How long is it till you feel you've had value?

[sierraman]

My recent £400 purchase got me thinking, how long do you have to keep a car before you feel you've had your money's worth?

 

For me if it can make a year I'll have had my money's worth. For £7-800 I'd be expecting 18mth 2 year at best? At that rate it would cost me £30-40 a month to finance it in other words.

[Guest Hooli]

I'm about the same. I've wasted spent £850 or so on the goona since march. I expect it to pass another mot & last that year out too.

[scaryoldcortina]

When it's more bother to fix than swapping cars.

[Bren]

I thought this thread pertained to brasses.

[Jim Bell]

About 2.6 days. Then it has to go.

[worldofceri]

It's impossible to get your money's worth from a car, if you spend any money whatsoever on maintenance.  If you shell out for a cambelt, say, you won't have had your money's worth for another 60,000 miles or whatever until it's due to be replaced again.

 

I wouldn't worry about value.  Just pay the amount you can stomach for the car(s) you want to own.  

[Tamworthbay]

I work on around £500 a year, so a £2000 car would need to last four years, or two if I sold it for a grand. I don't count routine servicing in as that is the same on any car.

[scaryoldcortina]

I got 6 months out of a free laguna, but it cost me several hundred to keep it running. My £50 focus has cost nothing in the same time, and the post office paid me a grand when they scratched it a bit.

 

Sometimes you just stop counting the cost.

[sierraman]

I used to lavish all sorts on cars in the name of preventative maintenance by throwing money at stuff. As I've got older I think if it costs nothing or cheap like an oil change I'll do it, stuff like spending weekends treating cars to a suspension re-bush at the weekend or picking premium parts to make them last that but longer has been a waste of time and money.

 

As times gone on with cars I've come to the conclusion they are remorseless bastards who'll likely reward your loyalty with some bizarre impossible to rectify fault soon after you've spent money on them.

 

Could be worse. You'll never make money at motoring, but you can lose a lot as well. A mate always ran old bangers, always paid £3-600 for them, usually got a year out of them. A while back he figured borrowing a few grand and getting a fairly new car might be a good shout. He's had nothing but grief with the fucker. But at £150 a month finance he's duty bound to chuck money at it.

[dieselassist]

its not necessarily how long ive had the car, n its not self detonated/FTP or whatever; Im sort of old fashioned, n expect that; with the daily/workhorse motors, my mental picture of ive got 'value' outta this old heap, is when Ive used it for stuff like heavey trailor pulling, A-framing 'dead duck' cars long distances home, collecting a far away cheap engine during the week, forgetting its in the rear load area n driving about with for the following week before remembering/having the motivation to unload it, n it not falling to bits/FTP while doing all that...

[stripped fred]

I'm asking myself this question with my 406 at the moment. It didn't cost me a lot and I've spent about £600 on it in just over a year. That's 4 tyres, 3 oil changes, rear brakes, a drop link and some minor work to get it through 2 MOT's. It's reliable and practical if a bit dull but it suits me at the moment. The next expenditure would be on a cambelt and water pump then the clutch bites high so that night be next, although it doesn't slip. It's also surprisingly solid underneath and drives well. Just need to decide if I want to run it for the next 2 or 3 years or if I want a change, although my bank account says it's a keeper at the moment!

[sierraman]

I've been there, the mk3 Mondeo I had before didn't put a foot wrong in nearly 4 year but the clutch was on it's way out, the diff was whining a bit, exhaust was past it's best. I could see expense on the horizon, money spent that could likely be followed by more expense. Cost me £1600 for 4 years motoring so didn't do bad.

 

Stripped Fred I'd run her till she blows, it's easy to fall into the 'better the devil you know' stuff and ignore you could buy a car that's had the money spent for a couple of hundred less than it would cost you to be in a similar position.

[stephen01]

I've done 120 miles in my clio and thinking about swapping it, total time on the road less than 1 week. there's many cars I want to try!

[stripped fred]

I've been there, the mk3 Mondeo I had before didn't put a foot wrong in nearly 4 year but the clutch was on it's way out, the diff was whining a bit, exhaust was past it's best. I could see expense on the horizon, money spent that could likely be followed by more expense. Cost me £1600 for 4 years motoring so didn't do bad.

 

Stripped Fred I'd run her till she blows, it's easy to fall into the 'better the devil you know' stuff and ignore you could buy a car that's had the money spent for a couple of hundred less than it would cost you to be in a similar position.

Good advice there. There's also a part of me that thinks that you only get so many driving years and to stick with the same car for long periods reduces the number of cars you will own or drive. That might not matter to a non old car loving person but to me it does and I don't want to miss out too much. For instance, I've never owned a Saab, Jag, Volvo, Merc etc and I wouldn't mind trying one of each at some point.

[Pete-M]

About a month.

[mercrocker]

Its a complex evaluation process, really.    I have had the Morris 1000 for 12 years, it cost £1300 back then and I reckon I have spent that yearly on keeping it going.  That is well over £13000.   Is it worth £13000?   Of course not, however I have used it for work most days for that length of time.   Would I walk to work to save £100 a month? 

About as ludicrous a thought as the £13000 Minor..... 

 

My camper van cost £3000 10 years ago and I have spent 3 times that on it over that period.  It rarely takes me to work but often gives me a cracking day out or weekend away but I have no way of evaluating that because pleasure and enjoyment comes into it.  Compared to a coke habit or monthly dominatrix its pretty bloody cheap, though.   

 

On the other hand, if I had bought my 190E new it would have cost me just under 20 grand.   Had I been the original, only, owner I would consider that excellent value for 27 years of use for something that still does everything just about as well as it did back then.   I think the running cost would have been about the same as the Minor over that time, allowing for the considerably higher mileage.        

[AMC Rebel]

I thought this thread pertained to brasses.

 

 

As times gone on with cars flange I've come to the conclusion they are remorseless bastards who'll likely reward your loyalty with some bizarre impossible to rectify fault soon after you've spent money on them.

 

 

Sorted

[fraser.innes.3]

I bought a 2001 megane cabby 8 years ago for £1800. All I have done to it is normal servicing - I include disks, pads, cambelt tyres etc in that. Needed a rear caliper unsiezing for the last mot. I may have rolled it 6 years ago, but it is still going needed new wings and a bonnet. All electrics still work.😊😊

 

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

[AMC Rebel]

Good advice there. There's also a part of me that thinks that you only get so many driving years and to stick with the same car for long periods reduces the number of cars you will own or drive. That might not matter to a non old car loving person but to me it does and I don't want to miss out too much. For instance, I've never owned a Saab, Jag, Volvo, Merc etc and I wouldn't mind trying one of each at some point.

 

^This - my answer to that "what car you buy if you won the lottery?" is - I wouldn't, I'd keep renting loads of different ones.

[cros]

I've had value out of most of my vehicles and I want some more. Staying with the same one for years is best but I only learnt too late. My first series 1 landrover cost 400, gave 8 years service (daily business use) and sold for 3 times that amount. It went on to do a further 8 years for the buyer (a bloke who bashed out classic repair panels so it used to crop up at events from time to time) According to his ebay advert when he too got rid it had given good service with little trouble. The Transit engine I fitted at the beginning helped here and I wish I'd not sold it.

4 years and a snowy winter later I bought a £1000 SWB replacement which has defied logic in appreciating to a stupid amount with the recent twatty Landrover-as-an-ornament scene

I'm a lightweight (see what I unwittingly did there) compared to a friend who in his mid 60's is still running two of BMC's 50's offerings which he's owned since his late teens.

To answer the question I think I've had value when a vehicle has gone from being plentiful, usuable and cheap to worth more than I paid for it.

[Royale80]

I like to keep a car as long as possible. My range rover I've had for ten years-passed another MOT yesterday but I will have to spend £31 on a set of rear brake pads and an anti roll bar drop link. I'll change these on the weekend.

 

I paid £7200 ten years ago so would like to keep it another ten to get my monies worth. People tell me to change it-but it does the daily grind admirably if a little thirstily.

 

Will we ever get our monies worth out of cars? I doubt it-but it is a nice way of spending!

 

Steve

[tooSavvy]

When I caught sight of ToMM©, at Chester station, I realised I was at 'ground zero' on valuations....

 

Its the last car I will ever own... So I reckon we saved the best till last

 

... rock on ...

 

 

TS

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I use the handy yardstick of "what's the average finance / lease deal monthly payment" in the office.

Seems to be around £200.

 

So if I buy a car for £600, if it lasts 3 months anything extra is a bonus

 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

[DodgeRover]

I thought this thread pertained to brasses.

£50 for half an hour? How much for 5 minutes...

[willswitchengage]

If it makes it home after picking it up from the seller

[New POD]

I use the handy yardstick of "what's the average finance / lease deal monthly payment" in the office.

Seems to be around £200.

 

So if I buy a car for £600, if it lasts 3 months anything extra is a bonus

 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

 

 

(some of) My office sharers are "renting" things like VW Amorak's for £450 a month, or paying cash for a new Â£38K Jag.

 

Interestingly I like point out to one, that the interest on a BTL that I own is 2/3rd his monthly rental, and to the other that the deposit I put down on said BTL was £38K, when they take the piss (and I'm not sure that they have the right to take the piss) , about my  3.2 V6 Omega.  

[holbeck]

I use the handy yardstick of "what's the average finance / lease deal monthly payment" in the office.

Seems to be around £200.

 

So if I buy a car for £600, if it lasts 3 months anything extra is a bonus

 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

 

I think at £200 you are being conservative. A former work colleague was paying something like three times that for a Golf R.

[fred]

Think I have been ruddy lucky buying my Forester of an ex work mate , Had it 6 years now , 2 tyres , set of discs pads , usual service stuff , and a cam belt earlier this year

come to I guess a Grand all in

 

- cost of car - A grand 6 years ago . Never let me down, all the extras on it AC/ Heated seats etc.... I win the thread

[DodgeRover]

(some of) My office sharers are "renting" things like VW Amorak's for £450 a month, or paying cash for a new Â£38K Jag.

 

Interestingly I like point out to one, that the interest on a BTL that I own is 2/3rd his monthly rental, and to the other that the deposit I put down on said BTL was £38K, when they take the piss (and I'm not sure that they have the right to take the piss) , about my  3.2 V6 Omega.  

 

Well I'm glad you've got your head screwed on the right way, I was about to say if I had 38k spare cash laying about I wouldn't waste it on a Jag....

[stripped fred]

What amuses me is that people who've just signed up for the latest model from their friendly dealer always quote the (supposed) mpg or free servicing, failing to mention the overall lease cost or depreciation. They are also pleased that they can have a new car every few years too, when the lease is up. I know this has been covered at length in another thread but they're basically paying the depreciation cost of the car, which is a lot for the first few years. I'm happy that all my cheap older cars are depreciation proof and my mr2 may actually be slowly going the other way. Yes they do cost a bit more in maintenance and may get fewer miles to the gallon but over a year it's still a big saving, and I like older cars better.