New car every 3 years

[saabster14]

panholio said:

Sorry what I meant was that by leasing/ pcping a car for 2-3 years at the mileage I do I minimise the need for various "technicians" to have to fiddle about with my car. I've owned numerous older cars in the past and have always been disappointed by the service from the motor industry in all respects.

This forum is FULL of people who have experienced the same, from wheels damaged changing tyres through to more serious failings.

I guess the other one I didn't add is that by leasing one doesn't have to buy a second hand car from a trader with hidden problems - report to the £50k audi R8 thread recently for further info.

Yeah there does seem to be quite a body of folk who have been experiencing poor quality workmanship in the motor trade. I did hear an old acquaintance, who was a mechanic for many years, and a damn fine one too, complain that a lot of the workshops attached to dealerships, were employing guys who were 'fitters' rather than mechanics and bemoaned the lack of knowledge these days... But then he was as fond of a rant as I was. Hahahah

Back on subject, the depreciation issue isn't really the main factor for me buying older cars..... I like fixing cars and fiddling with the oil bits, to coin a phrase. It's what a attracts me to cars, if I just wanted A to B transportation then I suspect my enthusiasm for all things motoring would fade and I'd have to find a new outlet for the rare moments not spent with my family

[Pickled Piper]

Horses for courses really. I actually do both. Keep one older car that the wife uses. Lease a new one.

There are some compelling contract hire deals around. It's a nice feeling to run a new car that nobody else has owned. It's under warranty. You just get in and drive. Minimal worries. Depends how important that is to you.

It's actually nice to be the first owner of a car that nobody else has farted in (or done anything else in).

pp

[Ozzie Osmond]

saabster14 said:

Yeah there does seem to be quite a body of folk who have been experiencing poor quality workmanship in the motor trade.

As the manufacturers are painfully aware. One of the best ways to keep a car reliable is to keep people with spanners away from it...

[McWigglebum4th]

I couldn't be arsed

It would involve every 3 years going around car showrooms talking to salespeople

And my budget dictates it would be a boring shopping trolley


I'll just carry on keeping the landrover which have owned for over a decade and some horrible shed

[treetops]

mini1380cc said:

My uncle gets a new CRV every 3 years, sometimes in the exact same spec. Cars are past their best after 3 years and 20,000 miles you see. The Honda dealership in Fife absolutely love him as he pays screen price and takes rock bottom trade in. He seems happy though.

Any you know this and have done nothing to help him?

Weird.

[SuperHangOn]

okie592 said:

I don't know why we all waste money on houses when we could live in a tin shack. We don't need clothes we have potato sacks. We don't need tv we can watch the clouds. I don't need the internet to complain on I could have a life,

Don't blame us. Your fault you wasted all your money on a new car.

[saabster14]

Ozzie Osmond said:

As the manufacturers are painfully aware. One of the best ways to keep a car reliable is to keep people with spanners away from it...

Hahaha you've seen the state of my cars then.... Haha


One further point I forgot to make earlier is that. Cars are getting so complicated not, everything is electronically controlled so by the time someone like me gets his hands on them they are a nightmare to maintain/repair. Gone are the days of being able to fix most thing with a set of spanners and a big hammer. These days you needs an electronics degree to do repairs (and I mean repair rather than fit new units).

[Trif]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Question: If you could afford it, would you do the "3 year new-car change" or something else?

If I could justify it then I'd have a M135i sitting on the drive right now. However the list of things I'd rather do with the money is rather long.

I also can't help but think a 4 year old Z4 is also poor value once you've added on the cost of the BMW warranty.

[kambites]

However much money I had (within reason), I don't think I'd ever buy even one brand new car.

[Paul Lloyd]

As somebody else has said before me, if thats what you want, then leasing or pcp is the best option. I mean, unless you are rich enough to just buy a new car

[saabster14]

Genuine question from someone with no financial brains:

How do the costs compare with the amount you pay for leasing a car versus the amount you would lose on depreciation if you had payed cash on a new car?

[kambites]

saabster14 said:

Genuine question from someone with no financial brains:

How do the costs compare with the amount you pay for leasing a car versus the amount you would lose on depreciation if you had payed cash on a new car?

I depends to be pretty close, either way.

[jones325i]

Personally I feel I'm still getting to know a car at the 3 year mark. Perhaps not true if you're buying a generic euro box or Japanese shoebox on wheels every time. The only reason I can see for changing after 3 years is that I've bought the wrong car or that my requirements have changed significantly for some reason.

I should add that I've never had a brand new car though.

Edited by jones325i on Monday 27th January 15:17

[AudiWurst]

panholio said:

...
I like suspension set ups that have had no wear.
I don't like paying for cam belt changes, suspension parts, clutches, brake discs
...

Good list. For our main family car, we buy new (or pre-reg or ex-demo or whatever) and keep for 5-6 years. It spreads the cost out reasonably well, and my wife would probably get a bit twitchy driving a car much older than that.

As mentioned above, by that age, some of the bigger consumables start needing replacement, and it gets expensive at main dealers if you don't have the time/equipment/skills to do it yourself.

[AudiWurst]

treetops said:

mini1380cc said:

My uncle gets a new CRV every 3 years, sometimes in the exact same spec. Cars are past their best after 3 years and 20,000 miles you see. The Honda dealership in Fife absolutely love him as he pays screen price and takes rock bottom trade in. He seems happy though.

Any you know this and have done nothing to help him?

Weird.

No. Not weird.

If it was my uncle, and he asked me for help/advice, then sure, I'd help him sell his car privately for a good price, and phone around dealers to get the best price on the new car.

Otherwise, I'd keep my nose out of his affairs. Said uncle is presumably not on the bread line, and is happy with the deal he is getting, so why interfere??

[Petrolhead95]

Both parents have company cars that get changed every 6 months or x amount of miles. Does that count?

[TangerinePool]

panholio said:

How about this...

I like cars, that is why I am on a car forum.
I like new cars because they offer the latest things, I like gadgets, I like bluetooth, I like sat nav, I like my arse warmed etc etc.
I like trying different cars rather than sticking with the same one for years.
I like certainty of costs.
I like suspension set ups that have had no wear.
I like new tyres.
I like minty fresh paint and wheels.

I don't like having to (pay to) fix faults
I don't like paying for tyres or watching some monkey do my wheels in changing them
I don't like paying for cam belt changes, suspension parts, clutches, brake discs etc etc
I don't like breaking down

I could come up with a lot more with more time.

People lease/ finance/ rent cars. This forum needs to get over it.

This.

Also how am I going to buy my next bargain if it hasn't been bought new by someone else!

Horses for courses/live and let live etc. which applies to many threads on PH.

[Engineer1]

jdw1234 said:

I only know a few people who "buy" a new car every few years. The majority (I know) who have this replacement cycle do some sort of lease/rental or have a company car.

I assume people think less about depreciation when it is in relatively affordable monthly payments (or they just don't care).

From personal experience I can spend £200 a month on my car comfortably but running a 100k+ 9 and abit year old car I couldn't reliably save that much as a big bill would come or the money would vanish into the black hole of household funds.

[MrsThatcher]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Monty Python said:

there's no way I'd have spent £42k on my car brand new, knowing that in two years it would lose £17k.

...and in a period of 6 years that means suffering £51,000 of depreciation to drive a £42,000 car.

If you're willing to accept £51,000 of depreciation you might as well consider getting a £70,000 car and keeping it for longer. Slap a £1,000 dateless plate on it and you're laughing.

You and your private plates eh. Or you could save the cash of a dateless plate and pay for a weekend in northern Ireland and pick up something on ni plates

[BoRED S2upid]

No I'd prefer someone else to pay the big chunk of depreciation for me.