Discussion
This is not limited to the older generation.
I have a number of fairly well off customers who replace their cars regularly for the sake of reliability - got to have something in warranty. Seemingly, because they have little interest in cars other than a mode of transport they don't shop around for a deal and think any sort of discount is excellent. Pay list price for a VW Up for their daughters new car - no problem; Screen price ("they said it was a good deal") on a Jag XF limited edition - really happy. It goes on.
For some reason the lack of interest in cars equates to a preparedness to pay whatever the salesman say is a good deal. Wish I had their money...
I have a number of fairly well off customers who replace their cars regularly for the sake of reliability - got to have something in warranty. Seemingly, because they have little interest in cars other than a mode of transport they don't shop around for a deal and think any sort of discount is excellent. Pay list price for a VW Up for their daughters new car - no problem; Screen price ("they said it was a good deal") on a Jag XF limited edition - really happy. It goes on.
For some reason the lack of interest in cars equates to a preparedness to pay whatever the salesman say is a good deal. Wish I had their money...
texasjohn said:
vincevega said:
My old Dad’s car buying priorities are: good fuel consumption, it must be Mercedes, good fuel consumption, it must be automatic, and most importantly of all good fuel consumption.
So he always buys a diesel for the 6k a year he drives and then delights in telling us how the new car is achieving at least 2 mpg more than the old one forgetting the fact it costs him at least £15 grand to change every two to three years. In fact whenever I ask him how his getting on with his car the first thing he mentions is the amazing fuel economy and the £30 a year road tax.
And, he always gets talked into buying Supaguard, GAP insurance, tyre insurance, stop chip insurance, bird s
t insurance and whatever else the salesman can earn commission on.
We must be related. That is my dad too.So he always buys a diesel for the 6k a year he drives and then delights in telling us how the new car is achieving at least 2 mpg more than the old one forgetting the fact it costs him at least £15 grand to change every two to three years. In fact whenever I ask him how his getting on with his car the first thing he mentions is the amazing fuel economy and the £30 a year road tax.
And, he always gets talked into buying Supaguard, GAP insurance, tyre insurance, stop chip insurance, bird s
t insurance and whatever else the salesman can earn commission on.Mercedes, diesel (mostly), low miles. Iridium Silver every time...
Madness, I have stopped discussing cars with him because if it's not a Mercedes in silver then he has little interest.
Edited by texasjohn on Tuesday 11th June 09:22
My mother and father in law went to simply look at some cars as their 325i convertible had ran out of warranty. They had told me they had been thinking about a diesel simply because my MIL had taken up a volunteer post once a week at a hospital which meant a 70 mile round trip once a week (yes, I know). They also felt the BMW wasn't ideal for transporting the grand kids so wanted something with back doors.
Knowing what they are like I gave them a list of various modest family cars which i thought would be ideal and told them not to do anything without speaking to me. This is despite my father in law spending almost 30 years in the motor trade (he had no interest in cars at all) and laterly being a regional director of a large dealer network.
Later that evening my wife told me they had put a deposit on a Mercedes CLS 500.
So that went well. And no, they didn't even attempt to haggle.
Knowing what they are like I gave them a list of various modest family cars which i thought would be ideal and told them not to do anything without speaking to me. This is despite my father in law spending almost 30 years in the motor trade (he had no interest in cars at all) and laterly being a regional director of a large dealer network.
Later that evening my wife told me they had put a deposit on a Mercedes CLS 500.
So that went well. And no, they didn't even attempt to haggle.
daemon said:
Wifes aunt went to change her Yaris - 6 years old 24,000 miles - because the service department had "recommended" she speak to someone in sales about a deal they were doing.
As you would expect, they were giving her a pittance for her car, but what shocked me was that even though she was a lifetime cash buyer (and loaded) they were trying to get her to take out finance on the car as she would get £500 of petrol "free".
Sounds like a good deal to me if she wanted to change, take the finance, get the pre-loaded petrol card and pay off the finance immediately.As you would expect, they were giving her a pittance for her car, but what shocked me was that even though she was a lifetime cash buyer (and loaded) they were trying to get her to take out finance on the car as she would get £500 of petrol "free".
I have this at the moment with my sister. HDI 207 on 50k and maybe 6 years old with acres of life left in it. She does under 8k a year and is not a car person in the slightest but my dad is doing a good job of convincing her she needs a new car and she's happy enough to go along with it.
I'd have no problem with her just saying it's her money and she wants to spend it on a car but it's the fact that we ALL want something new and as long as there's an enabler around (be that a family member or a salesman) sometimes that's all it takes to make someone go along with it.
The noise is likely just a bush or bearing but they won't even go and get it checked out.
Sometimes you have to screw on your head, do the maths and work out actually what is the risk/reward - if you know people more experienced in the field with no vested interest (like most do in this thread) then you've really no excuse. If you want to ignore them and do what you want regardless then don't expect them to pick up the pieces in future (which is easier said than done with family hence the massive frustration we all have).
I'd have no problem with her just saying it's her money and she wants to spend it on a car but it's the fact that we ALL want something new and as long as there's an enabler around (be that a family member or a salesman) sometimes that's all it takes to make someone go along with it.
The noise is likely just a bush or bearing but they won't even go and get it checked out.
Sometimes you have to screw on your head, do the maths and work out actually what is the risk/reward - if you know people more experienced in the field with no vested interest (like most do in this thread) then you've really no excuse. If you want to ignore them and do what you want regardless then don't expect them to pick up the pieces in future (which is easier said than done with family hence the massive frustration we all have).
A mate and his wife (he's in my band actually) wanted a new Fiesta so got one. Nothing wrong with that. It was pretty specced up and came to about 14 grand. It was on PCP and they always planned to get a loan to cover the final payment and keep it forever. Not the most economical way to buy a car but if they keep it for 15 years then it doesn't matter so much.
But, sure enough, 3 years later, they get a new one for the sole reason that they wanted leather seats, and proceed to spec up their new Fiesta to an eye watering 17 grand! 3 years later they have refinanced this one as they intend to keep it. Guy is a bloody numpty though - he was incredulous that the car failed its first MOT - nothing major, just a few consumables. Turns out, he hadn't serviced it once in the 3 years they had owned it. Then acted amazed that it needed a couple of tyres and brake pads.
He's a bugger for missing his round at the pub as well. Don't buy him a beer any more as I never get one back!
But, sure enough, 3 years later, they get a new one for the sole reason that they wanted leather seats, and proceed to spec up their new Fiesta to an eye watering 17 grand! 3 years later they have refinanced this one as they intend to keep it. Guy is a bloody numpty though - he was incredulous that the car failed its first MOT - nothing major, just a few consumables. Turns out, he hadn't serviced it once in the 3 years they had owned it. Then acted amazed that it needed a couple of tyres and brake pads.
He's a bugger for missing his round at the pub as well. Don't buy him a beer any more as I never get one back!
My mother in law is one of the tightest people I know (when it comes to other people) yet for some explicable reason wastes a significant amount of cash on cars/servicing. She had a perfectly nice 2007 Honda Jazz with 50k on it which never needed any work that I could see; she insisted on using the main dealer which charged an extortionate amount for serving. She took it for an MOT and was told it needed £1000 worth of work, at which point a nice salesman very kindly told her that he could solve all her problems by sorting her out with a 2011Jazz. I've given up on advising her as she likes spending money and never listens anyway. I suppose it's her money to waste but it irritates me when she pleads poverty.
She must be on a "list" because she now has £10k worth of solar panels on her roof....
She must be on a "list" because she now has £10k worth of solar panels on her roof....
My Mother just has a weakness for new Volvos - it's not the salesmens' faults! To keep the mileage on them down, she'll use her little Polo runabout as much as possible, leaving the Volvo in the garage. When she goes along to trade it in, she's always horrified by how little they give her for it.
It doesn't matter how many times I tell her that the car depreciates chronically even if she doesn't use it, so to at least drive the fking thing and get her money's worth. Also, why not dump the Polo and only have one car? Basically, without the controlling influence of my late Father she's got free rein to be completely illogical.
It doesn't matter how many times I tell her that the car depreciates chronically even if she doesn't use it, so to at least drive the f
king thing and get her money's worth. Also, why not dump the Polo and only have one car? Basically, without the controlling influence of my late Father she's got free rein to be completely illogical. 
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