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Post by Humph on Nov 20, 2017 20:21:34 GMT
You know the sort, the guy who buys cars he can't really afford. Spurred on by a keep up with the Joneses type motivation maybe. Not looking at anyone here by the way, I think for the most part the members here are pretty car savvy, and while they may treat themselves now and then, I get the impression no one here has totally stretched themselves.
I admit to having done so in the past mind you, a tunnel visioned desire to have the "right" one overriding common sense. Some right old lairy things have come and gone. But, for decades now I've not.
Best car decision I made when I went self employed was to get a mildly second hand, low-ish mileage Mondeo. Big enough for my needs, cheap enough to be affordable and economical to run. It didn't go wrong in any noticeable way, but had it done so, it wouldn't have broken the bank to fix it. It was followed by three similar models, all of which did me very well and were, in their way, enjoyable to drive.
My wife, being a Cheshire lass, wanted me to "upgrade" once things had got going a bit business-wise, but I always resisted the temptation, reminding myself that while things were ok at that moment, they could just as easily turn for the worse. In the end they did a bit of that and I had to get a job.
Happy enough to let someone else fund a half decent car of course, and I'm enjoying that privilege while it lasts. But would I buy a similar thing were I to return to self funding? Not sure if I would. I suspect I'd buy something that I could afford to throw away (in relative terms) if I had to.
I know I'm comparing apples with oranges here but I've mentioned ad nauseam how much I've enjoyed the wee Toyota. Three grand I paid for that and yet it's a hoot. Can't help feeling there's a clue there...
Who knows what decisions we will make, often until forced to make them, but what I do know is that while I like a nice car, I'd never again spend any significant amount ( significant to me that is ) on one. I'd far rather just have something more or less disposable.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2017 20:42:27 GMT
I think you summed it up in the first paragraph using the word treat.
Assuming everything else has been taken care of and there's something left over then why not?
You'd choose to save your money on a depreciating asset and maybe spend more than many would be comfortable with on 'a bike'. To you though it would be more than a just a bike.
I think it's also an age thing, you get to the point where you know what you want and what you like.
I went for a hot hatch this time because I know it'll probably be my last. Next time around I'll probably go for an auto GT with softer suspension but I still wanted that last hurrah.
Spending money you haven't got to impress other people I don't understand. Never have, never will.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2017 21:41:39 GMT
>>I admit to having done so in the past mind you,
Only once. £2,000 on a Lancia Beta that I loved, could not afford and was overpriced.
>>what I do know is that while I like a nice car, I'd never again spend any significant amount ( significant to me that is ) on one. I'd far rather just have something more or less disposable.
I entirely agree.
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Post by dixinormus on Nov 21, 2017 7:25:46 GMT
I suspect you guys are in the minority, judging by all the shiny new cars on PCP out there that people trade in every 2-3 years to avoid the balloon payment..?!
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Nov 21, 2017 8:12:59 GMT
Housing costs must have a lot to do with this. If you have to find £2,000 a month for a mortgage payment, accumulating £15,000 to pay off the PCP on your Audi becomes tricky. Income-rich but capital-poor is quite a common condition among Brits, especially those 10 or 20 years younger than me.
Full disclosure: the i3 will also be on a PCP. I am intending to pay the £11,000 balloon in four years' time, but of the rest, the first £1,900 is a 'contribution' from BMW, and the rest is at a flat rate of 0.67 percent. Even with cash in the bank, we'd have been mugs not to take that. (Remember were also getting £5,000 for the old E, £2,000 'scrappage' - not that it's likely to be scrapped - and £4,500 from HMG. So, for that last bit, thank you all.)
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Post by commerdriver on Nov 21, 2017 8:24:58 GMT
Housing costs must have a lot to do with this. If you have to find £2,000 a month for a mortgage payment, accumulating £15,000 to pay off the PCP on your Audi becomes tricky. Income-rich but capital-poor is quite a common condition among Brits, especially those 10 or 20 years younger than me. It's mainly about the disposability of one's income. We were discussing that over the early morning coffee in the office this morning. One of our apprentices, young lad 21 years old, living at home, has bought himself a BMW 320 "while he can afford it", realising that 10 years down the line he will probably have mortgage and other commitments and it won't be an option, and we pointed out in the general discussion that it's not until you get to more mature years like, say, me that you get to the same stage of income left over after the monthly bills etc have been paid, and you can make that sort of buying decision again. |
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Post by Hofmeister on Nov 21, 2017 8:58:08 GMT
I got the BMW on PCP, mainly to take advantage of the manufacturer supported discount. I can settle the PCP at any time with no financial penalty. As things stand I can easily afford the monthly payments and I can easily afford to pay it off. Its a treat, a toy, but its a toy I will be able to get maximum use out of on a daily basis, it fits and enhances my lifestyle.
Of course buying it is only the start, you need to be able to comfortably run it to enjoy it to its maximum.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2017 9:18:09 GMT
I haven't had a company car for over 20 years and have always bought cars in full, although they have all been second hand, most recently (until the Merc) nearly new; i.e. under 15 months old. However that has enabled to get the car I wanted/needed without financial pressure. I can very easily see myslef in a much smaller car in a couple of years time, when both my boys will be at university and mu daughter will be 15, so the need for a large family car will be reduced significantly. Still reckon I will need an estate/hatch of some description, if only to take the dog on a country walk.
Driving the Hyundai i10 in our small fleet, currently used by our estate agency, over 240 miles in one day showed how god small cars are today (and its five years old), so reducing size is not a matter of can it do it, but can I cope with a less prestige brand. I can, but I think that it is easier for me to turn up in a brand new very small car with a regular brand, than a two year old Focus which I think makes me look like a jobbing surveyor than MD of the whole business. Perceptions matter when you turn up on site.
Espadrille's company Evoque goes back in May and the car tax is huge. Luckily our new accountant has shown us the error of our ways and we are looking at a variety of alternatives which may not reduce the monthly lease charge, but will reduce the tax. I have sent her off to look at the i3 and Golf GTE if she keeps a company car, or maybe look at the i3REx on a PCP. She also fancies a Mini, which if we get it as a company car should be an awful lot lower in lease cost and tax.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Nov 21, 2017 9:30:02 GMT
Remember there are PHEV versions of the Mini Countryman and BMW Active Tourer; same car, different bodies. (Would have to be the BMW for me. The infantile Mini interior would drive me nuts.)
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Post by Humph on Nov 21, 2017 9:42:11 GMT
Matters to who though Espada? By pure coincidence I’m sitting in my car at the moment parked up checking emails ( and pissing about on this site ) in the car park of my single biggest customer’s head office. Shortly going into a meeting with them. I shouldn’t think they would care if I’d turned up on the bus, never mind what type of car I’ve rocked up in!
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Post by commerdriver on Nov 21, 2017 9:54:21 GMT
Remember there are PHEV versions of the Mini Countryman and BMW Active Tourer; same car, different bodies. (Would have to be the BMW for me. The infantile Mini interior would drive me nuts.) I believe the Active Tourer is actually on the same platform as some recent MINI models, also it is an interesting hybrid platform as the electric motor drives the rear wheels and the ICE engine drives the front wheels. Although I probably would still have chosen the Golf, I was disappointed not to get a drive in the Active Tourer hybrid. |
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Nov 21, 2017 10:46:00 GMT
Perceptions matter when you turn up on site. I suppose if it's part of your presentation, like your suit or your shoes (or wellies?) then it makes sense to appear discreetly professional, successful but not profligate. No client and few colleagues have seen any car of mine for years. I had to fill in a form for this employer confirming I had one and what it was (that reminds me: I've not told them I no longer have that car) but although the previous employer paid me an allowance, I was never asked whether I had a car at all. Some of my Londoner colleagues never did. |
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Post by Humph on Nov 21, 2017 11:12:14 GMT
That’s kind of where I am. Insofar as I care what I drive on a purely personal level and for reasons that affect me, whether they be practical or emotional. But I’d be very surprised if anyone else really gives a fig what I drive, and I certainly don’t care what they have, it’s up to them.
Different at the extremes maybe I suppose, in that you might wonder about a plumber who turned up in a new Bentley or a supposedly successful business man in a clapped out rusty old Clio, but most cars are not going to change your view of someone all that much, if at all are they?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2017 11:22:16 GMT
Ingvar Kamprad turning up in a Volvo 240 estate just seems right.
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Post by Humph on Nov 21, 2017 12:19:01 GMT
Absolutely, and good for him !
But really, in a fictional scenario, let’s suppose you are due to get a visit from someone representing a supplier of goods or services you are interested in purchasing.
The person conducts themselves properly and identically in any event and you are happy to place your orders with them. The deal suits you in other words.
Would it have made any difference to your decision if they had arrived in a Focus, a Passat or an E class?
Of course not, you wouldn’t care would you as long as they hadn’t arrived in something that looked like it was on its last legs and that they might be out of business before your goods were despatched?
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