New car every 3 years
Discussion
Sure, some people like to have a brand new car on the drive every 3 years. It's what they want, it's what they can afford, good luck.
IMO it's the most expensive way possible to own cars.
Question: If you could afford it, would you do the "3 year new-car change" or something else?
PS. By "afford" I don't mean like a premiership footballer who can buy 6 Ferraris anyway...
IMO it's the most expensive way possible to own cars.
Question: If you could afford it, would you do the "3 year new-car change" or something else?
PS. By "afford" I don't mean like a premiership footballer who can buy 6 Ferraris anyway...
I've only bought a couple of new cars (and not on a 3-year cycle), but I can see the appeal of doing so. My Dad's done it ever since I can remember and, while it usually costs him quite a bit in depreciation, it's what he likes doing and can afford to! It also provides a steady stream of used cars for PHers! 
I don't see the point, personally, but each to their own.
I understand the concept of replacing a car when it becomes unreliable, no longer does what you need it to do in some way, or even if you get just get bored with it and fancy a change, but just because it's 3 years old? I've known people replace a 3 year old car with a new one of the same model, and even in the same colour!
But hey, it helps the economy, keeps car manufacturers and dealers in business, and contributes to the healthy supply of used cars, all of which are good things.
I understand the concept of replacing a car when it becomes unreliable, no longer does what you need it to do in some way, or even if you get just get bored with it and fancy a change, but just because it's 3 years old? I've known people replace a 3 year old car with a new one of the same model, and even in the same colour!
But hey, it helps the economy, keeps car manufacturers and dealers in business, and contributes to the healthy supply of used cars, all of which are good things.
It depends what sort of purchasing schemes you have access to.
My Astra was new in September and will be replaced in April. Then that will probably be replaced in October.
My neighbours on one side have just replaced their 13 plate A3 with a 63 plate Golf.
Other side has just replaced a 62 plate Golf with a 63 plate TT.
Lots of people have access to these schemes where they pay a couple of hundred quid a month and change car every 6 months or so.
Or maybe it's skewed as I live in Milton Keynes so VAG and Mercedes are just down the road!
My Astra was new in September and will be replaced in April. Then that will probably be replaced in October.
My neighbours on one side have just replaced their 13 plate A3 with a 63 plate Golf.
Other side has just replaced a 62 plate Golf with a 63 plate TT.
Lots of people have access to these schemes where they pay a couple of hundred quid a month and change car every 6 months or so.
Or maybe it's skewed as I live in Milton Keynes so VAG and Mercedes are just down the road!
I overheard someone on the train conversing about cars, and stated something along the lines of "after 3 years it's good to change anyway, things start to go wrong and it gets expensive"
I'm not certain how informed he was about the need to routinely service and maintain a vehicle
Of course, if you want to change your vehicles all the time, go for it! Variety is the spice of life etc etc
I'm not certain how informed he was about the need to routinely service and maintain a vehicle
Of course, if you want to change your vehicles all the time, go for it! Variety is the spice of life etc etc
I'd have to be pretty excited about a car to want to buy it new (if I could afford it), and if I did buy it new I'd be intending to keep it for a very long time (5 years absolute minimum, more likely 7+, ideally for the car's entire lifetime). As such, I'm not sure I'll ever do it. When I get rich I'll probably lease something instead.
Some contract hire deals are so cheap that I reckon it's better value than running something second hand.
All inclusive running costs on a 57 plate 330d that I had for about two years were around £330pm. I could have been running a new car on contract hire for that kind of money (not a 330d however as I d around 20k miles per year).
I have a mate running an E Class Mercedes E220CDi and it's costing him around £230 per month inc VAT. Sure it's not as cheap as running a banger, but it's pretty cheap. There won't be any big cost surprises because it'll be under warranty for as long as he has it.
In the end we didn't like a Zafira and bought a VW Touran. Change it for a new one after two years and 25k miles and the cost to change was £4,000 - i.e.: £166 per month in depreciation. You could easily piss that sort of money away on an older car if you had an ABS failure or turbodiesel problems.
Keeping a car for a long time works, provided you don't get any unexpected big bills.
All inclusive running costs on a 57 plate 330d that I had for about two years were around £330pm. I could have been running a new car on contract hire for that kind of money (not a 330d however as I d around 20k miles per year).
I have a mate running an E Class Mercedes E220CDi and it's costing him around £230 per month inc VAT. Sure it's not as cheap as running a banger, but it's pretty cheap. There won't be any big cost surprises because it'll be under warranty for as long as he has it.
HustleRussell said:
I'd have to be pretty excited about a car to want to buy it new (if I could afford it), and if I did buy it new I'd be intending to keep it for a very long time (5 years absolute minimum, more likely 7+, ideally for the car's entire lifetime). As such, I'm not sure I'll ever do it. When I get rich I'll probably lease something instead.
A while ago my wife ran a Vectra 2.5V6 SRi Estate for 7 years. After that period it averaged £220per month running costs (tax, repairs, maintenance, depreciation). When we were looking to change a Zafira cost £199 per month plus VAT on a contract hire - so broadly comparable. So for not much more money you could have a new car every 2/3 years, full warranty and no unscheduled repairs. In the end we didn't like a Zafira and bought a VW Touran. Change it for a new one after two years and 25k miles and the cost to change was £4,000 - i.e.: £166 per month in depreciation. You could easily piss that sort of money away on an older car if you had an ABS failure or turbodiesel problems.
Keeping a car for a long time works, provided you don't get any unexpected big bills.
Edited by jdcampbell on Monday 27th January 12:15
Budget. And low maintenance.
In my car I can't have an unreliable car. A new car should only require servicing and no other maintenance. You can plan when you book it in for a service.
If a car goes wrong, even if you're at home, you can't just get it fixed there and then. A VW place near me books 2-3 weeks in advance. So I'd be without a car for 3 weeks if anything went wrong. A good specialist is cheaper, but also busy. They don't open on a Saturday so it's time out of work to even go there.
Pick up a nice new car for £100-£200-£300 or what ever and that's all you'll pay month in month out until you stop. If it goes wrong it's covered by warranty so there's still no more to pay.
In my car I can't have an unreliable car. A new car should only require servicing and no other maintenance. You can plan when you book it in for a service.
If a car goes wrong, even if you're at home, you can't just get it fixed there and then. A VW place near me books 2-3 weeks in advance. So I'd be without a car for 3 weeks if anything went wrong. A good specialist is cheaper, but also busy. They don't open on a Saturday so it's time out of work to even go there.
Pick up a nice new car for £100-£200-£300 or what ever and that's all you'll pay month in month out until you stop. If it goes wrong it's covered by warranty so there's still no more to pay.
I dont get this mind-set either.
EG my neighbour, leased from vw fairly basic diesel Golf, around £350 a month, just came to 3 years now (50k miles) and was given option to buy for under £8k (sounded cheap) but he handed it back, and took out another 3 year deal, over £300 month, so effectiely paying around £4k per year to rent a boring Golf. Why?
EG my neighbour, leased from vw fairly basic diesel Golf, around £350 a month, just came to 3 years now (50k miles) and was given option to buy for under £8k (sounded cheap) but he handed it back, and took out another 3 year deal, over £300 month, so effectiely paying around £4k per year to rent a boring Golf. Why?
No but I know a couple of good mechanics who dont charge the earth so running an older car for me isn't so much of a gamble.
I can imagine many who've been landed with an unexpected bill for a new DPF or turbo, or spent many hours trying to get a complicated electrical fault fixed have came to the conclusion it's worth taking the guaranteed depreciation hit on a new car rather than gambling on a potentially ruinously unreliable used car.
I can imagine many who've been landed with an unexpected bill for a new DPF or turbo, or spent many hours trying to get a complicated electrical fault fixed have came to the conclusion it's worth taking the guaranteed depreciation hit on a new car rather than gambling on a potentially ruinously unreliable used car.
It's common knowledge that all people that buy new cars are idiots. Everyone in Britain should just buy used, forever. That way no-one gets 'mugged on depreciation' which is what happens to all the idiots that buy new cars!!!! The fools!!!!
In 20 years time it would be awesome - everyone will have old cars and we can all make do and mend like in Cuba, using washing up liquid for brake fluid and stuff!! Great!
I'm excluded from this, BTW, as I am picking up a brand new £50,000 VW Touareg tomorrow.
In 20 years time it would be awesome - everyone will have old cars and we can all make do and mend like in Cuba, using washing up liquid for brake fluid and stuff!! Great!
I'm excluded from this, BTW, as I am picking up a brand new £50,000 VW Touareg tomorrow.
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