718 review - test drove today
Discussion
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Well you are absolutely entitled to your opinion but I still don't believe that your initial statement is correct which was "People stuck in car financing cycles need to buy a new car to keep up with the neighbours and/or to avoid putting in more capital. "This certainly is not true for myself in either respect
ks'. 
Google is your friend. If you have managed to become an adult without knowing the slightest thing about consumer psychology, you can remedy that deficit very quickly.
One tiny example: many 'value' branded goods are identical to the good in standard packaging; sellers know that those able to afford the standard product will not want to associate themselves with the cheap-looking packaging of the value product.
One tiny example: many 'value' branded goods are identical to the good in standard packaging; sellers know that those able to afford the standard product will not want to associate themselves with the cheap-looking packaging of the value product.
ORD said:
Google is your friend. If you have managed to become an adult without knowing the slightest thing about consumer psychology, you can remedy that deficit very quickly.
One tiny example: many 'value' branded goods are identical to the good in standard packaging; sellers know that those able to afford the standard product will not want to associate themselves with the cheap-looking packaging of the value product.
Clearly there are people like that - but there are plenty who, realising that shop at Aldi or buy Seats and Skodas. You are assuming that we are all the same - we aren't. There are people who buy cars to impress the neighbours, those who avoid cars for fear of what the neighbours might think, those who don't give a stuff what the neighbours think and all sorts of inbetweenies. amongst the seriously rich there are certainly those who wish to display their wealth and others who, perhaps, think that would be rather vulgar.One tiny example: many 'value' branded goods are identical to the good in standard packaging; sellers know that those able to afford the standard product will not want to associate themselves with the cheap-looking packaging of the value product.
The world is all shades of grey and rarely black and white.
Edited by bcr5784 on Tuesday 18th July 20:32
Edited by bcr5784 on Tuesday 18th July 20:35
bcr5784 said:
The world is all shades of grey and rarely black and white.
Exactly. I never understood the anti-finance binary thinking and ensuing generalisations.I don't really care what other people do or what their motivations are or what they may think of my choice of car (I don't know anyone who gives a damn either) - I don't own one of our cars simply because I insist on having a manufacturers warranty and that the cheapest way was to lease it, which has proven substantially lower than depreciation. We probably chose it despite the image it projects as it looks ridiculous in a faux-off-roader way. It's brilliant functionally and cheap as chips. Conversely, the Renault was cheaper to buy outright so that's what I did. Needless to say image was not my priority.
nickfrog said:
bcr5784 said:
The world is all shades of grey and rarely black and white.
Exactly. I never understood the anti-finance binary thinking and ensuing generalisations.I don't really care what other people do or what their motivations are or what they may think of my choice of car (I don't know anyone who gives a damn either) - I don't own one of our cars simply because I insist on having a manufacturers warranty and that the cheapest way was to lease it, which has proven substantially lower than depreciation. We probably chose it despite the image it projects as it looks ridiculous in a faux-off-roader way. It's brilliant functionally and cheap as chips. Conversely, the Renault was cheaper to buy outright so that's what I did. Needless to say image was not my priority.
"The world is all shades of grey and rarely black and white."
I buy last years golf clubs on eBay, have a 4 year old smartphone from Walmart, and bought a 2 owner Boxster when I could pay cash for any new 911 made. OTOH, I bought Michelin N-specs for it and an AGM battery.
Sometimes you buy good enough. Sometimes your gut tells you that it is just right.
My grey is a mix of black and white. Blurry around the edges.
I buy last years golf clubs on eBay, have a 4 year old smartphone from Walmart, and bought a 2 owner Boxster when I could pay cash for any new 911 made. OTOH, I bought Michelin N-specs for it and an AGM battery.
Sometimes you buy good enough. Sometimes your gut tells you that it is just right.
My grey is a mix of black and white. Blurry around the edges.
My son was about to buy a new 420d a few months ago, on PCP. But at the end of 3, 4, 5 years he'd have nothing to speak of, his only option to carry on paying £600/mth as the dealer would be so kind as to gift him a deposit... toward another new car.
I get the cycle of being happy paying £600/mth for 3 years, then £700/mth for another 3 and so on, but the dealer ALWAYS wins here.
So it boils down to whether you wish to have a brand new car every 3 years and designate a part of your income for that purpose ALWAYS, or you're not so stuck on newness and can cope with a 2nd hand car.
In the end he bought an 18 month old car for half the price, borrowed the lesser sum on a personal loan, and in three years he'll be debt free with a car worth something more than a dealer deposit. He'll also not be sucked back into the "system", hopefully.
So, PCP gives you a nice shiny car every three years, at a cost, forever. Buying outright gives you more flexibility to sell when you want and makes sense financially IF you can cope with an older car, or you're rich enough to buy a new one. Mind you, buying new is ALWAYS stupid, unless it's a GT3 perhaps?
I get the cycle of being happy paying £600/mth for 3 years, then £700/mth for another 3 and so on, but the dealer ALWAYS wins here.
So it boils down to whether you wish to have a brand new car every 3 years and designate a part of your income for that purpose ALWAYS, or you're not so stuck on newness and can cope with a 2nd hand car.
In the end he bought an 18 month old car for half the price, borrowed the lesser sum on a personal loan, and in three years he'll be debt free with a car worth something more than a dealer deposit. He'll also not be sucked back into the "system", hopefully.
So, PCP gives you a nice shiny car every three years, at a cost, forever. Buying outright gives you more flexibility to sell when you want and makes sense financially IF you can cope with an older car, or you're rich enough to buy a new one. Mind you, buying new is ALWAYS stupid, unless it's a GT3 perhaps?
Timbo_Mint said:
just dipped in to this topic after a while away. I take it no one has test drove a 718 recently then?
Not since this evening. I test drive my one most days, and after 10 days out of the country on business thoroughly enjoyed test driving it from the airport back home again. Still enjoying it. I think the valet parking people at Heathrow might have test driven it a bit too - muddy marks on the passenger door sill as well as the drivers side that weren't there when I dropped it off the week before last.DJMC said:
In the end he bought an 18 month old car for half the price, borrowed the lesser sum on a personal loan, and in three years he'll be debt free with a car worth something more than a dealer deposit. He'll also not be sucked back into the "system", hopefully.
Well, I hope he does have some kind of warranty, at least. Otherwise, he might end up paying much more than any PCP or brand new price like my colleague who has bought a very lemon 6 series (a few years old) and mostly spend his time in several garages, paying big repair-bills. 
Krobar said:
I did (See one page back), not sure I should have mentioned PCP.
Glad you mentioned this, just went back and found your post. Good balanced view well expressed. Enjoyed reading, I think I concur with everything in it.What is PCP? Just kidding, I was fortunate enough not to need finance by the time the car was delivered, so never had to think beyond depreciation, on which I will have to take my chances. Enjoyed the debate around status, new cars, etc. I was concerned that I might care what neighbours, colleagues and others might think when they noticed I'd changed my car, particularly if negative because it is perceived as expensive. As it turns out I'm pretty comfortable with owning it. I like driving the car a lot, and quite like the look of it too, but it's just a car - I'm not about to let it define me in any other way.
Liam
ooid said:
Well, I hope he does have some kind of warranty, at least. Otherwise, he might end up paying much more than any PCP or brand new price like my colleague who has bought a very lemon 6 series (a few years old) and mostly spend his time in several garages, paying big repair-bills.
Yes, bought it from the same BMW dealer. Remainder of three year warranty, extendable. 5 year service pack was on the car already as a bonus.Gassing Station | Boxster/Cayman | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff