New car time

[LondonManc]

You could have 2 of them for less than an Alltrack, but you can only put carpet tiles in the boot, not enough room for a body rolled up in a rug.

We looked at one when the enemy got her Clio. It looked like a top of the range 80s car, very spartan. Besides, better off with a Ford Transit for the carpet removable trade; no point mixing business and pleasure.

[WTFH]

We looked at one when the enemy got her Clio. It looked like a top of the range 80s car, very spartan.

Neighbour has one and likes it. It's almost a disposable car.

Besides, better off with a Ford Transit for the carpet removable trade; no point mixing business and pleasure.

Sometimes it's just pleasure, other times you get to invoice for it.

[unixman]

I like cars that are a little different. Makes them interesting. I remember my uncle's Citroen back in the day. It had backlit dials that moved while the pointer stayed still, a manual gearbox but no clutch pedal, power steering that decreased with speed (less assistance), hydropneumatic suspension with adjustable ride height, a map reading light on the end of a curly cable with an attached magnifying glass, and it could be driven on 3 wheels (which I saw at an exhibition).

Also the smoothest ride ever known and seats more comfortable than the ones in my house.

[PurpleGorilla]

Don't forget the Multipla.

That bad boy ticks every box.

[Hobosapien]

Problem is with renting is that you've never got an asset. You're paying the same each month (when you consider the deposit) and having a new car rather than buying a one-year-old car on HP and having a £10-15k asset four years down the line.

Depends how the figures add up, quite a lot to consider to get a true comparison of cost of ownership.

If you buy and end up losing out due to depreciation then it's like buying a house on an interest only mortgage where you only benefit if the house price rises during ownership. Cars rarely rise in value, especially when factoring in trade-in where the dealer will want a cut of the residual value as profit.

Plus with a new car you get longer warranty, no MOT, and service intervals are long enough these days you may not even have one due if not hammering it on mileage.

It's easy to see why it's so popular even if the figures don't always add up so well. The large up front deposit on some deals can catch some out, and I think you lose it too if the car is written off or stolen so worth paying a smaller deposit and a bit more per month.

So research is essential if you're worried that much about a few grand, which is likely the difference between the two approaches. The difference may be worth it for a brand spank new car and the ability to just hand it back after. Simple motoring for simple people.

[LondonManc]

Depends how the figures add up, quite a lot to consider to get a true comparison of cost of ownership.

If you buy and end up losing out due to depreciation then it's like buying a house on an interest only mortgage where you only benefit if the house price rises during ownership. Cars rarely rise in value, especially when factoring in trade-in where the dealer will want a cut of the residual value as profit.

Plus with a new car you get longer warranty, no MOT, and service intervals are long enough these days you may not even have one due if not hammering it on mileage.

It's easy to see why it's so popular even if the figures don't always add up so well. The large up front deposit on some deals can catch some out, and I think you lose it too if the car is written off or stolen so worth paying a smaller deposit and a bit more per month.

So research is essential if you're worried that much about a few grand, which is likely the difference between the two approaches. The difference may be worth it for a brand spank new car and the ability to just hand it back after. Simple motoring for simple people.

Pretty much sums it up. The halfway house is obviously the PCP, where the dealer cannot lose generally; not that I'm suggesting the dealers lose out at all in any of the ways in which they sell you a car.

The averaged monthly payments work out very similar for rentals, irrespective of how much deposit you put down, so less risk for yourself with a smaller deposit as you say. It's just that you never get a payment break or liquid asset to cash in.

[eek]

Pretty much sums it up. The halfway house is obviously the PCP, where the dealer cannot lose generally; not that I'm suggesting the dealers lose out at all in any of the ways in which they sell you a car.

The averaged monthly payments work out very similar for rentals, irrespective of how much deposit you put down, so less risk for yourself with a smaller deposit as you say. It's just that you never get a payment break or liquid asset to cash in.

Personally I would prefer to have the cash in my bank account ready for if /when I need it rather than in a depreciating asset

[AtW]

My mechanic friend always advises me against a BMW when I tell him what cars I'm looking at. He said that he sees far more BMWs than Mercs for repairs (mechanical).

BMWs more popular, perhaps mechanic should learn relative numbers...

[LondonManc]

BMWs more popular, perhaps mechanic should learn relative numbers...

Hardly sees a Merc, sees a few BMWs a day. Not sure what the longer term relative numbers are. You go on the aggressive though, always good to watch people blustering on assumptions, a bit like that chap in your avatar.

[LondonManc]

Personally I would prefer to have the cash in my bank account ready for if /when I need it rather than in a depreciating asset

I'm very pleased for you. Feel free to keep on your assetless leasing route (which is what you're implying).