Street Parkers who brought beautiful new cars… are you happy with you purchase?

Submitted by aranhalaranja t3_11bpoex in philadelphia

On average, a stranger dings or scrapes my car once a year. Since my 2005 Camry and I arrived in 2016, I’ve come accustomed to the idea that this is just a cost of living here.

It’s nearly time to retire the Camry. I’m tempted to get something new and shiny. But street parking in south Philly and driving to CC often, I’m wondering if I’ll regret the purchase.

Folks w shiny new cars- have you regretted the purchase? Or made any lifestyle changes?

Moving isn’t an option. Nor is protected garage parking 🫤

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alittlemouth t1_j9z719c wrote

When I got a new car I knew that first ding or scrape would make me really mad, so I hit a pillar in a parking garage right away so I could only be mad at myself. At least that's the way I've justified my idiocy.

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ZealousidealShift880 t1_j9zcbfm wrote

Ha my husband did this. In his defense it was at the hospital after having third baby 😂

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espressocycle t1_ja0mx0s wrote

Only time I bought a late model car I immediately hit a poll by accident but honestly it was a real load off my mind. I sold it anyway though and bought something cheaper. I'm 43 and other than that one time I've never paid more than $4500 for a car. And the only reason I've owned six cars is because one just smelled too bad, one got stolen and one was deemed by my wife to be too dangerous to transport a child in. I've only actually junked one car and it was just because I was too lazy to fix it.

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tgalen t1_ja0q14e wrote

Omg this happened to me too!!

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dersnappychicken t1_ja1wimy wrote

I do the same thing in Dark Souls games. Run off the first cliff I see. When the first one is on me, the rest hurt less.

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ColdJay64 t1_j9z67py wrote

You can’t street park a car in a city without dents or scrapes happening here and there. It’s just not possible. If you get a new car, you’ll just have to accept this and remember that no one is scrutinizing your car even 1% as much as you are.

Remember, no car will look better the more it is used. You just have to enjoy having a new one to drive around :)

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jmajek t1_ja31lkc wrote

True but sometimes I just laugh because I lived in Manhattan/Brooklyn for 1.5 years and Jersey City for 2.5 years. I had light marks on my front and back bumper.

My first two months in Philly someone ran into and shattered my driver's side mirror 🤣

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Scumandvillany t1_j9z7om0 wrote

Honestly just get another beater. Like a used Subaru, or Honda or Toyota. But honestly I'd just ride that Camry till the wheels come off. That things engine will run as long as there's oil in it for a hundred thousand miles more than your outside estimate

Edit: also, why on earth do people live in south Philly and drive to CC? Just seems odd. Buses are easy and cleanish.

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petedogg t1_j9ze8v9 wrote

Yeah if you have a regular commute to the burbs, that’s one thing. But if you need a car occasionally, just leave it at home and take transit to CC instead. Then you don’t have to look for parking as much either.

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espressocycle t1_ja0nebo wrote

Yeah, it's bizarre to do that in South Philly. I did occasionally drive to work when I lived in Kensington because it was ten minutes vs. 40 by bus. But that's just because the bus route was so stupid.

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emk544 t1_ja16red wrote

When I lived in Pennsport it was about twice as fast to get to work by driving than it was to take the buses. I didn’t really do it because parking is expensive, but not all of south philly is super well connected to transit. I could at least see why people do it.

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aranhalaranja OP t1_ja0y3wk wrote

Decent question. I actually hate driving. And I hate cars. Whenever possible, I cycle or walk or bus to CC.

That said, we lived in CC for five or six years and recently moved to South Philly. So my dentist, doctor, chiropractor, etc are all in CC.

I work in north Philly, so if I’m doing anything on the way home from work, I end up directly in the nightmare that is parking and trafficking through Rittenhouse square - two activities I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy

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Chimpskibot t1_j9zwqrf wrote

You live in South Philly and drive to CC? LOL

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BigShawn424 t1_ja05ffh wrote

They could save so much money just by catching the subway lmao

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Owlbertowlbert t1_ja0n0mh wrote

tell me you originated in the suburbs without telling me you originated in the suburbs... oof

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cinephile67 t1_ja1qfg8 wrote

Im born and raised in Philly and know so many people that drive the shortest distances. Don’t think it’s a suburban thing

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AbsentEmpire t1_ja3tx5h wrote

It's not, I know households in South Philly where everyone in the house owns a car, and drives everywhere in the city. It's stupid, but it's definitely not a suburban this.

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aranhalaranja OP t1_ja6a2de wrote

I’m not from the Burbs. The assumptions people on this sub throw around are so ridiculous. The amount of times some moron on this sub has accused me of being from wherever because of a comment on parking or cheesesteaks or snow plowing or whatever 😬

Anyway. Long story short.

I spent 6 years in CC before moving to south Philly less than a year ago.

My doctor, chiropractor, vet, pediatrician, etc are all there.

If I were to bring a dog on septa to go to the vet, wouldn’t the folks in this exact sub shit themselves?

If I were to bring my baby on septa, wouldn’t folks on this sub say: Philly crime is the worst. Any idiot with a baby on septa is asking for trouble.

Contrary to popular belief. Philly is a great city and the people are are wonderful. There’s a tiny subset on this sub who REALLY want to uphold the asshole Philly demeanor. Not necessary

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ZealousidealShift880 t1_j9z4z0j wrote

We’ve gotten two new cars in the past 10 years, second was bc we have that third kid. It’s fine as long as you accept dings. I think every car I’ve owned has been dinged within first couple months.

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redrosie10 t1_ja22y29 wrote

I’ve had two new-to-me cars in the last two years (thanks to an accident on 95) and both got significant cosmetic damage within the first month. First car got scraped in a wawa parking lot and the second one got a large dent right above my rear wheel. It’s just what it is at this point.

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Easy-Reading t1_ja02x9b wrote

There's a freeing feeling about having a car old enough that you're not that concerned about parking or driving in the city.

This could also be Stockholm Syndrome.

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DixonWasAliveAgain t1_ja1obzp wrote

When you hear talk about people being spiritually bankrupted by material possessions - and freed in their absence - this has got to be what it’s about. Not exactly my philosophy, but I definitely enjoy the same relationship with my car.

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_mynameisclarence t1_j9z8l2c wrote

I bought two new cars. I have a two car driveway. Both cars rear ended by idiots who didn’t have insurance. Both cars dented to shit parked in random places throughout the city. Do not get a new car in Philly, regardless of your home parking situation.

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cfh294 t1_j9ziexn wrote

Netflix presents Stranger Dings

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GooFoYouPal t1_j9zrpx5 wrote

Bro, go clean your block. That’s your punishment. Idc if it’s cold out.

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Ng3me t1_j9zo8im wrote

Scratches don’t typically impact car functionality so get a reliable new one and when it’s scratched, it will still work.

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thfemale t1_ja15y2h wrote

I would argue that deeper scratches turn to rust, and rust destroys the car body. It's not the same as an engine problem, sure, but personally I think deeper scratches should still be fixed.

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Aromat_Junkie t1_ja4v3kg wrote

thats ok, the junkie construction worker who backed into my radiator didn't do any damage either, and so felt non obligated to leave a note.

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sandpadres t1_j9zzcv7 wrote

I bought a used Subaru that already had a few scratches for this exact reason. Doesn’t hurt that much when a new scratch inevitably appears now

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justasque t1_ja0luxs wrote

Another vote for a second hand Subaru. Love my Subie!

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MagnusUnda t1_ja01cv7 wrote

A snow plow tore the door off my Mini last year, can’t get worse than that “ding”!

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gpty24 t1_j9z8b4m wrote

A car parking in front of me hit my bumper the first day I bought the car. I was really mad, a week later another one completely scratched it. After a while you accept people don't know how to park or are a holes.

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CommunicationTime265 t1_j9zjlhf wrote

I'm afraid to get a nice looking car. I've been driving my dirty ass dented corolla for 6 years and never worry about it. The anxiety of having a shiny new car in the city would be pretty annoying. Hope my guy lasts another 5 or 6 years.

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Leviathant t1_j9zztjb wrote

Most of the street-parking paint damage I have is on my bumpers - which is fine, they're called bumpers for a reason. The second most noticeable issue is the haze that develops on headlights over the years. At first, I bought the kind of headlight renewal kit that works with my cordless drill - polishing compound and sealant, etc. It was a lot of work, and only lasted about a year. If your headlights get hazy - just buy new ones on eBay.

On that note, the main thing I've done since moving to Philadelphia, with respect to my shiny vehicle, is get a sun shade for my windshield. There's only so much you can do about the exterior - might as well do what you can to protect the interior from the sun.

Had to get a couple of windows replaced recently because of vandals. I'd call them thieves, but there was nothing for them to take. The most recent one only shattered the window in place - Safelite used a rope saw to remove it, and scratched up my paint. They paid to get the paint fixed.

I think the reality is, living in an urban environment reminds you that a car is a utility, not a trophy or a work of art. Certainly not an investment, either. You know what (typically) helps with accepting that your new car will get dings, will have strangers leaning on it, will get broken into? Buy a slightly used car, and put the thousands of dollars you saved into an auto maintenance account.

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ParallelPeterParker t1_j9ztcvt wrote

My biggest regret is not spending a little more for a more robust/reliable car. Not that the car itself isn't reliable but I've had two "accidents" (one a straight up hit and run) that were not my fault that have been extra annoying because the maker in question cut corners making future expenses. Lesson learned for me.

All to say, this city is destined to destroy your car wherever you park it. So I wouldn't spend too much, but I wouldn't drop down to a cheap car because of it. You'll pay the piper either way.

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JennItalia269 t1_j9zzeb8 wrote

2005 Camry? Why do you need a new car? Is it all rusted and the suspension is shot and therefore won’t pass inspection?

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heliotropic t1_ja0c57a wrote

I will say that I’ve personally experienced more dings to cars parking in suburban style lots than parallel parking in the city - door dings are a thing.

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haberdashley t1_ja0focq wrote

I bought a new car with the expectation that it would get dinged and scratched almost immediately, and it did - in a suburban parking lot. Right after that I got hit with highway debris and had to replace the windshield. Have collected the usual scrapes and scratches since, but eh. I plan to drive it as long as I can so I’m not worried about resale, so I just don’t look too closely at the bumpers (my father on the other hand is horrified haha).

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tgalen t1_ja0pzg2 wrote

The only person who has scratched my brand new car in his first year of life was me 🥸

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vasquca1 t1_ja11hnl wrote

I lost two cars in Philly. Both times folks nit paying attention and rear ending me.

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BlackhawkinPA t1_j9z4coh wrote

I was happy with my 1997 Mirage in the city. It was the perfect.beater car. Especially in West Philly. I used to get dings regularly on Spruce. Park too close to me in the front and back on Pine St.? I'll show you the Chicago way of leaving a spot.

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AnotherUser297 t1_j9zdv8s wrote

So, I live in the suburbs and park my car in my driveway. It’s 4 years old and has a ton of dings and dents and scrapes from other people in parking lots.

I don’t know how anyone keeps their cars dent-free, unless they care enough to get each and every one fixed.

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watwatinjoemamasbutt t1_j9ze5qq wrote

My car died right before the pandemic. I shopped around a bit. Bought a used car (4 years old) right before prices went bonkers. That price was about 60% of a new version of the same car (model had not changed that much). Didn’t make sense to pay full price for new knowing it’s going to get dinged. I’ve been pretty lucky in terms of scratches and dings but someone finally got my bumper a couple of weeks ago arrrggghhh!!

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ThatsNotFennel t1_ja0flwc wrote

Buying new is for suckers if you live in the city. It's going to get beat up, so just buy used.

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espressocycle t1_ja0m6n9 wrote

No way in hell would I own a car worth more than $5,000 in the city. All my cars have been pre-dented. Happiest I have ever been with a car was when I bought a Ford Escort that had been sideswiped. I didn't fix it, just enjoyed having a $1200 car that had already been totalled and was still drivable.

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CGphilly t1_ja0o7gj wrote

I think it depends on the neighborhood. We’re in Queen Village and leased a brand new Mini in April 2020. So coming up on 3 years of street parking, I’m pretty impressed with its condition. It’s definitely not perfect, mainly just some small nicks on the bumpers, and a couple ‘brushmarks’ on the side where maybe a biker grazed it, but no dents at all. We’re planning to buy it when the lease is up next month and then just keep it and run it until it dies one day. You’re right though the random ding or dent is just part of the experience

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Ld862 t1_ja141s8 wrote

Had a brand new car- bought the dents and dings protection insurance add-on for ten dollars extra a month - then lease ended after three years in Philly with no dents or dings parking on street in point breeze, so. Guess it’s possible to get lucky.

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macncheese413 t1_ja1477c wrote

I moved to the city not too long after buying a new car. It's been almost a year of street parking and I've gotten 2 small scrapes, nothing major just a little sad

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emk544 t1_ja16bn3 wrote

The more you pay for a new car, the more you’ll regret it. You will get dings and you will get dents. Whoever is in this thread who is saying you won’t is either lying or not looking at their bumpers hard enough. But I bought a new Corolla about 3 years ago and street parked it - I was willing to accept the dents. If you’re buying a $55,000 SUV you may be less willing to accept these issues. Just my two cents.

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deyaintready t1_ja1smmx wrote

Someone jumped on the hood of my mint z3 bmw once. Have learned that car being hit in the city is part of the game. Luckily don’t have to street park anymore. I may be interested in buying your Camry if you sell it though. Message me.

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215illmatic t1_ja3mqiu wrote

2 new cars, street parked last 6 years in West and now Fishtown. Few scratches here and there but worthwhile in exchange for a reliable car.

Don’t be an idiot and park hanging over corners etc

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BigShawn424 t1_ja05ax1 wrote

I bought a used 2016 white 4runner recently that looks like a 2023. No dings or scrapes yet.

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schwnz t1_ja0efcp wrote

Im buying a shiny new one Saturday. All the R&D I’ve done has been based on fuel efficiency and having a beefier suspension due to the off-road conditions in Philly.

I’m glad I don’t care about dings and scrapes. It would be super stressful living here if I did.

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ElectricTiger391 t1_ja0h3l8 wrote

Don't forget about the fantastic state of our streets!!

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woah_whats_thatb t1_ja0m19v wrote

Bought a new car for the first time in my life last year. It's not been a problem for me. I'm usually more concerned about tickets. Parking in south Philly fuggin blows

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forgottentaco420 t1_ja0n2h9 wrote

I just got a new car for the first time in my life. I was driving a beat up 2005 Mazda that was falling apart by last week. My biggest concern is theft honestly. Parking isn’t usually a huge deal in my neighborhood, my partner has a nice 2018 Honda that’s gotten a few scratches here and there but nothing that can’t be buffed out or fixed. At least a new car comes with a warranty should anything go wrong, and it’s nice to treat yourself.

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Cobey1 t1_ja0nxol wrote

Bought a new car July ‘22, since then I have had a senior back into my passenger door causing it to unopen, and various key marks, side swipes, scrapes, scratches, dings…. People in this city really hate other people’s nice things

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mburn14 t1_ja0txp4 wrote

Definitely a used car city

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Allemaengel t1_ja0ufn9 wrote

I'm in the Poconos but like in Philly shit zeroes in on new cars and in my 30+ years I've never owned one because of that fact.

And for good reason after three people rear-ending and one T-boning me.

Then there's the 14 deer and 1 horse coming out of the brush on narrow roads with blind curves that have gotten me too. And yeah, before anyone critiques my driving skills that's 30 years with no speeding tickets, moving violations or accidents ruled my fault - the roads are that bad and deer that numerous, lol.

Get another good used car and sleep well at night knowing you're not facing the possibility of shit happens to your rapidly-depreciating new car out on the street by various dumbasses and assholes.

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mundotaku t1_ja10k3q wrote

We bought a used small car because we know the car will get destroyed by parking on the street. Bumpers can always be repainted or buffed. It is what it is. If I was on the market for a brand new car, probably I would go for a model with a lot of black plastic on the side and automatic folding mirrors.

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dontbemystalker t1_ja1q2ik wrote

Bought a 2019 Cherokee in June last year. It got scratches within a few months and has since had a window smashed/broken into. Maybe get one of those protective covers? May make it more of a target though

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WhosAfraidOf_138 t1_ja1z0k0 wrote

I have a brand new white Tesla and honestly, I kind of expect something to happen it sooner or later especially like you I drive and park around Chinatown/CenterCity and South Philly a lot.

I could put on a ceramic coating or PPF.. but that's a lot of work and/or money.

Should I just do it?

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AKraiderfan t1_ja1zvxw wrote

No regrets. My new car goes as fast as i ever want it. A few dings on the door, couple scrapes on the bumper, oh well, if it isn't in a rust-critical area, you live with it.

Who the hell cares if your mode of transportation is pristine or a little dinged. Get over it.

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tharussianphil t1_ja2719n wrote

When I moved to philly I owned two cars. First time I went to south philly car #1 got dinged. Took car #2 to south philly and it got dinged horribly. Decided it was time to downsize to 1 lol.

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Squadooch t1_ja2fvxy wrote

I would never buy a brand new car if street parking were my only option. I’ve been burned far too many times.

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flappenjacks t1_ja2oj56 wrote

I've known a few folks who got their cars heavily damaged or totaled by drunk drivers wall riding rows of parked cars in south Philly

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givemesendies t1_ja3dn2d wrote

My car is old, getting rare, and looks decent even wih dings. I'm probably going to get in repainted because the old paint is failing. At this point, I've accepted it will get dinged. Shit happens, cars are meant to be driven.

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TheBSQ t1_ja67tl6 wrote

My good friend insists on driving high end cars and always complains about the damage that come with street parking. I don’t get it. It’s like he’s purposely arranged for a situation guaranteed to anger himself.

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taskermorrisrider222 t1_ja7pr51 wrote

Buy a lightly used car. No reason to buy new these days. Most people are trying to get rid of the shiny new car they paid too much for.

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MisterMutton t1_ja15kva wrote

Drive a beater until you get yourself in a situation where you don’t have to street park, i.e get the heck out of Philly.

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greatbrownbear t1_ja34n2m wrote

welcome to living in any city… owning a car is more of a hassle than anything

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CerealJello t1_j9zc232 wrote

Cars are tools to get from point A to point B. If you're worried about how it looks, you're doing it wrong. If you can accept the dings and scratches, enjoy the 5 or 6 years of little to no maintenance beyond oil changes and air filters.

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Cute-Interest3362 t1_j9zmc9o wrote

eh...clothing is a tool to shield your body from weather. If you're worried about what it looks like you're doing it wrong.

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Kodiak_85 t1_j9zwnp1 wrote

Your house is just a tool to give you shelter. If you’re worried about how it looks, you’re doing it wrong.

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