Certain marques and their perceived value...

[DiseasalDriver]

I've always been bemused by this. I've always said that I'd never buy a new car for obvious reasons. Well I say never, perhaps if I had an endless pot of money and it wasn't an issue, but I don't and it is.

I've got a 2006 BMW 120d SE 5-door. I'm the second owner from new and it's wanted for nothing, having been originally owned and run by the wife of a wealthy bloke, if it was suggested that something needed doing then it was. Paintwork is quite frankly astonishing for a car of it's age, FBMWSH, interior is showroom condition and I have my dateless plate on it.

I picked it up for £4,000 due to it being a family owned car.

Already I'm sick of the "wow, how can you afford that!?" or "we're paying you too much" type comments. You know the type.

One of which occurred about 20 minutes ago from someone who works in the same building as me... who drives a brand new 2.0 diesel Titanium Ford Focus.

She'll have paid well in excess of £20,000 I'd have thought?

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to revel in it to a certain extent but it is quite tedious. I know, I know, I shouldn't worry what other people think...

But, what's everyone else's experiences of this sort of thing? Just because we're relatively clued up and not wanting to throw our money around...

[Motorrad]

Tell them how much you paid for it, that it's a diesel and that you shop at Netto.

People can be idiots, best to ignore that and get on with it.

[Mr2Mike]

There really are some incredibly thick people around. With the vast number of lower spec. BMWs around now you'd think people would have worked out that they are no longer the unaffordable luxury car that they once were.

[sparks_E39]

I get it with my 140k 12 year old E39 528, worth about £1000, from people with Financed 1.0 stbox Twingo's. I must admit mine looks great for it's age, as I have OEM facelift lights etc.

[E38Ross]

it's ridiculous isn't it.

i get the exact same thing, 23 year old student and i get so many people asking "how can you afford a 7 series!?" etc, little do they know they really aren't that expensive.

it helps i sold my last car for over 4x the purchase price, mind

just ignore them and carry on

[Deluded]

I used to get it about my 3 series compact... People see the badge and assume it cost a fortune. Fact is it was probably the cheapest car in the car park only costing me £1200.

Same with my partners old Mercedes a class. Got the badge so people think its an expensive luxury car. Fact is it cost £3000 and was rusting from the inside out and ended up being sold for half that less than a year later as it was a pile of crap

[TRUENOSAM]

I had one of my neighbours comment on my "posh car, bet that cost a few quid" said car was my 96 406 saloon, granted it was very clean but it was a £500 car at the time

[DiseasalDriver]

I guess to someone who doesn't follow the 'facelift' and the 'new shape which looks similar' updates that BMW are chucking out there that a fairly clean 6 year old £4k 120d (with dateless plate) could look like a brand new 120d at £30k...

My issue is that they then expect me to be shouting them drinks at the bar when in actual fact I'm counting my bronze coins in the hope that I can afford 1/2 a Peroni

[Jasandjules]

Who cares what others think?

[DiseasalDriver]

Jasandjules said:

Who cares what others think?

I'm 100% with you on that. However, sometimes people can use it against you, inadvertently.

[j44esd]

DiseasalDriver said:

However, sometimes people can use it against you, inadvertently.

And this is the problem - I love cars, and because of this I am (perhaps) prepared to commit a larger percentage of my disposable income to one than most, but my carefully researched, well priced older, but historied and tidy car, often gets responses such as those already stated in the thread.

This wouldn't/doesn't bother me but whilst it would be nice to state 'Who cares what anyone else thinks!' it does cross my mind that people may inadvertently use it against you, for example, does your boss see your immaculate 2001 330i/Bargain Barge/1996 S-Class and think:

'Nice car, they're a good buy with a big petrol engine if you don't do a lot of miles as no one wants them'

or

'Nice car, that must have been expensive, no pay rise needed for him!'

It is without doubt an interesting dilemma!

(My most recent car purchase has had people thinking I won the lottery, when of course it cost less than a new Fiesta/Ka - i'm just prepared to pay more to run it than most!)

[BorkFactor]

I have had this quite a few times. My favourite was in the uni car park, a guy on my course (with a brand new 116i) saw my 52 reg Mondeo and said "wow, how on earth can you afford something as nice as that? Must have cost a fortune".

When I changed to an £800 ST24 a girl on my course with a financed MINI was amazed by it, and was convinced it was considerably more expensive than her car.

Oh dear...

[McMacro]

Mr2Mike said:

With the vast number of lower spec. BMWs around now you'd think people would have worked out that they are no longer the unaffordable luxury car that they once were.

I just hope the owners of these cars realise this too, and stop driving like pretentious tts

[Conor D]

DJC said:

I had the same problems in the past with a Volvo 850, S60 and even a Mazda MX5!

I had someone take a stab at the value of my MX5, he said it "Must be five figures anyway.."

It's a 1992 Eunos.

[SV8Predator]

McMacro said:

I just hope the owners of these cars realise this too, and stop driving like pretentious tts

+1

[daemon]

Wifie sold her 2010 Subaru Turbo Nutter that had cost £20K and got a £2K 2000 330Ci Coupe - people thought she'd traded UP

[MondeoMan1981]

I get this sometimes from colleagues in work, about "how I can afford a big car" and how much I "must get paid to afford a Lexus"

Its a Mazda 6 worth about £2k at most.

Irony is the last person to comment about how I can afford such a car runs a 2.0 petrol 4x4, 5 years newer than my Mazda and for a commute twice the distance of me...

[Lordbenny]

I had a red Alpine Renault GTA turbo that cost me £8000, people really thought it was worth £50,000+ and I suppose it looked, and was, a real supercar, some one even shouted 'flash cunt' at me from across the road once, a very proud moment!

[Slinky1989]

So how do these people react when you tell them what your car really cost?

Unfortunately I don't get such comments about my £1600 mx5, although kids think it's a racing car

[NiceCupOfTea]

I've had exactly the same with a £1500 Eunos. It worries me - being self employed I don't want people thinking I've got too much cash!