BHPian Dippy recently shared this with other enthusiasts: Buying a car is one of the most important decisions we take in our lives. A lot of factors go into consideration before the purchase, from fuel efficiency to the feature list and more. The buying decision is even more significant as a car enthusiast. That’s because we think more from the heart than the head. That’s what this thread is about. As a car enthusiast, is your car-buying decision purely heart-driven or head-driven? And if it’s a mix of both, how much weightage do you give to either? Speaking of my story, buying the Thar was a pure-hearted decision. There wasn’t a moment I thought from the head. It was just something I wanted. And I stuck to it. Not regretting it one bit. Looking forward to some interesting POVs from fellow BHPians. Here’s what BHPian sunikkat replied:Always heart driven. If it’s head driven one wouldn’t need a car above 20 lakhs at the maximum. Intact if I listen to head, I might not even buy a car as it’s a depreciating asset.Here’s what BHPian dhanushs replied:For me, I’ve not achieved the level of financial freedom to make the purchase purely heart driven. In this case, used cars help a lot. Most heart driven enthusiast cars depreciate a lot and I encash on them. Eg: My Current cars are the Jetta and the Endeavor. My past cars the Palio, Vento, Montero, Ikon etc.. The only real challenge is to work hard in finding a good used piece, and a lesser challenge to work on maintain the car like new without warranty.Here’s what BHPian Aditya replied:Car: HM Contessa 1.8 GLX Decision: Heart I was single back then, ready to take all types of risks. Loved the design, comfort and the performance for its time. Had other cars at home. Car: Mitsubishi Lancer 1.5 petrol Decision: Heart I was still single when I bought this one. Loved the design, low, sportscar-like seating and handling. Had other cars at home. Car: Toyota Corolla 1.8E Decision: Head I was married when this one came home. Bought it for the unmatched reliability, comfortable (higher) seating for my ageing parents, cabin & boot space, safety, ease of maintenance and fantastic drivability. This is the only car at home. All my cars have helped create fond memories.Here’s what BHPian ajmat replied:Peugeot 309 SRi Head made me test it, the Heart after sampling the handling made me buy it Tata Sierra Heart – wanted a car for newly married wanderings – Head said “I told you so!” Maruti Zen Head – Sensible and upmarket (those days!) Honda City Heart. -Head also agreed Skoda Octavia vRS Heart – Head told me “wait and see!” VW Jetta Head – Reliable. economical and check to run. Heart got won over by its dependability Audi Q3 Head in terms of value – Heart in terms of ownership BMW 330iMSport Totally Heart and the Head agreed Honda Elevate Head and my wifes Heart VW Polo Head Suzuki Swift HeadHere’s what BHPian Rajeevraj replied:For my purchases, the head has the major say in my budget, once that is done, within that budget it is all heart. The heart is allowed to maybe go 10% over the budget. Apart from my first car purchase (The Maruti 800), none of my purchases have been massive best sellers in their segments. 2005 Zen, 2009 SX4, 2013 Vento TSI, 2012 Pulsar NS, 2023 KTM 390, all were mostly niche products-Kind of indicates why all of them were heart decisions. My last car purchase was a long time ago, but my most recent purchase the KTM390 was all heart- head was debating between Triumph 400 and HD X440 but the heart was not set on either. Randomly entered the KTM showroom. Saw the ADV, test rode it, booked it the next day, took delivery a week later. The head was also suppressed here with respect to budget as it was fairly more expensive than the others. My heart wants the Thar next, the head is winning currently- Let’s see where it ends up.Here’s what BHPian SS-Traveller replied:Neither – mine are invariably pocket- (& sometimes technology-) driven. I buy what I can afford without stretching my finances, especially something which is easy to fix and reliable when driven over long distances, and when retained over long periods of ownership.Here’s what BHPian heydj replied:I wanted to buy Thar in 2021 and it was purely driven by heart however it become a head decision and I ended up buying Tucson. I love Tucson and it’s fantastic but I still regret not buying Thar almost everyday. Now I am at a stage where I don’t know when I will buy next car but if and when I do it will be Thar. Ignoring one’s heart never ends well no matter what one says.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
