Year's salary on a car
Year's salary on a car
Author
Discussion

Austin Prefect

Original Poster:

1,664 posts

14 months

Friday 16th January
quotequote all
A neighbour has apparently spent approx a years salary on a nearly new Golf.

What's the PH opinion of this kind of ratio? Totally insane? Understandable as a one off for your dream car? Or not unusual for a petrolhead?

redstar1

293 posts

13 months

Friday 16th January
quotequote all
If they can afford it who cares? I'm tempted to do the same.

DeadShed

8,854 posts

161 months

Friday 16th January
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Most people buying a new car probably buy one that is a significant percentage of their year’s salary. It’s not a surprise when someone into cars spends more, and it’s other people’s choice what theI do with their money.

HTP99

24,632 posts

162 months

Friday 16th January
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Who cares, it's their money!

Ultimately too, you know zero about their financial situation!

Andy_400Sport

565 posts

163 months

Friday 16th January
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I don't see an issue. I paid just under a year's salary for my previous car, cash. The car before that I ended up spending £41,000 once i'd finished modifying it. No finance on that either. If you can and want to, no issue.

StescoG66

2,375 posts

165 months

Friday 16th January
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I would think it s very easy to spaff a years salary - and more - on even an average car these days...... prices are nuts when even a mid spec Corsa lists at 24k.......

RedWhiteMonkey

8,414 posts

204 months

Friday 16th January
quotequote all
StescoG66 said:
I would think it s very easy to spaff a years salary - and more - on even an average car these days...... prices are nuts when even a mid spec Corsa lists at 24k.......
Quite, the current UK average salary is around £38,000. There are probably more new cars for sale that cost more than that than there are for sale costing less than that.

vikingaero

12,213 posts

191 months

Friday 16th January
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I don't see a problem unless you know their exact financial situation.

PH loves to frown on people who lease/pcp/pch cars on mumflies. But if you have a secure job, can afford it, then it's a fantastic way into a new reliable car. Same as all these money advisors who tell people to stop buying coffees each day. I can spend and enjoy what I want!

Gad-Westy

16,135 posts

235 months

Friday 16th January
quotequote all
I never understand these threads. They come a lot.

Why would a neighbour even tell you this? Is it a boast? A confession? I've no idea but it seems a strange thing to talk about. But then for someone else to try to extrapolate such a tiny piece of information into an affordability judgement just seems absurd. And then ask for public consultation....

Remember when some knobhead (but undoubtedly entrepreneurial) declared that we should all spend x-times salary on an engagement ring. No further information required. Imagine if banks did this when applying for a mortgage? Or maybe they did and that is why the mortgage market collapsed in 2008.

Sorry, I think I'm in a bad mood this morning!

Vsix and Vtec

1,283 posts

40 months

Friday 16th January
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For my money, if i was spending that kind of sum I'd want something a damn sight better than a poxy golf. Years salary or not. Heavens, you could have an Aston for that kind of money! I won't say they shouldn't spend the money, as maybe they've been saving for a while, but lord above there were so many more interesting choices to have made.

Watcher of the skies

1,072 posts

59 months

Friday 16th January
quotequote all
Vsix and Vtec said:
For my money, if i was spending that kind of sum I'd want something a damn sight better than a poxy golf. Years salary or not. Heavens, you could have an Aston for that kind of money! I won't say they shouldn't spend the money, as maybe they've been saving for a while, but lord above there were so many more interesting choices to have made.
Me too. A year's salary and all you have to show for it is some white goods. I'm sure that the German economy will be grateful for his support however.

Buster73

5,496 posts

175 months

Friday 16th January
quotequote all
Austin Prefect said:
A neighbour has apparently spent approx a years salary on a nearly new Golf.

What's the PH opinion of this kind of ratio? Totally insane? Understandable as a one off for your dream car? Or not unusual for a petrolhead?
“ apparently “

Surprised you got to gossip over the garden fence at this time of year mind.

Have a good look at yourself man .

WH16

7,915 posts

240 months

Friday 16th January
quotequote all
Sticker price of 1 year's salary financed? So in reality spending 1/3 or 1/4 of their take-home on repayments depending on the deal? Not unheard of I'd have thought. Spending a chunk of cash equivalent to 1 year's salary probably less common though.

We spend about 1/12 of our monthly net on car finance, which will go up to about 1/10 when the OH takes delivery of her Multivan, which I suspect is a bit lower than average, especially on PH.

Crumpet

4,971 posts

202 months

Friday 16th January
quotequote all
The real number that matters, to me at least, is how much per year it costs and not the value of the car. Just because you’ve spent a years salary on a car doesn’t mean you won’t get nearly all of that back if you sell it.

You could quite easily buy a mundane £60k Korean EV and lose £20k in a year. You could quite easily buy a £125k Porsche 911 GT3 and lose £10k in a year. I know which is the more sensible purchase, but an outsider wouldn’t see it that way.


p4cks

7,315 posts

221 months

Friday 16th January
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I did it with a Lambo - it means absolutely nothing

Edited by p4cks on Friday 16th January 08:22

ChocolateFrog

34,840 posts

195 months

Friday 16th January
quotequote all
StescoG66 said:
I would think it s very easy to spaff a years salary - and more - on even an average car these days...... prices are nuts when even a mid spec Corsa lists at 24k.......
More so when it's a performance car.

A Honda Civic is more than a typical gross salary if you want one with a little red logo.

ChocolateFrog

34,840 posts

195 months

Friday 16th January
quotequote all
It's the cost per year after depreciation that counts.

As has been mentioned any normal car could quite possibly lose more than a desirable car costing multiples of the first.

Austin Prefect

Original Poster:

1,664 posts

14 months

Friday 16th January
quotequote all
Buster73 said:
Austin Prefect said:
A neighbour has apparently spent approx a years salary on a nearly new Golf.

What's the PH opinion of this kind of ratio? Totally insane? Understandable as a one off for your dream car? Or not unusual for a petrolhead?
apparently

Surprised you got to gossip over the garden fence at this time of year mind.

Have a good look at yourself man .
He mentioned to me that even being low mileage used it was about a year's pay.
I wasn't making a judgement, either accusing him of being extravagant or of being a cheapskate. Just asking a question as to how common this was. This particular individual's financial position is irrelevant to the question, I only mention it to explain what prompted the question.

Chubbyross

4,831 posts

107 months

Friday 16th January
quotequote all
HTP99 said:
Who cares, it's their money!

Ultimately too, you know zero about their financial situation!
This. All day long.

mikeiow

7,753 posts

152 months

Friday 16th January
quotequote all
Austin Prefect said:
He mentioned to me that even being low mileage used it was about a year's pay.
I wasn't making a judgement, either accusing him of being extravagant or of being a cheapskate. Just asking a question as to how common this was. This particular individual's financial position is irrelevant to the question, I only mention it to explain what prompted the question.
What are your thoughts?

People used to talk about spending 2 months salary on their wife-to-be’s wedding ring.
What should be a starting point for buying a low mileage car?

We replaced our EV just over a year ago. Got a low mileage ex-demo for about ⅓ off new list price.
Price paid (cash plus 5yr old EV) was around half what I ‘earn’ (pensions + some savings). I could imagine spending a year’s salary if that is the only major outgoing.