M3

Originally Posted by AllahIsGreater

lease a lambo. and put the clinic logo on it = write off as company car = tax deduction = +1 for dentist .....comeon guys you made it this far learn to play the game!

magnetic logo!! :thumpsup:: wonder how much insurance will go up if it is a company car.

insurance wouldnt go up. it would still be normal. but for a lambo its prob $3-5k per year. to do this tax right off you have to be smart about it you cant go buy a top of the line murcielago, more like an "economy" gallardo .... the IRS will def be all over you, but like i said, company logo ....and if they ask you is it necessary, than the answer to that is obviously yes. people are used to seeing normal cars everyday, but when they see exotic cars they look and stare, and see my logo. LOL...i would never buy this car flat out, because i would feel bad driving it when other people dont even have bread to eat...but if Uncle Sam is paying for it, why not?

Originally Posted by AllahIsGreater

lease a lambo. and put the clinic logo on it = write off as company car = tax deduction = +1 for dentist .....comeon guys you made it this far learn to play the game!

Oh yeah, this falls under "Fake it till you make it".
BTW, I think there's a maximum amount for write-off, but maybe still worth it,

I would buy a used Civic or Camry....



Then I would buy a crappy old miata to gut it and rebuild it as a track-day car. Or maybe even a used WRX instead. By then (5-8 years from now), they should be pretty cheap, with lots of parts available. Would be super fun and fairly cheap I think.

Originally Posted by MentalFloss2012

Oh yeah, this falls under "Fake it till you make it".
BTW, I think there's a maximum amount for write-off, but maybe still worth it,

Yeah I think there is a practical limit to business write offs for vehicles leases. Otherwise, everybody would have a Veyron or an Italia. Might be awesome until the IRS comes knocking haha.

Originally Posted by Kahr

I would love to bike to work. Until it was raining or really hot. Wouldn't be too much fun to do this in dress clothes any day though.

If I cant get a jetpack I dont know why I'm doing this

The car of my dreams has always been a jeep wrangler....saying that, I drive a 2011 jeep wrangler that i got last year and i plan on driving it until ...well... forever...my kids will learn how to drive in it...i will never give him up!...
oh im not worried about gas...one day i will stop living paycheck to paycheck (when im a dentist) and i will be able to fill it up without feeiling guilty about driving a gas guzzler ...it is not as bad as my boyfriend's silverado (which we decided to get rid of next month since he has a work vehicle)....so i guess when i am a dentist the car i will buy will be a gift for him for supporting me through this journey...most likely some big truck ..

so im not into fancy...just american with big tires will do for me

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I would love to bike to work. Until it was raining or really hot. Wouldn't be too much fun to do this in dress clothes any day though.

Just being a (green) contrarian.

Maybe I should've just put up a pair of old tennis shoes.