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Post by Humph on Sept 12, 2023 9:31:46 GMT
My local independent repair garage tells me they have never been busier in their entire trading history.
People are keeping their cars much longer. He says he thinks the penny has finally dropped that they probably won’t rust any time soon and that with regular maintenance they can be kept going a lot longer. Couple that with the fiscal pressures facing most and it’s an unsurprising trend.
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Post by Humph on Sept 12, 2023 9:35:58 GMT
…further to above.
EG me with my auld Merc, my neighbour, an airline pilot and his wife, a teacher (so not skint) respectively run a 64 plate Kuga and an 09 plate Jazz. No interest in replacing either.
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Sept 12, 2023 15:30:08 GMT
Connectivity may be putting many people off new cars.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Sept 12, 2023 16:09:39 GMT
Connectivity? As in changing commuting habits?
More probably just money. If a new car PCP costs £400 a month and your mortgage has just gone up by more than this, thanks to the aforementioned TKEM, you’re less likely to be hammering on the showroom doors.
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Sept 12, 2023 17:00:03 GMT
Funny you should mention changing habits, during the hot weather I have observed locals who recently acquired an EV have stopped walking or cycling to the bakery and started using the air conditioned, cheap as chips to run EV.
The law of unintended consequences in action.  Edit: changed order of walking, bakery and cycling. |
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Sept 12, 2023 18:09:52 GMT
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Post by Humph on Sept 12, 2023 18:31:41 GMT
I’ve always been a trend setter you know. It can be a burden of course, as you might well imagine, but, in many ways, I am happy to guide the less fortunate. Some of us are just chosen I suppose.
😎
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Post by EspadaIII on Sept 13, 2023 12:19:18 GMT
Just met a man whose wife had a 12 year old Qashqai. When she sold it, it had done 19,000 miles. Inevitably they are looking for an electric car. I would have suggested a Citroen Ami, but as he drives a Range Rover I didn't think that would go down well.
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Sept 13, 2023 12:35:45 GMT
WE'd consider the Ami as a second car but not so sure because it's LHD. And I know it's not a car in the legal sense. And it's tiny so would LHD be a problem??
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2023 12:41:24 GMT
Let's face it, LHD is a problem if you want to overtake someone, which is hardly likely in an Ami. You'll have MAMiLs powering past you.
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Sept 13, 2023 12:52:47 GMT
Just met a man whose wife had a 12 year old Qashqai. When she sold it, it had done 19,000 miles. Inevitably they are looking for an electric car. I would have suggested a Citroen Ami, but as he drives a Range Rover I didn't think that would go down well. For less than 1,600 miles/year I'd suggest a taxi. Let's face it, LHD is a problem if you want to overtake someone, which is hardly likely in an Ami. You'll have MAMiLs powering past you. I've been driving RHD in LHD market for the last 18 years, not really an issue, you just need to adapt your driving and look down the other side of the vehicle in front and leave enough space so you can see. The only downside is car parks with tickets and barriers, a stick grabber fixes that. You also get to laugh at garage mechanics and MOT testers who ALWAYS get in the wrong side. |
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Post by Humph on Sept 13, 2023 12:59:46 GMT
Toll booths in France/Italy when you’re on yer tod can be tricky.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2023 13:05:06 GMT
Motorway Toll Booths not much of an issue in a car limited to 28mph.
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Post by Humph on Sept 13, 2023 13:37:18 GMT
My Westfield could have fitted under some toll barriers. Never actually did that of course, but the thought crossed my mind.
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Sept 13, 2023 15:03:12 GMT
Toll booths in France/Italy when you’re on yer tod can be tricky. I'm not allowed to go that far away from home on my own. This summer the Italian toll booths ran like clockwork, mostly, only sticking point was when the Belgian car in front got confused and paid my toll too. Petrol stations, now that was different using their prepay method. The machine offered translation options. Selecting English resulted in the on-screen instructions in Italian. Thankfully the German translation worked. |
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