In 1995, I bought binoculars (20x80) with a tripod and I've enjoyed them immensly as they've allowed me to find planets or comets (before the others around me), right after sunset, or observe the Moon, Jupiter's moons, barely Saturn's rings.
And several Messier objects!
And they are easy to carry along during trips.
A short time after, I bought a telescope (the orange one, a Newton mount) without a motor.
It had a viewfinder glued to the tube, slightly oblique, without magnifying lens; it had a wooden tripod (heavy), and it was heavy in general, difficult to store, more difficult to set up....

Then in 1999, I bought the ETX 90!!!!!
What a huge difference!
A motor, a polar mount or an altazimuthal mount; an electronic controller (for polar mount) or an Autostar controller; a 90 degree angle viewfinder (much more comfortable), a lightweight easy to fold tripod, a bigger choice of eyepieces, an easy to setup device and a very good mirror ! And a small bag!!

I live in town and it's ideal to take with me out of town (only one trip to the car, needed).

But, ha ha, I joined a club and made many friends who live away from town.
One of them bought a Celestron G8:

I'm very jealous!!
But maybe I shouldn't, because....He lives away from town and even then, he won't like bumpy roads (affecting the mirror).
Unfortunately, if one wants to get as far away as possible from light pollution, roads become bumpy! And because such a telecope is so sensitive, it requires collimation practically every time before use. And I'm no Jack of all trades...
It's like everything, compromise....
So many buy a hugely expensive telescope, use it once or twice, then contact us because they want to sell it.
Well, I sold my orange one too.....(but it wasn't too expensive)
Raoul