Why do people on limited incomes choose upmarket cars?

[SirGawain]

Not really an AIBU, nor a criticism of peoples lifestyle choices, but I'm genuinely curious.
I live in an estate of mostly starter type homes built about thirty years ago. Many of the houses have been aquired peicemeal by different housing associations. The neigbours are generally very nice and most seem to be employed in decent, if not well paid, jobs.
As they are living in housing association properties I assume that they are not particulary affluent. What puzzles me is that the car of choice for many is a BMW or an Audi. Why would people spend there money on an expensive car which depreciates rather than investing it in a homes which will rise in value?

The Motobility scheme is brilliant (we have one) but the scheme is shrinking because of complaints that people with disabilities are getting luxury cars. Consequently the cap on the value of vehicles available on the scheme is quite low. We have to have a particular type of car because of DP’s disability and we really struggled to find something suitable when we were due to renew so we asked for an extension on the period of time we can have our currrent car. Motabilty is a charity and apparently has billions available to it but because of articles in the Daily Mail and a subsequent outcry about disabled people getting free posh cars these changes were made.

Friends and relatives who work for car companies help too. BIL works for a large car company so we get family discount on PCP deals so pay next to nothing each month for a brand new, custom made, high spec car.

They do it so snobs like you have something to sneer and look down their noses at. HTH.

LARLARLAND genuine question though, why posh cars anyway? I also think its not right for charities to squander on a few than help more people because they want posh cars.

BrewDog The old system used to allow people to choose a more upmarket vehicle if they paid a substantial amount of additional money towards it. That way, people could still be part of the scheme but have a better car sibling as they were willing to contribute some of the cost themselves. The problem is that the Daily Mail readers didn’t understand the system and didn’t like the idea of disabled people swanning around in posh cars which the taxpayer was funding. All total bollocks of course but the DM got their way and the scheme has been scaled down so only more basic vehicles are available.

So long not sibling.

why resurrect this old thread @ritchiebaby

oh and ZOMBIE THREAD ZOMBIE THREAD

Ooh nice, a goady zombie thread resurrected for further frothing to commence.

PCP

PCP? not a doctor

I know people with little money who prioritise a nice car over having a house. We are not rich but not poor either. We don’t have a prestige car, as most of our money is in our house. But I don’t care what other folk spend their money on
This.
One of our new (younger) colleagues was surprised that most of us weren't looking at upgrading our cars any time soon before telling us about a sporty audi they want and it's only £250 a month (and they wont own it at the end). We pointed out thats a lot of money to borrow a status symbol. This is the same person who tells us we are lucky to own our homes because it'll be 'impossible' for them to buy any time soon (despite us being 10 years older than them and made the choices not to travel lots and not have flash cars so we could buy).

There's no two ways about it, they want the status symbol of driving a flash car.

But then it's the same principle in leafy suburbs when spotless premium rangerovers are navigating the difficult terrain of the speed bumps near the local primary school and cafe stops.

Some people are more bothered by status symbols than others. It's up to them though.

Bugger! Zombie thread.

Previously Confused Poster.

GF

Too much sun, richiebaby?

The cars are most likely on finance/leased. I havent looked in a while but you used to be able to get BMW 1 series on finance for £250 a month (brand new) so would be even less if it second hand and a year or two old.

Zombie ffs

I thought facebook.twitme and instamoan was bad....ask them why they chose nice cars and didn't buy, then this post can be put to rest

But the thread had been put to rest - in August last year - until YOU decided to wake it up again