The Car Thread

[Wolftone]

My dads about to spend £45k on a diesel X4 which has done about 7k miles as struggling to get in/out a 3 series.

I was like “why you buying a diesel, you’re retired now”. Came out with some nonsense about residuals, depreciation, worried about battery because If that goes it’s a write off etc.

Went and looked and in 30 seconds saw an iX3 in BMW Wolverhampton for half the price with only 25k on the clock. “Don’t want something more than 2 years old”. They don’t break! They all come with 100k battery warranties, it can’t really depreciate much more…

Still wasn’t convinced. Can take a horse to water…

Wonder why it was only half the price?

 

[PuntsWolf]

Wonder why it was only half the price?

Probably something to do with being 2 years older and 20k extra miles, even though mileage on an EV is largely irrelevant…

 

[Tredman]

And quicker to become obsolete. Disposable, throwaway society.
Ask any breakdown truck driver.
View any car auctions.

Damn facts getting in the way of all the 1000s of 'recovery drivers' you've spoken with

EVs more reliable than ICE vehicles, with the best and worst electric cars identified

German study finds clear difference in number of breakdowns between internal combustion engine cars and EVs, as reveals the most reliable and most breakdown prone electric cars.

thedriven.io

 

[Wolftone]

Damn facts getting in the way of all the 1000s of 'recovery drivers' you've spoken with

EVs more reliable than ICE vehicles, with the best and worst electric cars identified

German study finds clear difference in number of breakdowns between internal combustion engine cars and EVs, as reveals the most reliable and most breakdown prone electric cars.

thedriven.io

Just the one. Has three vehicles on the road, so himself and two others.
I'd rather believe an actual person at 'the coalface' rather than a 'study'.

 

[Wolftone]

I follow car auctions every week. Fleets of EV's (particularly Volkswagen ID3, ID4 etc) trade-ins from the actual dealership, the drop off in value is astounding.
No one wants them. There must be a reason for that?

 

[PuntsWolf]

I follow car auctions every week. Fleets of EV's (particularly Volkswagen ID3, ID4 etc) trade-ins from the actual dealership, the drop off in value is astounding.
No one wants them. There must be a reason for that?

People are stupid/misinformed?

 

[Wolftone]

People are stupid/misinformed?

Dealerships and used car sales outfits must be as well.
I dunno, just saying what I've observed.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Dealerships and used car sales outfits must be as well.
I dunno, just saying what I've observed.

They sell what people buy…

People are paying double for an inferior product. They don’t give a fuck what it is

 

[EpsomWolf]

What targets?

The government targets within the 2030 mandate that have already needed to be adjusted for a start. Not to mention some of the car companies themselves with massive investment in factories etc with sales figures way below expectations (targets?).

There is plenty of data suggesting this ‘huge’ growth is still not fast enough with the true result in just falling further behind. And this is all within the context of a massively reduced overall vehicle sales total as buyers hedge their bets, and the supposed appeal distorted as consumers are effectively given little to no alternative through punitive forces anyway.

I do like a lot about EV’s though btw. Obviously the zero emissions, love the straightline performance and particularly enjoy the silence in slow stop-start urban situations. Everything else leaves me cold but each to their own.

But anyone’s guess though where this is heading now as incentives begin to disappear and governments start to listen to manufacturers as the harsh economic reality of handing everything to the Chinese on a plate really hits home, but I’d say the smartest buyers at the moment are the ones in that other huge growth group who are those that are just holding onto their cars for the time being and doing nothing.

 

[AndyWolves]

The government targets within the 2030 mandate that have already needed to be adjusted for a start. Not to mention some of the car companies themselves with massive investment in factories etc with sales figures way below expectations (targets?).

There is plenty of data suggesting this ‘huge’ growth is still not fast enough with the true result in just falling further behind. And this is all within the context of a massively reduced overall vehicle sales total as buyers hedge their bets, and the supposed appeal distorted as consumers are effectively given little to no alternative through punitive forces anyway.

I do like a lot about EV’s though btw. Obviously the zero emissions, love the straightline performance and particularly enjoy the silence in slow stop-start urban situations. Everything else leaves me cold but each to their own.

But anyone’s guess though where this is heading now as incentives begin to disappear and governments start to listen to manufacturers as the harsh economic reality of handing everything to the Chinese on a plate really hits home, but I’d say the smartest buyers at the moment are the ones in that other huge growth group who are those that are just holding onto their cars for the time being and doing nothing.

The last paragraph is exactly where I am. I don't need a new car anytime soon, I'm not paying any finance / debt to own it and it's cheap as chips to run.

I do want an EV but it won't be until my current car expires. And I also think the technology is going to improve (like it used to on smartphones) until we get to a maturity level. I feel like the more time I can leave before buying an EV, the better the tech, charging rates, infrastructure etc will get.

 

[sycophantia]

The last paragraph is exactly where I am. I don't need a new car anytime soon, I'm not paying any finance / debt to own it and it's cheap as chips to run.

I do want an EV but it won't be until my current car expires. And I also think the technology is going to improve (like it used to on smartphones) until we get to a maturity level. I feel like the more time I can leave before buying an EV, the better the tech, charging rates, infrastructure etc will get.

This is all fair I think. My biggest concern with EVs is the cost and especially second hand market in a few years with the current models.

 

[EpsomWolf]

Private buyers are in the fortunate situation of being able to sit tight and the evidence is they are doing so.

The excitement around the % increases in EV’s is completely distorted as its driven by the business user sal-sac brigade and their (at risk) tax advantages, and the other poor bastards on leases etc forced to renew with no alternative offered, and conveniently ignores the economic truths now facing manufactures and governments as overall sales tank.

Very risky changing at the moment if you dont have to.

 

[AndyWolves]

EVs are out of my price range for what id want to spend on a car anyway

 

[AndyWolves]

My car insurance renewal arrived today. £250 - i can't even be arsed to look anywhere else!

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

I follow car auctions every week. Fleets of EV's (particularly Volkswagen ID3, ID4 etc) trade-ins from the actual dealership, the drop off in value is astounding.
No one wants them. There must be a reason for that?

Genuine question as I'm interested in some of these low value auction EVs, where are you seeing most advertised/auctioned and where are they achieving the best [for a buyer] sales?

 

[Tredman]

Genuine question as I'm interested in some of these low value auction EVs, where are you seeing most advertised/auctioned and where are they achieving the best [for a buyer] sales?

Theses a specialist EV dealer in Cannock which has some amazing deals. BCA has the best deals, but I think they're trade only.

 

[lemonjelly]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy7vdvl2531o

Thought this was an interesting article.
couldn't believe the sense of entitlement from one woman - "3 kids, their school bags, and a trumpet there's no room for the dog" FFS. Cars are bigger, and more dangerous to other road users. Plus parking is a bigger issue - there's less space, and the growth of pavement parking means it impacts a lot of people. Plus, many don't park on drives they have, and have converted their garages into living spaces.
In birmingham, with so much centred on the car, households are having 4-5 vehicles each.

 

[sycophantia]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy7vdvl2531o

Thought this was an interesting article.
couldn't believe the sense of entitlement from one woman - "3 kids, their school bags, and a trumpet there's no room for the dog" FFS. Cars are bigger, and more dangerous to other road users. Plus parking is a bigger issue - there's less space, and the growth of pavement parking means it impacts a lot of people. Plus, many don't park on drives they have, and have converted their garages into living spaces.
In birmingham, with so much centred on the car, households are having 4-5 vehicles each.

Yeah, the entitled ladys comment made me smile. God knows how we managed back in tbe day with our 3 kids, a dog, shopping, running them all around to football, school music stuff etc with our 1995 Astra.

 

[Sniffer]

Sell for £500k or pay to restore for £400k so it’s worth £1m.
I’d have sold.

Aston Martin DB5 made famous by James Bond left to rust on drive now worth £1m

Local children jumped on the bonnet, and there was even a mouse nest in the highly-valuable car.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[EpsomWolf]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy7vdvl2531o

Thought this was an interesting article.
couldn't believe the sense of entitlement from one woman - "3 kids, their school bags, and a trumpet there's no room for the dog" FFS. Cars are bigger, and more dangerous to other road users. Plus parking is a bigger issue - there's less space, and the growth of pavement parking means it impacts a lot of people. Plus, many don't park on drives they have, and have converted their garages into living spaces.
In birmingham, with so much centred on the car, households are having 4-5 vehicles each.

I don’t disagree with your points but think people are just buying what their budget, needs and availability allow, and I’m always wary about who gets to decide on limits and underlying agendas. So yeah in principle I agree as vehicle sizes have got a bit out of hand, but there are elements of control and revenue raising that sit a little uncomfortably too.