I am contemplating swapping a perfectly good and highly reliable car for something, well, a little more interesting. I have done a few sums on what I paid for it, discounted by things that would need doing anyway so they dont really count, and then allowing for the miles I have done at Xp per mile then really, when you look at it, taking all things into account, and why shouldnt I 'cos its my money and we only come this way once, at the end of the day, well, its a bargain.
There are various strategies that we can use to justify or rationalise the otherwise irreconciliable. Bangernomics is one that appealed to me for many years - 10 months MOT and starts all on its own, I was your man. Butr what a load of embarassing rubbish. A Hillman Mix super estate with rattling big ends, ugh. Buy new at big discount and then run until the warranty runs out might be another approach. How do backroomers justify their purchases? With the exception of Rattle of course who seems to be more interested in the journey than the arrival - but, hey, that's another option. Prevarication could extend the decision almost infinitely. So how do backroomers rationalise their buying decisions?
MGs
|
> So how do backroomers rationalise their buying decisions? MGs
Don't tell 'er.
MD
|
|
|
|
Having just ordered myself a new car I justify it to SWMBO with the "I wont have any repair bills for 3 years" line :-)
|
|
|
Here was my logic back in Oct 2008. I was running a perfectly good and reliable, 3 year old Fiat Panda 4x4.
I was frustrated by the lack of performance of the car which made long journeys hard work.
I had always wanted the diesel-engined Panda 4x4 but it had only just been introduced into the UK despite being available in Europe for years. I wanted it because it was both more powerful and more economical.
I had the cash to buy a new car.
I had seen my investments in equities plummet in value by 3-4 times the cost to change my car. This made me realise how ephemeral wealth can be.
By selling my original Panda privately and by obtaining a huge discount on the new car, the cost to change was £6000.
So, I ended up with a nicer, more driveable car with lower fuel costs and easily within my budget.
|
I don't smoke, drink very little, my clothes come from Matalan and working shifts combined with two kids/a working wife, I don't get out much.
(I've just realised how dull my life is :) )
I like cars and driving so I tell 'er indoors it's my one pleasure. My current car was a treat bought brand new. It'll certainly be kept until it's 3-4 years old. I have however, become more practical in the last two years (or is that old). The urge for shiney and new has faded somewhat.
My current itch is a pre march 2001 E39 BMW M5. Can be had for around £7000 upwards. Very tempting.
|
For me its nowadays all down to money.
I fancy alot of cars, but in reality, ive got possibly the cheapest possible car to own which is also extremely reliable and totally practical, yet the car is worth less than £2k now trade-in.
It would have to be pretty special to make me part with any cash now - more and more the cars that interest me are those which fight against the war on the motorist - so for me my dream car is one of the first Honda Insight Coupes - I want to drive without the guilt and fear of spending a weeks wages in petrol but still have something individual.
My misses has her car, which was brand new, but we got nearly 25% off list, which you couldnt get now if you begged just three months later. She sees a car as both a symbol of her hard work and a tool, so she has said she fully intends to drive it until it is uneconomic to repair - given the reliability of the oily bits, it may be the only car she ever owns. As such, my man maths wont come into it as its not mine ( although I did donate £2200 towards it! ).
Strange that we both gravitated to a relatively obscure japanese brand though.
|
Man maths worked for me too- working 5 1/2 days every week, don't drink/smoke/do drugs etc so thought sod it and bought my e46 318 cabrio. Guy at the BMW garage said I was the youngest person he'd sold a BMW to (24 at the time). Who cares? You can't take it with you.
|
I think the problem is that cars are (or can be) so much more affordable these days, especially if you use tools like man-maths in the decision-making ;-)
No matter what I own, I tend to get bored with it after 9-12months (I drive circa 18,000/year), and so I will use all type of justification to myself as to why I should change. My current car (an E320CDI with 4 months extended warranty left) is under scrutiny now because:
1. I could easily drive something more economical.
2. The warranty is approaching it's end.
3. er ...
4. I fancy a change.
Of course it's financial madness, because the dreaded depreciation is only realised when you sell. But life's too short to drive the same car all your life!
|
|
I earn money. I spend some, I save some. I can still chose what I spend it on. Justification over.
|
|
|
|
I like cars and driving so I tell 'er indoors it's my one pleasure.
You're lucky if 'er indoors doesn't think she is your one ... ? :-)
|
|
|
|
|
So how do backroomers rationalise their buying decisions?
I want the car, I can afford the car - I'll have the car.
I think I'll be keeping the GTA for a while though, I can't think of anything more desirable than it that will be fitting into the second category any time soon.
Unless we move house to somewhere with a bit more car storage space, in which case it'll hopefully share the drive with a TVR shortly afterwards.
|
|
Purpose and cost. Men=practical (we like to think so) (although I bet Polo Girl is very practical): so you decide what you need your car to do. I work away from home most of the time and tend to travel by train on the long distances. Technically my work driving would be short and just me. However being a man I need to bring stuff down for the week and take stuff back occassionaly. I don't want to muck up SWMBO car at weekend tacking stuff to tip - so it has to be an estate. Lots of miles - so diesel. and a decent stereo to keep me awake - Megan Estate as it was one of the cheapest to buy and has proved very reliable and economic. Will run till warrenty expires or pratical need changes. Boring perhaps, but cost effective. Mind you - once the mortgage is paid off things might change
|
|
|
Unless we move house to somewhere with a bit more car storage space in which case it'll hopefully share the drive with a TVR shortly afterwards.
Make sure then that you move house somewhere very close to a competent independent garage as with a TVR you will become very closely acquainted with them. Also make sure that they will service and repair TVRs, some garages won't touch them.
|
>> Unless we move house to somewhere with a bit more car storage space in which >> case it'll hopefully share the drive with a TVR shortly afterwards. Make sure then that you move house somewhere very close to a competent independent garage as with a TVR you will become very closely acquainted with them. Also make sure that they will service and repair TVRs some garages won't touch them.
Thanks for the advice, but since my current car is an Alfa I'm already well aware of the prejudices applied to such cars.
Lo and behold, my Alfa is perfectly reliable because I bought a good one and look after it. I have a suspicion the same might be true of the TVR.
|
Lo and behold, my Alfa is perfectly reliable because I bought a good one and look after it. I have a suspicion the same might be true of the TVR <<
Tee hee hee ;-)
|
|
|
Thanks for the advice but since my current car is an Alfa I'm already well aware of the prejudices applied to such cars. Lo and behold my Alfa is perfectly reliable because I bought a good one and look after it. I have a suspicion the same might be true of the TVR.
My prejudice is based on ownership experience. The local TVR dealer told me I couldn't expect a TVR to be reliable. The electrical problems were (eventually) diagnosed as incurable because "the workers in Blackpool don't really follow wiring diagrams and wire the cars the way they think is best". I bet not even Alfa make that proud boast! Local independent garage specialising in sports cars told me he wouldn't touch a TVR with a barge pole.
|
|
Fair enough then. Still, I will be doing much research before any purchase, and have a couple of very well thought of TVR specialists within range.
|
|
I get the impression that TVRs have Meccano-like mechanicals that are easy to fix but their electrics need someone with a multimeter and a good understanding of how electrons move to fix them.
|
Actually, the TVR dealers struggled to fix the mechanical bits as well. As for the electrics, well I think TVR use their own in house made electrons. They're like normal electrons but cheaper, don't work as well and overheat in traffic.
Actually, to be fair to TVR, it's notoriously difficult to make electrical systems work properly in cars with plastic bodywork as it makes earthing rather difficult.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
