Is it any wonder people lease/PCP?

cajef

motorguy said:

fred246 said:

I have had my new car for 16 years now. Just out of interest I looked to see what it would have cost me if I had taken out a new lease every 3 years. It would have cost 6x as much. Long term it's a bad idea. Apart from mortgages I have only ever borrowed money once for a car when I started work. I had a 12 month contract so took a loan I could easily pay off after 6 months. I only had that car 8 years. After that I always bought with cash except once where I took finance and immediately paid it off.

Thats your prerogative Fred.


When you're retired and want to spend your free time working at some old car then no doubt your solution suits you perfectly.  Not everyone fits that narrow criteria.  Personally, i'd rather use my free time to relax with my wife and family, and i'd certainly rather pay someone to do the work that take time off work (self employed) that would cost me more money.

Quite agree I spent years doing all my own maintenance on cars including stripping engines and gearboxes if necessary, do I want to be crawling under cars, getting covered in dirt, brake dust and oil nowadays, no way, now I can afford to change my car for a new one every three or four years it gets serviced and if anything goes wrong it goes back to the dealer to be fixed, though I always buy a reliable make means any problems are fixed under warranty, it is my money and how or what I spend it on is nothing to do with anyone else, but I will always laugh at Fred with his nose stuck under his bonnet as I am driving past..

motorguy

cajef said:

motorguy said:

fred246 said:

I have had my new car for 16 years now. Just out of interest I looked to see what it would have cost me if I had taken out a new lease every 3 years. It would have cost 6x as much. Long term it's a bad idea. Apart from mortgages I have only ever borrowed money once for a car when I started work. I had a 12 month contract so took a loan I could easily pay off after 6 months. I only had that car 8 years. After that I always bought with cash except once where I took finance and immediately paid it off.

Thats your prerogative Fred.


When you're retired and want to spend your free time working at some old car then no doubt your solution suits you perfectly.  Not everyone fits that narrow criteria.  Personally, i'd rather use my free time to relax with my wife and family, and i'd certainly rather pay someone to do the work that take time off work (self employed) that would cost me more money.

Quite agree I spent years doing all my own maintenance on cars including stripping engines and gearboxes if necessary, do I want to be crawling under cars, getting covered in dirt, brake dust and oil nowadays, no way, now I can afford to change my car for a new one every three or four years it gets serviced and if anything goes wrong it goes back to the dealer to be fixed, though I always buy a reliable make means any problems are fixed under warranty, it is my money and how or what I spend it on is nothing to do with anyone else, but I will always laugh at Fred with his nose stuck under his bonnet as I am driving past..

Agreed.  When you're retired like Fred is, its easy to forget that most people have busy lives and jobs and often not enough precious quality time with family.  The last thing they want is to spend their evenings or weekend working at some old car.

Does that cost them more?  Yes.  Is it worth it to them?  Absolutely.

fred246

BOWFER said:

Grumpy_chap said:

We are, sadly, in a world where too many people are driven by the image of a new car every few years as a "must" have.

Little annoys me more than having to visit a garage with a car - at any time.
Even a once a year service is a pain to me.

I would say that I had a far easier time just sorting my own car out when I wanted than colleagues who took their car to a garage for everything. It used to amaze me the amount of organisation they had to do to drop their car at the garage. Someone had to take their children to school. Someone else had to meet them at 7am at the garage. Then it wouldn't be ready and they would have another day without a car.

dipsomaniac

Maintenance/service. Nothing has changed. those that can afford it (or can't be arsed) get someone else to do it, those that can't afford it or can be arsed, do it themselves

dipsomaniac

BOWFER said:

fred246 said:

I have had my new car for 16 years now. Just out of interest I looked to see what it would have cost me if I had taken out a new lease every 3 years. It would have cost 6x as much. Long term it's a bad idea. 

No it isn't.
Not everyone wants to drive a 16YO car, I certainly don't.

Why on earth (Adrian😀) would you not drive a 16 yr old car?

BOWFER

fred246 said:

I would say that I had a far easier time just sorting my own car out when I wanted than colleagues who took their car to a garage for everything. It used to amaze me the amount of organisation they had to do to drop their car at the garage. Someone had to take their children to school. Someone else had to meet them at 7am at the garage. Then it wouldn't be ready and they would have another day without a car.

Bet they were having more fun at weekends than you though.

dipsomaniac

BOWFER said:

fred246 said:

I would say that I had a far easier time just sorting my own car out when I wanted than colleagues who took their car to a garage for everything. It used to amaze me the amount of organisation they had to do to drop their car at the garage. Someone had to take their children to school. Someone else had to meet them at 7am at the garage. Then it wouldn't be ready and they would have another day without a car.

Bet they were having more fun at weekends than you though.

Comments like this ruin this forum

fred246

I think it's totally different. People like myself and Michael Schumacher want to know how the vehicle works and what is happening whilst driving. We want to have that technical knowledge that helps us get the most from the vehicle. Man and machine working together in harmony. If something isn't right we know before it fails. I wouldn't like to be so helpless like most drivers are now.

Ganga

I am not helpless and used to rebiuld engines and gearboxes etc. i also make sure my current car ,a 17 year old Vauxhall Astra Twinport goes through it,s MOT. BUT as i am nearly 71 getting underneath the car on the drive or side of the road is becoming a no-no so i am looking for a newer car ,not very MSE but certainly more taking care of Ganga

dipsomaniac

Reading these comments I am wondering if I am wrong? When I was growing you had to help yourself i if I didn't fix my bicycle, motorbike, car I went without as I couldn't afford to get someone else to fix it for me.  This mentality has followed me though life. Perhaps if I had made a few more £ this attitude might/would have changed??