Why does everyone need a massive car these days?

@OnlyHerefortheBiscuits Audi A6 Avant. I have a dog guard rather than a crate and use harnesses.

It is not as tall as my X3 was but it was too high for the lift in & out.

@Dearg Which estate did you get? I was driving an old Ford focus estate with a Transk9 dog crate in the boot until it went kaput. The crate was probably worth more than the car 😂

I wanted another estate but couldn't find one that I could

1. afford (how are proper estate cars so expensive?!)
2. see out the back window with the crate in.

Ended up having to buy an SUV

Gridlock on local roads yes, but we chose a school 30 mins away from home so that was no surprise. No kids getting hit or PCSOs though.. nice big school grounds and car park to avoid this!

You're oversimplifying a bit. From memory of my school days (primary and secondary) it included gridlock on all of the local roads, PCSOs attending to crack down upon illegal waiting, kids getting hit...

I have a LWB Renault Trafic 😊

DH has a (albeit far from factory standard) Jeep Wrangler that he's driven through the Atlas mountains, the Pyrenees, across the Sahara. They're cool and very capable cars. Lolarowan is being a dick.

How can it be a status thing when so many have one?!

I actually feel embarrassed to have such a big car but needing space for two six foot odd adults, two extended rear facing seats, and a boot full of buggy and trike has meant we have had to 🤷‍♂️
In our old car we had when we only had one DC our knees were against the dashboard to get the ERF seat in and we needed to put any food shop on the rear passenger seat as the buggy took the whole boot. Had to go bigger when second child came!
I expect in the past car seats were much less bulky and so too probably were the buggies! DH and I are also much taller than all of our parents.

There is a car you can get a horse in?!

They make profit - but largely it’s more like a mortgage advisor making profits from the lender, the finance companies pay them commission.

leases vary of course but the last one I was quoted?

Cash purchase - £48k

lease - £38k, 4% interest over 3 years, servicing, free mats and upgrades to LED lights (£500) and a interior pack worth £900.

at the end of the lease you buy the car at market price or trade in for another.

ive done the maths- you are better off keeping your £48k in the bank and taking the lease.

don't forget nowadays you’d be looking at 7% as a good rate for a bank loan.

I genuinely don’t think a lot of people replying to say they’re unaffordable to people who use them have shopped around for real life examples.

is it more expensive than buying a 10 year old car in cash for £5k? Of course. It is also a completely different purchase and product

What about peoples dogs, horses, cricket bats n hockey sticks?

Well I drive my fuck off RR Sport Autobiography because a) I like it and b) there's not actually that many vehicles that can legally tow a horse trailer with 2 horses.

Because trying to persuade 3 German shepherds that they want to ride in the back of a micra is like trying to put the cork back in the champagne

Definitely a status thing for most. Do people have more "stuff" now? Suburban roads are full of the things!
I managed with a two door Aygo when DD was a baby. We have upgraded to a newer, 4 door one now. We've fitted various Ikea flat packs in, luggage when going away, just needs to be smaller bags as big cases don't fit!
It does annoy me all these bigger, heavier vehicles pay the same tax as us, wasn't an issue with our old one which was dead cheap tax. We do pay less for our parking permit than those with bigger cars.
Pedestrians can be killed by any vehicle but the risk is greater from heavier ones.

I had a Nissan micra (old type) and easily managed with a toddler and a baby.

So they want you to lease because they make more profit from you.
I mean we all spend money on things that are important to us but it still feels like a bit of a mug's game.
The number of posts you see on her where people are complaining they are skint in 100k salaries are making a bit more sense...

Just shows there is life beyond cars

We aren’t talking about whether the purchase is an investment with a return-a car never is, no matter how you buy it, so that’s irrelevant- but about whether it’s affordable- with the posters on this thread alleging if you don’t pay cash outright, you can’t afford it.

I’m simply saying your mortgage payment is affordable even though you couldn’t buy it outright so why wouldn’t a lease payment be?

Basically the only profits dealerships and certainly individual sales people do make on sales are your extras and your leasing.

that doesn’t negate the fact that in order to promote leasing (to realise that profit) they offer incentives that you can’t access by paying cash.

I guess you could look at it another way- you’re penalised for paying cash because they’re not really interested in that business.

I don't like crappy little Italian town cars that shake your bones every time you drive them 🤷‍♀️

Redpeach

he took his son, shown on another video - to Netherlands on holiday - bike, train, boat. They camped and cycled.

Nice, with bikes too!

Inadequate people need big cars to make up for their inadequacy. It's how they feel complete 🙁

Cycling to school can be nice

Its possible to go on a family holiday on the train