Boomer Dream Cars

Forbes Magazine recently ran a feature on Baby Boomers’ Top Ten Dream Cars. We might as well be doing a Porsche BoxsterDavid Letterman Top Ten list, because these are some pretty expensive toys. Dream may be the operative word, because these cars have a might hefty entry fee.

Seriously....how many baby boomers do you know who are buying $40,000+ cars because they can? They must be Forbes subscribers, so maybe it does make sense. If you have high earnings and piles of investment cash, Forbes can guide you as to how to enhance this nest egg. What’s alittle splurge every now and then? Satisfy that whim....get rid of the SUV or minivan and buy a Porshe Boxster (#1 on the list, MSRP: $48,100-$61,800). Over 80% of their sales are to boomers. Or you could go with #2 on the list...BMW 6 Series Convertible. It’s only $90,500. Screw it! You want the best? Plunk down $102,600-$198,750 and get yourself a Mercedes-Benz SL. Nearly 70 percent of these are purchased by boomers.

Despite coming in at #10, it’s no surprise that 63 percent of all Corvettes are sold to boomers. A favorite of boomer kids growing up, now’s a great time to finally live the dream. MSRP: $49,045-$110,300.

For thos e with “only modest portfolios” (Forbes description, not mine), the #5 pick is the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. Sixty-six percent of their sales are to those “on the verge of retirement.” MSRP: $27,999-$32,599.

The funniest/most out of place car on the list? That’s easy. #8, the Chevrolet Aveo. According to Forbes, this is the choice of “empty nesters tapped out by paying for college tuition or making a late effort to sock away retirement savings.” MSRP: $11,965-$15,365.Forbes also notes that it is “Small and underpowered, frugality is its prime virtue.” There’s a ringing endorsement.

AveoWhere are the cars with montly payments of less than 200 bucks? Other than the Aveo, you can forget about it. No Ford Fusions, Chevy Maiibus, Toyota Camrys. No Hondas, Nissans, Volkswagens, Mazdas, Kias or Hyundais. Not even a Mini Cooper. Oh, wait, this isn’t about reality, it’s about dreams.

What was it that Robin Leach used to say on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous? At the conclusion of each show, he hoped that we would experience “champagne wishes and caviar dreams.” Some of us can swing the champagne part, but we’ll be toasting the Subaru, hoping that we’ll get 200,000 miles out of it.

Jay Harrison is a graphic designer and writer whose work can be seen at DesignConcept and at BoomSpeak. He's written a mystery novel, which therefore makes him a pre-published author.