feeling peer pressure driving my old banger

NBLondon

I had a Mk 1 Focus and thoroughly enjoyed it - I only swapped it for a Mondeo because I needed more back-seat room (elderly parents-in-law, you dirty-minded lot!). I've now got a Mk 3a (i.e. not the most recent facelift) and I sort of like the toys. Didn't pay for the park itself - where I live it would only be able to find a space 1/2 a mile away from where I actually wanted to be.


It does depend who the pressure is coming from. If it's "mates" then change your mates. If it's colleagues - does it make any difference to how you do the job? If it's potential customers not taking you seriously - that's different. Having a "better" car looks like you're a bigger/more successful business and that will influence some people. Some companies do enforce that on their employees' choice of vehicle.

bigadaj

NBLondon wrote: »

I had a Mk 1 Focus and thoroughly enjoyed it - I only swapped it for a Mondeo because I needed more back-seat room (elderly parents-in-law, you dirty-minded lot!). I've now got a Mk 3a (i.e. not the most recent facelift) and I sort of like the toys. Didn't pay for the park itself - where I live it would only be able to find a space 1/2 a mile away from where I actually wanted to be.


It does depend who the pressure is coming from. If it's "mates" then change your mates. If it's colleagues - does it make any difference to how you do the job? If it's potential customers not taking you seriously - that's different. Having a "better" car looks like you're a bigger/more successful business and that will influence some people. Some companies do enforce that on their employees' choice of vehicle.

Whatever your elderly parents get up to in the back of your Mondeo is nothing to with anyone apart from them (and possibly you or your wife)!

dcouponzzzz

happyc84 wrote: »

I was driving down the M6 yesterday near Penrith, saw my first Tesla, looked lovely on the the back of the recovery truck.:rotfl:

To the OP I would suggest that the type of car depends on what mileage you do per year, and how important safety and reliability are. I've had cheap cars which are expensive to run, and expensive cars which are the opposite.

Every model of car has ended up on the back of a recovery truck at some point! The stars aligned just right so you were there at that moment in time or the driver was a !!!! who didn't charge up.....

bigjl

jackr5 wrote: »

My goodness, you really are obsessed aren't you?

After reading this forum for a while now it just amazes me just how much this gets to you. Even if these people are trolls, they do a very good job because you give them exactly what they want.

On the other side, I feel sorry for these guys if they are real, because they must see your posts about DM related stories and have absolutely no idea what's going on.

(Yes I realise the irony of me replying to you, but hey ho, it's a slow morning for me)

You seem to know a lot about DM since you have only been on the forum for a few months.

Have you ever noticed how people keep disappearing?

Why is that?

So that is what trolls want?

To get repeatedly kicked of forums?

Or do they want to create idiotic and banal threads that ruin the forum?

stator

Teslas involved in accidents do have to be towed away, you can't just 'drive it and see what's broke' as that's why so many caught fire in the US. Damage to the batteries can be a huge risk. Doesn't mean they are more unreliable though.

mattyprice4004

Ignore them - I'm soon to buy a house with cash, yet my newest car is 11 years old (oldest nearly 15 now!) and all worth well under £1k.

More fool them

anotheruser

Cars have become a status symbol.
Look at city land rover drivers for that.

If it's important to YOU to have a flash car, then get one. I can think of better things I'd rather £40,000 on.

avantra

Martin Lewis net worth is few millions more than the most of us but he drives an old Smart Fourtwo.
If peer pressure stands in your way of doing and developing your career I suggest you stay true to yourself and keep the Focus, don't forget to tell your peers as well.

GothicStirling

Save the money. When Brexit bites, the guys driving BMWs and Jags who have over-extended themselves with debt will be wondering why you have a smile on your face.

Robisere

I have disabilities and have taken Motablity-leased cars every 3 years since my first in 1995. My first Focus (an Auto 1.6) was in 2001 and I loved it. It was two leases later that I had another, a Titanium, supposedly much better trim and spec than the original LX. It was horrible, I hated it. Loads of faults. I had a C-Max before it and another one after it, so I don't have a problem with Fords. In fact the C-Max is so good (2.0 TDci) that I will have another next year.

The first Focus is still being used by a driver in a coastal town not far from me and I have spoken to the driver, who loves it and has now covered well over 140K miles in it. I have never seen the second Focus again, but I really disliked that car. The difference on the road was markedly worse. Point being, if I was not blessed with a Motability lease, (for which I am always grateful) but had bought the older car, I would still probably be driving it.

Take the opinions of others out of the equation. Base what you want to do upon your own needs and wants. If they include something classy and different, how about an Infiniti:
https://www.infiniti.co.uk/

That should wipe away any thoughts of "one-upmanship" by others!