Why I Will Not Buy A nice Car

la gran siete

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Because it isnmt worth it pure and simple. Today I was driving along in my adequate '85 Corolla during the 5 pm rush hour when all of a sudden " crunch" ,white van man who decides to turn to his right hits my right tailgate lights . I park just up the road and step out to take details only to find he has f*&%$£d off. A few years ago after I first bought this motor a geezer drives into me back and stoves the rear in. Fortunately the damage wasnt so bad as to make it undriveable and because of its age it wanst worth worrying about cosmetics so I didnt pursue the matter.
My truck has been involved in a few scrapes - gouge to nearside door cracked rear lamps on two occasions but then its a working vehicle so why worry? My previous commercial was hit no fewer than four times when it was parked , once by a drunk.What ,i ask myself, is the point of forking out for something that gives soo much worry and aggravation???? This is why I buy the cheapest I can and I never worry about cosmetics/image.I recently was told about a lady who bought a pink/ purple Citroen 2cv( collectors car) for about £2000 which was her pride and joy. Guess What? Bunch of drunken Chavs decide to walk all over the bonnet and leave their boot prints on the doors.The consequence was she had to sell the thing for £ 400 to my neighbour who does them up. Must have broke her heart.

I ask again what is the point in buying a poncey car? My next one will be another old banger thats for sure
 
Guess if its a company car its a different matter as the company presumably picks up the tab. I spend about £30 a week on petrol as most of my driving is done in urban areas where most minor accidents happen
 
la gran siete said:
I ask again what is the point in buying a poncey car? My next one will be another old banger thats for sure

Comfort, kudos, range of extras, etc...

(sic): Why pay over 500 quid on a telly and have separate amps and speakers, when a 200 quid telly gives you pictures and sound. They both do the same jobs, just as a Vauxhall Nova and a DB9 get you from 'a' to 'b'. What's the point in buying poncey home cinema gear?

AV Comfort, kudos, range of extras, etc.....
 
Must admit i DONT do kudos. Car is like any appliance ie it has to do what is says on the tin and no more. Someone in ownership of a Lamborghini impreses me no more than an owner of a Reliant Robin. Just cars thats all.
 
woodywizz said:
Comfort, kudos, range of extras, etc...

(sic): Why pay over 500 quid on a telly and have separate amps and speakers, when a 200 quid telly gives you pictures and sound. They both do the same jobs, just as a Vauxhall Nova and a DB9 get you from 'a' to 'b'. What's the point in buying poncey home cinema gear?

AV Comfort, kudos, range of extras, etc.....

no one is going to prang my telly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Motor vehicles are functional, have to do a job in all weathers.
So long as it does the job you want it to OK.
Hi Fi etc, sits in a nice warm house,does not go out in the rain .
If you live in the country like I do , Cow, Horse sh##, mud can all end up on the car so functional is better.
 
I think there is a good argurment for both side but id have to go with buy a slightly better car.

I think i have a fairly good balance with mine even though its no where near being brand new etc etc

The parts are cheap to buy and easy to fit and it was cheap to buy. It carries a non desirable rover badge , is 13 years old and is group 17 insurance but.....
It has electric everything , full leather interior as standard and removably t-bar roof for the summer! It is a 2.0 16v turbo with 200bhp as it left the factory and around 230bhp ish now i've played about with it!

Far from being a banger IMO and a bargain for £1300 :smashin:

Jon
 
hornydragon said:
800 miles a week is one reason ot to buy a banger

I totally disagree with that one....Been there and thought like yourself...But actually I now know it was the wrong decision....800 miles a week has costed me £34k in two years....That kind of mileage is just not worth it in a new car...Hence my wife has got the nice car and doing the lowish mileage and I'm picking up tomorrow my £300 experiment Vauxhall Omega...Previously I've had an Jaguar XJ and a BMW 750iL...After the Omega I think I'll find myself a nice and cheap Audi A8....All of these cars don't depreciate any further on mileage are dead cheap to buy and have all the creature comforts of modern cars (and more in most cases....)....

Nah, total waste of money.....
 
not that i have flash car.....98 "R" Astra 2.0Di 135k on the clock. Jag XJ, BMW 750 (mmm V12?) but the cost at the pumps must be eyewatering.....unless its LPG then the range is naff.
I wouldnt buy new but i wouldnt run a banger either i am at acost nuetral point but that wont last much longer! Whats the £300 Omea experiment then? i can afford to spend £9k a year on a car including fuel and fixed costs so i guess that leaves me £3.5k so over 3 years thats £10k, £13k is what i expect to have to pay for my next car so as long as its worth £3k when I'm done i am alright pity it will be worth £500, perhaps i could sell you my old one Jean-Paul
 
Thanks for the offer! But an Astra is not really my style and not big enough for the 500-700 miles per week I do...I feel more comfortable in something bigger, heavier and quieter.....

True the cost of the BMW 750, V12 indeed!!, was a bit much...I spend nearly £160 per week in fuel....I got a little bit carried away with that one.....After my 750 I got a lease deal on a VW Golf GT TDI (2.0) at £199 per month...Compared to the 750 that was very cheap motoring and I was quits in...But tomorrow I'm picking up an Omega I won on eBay for £300...So if it as sound as it was described, this should become my cheapest year of motoring....

But the best thing about not having a luxury car for myself (my wife drives our family Murano, so its not all bangers and no mash :D ) is the positive comments I get from my clients! They appreciate it that I don't drive too flash a motor......
 
Think I've got the balance about right.

V-Reg Primera Sport+, 36k on the clock
2.0, 150bhp
leather recaro's, Climate control, Xenon lights and electric everything and averages 35mpg

just over £18k new, can find one for about £2.5k now.

Nice to drive with loads of life left in it and when I sell it in about 3yrs with 100k on the clock I should still get about a grand for it.

cheap comfy fast"ish" ultra reliable motoring
 
dejongj said:
I totally disagree with that one....Been there and thought like yourself...But actually I now know it was the wrong decision....800 miles a week has costed me £34k in two years....That kind of mileage is just not worth it in a new car...Hence my wife has got the nice car and doing the lowish mileage and I'm picking up tomorrow my £300 experiment Vauxhall Omega...Previously I've had an Jaguar XJ and a BMW 750iL...After the Omega I think I'll find myself a nice and cheap Audi A8....All of these cars don't depreciate any further on mileage are dead cheap to buy and have all the creature comforts of modern cars (and more in most cases....)....

Nah, total waste of money.....

Saw you in the Omega area!!!!
 
hornydragon said:
Whats the £300 Omea experiment then?

I have had 4 of them - good value cars!
 
I dont need anything that big nice i know i think the next one might be a Signum a bit like a grown up astra not flash but hopefully better handling and performance than my current motor I hope they are as good as the Omega any one know where Signums are built?Germany like the Omega or spain like the astra?
 
Signums are naff, might as well have a Vectra
 
Basically the Signum is large and not particularly useful, not bad just not a good car, us Omega owners think that GM are taking the pee if they think we will accept it as a replacement.

TBH Mondeos are good cars, cheap and plentiful.

With 3 kids, all their assorted stuff, owning a caravan and having a severe adversion to front drive I have got the ideal car for me - of course I'd like a 5 series but they are too expensive and slightly less roomy.

Today I had a drive in a V8 Discovery - that was not quick despite the 4.0l engine
 
uridium said:
Think I've got the balance about right.

V-Reg Primera Sport+, 36k on the clock
2.0, 150bhp
leather recaro's, Climate control, Xenon lights and electric everything and averages 35mpg

just over £18k new, can find one for about £2.5k now.

Nice to drive with loads of life left in it and when I sell it in about 3yrs with 100k on the clock I should still get about a grand for it.

cheap comfy fast"ish" ultra reliable motoring

Yep that sounds like a good balance...I was looking for one as well, but thought we'd be too much of a Nissan family as we already have the Murano as well.....The Primera is so under appreciated which makes it a great secondhand buy.....Is the sport+ the one where it basically has got the DTM suspension on it in a normal car without all those spoilers and stuff.....
 
I have no kids and rare;y use the back seat but having had 2 astra estates and not iking the new one the signm seems a good alternative I really want cruise and built in sat nav impossible to find on a used Astra (well they cost as much as a signum) i havent driven one yet, I'll wait for mine to die first :( or :)
 
dejongj said:
Yep that sounds like a good balance...I was looking for one as well, but thought we'd be too much of a Nissan family as we already have the Murano as well.....The Primera is so under appreciated which makes it a great secondhand buy.....Is the sport+ the one where it basically has got the DTM suspension on it in a normal car without all those spoilers and stuff.....

Yup that's the one, engine and suspension the same as the older GT model but with all the Obvious spoliers removed and decent sized 205/50/16 rubber.
 
uridium said:
Yup that's the one, engine and suspension the same as the older GT model but with all the Obvious spoliers removed and decent sized 205/50/16 rubber.

Nissan Primera another secret good car.

There are quite a few not so obvious cars like this, the Primera was ignored, a well made British mid sized car which drove well.

Anyway I'm off to bed now - busy day tomorrow
 
hornydragon said:
I have no kids and rare;y use the back seat

Neither have I (in my car...), it's just old me...But even on your own you can't beat the weight and road holding of a larger car when doing highish mileage....
 
la gran siete said:
Car is like any appliance ie it has to do what is says on the tin and no more.

That's a daft argument as most of us that can afford it don't buy the very basic models of any appliance even though it may do the job as paying more for most things will get you something that does the job better.

I choose not to have an old banger that will function at the bare minimum as I prefer the added comfort, luxury and safety of a newer car and I can afford to pay for it.

Likewise I don't have a portable television, twin tub washing machine, manual lawn mower, video recorder etc and I don't buy my clothes from Matalan either as I can afford to buy things that "do what what they say on the tin" but do so much better than the bare minimum models.
 

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