Go with the Volvo.

1. Suzuki Sidekick
2. Gremlin
3. Murdered-out Pinto
4. F Train

those are your only choices.

Only douchebags drive Volvos.

My recommendation to any 3L with an offer in BIGLAW would be to spend at least $150,000 on a car immediately. There is no such thing as slipping the golden handcuffs on too early.

do not buy a nicer car than the worst partner car.... go with a mazda miata -- then people will assume you are gay and will never fire you (subaru outback for a woman). the LR2 IS AWESOME... but paying for a car means more hours and more hours means: long, unpredictable hours; one of top reasons for flight from firms is "long, unpredictable hours" -- your schedule is not your own. You will sit for days doing nothing, then have three things (unanticipated) dropped on you and bust your ass. Also, hours are not always easy to come by when you get tasks like "draft this letter, I need it in two hours"--you obviously cannot run up a bill on that task. Then you have to wait for partner to review (non-billable). Then you have CLE, meetings, interviews, admin, time recording. I worked at several firms, and summer's have NO IDEA what it is like -- I too said "my firm is different" -- but it is the nature of law. You cannot schedule "billable hours" into your work day. If you could, people would work 15 hour days for 3-4 days and take the rest of the week off! Wait until your practice group is slow, and you cannot scrounge hours, and sit at your desk reading and posting on ATL (this happens, eventually, in EVERY practice group). Then when you get used to coming in late, going to gym, eating lunch, seeing family, BAM -- massive deal closing, or litigation and you are billing 12 hours a day with no gym, no family, no weekends... and people can't understand why you aren't calling, mistress calls your wife looking for you, hair starts falling out, cancel vacation you planned during down time. By the way, the single best way to ensure billable hours is to schedule a vacation -- I usually just send (fake) emails stating my future vacations--which is my version of rainmaking -- as work will come flooding in. The money is great. The people you work with suck (for a variety of reasons). Support staff sucks. Clients are hit or miss. Prestige is great for about 2 days. "interesting deals" and work are what you tell others -- becuase there is no way you are going to beleive that line yourself. your wife stops caring what you are doing at work. the drinking increases. you start doing a line or two (coke) to get going in the morning after a long night drinking. you start doing lines to stay awake in warehouse in texas doing document review. you start doing lines off your clients cock. you make partner. you have first heart attack. bill hours from hospital room. settle sexual harrassment case with summer associate. go to asian massage parlors to assuage pain of divorce. see paycheck split in half -- further cut by sending kids (arguably not even your DNA) to boarding schools. you are no longer doing it for the money (you stil have school loans). your wardrobe has not been updated. you are no longer allowed to interview candidates (even from your alum). your teeth turn yellow and your skin begins to turn gray. clients love your dedication, associates fear you. second divorce (how you got second wife is completely unexplainable). head of practice group. exit stage left.

New Benz C-class or BMW 3 series coupe

I'm planning on pimping out my F Train to suit my new Biglaw lifestyle.

LA chicks don't dig a BMW or MBZ, those are a dime a dozen. It's either a Prius (which chicks do dig) or a Bentley. There is NO room in between.

Also, if you are living in SF why the hell do you need a car anyway? BART is free and clean.

Volvo for sure.

Uh, BART's not free, 11:31. In fact, it's incredibly overpriced.

Bentleys are what all the 1st years are driving at my firm!

If you are not rolling a t14 car, you might as well be walking.

New Cadillac Hearse.

Ride in the back

But $1.50 for muni is pretty awesome.

If you are not rolling a t14 car, you might as well be walking.

I thought we already had a douche bag post this week?

Buy an S-class. Partner wants you to. He really does.

Drop $10K at Brooks Brothers while you're at it.

11:30 - BEST POST EVER!

California? Definitely get a Prius - it's actually a really sweet car that doesn't scream penis-envy. You'll be respected enough in SF without making any partners jealous.

11:31 - clearly never been to SF...BART doesn't get you anywhere if you live in the city.

I mostly use public transportation, but I was planning on continuing to rock the Chevy Malibu I got during my senior year of college. Leather seats, a sunroof, remote start. If there are better wheels out there, I haven't heard of them . . .

California? Definitely get a Prius - it's actually a really sweet car that doesn't scream penis-envy. You'll be respected enough in SF without making any partners jealous.

11:31 - clearly never been to SF...BART doesn't get you anywhere if you live in the city. Also, not free.

You may not have realized this yet, but chances are that you will rapidly tire of your big firm job and be looking for a way out. Do yourself a favor, and choose a car that's relatively inexpensive. Save your money so you can pay off your loans quicker, save something in the bank, and be free to find a meaningful or lower-stress job when the need strikes.

The same goes for housing (watch out for the high mortgage payment) and discretionary spending.

The saddest thing I see is when my friends acknowledge that they're miserable in their jobs, but feel trapped there by their mortgage or car payments, or their lack of savings.

two words: chevy nova

you can't go wrong with an SUV. if you get a Suburban, Yukon, or Jeep Grand Cherokee you are driving a car that a lot of Big Law partners drive anyway without, at the same time, screaming that you are obnoxious.

I rock the metrocard.

I'm straight out of law school and bought a Land Rover LR3. My boss (practicing for 30 yrs) has a Chevy Tahoe LTZ which is similar in price to mine. There have not been any problems with my boss but it is nice to be able to drive clients to court, depos, etc with a car that won't break down and is safe. Plus, chicks dig Land Rovers...

Benz--top of the line....save the Enzo for when you make partner.

prius? really?

I plan on doing complex-cross-border transactional work at V20 or better. Should I get an LR2 or an MBZ SL600?

Get what makes you happy. I'm a second year and I just bought a Mercedes Benz CLK. There are times I hate being in the office but when I think of the life style it provides me its all worth it.

Bentleys are for the new money idiots who don't know better. Real ballers drive DB9s, Caymans or Exiges. If you're feeling cheap, get a Boxster or a Corvette.

Vapid.

the prius comments is the reason im staying in ny. i live in manhattan but am gonna buy at least an m3. Ill park it on a lot and drive it to jersey once and a while to go to ikea. it'll cost me over a grand a month. who cares. thats less than the new $3k suit i buy every month.

If you care more about performance and quality than about branding, skip the BMW and Benz, and go for an Acura.

Then again, you are reading this, so branding and prestige is your priority. Benz it is.

Prius screams "I suck cock" -- unless it is owned by a girl.

How insecure can a human be? Has this guy ever made a decision in his life?

Here, let me help. Buy a Camry, marry a nice girl, and enjoy your white toast every morning and bridge night on Wednesdays.

I'm a new associate at Big Law in LA. No one at the firm knows or cares what I drive. Partners drive all sorts of cars from high end sports cars to SUVs to Prius to Honda Civic hybrids. As a young associate, trust me, clients will probably never lay eyes on you let alone the car you drive. Don't fall into the trap of spending more than you can afford -- you'll be surprised how quickly that 160K/year disappears into rent and loan repayments.

That said, if you're a "car guy" and like a nice ride, no one will hold that against you either -- but you may want to stay away from a Porsche right out of the gate.

Life's rough, man. Such a hard decision; here's hoping you have the strength and clarity of mind to make it through.

Seriously, is this guy for real? The mere fact that he's even thinking about this brands him as a douche-bag of the highest order. I'm sorry. I'm usually a nice guy too -- non-judgmental, etc. But this is just too much.

I think no matter what car you end up driving, the important thing is to have at least 20-inch chrome rims on it the show how frivolous you are. Therefore the best choice in this thread is:

Murdered-out Pinto with 20 inch chrome spinnaz

11:39 - If you're going to be funny at least spell DickINson correctly...

I guess every email to Lat ends up as its own topic if "What kind of car should I buy" passes through. I am writing him now to ask what kind of breakfast bar a young associate should be seen with inhis office.

A baller in a Cayman! hahaha, what a joke. An Exige is just a go gart. Aston, at least, you on on track.

11:30 --

"mistress calls your wife looking for you"

Wife and mistress hire PI to tail you, only to uncover you're passed out at summer associate's university intern housing dormitory. But it's okay, you're logging "client development" time. You're forgiven.

only hippies buy Prius's. Get a GM Volt or a Tesla.

Personally, I drive a Volkswagen Beetle with flowery kit. It's great, because everything thinks I'm a total fag and I can never get fired. They also think I'm a fag because I was caught giving a rim job in the copy room.

Doesn't matter what car you drive...as long as it protects you when you wrap it around a tree after a alcohol-fueled, coke-snorting, stripper-loaded, vegan-fuck-fest!

...and be sure to buy a hose long enough to go from tail pipe to passenger window.

I have a great 1994 Accord for sale. Cheap. Drove it for the first seven years of practice. Just upgraded to a 2002 Huyndai Sonata.

Serious advice? Don't get a loan. Just keeps you in thrall to your job. Buy whatever you can for cash, and screw what others think of you.

I don't have time for this discussion; I'm going to the gym in 26 minutes.

2L planning on leasing a Gallardo. 3K/month. This car is the only reason I went to law school. Working in TX so this is plausible. If I can't get the car due to partner disdain there is no reason for me to work biglaw.

uh, 11:38 (land rover dude), unless you got a "special landrover", expect yours to break down at any time. land rovers are the most unreliable cars made since the pinto. coincidence that ford owns land rover? i think not.

Every single person who has ever driven a Prius is a pompous asshole. I would rather be carried on fish-hooks by a band of drunken camels.

"That said, if you're a "car guy" and like a nice ride, no one will hold that against you either -- but you may want to stay away from a Porsche right out of the gate."

What about a 2001 boxster right out of the gate? They are cheap, like around $20K.

11:42 - you are a douchebag.

11:44 hit the nail on the head. Who cares what you drive -- not your clients and not partners.

Personally, I drive a Cadillac CTS because I love it -- hands down the best car I have EVER owned (compared to Mustang GT, BMW M Roadster, and Porsche Boxster S).

Am I missing something here? I have a Metrocard, rent, New York taxes and student loans. Buying a car is so far beyond my comprehension right now that it's funny.

The next person who tries to argue that California has a similar COL to New York is gonna get murdered in his sleep.

M3 Convertible

You can't go wrong with a Saab or an Audi. Those are my suggestions.

In NYC, associates at my firm drive Hummer H3's. They're not as expensive as the H2's, and have a great sound system.

Boxters are a mid-life-crisis cliche...especially if you're a balding white guy.

Corvettes are white trash Boxters(though a hell of a lot of fun to drive).

Aston Martin.

11:30 -- awesome post. I especially like "By the way, the single best way to ensure billable hours is to schedule a vacation -- I usually just send (fake) emails stating my future vacations--which is my version of rainmaking -- as work will come flooding in. " Very true.

Drive a van with no windows and primer as paint. Put a mattress in the back. Fill it with childrens toy -- dolls, legos, maybe a Playstation. Borrow a puppy and put it in the passenger seat. Put a DARE bumper sticker on van. Drive around elementary schools.

If you have a girlfriend buy her a ring first... for some reason girls get upset when you gou buy a Benz instead of a ring... go figure

This whole thread reeks of AutoAdmit prestige mongering.

lol I'm a biglaw associate who drives a civic. 11:30, magnificent.

IROC-Z -- to go with Mullet and small penis.

Two words: Harley Davidson.

Get a Harley Davidson t-shirt to wear while you are cruising northern california in your Prius, getting road-head from a 14-year old runaway with shaggy blonde hair.

You don't need to buy a car for the summer. If you want to go somewhere -- like Vegas or Seattle -- just use a sedan service and bill it to the recruiting department.

11:58,

That is very nice, but why the hell would anyone want to go to Seattle?

Yeah, the prius drivers are pompous assholes, not the people who drive hummers, etc...

Also, not caring how fast your car goes or how much it makes your nuts vibrate doesn't make you gay...it means you don't need to overcompensate.

Buy something classic of the 60-70s sports car flavor: near show quality, properly restored Jag/Porsche/Benz. BMWs are for poors, and Aston Martins are too expensive.

You should get a Hyundai Elantra. Lot's of base options at a lower price than a civic or corolla.

And, you'll actually be able to keep up with the payments once you get laid off!

I ride a horse to work. No ONE fucks with me.

When it rains I drive my 18-wheeler to work (full of documents for associates to review). No ONE fucks with me.

MURDERED-OUT PRIUS ON DUBS

Also, Prius has the best resale value right now.

Car service is all I use.

I recommend the Yugo Douche. Like a rock.

buy a nice entry level luxury car or suv that is a couple years old or even just off a lease. it'll look nice, you can pay it off in a couple months or with your first bonus, you won't look like a douche bag first year at your firm, and, if you make similar decisions with your finances, you might have a shot of getting out of biglaw if you want

Nothing like munching on a vegan bush in the back of my Hummer with a W bumpersticker -- left-wing chicks love "Bad Boy Gas Guzzlers"

11:42

nicely done.

Just put a sign outside your office that reads "will bill for ride." Watch the work come rolling in! As a bonus, you may actually get to drive the partner's Ferrari to get an oil change!

Live downtown, walk to work, save the planet. Rent a flex-car for weekend trips out of town. That way you can look down on everyone that drives no matter what they drive. You may even come out ahead financially. Socially conscious chicks will do the roast chicken position in no time.

For men, two cars make a real statement: Jaguar XJ-9 Coupe or a Mini Cooper Cabriolet

Audi FTW. German quality and performance, without the douchebag factor of BMW and MB.

Only get the Prius if you can find a used one with the carpool lane sticker. Otherwise, you are just being a worthless hippy. Or worse yet, a hippy poseur.

After bar exam I took a roadtrip across the US in my brand new Prius. Every hitchiker I picked up sucked me off--except the girls, they just talked my ear off.

If you are not gay -- DO NOT pull into an interstate rest stop late at night in a Toyota Prius.

P.S. I passed the bar, and traded in my Prius for a Ford F-150 -- because I realized I am NOT gay!

hippy poseur?

at least im not french!

I agree with everyone that recommended a Prius. In the Bay Area it's your safest bet - environmentally friendly, yet sporty and not super cheap.

However, if you want something a little "cooler" what about an Infiniti G35.? It’s just as luxurious as a BMW but much less pretentious.

I have a Honda Civic too. It's reliable, gas-efficient, and gets me where I need to be. The rest of you suckers can suck it.

Northern California = Toyota Prius. The car is nice, affordable and makes you appear socially conscious. Also saves $$$. Don't get a Lexus unless you think you are on partner track.

12:11-- Prius is "sporty?" ha ha

I'll be starting with a large firm this fall and over the last couple of months I've been researching several makes of cars. At first I was in love with the 08 Cadillac CTS, beautiful car. Then I thought to myself, why not be like most other attorneys and get a BMW or Benz? So I researched the various series and classes of each. Call me prudent/frugal/cheap, but I'm not high on the idea of dropping $40k+ on these. The used car market for BMWs and Benzs provide good deals but these cars have been shown to be unreliable in consumer studies. For $40k I want a car that will be out on the road, not in the shop. I'm funny like that. So this took me to Lexus. Particularly the GS and LS Models. 08 models run around 40 to 60k...which seems to much for me at this point. However, 03 and 04 models with @ 50,000 miles go for about $25k and are just as luxurious. Lexus cars also have great reliability ratings. I'd lean towards the GS 300 because it is aimed at the younger professionals that would rather buy a suit from Emporio Armani than Brooks Brothers. Some cars I have not researched but appear to be worth looking at are the Infiniti G37,G35 (sporty) and the M45 (larger, boxier sedans).

Bay Area? I have just the car for you!

Get this ex-MS13 souped up 1996 Honda Civic! It's got purple rims, coffee can exhaust, custom (MS-13) paint job, fur seats, rear racing spoiler, and rear view mirror dice conveys.

Its cheap, its somewhat reliable, an no one at your office will fuck with you.

Mara Salvatrucha forever, homey.

You need a new car for SF biglaw? Do you even have an apartment with a covered garage? You are an idiot. Let me guess, you went to Davis.

11:30 is spot on. and hilarious.

Here is the real deal: Find out which partner you are working for. Then get the EXACT same car has him. Then start wearing the exact same outfits. Pick up a couple of his mannerisms and sayings. Date a girl with the same name as his wife and get dogs with same names as his kids (pretend like dogs are people). Eventually, tell people your nickname is same as his first name. Then one day you can bump off partner and take over his life, and no one will notice. (works best if partner is same sex and race as you).

I'm going to try to borrow one of AccessGroup's cars next week when they force me into an involuntary Chapter 13 because there are no jobs out there and I have $175,000 in loans between law school and undergrad. Everyone on this board is a douche.

And to the 'tard who wrote that letter, they don't even make the IS 300 anymore. There's the IS 250, IS 350, and IS F. There hasn't been an IS 300 in years.

Honda Civic. Sweet spoiler, massive rims.

Jag? Only old people drive that shit. 335i coupe or 'vert. More $ to blow? S5.

"I thought we already had a douche bag post this week?"

Amen to that. This post has douchebag written all over it. Don't be so f-ing insecure - buy the nicest and most fuel-efficient car you can afford. Don't forget those student loans, junior.

12:11 - the Prius is not "sporty." You must be a chick.

This first year associate drives a Honda Civic (2002). It barely uses any gas and it never has any car trouble. Couldn't possibly love the car more. I plan on driving it until it falls apart in the street in a decade or two.

I've never really understood why people pay $40,000 on a car that depreciates 35% when you drive it off the lot......I'm just not a car person.

I prefer a car that I can live in.... like an RV or A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!!!

If you want to be classy, maybe you should get a range rover, put it on 24s, tint the windows and spend your summer stipend on a stereo system. Now if speakers so loud you get ticketed driving to court doesn't say "Classy" ... I don't know what does.

I drive a Bugatti Veyron

Find out what your secretary drives then buy something somewhat more shitty than hers. That way, when she gives you attitude, you can remind her that you have crappier shit than her and that she should just shut up and get that damned cup of coffee already.

11:30--copyright your post--it will be considered a true classic some day. Bravo!

Prius is about as "sporty" as throwing like a girl, and "cool" as cancer. If you want something a "little 'cooler'" try injections of testosterone and road-head from a trucker's wife---that will put some hair on your chest.

Listen, there are two types of guys: Guys that know cars, can make a decision and break the speed limit. And then there are girls.

12:22, hopefully you are not an IP lawyer.

A copyright attached to the post the moment it was affixed to a tangible medium.

Wouldn't be a bad idea to register it though; it does have the feel of a classic.

S2000

11:30 - you are the man!

Chevrolet Z71 Tahoe

The Tahoe makes for a comfortable ride, is nicely appointed (if you get the Z71 or LT model), but is not overly ostentatious for a young associate to drive.

MSRP on a loaded model is about $50K, but when I bought mine I was able to get it for $39K.

No one in SF needs a car. This is hilarious.

Over 100 posts in less than hour -- without race baiting -- Congrats Lat -- you might be maturing as a blog!

Vespa.

Lat knows his audience.

I know a guy that drives a $100k car and lives with his mom.

ghost ride the whip!

Acceptable sedans - under $60K:

BMW 5 Series
Audi A6
Benz E-Class
Jaguar XF

This topic is for non-NYC associates only.

I would feel like an idiot driving to a contract position after getting laid off from BIGLAW in a $30k car.

If getting a Jag, at least man up and get the XK

TOUAREG. Guys love it, girls love it and it's great to go to the 'Hoe. (That's Tahoe to you non-NorCal peeps)

Rappers and associates have a lot in common. We need more associates rolling with an entourage.

I also got crap for the car I drive from other attorneys.

I drive a 2004 Suzuki Forenza, which I got for $13,000 new. I was about to drive a partner to get lunch and he refused to get into my car, arguing that the firm paid me too much to be driving that. We ended up going in his Mercedes SLK roadster. I have had this sort of incident happen a number of times. Not once did anyone ever congratulate me for living frugally.

I think there is definite auto snobbery in the legal profession, and it is more pronounced in areas with bad mass transit such as Phoenix, but less pronounced in areas such as NYC, DC, or Chicago.

"Prius is about as "sporty" as throwing like a girl, and "cool" as cancer."

This is such a funny sentence. Awesome work, 12:23.

I'm in SF. I very, very, very highly recommend that you hold off on buying a car, at least until you move out here. Reasons:

1. Depending on where you live, parking is next to impossible. You'll either park on the street (having to move it for street cleaning) or pay anywhere from $300 to $600 / month for parking in your neighborhood.

2. Parking at work is pretty impossible. At my firm, only partners and more senior folks get monthly passes (which they pay for out of pocket, I think it's ~$250/month); you likely wouldn't get one as a first year (or a second, or a third). You'll thus be forced to park in parking garages sort of on the outskirts of the financial district and paying anywhere from $10 (Early Bird Special) or $35 / day.

3. California has a lot of crazy smog laws, harsh registration policies, etc. So if you buy out of state, you're going to have to get it registered here (within your first week or so). And oh, when I say registered, I mean not just in CA, but you have to get parking stickers for your neighborhood, for which you need to go to the DMV and present a paid PG&E bill for the past month. Huge, huge, pain. And, oh yeah, they love to tow you here in San Francisco, which costs aboutl $100 and then about $85/day at the tow truck garage (which, inconveniently, is only open from like 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in South San Francisco M-F.). When I was a new associate and had my car towed because I hadn't yet registered it with the proper neighborhood, I had to skip two days of work to go to the DMV to get the paperwork and then go to retrieve my car. The whole mess, including a taxi to South San Francisco, etc., came out to ~$800.

4. And the real point? You don't necessarily need a car. Depending on where you live, you can ride BART, muni, or the cable car pretty much anywhere you need to go.

So my strong advice is to wait until you get out here to figure out if your lifestyle/neighborhood requires wheels.

Ps. If you're working in Menlo Park or Palo Alto, you'll need a car. Still might make sense to buy it out here rather than buy it and ship it (the only firm that I know of that pays to ship your car is Wilson Sonsini).

Although he said he doesn't want it. The Civic, Camry or Accord are the way to go. You can get a luxury edition and no one will accuse you of being cheap or flashy.

First - if you're going to live in the City and work in the City - don't get a car. You can walk across town in about an hour and there are lots of public transportation options (some more reliable than others - none of which are free).

If you are going to live in the City, work in Palo Alto and MUST buy a new car - don't get anything too nice or too big because it will get banged up from being in the City and you won't be able to park anywhere (even if your place offers a parking spot, you can bet a large SUV will not fit). Think Mini or Prius but nothing manual transmission unless you're a really good driver.

If you aren't going to live in the City then do whatever the heck you want - but green is in so still think hybrid (maybe Highlander) or at least something with good mpg (if you want to impress the ladies). Also, gas in CA is always higher than the rest of the country (excepting Hawaii) so consider that too - will hit $4/gallon for premium by summertime and you can bet that BMWs and Mercedes both require premium for their anti-knock additives. Also, BMWs and Mercedes are present in the Bay but I would say they tend to stand out (and sometimes even cause a negative reaction). People in the Bay just don't care about cars that much.

Finally, consider your car payments. Do you really want all this money you earn to be sucked into a car? They are an expense not an investment (as a note, BMWs continue year after year to have the highest rating for retaining value). I would buy used, with cash, if you can. Brand new cars are a total waste of money. You pay several thousand just for the right to drive it off the lot - what a waste.

Plus, with housing prices as they are in the Bay, you're better off saving for a down payment from the get-go if you ever hope to own your own home up there.

I was planning on getting a Toyota Sienna.

A Delorean, for sure.

If you can't get a car, then....... Bitch U Ride the MARTA Bus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQTuYo6HmiQ

I drive a 1978 chevrolet suburban with a cooler full of beer in the back and three jars of hot peppers in the middle seat. I keep cheddar cheese in the glove compartment and wheat bread next to me on the front seat. I like to enjoy a nice sandwich and an icy cold beer whenever I drive the 'burban.

"TOUAREG. Guys love it, girls love it and it's great to go to the 'Hoe."

Only people who moved to norcal from somewhere else call it the 'Hoe. It's like saying 'Frisco.' It makes you feel like a local, and indicates to everyone else that you just learned what 'organic' means 3 years ago.