my son wants to buy a subaru
Discussion
doogz said:
paulmoonraker said:
And that's part of the problem, when they finally let go invariably you are going very, very fast, and if you don't react quick enough or know what to do then you'll wipe out... Doing track days in mine has really shown me both sides of the story...
So it's not really the car that's the problem. Someone that'd drive their Impreza hard, probably drives their BMW hard. IMO, the 4WD grip, followed by the 'understeer first' handling makes them reasonably safe as road cars.doogz said:
Actually, if your car just "finally let go" it was broken. You can feel it coming a long way away, it'll only let go if you do something silly like press the brake, or let go of everything, mid corner.]
Again, part of the whole 'experience' thing... Both in terms of knowing its about to happen and what to do... As others have said, taking out a £7k loan over 5 years isn't a problem if you're buying something like an Astra and you're a bit hard up - because the Astra is less likely to hit you with unexpected bills.
However something like an Impreza is MUCH more likely to suddenly chuck £500-£1000 bills at you with little or no warning. The tax, insurance, fuel, servicing and repair costs on these cars is pretty high, and I'd say that's not really compatible with his circumstances (as indicated by the length of the relatively small loan.)
So I'm not saying that buying a car with a loan is a bad thing, far from it it's actually very common. However the issue in this particular instance is that the value and length of the proposed loan INDICATES that the borrower is a bit hard up, and it's THAT which indicates that the RUNNING COSTS of the car might lay beyond his means.
However something like an Impreza is MUCH more likely to suddenly chuck £500-£1000 bills at you with little or no warning. The tax, insurance, fuel, servicing and repair costs on these cars is pretty high, and I'd say that's not really compatible with his circumstances (as indicated by the length of the relatively small loan.)
So I'm not saying that buying a car with a loan is a bad thing, far from it it's actually very common. However the issue in this particular instance is that the value and length of the proposed loan INDICATES that the borrower is a bit hard up, and it's THAT which indicates that the RUNNING COSTS of the car might lay beyond his means.
doogz said:
Really? Such as?
- Diff- Gearbox
- Turbo
^ more likely to break on a Subrau than an Astra.
(I don't know exactly what system controls the 4WD system on an Impreza, but on my Evo I had the AYC pump fail, which required stripping and rebuild at a cost of circa £700 IIRC. I've also had a BMW where the turbo failed, and a replacement unit was about £1k plus fitting.)
paulmoonraker said:
bomb said:
He will buy the car. He will realise after about 6 months that its far too expensive to run.
His girlfriend will want a home to set up. He cannot afford a house deposit. She will dump him and he will sell the car.
Next 6 years will be spent getting rid of that loan, and he will cycle to work, from Mam and Dads house.
By the time he is 30, all the nice girls will be married.
He will then consider getting a boyfriend...........
His girlfriend will want a home to set up. He cannot afford a house deposit. She will dump him and he will sell the car.
Next 6 years will be spent getting rid of that loan, and he will cycle to work, from Mam and Dads house.
By the time he is 30, all the nice girls will be married.
He will then consider getting a boyfriend...........
Getting an STi can turn you gay...
A lot of s
t spouted on this type of thread as usual.
OP
Your son sounds a little daft if he thinks he can run an Impreza on £15k a year AND also afford to get a place with his girlfriend. Not going to happen.
That said he is old enough now to make his own stupid mistakes, quite frankly he should know better at 25 years old but I guess it's just a sign of the way our 'youth' behave.
I'll tell you now, not sure where you reside but an Impreza WILL cost more than £900 PA to insure. Think closer to £2k.
The fuel bill will also cripple him as it would most people, only achieving 20mpg.
Lastly, he'll come to resent that five year loan when he only keeps the car for a year tops.
t spouted on this type of thread as usual.OP
Your son sounds a little daft if he thinks he can run an Impreza on £15k a year AND also afford to get a place with his girlfriend. Not going to happen.
That said he is old enough now to make his own stupid mistakes, quite frankly he should know better at 25 years old but I guess it's just a sign of the way our 'youth' behave.
I'll tell you now, not sure where you reside but an Impreza WILL cost more than £900 PA to insure. Think closer to £2k.
The fuel bill will also cripple him as it would most people, only achieving 20mpg.
Lastly, he'll come to resent that five year loan when he only keeps the car for a year tops.
6fire said:
, and they start slapping.
He will buy the car. He will realise after about 6 months that its far too expensive to run.His girlfriend will want a home to set up. He cannot afford a house deposit. She will dump him and he will get involved with a cheap slapper.
Next 6 years will be spent getting rid of that loan, and he will cycle to work, from Mam and Dads house.
By the time he is 30, all the nice girls will be married.
He will then consider getting a boyfriend...........
Little but of editing for you.
Make sure he has fully compo, make sure he is is'nt looking to spend 7k on the first one advertised at that price (sellers dream buyer) when its only worth 4k. Just because its twice the price does not mean its worth it. If there are other cars of the same year model at half the price that is what its worth!
He will crash it, it will get written off, he won't be able to afford to run it, it will be sat on your drive in bits when it starts rattling will it will do.
Get him to spend 2k on one instead & he still wont be able to fuel in it.
As a quick test: Ask him if you can borrow £80 to fill the car up now
as you need to do a trip 100 miles away & back. My bet is he can't afford it 
He will crash it, it will get written off, he won't be able to afford to run it, it will be sat on your drive in bits when it starts rattling will it will do.
Get him to spend 2k on one instead & he still wont be able to fuel in it.
As a quick test: Ask him if you can borrow £80 to fill the car up now
as you need to do a trip 100 miles away & back. My bet is he can't afford it bomb said:
Oh yes.
Its a very common trait amongst the Subaru driver community.
Just you wait and see........
This is'nt as bad as it used to be, although it does still exist. Subarus are much more mainstream now. When i first started working on them in 1992, the primary owners were dykes, and nutty proffesor types. Especially when the Foresters came out. Pardon the pun. Its a very common trait amongst the Subaru driver community.
Just you wait and see........
I would also like to mention farting around looking for something funny to add to this post, i found this. An add like this would never fly in the US, outside of a San Francisco local ad maybe. I'm glad to see it has some kind of European tag, but i can't see the wheel or the wipers, and the ad is in English. Why in Heck would Subaru do this i wonder? Turning 90% of a population away from their product? Could this ad be real? Hillarious however.
Edited by OLDS on Sunday 29th January 21:25
Tonberry said:
doogz said:
Indeed!2. You obviously weren't spending your entire time driving around town as I assume this lad will be, given the impression his father has given us.
As you were.
Subaru threads really do bring out a mixed bag of comments.
OP, your son cannot afford a Scooby. It is as simple as that.
24 with no history of performance cars he will pay at least £1500 (approximately 10% of his total income) to the insurance company, he will get at best 28mpg from a bog spec turbo during town driving (he won't at first he'll get 18mpg but after 6 months he will have learned the hyper miler techniques that most Scooby drivers use in traffic) and if he gets an interest free loan we would be paying approx £116 a month.
So for 250 miles a month he will pay:
£150 - insurance
£116 (minimum) - loan
£80 (one tank) - petrol
£346 before tax and servicing on monthly take home pay of around £950ish.
Are you prepared for him to live with you indefinitely?
Tell him to get an MR2, MX5, 328 or any of the other highly respected cheap fun cars that most people have a soft spot for. Then when he can afford it he can upgrade.
OP, your son cannot afford a Scooby. It is as simple as that.
24 with no history of performance cars he will pay at least £1500 (approximately 10% of his total income) to the insurance company, he will get at best 28mpg from a bog spec turbo during town driving (he won't at first he'll get 18mpg but after 6 months he will have learned the hyper miler techniques that most Scooby drivers use in traffic) and if he gets an interest free loan we would be paying approx £116 a month.
So for 250 miles a month he will pay:
£150 - insurance
£116 (minimum) - loan
£80 (one tank) - petrol
£346 before tax and servicing on monthly take home pay of around £950ish.
Are you prepared for him to live with you indefinitely?
Tell him to get an MR2, MX5, 328 or any of the other highly respected cheap fun cars that most people have a soft spot for. Then when he can afford it he can upgrade.
omgus said:
Subaru threads really do bring out a mixed bag of comments.
OP, your son cannot afford a Scooby. It is as simple as that.
24 with no history of performance cars he will pay at least £1500 (approximately 10% of his total income) to the insurance company, he will get at best 28mpg from a bog spec turbo during town driving (he won't at first he'll get 18mpg but after 6 months he will have learned the hyper miler techniques that most Scooby drivers use in traffic) and if he gets an interest free loan we would be paying approx £116 a month.
So for 250 miles a month he will pay:
£150 - insurance
£116 (minimum) - loan
£80 (one tank) - petrol
£346 before tax and servicing on monthly take home pay of around £950ish.
Are you prepared for him to live with you indefinitely?
Tell him to get an MR2, MX5, 328 or any of the other highly respected cheap fun cars that most people have a soft spot for. Then when he can afford it he can upgrade.
omgus is kind of right. It does sound harsh but when you look at the numbers, he could have one - but he probably couldn't have much else.OP, your son cannot afford a Scooby. It is as simple as that.
24 with no history of performance cars he will pay at least £1500 (approximately 10% of his total income) to the insurance company, he will get at best 28mpg from a bog spec turbo during town driving (he won't at first he'll get 18mpg but after 6 months he will have learned the hyper miler techniques that most Scooby drivers use in traffic) and if he gets an interest free loan we would be paying approx £116 a month.
So for 250 miles a month he will pay:
£150 - insurance
£116 (minimum) - loan
£80 (one tank) - petrol
£346 before tax and servicing on monthly take home pay of around £950ish.
Are you prepared for him to live with you indefinitely?
Tell him to get an MR2, MX5, 328 or any of the other highly respected cheap fun cars that most people have a soft spot for. Then when he can afford it he can upgrade.
Also, as noted the above doesn't include:
- Road Tax
- Routine Servicing (i.e. oil, filters, air filter, brake fluid etc)
- Routine Maintenance (i.e. brake pads, brake discs, clutch, tyres etc)
- Unscheduled Maintenance (i.e. stuff breaking like the aforementioned diffs, gearboxes and turbos. You have to cross your fingers, but on modded cars driven hard these parts will not last forever, so the bill has to happen to someone.)
Someone should figure out how much extra per month needs to go in the "car fund" savings account to pay for the routine stuff like oil servicing and brakes/tyres and leave the unscheduled for the time being, because if omgus' calc's above havn't driven the point home yet, then taking into account even those PREDICTABLE bills will see an even bigger slice of his monthly income gone - let alone the unexpected bills.
It's not the news you want to have to pass on, because "not being able to afford" something does "feel" to that person like a crap reason not to have it - but in the real world it is actually a very powerful reason.
Sometimes in life you just have to cut your coat according to your cloth
My Scooby cost me £10k in maintenance, services and a couple of mods over 4 years, plus £4k in insurance, and as a modified STI never bettered 30 mpg, averaged 20mpg over 30k miles and I once managed 6.5mpg over a tank.
My sums were very generous for a fast impreza that is used every day. They are superb cars, but they can have immense running costs.
My sums were very generous for a fast impreza that is used every day. They are superb cars, but they can have immense running costs.
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