New car apathy
Discussion
The Olympics and all the fuss around the new Toyota and Subaru got me all excited and I ended up test driving an MX5. Terrific car worthy of all the praise. However, even with the stupid deal I was offered I was still looking at about £300pcm for three years to change. So I've been thumbing through the brochure and thinking about the costs and in the end I let out a huge lung-full of air and said "f*ck it, I can't be bothered".
So I was just wondering if anyone else has looked at the cost to change on top of the normal car ownership costs and decided it just isn't worth it? This isn't about value or new vs used, but rather that in the context of all the other things we have to spend money on, motoring is getting so expensive it's taking the fun out of it. I still consider myself a pistonheads, but I'm not prepared to compromise the rest of my life in order to keep the faith. Am I alone in thinking this way?
So I was just wondering if anyone else has looked at the cost to change on top of the normal car ownership costs and decided it just isn't worth it? This isn't about value or new vs used, but rather that in the context of all the other things we have to spend money on, motoring is getting so expensive it's taking the fun out of it. I still consider myself a pistonheads, but I'm not prepared to compromise the rest of my life in order to keep the faith. Am I alone in thinking this way?
t box ofc) and wonder why anyone would spend a fortune on a new carI kind of get it, having a similar experience at the moment. had a string of evo's and elises over the last 10 years. Since family relocated to lake district i was spending a fortune on fuel in evo's and the elise just didnt have enough room for things like mountain bikes... given the cost of running a performance car and the ever decreasing opportunity to use it i thought feck it so sold up and opted into the company scheme and now have a fully fueled and expensed audi a3. Family problem solved! however, i predicted i would feel this way, I now have a gaping hole in that i havent anything to keep me entertained, as for all its "sport" trim level, the a3 is a numb experience, great on the motorway, but not really any fun.
been looking at semi practical used £10k fun cars this weekend, S2000, 350z, e46 m3 are the front runners in my mind, this will also replace the good womans car, so its a joint affair. But every time i add up the numbers i just think of all the other stuff i could be buying with the cash. I think there is an element of changed mentality following the recession as well, i would think nothing of spending £600pcm on car finance back then but it just doesnt feel right at the moment. Bang for your buck seems to have gone down hill rapidly as well, both in terms of finance rates and also car prices generally vs. income levels.
Perhaps im growing up, although i'd always promised myself i wouldnt do that..... wheres the fun in being a grown up eh?
been looking at semi practical used £10k fun cars this weekend, S2000, 350z, e46 m3 are the front runners in my mind, this will also replace the good womans car, so its a joint affair. But every time i add up the numbers i just think of all the other stuff i could be buying with the cash. I think there is an element of changed mentality following the recession as well, i would think nothing of spending £600pcm on car finance back then but it just doesnt feel right at the moment. Bang for your buck seems to have gone down hill rapidly as well, both in terms of finance rates and also car prices generally vs. income levels.
Perhaps im growing up, although i'd always promised myself i wouldnt do that..... wheres the fun in being a grown up eh?
Agree with OP
Once or twice I thought about swapping my 2004 Alfa 156 Sportwagon JTD Veloce for an Alfa 159 SW TI JTD. I figured I would get about £4,500 for my 156 and then the 159 would cost me about £12,000ish.
My conclusion; I do not think the 159 is worth the additional £7-8,000 outlay as good as it is. I would rather spend £2-3,000 on a GTV V6!
Once or twice I thought about swapping my 2004 Alfa 156 Sportwagon JTD Veloce for an Alfa 159 SW TI JTD. I figured I would get about £4,500 for my 156 and then the 159 would cost me about £12,000ish.
My conclusion; I do not think the 159 is worth the additional £7-8,000 outlay as good as it is. I would rather spend £2-3,000 on a GTV V6!
danjama said:
Pick up a 12 year old MX5 for 1500 in good condition. Win.
Wise words although it would have to be a second car for me.JohnnyMiller has got what I'm going on about. £500 per month goes a long way outside of the motoring world. Whether it is bicycles, golf clubs, holidays home cinema or just a nice financial cushion the cost of unnecessary motoring is looking very expensive. Boring but true.
Jimboka said:
I used to want the latest shiny new thing, but like you I can't be bothered now. It's nice to have a reasonable car which is paid for & no debts. TBH I only get stressed over the latest door ding erc when owning a new car - life's too short!!!
I feel the same way. Just sold my Caterham and although I've looked at new cars I'm in no rush to change. When I was younger I didn't think twice about spending all my money on cars but now I would rather have some money in the bank or use it for holidays, home improvements, meals out, etc. The biggest problem is that my current daily driver does everything I need and is worth less than £2000. I just don't think spending another £10000-12000 on a new (secondhand) car is justified at the moment.My current thinking is to give myself £1000 every few months and use it to buy an interesting second / spare car.
Edited by Ecosseven on Sunday 26th August 21:35
Yeah, I kinda get. I recently sold my Porsche and intended to get a 981. I've spent the last month or so in the BMW 130i I bought for my Mrs and have enjoyed it a lot.
The idea of taking on all the depreciation and expense has been bested by the low cost laughs I've been having, So I got the Mrs a snotter and have adopted the 130i for the indefinite future...
Can't be arsed with the performance car merry go round for now.
The idea of taking on all the depreciation and expense has been bested by the low cost laughs I've been having, So I got the Mrs a snotter and have adopted the 130i for the indefinite future...
Can't be arsed with the performance car merry go round for now.
I've never owned a new car and never wound unless I won the lottery.
I think cars peaked at the turn of the century. Reliability on most cars is very good. Performance is good (I don't care if the new GTXiRS4X special does 187mph compared to the last one's 184mph) Equipment is fine (I don't need an air-conditioned ash tray or electric headrest) and cars from 10 years or so ago looked better without all the modern legislation to comply with.
Article in the paper today quoted some staggering depreciation figures for new cars.
I think cars peaked at the turn of the century. Reliability on most cars is very good. Performance is good (I don't care if the new GTXiRS4X special does 187mph compared to the last one's 184mph) Equipment is fine (I don't need an air-conditioned ash tray or electric headrest) and cars from 10 years or so ago looked better without all the modern legislation to comply with.
Article in the paper today quoted some staggering depreciation figures for new cars.
SonicHedgeHog said:
JohnnyMiller has got what I'm going on about. £500 per month goes a long way outside of the motoring world. Whether it is bicycles, golf clubs, holidays home cinema or just a nice financial cushion the cost of unnecessary motoring is looking very expensive. Boring but true.
Exactly, i havent given up though, im currently looking at S2000's a cheap yet semi practical second car for some roof down fun at weekends. well under 10k looks like a decent proposition, i can cope with that i think.Bought a 2005 car in 2006. Every year since 2008 I have thought of selling it and buying a newer (1-2 year old) car. Never do because there is absolutely no financial justification. The car I have has cost me a total of less than £300 in repairs above the usual servicing, tyres, etc. I could save money on fuel costs with a newer, more efficient car but probably only £350 or so a year and to change the car will cost me £9K-£12. Think I will wait another couple of years.
My daily driver has always been something decent, but worth about 6K. I've had 7 year old 5 series, 2 year old Panda 100hps, 4 year old Alfa 159s, 4 year old Focuses. All decent, presentable modern cars , but I can stomach losing £1k/£2k on them over a couple of years.
I've also bought 'treat cars' like a Cayman or Elise at 3 years old/Half price.
I find this combination costs less than 400pm, even including depreciation on two cars and servicing/insurance.
I always get the itch to change cars, but when I start looking around, there is nothing - literally - that I would buy at new price. I could fancy a 335i or XF when they drop to 10k....but I couldn't stomach them at 2 or 3 times that price.
I just don't get buying an 'everyday' £20k-25k car for 400pm+ (irrespective whether that's capital depreciation, lease or finance). An average earner would have to devote £600+ per month pre-tax to afford this, which is nearly 1/3 of the average UK salary per month. Before putting in any fuel, insurance etc.
I find s/h classifieds exciting and new car adverts boring. Maybe I'm just a cheapskate, but I've got new car apathy too.
I've also bought 'treat cars' like a Cayman or Elise at 3 years old/Half price.
I find this combination costs less than 400pm, even including depreciation on two cars and servicing/insurance.
I always get the itch to change cars, but when I start looking around, there is nothing - literally - that I would buy at new price. I could fancy a 335i or XF when they drop to 10k....but I couldn't stomach them at 2 or 3 times that price.
I just don't get buying an 'everyday' £20k-25k car for 400pm+ (irrespective whether that's capital depreciation, lease or finance). An average earner would have to devote £600+ per month pre-tax to afford this, which is nearly 1/3 of the average UK salary per month. Before putting in any fuel, insurance etc.
I find s/h classifieds exciting and new car adverts boring. Maybe I'm just a cheapskate, but I've got new car apathy too.
If I had about 30k to spend on a new car today, I cannot think of anything that would really excite me, tbh. Taking into account the need to have something a little bit practical,there is just nothing that I particularly hanker after.
So. I am saving it and then get a 996 turbo cab next year!
So. I am saving it and then get a 996 turbo cab next year!
s3fella said:
If I had about 30k to spend on a new car today, I cannot think of anything that would really excite me, tbh. Taking into account the need to have something a little bit practical,there is just nothing that I particularly hanker after.
So. I am saving it and then get a 996 turbo cab next year!
Toyota GT86?So. I am saving it and then get a 996 turbo cab next year!
The first interesting car for a while IMO, haven't seen it in the metal though!
I buy almost everything new (electronics, furniture etc.), to have it on my name + full warranty. I'm fine with that. My way is to hold on to saving until I can afford something really nice that I can keep for a while and so far I've taken great care of things.
I once bought a brand new Monkey Bike (scooter) and it was exciting. But I didn't really feel the same about it. So, cars are an exeption.
First off, I love much of the old stuff. My favorite era is the late 80s and 90s. Enough tech, well engineered and relatively basic cars. These cars cost reasonable, (the icons) don't depreciate ans they have all been decently reliable.
Secondly, I am in no way able to buy new stuff, driving it for a few years, and moving on.
Thirdly, if you are willing, you can have really nice motoring experiences for a low budget.
The only two exeptions, if I have enough money some day, are a brand new BMW picked up from the factory and driven home, tailored to my taste. It's my favourite car maker. And keeping it as long as possible, maybe passing it down to the future generation. I'm not talking sports models, but nice daily drivers. My love for semi-old cars have left me wanting a comfortable car with a warranty where everything just works.
The other exception is a new 458 Italia Spider. In my book all the supercar you could ever need. This I would keep forever.
Other than those mentioned above; will continue to buy old cars at my own comfortable budget.
I once bought a brand new Monkey Bike (scooter) and it was exciting. But I didn't really feel the same about it. So, cars are an exeption.
First off, I love much of the old stuff. My favorite era is the late 80s and 90s. Enough tech, well engineered and relatively basic cars. These cars cost reasonable, (the icons) don't depreciate ans they have all been decently reliable.
Secondly, I am in no way able to buy new stuff, driving it for a few years, and moving on.
Thirdly, if you are willing, you can have really nice motoring experiences for a low budget.
The only two exeptions, if I have enough money some day, are a brand new BMW picked up from the factory and driven home, tailored to my taste. It's my favourite car maker. And keeping it as long as possible, maybe passing it down to the future generation. I'm not talking sports models, but nice daily drivers. My love for semi-old cars have left me wanting a comfortable car with a warranty where everything just works.
The other exception is a new 458 Italia Spider. In my book all the supercar you could ever need. This I would keep forever.
Other than those mentioned above; will continue to buy old cars at my own comfortable budget.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff