Explain something to me about America. Edit: Oh, yeah...

"Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'" (otto-the-croatian) 11/04/2014 at 18:41 • Filed to: a million car garage

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How do you not buy new cars like ever week? What's the catch?
I mean, as far as I can work out the laws are ridiculous, you can drive a car legally as long as all your lights and signals are working, the registration is valid and you have 4 wheels, right?

For example !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
I envy you people more than you can imagine. I dream of moving to California one day, and I swear to God I'll do it at some point...

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Do you guys not have the space for more cars, or is the registration or insurance expensive, or do you have to pay huge taxes or something? I don't get it? Please tell me I'm very interested. How long is a car's registration valid until you have to pay for something again?

EDIT:

Ah, yes. I was not informed that I was an idiot.
I completely forgot that you still have to think about parking, the cost of living, rent, education, health care, food, work, time, friends, family, gas prices, free time and living a normal life in general.

Seems like your life can't revolve around cars, I guess.
That sucks.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 18:44

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I dream of moving to California one day...

Said no one ever...

TheHondaBro > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 18:44

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I dream of moving to California one day, and I swear to God I'll do it at some point...

NOOOOOO Don't move to California!! Vehicular laws and restrictions are probably the strictest in the country there. Smog is stricter and you're not allowed to remove your muffler or do anything to your exhaust that would increase emissions even to the slightest.

lone_liberal > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 18:45

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How big do you think American houses are? Laws for things like registration and inspections vary from state to state but registrations are usually good for one year. The main reasons are that most people prefer newer cars that cost more and they don't have garage space for more than 2 or 3 cars. That's it.

KirkyV > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 18:47

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I wonder this about the UK, sometimes. Cars on the used market are ridiculously cheap compared to most other countries, and while there is road tax and MOTs to worry about, if you buy a car that's got a good few months of tax and MOT left on it, you should have plenty of time to have fun with it before you have to worry about either. I suppose insurance is an issue for younger drivers, but even that shouldn't act as much of a barrier for anyone in the early twenties or older.

BrownMiataDieselWagon > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 18:47

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For someone living in an urban area, Chicago, I can tell you that finding street parking is impossible. The cost of living is also too damn high (rent, food, misc. expenses, etc.). And yes, insurance is damn expensive.

BrownMiataDieselWagon > TheHondaBro 11/04/2014 at 18:48

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Yeah, California emissions laws will kill your vehicular dreams.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > lone_liberal 11/04/2014 at 18:50

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NY has 24 month registrations. And I thought everyone in this country lived in a 300 acre ranch with a 1,000 car garage like me....

CRider > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback 11/04/2014 at 18:50

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Yeah, that's why California is such an expensive place to live. Nobody wants to live here.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/04/2014 at 18:51

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Shit, I forgot about ''other life stuff''. Ah, maaan... Okay. I guess everything sucks everywhere.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > CRider 11/04/2014 at 18:52

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NorCal is nice but I don't think I'd live there. Montana is much better. NY which is like California of the east coast is expensive but not as much. Much looser towards cars and it's so beautiful here.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/04/2014 at 18:52

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Eh, depends on the area. If it's one that's really bad you get the resident permit which helps. I street parked for three years in my non-permit-needing area with no problems. At most I was a block away from my car, I usually was very near my building. I was just back in Chicago visiting friends and no issues finding parking in his area either, even when we got back at 11 at night.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 18:53

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California is the last state you want to move to for your reasons.

CRider > TheHondaBro 11/04/2014 at 18:54

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You're not allowed to remove your cats (federal law prohibits removing those), you are allowed to remove and replace your muffler as long as your car meets noise regulations. There are many CA legal car mods that are specifically allowed in CA, no other state specifically legalizes modifications.

TheHondaBro > CRider 11/04/2014 at 18:55

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California is cheaper to live in than Washington, coming from someone who's lived in both states.

What balances it out is the sales tax at 7.5%.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 11/04/2014 at 18:55

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How about colorado? It's close... Is it any better?

BrownMiataDieselWagon > Little Black Coupe Turned Silver 11/04/2014 at 18:56

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I guess it does depend on area. But in my neighborhood (near downtown), Mon-Fri there is never any available street-parking even in the permit zones.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 18:56

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You have to have insurance and registration for that car. Depending on the area, registration requires an emissions and/or safety inspection first. Some cities (like Chicago) have a special "city sticker" that is another fee, due every year. I know in some states if you register too many cars in a year you get flagged as a dealer and have to deal with all of that.

Space is also a huge issue, especially in cities. Street parking can be hard to find, and off-street or garage parking can be very expensive.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > TheHondaBro 11/04/2014 at 18:56

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Dammit.
Roadkill lied to me then.

Jedidiah > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 19:00

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My family buys a ton of cars.

We've had at least 30 since I've been born. A little more than 1 a year.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Little Black Coupe Turned Silver 11/04/2014 at 19:00

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Oh, so the ''city sticker'' is something like that congestion charge for London Top Gear are always on about? Huh, I didn't know that you had that.

CRider > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback 11/04/2014 at 19:01

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The weather in California beats New York by miles. CA is 100x more car friendly place to live than NY. There are beaches, deserts and mountains all within an hour of LA.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Jedidiah 11/04/2014 at 19:03

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Wooohoooo!!! In which state do you live?
I haven't had one positive answer but yours. California, NY, and big cities are expensive as far as I understand, because of parking, city stickers and registrations...

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/04/2014 at 19:03

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Yeah. When I was living around Uptown/Lakeview I had offstreet parking. I then moved a little north of there and didn't have problems street parking.

RallyWrench > TheHondaBro 11/04/2014 at 19:04

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The only exception is that we don't have mandatory vehicle inspections, so you can roll down the road in any smoldering, dangerous, clapped-out POS you please.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > CRider 11/04/2014 at 19:05

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That depends on your opinion on good weather, I also do think that we're less strict on smog and stuff. New York is better, being born and raised in New York you're not gonna change my opinion on this.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 19:05

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It's mainly a way for Chicago to drain another $100 a year out of every car it can... If you car is registered in the city limits, it has to have one. In some neighborhoods it doubles as your resident parking permit, but that is an additional fee on top of the city sticker. It's all just to make money.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 19:06

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Rural Colorado maybe, but IIRC the metro areas of Colorado have nearly as strict, if not stricter emissions/inspection laws. Most of the emissions free states are from the midwest to east coast. There are a few other places, but they are few.

fhrblig > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 19:06

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Our laws in Colorado aren't as restrictive as California's. It does seem to be getting more expensive to live here, but I love it.

Registration is every year, emissions every two years unless you drive by the mobile emissions checkers a few times a year, then you get automatically passed. That's assuming your car isn't polluting. I paid around $300 for plates/registration last year, should be a bit less this year. We don't have safety/roadworthiness inspections here.

CRider > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback 11/04/2014 at 19:07

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Being born and raised in Southern California I hate hearing you spew lies and misinformed half truths when you don't know the facts. I know right now it's about 20 degrees warmer where I am than it is in NY and there's no rain in the forecast.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > CRider 11/04/2014 at 19:08

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Ok.. I do prefer New Yorks weather than it being sunny all year.

davedave1111 > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 19:08

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I don't think it's anything like the CC. Here in London, you can drive in most of the city just fine, wherever your car is registered. If you want to go into the centre during daytime, though, you have to pay a daily fee.

This sounds more like higher car tax for people who have a car registered in the city.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 19:12

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California is nice, but the emissions laws are pretty strict here. Just because your car runs doesn't men it will be allowed to operate on the roads. Other states probably couldn't care less, even if your car was burning baby polar bears as fuel , as long as the registration is paid up.

Jedidiah > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 19:12

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Tennessee. I like it here a lot.

No emmisions in some counties and super easy to get a title. Registration is a decent price as well.

Enough space to own a lot of cars. The climate is way better than up north so that cars are normally pretty solid unless leaves have gotten in between body panels.

Gas just fell under $3.

Lots of nice mountain roads in East TN and nice cruising roads in Middle TN. They closed down a lot of off-road trails in the parks because of environmental damage, which is a shame, but there are still plenty of places to go.

No race tracks except for the occasional drag strip or dirt oval though.

CRider > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback 11/04/2014 at 19:12

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So you LIKE cold, rainy and snowy weather? Weather that destroys cars?

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 11/04/2014 at 19:12

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We do have good weather here..so we got that going for us.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > CRider 11/04/2014 at 19:13

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I do like snow and rain. Makes things enjoyable.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 19:14

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It might be easier if you find a way to register your car in an inland county. Their emissions testing is much less strict than here on the coast.... Oh, but don't bother going to San Francisco. Great roads, but nowhere, and I mean NOWHERE to fucking park. Gotta take a train up there.

CRider > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback 11/04/2014 at 19:16

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If your best argument against California is that it isn't soaking wet and freezing cold, you're not in your right mind.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > CRider 11/04/2014 at 19:17

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In reality I don't have an issue with California. I'm sure it's nice, I like New York. I'm gonna stay here. No reason to get upset over it. You really can't take most of what I say seriously.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 11/04/2014 at 19:24

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So does Florida for the most part, but that doesn't make it a good place to live.

DoYouEvenShift > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 19:40

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I live in Texas, and at one time had 5 cars. Now down to 4, but working on getting more. Insurance can be pretty cheap if you don't have moving violations on your record. You pay a yearly fee for registration on each car, comes out to about $60 a year. Also, inspection stickers, $15 a year, it varies by county. I think some people pay up to $80 in emissions testing counties. But where I live, we don't have that. They check for good tires, working lights and brakes, and that's about it. If a car is older than ten years, you don't pay taxes on it. What else. Gas is about $2.69 a gallon currently, so no one is complaining. Unless you buy diesel, that stuff is $3.49 last I checked, makes no sense.

Best advice I can give is to avoid California, that state is not very friendly to auto enthusiast. Also, me personally, will tell you to avoid the Northern part of the US, I know I'll get flack for this. But cars rust up very very quickly, and it becomes difficult to find rust free cars older than 5 years. Some may raise some good points otherwise, buts that's my experience.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 19:45

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Kansas has some of the most lenient vehicular laws I've ever seen.

ranwhenparked > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 19:54

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Yeah, and a lot of American enthusiasts dream of living in the UK where used cars are practically free, our residual values are quite high in comparison.

ihm96 > CRider 11/04/2014 at 19:54

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I like having actual seasons. Its nice to have summer, then fall which is beautiful, and then winter where I can go sledding and skiing and gets days off from school, plus snow is also beautiful, and then I have spring which is a beautiful respite from the winter. I'm in Philadelphia, and we like having actual weather here. Also, California is much more expensive to live in compared to here, plus they have stricter rules on cars. The beach is only an hour or so away from me. Also if I didn't live in Philly I probably wouldn't have ever done crew, as the northeast is one of the centers of rowing, and thats become a major part of my life. I have skiing an hour away, plus the beach, and all different forms of nature near me and at different times. Its nice to enjoy variety and options.

CRider > ihm96 11/04/2014 at 19:59

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If I want winter snow and skiing it's an hour away, too.

Lekker > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 20:03

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That's not everywhere, but here depending on the state they have different fees. Most of the expenses come in insurance, and registration fees. Which are a set percentage of the vehicle cost. But it varies.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 11/04/2014 at 20:14

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This .gif exists for a reason.

www.gifbin.com/981588

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 11/04/2014 at 20:19

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Many wish the same for California as well. Besides, 95% of Florida Man articles are about northern transplants.

promoted by the color red > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 20:32

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I live in CA and it's not as bad as people make it sound. The state only cares if what's coming out of your car matches what the computer says it should and you can't put an older engine into a newer car. My uncle's Nissan pickup was a rolling shit heap that should have been put down ages before it finally was.

To answer the question: You can! But as you later found out, parking's a bitch. My colleague in LA has a motocross track and workshop on his property so he can have as many cars and motorbikes as he could want. Meanwhile, my former neighbor spent his days shuffling his six, street-parked cars around the block and we all hated him for it.

Also, CA registration is annual. You mail in about $100 and, as long as your numbers are in order, you will get a sticker valid for a year. Attach sticker and drive off.

Insurance only really sucks if you're really young and want a fast car. My Honda is about $85/mo for pretty decent insurance.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 11/04/2014 at 20:39

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Down here we just wish we could cut off northern California. Too much money up there imposing it's will on us down here. Gotta remember, I'm a southern transplant out here.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/04/2014 at 21:17

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Idaho FTW, no emissions tests other than 2 counties, and now mechanical inspections at all, free street parking, and cheap housing, cheap insurance as well.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/05/2014 at 00:00

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Buy car

$$$$

Sales tax (depends on state) price of car x .05

Insurance for me @100mo

Also depending on the insurance can mean how you store your vehicle. If it is classic then often the insurance company requires it to be stored in a garage. Thus the costs start going up.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Little Black Coupe Turned Silver 11/05/2014 at 03:01

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Basterds. I bet they had an eco story behind it, to back it up, like getting people on bicycles rather than cars and such ideas.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Jedidiah 11/05/2014 at 03:03

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Cool. Seems as though the inland states are more relaxed about everything...

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > promoted by the color red 11/05/2014 at 03:07

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Oh, I see. Still, it's less espensive than here. In Croatia, registration is around 1000 bucks a year... Add on insurance, fuel prices, and the result is only those who can justify having a car get it, only those who need a car own one.
Which isn't reflecting well in the car-modding culture, I hardly see any modded cars, or even just cars you see are for pleasure rather than just transport. That makes the streets a pretty boring sight to see as a car guy.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man 11/05/2014 at 03:08

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Wooohoooo go Idahooo!

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > DoYouEvenShift 11/05/2014 at 03:57

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Thank you for sharing. I like Texas now, seems pretty cheap. And right now it's 2014, so cars older than 2004 aren't half bad as a daily driver and you get to avoid the taxes.

DoYouEvenShift > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 11/05/2014 at 08:38

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Happy to help.