Discussion
Is it just me or is anyone else seeing a noticeably increased number of older cars on the roads? It struck me the other day that there seems to be a lot more 2017 or older cars around. If it’s right I assume factors responsible include:
1. Higher interest rates.
2. Inflation.
3. Covid cash giveaway a thing of the past.
If the papers are to be believed things aren’t going to get better anytime soon when Labour turn the screws again this autumn. Soon the majority of new car drivers will be motability.
1. Higher interest rates.
2. Inflation.
3. Covid cash giveaway a thing of the past.
If the papers are to be believed things aren’t going to get better anytime soon when Labour turn the screws again this autumn. Soon the majority of new car drivers will be motability.
The price of new cars doesn't help, either. I've also noticed franchised dealers for 'premium' (not that they are) brands now stock quite old cars (ie c8-years old) as 'approved used'. A few years ago most rarely stocked anything older than four or five years old.
It's funny how their previous 'standards' change when they need to sell something (we only sell BMW/Mercedes/LandRover etc., now will sell anything).
It's funny how their previous 'standards' change when they need to sell something (we only sell BMW/Mercedes/LandRover etc., now will sell anything).
When Ah wert' lad a ten year old car was a proper banger. Drive an "old" car now and they are surprisingly tidy, tight and together.
My dad has given up driving (88 years old, still sharp but vision isn't great).
He's kept his car, a 2009 Kia Soul, for me to run him around in.
This is because the lower seating positions of my Skoda Octavia and Partner's 2 Series BMW make it uncomfortable and difficult for him to get in and out of.
The thing is you'd think this 16 year old budget Korean would feel tired and done. In truth, it's anything but. I actually quite enjoy driving it.
That car would do many a motorist who'd pick it up for £2500-£3000. So, why pay £30 odd grand for a new but very bland small SUV?
Another reason takes us back to my Partner and her 2019 BMW 218 Coupe.
She buys 2 to 3 year old cars using the value of her old car as a deposit and pays up the balance on finance.
Her car is debt free and she is due a replacement. Her problem is, at 60, she is near phobic about complex tech, automatic transmissions and push button packing brakes. Her ideal replacement vehicles for her current car are either the current MINI or BMW 2 Series Coupe and guess what.
The Audi provide recent smallish premier options with manual transmission with the A1 and A3. Am not even sure if these only come with more basic models and being honest she's not that keen on either.
If she decides to hang on to her current 218 that's another car falling into the 8-10 year old bracket in the not too distant future.
If she is typical of a sizable proportion of our aging population it further explains our aging car population.
My dad has given up driving (88 years old, still sharp but vision isn't great).
He's kept his car, a 2009 Kia Soul, for me to run him around in.
This is because the lower seating positions of my Skoda Octavia and Partner's 2 Series BMW make it uncomfortable and difficult for him to get in and out of.
The thing is you'd think this 16 year old budget Korean would feel tired and done. In truth, it's anything but. I actually quite enjoy driving it.
That car would do many a motorist who'd pick it up for £2500-£3000. So, why pay £30 odd grand for a new but very bland small SUV?
Another reason takes us back to my Partner and her 2019 BMW 218 Coupe.
She buys 2 to 3 year old cars using the value of her old car as a deposit and pays up the balance on finance.
Her car is debt free and she is due a replacement. Her problem is, at 60, she is near phobic about complex tech, automatic transmissions and push button packing brakes. Her ideal replacement vehicles for her current car are either the current MINI or BMW 2 Series Coupe and guess what.
The Audi provide recent smallish premier options with manual transmission with the A1 and A3. Am not even sure if these only come with more basic models and being honest she's not that keen on either.
If she decides to hang on to her current 218 that's another car falling into the 8-10 year old bracket in the not too distant future.
If she is typical of a sizable proportion of our aging population it further explains our aging car population.
The average age of cars on the road in the UK has been increasing pretty linearly since about 2005, ie long before the current high interest rates, inflation, or covid.
I think it's mostly a natural consequence of cars getting more reliable and, especially, better rust-proofed.
I think it's mostly a natural consequence of cars getting more reliable and, especially, better rust-proofed.
Edited by kambites on Monday 1st September 21:29
I have just gone from a 4yr old seat ateca, to a 60 yr old minor,
ok we have other cars to use for different things, the ateca was loosing value like a falling stone,
the "dont use diesel for short trips" meant it only did 6000 miles in 18 months,
the minor will be a fun thing to run about,
no huge main dealer service bills
no depreciation,
cheap insurance
free tax,
took it to town this morning,3 people stopped me to chat about it in a carpark,
ok we have other cars to use for different things, the ateca was loosing value like a falling stone,
the "dont use diesel for short trips" meant it only did 6000 miles in 18 months,
the minor will be a fun thing to run about,
no huge main dealer service bills
no depreciation,
cheap insurance
free tax,
took it to town this morning,3 people stopped me to chat about it in a carpark,
I've got a V6 diesel GLC,which when cleaned still looks modern, is quick enough, big enough, seemingly bombproof, and doesn't try to nanny me with painful driver aids and warnings. I think I'll keep it forever. Plus I don't think I could even afford to replace it with its latest 2025 equivalent.
I daily a 21 year old Saab 9-5 Aero with 180k on the clock.
As long as you give it a "mid life" refresh it will go on and on forever.
200-300k Should be easy for most cars built at the turn of the millennium on tbh. Especially ones with unstressed common engines.
We are just consumers duped into to buying the next shiny thing every 5 minutes of which I am equally guilty of!
As long as you give it a "mid life" refresh it will go on and on forever.
200-300k Should be easy for most cars built at the turn of the millennium on tbh. Especially ones with unstressed common engines.
We are just consumers duped into to buying the next shiny thing every 5 minutes of which I am equally guilty of!
phil1979 said:
I've got a V6 diesel GLC,which when cleaned still looks modern, is quick enough, big enough, seemingly bombproof, and doesn't try to nanny me with painful driver aids and warnings. I think I'll keep it forever. Plus I don't think I could even afford to replace it with its latest 2025 equivalent.
As someone with a 37 year old Toyota, that is modern. What year is it?BricktopST205 said:
I daily a 21 year old Saab 9-5 Aero with 180k on the clock.
As long as you give it a "mid life" refresh it will go on and on forever.
200-300k Should be easy for most cars built at the turn of the millennium on tbh. Especially ones with unstressed common engines.
We are just consumers duped into to buying the next shiny thing every 5 minutes of which I am equally guilty of!
SAAB discovered that cars could be refreshed and facelifted with a bit of black electrical tapeAs long as you give it a "mid life" refresh it will go on and on forever.
200-300k Should be easy for most cars built at the turn of the millennium on tbh. Especially ones with unstressed common engines.
We are just consumers duped into to buying the next shiny thing every 5 minutes of which I am equally guilty of!
Heaveho said:
phil1979 said:
I've got a V6 diesel GLC,which when cleaned still looks modern, is quick enough, big enough, seemingly bombproof, and doesn't try to nanny me with painful driver aids and warnings. I think I'll keep it forever. Plus I don't think I could even afford to replace it with its latest 2025 equivalent.
As someone with a 37 year old Toyota, that is modern. What year is it?Older cars still work and still do the job, so why the need to upgrade so often. Think we will see more older stuff on the roads, but means shedders will have to pay more for used cars unfortunately as the great mass realise a 10+ year old car is just as good if not more reliable, and less of a liability than anything newer.
kambites said:
I think it's mostly a natural consequence of cars getting more reliable and, especially, better rust-proofed.
Contrast that to my 11 year old Audi S4 that, other than a few stone chips and wheel scuffs is almost like new.
I have recently bought a 2017 panda lounge and i couldn’t really find a NEED for a newer car
Whilst it’s a bit slow (wrong starting point if i was after any form of speed), it is economical and has all the mod cons i care for like bluetooth for music and air con with a relatively nice interior and will cost pennies to maintain overall
Whilst it’s a bit slow (wrong starting point if i was after any form of speed), it is economical and has all the mod cons i care for like bluetooth for music and air con with a relatively nice interior and will cost pennies to maintain overall
Tannedbaldhead said:
When Ah wert' lad a ten year old car was a proper banger. Drive an "old" car now and they are surprisingly tidy, tight and together.
My dad has given up driving (88 years old, still sharp but vision isn't great).
He's kept his car, a 2009 Kia Soul, for me to run him around in.
This is because the lower seating positions of my Skoda Octavia and Partner's 2 Series BMW make it uncomfortable and difficult for him to get in and out of.
The thing is you'd think this 16 year old budget Korean would feel tired and done. In truth, it's anything but. I actually quite enjoy driving it.
That car would do many a motorist who'd pick it up for £2500-£3000. So, why pay £30 odd grand for a new but very bland small SUV?
Another reason takes us back to my Partner and her 2019 BMW 218 Coupe.
She buys 2 to 3 year old cars using the value of her old car as a deposit and pays up the balance on finance.
Her car is debt free and she is due a replacement. Her problem is, at 60, she is near phobic about complex tech, automatic transmissions and push button packing brakes. Her ideal replacement vehicles for her current car are either the current MINI or BMW 2 Series Coupe and guess what.
The Audi provide recent smallish premier options with manual transmission with the A1 and A3. Am not even sure if these only come with more basic models and being honest she's not that keen on either.
If she decides to hang on to her current 218 that's another car falling into the 8-10 year old bracket in the not too distant future.
If she is typical of a sizable proportion of our aging population it further explains our aging car population.
My wife is exactly the same when it comes to modern cars. She has a 17 plate CLA180 amg line and is thinking of changing it but it's going to be a difficult job given she wants something newer. She fancies an S3 or C43amg purely on looks but i doubt she will get the C43 given no manual gearbox. I won't ever own any ICE newer than 2018 due to the complexity of the emissions stuff on them and even though i do fairly long trips regularly the way EV tech is going it might be sooner than i thought that there will be one to suit my use case instead of current diesel.My dad has given up driving (88 years old, still sharp but vision isn't great).
He's kept his car, a 2009 Kia Soul, for me to run him around in.
This is because the lower seating positions of my Skoda Octavia and Partner's 2 Series BMW make it uncomfortable and difficult for him to get in and out of.
The thing is you'd think this 16 year old budget Korean would feel tired and done. In truth, it's anything but. I actually quite enjoy driving it.
That car would do many a motorist who'd pick it up for £2500-£3000. So, why pay £30 odd grand for a new but very bland small SUV?
Another reason takes us back to my Partner and her 2019 BMW 218 Coupe.
She buys 2 to 3 year old cars using the value of her old car as a deposit and pays up the balance on finance.
Her car is debt free and she is due a replacement. Her problem is, at 60, she is near phobic about complex tech, automatic transmissions and push button packing brakes. Her ideal replacement vehicles for her current car are either the current MINI or BMW 2 Series Coupe and guess what.
The Audi provide recent smallish premier options with manual transmission with the A1 and A3. Am not even sure if these only come with more basic models and being honest she's not that keen on either.
If she decides to hang on to her current 218 that's another car falling into the 8-10 year old bracket in the not too distant future.
If she is typical of a sizable proportion of our aging population it further explains our aging car population.
More recent smaller Audis have terrible interiors. My youngest daughter had a lovely A3 s-line saloon (2015 or 16) and it looked and felt decent quality (whether real or just perceived) but her current 2019 A1 is not a patch on it. Cheap crap plastic interior and the body panels feel like you could spit peas through them. The various bongs and interference systems ( first time i had a drive it tried to steer me up a kerb, if it had been mine it would have been thrown into a tree to teach it a lesson
) are a pain in the arse, especially when you don't know about them prior to driving the car !I have an 08 BMW which has just ticked over 110k miles - a couple of clunks from the front means some suspension work is due. I've got a cheap CarPlay screen in it and the driving experience is just fine.
I haven't got the £71k to replace it like for like with a new one and even if I did, watching it depreciate on the drive would really irritate me. I know cars do depreciate, but the amounts get bigger the more you pay and so far this one has gone down about £1500 over 4 years.
I haven't got the £71k to replace it like for like with a new one and even if I did, watching it depreciate on the drive would really irritate me. I know cars do depreciate, but the amounts get bigger the more you pay and so far this one has gone down about £1500 over 4 years.
BricktopST205 said:
I daily a 21 year old Saab 9-5 Aero with 180k on the clock.
As long as you give it a "mid life" refresh it will go on and on forever.
200-300k Should be easy for most cars built at the turn of the millennium on tbh. Especially ones with unstressed common engines.
We are just consumers duped into to buying the next shiny thing every 5 minutes of which I am equally guilty of!
I drive new pool cars very often, but I love getting in my 1999 93 SE HOT. 200bhp, big chunky buttons, heated seats, climate, cruise and an invisible bluetooth upgrade (does music but not calls - perfect!) means it doesn't feel old. It's only the non-ULEZ status (and possibly 20mpg) that stops it being my only car. It's not rusty either. Most '90s cars would be rusty by 10 years old - not any more.As long as you give it a "mid life" refresh it will go on and on forever.
200-300k Should be easy for most cars built at the turn of the millennium on tbh. Especially ones with unstressed common engines.
We are just consumers duped into to buying the next shiny thing every 5 minutes of which I am equally guilty of!
kambites said:
The average age of cars on the road in the UK has been increasing pretty linearly since about 2005, ie long before the current high interest rates, inflation, or covid.
I think it's mostly a natural consequence of cars getting more reliable and, especially, better rust-proofed.
This. I'm more surprised by how many new cars there are.I think it's mostly a natural consequence of cars getting more reliable and, especially, better rust-proofed.
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