What has happened with 'first cars'?
Discussion
Inspired by the thread on what car you learnt to drive in...
When I were but a lad... (passed driving test in 89), very few 17/18 year olds had their own car, although most did where I lived (not because of money - it was rural Cumbria - if you wanted a social life you had to have a car), and those that did, the car was generally around 10+ years old.
When I got to uni, again, very few, even of the relatively well off kids probably only 50% had a driving licence, and of those, very few had their own cars. Yes, there were a few anomalies with kids with brand new cars, but they tended to be of the 'hyper rich daddy' and brand new BMW type. Now (and I'm not criticising here) it seems pretty common for 17 year olds to have <3 year old cars - sometimes of the PH variety.
It may be the PH forum factor, but what has happened? Cars haven't got cheaper, insurance certainly hasn't! Is it a perception from parents that their children have to have newish (and therefore 'safe') cars? Cheaper finance? What?
It seems to be the prevalance of finance deals, and yes, the obsession that newer is safer is greener is better. Personally, I'd much rather be in my fifteen-year-old, £950 A4 than the brand-new ten-grand Ka bought for some bint at my school by her too-rich dad should the two collide, so I'm not quite sure on the argument myself 
Come to think of it, I'd rather be in the A4 in absolutely any situation I can think of.
Come to think of it, I'd rather be in the A4 in absolutely any situation I can think of.
Its cool, loads of 'us young folk' have 11 plate Corsa 1.2's SRI-thingys, 500's and stuff, all the way up to new MINIs etc. Its just whats trendy. Oh, and in white.
I was running my 2.3 LPT 9-5, which is 14 years old, totally left field. In my social circle it was pretty cool though. I just bought a 12 year old KA 12 months T&T today; cheap to run, insure etc. and I must say a damn sight more involving and fun than the barge
Also means I can save some dough for something like a 540, S4 or something this winter and put it on a limited miles policy etc. I look like a bit... ambiguous though. Already told people that its the girlfriend's - despite them being aware she doesn't drive.
Most of my friends have cars that are sub 3 years old. Its like a mobile phone though, novelty wears off and when it isn't new and shiny you're stuck. The same people are now dropping their iPhone 4's without worrying about scratching them, because its not a new toy now etc.
I was running my 2.3 LPT 9-5, which is 14 years old, totally left field. In my social circle it was pretty cool though. I just bought a 12 year old KA 12 months T&T today; cheap to run, insure etc. and I must say a damn sight more involving and fun than the barge
Also means I can save some dough for something like a 540, S4 or something this winter and put it on a limited miles policy etc. I look like a bit... ambiguous though. Already told people that its the girlfriend's - despite them being aware she doesn't drive.Most of my friends have cars that are sub 3 years old. Its like a mobile phone though, novelty wears off and when it isn't new and shiny you're stuck. The same people are now dropping their iPhone 4's without worrying about scratching them, because its not a new toy now etc.
The onset of the credit mentality has meant that people *think* they can afford something if they have space left on their credit card. Generally speaking, most people live much more beyond their means than ever before, and then you couple this to the iPhone generation (my way of describing uber image conscious people who have to have the best and latest things) and people are more interested in a crank new KIA picanto for £8000 than something worth having. It's an 11 plate, therefore it's better.
It's just the poop hole of a country we live in.
It's just the poop hole of a country we live in.
passed my driving test in 1991, back then me and all my mates all drove POS 10 - 15 year old nails, rusty escorts, old Volvo 340's Mk1 astra's Mk 1 Nova's etc etc.
sounds like times have changed, mind you, out here you see (you have to display a "new driver" symbol for your first year of driving) new drivers in BMW 5 / 6/ 7'ers, Merc E and S class, WRX's and even Boxters / Caymans!!
Daddy got money
sounds like times have changed, mind you, out here you see (you have to display a "new driver" symbol for your first year of driving) new drivers in BMW 5 / 6/ 7'ers, Merc E and S class, WRX's and even Boxters / Caymans!!
Daddy got money
Here in Barnsley where I'm based (which is definitely not an affluent town, so you would think) there seems to be a nu wave of kids in their late teens and very early 20s who are at college and driving around in new to 3 yr old sporty type hatches / cabriolets (for the girls) and even a few e90 m3s!
I can only attribute it to their parents being my age to slightly older and unexpectedly having their house prices quadrupled by labour then consequently living like lottery winners on the remortages..
The kids of these same people seem to think that a first job should pay over 30k even if its as an office junior and have a bizarre concept that cars should be disposed of like white goods when novelty has worn off..
I can only attribute it to their parents being my age to slightly older and unexpectedly having their house prices quadrupled by labour then consequently living like lottery winners on the remortages..
The kids of these same people seem to think that a first job should pay over 30k even if its as an office junior and have a bizarre concept that cars should be disposed of like white goods when novelty has worn off..
1974nc said:
Here in Barnsley where I'm based (which is definitely not an affluent town, so you would think) there seems to be a nu wave of kids in their late teens and very early 20s who are at college and driving around in new to 3 yr old sporty type hatches / cabriolets (for the girls) and even a few e90 m3s!
I can only attribute it to their parents being my age to slightly older and unexpectedly having their house prices quadrupled by labour then consequently living like lottery winners on the remortages..
The kids of these same people seem to think that a first job should pay over 30k even if its as an office junior and have a bizarre concept that cars should be disposed of like white goods when novelty has worn off..
Exactly this!I can only attribute it to their parents being my age to slightly older and unexpectedly having their house prices quadrupled by labour then consequently living like lottery winners on the remortages..
The kids of these same people seem to think that a first job should pay over 30k even if its as an office junior and have a bizarre concept that cars should be disposed of like white goods when novelty has worn off..
I had a 15 year old MkII escort, all paid for and insure by me.
You're definitely right though, there seem to be many more young drivers in nearly new cars
But....
Is it maybe something to do with some of the free insurance deals thrown in with a new car? Vauxhall seem to offer this quite a lot
If you think of it that way, 2 years insurance for an 18 year old on a Corsa is probably 6 or 7k (judging by some of the quotes that have been posted on PH recently) or a new Corsa with 2 years free insurance for a total of 9k or so?
Kind of makes it a no brainer really
You're definitely right though, there seem to be many more young drivers in nearly new cars
But....
Is it maybe something to do with some of the free insurance deals thrown in with a new car? Vauxhall seem to offer this quite a lot
If you think of it that way, 2 years insurance for an 18 year old on a Corsa is probably 6 or 7k (judging by some of the quotes that have been posted on PH recently) or a new Corsa with 2 years free insurance for a total of 9k or so?
Kind of makes it a no brainer really
Agree with 1974nc... but would add that with young people seeming to stay at home longer, I suspect that the money that might otherwise be spent on saving for/renting their own place is instead going on cars.
The only time I ever saw the point of a new first car was back in the days when dealers were including a year or two of insurance. If you were 17/18 that was worth having. Not sure if they do it (doubt it) these days?
FWIW, I think it's a real shame that the all these young people running their own car won't have the experience associated with running an old shed - spent many a happy weekend keeping these things on the road.
The only time I ever saw the point of a new first car was back in the days when dealers were including a year or two of insurance. If you were 17/18 that was worth having. Not sure if they do it (doubt it) these days?
FWIW, I think it's a real shame that the all these young people running their own car won't have the experience associated with running an old shed - spent many a happy weekend keeping these things on the road.
I learnt when i was 17 had 3 cars in my first year, MG ZR, Audi A3 and a Grande Punto and have been working for one of the companies im with at present since i was 15 (still do this part time) and i work full time for British gas, ive just saved and worked hard in order to pay for my Scirocco. i can vouch for the fact insurance is a joke but has to be paid and ive just got into the mind frame that ive just got to deal with it and work harder! 
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