AIBU to wonder how on earth do people afford new cars ?

[CarsAreExpensive]

OK, so I'm probably BU here but I really do wonder. I'm a single parent but earn what a lot of people consider a good salary of 100k. I rent, as its hard to get on the property ladder living in big city and can't move away as rely on family to help with childcare a bit.

Today I have driven through few areas / towns that are seen as deprived areas, full of council homes, refugees etc. I won't name the areas, but those areas are known for poverty. Anyway, every other driveway there was a brand new car on and I'm talking about Mercedes, bmw, audi, range rover. Houses and driveways looked terrible.

How on earth can people afford those cars ? Even HP agreements, those cars would be at least 400-500 per month if not more !

My car is getting old. 10 yrs old and I'd like better car but simply can't afford to spend that much money a month for something I won't own. Am I going somewhere wrong and missing the trick?

These shiny ‘look at what drive’ cars are usually bought on the never never….or leased.

Finance and PIP/mobility scheme cars

I do think a lot are on credit. You read all the time on here about people in huge debt

i bought my car outright, it was 3 years old and in immaculate condition and was ex motability, its a mid size SUV.

It's not so much the how but the why, unless you earn fantastic money and can be spendy on your motors or you have full-rate mobility PIP and lease. It's a bit of a mystery to me why so many people spend so much on their cars, however I don't judge people for it as it seems to be the norm.

I have an old scruffy reliable car that's great for tip runs as well as getting from A to B cheaply, but that's me.

Gosh lots of jealousy on here. Live, and let live. Priorities are different, we have a new car, change it up every 4 year on PCH, and guess what we love not owning it! We have done that before, and kept a car for years.
We don't use credit cards, aren't in debt, apart from paying off mortgage, but judge away about all of our "debt" and apparent shit house. We are fortunate not to be on benefits.
We do have just one car, and are a family of 4, and it is a nice size for us. We use it a lot. Maybe if we had 2 cars we couldn't do it, but we don't.

Company car for us. We own the company though.

It’s all part of the 21st century British lifestyle.
New build house on an estate, rented of course : Tick!
Brand new Audi / BMW / Tesla on the drive, leased of course : Tick!
65’ 8K Ultra HD TV, on HP of course : Tick!
House full of brand new furniture & appliances, all on HP of course : Tick!
Wardrobes full of designer labels, all bought on credit cards, of course : Tick!
Wallet full of credit cards, all maxed-out, of course : Tick!
Massive overdraft : Tick!
Zero savings : Tick!

This is literally how millions of people live. And they will blame anything & everyone but themselves when it all crashes down around them and they realise they have nothing to show for decades of work.

Mobility cars. I know a few people with one and it's pretty much the only nice/reliable thing they own, so it's not really something to be envious of.

Either that or they have a massive loan. I'm in a mixed council/ex council area and our car is definitely one of the more rubbish ones, but as long as it keeps running I don't care. I'd rather save my money for a holiday, which a lot of my neighbours never have. Just different priorities.

I was going to say we have Mobility cars but I’m a bit scared of being judged now…

Condescending, judgemental with an over fixation on what others 'apparently' do: Tick!

company car so will just pay BIK tax and fully electric on 20% tax rate I can have one for about £12 a month or £30-50 for hybrid. That’s how for a lot of people

The motability fleet, which is the largest in the UK, is just over 750,000 vehicles…

https://www.motability.co.uk/how-it-works/who-we-are/#:~:text=We%20lease%20cars%2C%20Wheelchair%20Accessible,focus%20on%20meeting%20their%20needs.

Add in company cars plus those who for reason (maybe work) buy/pcp/lease new cars and it’s pretty easy to understand where all the new cars on the road come from.

No, because it wooden go.

Yeah, the only pensioners losing the winter fuel allowance are those who don't need it. About time it was means-tested. WELL overdue!

PIP is not an out of work benefit.

Old ones are the best! 😆

For various reasons, I bought a car on PCP a few years ago. I say 'bought' but it was never really mine. In essence, I ended up with a five month old BMW on the drive for a couple of hundred pounds a month. It had strings attached as PCP does, and I wouldn't ever do it again, but I suspect either this, or company cars account for the majority of what you see.

But you are limited on miles, tied into a contract and have a bubble payment to make at the end. If you roll that over it just gets bigger? What happens when you run out of value or lose your job?

Yep, this. Without a Motability car DD would never be able to access university or embark on her chosen (healthcare) career, the walking, waiting on public transport etc would send her over the edge. It’s either take a ‘free’ car (it’s not) or live like a recluse for many people. PIP is notoriously hard to get and you have to have masses of real medical evidence behind the claim, you absolutely cannot lie your way into it. Your discriminatory attitude is showing @iamtheblcksheep

🤣🤣

Lovely to think that now I'm being judged because I have a brand new Motability car. I've also been given a brand new accessible house. Gross, huh?

Only the reality is, because my husband works a minimum wage job, we aren't entitled to any benefits other than PIP, half of which goes on the car (which I need because it has hoists and a ramp), so I have to work full time from home. From bed, most days as I'm too disabled to function. If I didn't, we'd be homeless.

I'm sure my naice new-build neighbours must think I'm a scrounger as I sit at home all day when in reality they have no idea. I can't go out much anyway as my wheelchair is broken and guess what? We have to buy them ourselves too!

If you'd like to take my disabilities, pain, stress, suffering etc, then you're more than welcome to my new build, my new car and my £410 a month PIP. I know what I'd rather.

can I just make the point that motability cars are NOT .free. You forgo part of your benefit entitlement and have to put a hefty down payment down as well so basically it is like leasing a car. We have 2 wheelchair users and to get a suitable vehicle on motability the down.payment is 20 odd grand ! And after 5yrs you hand the vehicle back so you then have to find the deposit all over again.
Needless to say we had to buy an old mini bus ourselves which was much cheaper overall.

I wouldn’t judge you. The motability scheme is meant for people on the higher level of the mobility part of PIP.

Id Have an issue if you were out cleaning said car every weekend as in that case you clearly aren’t entitled to the higher rate.

Some people just can’t get it into their heads that most decent people don’t begrudge spending money on the genuinely disabled. It’s those that are clearly milking the system that’s the issue.

PCH? PCP? HP? Up front and end payments?

It doesn't make sense otherwise.

For all the disability benefit bashers..there are a very small range of BMW, Audi and Mercs (no Range Rovers) and all of them come with a big up front fee…some up to £7,000 up front. If people are in poverty, it’s unlikely they’ll be affording that.

I paid £3000 up front for my Ford Kuga. And then sacrifice all of the mobility part.