New car anxiety - am I weird?!?

[Boxstercol]

I’m giving myself a bit of a hard time about a new car purchase & am wondering if other folk feel the same or whether I’m wired up wrong….

I’ve ordered a new car, quite a nice one & it’s my first new car I’ve ever had. I should be enjoying the wait, it’s due to be delivered in next 2/3 weeks & I’m constantly questioning myself about whether I’m doing the right thing or not. It’s really starting to get me down now.

I’ve had my existing daily driver for 8 years, bought as an 11 month old demo car, it’s low mileage, in excellent condition with a full dealer history - in fact it would stand head & shoulders above other similar vehicles. But, my annual mileage has reduced & it’s a diesel, I’m certainly not doing enough miles to warrant a diesel, however it is incredibly cheap to run.

The new car is a lot quicker / sportier in comparison, but will cost a lot more to run (especially with the rip off car tax!), however man maths can justify the decision.

It’s not about the financial side at all, I can afford the upgrade, but am sad about getting rid of my existing ‘boring’ car.

Is this a normal thought process or am I just nuts?!?

[Alex Z]

Perfectly natural to have doubts whether you're doing the right thing

[Slowboathome]

Boxstercol said:

I’m giving myself a bit of a hard time about a new car purchase & am wondering if other folk feel the same or whether I’m wired up wrong….

I’ve ordered a new car, quite a nice one & it’s my first new car I’ve ever had. I should be enjoying the wait, it’s due to be delivered in next 2/3 weeks & I’m constantly questioning myself about whether I’m doing the right thing or not. It’s really starting to get me down now.

I’ve had my existing daily driver for 8 years, bought as an 11 month old demo car, it’s low mileage, in excellent condition with a full dealer history - in fact it would stand head & shoulders above other similar vehicles. But, my annual mileage has reduced & it’s a diesel, I’m certainly not doing enough miles to warrant a diesel, however it is incredibly cheap to run.

The new car is a lot quicker / sportier in comparison, but will cost a lot more to run (especially with the rip off car tax!), however man maths can justify the decision.

It’s not about the financial side at all, I can afford the upgrade, but am sad about getting rid of my existing ‘boring’ car.

Is this a normal thought process or am I just nuts?!?

I completely identify with this. My solution has been to drive my old cars into the ground and spend my money on stuff like travel.

But that's just one person's view. I'm sure other posters will be able to offer more helpful insights!

[vikingaero]

I get more anxious about ensuring the old car being part-exchanged for the new car is not damaged or has any new problems.

A few decades ago I arranged to part-ex my Citroen AX GT fot a Civic VTi. Friend came along and asked to borrow a car and the cheeky bugger put 4 thousand extra miles on it in a couple of weeks. Luckily the dealer didn't notice or didn't care, but I put my friend on notice that he was stumping up any lost part-ex value.

[Boxstercol]

Alex Z said:

Perfectly natural to have doubts whether you're doing the right thing

Thanks - how do I stop it??

[Janluke]

Fairly normal I think. I absolutely love and hate car shopping at the same time

[Boxstercol]

vikingaero said:

I get more anxious about ensuring the old car being part-exchanged for the new car is not damaged or has any new problems.

A few decades ago I arranged to part-ex my Citroen AX GT fot a Civic VTi. Friend came along and asked to borrow a car and the cheeky bugger put 4 thousand extra miles on it in a couple of weeks. Luckily the dealer didn't notice or didn't care, but I put my friend on notice that he was stumping up any lost part-ex value.

Yeah, I get that. Dealer has offered me a fair part ex price on basis of condition, it’s a few hundred more than WBAC. Went to a safari park this week & refused to drive it around whilst there!

[Super Sonic]

Boxstercol said:

Thanks - how do I stop it??

Enjoy your new car.

[Boxstercol]

Slowboathome said:

I completely identify with this. My solution has been to drive my old cars into the ground and spend my money on stuff like travel.

But that's just one person's view. I'm sure other posters will be able to offer more helpful insights!

Understand this point too, probably why I’m tormenting myself over the decision. I know that my existing car would absolutely have no problem in covering the expected mileage I’m likely to do over the next few years so really don’t know why I’ve sown the seed & started thinking of changing it.

Part of me thinks that it may be the last chance I have at a new petrol car with current changes etc, plus work situation may change in next 2/3 years & then may not be in position to buy a new car.

[Muzzer79]

Boxstercol said:

Alex Z said:

Perfectly natural to have doubts whether you're doing the right thing

Thanks - how do I stop it??

Once you get the new car, you'll forget these anxieties and enjoy it.

Besides, remind yourself what is there to be anxious about?

It's a nice car (presumably)
You can afford it
You want it

You're giving up your old car, but that's to progress to something new and better - take it as a positive.

[grumbledoak]

I don't think it's unusual after any non-trivial purchase. Google "buyer's remorse".

[Horbury56]

Not unusual at all. However, remember: cars make excellent servants but poor masters. Use your new car, take pleasure in it. I think you'll be fine.

[Monkeylegend]

What car are you getting and what do you currently have?

I have spent the last 6 months looking for a new to me car and have never in my life found it so difficult to actually buy a different car.

[loskie]

How do you stop it?

Don't buy it and buy a st box that you won't mind parking anywhere and don't have high monthly repayments on.


Similarly to you I leased a new Q5 (to me an expensive car not for most here on PH admittedly but I'm a pleb). It was a great car but for me and my rural fairly utilitarian life far too fancy. Once the lease ended I bought a used private Golf estate.. No monthly payments, no worry about car park damage or the dog jumping in all muddy. Logs can be carried too. The feeling is quite liberating

[Boxstercol]

Lots of valid points, thanks everyone.

For context, the car I’ve got is a BMW 320D MSport, the car I’m getting is a BMW M235i Gran Coupe. I know that some don’t like the styling, but for me a saloon with 4 doors was a must. I initially looked at an S3 saloon, but the constant forum reads of thefts put me off entirely.

The M235i is a bit more low key, which I like.

[Monkeylegend]

Boxstercol said:

Lots of valid points, thanks everyone.

For context, the car I’ve got is a BMW 320D MSport, the car I’m getting is a BMW M235i Gran Coupe. I know that some don’t like the styling, but for me a saloon with 4 doors was a must. I initially looked at an S3 saloon, but the constant forum reads of thefts put me off entirely.

The M235i is a bit more low key, which I like.

The thing that would put me off is all the nannying technology in new cars as per the other thread on here.

[daqinggregg]

For most of us, who are not absolutely rolling in lolly, any significant capital intensive purchase is bound to involve some apprehension.

[geeks]

vikingaero said:

I get more anxious about ensuring the old car being part-exchanged for the new car is not damaged or has any new problems.

A few decades ago I arranged to part-ex my Citroen AX GT fot a Civic VTi. Friend came along and asked to borrow a car and the cheeky bugger put 4 thousand extra miles on it in a couple of weeks. Luckily the dealer didn't notice or didn't care, but I put my friend on notice that he was stumping up any lost part-ex value.

I got unlucky when trading in my A4 for my Abarth, the Italian summer shutdown meant my car was delayed (despite dealer insisting order was placed ahead of time) oil pump shaft failed on my A4, cost me over a grand in the end as the turbo shat itself too, ontop of that the dealer then tried to knock my trade in price down as the milage had gone up and it was now 2 months older than when I was supposed to be getting my car, fortunately I won that particular argument.

[Skeptisk]

I don’t think I could buy another expensive car. I just find it hard to justify the additional cost compared to marginal benefit. Partly it is down to lifestyle. Almost all my driving is in town with the occasional longer trip involving the motorway. Pretty much no fun drives (I have a motorcycle for that). So why pay £100k for a Porsche when a £25k Golf will be just as good most of the time, for a fraction of the cost?

I did test this a few years back. I got a new job and needed a car to commute. I didn’t have much time so just got an Aygo. A year or so later I swapped it for a very nice 997 C2. However I didn’t really get to use the Porsche for any proper driving and it was a pain having to find a good spot in the car park and worrying about theft or damage (whereas I never gave a thought to the Aygo).

Also need to take into account that I’m quite old and had lots of nice cars in the past so have scratched that itch thoroughly.

[LordGrover]

You are not alone - although I'm probably guilty of being worse.

This year I've twice paid a deposit on new cars and twice I cancelled. Just bottled it.
Third time lucky - I now have a very nice car and hoping very much that I made a wise decision.

Time will tell...