To ask how you afforded your car?

[letsgogogo]

Me and my partner aren't rich by any standard but we do ok. I wouldn't say we are poor.
Even so we can't afford to buy a new car or a decent second hand car. However, I see so many people driving around in new range rovers and Audi's, BMW and various other really expensive cars and I just wonder how can people afford them? AIBU to think that most of these cars were attained through finance? Or if you have a nice car that you didn't need credit for, how did you manage it?

We purchased my second hand car with savings, DH has a nicer car but it’s a company car. I think a lot of people do the loans where you upgrade after 3 years. It seems popular with a lot of my friends.

We paid 7k cash from savings and traded in our previous car for 1.5 I think. We bought it 6yrs ago (2007 reg) so it’s 13 years old now! It has quite low mileage so I’ll keep going with it until it dies and then do the same again or similar I presume.

Ours was half paid for by the payout we got when the previous one was written off, then we used finance for the rest. We didn't have much in savings at the time as we'd only just got married when the car was written off.

They are mostly leased so you never own or nearly own the car . This suits me at the moment and if you work the numbers out then it does work against buying an expensive car but when this lease finishes we are going to buy an older car out right with a yearly bonus . I don't know how anyone affords anything without large bonuses and high salaries to be honest . My dh gets both and we aren't rich really . We have neighbours who must only earn £60k between them but have a massive house and expensive cars so who knows 🤷‍♀️

We got a low interest loan. Struggled for years with older second hand cars bought outright and continual breakdowns whilst everyone around us seemed to drive no older than 5 year old cars. I was very anxious about doing it but we needed the car there and then and I persuaded myself that it wasn't that different to saving up for 5 years

I think most other people are pcp of hp

Should have said it was second hand as well.

I paid myself a finance payment, so I saved £250 a month over and above running costs. Then bought a car for £11k cash, and I’m still saving so - if I want- I’ll buy a more expensive car next, again with cash.

To ask how you afforded your car?

Saved up then handed over the cash. Every time
However, I see a car as something to get me from A to B.
I'm not interested in buying a new car or a flash car.
I've other thing I'd prefer t spend my money on.

Part exchanged my old car for £5.5k and took out a personal loan for the balance of £7k for 5 years (although I'll probably have it for a few years longer than that). Will do the same agsin at the right time whilst it still has a decent residual value to part ex it for a newer one and go again with a personal loan (better rates than finance).

Finance...
I haven't even a flashy car,
A 16 plate Ford fiesta.
I pay 200 quid a month, its a huge expense out of my monthly wage!

I bought my car as a new sec hand. It was registered to the garage and then sold to me with 25 miles on the clock. I took finance over 5 years but overpaid and had it paid off in 18 months.

I saved up and paid cash for mine two and a half years ago. I'd never buy a car on finance.

Yep finance.

We are just looking at cars as DH's 'died' unexpectedly last week. We are looking at cheaper less popular brands/models as we so not aspire to have flashy cars - just reliable ones. We are also looking as ex demos and 2 - 3 year old low mileage cars (there seem to be a few of these around as garages encourage people upgrade cars before they are 3 years old). We haven't decided how to finance it yet but have a number of options which won't involve finance from the garage unless it is at 0%.

Saved up cash and bought second hand for about £6k.

Haggled price down from c£35k to £28k twice. Used savings for 50% deposit, paid other 50% off within 12 months on 0% deal.

Still have them 10 and 15 years later.

We bought a 3 year old ex mobility car at auction. Was considerable cheaper than buying through a dealer . Have had it for just over 8 years now and don’t have any immediate plans to change it .
I’m not particularly impressed by expensive cars and don’t feel the need to impress anyone .

Think ours was about £6 /6.5 k .
The brand is extremely reliable and hasn’t cost us very much at all over the last 8 years . Sails through MOT every year.

Finance deal.

I've got a 12 year old Yaris. Still going strong....bought it from savings. When it does I will lease a car.

I've always bought second hand cars, and I've always saved and paid cash for them. Currently driving a 10 year old Volvo, that I hope will last me another 2 or 3 years.

Audi SUV - Motability car (had to pay a £2500 advance payment)

We paid cash . I have savings to buy another similiar car when I need to .

Previous car was 13 years old.
Saved up for many years for a second hand car last year - that's 3 years old.

We did have a lease car, but if you don't look after it immaculately - and I'm talking tiny dents or scratches on alloys and trims etc (which we did, thankfully) you can get stung big time.

A mixture of savings and a generous gift from DH's family. It's a second hand car, but only a couple of years old. We looked into the PCP thing that a lot of our friends seem to have gone for and couldn't figure out the benefit - you pay a lump sum, then pay monthly and if you can't afford to make the final payment you have to give the car back and are left with nothing. Plus we weren't bothered about having a brand new car.

I have my car on finance, it's a low monthly payment and will pay it off at the end of the contract. Nothing fancy, it's a Nissan Micra but the new shape!