Why do buyers of £50k cars care about MPG?
Discussion
Why is MPG so important on cars like the E/S class, 5/7 series, A6/A8?
Why are people happy to pay £5k for a pack that gives them leather seats and a few other comforts but aren't willing to pay £5k extra over 3 years to fuel a smoother engine?
Is it simply because they are happy to give a car company extra money but don't want to give the tax man extra fuel duty?
Why are people happy to pay £5k for a pack that gives them leather seats and a few other comforts but aren't willing to pay £5k extra over 3 years to fuel a smoother engine?
Is it simply because they are happy to give a car company extra money but don't want to give the tax man extra fuel duty?
MercAudi342 said:
Why is MPG so important on cars like the E/S class, 5/7 series, A6/A8?
Why are people happy to pay £5k for a pack that gives them leather seats and a few other comforts but aren't willing to pay £5k extra over 3 years to fuel a smoother engine?
Is it simply because they are happy to give a car company extra money but don't want to give the tax man extra fuel duty?
Tax on company cars is a major part. That's why I baled in the late 90's. Like many others, I just bought something with a proper engine instead of the diesel version being forced on me.Why are people happy to pay £5k for a pack that gives them leather seats and a few other comforts but aren't willing to pay £5k extra over 3 years to fuel a smoother engine?
Is it simply because they are happy to give a car company extra money but don't want to give the tax man extra fuel duty?
I went for a turbo petrol 4 followed by 4 x V8's.
Why would I want something that sounded like an FX4?
Because after handing over the 5k, they have something they care about (nice seats) while having to hand over another £100 every 400 miles instead of every 700 miles feels like they're being robbed. Also, the 5k may well be wrapped into their monthly bill. Also, if it's a company car they'll get screwed on the BIK, and in fact their company probably won't give them the choice.
Might also mean a few less trips to the garage over the year, having once had a 40 mile round trip commute I couldn't believe how regularly I needed to fill up (every four days). Impreza WRX not a fuel efficient car and combined with a tiny fuel tank I got frustrated with the visits to the petrol station .
Edited by mikeyr on Tuesday 8th June 19:21
I'm assuming you are comparing a Petrol model with the equivalent Diesel model?
I would say most of them are bought through company schemes where the BIK comes in to play.
I don't know how the UK systems work, but would hazard a guess that the tax implications for a Diesel car are much less than a Petrol.
You only have to look at the BIK benefits of electric cars to see this in action.
I would say most of them are bought through company schemes where the BIK comes in to play.
I don't know how the UK systems work, but would hazard a guess that the tax implications for a Diesel car are much less than a Petrol.
You only have to look at the BIK benefits of electric cars to see this in action.
MercAudi342 said:
Why are people happy to pay £5k for a pack that gives them leather seats and a few other comforts but aren't willing to pay £5k extra over 3 years to fuel a smoother engine?
Because they won't be paying for the car, they will be leading / hiring it (does anyone pay cash for a £50k saloon?). The options cost will be masked by the monthly payment and the increased future value will offset some of the cost.Spending more on options gets you more stuff. Spending more on fuel just means less money to spend on stuff. Most probably think that a 2.0 turbo diesel is plenty suited to the job (it probably is for most) and they won't want to pay higher co2 based tax.
MikeM6 said:
MercAudi342 said:
Why are people happy to pay £5k for a pack that gives them leather seats and a few other comforts but aren't willing to pay £5k extra over 3 years to fuel a smoother engine?
Because they won't be paying for the car, they will be leading / hiring it (does anyone pay cash for a £50k saloon?). The options cost will be masked by the monthly payment and the increased future value will offset some of the cost.Spending more on options gets you more stuff. Spending more on fuel just means less money to spend on stuff. Most probably think that a 2.0 turbo diesel is plenty suited to the job (it probably is for most) and they won't want to pay higher co2 based tax.
Agree though if the car is just going to go up and down motorways every day then modern 2.0TD engines are more than upto the task and comfy seats + a good stereo make more sense for the money.
Baldchap said:
I don't care about MPG. If I did I'd own diesels.
If there was a cost option to remove stop/start, I'd choose it.
If there was a cost option to remove stop/start, I'd choose it.
You really think Stop/Start exists to save the purchaser money? I bet you think 'space saver' tyres are also mainly about saving space too?
BTW I too would spec. out stop/start given the choice, but the reason that choice would never be offered is because then every model of that car would be classified the same for CO2 emissions for the worst-case scenario (ie. stop/start deleted) thus harming the manufacturer's product average and leaving them at risk of (very burdensome) penalties.
Stop/start is a (legal) emissions compliance trick, not a money saving device.
Edited by Evercross on Tuesday 8th June 18:03
Why?
Because they're the sort of people who've been up all night for two consecutive nights anxiously spreadsheeting absolutely every cost involved in running a car anybody could think of, even down to working out exactly how much every second of use of the screenwashers adds to their annual water bill and how many times a year they could get away with sneaking a 50p piece out of the kids money box for the forecourt air compressor to ensure the tyres are always at the absolute optimum pressure to save a pipette of fuel each week.
Even though they've been nursing a semi between glancing out the window at the empty space on the drive and flicking back and fourth between the Very Shiny Car online configurator and the spreadsheet no matter how they jiggle the numbers the final column tells them they can't quite afford it.
But another spreadsheet tells them if they go without holidays and feed their kids beans on toast for the next three years and flog all their toys on Gumtree they might just be able to scrape into a £50k car with a respectable number of option boxes ticked bracket so they can tell all their friends and workmates.
Decisions. Decisions.
Because they're the sort of people who've been up all night for two consecutive nights anxiously spreadsheeting absolutely every cost involved in running a car anybody could think of, even down to working out exactly how much every second of use of the screenwashers adds to their annual water bill and how many times a year they could get away with sneaking a 50p piece out of the kids money box for the forecourt air compressor to ensure the tyres are always at the absolute optimum pressure to save a pipette of fuel each week.
Even though they've been nursing a semi between glancing out the window at the empty space on the drive and flicking back and fourth between the Very Shiny Car online configurator and the spreadsheet no matter how they jiggle the numbers the final column tells them they can't quite afford it.
But another spreadsheet tells them if they go without holidays and feed their kids beans on toast for the next three years and flog all their toys on Gumtree they might just be able to scrape into a £50k car with a respectable number of option boxes ticked bracket so they can tell all their friends and workmates.
Decisions. Decisions.
Olivergt said:
I'm assuming you are comparing a Petrol model with the equivalent Diesel model?
I would say most of them are bought through company schemes where the BIK comes in to play.
I don't know how the UK systems work, but would hazard a guess that the tax implications for a Diesel car are much less than a Petrol.
You only have to look at the BIK benefits of electric cars to see this in action.
Not really much lessI would say most of them are bought through company schemes where the BIK comes in to play.
I don't know how the UK systems work, but would hazard a guess that the tax implications for a Diesel car are much less than a Petrol.
You only have to look at the BIK benefits of electric cars to see this in action.
Picking the cheapest merc option, a Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon C 300 AMG Line Edition 9G-TRONIC PLUS vs the diesel equivalent
BIK for a C300 at 40% = £5,757 this year
BIK for a C300d at 40% = £5,384 this year
For the more lowly choices I had the diesel was more expensive due to higher list prices. The company saving comes on lower lease and fuel (via MPG) costs
Depends what purpose you want a car for.... I have a nice 5 series touring but in 520d form. I have other vehicles for other entertainment- therefore I don’t need to drive it quickly and may as well have something economical for bigger miles, just wasteful (for me) to have a different engine.
I’m not monitoring mpg specifically but having a different engine was unnecessary.
I’m not monitoring mpg specifically but having a different engine was unnecessary.
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