Ever Been Gifted a Car You Didn't Want?

"ElantraMusk" (elantramusk)
05/22/2019 at 14:34 • Filed to: WRX, gift, CVT, Mirage

I was reading a comment on the recent WRX/BRZ story over on Jalop and the guy said his wife bought him a WRX with *shivers* a CVT.

To some of us that may be blasphemous, but it was still a gift so it’s understandable that he wouldn’t want to appear ungrateful. However, a car is something you need be able to live with, especially when you can’t afford to just go buy another.If someone bought me a Mitsubishi Mirage for example, I would say thanks but probably surrender my license as an excuse for why it never left the driveway.

Now I have never been so lucky (or unlucky) to receive an entire car as a gift, but I think you probably can’t just return it without damaging your relationship with the person who bought it. What’s the OPPO consensus on this I am curious to hear other opinions from car people.

DISCUSSION (22)

ElantraMusk > ElantraMusk
05/22/2019 at 15:20

Part of me wants to go straight back to the dealer

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ElantraMusk
05/22/2019 at 15:26

If my wife bought me anything that cost over 20 grand (or 2 grand, for that matter), I’d be pissed at her for not checking with me first.

This is not sexist, fwiw. She should be pissed at me if I did the same! We’re married and have shared finances, and make big decisions like these together.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > ElantraMusk
05/22/2019 at 15:27

The wife should feel bad for not knowing hey husband better.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
05/22/2019 at 15:31

hell my wife gets mad at me if i spend 50 bucks without clearing it with her lol

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
05/22/2019 at 15:33

Haha - thankfully my number’s a little higher than that!

E90M3 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
05/22/2019 at 15:35

So what? 52?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > E90M3
05/22/2019 at 15:38

For like one random item? Probably like $250, maybe $500, but it’s more of just an understanding that we discuss big purchases (or expenses) before we pull the trigger.

MUSASHI66 > ElantraMusk
05/22/2019 at 15:52

Back in 2000, I bought my Tundra. My dad took over payments in 2003 and drove it until a few months ago. He gave it to me after he bought a 2018 Tundra.

Well, since he gave it to me, I invested close to $3000 into it, just to be able to drive my dogs to the off-leash dog park once in a while. I drove it maybe 3000 miles, and I’ve done shocks, wheels+tires(that was cosmetic reasons only), exhaust manifold, oxygen sensors, sway bar links, all the fluids, spark plugs, various little parts, and I’m about to have someone replace the timing belt and the water pump because I have a coolant leak. I still have a weird noise somewhere in the back and I’m not sure what it is or what it’d cost to fix.

I’m supposed to go on a 5 hour one way, 8 hour back road trip in August and I’m not sure I’m ready to trust it. I’m also supposed to drive it as a daily starting next April...

At the end of the day, I’m not 100% sure spending all this money was the right decision. And I think I’ll need to spend more to have it work the way I want when I turn it into a daily.

ElantraMusk > MUSASHI66
05/22/2019 at 16:00

That’ s a tough one, were you asked if you even wanted it? You may get some of that back if you find the right buyer but I can definitely understand not wanting to take it that far. Being stranded around the block is one thing, 8 hours away is another.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > ElantraMusk
05/22/2019 at 16:08

Yep: https://oppositelock.kinja.com/thought-id-post-up-my-old-acclaim-build-for-everyone-1823032640

It was given to us by my wife’s parents when they bought a new car. It ran/drove/looked good the year/mileage and we needed a car, so we took it. I hated it at first, so I started doing “dumb” mods for a laugh. Added a shorty intake and removed the muffler.

After doing that I realized how much it had opened up the top end power. That led me down a dark path of madness, leading to the WRX/FoST killing beast that it ended up as. It was raw/stupid/unbridled torque and it was awesome!

I still miss that car.

MUSASHI66 > ElantraMusk
05/22/2019 at 16:14

I did want it, because my three giant dogs won’t fit into a WRX. But, I didn’t expect all this shit to be bad or go bad a few thousand miles into owning it. Let’s just say my dad had some def er red maintenance items :)

ElantraMusk > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
05/22/2019 at 16:18

Wow that is madness but also incredibly fantastic. Took the whole ‘ when life gives you lemons, make lemonade’ thing and took it to the max

Ilike_cougars > ElantraMusk
05/22/2019 at 16:33

T he CVT WRX appears to actually be a great daily driver. Im actually thinking of getting one.

Coming to the question If my SO was going to present me a car I dont like , Id still take it, s ometimes its the though that counts.

ElantraMusk > Ilike_cougars
05/22/2019 at 16:37

I mean, if you like that sort of thing, you might get a better deal, just find a place that doesn’t have the manual in stock and act all disappointed but ‘settle’ for the cvt. worked for me with my car

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > ElantraMusk
05/22/2019 at 16:52

I would still have it, but the high comp motor, super light flywheel, 6 puck clutch made driving it daily quite a hassle, so I sold it for something more daily /family practical.

Then I ended up with a motor swapped minivan........

ElantraMusk > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
05/22/2019 at 16:54

* please say 2jz, please say 2jz*

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > ElantraMusk
05/22/2019 at 16:55

Honestly if someone gives me a running car, I don’t care what it is, I will flog the hell out of it til something major breaks, then decide what I want to do with it. If I’ve been enjoying it, I’ll keep it, if I’ve hated every second with it, I’ll send it to the scrappers ( unless it’s worth money, then I’ll just sell it ) .

One thing I’ve always been good about on “given” vehicles is offering to give whoever I got it from 1/2 of the profits.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > ElantraMusk
05/22/2019 at 16:55

No, 3.8L V6.

It was a day swap.

ElantraMusk > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
05/22/2019 at 16:56

true, if you hate it then drive it like you hate it

Ilike_cougars > ElantraMusk
05/22/2019 at 17:02

I have a fast manual car already, need a relatively quick daily, that is also good in the midwest winters. There are a lot more manual WRXs around, so I am having to look in a larger city compared to the place I am now..

Jordan > ElantraMusk
05/22/2019 at 17:47

Before I passed my test, I came home from school, and there was a red Nissan Micra from around 2002 on the driveway. My mum told me she bought it for me. She was joking (her car was as the body shop, and the Micra was a courtesy car). But when I thought she’d bought it for me, it felt really awkward. I didn’t want to be ungrateful, but it really wouldn’t have been a good car for me (at this point, I knew I was going to commute 50 miles daily to college, and it was mostly rural country roads, with lots of hills, mostly 60mph speed limits).

The Micra looked pretty similar to the one in this picture

Kinja'd!!!

ateamfan42 > ElantraMusk
05/23/2019 at 09:50

It’s one thing to buy a cheap used car (where options/color-wise, you get what you find) as a gift.

But anyone wanting to buy a late-model used car or a brand new car as a gift should understand that car choices are very personal. Make the gift a trip to the dealer where the recipient can pick out what they actually want.