I bet the MK3 petrol vRS will be hard to pick up secondhand for quite a while.

I bet the MK3 petrol vRS will be hard to pick up secondhand for quite a while.

I don't get it?

Exactly.

It's a matter of prioroties.

But outside influences seem to shape these?

 

Would we buy as many new cars if we weren't on here (or car forums in general) where people are always sharing thier newist lump of metal they'll be losing £8,000-£10,000 on over the next three years.  Or being so up to date on what is happening in the car world.

I subscribe to Auto Express, so am getting a weekly update on what's coming out and how wonderful they are.  Evo mag too.

 

When we bought our two red Yetis in March 2012 I was fortunate enough to pay cash for them.

Since then I've chopped and changed a fair bit.  Sampled a lot of vehicles and had some good experiences, at a cost.

But looking forward I've realised that if I could be happier with an older car or not get bored of a new one and keep it a long time I could potentially retire earlier than expected.  Getting my car hobby under control would take years off it.  Quite a lot of years.

 

I know several people that pay £20k for a car, let it drop to £10k over three years and then chop it in to start again.

While paying interest on top and complaining they can't save up enough to buy a house...

Maybe it's just priorities that I seem to find a bit difficult to understand.

If you can afford it, it doesn't mean there aren't better things to do with the money.

 

Or is it such a special feeling to buy a new car, order it and take delivery that people are compelled to do it?

I've done it so many times now I am quite frankly sick of it and get no real pleasure from the process.  It's like buying tyres.

My wife compares it to the guy in the film "Brewster's Millions".

 

Overall I think I'm seeing a shift in my opinion.

When I see someone fuelling their ego by showing off a new Audi/BMW/Merc I tend to just think they have a self esteem problem.

Otherwise they wouldn't need the appreciation from others who they rarely ever communicate with.

It's a car and financed.  You are the dog's danglies, truely epic.  Is that want you wanted to hear?

Flame suit on... :peek:  crawling back under my rock now...

Mate I'm not sure what to say to that! Sounds abit like you are feeling guilty for indulging your car habit over the years. I suspect you work bloody hard for the money you've got so try to enjoy it. Cars are clearly your passion so as long as it's not risking providing for your family in any way then why not? No point being the richest fella in the graveyard....

I'm lucky in that I earn very good money (although I doubt in your league lol!) but it does often cross my mind whether or not spending some of that on changing cars regularly is a 'waste' etc. Becoming a dad for the first time recently only intensifies that feeling ten-fold. Then I remind myself that I do work very hard and all the important stuff - house etc is already in place.

It's all relative and not limited to cars. People indulge all sorts of hobbies and spend a small fortune doing so.

I know this thread is about shiny new cars but I don't think the problem is limited to that. There are so many people who are struggling financially but they still make unwise financial decisions and take out unaffordable loans to buy even 10yr old used cars, often at crazy interest rates. Then they wonder how they are going to feed their kids that month but do it without really thinking.

Loads of people on car forums show off their cars be it Aud/bmw/merc or indeed Skoda not necessarily because they have self-esteem issues (although I'm sure that does also happen) but because they enjoy sharing their enthusiasm for things 4-wheeled with like minded people.

For what it's worth I've ordered a new BMW on a PCP deal last week so I'm one of the worst sort hahaha!! I'll have to have a think twice about posting any pics of it when it arrives lol!

I'd say to you keep up the good work and don't necessarily stop buying new cars. I for one love reading about the Citigo and GTR etc.

All the best,

Tom

For what it's worth I've ordered a new BMW on a PCP deal last week so I'm one of the worst sort hahaha!! I'll have to have a think twice about posting any pics of it when it arrives lol!

 

It doesn't bother me that much.

I'm sure people like to see various cars.

 

It's the people that never post or contribute in any way and only pop in once a year to share what they are buying or thinking of buying that I struggle to understand.

Maybe I should just reply with "man, you is epic" and leave it at that.

That'll make them feel warm and fuzzy.

It doesn't bother me that much.

I'm sure people like to see various cars.

 

It's the people that never post or contribute in any way and only pop in once a year to share what they are buying or thinking of buying that I struggle to understand.

Maybe I should just reply with "man, you is epic" and leave it at that.

That'll make them feel warm and fuzzy.

Yeah there are a few of those about! Even worse are those who just seem to appear at random with no purpose other than to slate members cars. Oh well I guess that's the internet for you :-(

Like Fantasy Green Fabias :p

to be fair, Skoda asked for an upfront payment for the Fantasy green ones due to the colour IIRC; they knew they'd be hard to shift

I don't get it?

Sorry but I do indeed "get it"........

 

I'd be seriously tempted by a newish vRS TSi Wagon if the price was right, but, apart from the early demonstrators there are very few to be found.

 

SWMBO thinks that we should wait a year or so, to give Skoda time to learn how to build them properly, (she used to work for Ford in Fleet Sales & does not recommend being an early adopter,) & maybe wait for Skoda to release some of their own fleet for sale.

 

As for Richard's recent comments, it's taken me quite a while to realize that many people don't have enough cash to "own" their new toys & they are living on their salaries, purchasing on credit & not saving for the future.

 

Since leaving the Motability world 9 years ago I've been fortunate enough to have enough cash to buy my cars, albeit none of them new.

 

I can afford a brand new car, but like most of the posters I prefer to save a few pennies & maybe own a better vehicle than I should?

 

An O/T question, any opinion on an '07 "S Type" Jag, 2.7 diesel, in nice condition but 80K miles for £7K, as an everyday runaround?

 

 

DC     

I bet the MK3 petrol vRS will be hard to pick up secondhand for quite a while.

 

 

I don't get it?

Just meant the petrol mk3 vRS is quite rare, so will take a while to filter onto the secondhand market. The cars with the less popular options can be tricky to get secondhand, for example if you are after an up to 3 year old petrol vRS hatch there are only 18 of them on autotrader ATM. If you really fussy about spec then buying new might be the only option unless you are willing to wait ages for that spec to come up secondhand.

I go and pick up my motorbike this week. 

It's the newest vehicle I have ever had but still second hand. 

 

I got it for about 1700 -1800 quid below the list price and it's 

not a year old yet. Just to put that into perspective, new they cost 

between 5600 and 6000 but with the options I have on mine

(800 quids worth of genuine OEM colour matched panniers

bringing the total all in about £6500)

 

I got it for 4k in the nose with 1200 miles on the clock.

To all intents and purposes it's as good as new.  

I could have afforded to buy a new one but why?

 

This one still has manufacturers warranty for 12 months which I can

extend for a further 2 years for just £345 and has nearly a years tax. 

Obviously no MOT needed for two years either. 

I've saved about 33% on list and just under 39% on the deal overall

compared to buying new. 

 

That means I should be able to still sell it on with some warranty

remaining when the time comes assuming I don't trash it, and if I do

how much money I lost will be the last of my worries.  

 

Now to get rid of that poxy Audi... 

Interesting topic,

I've always been a person that would love a new car and I have had 2 new cars in 20 years, the rest have been 2,3,4 years old.

At the moment we have a mk1 Octavia that is coming up 11 years old and a mk2 Octavia which is 7 years old.

Now the mk1 has 88,000 miles and the mk2 has 54,000 miles so both with plenty of life left in them, so if I have to spend £400 on them both for servicing a year that is still a lot less then a PCP payment.

Now as some of you may know I work for Audi and deliver and collect new cars everyday, and what I have found now is that a new car is just a car! Now maybe that's just a fortunate place I find myself in. But it's thought me that I have spent to much money changing cars when there has been know need. Because a new model or a spec change is always around the corner, so your car will always be out of date.

So what am I trying to say, not sure really! New cars are nice, but after the first couple of days they are then just a used car.

If you can afford a new car then well done go for it and good luck to you.

Me if I wanted to I could have a new A3 or A4 every 6 months for around £200 a month, why don't i? There is nothing wrong with my cars so there is no need to spend £2400 a year for a car I will never own.

Now is it that people like the expirence of finding the car and doing the deal?

Because its mine all mine. MINE MINE MINEEEEEEEEE!    

 

Erm in all serious this is my first new car. Had to change because the old one (which i had run towards the ground) was giving up the ghost and about to cost me a fortune. Obviously did not have to buy new! Wanted reliability, long warranty, lower tax, better fuel etc. Due to personal circumstances it was a once in a long time (hopefully not a lifetime!) chance to change up to a new car but the new car will be staying with me for a long long time as it was bought to last me a long time not to chop in a few years down the line. Yes I will lose plenty of depreciation but I got a huge discount when I bought it and hopefully it was a calculated risk that will pay off.  :peek: 

 

Did similar when I first bought a house - went several steps up the ladder rather than going on the bottom rung. Was a risk and cost a lot, but was def a very sound decision for me and worked well so im glad I did it.  :cocktail: 

Just meant the petrol mk3 vRS is quite rare, so will take a while to filter onto the secondhand market. The cars with the less popular options can be tricky to get secondhand, for example if you are after an up to 3 year old petrol vRS hatch there are only 18 of them on autotrader ATM. If you really fussy about spec then buying new might be the only option unless you are willing to wait ages for that spec to come up secondhand.

 

Ah you mean MK2?

 

Over the last week I have been looking at MK2 vrs's and the seat/polo variants as I may be forced to go auto :/ seemed to be a quite a few available?

Ah you mean MK2?

Over the last week I have been looking at MK2 vrs's and the seat/polo variants as I may be forced to go auto :/ seemed to be a quite a few available?

I was assuming he meant Fabia but later realised I think he means Octavia vRS 3

I was assuming he meant Fabia but later realised I think he means Octavia vRS 3

My bad.

I've always had used cars, usually 5+ years old and loved every one of them, but they have not been the most reliable and my current 172 isn't exactly ideal for family outings (but great fun on the back road home).

My next car had to be practical for family life and safe and reliable. Good MPG against possible long commute in future so I'm shifting from hot hatches to diesel estate that I'll keep for a long time ( thinking 10+ years for the right car)

Looked at mk2 FL octy vrs, but a new mk3 Octy vRS made more sense with the warranty, 3 yr servicing, no MOTs for 3 years, good MPG, good family car, not to racy (wife is happy), still a bit sporty (I'm happy). With the bonus of 0% PCP means I can keep cash in the bank which suits me right now having moved house recently.

Yes the car will depreciate massively, but I intend to keep it a long time so I'm willing to take the hit. Yes I'm paying monthly on PCP, but it's at 0%, I can afford it and suits me right now.

Used and nearly new cars still have their place, my wife's Focus was pre-registered and the old model, got it for an absolute bargain, paid cash and she is happy.

I'm looking into older sports cars now for a weekend toy, something I can enjoy working on and driving and won't depreciate much.

What I'm getting at is new cars have their place, as do used. Sometimes paying cash is better, sometimes finance can be worth it.

Everyone has their own story and circumstances so unless you are getting into something you can't afford to maintain or can't afford to make payments then it's all good, feeding the automotive food chain.

Sorry but I do indeed "get it"........

 

I'd be seriously tempted by a newish vRS TSi Wagon if the price was right, but, apart from the early demonstrators there are very few to be found.

 

SWMBO thinks that we should wait a year or so, to give Skoda time to learn how to build them properly, (she used to work for Ford in Fleet Sales & does not recommend being an early adopter,) & maybe wait for Skoda to release some of their own fleet for sale.

 

As for Richard's recent comments, it's taken me quite a while to realize that many people don't have enough cash to "own" their new toys & they are living on their salaries, purchasing on credit & not saving for the future.

 

Since leaving the Motability world 9 years ago I've been fortunate enough to have enough cash to buy my cars, albeit none of them new.

 

I can afford a brand new car, but like most of the posters I prefer to save a few pennies & maybe own a better vehicle than I should?

 

An O/T question, any opinion on an '07 "S Type" Jag, 2.7 diesel, in nice condition but 80K miles for £7K, as an everyday runaround?

 

 

DC     

 

I wouldn't, not that there's anything particularly wrong with the car, but the X- and S- Types value drops like a stone, particularly as the newer Jags have been about for a few years. 

I think it's the "new car = no faults" mentality.  If anything, that can prove to be an illusion - mother bought a brand new VW Tiguan. 2 months later, winter arrived and the alarm went off every night when the temperature dropped.  After a few days of this, the supplying dealer advice was "leave it unlocked."   It went back, spent a month with them, with no resolution from VW, and was then rejected.

 

A nearly new/used will have taken the initial depreciation hit, to varying degrees, and possibly, have had any teething problems sorted by the previous owner.

Course, it could also end up like me, where every used car I buy develops a different fault that is either frustratingly erratic and therefore impossible to diagnose/fix (Astra with EML at odd times, no fault codes) expensive (Mondeo with crumbling DMF) or just plain stupid with the potential to be expensive (leaky Passat).

 

Feeling like I should go for banger-nomics as my next car strategy..... :think:

Feeling like I should go for banger-nomics as my next car strategy..... :think:

 

If I wasn't driving as far I'd be in a bangerish old luxo barge with an icecap melting V8.

 

But I do 12k a year so I'm not.

The DVLA should just change the rules and allow any car to use any plate, then release new 'year' plates every year. They'd get their brass, but I think the overall tax take would fall in the short term.

 

Alternately do away with age related plates, would be very interesting to see the effect on new car sales, but direct and indirect taxes would fall.

I like to save and buy everything outright. If I could afford to do that with a new car I would, but I can't, so I don't! 

I'm currently in debt for the first time in my life paying off a loan, and I absolutely hate it! 

Always old cars here. If it's done 100k and not died, it must be alright

Depends on he person. Must choose my words carefully as I am prone to deciding at random I "need" a "new" car as I get bored and I like owning a car that puts a grin on my face. Economically it makes no sense, do I care no its my one concession to make going to work justifiable. While I accept buying used is cheaper having seen some of the criminal negligence some people show to car maintenance I would hate to be buying old "normal" cars. But I have to agree that buying things to impress other people especially women is a waste of time. Always has been always will be. You will just end up being laughed at.

If I wasn't driving as far I'd be in a bangerish old luxo barge with an icecap melting V8.

 

But I do 12k a year so I'm not.

Yep.  I'ld quite happily tool about in an old A8/ 7 Series / Disco.  

but 24-26k a year....Euro 3 dirty diesels are my only choice........

If you can afford it, by all means, get a new car, enjoy the research, the speccing, the negotiating, the waiting, and the delivery day, followed by all the envious glances at your new plate. OK, the last bit is a bit below the belt. But the same is basically true of sourcing any car, whether new, pre-loved, second-hand or a shed.

 

I've only ever had new cars on company car lease schemes that were subsidized: we got a brand new car, built to order, at a significant discount to the true cost. The lease even included car washing, fluids (but not fuel), wipers, tyres, servicing, recovery, even rental cars during servicing - if I priced it all up, it was a steal. Times changed, and I bought the last car off lease at a discount to book value - the lease company doesn't want to carry the inventory for the two months it takes to turn around a second hand car. And I knew the previous driver...

 

Before then, I just scraped together enogh to buy second hand, and now, I just buy second hand and outright, no finance. There's no car finance that's cheap... As you can see from my signature, the Yeti is not new, but I had it inspected and it's still in fine shape. Since my wife won't be driving 20,000km/year, it'll be fine. I sourced my other car at just over a year old, less than 10,000km, and "saved" nearly 40% on list (so I was ahead of the depreciation curve).

 

Car buying is, in my view, simply a product of how much money you are prepared to spend: some people want to buy new, some aren't worried. And it's not as if my house is new. The difference is that a house is (hopefully) an asset that can be financed and should appreciate, whereas a car is not an asset, it is a cost and it will definitely depreciate.

 

What I fail to understand is the people (like my neighbour, in fact) who feel they absolutely have to have the absolute latest everything (the chap has a wife and just the one child, and they have a Panamera, a Cayenne and a Boxster), and then live in a very modest house. That just doesn't make any sense to me... but I guess we're all different.  

Richard- reading one of your particular the fiesta ST2 & this one it sound like you have reached a light bulb moment that life priorities for you are now different ( or to put it bluntly - you are maturing your outlook on life    )

 

With respect to the topic, from my (warped) view of the world, it is the ' I want it now' attitude along with some ' It must be better & newer than yours'  thrown in for good measure.  

Any sense of financial responsibility no longer exists , as the financial bubble burst from 2008 / 2009  exposed that and the introduction of 0% PCP seem to be starting this bubble again, simple economics says that all these PCP cars must come back into the market when the time is up & we all know that this drives down 2nd hand prices, & eventually makes depreciation even greater.

 

Buying new seems to give peace of mind & a sense of security that if it goes wrong then the dealer / manufacturer are responsible for sorting it out, as when an older 2nd had car is owned then the responsibility for sorting out problem falls to the individual.

 

When my children were growing up we could only afford 2nd hand cars which we had to keep till they were no longer financially viable, we are now at an age where we can afford new, but not at any expense of making it financially difficult for ourselves.

I am however under no illusion that this can not go on, I fully expect that in 4-8 years time finances will dictate differently, & that any new car after this one WILL be the last, so it will have to be suitable for our needs to last.