alfa 4c depreciation
Discussion
There's a pre-registered with Delivery Mileage on AT at £46,950, although it looks curiously uninviting with it's base-spec wheels, headlamp surrounds and interior. I must admit I'm beginning to be tempted by one of these, and I'm wondering what would depreciate more - a "new" base-spec one, like the above, or one that's a year older with a couple of thousand miles on it.
I keep wondering about this.
According to howmanyleft, 50 launch edition, and 108 TBI have been registered. On Autotrader currently 9 launch edition, and 56 TBI.
Seems alot out there in the market to me
According to howmanyleft, 50 launch edition, and 108 TBI have been registered. On Autotrader currently 9 launch edition, and 56 TBI.
Seems alot out there in the market to me
gibbon said:
Sorry, a horrible and boring subject i know, but i've just noticed you can now get a 4c for around £45k. Seems like a lot of almost new car for the money.
How are these generally getting on in the secondary market?
How are these generally getting on in the secondary market?
That's my feeling, attempts at speculation. Looking at the numbers out there I think they are going to fall.
ian996 said:
I wonder if it's a combination of some early buyers hoping they'd appreciate and the fact that , if reviews are to believed, the dynamics don't quite match the spec and it's a little too focused for use as a daily.
corporalsparrow said:
I know a couple of people who spoke to dealers about buying but walked away for because it was just too uncompromising for life in the real world.
Perhaps some of the initial purchasers have reached the same conclusion?
I own one and I love it but it is pretty hardcore. Stiff ride, zero creature comforts, no sound deadening, these things I imagine, put a lot of people off. A daily driver it is not. The truth is its at least as hardcore as a Lotus Exige. The car's are set up for super smooth race tracks direct from the factory not the bumpy old roads we call home. A geometrey set up by Alfaworks in Royston transformed the car, they also flashed the ecu and I'd say its now quicker than my GT4. A cracking little car the 4C, despite it's faults and the rumuor is the coupe will cease production in 2017, the Spider will carry on a little longer. If that happens you may well see prices start to rise when availability dries up. Who knows, time will tell on that one.Perhaps some of the initial purchasers have reached the same conclusion?
will77 said:
The car's are set up for super smooth race tracks direct from the factory not the bumpy old roads we call home. A geometrey set up by Alfaworks in Royston transformed the car, they also flashed the ecu
I've been driven on track in two standard cars and (driver dependent
) I thought that they were fantastic performers,but has your new geo to counter bumpy roads, in any compromised the track peformance?
ian996 said:
I wonder if it's a combination of some early buyers hoping they'd appreciate and the fact that , if reviews are to believed, the dynamics don't quite match the spec and it's a little too focused for use as a daily.
In part I guess it's because it attracts a different crowd as obvious rival Lotus. I think many early buyers bought it undriven and/or even unseen expecting it to be more of a Cayman like sportscar. Which is strangely enough a car most media seem to be comparing it first and foremost to as well.Still waiting by the way on the first 4C vs. Lotus Elise/Exige comparison test in one of the British mags. Mags like EVO are full of 911's/Cayman's/Loti/MX5's/BRZ's and all sorts of Gti's, but apart from the "first drive" reviews they all seem to ignore the 4C entirely.
will77 said:
corporalsparrow said:
I know a couple of people who spoke to dealers about buying but walked away for because it was just too uncompromising for life in the real world.
Perhaps some of the initial purchasers have reached the same conclusion?
I own one and I love it but it is pretty hardcore. Stiff ride, zero creature comforts, no sound deadening, these things I imagine, put a lot of people off. A daily driver it is not. The truth is its at least as hardcore as a Lotus Exige. The car's are set up for super smooth race tracks direct from the factory not the bumpy old roads we call home. A geometrey set up by Alfaworks in Royston transformed the car, they also flashed the ecu and I'd say its now quicker than my GT4. A cracking little car the 4C, despite it's faults and the rumuor is the coupe will cease production in 2017, the Spider will carry on a little longer. If that happens you may well see prices start to rise when availability dries up. Who knows, time will tell on that one.Perhaps some of the initial purchasers have reached the same conclusion?
It's a very tempting prospect for a long-term Alfa fanatic - maybe I'll get a test-drive once the weather picks up and experience the noise levels for myself.
ian996 said:
I think the issue that puts me off the most is the noise level - I need to be very protective of my hearing, and I don't really want to have to stick ear-plugs in every time I drive it. Useful info about Alfa-works...I'd wondered if a bit of expert fettling would address the handling issues that always seem to be raised in reviews.
It's a very tempting prospect for a long-term Alfa fanatic - maybe I'll get a test-drive once the weather picks up and experience the noise levels for myself.
I drove a 4C Coupe with racing exhaust and a 4C Spider with racing exhaustIt's a very tempting prospect for a long-term Alfa fanatic - maybe I'll get a test-drive once the weather picks up and experience the noise levels for myself.
I found the Coupe very boomy and unacceptably noisy at motorway speeds .. no such issue in the Spider, the noise just seeps out of the canvas roof.
SFO said:
ian996 said:
I think the issue that puts me off the most is the noise level - I need to be very protective of my hearing, and I don't really want to have to stick ear-plugs in every time I drive it. Useful info about Alfa-works...I'd wondered if a bit of expert fettling would address the handling issues that always seem to be raised in reviews.
It's a very tempting prospect for a long-term Alfa fanatic - maybe I'll get a test-drive once the weather picks up and experience the noise levels for myself.
I drove a 4C Coupe with racing exhaust and a 4C Spider with racing exhaustIt's a very tempting prospect for a long-term Alfa fanatic - maybe I'll get a test-drive once the weather picks up and experience the noise levels for myself.
I found the Coupe very boomy and unacceptably noisy at motorway speeds .. no such issue in the Spider, the noise just seeps out of the canvas roof.
It didn't have the sweet steering of the Elise. One I drove suffered from bump steer.
Suspension, you'd think it didn't have any lol.
Speed bumps have to be taken 2-3mph (in London).
It's nearly as wide as a bus.
Paint quality wasn't great for an expensive car.
Power delivery is not great.
Would've been better as a manual with a v6.
Needs a special lift to do work on it.
Hideous light clusters and fiat 500 mirrors.
The pearlescent White is the best colour IMO.
Elise would be easier to live with.
You look at it and all of the above is forgotten. When all the conditions are right it's a truly great car (smooth quiet road), rest of the time would be annoying. Like you guys I'd have one when they hit the thirties but then I'd probably get fed up and cosy up to a focus RS.
Suspension, you'd think it didn't have any lol.
Speed bumps have to be taken 2-3mph (in London).
It's nearly as wide as a bus.
Paint quality wasn't great for an expensive car.
Power delivery is not great.
Would've been better as a manual with a v6.
Needs a special lift to do work on it.
Hideous light clusters and fiat 500 mirrors.
The pearlescent White is the best colour IMO.
Elise would be easier to live with.
You look at it and all of the above is forgotten. When all the conditions are right it's a truly great car (smooth quiet road), rest of the time would be annoying. Like you guys I'd have one when they hit the thirties but then I'd probably get fed up and cosy up to a focus RS.
Richyboy said:
It didn't have the sweet steering of the Elise. One I drove suffered from bump steer.
Probably the only thing on which the Elise trumps the 4C.Richyboy said:
Suspension, you'd think it didn't have any lol..
Odd, reviewers and owners on 4Cforum say it's actually surprisingly subtle and compliant for what it is.Richyboy said:
Speed bumps have to be taken 2-3mph (in London).
It's nearly as wide as a bus.
Paint quality wasn't great for an expensive car.
Power delivery is not great.
Would've been better as a manual with a v6.
The latter is a very fashionable opinion, reality is Ferrari and Porsche hardly sold/sell manuals anymore. The double clutch gearbox suits the current trend + given the limited build I get why Alfa decided to go forward with only the autobox. It's nearly as wide as a bus.
Paint quality wasn't great for an expensive car.
Power delivery is not great.
Would've been better as a manual with a v6.
And a alu. turbocharged, direct injected 4Cyl. is what's most logical for the 4C concept; lightness with enough power. As an example the Exige V6 weighs 300kg's more than it's 4 cyl. brother.
Richyboy said:
Needs a special lift to do work on it.
Not sure it does. The tub has 4 bulges undernead where it can be lfted either by a jack or a regular lift. Richyboy said:
Hideous light clusters and fiat 500 mirrors.
Theirs a choice of two light clusters, the newer Spider ones and the early lighter optional cf (or plastic) variant.The 500 mirrors isn't it's best styling feature, but they don't really look out of place either IMO. And a Toyota engine isn't exactly exotic either :-)
Richyboy said:
The pearlescent White is the best colour IMO.
O dear, it's not an Excalibur. Rosso Competizione for me please.....
Richyboy said:
Elise would be easier to live with.
On the basis of what ? It's exactly the same concept, but:I ones test fitted an Elise, with my 6"2 I could barely fit, it's cramped. Even felt I had to duck a bit to properly look out of the windscreen. With someone equally my size, our shoulders would've probably touched. Not with the 4C, a perfect fit, theirs even room for a small tunnel. The only odd choice Alfa made is to make the dash on the passenger side as big as it is. I had to fault my knees flat to properly sit.
4C is more riggid as well, many Elise owners complain about the rattles and sqeeks and overall build quality. The Elise is too toy'ísh.
The bump steer can be removed easily by some simple shim work at the front. Alfa Workshop has looked into this. It seems Alfa set the car up for smooth roads, so some adjustment for our minefields is required. It's a bit similar to the reception the 964 RS got when launched in the UK - the press slated it for being too harsh and uncomfortable - they are a bit quiet on that front now.
They aren't depreciating quick enough, test drove one a few weeks back couldn’t really see what UK press were prattling on about, quite stable, firm ride but seemed comfortable and I had no issues with the steering being wayward, not as feelsome as I would have expected, nor did it feel as quick as I was expecting (as it was quite planted I guess, or my expectations were too high, as the numbers on the dash were very naughty ) In terms of practicality and comfort I thought it was better than my MX5.
I could use it every day and I would probably have no issues commuting in it, did over 40mpg quite easily and cabin was quieter than the 5 I currently run. Engine noise was a bit disappointing.
) In terms of practicality and comfort I thought it was better than my MX5. I could use it every day and I would probably have no issues commuting in it, did over 40mpg quite easily and cabin was quieter than the 5 I currently run. Engine noise was a bit disappointing.
Edited by sandys on Thursday 11th February 14:47
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