Anyone else feel this way about changing cars?

[SonicHedgeHog]

I have a very high spec, four year old diesel hatchback that I have owned since new. It's done 50,000 miles and I fancy a change. Book value is about 8 grand as a trade in. I want a similar vehicle or one that is slightly larger so that puts me in the market for an A3/A4/123d/320d/GTD, that kind of thing. So onto the interweb I go and to the basic car I add a decent set of wheels, metalic paint, sat nav and a proper stereo and the price is getting stupidly close to £30,000. With a bit of haggling the cost to change will be about £20,000 or £650 per month, every month for the next three years. Now my response to that is: "feck off!" Why would I spend that amount of money on a car that does exactly what my current one does? Ten, twelve or maybe even fifteen grand and I might be interested, but twenty+ is just stupid money. I know I can kid myself I'm saving money with a lease purchase or PCP etc, but I don't want to. It's not worth going second hand because my car isn't that old. Anyone else feel the same or am I just getting old?

[Escort2dr]

Not the same, but I have been offered a company car again instead of my opt-out (choice) car allowance which I currently use to fund my A6 Avant with 122K on the clock, and nearly 4 years old. If I go back in the scheme I could have a brand new 318d SE Touring or an A4 saloon, and just cough up the £60/month tax (20% rate). No risk, everything paid for.

Thing is, I reckon I am marginally better off staying out of the scheme, and the lure of a new car just doesn't seem enough somehow.

Just can't be arsed anymore - at one time I'd have jumped at the chance for a new BMW/Audi.

[kambites]

This is one of many reasons I would never buy a new car.

[Shaw Tarse]

Keep what you've got/know, it's lost the majority of what it will. Bank/save "invest" the £650 pm
Awaits a what weekend car? thread.

[chard]

Every time you change your car it costs you money (unless a banger/classic) cheapest thing to do is find one you like and run it till the wheels drop off.

[texasjohn]

I went for a 1 series diesel 30 months ago, company car. About 4 months into that period I ended up buying a second 'weekend' vehicle, a CBR600, then sold that and have had an S2000, followed by a Z3M and then a Z4M. I 'lost' about £2500 buying and selling these over the two year period (plus I guess you could argue whatever the interest I would have made investing the capital) but it has been fun, and the 118d has lost about 60% of its list price in that same time.

I might have been much better off staying out of the scheme to be honest! It is only very recently we have needed more than two seats due to the arrival of my baby son in April.

When the 118d goes back (finally) at the end of next year I will take the cash option and buy a three/four year old car.

Edited by texasjohn on Monday 30th August 19:38

[SonicHedgeHog]

I'm not a complete misery guts and I think that is why I find this so annoying. Buying a new car is loads of fun and is one of life's big rewards for working hard, but prices are just getting stupid. If I wanted to buy a new version of my current car I'd need to find 20% more than I paid for it only four years ago. Madness. No second car thread for me though - my Griff 500 sorted that problem.

[chard]

Two things.

1)euro exchange rate has effected things in the last 4 years. The UK is now the cheapest place in europe for cars.

2) Most manufacturers have reduced production

Edited by chard on Monday 30th August 19:55

[SonicHedgeHog]

chard said:

Two things.

1)euro exchange rate has effected things in the last 4 years. The UK is now the cheapest place in europe for cars.

Edited by chard on Monday 30th August 19:55

...if you're paying with euros. Cars built abroad and imported into the UK have either increased in price or are sold with tiny margins. Dig out an old car mag and compare list prices - madness.

[daemon]

The Crack Fox said:

SonicHedgeHog said:

Depreciation woes

I love guys like you (not in a gay way or owt), you buy £30k of metal, take care of all the warranty glitches etc, and treat it like a baby. Then 3 years later is is worth less than 1/3 of the new price, is probably still as reliable, can be serviced at specialists instead of rip-off main dealers, and more to the point - I can afford it.

I love depreciation myself.

but hes on another thread telling us how dim it is to finance a car, best to use your own cash....

[carl_w]

The Crack Fox said:

SonicHedgeHog said:

Depreciation woes

I love guys like you (not in a gay way or owt), you buy £30k of metal, take care of all the warranty glitches etc, and treat it like a baby. Then 3 years later is is worth less than 1/3 of the new price, is probably still as reliable, can be serviced at specialists instead of rip-off main dealers, and more to the point - I can afford it.

I love depreciation myself.

But you're spending your life driving 3-6 year old cars, whereas I'm driving new ones

[SonicHedgeHog]

daemon said:

The Crack Fox said:

SonicHedgeHog said:

Depreciation woes

I love guys like you (not in a gay way or owt), you buy £30k of metal, take care of all the warranty glitches etc, and treat it like a baby. Then 3 years later is is worth less than 1/3 of the new price, is probably still as reliable, can be serviced at specialists instead of rip-off main dealers, and more to the point - I can afford it.

I love depreciation myself.

but hes on another thread telling us how dim it is to finance a car, best to use your own cash....

I am on another thread, but that quote isn't mine. I didn't say that.

[SonicHedgeHog]

The Crack Fox said:

SonicHedgeHog said:

Depreciation woes

I love depreciation myself.

Where did you get that quote from? I didn't say that.

[CinqAbarth]

carl_w said:

The Crack Fox said:

SonicHedgeHog said:

Depreciation woes

I love guys like you (not in a gay way or owt), you buy £30k of metal, take care of all the warranty glitches etc, and treat it like a baby. Then 3 years later is is worth less than 1/3 of the new price, is probably still as reliable, can be serviced at specialists instead of rip-off main dealers, and more to the point - I can afford it.

I love depreciation myself.

But you're spending your life driving 3-6 year old cars, whereas I'm driving new ones

Sorry, but your point is?

I don't even take new company cars these days - it's much better to look at the list of what's in the pool and pick something higher specced than I'm entitled to, even if it means taking a 2 year / 50k mile old car.

[pilchardthecat]

SonicHedgeHog said:

...It's not worth going second hand because my car isn't that old. ...

I don't understand this.

I've just swapped a 2008 car (list ~£30k) that i'd had for 2 years for a 2007 car (list ~£50k) of similar mileage etc, but much much better in every conceivable way, apart form the lack of rear seats, for less than £5k.... at BMW main dealer.

[SonicHedgeHog]

pilchardthecat said:

SonicHedgeHog said:

...It's not worth going second hand because my car isn't that old. ...

I don't understand this.

I've just swapped a 2008 car (list ~£30k) that i'd had for 2 years for a 2007 car (list ~£50k) of similar mileage etc, but much much better in every conceivable way, apart form the lack of rear seats, for less than £5k.... at BMW main dealer.

What I was getting at was that I don't want a car that is only one or two years younger than mine. For me there is no point. I don't want a big German saloon that has heavily depreciated. I want a medium sized car with lots of toys, but if I buy a used one that's one or two years old then all I have is a used car that is slightly younger than the one I have already, but I am many thousands of Pounds worse off. Makes no sense. I fully accept there are super bargains like the one you seem to have found, but I'm buying a car to meet my needs and not to simply get the best deal on the market.

As an example, would you trade in a 2006 Golf diesel for a 2008 Golf diesel that costs £7,000 more and has half my 50,000 miles?

[CinqAbarth]

Thing is, you're buying the kind of car and spec. that has the worst depreciation on the market.

There are thousands of half decently specced Golfs / A3s / 120ds etc on the market, as they're popular with fleet users.

But you're also adding several thousand pounds of extras, which are worth precisely nothing when you come to trade the car.

The way to do it is to buy decent cars at around 3 years old and trade in every 2 years.

[pilchardthecat]

SonicHedgeHog said:

pilchardthecat said:

SonicHedgeHog said:

...It's not worth going second hand because my car isn't that old. ...

I don't understand this.

I've just swapped a 2008 car (list ~£30k) that i'd had for 2 years for a 2007 car (list ~£50k) of similar mileage etc, but much much better in every conceivable way, apart form the lack of rear seats, for less than £5k.... at BMW main dealer.

What I was getting at was that I don't want a car that is only one or two years younger than mine. For me there is no point. I don't want a big German saloon that has heavily depreciated. I want a medium sized car with lots of toys, but if I buy a used one that's one or two years old then all I have is a used car that is slightly younger than the one I have already, but I am many thousands of Pounds worse off. Makes no sense. I fully accept there are super bargains like the one you seem to have found, but I'm buying a car to meet my needs and not to simply get the best deal on the market.

As an example, would you trade in a 2006 Golf diesel for a 2008 Golf diesel that costs £7,000 more and has half my 50,000 miles?

No, because if i wanted a Golf diesel and i already had a Golf diesel i would keep the £7000

If i had a 2006 Golf diesel and wanted a 2 seater sports car i would happily buy one of roughly the same age rather than a brand new one at huge additional cost

edit to add: ps the "2008 car (list ~£30k)" i part exchanged was a very high spec 123d with naff all miles that you could buy from the dealer for 10k less than the 30k you are looking at

Edited by pilchardthecat on Monday 30th August 21:09

[kambites]

It sounds like you already have exactly what you want, so why are you thinking of changing?

[Herbs]

chard said:

Every time you change your car it costs you money (unless a banger/classic) cheapest thing to do is find one you like and run it till the wheels drop off.

Not if you buy smart and change every year