Is it just me doesn't understand?

[anonymous-user]

What I don't understand is the logic behind some people's car purchasing choices.

Forget those that need a vehicle to perform a purpose. i.e they have 3 kids, need to pull a trailer, or they need a 4x4 because they live at the end of a farm track and own several labradors. Or they simply need a roomy hatchback as they go camping a lot of something.

Also forget the people that aren't interested in cars as a 'hobby'. I appreciate that for most people a car is something that gets you from A to B, preferably in economical comfort and preferably under warranty.

What I'm talking about are those people that claim a passionate interest in cars and motoring... Then go and spend £30,000 on a brand new Audi/volvo/BMW 2.0 TDi SE 4x4 Sport Estate Avant or whatever...

Or £25,000 on a Golf GTi.

You could get something really cool, fun and individual with that much money.

What set me off thinking was the thread about the new Fiat 500 'Ferrari' edition costing about £30k, and someone exclaimed that you could buy a nice F355 for that. And someone else said a young petrolhead in their office had blown about £25k on some sort of sporty Honda Civic... This sums up my point really, why don't people who love cars actually spend the cash on something that will actually have them dribbling with excitement over the mere prospect of opening the garage door and seeing it?

I don't have bucket loads of cash like some buyers of brand new supercars, but if I get bored of my current car I will genuinely think "right, what's it gonna be for £30k... F355? 360? Another 911? Are Gallardo's in my price range yet?"

I appreciate not everyone wants a 2 seater sports car... But I just can't get my head around it!

Edit: wrote this on a phone and some words got deleted! Can a mod adjust my title for me please!

Edited by NinjaPower on Thursday 29th July 16:44

[Mr Gear]

Consider yourself lucky that some people buy new cars for stupid amounts of money. Without these people, you'd have nothing to choose from second-hand. Simple as that really.

[carter711]

Somebody I know, single, 23, has just spent £30k on a silver 2.0 diseasel A5, and he uses it as a weekend/evening car. Severe lack of imagination

[anonymous-user]

carter711 said:

Somebody I know, single, 23, has just spent £30k on a silver 2.0 diseasel A5, and he uses it as a weekend/evening car. Severe lack of imagination

This is exactly what I am referring to!

[Craigwww]

NinjaPower said:

What I don't understand is the logic behind some people's car purchasing choices.

Forget those that need a vehicle to perform a purpose. i.e they have 3 kids, need to pull a trailer, or they need a 4x4 because they live at the end of a farm track and own several labradors. Or they simply need a roomy hatchback as they go camping a lot of something.

Also forget the people that aren't interested in cars as a 'hobby'. I appreciate that for most people a car is something that gets you from A to B, preferably in economical comfort and preferably under warranty.

What I'm talking about are those people that claim a passionate interest in cars and motoring... Then go and spend £30,000 on a brand new Audi/volvo/BMW 2.0 TDi SE 4x4 Sport Estate Avant or whatever...

Or £25,000 on a Golf GTi.

You could get something really cool, fun and individual with that much money.

What set me off thinking was the thread about the new Fiat 500 'Ferrari' edition costing about £30k, and someone exclaimed that you could buy a nice F355 for that. And someone else said a young petrolhead in their office had blown about £25k on some sort of sporty Honda Civic... This sums up my point really, why don't people who love cars actually spend the cash on something that will actually have them dribbling with excitement over the mere prospect of opening the garage door and seeing it?

I don't have bucket loads of cash like some buyers of brand new supercars, but if I get bored of my current car I will genuinely think "right, what's it gonna be for £30k... F355? 360? Another 911? Are Gallardo's in my price range yet?"

I appreciate not everyone wants a 2 seater sports car... But I just can't get my head around it!

#

Totally agree with you here, I spend most days trawling the internet looking for the most outrageous and sporty cars in my price range. I would never shell out for a brand new car when there is so many exciting cars out there for half the price.

I believe that for some people the kudos gained from driving a brand new car is more appealing than driving a more exciting older car. A friend of mine just spent £38k on a Audi A3, no one even notices it driving past.

[idge]

Because most of us have to think about maintainability, day to day drivability, depreciation and other boring stuff as well

[Curry Burns]

His money/his choice/not a petrolhead

Choose one of the above.

[pilchardthecat]

Spending 30k on a warrantied diesel new-thing requires less money form ongoing costs, and these are at predictable amounts.

Spending 30k on an unwarrantied guzzly older thing requires more ongoing financial commitment, much of which is uncertain.

I've done both things several times, so i can see the logic from both sides

[Crusoe]

Most don't have the cash either just buying in the low deposit £400 a month route so could not afford to run something more expensive that might have unexpected costs or that needed to be bought outright second hand.

[Crusoe]

[redacted]

[PIGINAWIG]

It's just you.........

And day time running lights on ya porker as a 'mod'.........

Definitely just you!!

Edited by PIGINAWIG on Thursday 29th July 17:01

[Zad]

Most of it is down to peer pressure, specifically what cars the other people in the same office / department / whatever drive, and what the mums driving Jacinta and Cecil to school in. Exactly the same as women and handbags / shoes etc. They all claim "it's for me" but in reality it is keeping up with the Joneses.

[carter711]

[redacted]

[unpc]

A lot of the parents at my daughters school drive some wildly expensive exotica, such as DB9s, DBS's, Ferraris, Porsches etc. but nothing collectible for instance. It's all about showing their wealth. For that money there's many many more cars I'd buy than these. Give me a proper fettled E-type or classic front engined Ferrari or an old Vantage any day. Yes, yes I know you can't use these everyday but the cars they buy tend to be used as occasional cars too. I'd avoid the depreciation hit too.

[anonymous-user]

idge said:

Because most of us have to think about maintainability, day to day drivability, depreciation and other boring stuff as well

I see your point, but something like the quoted A5 is going to absolutely plummet in value, unlike a £27k Ferrari F355 which can't seriously drop much more over a few years.

Plus a decently maintained sportscar shouldn't give anyone too much hassle. My mum has owned an Audi A3 2.0 TDI S-Line from new and it's not 3 years old yet, but just and so out of warranty due to the mileage... And has promptly started falling to bits and has developed a horrible knocking sound from the engine... My brothers 4 year old A3 suddenly suffered a porous head for no reason meaning it needed £800 worth of work... At only 61k miles.

So I'm not convinced about the bomb-proof reliability people seek in a new or virtually new car.

[ukwill]

unpc said:

A lot of the parents at my daughters school drive some wildly expensive exotica, such as DB9s, DBS's, Ferraris, Porsches etc. but nothing collectible for instance. It's all about showing their wealth. For that money there's many many more cars I'd buy than these. Give me a proper fettled E-type or classic front engined Ferrari or an old Vantage any day. Yes, yes I know you can't use these everyday but the cars they buy tend to be used as occasional cars too. I'd avoid the depreciation hit too.

There's fk all wrong with wishing to buy DB9's, DBS's, Ferrari's or Pork over an old classic.

[anonymous-user]

PIGINAWIG said:

It's just you.........

And day time running lights on ya porker as a 'mod'.........

Definitely just you!!

Edited by PIGINAWIG on Thursday 29th July 17:01

I don't have 'daytime' lights... I have LED sidelight bulbs replacing the old 'candle yellow' incandescent bulbs. They only come on with the sidelights setting as you would expect.

[ukwill]

OP, not everyone looks at a car purchase the same way you do.

[Cock Womble 7]

idge said:

Because most of us have to think about maintainability, day to day drivability, depreciation and other boring stuff as well.

Defeatist.

[anonymous-user]

ukwill said:

OP, not everyone looks at a car purchase the same way you do.

I realise that, and I know everyone is different. But I was just wondering how many others share my view, and it seems a few do.