Middle class chap car of choice in your manor
Discussion
What is the definition of middle class?
By what’s written I must be middle class with a x4 m40i and xc40 but looking at me you’d think I was one of these gangsters people mention. I’m 33 and wouldn’t class myself as anything.
I live a stone throw away from billionaires row in north London where a flat alone will cost you £15m and I can tell you most of them do not care what’s on their drive way and seeing them drive on the street you would never be able to tell either.
The same goes for my mum who lives in an affluent area of North west London where you avg house price is £2m they don’t care about what’s on their drive.
My friend lives in St. John’s Wood in a £30m house but drives a VW UP.
My uncle lives in a 14 bedroom house worth several millions and drives a 1999 Chrysler voyager.
My point is why label people based on what they drive or what’s on their driveway when we don’t have a clue. All this generalisation is what is wrong with the world.
By what’s written I must be middle class with a x4 m40i and xc40 but looking at me you’d think I was one of these gangsters people mention. I’m 33 and wouldn’t class myself as anything.
I live a stone throw away from billionaires row in north London where a flat alone will cost you £15m and I can tell you most of them do not care what’s on their drive way and seeing them drive on the street you would never be able to tell either.
The same goes for my mum who lives in an affluent area of North west London where you avg house price is £2m they don’t care about what’s on their drive.
My friend lives in St. John’s Wood in a £30m house but drives a VW UP.
My uncle lives in a 14 bedroom house worth several millions and drives a 1999 Chrysler voyager.
My point is why label people based on what they drive or what’s on their driveway when we don’t have a clue. All this generalisation is what is wrong with the world.
I suspect the working middle class are normally leased/PCP'd to the eyeballs on two £40k+ cars parked on the drive. Probably of the XC60 or X3 or Discovery variety.
The middle class with actual wealth, rather than simply a high monthly income, are more likely to be driving a £3k subaru legacy that they've had from new.
The middle class with actual wealth, rather than simply a high monthly income, are more likely to be driving a £3k subaru legacy that they've had from new.
I noticed one section of street in Queens Park yesterday with no less than six black MPV's clustered together - four nose to tail on one side, two opposite. In amongst all the mum-tankery was a Macan, a GLC and a Volvo. There are also loads of Mitsubishi PHEV's round that way.
If the locals can tear themselves away from their "rugged lifestyle choices" Tesla Model 3's are massively on the rise.
If the locals can tear themselves away from their "rugged lifestyle choices" Tesla Model 3's are massively on the rise.
Not sure what constitutes middle class because I live in tiny hamlet in non-commuter countryside.
Several proper 4X4s and pickups, mostly towing trailers and often covered in mud. They were certainly useful when the road was out and we had to go round the edges of fields or a 30 minute diversion. The only time when I really wished I'd had one.
Other than that it's a bit of a mix. Plus a modified 309 diesel that practically drags on the floor, now idea how he copes with the bumps round here - we've had 5 broken wheels. Not to mention suspension arms, droplinks, springs etc.
Oh and tractors. Lots of tractors.
Several proper 4X4s and pickups, mostly towing trailers and often covered in mud. They were certainly useful when the road was out and we had to go round the edges of fields or a 30 minute diversion. The only time when I really wished I'd had one.
Other than that it's a bit of a mix. Plus a modified 309 diesel that practically drags on the floor, now idea how he copes with the bumps round here - we've had 5 broken wheels. Not to mention suspension arms, droplinks, springs etc.
Oh and tractors. Lots of tractors.
PTF said:
I suspect the working middle class are normally leased/PCP'd to the eyeballs on two £40k+ cars parked on the drive. Probably of the XC60 or X3 or Discovery variety.
The middle class with actual wealth, rather than simply a high monthly income, are more likely to be driving a £3k subaru legacy that they've had from new.
Trust me they won’t. The middle class with actual wealth, rather than simply a high monthly income, are more likely to be driving a £3k subaru legacy that they've had from new.
PTF said:
I suspect the working middle class are normally leased/PCP'd to the eyeballs on two £40k+ cars parked on the drive. Probably of the XC60 or X3 or Discovery variety.
The middle class with actual wealth, rather than simply a high monthly income, are more likely to be driving a £3k subaru legacy that they've had from new.
I tend to agree with this The middle class with actual wealth, rather than simply a high monthly income, are more likely to be driving a £3k subaru legacy that they've had from new.
Those that need fixed outgoings mortgage/car/phone will tend to budget as such .. and that’s the majority of working people in fairness
house for £xxx per month
Car for £xxx per month
Etc
Those that don’t, tend not to be too concerned about fixed monthly costs and things get bought and kept till they don’t work anymore
There is no need to tie into a £200pm x24 plan when you can buy whatever you need when you need it
Not really sure what to make of this, nor where I fit in. I make a good salary and measuring myself against my peers at work, you'd think I'd have £60~70k's worth of cars sat outside and be as middle-class as anyone but I neither like, want, nor believe I can really afford or justify cars of such expense.
I am a petrolhead, honest. I think I am just much more attracted to older stuff, and I'd have to eat worse food, commit more monthly income to fixed bills and deny the family to do various things when we feel like it if I were to spend more on cars like others on similar incomes do. e.g. I probably couldn't just decide to build a sailing boat if I was maxed out every month on two surprisingly crap but equally surprisingly expensive modern cars.
I don't really see housing estates so much any more, but the local roads are awash with Skodas, Audis and Land Rover's less capable products. I can see the appeal of the relatively sensibly-priced Skoda option much more than I can in the supposedly-premium products which are mostly just infotainment systems crashing around on massive wheels and rubber band tyres nowadays. Naturally the local news and community social media pages are awash with complaints about crimped tyre sidewalls and buckled wheels but few people seem inclined to specify smaller wheels and bigger sidewalls that aren't destroyed by a modest pothole.
The "middle class" has very little genuine interest or imagination in cars from what I can tell here.
I am a petrolhead, honest. I think I am just much more attracted to older stuff, and I'd have to eat worse food, commit more monthly income to fixed bills and deny the family to do various things when we feel like it if I were to spend more on cars like others on similar incomes do. e.g. I probably couldn't just decide to build a sailing boat if I was maxed out every month on two surprisingly crap but equally surprisingly expensive modern cars.
I don't really see housing estates so much any more, but the local roads are awash with Skodas, Audis and Land Rover's less capable products. I can see the appeal of the relatively sensibly-priced Skoda option much more than I can in the supposedly-premium products which are mostly just infotainment systems crashing around on massive wheels and rubber band tyres nowadays. Naturally the local news and community social media pages are awash with complaints about crimped tyre sidewalls and buckled wheels but few people seem inclined to specify smaller wheels and bigger sidewalls that aren't destroyed by a modest pothole.
The "middle class" has very little genuine interest or imagination in cars from what I can tell here.
MC Bodge said:
otolith said:
People with plenty of cash and little time like having a new, reliable, zero hassle car, and are willing to pay for it.
Sandero, Duster, Fabia, Fiesta etc all fit the brief.Earthdweller said:
I tend to agree with this
Those that need fixed outgoings mortgage/car/phone will tend to budget as such .. and that’s the majority of working people in fairness
house for £xxx per month
Car for £xxx per month
Etc
Those that don’t, tend not to be too concerned about fixed monthly costs and things get bought and kept till they don’t work anymore
There is no need to tie into a £200pm x24 plan when you can buy whatever you need when you need it
This has now become true but up to 12 months ago this was complete bThose that need fixed outgoings mortgage/car/phone will tend to budget as such .. and that’s the majority of working people in fairness
house for £xxx per month
Car for £xxx per month
Etc
Those that don’t, tend not to be too concerned about fixed monthly costs and things get bought and kept till they don’t work anymore
There is no need to tie into a £200pm x24 plan when you can buy whatever you need when you need it
ks as the £200/month amortised lease had been typically less than depreciation for a number of years, ask me how I know.There is no need to try and create a correlation between wealth and how one pays for the depreciation.
Having said that, we just bought a Kia so we are middle class, apparently. Not that the term has meant anything either for a long time.
DrBrule said:
Jag XK convertibles driven by white-haired gents;
The genuine manor house in my village has an ~8 year old Subaru Outback parked in the grounds. The old boy with the next biggest house has an E-Type, a penny farthing, and a few other unusual things. The nouveau riche family in the recently converted pub have a brace of white premium things (Range Rover, Z4, if memory serves).In my village, the Jaguar XK is mine, and whilst I am starting the silver a little on the temples, at 34, I am (children excluded) about the youngest person in the village. Must be old before my time...
otolith said:
MC Bodge said:
otolith said:
People with plenty of cash and little time like having a new, reliable, zero hassle car, and are willing to pay for it.
Sandero, Duster, Fabia, Fiesta etc all fit the brief.MC Bodge said:
Rob 131 Sport said:
A proper Middle Class Chap (who knows his cars) will have a newish (unblinged) Saloon or Estate; Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Jaguar XF or Mercedes E Class.
or, nowadays, the equivalent SUV.SUV bad, estate car good.
SW London. Lots of Range Rovers, lots of Volvo's, lots of Cayennes etc, X5's but also everything inbetween, cars not really a mark of 'success' for a lot of folk in London I think, houses/schools your kids go to etc come a fair way above cars I'd have thought.
No idea what class they are, who cares. Most people around will have a couple/few hundred k HHI I'd have thought, all in 7 figure houses, car for many not that interesting.
The chattering classes seem to be more interested in what car they drive, and the ones below them more what phone they have.
No idea what class they are, who cares. Most people around will have a couple/few hundred k HHI I'd have thought, all in 7 figure houses, car for many not that interesting.
The chattering classes seem to be more interested in what car they drive, and the ones below them more what phone they have.
jamieduff1981 said:
The "middle class" has very little genuine interest or imagination in cars from what I can tell here.
Frankly, I think that applies to the vast majority of the population.For most people, a car is like a fridge or a vacuum cleaner. It's bought to do a job, and beyond choosing some basic specifications, there's not a lot more thought goes into it than that. Of course, the main difference between the car and any other appliance is that the car is visible to others (and you are seen using it) on a daily basis, so there's an element of brand snobbery creeps in for some people, but that's nothing really to do with the car, or its merits. It's why the German brands will sell you a poverty spec model with a lawnmower engine, but fitted with the big wheels, lowered suspension and external styling cues of the top end models.
There are very few people who give a rats about cars themselves. Most don't care at all, and of those who do, many have a level of interest that starts and ends with the brand. So, it's still not really about the car.
I live on a road where most people's houses are in the £7-10m bracket. The old boys drive Astons, RRs, Ferraris and McLarens. Some of the yummy mummys have Audis, LRs and one has a 992 Turbo. No one had a stty Subaru or Volvo that they have had for 20 years.
But wealth whispers and all that junk as we all know.
tty Subaru or Volvo that they have had for 20 years.But wealth whispers and all that junk as we all know.
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