Buyer’s remorse?
Discussion
Legacywr said:
Every time I buy a car, I don’t mean I’ve found something wrong with it, or seen another I’d rather have, just…
I always settle into the car, though.
Anybody else?
No remorse particularly, but sometimes a sense of "what was all the fuss about?" - or a feeling that the expectation was more exciting than the reality. I always settle into the car, though.
Anybody else?
I often get a different feeling, which isn't remorse.
Often once I've decided what I'm going to get, I spend a lot of the time in between the order and delivery reading reviews, watching youtubes etc, and generally being excited.
I then get the car, and realise the reality really isn't as exciting, and that the best bet is the anticipation. Not because they're bad, but because the anticipation was better.
Often once I've decided what I'm going to get, I spend a lot of the time in between the order and delivery reading reviews, watching youtubes etc, and generally being excited.
I then get the car, and realise the reality really isn't as exciting, and that the best bet is the anticipation. Not because they're bad, but because the anticipation was better.
phil4 said:
I then get the car, and realise the reality really isn't as exciting, and that the best bet is the anticipation. Not because they're bad, but because the anticipation was better.
That's life all over isn't it.I've had buyers remorse, usually when it's something that's really a bit of a "right car for the time and budget" purchase rather than a heart purchase.
The times I've really, really not had it is when I've bought things without too much research and without too many expectations going in and they've been a pleasant surprise. Getting a Volvo V70 T5 to fit three child seats in after being blessed with twins has been a good example for me, I was very huffy and unhappy about having to get a Volvo estate but the 3 hour drive home was a revelation.
I think reading all the magazine drivel and paid marketing content masquerading as reviews for an overhyped car like a Golf R or 1 series is absolutely dooming you to disappointment because no car can possibly live up to the superlatives people are paid to heap on them.
I've never driven the expensive version of a cheap car and not thought it was a bit crap, I think I'd be filled with bitter regret if I had stitched myself up into paying real money for one because I believed the hype.
Edited by GeniusOfLove on Wednesday 3rd July 16:09
but the remorse is always present.Mk1 Golf GTi - remorse started a while after buying and a few mechanical issues afterwards didn’t help.
Just wasn’t as fun as I’d hoped it might be after previous cars I owned.
Glad to say I haven’t experienced it since but I don’t buy cars without a fair bit of research/test drives …..which isn’t possible for all buyers I know
Just wasn’t as fun as I’d hoped it might be after previous cars I owned.
Glad to say I haven’t experienced it since but I don’t buy cars without a fair bit of research/test drives …..which isn’t possible for all buyers I know
I bought a Corrado VR6 and although an absolutely fantastic thing to drive, the unreliability after 4 in a row totally dependable Corolla GTIs was a knife to the heart and the wallet.
I compounded this downward trajectory by falling for the press hype and buying a 40k mile 1999 Impreza Turbo 2000, and ran them both for a year. I was completely underwhelmed by both the straight line performance and nose led handling of the Impreza, and only a Bob Rawle remap gave it a stay of execution.
It became my only car for a while when the Corrado failed to gain the virtue of reliability and was sold. It was replaced by the Evo I still have, and the Impreza inevitably fell by the wayside as it couldn't hold a candle to it.
I was fairly underwhelmed by whole M5 V10 experience and the R35 GT-R didn't hit the spot either. Both of those were vastly outshone by the subsequent Lexus IS-F and the Audi R8 for me. I doubt all will agree.
I compounded this downward trajectory by falling for the press hype and buying a 40k mile 1999 Impreza Turbo 2000, and ran them both for a year. I was completely underwhelmed by both the straight line performance and nose led handling of the Impreza, and only a Bob Rawle remap gave it a stay of execution.
It became my only car for a while when the Corrado failed to gain the virtue of reliability and was sold. It was replaced by the Evo I still have, and the Impreza inevitably fell by the wayside as it couldn't hold a candle to it.
I was fairly underwhelmed by whole M5 V10 experience and the R35 GT-R didn't hit the spot either. Both of those were vastly outshone by the subsequent Lexus IS-F and the Audi R8 for me. I doubt all will agree.
phil4 said:
I often get a different feeling, which isn't remorse.
Often once I've decided what I'm going to get, I spend a lot of the time in between the order and delivery reading reviews, watching youtubes etc, and generally being excited.
I then get the car, and realise the reality really isn't as exciting, and that the best bet is the anticipation. Not because they're bad, but because the anticipation was better.
I'm sure you could say similar about many things in life... Often once I've decided what I'm going to get, I spend a lot of the time in between the order and delivery reading reviews, watching youtubes etc, and generally being excited.
I then get the car, and realise the reality really isn't as exciting, and that the best bet is the anticipation. Not because they're bad, but because the anticipation was better.
Here’s one for the older ph. Bought a brand new Nova GTE, went with the girlfriend now wife told her no matter what do not let me buy this car. I had a XR2 black with pepper pot alloys which I loved, stupid me was given such a good part ex price and finance deal I bought the Nova.
Turned out the salesman lived on my estate and delivered the car on trades the day before new registration and it sat on my drive until 5am when I used it for work. First proper drive hated it, hated it every day from then on but 2 year finance deal had to keep it. Continued to hate it more and more until thankfully it was stolen off the drive and used in a ram raid ( those were the days)
I was a traffic cop at the time and about 3 days after the theft I was on duty when I was radioed, “ do you want to go and recover your car”.
I recovered minus the back end which had been reversed through a window how they drove it away I don’t know, sent it off to the recovery garage, thankfully never to be seen again.
Turned out the salesman lived on my estate and delivered the car on trades the day before new registration and it sat on my drive until 5am when I used it for work. First proper drive hated it, hated it every day from then on but 2 year finance deal had to keep it. Continued to hate it more and more until thankfully it was stolen off the drive and used in a ram raid ( those were the days)
I was a traffic cop at the time and about 3 days after the theft I was on duty when I was radioed, “ do you want to go and recover your car”.
I recovered minus the back end which had been reversed through a window how they drove it away I don’t know, sent it off to the recovery garage, thankfully never to be seen again.
I've not had buyers remorse but I have taken a little while to gel with a car more than others.
My latest Saab 9-3 being one of them. I've used a convertible 9-3 1.9ttid as a daily car for nearly two years, it's mapped so pretty nippy, steering and gearchange is light. It's a very easy car to drive. I bought a different 9-3 which is an interesting spec, 2.8 V6 turbo and 4WD, as stock has more power than the diesel but the same torque.
It's not loads quicker but is and handles better but the clutch, gear change and steering is all much heavier. You have to man handle it more than the other one which took me by surprise.
After I'd done some more driving on winding roads rather than motorway cruises, it shows itself to be a lot of fun and quick. Just required a change in driving style and actually a less delicate hand!
My latest Saab 9-3 being one of them. I've used a convertible 9-3 1.9ttid as a daily car for nearly two years, it's mapped so pretty nippy, steering and gearchange is light. It's a very easy car to drive. I bought a different 9-3 which is an interesting spec, 2.8 V6 turbo and 4WD, as stock has more power than the diesel but the same torque.
It's not loads quicker but is and handles better but the clutch, gear change and steering is all much heavier. You have to man handle it more than the other one which took me by surprise.
After I'd done some more driving on winding roads rather than motorway cruises, it shows itself to be a lot of fun and quick. Just required a change in driving style and actually a less delicate hand!
im always a little remorseful about buying a new to me car, but thats usually because the old car had had a few tweaks to make it my own, which the new car didnt have yet. but once those are on, then i normally start to bond with the car a lot more.
two cases in point - bought a e90 330d, to replace an e90 330d that was unfortunately written off. new car was super stiff and slower than the old one, but thats because it was on terrible run flats, and was missing a remap! once they were restored, all was well again, and i prefer the new car to the old one.
second point - bought a boxster 987S to replace a boxster 986S - in theory, the 987S is the better car in many ways, but when i first got it the brakes felt worse, and the car was very loose at the back end, and sounded worse- but that was all fixed with a new brake master cylinder, replacing various suspension components and getting an alignment so the wheels are pointing in the right direction, and a sports exhaust. now all is well again.
two cases in point - bought a e90 330d, to replace an e90 330d that was unfortunately written off. new car was super stiff and slower than the old one, but thats because it was on terrible run flats, and was missing a remap! once they were restored, all was well again, and i prefer the new car to the old one.
second point - bought a boxster 987S to replace a boxster 986S - in theory, the 987S is the better car in many ways, but when i first got it the brakes felt worse, and the car was very loose at the back end, and sounded worse- but that was all fixed with a new brake master cylinder, replacing various suspension components and getting an alignment so the wheels are pointing in the right direction, and a sports exhaust. now all is well again.
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