If you had a budget for a nice car let's say Tesla would you still drive and old car?

[Haloween]

I am just wondering what people will do in this situation. I have saved up for a nice car but I am thinking of buying an old car probably over 10 years old and get more experience before buying the Tesla I have always dreamt of as I am a new driver. What do others do in this situation?

Cheaper cars are not always crappy cars.

That’s presumptuous judgemental crap.

im too many years in the motor trade, and a car enthusiast. An expensive car does not make a good car and visa versa. It’s also subjective as to what you need, want and like.

would I buy a new car? Nope, in fact work put an order on a new one for me and I cancelled it as I’m more than happy with mine.
20% vat loss off the forecourt, plus the depreciation, the luxury car tax for the first few years (and all that was works problem not mine!).

No I couldn't give a shit about cars and driving gives me no pleasure. Would rather spend the money on pretty much anything else! But horses for courses.

My next door neighbour has a Tesla but only on street parking and he is stressed about charging the sodding thing every single day.

Nobody is suggesting you "keep" buying "crappy" cars for the rest of your life! You're a new driver, how many cars have you even had?

There are millions of options between the two extremes of "crappy" and expensive.

Even if you start with a "crappy" car you can upgrade once you're a more experienced driver.

It’s very expensive to insure a Tesla. I’d build up some experience on a cheaper car before splashing out on a Tesla as it should help with the insurance costs.

Buy a decent used car. Cars lose a lot of value once you drive them off the lot. If you want to pay that premium to get a new car then do it. I don't know what being a new driver really has to do with anything other than just getting a car you can afford to insure.

Another one who wouldn't buy a Tesla. I have driven them and driven in them, and they're not particularly great to drive. I don't personally feel terribly safe - I think it's ridiculous that there have been so many accidents with Teslas that indicate the high-tech stuff just doesn't work very well and isn't very safe.

If I were buying something nice I would have a lovely two-seater Mazda - I have very fond memories of driving one of those; it was beautiful and I remember driving home with the top down, a Christmas tree over the back, and snow just starting to fall - it felt like a Christmas film. Definitely the most stylish car I've ever driven, and it was very nippy, too.

Personally I love my 8 year old Mini - its a 5 door so not tiny but I always seem to find a parking space as its smaller than many cars. DH wants to upgrade to a new electric Countryman but I'm dubious as its bigger and I'm scared I'll ding it (only been driving about 15 months).

I could buy a new Tesla but happiest in my 17 year old Citroen C3 as it does the job I want it to. Maybe when it finally gives up the ghost, I'll buy something shiny and new, but I've no interested in spending tens of thousands for no reason other than vanity. We tend to buy new and run them till they drop, usually 10-20 years.

Another vote for not a Tesla because Musk.
We have a Polestar 2, which is broadly similar. Would definitely recommend it. But if you are a new driver, I would try a few different options first before you decide.

We have the budget for a nice car and drive a very old but reliable car. It likely needs replacing soon and the new car will be an upgrade but also second hand and bought outright.

my car isn't crappy thanks!

The problem with spending ona car is they're expensive to maintain. bigger tires, higher insurance etc .and you'll be far more upset of your car gets dinged than I would,and mine would be cheaper to repair.

I just can't see the point in spending over the odds.

We have 2 old cars we could easily afford a new one but why ?

I wouldn’t drive a Tesla, new or used.

I could afford a new car and/or a much more expensive car than my much loved 13 year old mid-range slightly battered hatchback, but I can’t think why I’d want to.

If you are a new driver, the insurance on a new and expensive car is going to be astronomical, so you'd be a fool to do that. Buy a much cheaper car instead, and save the rest of the money.

Incidentally, I wouldn't get a Tesla if they paid me.

We buy normally a 1-2 year old car. It lost a huge amount of its value already but it's still in prime condition.

I would be vary that a 10 year old one needs too many repairs too soon. It can be false economy.
Do research a brand hwo well it performance after 8 years and go by that.

We looked for a 5-6 year old for DD when she was thinking about getting her driving license but a smallish one, not a large.

You couldn’t pay be to drive a Tesla purely for the Musk association. Plenty of other cars to choose from.

If you want a new car then leasing makes the most sense because you don't have to pay out on maintenance costs. Find one that has yearly servicing in the deal and a warranty. Just make sure you have good insurance.

Tesla have an absolutely shocking safety record, unfortunately. A few years ago it looked like they were ahead of the game on safety but they are really not. For example every other car that has assistive safety features such as the lane keeping, emergency braking etc uses LIDAR whereas Tesla's software only uses cameras, which are much less reliable. (If you don't know what this is, look up LIDAR Tesla on youtube as it comes up with a few explanations). Their sensors also seem prone to misfiring and the door handle thing has been criticised as a design flaw by multiple safety organisations and the AA advise if you drive a Tesla, always carry a window breaker in your glove box.

You'd fit in well round our way bOP, it's all Teslas or SUV type Range Rovers, BMW, Audis and all that.

Top priority for me was safe (checked ENCAP) and reliable. I read a lot of reviews, watch lots of car stuff anyway so I am aware of what is out there.

Yes we could afford more expensive cars but what does that actually get you? There are a lot of badge snobs out there, I mean Skoda is under the same umbrella as VW, in fact the Skoda Fabia felt like we were driving a Polo which we had had previously. Some cars only still come with a 3 year warranty, some come with a 7 year one.

A car gets you from A to B, has to be comfy, no annoying sounds at motorway speeds and fit everything you need in the boot. It is that simple for me. We buy cars and then run them for a long time usually changing due to need ie second child, bought a 7 seater, no longer need massive boot, downsized car, Dh and I swapped who had a family car as I was doing the school run and he was pootling off to work by himself for a short commute.

Lots of new cars have the touch screen to change the air flow and heat settings which is bloody hard to do when you are driving and there is no physical dial or button.

I do have the budget for a nice car, but drive a nice looking 10 year old car that I paid cash for. I'd never get a properly nice car, but that's because they don't mean much to me. If they did, I guess I'd be willing to spend more.

I would never buy a Tesla but on your wider point, the driving around my area is so bad that I’m happy with an old crappy car as it doesn’t cost so much to fix when someone decides to reverse into it.

I would definitely buy an older car.....i know how to maintain them!!! All this fancy modern stuff I just can't get on with. Plus musk is an absolute idiot.....

I wouldn’t and certainly not a Tesla the seating is horrible rock hard seats very uncomfortable.
Accidents, I’m not prone but have had my side mirrors sheared off twice plus some weird other things happen (unfortunate but life, thankfully covered by insurance).
I’m not sure how I’ll transition to one pedal driving which most ev’s seem to offer. The glass rooftop takes 2+ months to replace (parts) should it get smashed, I’ve heard parts period are hard to source. The low profile tires=a very uncomfortable ride.
Consider a Volvo

This whole car obsession that we seem to have in the UK is fascinating. We largely use them for the commute, the school run, going to the shops, and the odd trip up the motorway, but we seem to think we need to be able to accelerate as fast as an F1 car, or drive through apocalyptic rugged landscapes, or have the whole experience automated as if the car were a vehicular embodiment of a smartphone.

A car should be safe, comfortable, and maintainable. Beyond that, it's all a pose, if we are honest.

I'm guilty of it, too. We've done the whole VW->Audi->BMW->Mercedes escalating purchase cycle thing, coming to a crescendo with a splendid yet ridiculous Merc G-Wagon. It's nonsense. There is so much else in life to focus on. Besides, we should be spending more time walking and cycling around, and less time stuck in cars.

NB:- A muskmobile is not a pose that I would find appealing - even when I had the car addiction

I'd LOVE to be able to buy a new or newer, reliable car (two in fact, dh's is 22 years old and mine's 13). But I wouldn't care what it was particularly, and def not an electric car. Too worried about the battery catching fire, not to mention the battery life halving as it gets older - living in Devon I'd worry I wouldn't get anywhere!