What is he playing at?

[mpm1987]

November 08, my Dad takes voluntary redundancy, and get a nice package, and meant he didn't have to work for a year or so, so goes out and buys himself a brand new Volvo C30 D5 with all the fancy extras, great I thought, a nice car which will do him well.

Fast forward to Sept 09, and the car goes in for a service. Apparantly he was offered a good price on his C30, and walks out with a new xc60? I think (smaller version of the XC90) In white with tinted windows, and loaded with options.

Now fast forward again to last week. He comes to me in a brand new VW EOS with the roof down, apparantly getting a good deal on trading in the XC Something.

Now hes coming upto 50 in September, does a couple of days a week doing consultancy work to bump up his bank account. Is it me or is he having a mid-life crisis?

I'm not sure why im posting this up, maybe because theres quite a few on here around his age, and I'm after a bit of advice?

I've already told him to stop buying crap cars, and get himself a used VXR8, or M5, but hes not listening to me!

[mat205125]

mpm1987 said:

I've already told him to stop buying crap cars, and get himself a used VXR8, or M5, but hes not listening to me!

That would be my kind of advice too, however he has got to the stage in life where he quite rightly doesn't want to get involved with the hassle of "owning" a car, with all the associated considerations and bills, and is quite happy just "renting" a brand new warrentied one on HP, and coughing up an amount each month.

It's pointless looking at what he has on the driveway and thinking "That £30k could have been spent on X Y or Z!" as he hasn't bought a £30k EOS - He's put a lump down, and is renting it for X hundred quid a month.

[mercfunder]

Maybe he's at the stage in his life where he can consider what he wants, the mortgage has been paid, the bills are small and the money is coming in regularly.

Prehaps he doesn't know what he wants to drive, and is therefore playing the automotive field.

I am not far behind him in terms of age, and have had companies cars for the last 25 years.
if I had to go and buy a car using my own cash today, I wouldn't know where to start, there are that many cars I would like, that never appear on company car schemes.

As long as he ain't losing a packet everytime he changes, what harm is he doing?

Edited by mercfunder on Wednesday 7th April 08:03

[mpm1987]

I can see what you're saying, I personally change my cars often aswell, although I own them. Maybe I'm more shocked at the fact hes brought an EOS, its a bit camp! he could have had a 6 series or something! I mean before recently all his cars have been company cars, and not too shabby ones, ML320 CDI, 530d, C270 CDI, right back to old N reg 328i's and L reg 850 T5s.

Fingers crossed he will realise hes made a mistake, and get something a bit more exciting!

[nsmith1180]

mpm1987 said:

I can see what you're saying, I personally change my cars often aswell, although I own them. Maybe I'm more shocked at the fact hes brought an EOS, its a bit camp! he could have had a 6 series or something! I mean before recently all his cars have been company cars, and not too shabby ones, ML320 CDI, 530d, C270 CDI, right back to old N reg 328i's and L reg 850 T5s.

Fingers crossed he will realise hes made a mistake, and get something a bit more exciting!

If he wants a convertable tell him to go back to the Volvo dealer and get a C70, (Good looking but masculine all the same) T5 (he has had the engine before and its a cracker) But tell him to keep it! Not going to hold its value as well as a D5 did.

[sleep envy]

spending your inheritance

[nsmith1180]

sleep envy said:

spending your inheritance

Spending his money. It only becomes inheritance when the gentleman passes. I hate it when people say that, why should people save all their lives to give it to son to blow when they die?

[sleep envy]

bit early in the morning for you?

[mpm1987]

sleep envy said:

spending your inheritance

Meh! I dont see a penny now from him, I doubt I will when he goes!

[nsmith1180]

sleep envy said:

bit early in the morning for you?

Not at all.

[sleep envy]

nsmith1180 said:

sleep envy said:

bit early in the morning for you?

Not at all.

so you generally go about with no sense of humour at all?

carry on

[sleep envy]

his money his choice

tbh if I didn't have to plough money into other areas I'd be changing my cars far more often than I do already

if he's happy, what's the problem?

[Muzzer]

mpm1987 said:

Fingers crossed he will realise hes made a mistake, and get something a bit more exciting!

So the problem is that you don't like what he's buying, rather than you're worried about his financial circumstances and/or mid-life crisis?

If he's happy and is getting a reasonable deal from the dealer(s) then leave him be. It's coming up to summer, if he wants a convertible good luck to him.

Having driven Mercs and BMWs for ages it seems, I would suggest he's just looking for something a bit different.

[ZesPak]

You can "steer" his car choice, but TBH, who cares? He's happy, right?
My dad (55+) got a good deal on a E270 last year, loaded with options, but for the price i'd still get something more interresting.
Since I haven't driven my parents' cars since I was 20, I don't really care, as long as they don't get ripped off.

He's happy because he has his 3-pointed star and travells in all the comfort he could ever hope for.

[dave_s13]

sleep envy said:

spending your inheritance

After using the word 'brought' incorrectly he deserves nothing less. Meh.

It would be interesting to see how these good deals he keeps getting translate into numbers. His money though, more 2nd hand stuff for the rest of us.

[mpm1987]

I'm not bothered where the money goes. He's worked hard for it, and should rightly spend it on how he sees fit.

I was just looking for a general opinion on whether hes going through a mid-life crisis, with alot of the members on here being towards his age.

[Pommygranite]

mpm1987 said:

I'm not bothered where the money goes. He's worked hard for it, and should rightly spend it on how he sees fit.

I was just looking for a general opinion on whether hes going through a mid-life crisis, with alot of the members on here being towards his age.

Not so much a mid life crisis but more an end-of-working-life epiphany.

His cars may not be our cup of tea, and am sure a few will be on here to rubbish them, but if he's spent his life driving an average car then the new cars will seem pretty good and he's enjoying the returns of a working life.

Good luck to him and tell him to enjoy the new car smell addiction. After all i've never seen a removals van following a hearse.

[edo]

mpm1987 said:

November 08, my Dad takes voluntary redundancy, and get a nice package, and meant he didn't have to work for a year or so, so goes out and buys himself a brand new Volvo C30 D5 with all the fancy extras, great I thought, a nice car which will do him well.

Fast forward to Sept 09, and the car goes in for a service. Apparantly he was offered a good price on his C30, and walks out with a new xc60? I think (smaller version of the XC90) In white with tinted windows, and loaded with options.

Now fast forward again to last week. He comes to me in a brand new VW EOS with the roof down, apparantly getting a good deal on trading in the XC Something.

Now hes coming upto 50 in September, does a couple of days a week doing consultancy work to bump up his bank account. Is it me or is he having a mid-life crisis?

I'm not sure why im posting this up, maybe because theres quite a few on here around his age, and I'm after a bit of advice?

I've already told him to stop buying crap cars, and get himself a used VXR8, or M5, but hes not listening to me!

Spending your inheritance. How dare he

[AB]

I remember the day when my Dad brought home a brand new M5, E39 shape, having sold his business. He told he "this'll do until the other one comes" - but wouldn't tell me what it was.

Couple of months later, £70k's worth of 8 series arrived, apparently he was keeping them both.

Apparently he went in to order the 8 and the guy talked him into the E39 as someone had cancelled the order while he was sat there and they offered it him for 'peanuts' - pretty big peanuts I'm sure and I sure wanted some of the peanuts.

No bother, few years later and he's off loading the 8 series to me for £4k. Result.

He's calmed down a little bit now as he went through 2 or 3 cars every year for the best part of 6 years from Astons to Masers.

Mid life crisis. But it'll wear off.

[bazking69]

Sounds like he is enjoying the fruits of a life of labour and graft to me.

I would have a word over Sunday lunch about your dwindling inheritance though....