Pharmacist Salary Thread

[atticus27]

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And what exactly is pharmacy good for?

Scoring chicks who are also pharmacists. $$$$$$Booyah!

 

[Smilescali]

Yeah, they aren't economy cars...Mercedes Benz S600 better than any two door car EVER! 😛 Its THE HOTTEST car. 😉

Not when your mother-in-law who is like 110 drives one... and her granny friends ... I like the SL Mercedes and maybe the new E class and that is about it for anyone under the age of 35. In my area I mainly see older people drive Mercedes. Younger gals prefer BMW and AUDI!!!(Who can afford it) Sportier and less stodgy.

 

[MRSA Sucks]

I have read this article and i am really concerned that this issue would be a problem a lot of pharmacists would face by the year 2020. Mail in pharmacies will take away a lot of pharmacy jobs. Soon, we might have just technicians doing the whole thing. Congress needs to address this issue

What do you mean Congress needs to address this issue? Addressing the issue of pharmacists getting paid less? The only way they will care is if a special interest group representing pharmacists lobbies them.

 

[MRSA Sucks]

What is wrong with a Camry??? They are the best cars and very good price too! Obviously everyone would rather drive a Benz, but Camrys are great cars too! The most dependable and the best priced! 😉 (so are Hondas and Nissians)

I want to live in a Californian city where I can go car less, and that only city is San Francisco. Imagine just walking or taking light rail to work. Who needs a car?

 

[Tinkerbell22]

Scoring chicks who are also pharmacists. $$$$$$Booyah!

You guys are so lucky to have the male:female ratio in your favor! Probability is def. not on my side should I ever become single in pharmacy school... I KNEW I SHOULD'VE WENT TO GA TECH FOR THAT ENGINEERING DEGREE! lol Kidding. Sort of.

At least you won't have to worry about footing all the bills if you marry a pharmacist lol

 

[Smilescali]

I want to live in a Californian city where I can go car less, and that only city is San Francisco. Imagine just walking or taking light rail to work. Who needs a car?

Do you live in SF? Because I did for years and most people have cars. It is no Boston, New York or London.

 

[MRSA Sucks]

Do you live in SF? Because I did for years and most people have cars. It is no Boston, New York or London.

Nope, I wish I live in SF. I live in San Diego where you definitely need a car to do simple stuff like go to the grocery store. Hmmm, so you don't think you can go car-less in SF city? I'm curious for your opinion since you've lived there. It always seemed like an ideal city to go car-less with MUNI and the fact that the city is 7 miles by 7 miles in area.

 

[Smilescali]

I disagree, since four doors for me is wholly useless, and always will be. A two door AMG would work just as well and would be even faster, without having to heave the bulk that the longer wheelbase and two more doors creates. 😉

As far as a hot car, c'mon, you're passing up Italian exotics in favor of a four door cruiser? No Lamborghini Gallardo LPE-465? No Ferrari F430?

The MB is refined, elegant, stylish. But HOT? Nooo way. HOT is an adjective reserved for Italian super beasts. =]

What do you think of the new Audi R8 with the Lamborghini engine? I would settle for the S5...

 

[Passion4Sci]

What do you think of the new Audi R8 with the Lamborghini engine? I would settle for the S5...

I don't like Audi for the same reason I don't like Porsche. Can't do a damn thing on them yourself, in terms of OWNING one. In terms of LOOKING at them? Yeah, the R8 is gorgeous. I love the LED headlamp thing where it looks like eyebrows on all the time. Hard to explain what exactly they look like, but I'm sure you know what I am talking about.

 

[Smilescali]

Nope, I wish I live in SF. I live in San Diego where you definitely need a car to do simple stuff like go to the grocery store. Hmmm, so you don't think you can go car-less in SF city? I'm curious for your opinion since you've lived there. It always seemed like an ideal city to go car-less with MUNI and the fact that the city is 7 miles by 7 miles in area.

I live in San diego too. You can say the same thing about SD if you live in the gaslamp and work downtown then there is no need for a car you can take the bus or trolley. Heck if you live in North County like me and take the Coaster, then take the trolley/bus to the downtown then you don't need a car. It would take you a lot longer and be a lot less convenient, but you can do it.

I found it was the same way in SF. Yes, I guess it is possible, but really most people still need a car to get around (shopping, work, just living life!)
I lived a while in the city and then a tad outside the city( Burlingame) and you would definitely need a car there. Besides good luck finding a place in the city to live, let alone WORK AND LIVE 🙂

 

[MRSA Sucks]

I live in San diego too. You can say the same thing about SD if you live in the gaslamp and work downtown then there is no need for a car you can take the bus or trolley. Heck if you live in North County like me and take the Coaster, then take the trolley/bus to the downtown then you don't need a car. It would take you a lot longer and be a lot less convenient, but you can do it.

I found it was the same way in SF. Yes, I guess it is possible, but really most people still need a car to get around (shopping, work, just living life!)
I lived a while in the city and then a tad outside the city( Burlingame) and you would definitely need a car there. Besides good luck finding a place in the city to live, let alone WORK AND LIVE 🙂

Haha nice - I live in North County as well. I think getting to work via SF public transport wont be bad if you live and work in the city. Problem with a car is that parking is horrible; so in a way, MUNI or biking can be more efficient and less stressful. I guess the only concern would be shopping but I guess one could use Zipcar for that and for me, I hate shopping!

 

[Pharmacykid25]

If you guys are looking for a high paying job right out of school to pay off your debt you should consider moving to rural areas in Canada. The average wage for a Pharmacist right out of school in a large Canadian city like Toronto or Vancouver is $50 to $55 dollars an hour but rural areas is where you make real coin if you can tolerate living in a smaller community.

For examples job postings for new graduates I found on the government of Canada's job search website (www.jobbank.gc.ca)

1) Community Pharmacist in Thompson MB, Manitoba -$150,000.00 to $160,000.00 Yearly for 40 hours per week, Other Benefits, Medical Benefits, Dental Benefits, Life Insurance Benefits, Pension Plan Benefits

2) Community Pharmacist Bonnyville / Cold Lake, Alberta (3 vacancies) $55.00 to $60.00 Hourly for 40 hours per week, Dental Benefits, Pension Plan Benefits, Vision Care Benefits

3) Community Pharmacist Cambridge Bay, NU $75.00 to $85.00 Hourly for 40 hours per week, Medical Benefits, Dental Benefits, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance Benefits, Vision Care Benefits (This is a reallly isolated area with hardly any sunlight in the winter- Id never venture into this myself but its a pretty stellar wage)

4) Community Pharmacist Happy Valley-Goose Bay Labrador Remuneration:
• Base Salary $57.00 per hour
• Northern Allowance $3,850.00 per annum
• Travel Allowance $1,500.00 per annum
• Employer contribution to Company Pension 3.5% of Base
Salary
• Complete Group Insurance Benefits – Employer/Employee
cost shared 50/50
• Full reimbursement of Professional Membership Fees and
Professional Liability Insurance Premiums
• Annual Vacation 5 weeks
• Sick days 1.25 days per month
• Relocation Allowance $10,000.00
• Equity Share of the Business = 10%

--Anyhow goodluck finding jobs but if you need some fast cash to pay off your loans check out isolated areas where their is a shortage of Pharmacists!!!!!!

 

[Vitamin K]

However, the CVSs and Walgreens of the world have all but destroyed the profession of pharmacy. Counseling is the butt of jokes at the aforementioned pharmacies. There is hardly time to breathe let alone counsel anyone. People go to CVS or Walgreens because it is convenient not because of the service they get. Ask anyone you know who gets prescriptions filled at CVS or Walgreens if they know their pharmacists name. I bet 90% will not know. It is sad because the poor policies and flawed business models of these two chains are starting to filter down to the rest of the retail chains. Retail pharmacy is truly going to ****. My hours and budget have been slashed so much it is getting to the CVS/Walgreens point. The point where I do not even have time to safely fill prescriptions let alone do anything else.

It really sucks that all of your experiences have left you with this conclusion. I've actually worked for both. 🙂

I can relate in a sense to your sentiments because I've been in stores where "counseling" involved the tech saying to a pt (with a new rx) "Do you have any questions for the pharmacist?" The pt says "no" because they don't even know what the medication IS! And then they go on their way. I've been there, seen it, felt helpless...BUT...it's not all chain stores that are like this. I've worked in both CVS and Walgreens that were like this and I've worked in ones that were much more like a community setting. It really depends on where your store is, who your staff is, and what you do to control your environment. When I work in a store, I make it known as soon as I show up that I DO counsel. You have to put your foot down with techs. Also, I've found that the majority of people do like to hear from the pharmacist if you've got something to say. Tell them something interesting about the medication, and actually make it seem like you care. So many pharmacists just drone on with their repetitive pre-rehearsed counseling that no wonder the pt doesn't want to hear it. Engage them. Ask them questions. Not every big chain store is like the ones you described. The store I'm in now has a great pharmacy manager, a team that works together, and regular customers that DO know our names. You just have to make your name worth remembering by going out of your way to do something for your patients instead of hiding behind the verifying station.

 

[Zrchrn]

If you guys are looking for a high paying job right out of school to pay off your debt you should consider moving to rural areas in Canada. The average wage for a Pharmacist right out of school in a large Canadian city like Toronto or Vancouver is $50 to $55 dollars an hour but rural areas is where you make real coin if you can tolerate living in a smaller community.

For examples job postings for new graduates I found on the government of Canada's job search website (www.jobbank.gc.ca)

1) Community Pharmacist in Thompson MB, Manitoba -$150,000.00 to $160,000.00 Yearly for 40 hours per week, Other Benefits, Medical Benefits, Dental Benefits, Life Insurance Benefits, Pension Plan Benefits

2) Community Pharmacist Bonnyville / Cold Lake, Alberta (3 vacancies) $55.00 to $60.00 Hourly for 40 hours per week, Dental Benefits, Pension Plan Benefits, Vision Care Benefits

3) Community Pharmacist Cambridge Bay, NU $75.00 to $85.00 Hourly for 40 hours per week, Medical Benefits, Dental Benefits, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance Benefits, Vision Care Benefits (This is a reallly isolated area with hardly any sunlight in the winter- Id never venture into this myself but its a pretty stellar wage)

4) Community Pharmacist Happy Valley-Goose Bay Labrador Remuneration:
• Base Salary $57.00 per hour
• Northern Allowance $3,850.00 per annum
• Travel Allowance $1,500.00 per annum
• Employer contribution to Company Pension 3.5% of Base
Salary
• Complete Group Insurance Benefits – Employer/Employee
cost shared 50/50
• Full reimbursement of Professional Membership Fees and
Professional Liability Insurance Premiums
• Annual Vacation 5 weeks
• Sick days 1.25 days per month
• Relocation Allowance $10,000.00
• Equity Share of the Business = 10%

--Anyhow goodluck finding jobs but if you need some fast cash to pay off your loans check out isolated areas where their is a shortage of Pharmacists!!!!!!

160k Canadian is I think about 144k USD. Now that we've established that, how far will that actually go in Canada, and how much will you save for college loans etc. Is it worth it when travel expenses are calculated along with taxes (do you pay Canadian taxes then, or American, or both?). I mean it's not like your going from 0k to 144k your going from 90k-110k to 144k - extra expenses. I am assuming they won't pay you for the tickets to fly out to your family throught the year. How isolated are these areas anyways?

Those concerns aside those seem like very nice benifits + salary. I probably wouldn't mind taking them. After paying Canada taxes (according to this site: http://www.tax-services.ca/personal-tax.html You would get about 102k.

 

[Zrchrn]

I thought this too until I had my son and I sadly had to give up my Bimmer for a family dependable 4 DOOR Honda... Your priorities change then....HOWEVER...my son is old enough how and not in a car seat anymore and I just got my new 3 series coupe! Never say never. It would have been hard in a 2 door with a car seat, but I will admit I did miss my Bimmer. Hondas are fine, but Germans make the best cars!🙂

BMW has 4 door cars, why didn't you go that route? Besides, the sedans are a bit cheaper. How do you like the 3 series? *well obviously you like it, or you wouldn't have bought it, but what sets it apart.

To be honest. If I didn't expect to eventually have a family, my cars of choice (that I could reasonably attempt to save up for) would be between the MB SLK300 and the BMW Z4. But if a car has seats in the back...it should have doors in the back too. Maybe that's just my flawed sense of aesthetics. Also I just feel like every time someone tried to climb into the back, they'd be kicking the passenger chairs and breaking things.

The other thing that confuses me is what all the extra horsepower does for you. You still have to drive within confined speed limits no? If anythings wouldn't a more powerful car just make you more likely to get in trouble. Am I wrong to assume that you wouldn't necessarily enjoy the extra power, or have those of you with more "powerful" cars actually got to enjoy that. I guess what I'm getting at here is. Driving down the interstate or through downtown, are you likely to feel a difference if your in a BMW (Ultimate Driving Machine) or a Corola ?

 

[Pharmacykid25]

160k Canadian is I think about 144k USD. Now that we've established that, how far will that actually go in Canada, and how much will you save for college loans etc. Is it worth it when travel expenses are calculated along with taxes (do you pay Canadian taxes then, or American, or both?). I mean it's not like your going from 0k to 144k your going from 90k-110k to 144k - extra expenses. I am assuming they won't pay you for the tickets to fly out to your family throught the year. How isolated are these areas anyways?

Those concerns aside those seem like very nice benifits + salary. I probably wouldn't mind taking them. After paying Canada taxes (according to this site: http://www.tax-services.ca/personal-tax.html You would get about 102k.

First off these are definaltey small towns in Northern Canada with populations from 2000 to 15,000. You would definately not be living down-town Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal in some of the nicest cities in the world. These areas are sterotypical Canada- Freezing cold in the winter, where snow mobiles are interchangeable with cars and Im sure their is huge socio-economic/ drug related issues.

I think many of these employers are generous with giving 5 weeks of paid vacation and 1500 travel allowance, huge isolation and relocation payments alongside with the high salary to compensate for this.

The cost of living is comparable to most locations in the United states with food being slighly more expensive. For example I live in Halifax a small city of 500,000 in the East coast of Canada and pay $560 dollars a month for rent, cable internet, water, heat, telephone etc but live with roomates. I Think you could find a bachelors or 1 bedroom apartment for about 1000 dollars a month if you wanted to live like a student in these locations easily. Food for example in Halifax is: $3.60 for 2L of milk, $2.5 for a loaf of bread, going to a movie theatre is $9.00 and a new pair of jeans well depends on if you want Gap jeans or designer Gucci jeans really. Food would be slighly more in these Northern areas than in Halifax (which is close to boston) keep in mind though.

I would just keep an eye open for a few good opportunities in Canada and other places like Bermuda where you can find really high salaries!!!!!

 

[Tinkerbell22]

I think speedier cars are more fun to drive, but IMO you are def. more likely to get in trouble ; ) I can tell the difference between 4 and 6 cylinders, but as a personal preference I like to save gas and be energy efficient at the same time so I don't think I would drive anything larger than 6. The new 330i has a twin turbo straight 6 engine (i think) and it's pretty fast. I can't afford the up-keep on those German things though... the little things like the power windows seem to break a lot?

 

[Smilescali]

BMW has 4 door cars, why didn't you go that route? Besides, the sedans are a bit cheaper. How do you like the 3 series? *well obviously you like it, or you wouldn't have bought it, but what sets it apart.

To be honest. If I didn't expect to eventually have a family, my cars of choice (that I could reasonably attempt to save up for) would be between the MB SLK300 and the BMW Z4. But if a car has seats in the back...it should have doors in the back too. Maybe that's just my flawed sense of aesthetics. Also I just feel like every time someone tried to climb into the back, they'd be kicking the passenger chairs and breaking things.

The other thing that confuses me is what all the extra horsepower does for you. You still have to drive within confined speed limits no? If anythings wouldn't a more powerful car just make you more likely to get in trouble. Am I wrong to assume that you wouldn't necessarily enjoy the extra power, or have those of you with more "powerful" cars actually got to enjoy that. I guess what I'm getting at here is. Driving down the interstate or through downtown, are you likely to feel a difference if your in a BMW (Ultimate Driving Machine) or a Corola ?

Yes I feel the difference...ask my mom or sister they will say yeah it is nice, but whatever. Ask my husband and he will say my BMW is mediocre because it is not a M3, he prefers exotics like Enzos....(ha someday😍). Some people are car people and some people are not. I like the way my car drives, the aggressive acceleration and handling, the posh interior and I love the way it looks to be frank. I am am bimmer fan. We all have our favorites and I have driven many of "the others" and the 3 series coupe is my favorite by far.
Oh and I did have a 4 door 3 series, but decided to give it up when I became a stay home mom/student (basically without an income) and when we moved to NV for school. I figured my Honda could get trashed by my kid and the unforgiving desert winds.👍

 

[DallasCowboys22]

If you can afford it the new bmw 750i is one damn good looking car..prob my car of choice if i had the cash lol

 

[Zrchrn]

Yes I feel the difference...ask my mom or sister they will say yeah it is nice, but whatever. Ask my husband and he will say my BMW is mediocre because it is not a M3, he prefers exotics like Enzos....(ha someday😍). Some people are car people and some people are not. I like the way my car drives, the aggressive acceleration and handling, the posh interior and I love the way it looks to be frank. I am am bimmer fan. We all have our favorites and I have driven many of "the others" and the 3 series coupe is my favorite by far.
Oh and I did have a 4 door 3 series, but decided to give it up when I became a stay home mom/student (basically without an income) and when we moved to NV for school. I figured my Honda could get trashed by my kid and the unforgiving desert winds.👍

Oh so had you by then finished payments on it? Or is it expensive to maintain. The reason I'm curious is that BMW is my brand of choice if I ever get to buy a luxury car. I've never driven one, which is why I ask.

 

[SHC1984]

If you can afford it the new bmw 750i is one damn good looking car..prob my car of choice if i had the cash lol

Nah man, Mercedes Benz S600 is better. Benz>>>>>>BMW

 

[Smilescali]

Oh so had you by then finished payments on it? Or is it expensive to maintain. The reason I'm curious is that BMW is my brand of choice if I ever get to buy a luxury car. I've never driven one, which is why I ask.

It was paid off. However, gas, insurance and basic worry were less on the Honda for me. I didn't want to have my husband have that responsibility. Yes BMWs are more expensive to maintain. They come with a warranty though, first 4 years or 50,000 miles are covered. I would suggest you go to a dealer to test drive one if you are interested. Also go to Mercedes to see the difference...

 

[Benelli]

I am sticking with my corvette, it gets a lot of attention (some negative... like the ricer peeps and their civics w/modded exhaust), drives well, and it gets good mileage (no joke). Sure I can only drive it 3 months a year...

Don't see too many mercedes up here, have seen Bentleys in bozeman though. What makes a car worth $500,000? Actually, what makes a car worth $1.8 million? (Veyron)

 

[medicalCPA]

I'm the boring guy who would drive anything as long as it got >30mpg.

 

[Tinkerbell22]

I am sticking with my corvette, it gets a lot of attention (some negative... like the ricer peeps and their civics w/modded exhaust), drives well, and it gets good mileage (no joke). Sure I can only drive it 3 months a year...

Don't see too many mercedes up here, have seen Bentleys in bozeman though. What makes a car worth $500,000? Actually, what makes a car worth $1.8 million? (Veyron)

I don't know but I find myself asking that same question every time I see one of those things on the road. It seems to me like there are a lot of people in a contest for most overpriced car... lol

I saw a man driving a Bentley GT look down to mess with his phone and smash into the back of a white Ford plumber's van. oops

 

[type b pharmD]

I'm the boring guy who would drive anything as long as it got >30mpg.

Im the boring guy who will never be caught spending more than 10,000 for a car. Think what you could do with the rest of that money people!!

 

[Smilescali]

Im the boring guy who will never be caught spending more than 10,000 for a car. Think what you could do with the rest of that money people!!

Please....I don't want to hear it. Everyone spends their money differently. I give tons of my money to taxes and charity. I also volunteer my TIME. If I want spend my money on a car if I can afford it then so be it. I am sure I could take a good look at the way you live and find some things that are frivolous. Geesh.

 

[type b pharmD]

Please....I don't want to hear it. Everyone spends their money differently. I give tons of my money to taxes and charity. I also volunteer my TIME. If I want spend my money on a car if I can afford it then so be it. I am sure I could take a good look at the way you live and find some things that are frivolous. Geesh.

whatever floats your boat, indeed. i must conclude cars bring you more marginal happiness than they bring me. to each his own!

 

[Smilescali]

whatever floats your boat, indeed. i must conclude cars bring you more marginal happiness than they bring me. to each his own!

Marginal happiness huh good Lord! Lol Its just a car that is fun to drive. No more no less. My happiness doesn't depend on it. As I stated above I volunteer a lot of my time to various causes, some I even started in pharmacy school. Those things and my family make me happy. So what if I like nice cars? Anyway it is all relative to what you make. Percentage wise my Bmw is a very small portion of my income.

 

[type b pharmD]

Marginal happiness huh good Lord! Lol Its just a car that is fun to drive. No more no less. My happiness doesn't depend on it. As I stated above I volunteer a lot of my time to various causes, some I even started in pharmacy school. Those things and my family make me happy. So what if I like nice cars? Anyway it is all relative to what you make. Percentage wise my Bmw is a very small portion of my income.

yeah thats what i was saying .. you obviously enjoy driving a nice car. so why not?

 

[Passion4Sci]

yeah thats what i was saying .. you obviously enjoy driving a nice car. so why not?

Her problem is your usage of the adjective "marginal" modifying "happiness."

 

[SHC1984]

Im the boring guy who will never be caught spending more than 10,000 for a car. Think what you could do with the rest of that money people!!

I totally agree, even if I was a millionaire I think I will still buy a used car. Cars are a waste of money. However houses (especially BEACH houses ARE NOT. )
I would put most of my money into houses so I am "making" money instead of losing money. 😉

I know a guy that owns two porches and live in a 180,000 dollar house. I told him he was crazy.

 

[type b pharmD]

Her problem is your usage of the adjective "marginal" modifying "happiness."

have you taken econ?

 

[Smilescali]

I totally agree, even if I was a millionaire I think I will still buy a used car. Cars are a waste of money. However houses (especially BEACH houses ARE NOT. )
I would put most of my money into houses so I am "making" money instead of losing money. 😉

I know a guy that owns two porches and live in a 180,000 dollar house. I told him he was crazy.

I agree too. Good thing I own my house and yes I have a wonderful ocean view here in lovely San Diego. I also get great deals on Bmws so I drive them for a while and sell them and can usually turn a profit or break even when I sell them.

 

[Passion4Sci]

have you taken econ?

Yes. Menger, right? Marginal Happiness as Menger wrote it though seems to say of marginal happiness that happiness is the combination of the gratification of our "senses" (What we use to interact with our environment). When we add a "unit" of marginal happiness, our happiness "level" goes up. Further additions, though, of the same "unit" of happiness will decrease our overall happiness to the initial point.

Like with every "unit" of food someone consumes, their happiness goes up, but if they keep eating, their happiness will eventually start decreasing, with everyone's point of decrease in a different place.

Anyway...

Where did I say I misunderstood what you meant by it? I'm still looking... Oh, wait...

The question you should ask is if she has taken Econ, since her feelings are in contention here, not mine.

 

[Smilescali]

Her problem is your usage of the adjective "marginal" modifying "happiness."

No that is not what my problem is, but thanks for trying

 

[Passion4Sci]

No that is not what my problem is, but thanks for trying

Just trying to help, sorry.

Maybe you could explain better 😉

 

[SHC1984]

I agree too. Good thing I own my house and yes I have a wonderful ocean view here in lovely San Diego. I also get great deals on Bmws so I drive them for a while and sell them and can usually turn a profit or break even when I sell them.

Nice! Your husband must make good money, a beach house in San Diego is proberly what? 5 million at least!!

How do you get such good deals on cars?

 

[Smilescali]

Nice! Your husband must make good money, a beach house in San Diego is proberly what? 5 million at least!!

How do you get such good deals on cars?

Not quite 5 million.....🙂 Can't complain though. I love it here. Someone very close to me works for BMW of North America in high places shall we say.

 

[jawnly211]

anyone?

 

[SHC1984]

Not quite 5 million.....🙂 Can't complain though. I love it here. Someone very close to me works for BMW of North America in high places shall we say.

Must be nice, I would love to stay at home and lay on the beach everyday. Better than working any job for sure.

 

[Vitamin K]

SoCal is similar in pay to Phoenix, and Target here pays $118,000/yr last I checked

 

[Zrchrn]

It was paid off. However, gas, insurance and basic worry were less on the Honda for me. I didn't want to have my husband have that responsibility. Yes BMWs are more expensive to maintain. They come with a warranty though, first 4 years or 50,000 miles are covered. I would suggest you go to a dealer to test drive one if you are interested. Also go to Mercedes to see the difference...

Haha, I've still got 4 years of Pharmacy school left. The idea of buying a BMW when I graduate is what I used to help me get through the mundane pre-pharmacy courses. Now that I'm in Pharmacy school, I gotta admit my interests are changing a little. I'm more interested in a nice car that is comfortable (especially for travel etc.). I'm not sure this neccessiarly = I need a BMW/MB or something of that expense. Especially if another car would suit those needs and not continue to make me pay for it. If it was a one time "fee" w/o being expensive to maintian that might make a difference. I was mostly curious if my motivation was a "worthwhile" one. However when I do go to buy a car, I'll make sure to stop by BMW and MB and test drive them to see if really makes a difference. Thanks for the information though.

 

[Sparda29]

Nah man, Mercedes Benz S600 is better. Benz>>>>>>BMW

Sorry, MB just isn't as good as BMW. Why the **** did MB eliminate manual transmission from most of their cars?

Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans, and other japburners suck. VTEC is ******ed, what's the point of having all that power if you're going to put it at the high RPMs.

That's why I love Volkswagen, I can attain most of the power of my CC around 3000-4000 RPM.

 

[Zrchrn]

Sorry, MB just isn't as good as BMW. Why the **** did MB eliminate manual transmission from most of their cars?

Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans, and other japburners suck. VTEC is ******ed, what's the point of having all that power if you're going to put it at the high RPMs.

That's why I love Volkswagen, I can attain most of the power of my CC around 3000-4000 RPM.

Isn't that how they increase the gas mileage?

 

[NaOH]

They're ugly and slow... Two things I can't tolerate in my car.

Four doors, too. Blech.

Right you are, sir! Toyotas = appliances.

As for Mercedes, anything with 'AMG' on the end gets my vote. (Old) E55 -> still one of my dream cars. :3

Still, it's American cars for me. G8 GT.... new Taurus SHO.... Caddy CTS-V.... yum. I'm actually even interested in the new Fiesta that's coming out, looks like it'll be a zippy, fun car for its size. Wish Ford hadn't killed off their in-house performance group, an SVT Fiesta with 180-200hp would be lovely.


....okay, okay... I'd roll in a 135i. Or a Mazdaspeed3.

Or a wagon of some sort. Wagons are awesome.

 

[Tinkerbell22]

I totally agree, even if I was a millionaire I think I will still buy a used car. Cars are a waste of money. However houses (especially BEACH houses ARE NOT. )
I would put most of my money into houses so I am "making" money instead of losing money. 😉

I know a guy that owns two porches and live in a 180,000 dollar house. I told him he was crazy.

Yeah buying a brand new car is not really my thing either, but then again it makes some people really happy knowing that no one else's butt has ever touched their leather seats... so it's worth it to them. Which is not a bad thing at all... it's just about personal preference. Personally... a lot of these luxury cars lose an absurb amount of value as soon as the title is signed by the first person and they drive off the lot. That's why I prefer to get a certified used car from the dealer with a really small number of miles on it that was owned by one OLD lady who never drove (you find a lot of those in Florida lol). I hate most other Japanese cars too, but I like my acura. Yeah it's a honda engine, but it has a lot more power than the accords. Plus I'm not racing... I just need a safe, comfortable car that can haul ass out of the toll both lanes when I'm merging on to the Turnpike and every lane is driving 90+mph and won't let you in. lol

Real estate is a usually pretty sound investment... particularly if you're going to actually be living on the property. My dad used to do some work in real estate down in Key West though, so I sort of know about how that can go BAD quickly lol. Places like Key West (and other beach communities) which experienced a ridiculous real estate bubble (ex: small(ish) 2 bedroom 2 bathroom homes and condos selling for over a million dollars) had a very rude awakening when the market flopped and families who had recently bought property (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) found that their 900,000 dollar home was only worth 400,000 and they still can't sell it. My parents have owned a home since the 1980's so it wasn't that bad for us, but a lot of people I know really had a hard time. I guess that's why you just have to be careful? What can you do? = /

 

[delano2000]

I am guessing no one is interested in SUVs? How about the '09 escalade hybrid or the '09 audi Q5?

 

[type b pharmD]

I am guessing no one is interested in SUVs? How about the '09 escalade hybrid or the '09 audi Q5?

denali ftw

 

[NaOH]

I am guessing no one is interested in SUVs? How about the '09 escalade hybrid or the '09 audi Q5?

Escalade hybrid sounds pretty cool, but I don't know if a $70k hybrid that gets 20mpg will impress most people. :\ Full marks for style and comfort, definitely.