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?

Thank you. It’s for my daughter and if you could see her medical history you’d be amazed she’s alive quite frankly so I have no worries as to her eligibility.
Some of the posts here made me feel a bit sad and judged to be honest, as if there were millions of people claiming cars they were’t entitled to and we are somehow scrounging. It’s not that easy.

Same!

I bought a 1 year old car on HP, over 3 years, once it was paid off, I continued to put the monthly payment into a savings account, by the time the car was getting to the point where it needed regular work on it, so was no longer viable, I had enough in my savings account to buy another almost new car, and so it goes on.

We did the same sort of sums when we decided to go for our motability car. Our 12 year old estate had just cost us a hefty sum to get through it's MOT and there was no way we could replace like for like. We calculated that it was costing us almost as much per month to keep the old rust bucket on the road as the motability forfeit would be.

So now we have a shiny new EV with enough cab space for 4 adults, 3 of them male, to be comfortable and just about enough boot space for all our stuff, including all the extra luggage we need for Ds2 if we stay anywhere overnight. Rare occurrence because it's such a ballache for everyone but we do like to visit my parents occasionally.

We were really lucky, as got the same car again 4 years later, brand new model, better features, and only £50 more. We fully expected to be downgrading, a slighter cheaper make of car was coming out more! It just goes to show, look out for car events, and shop around similar cars in the category you're after.

This is more or less what we had done for 2 decades, though without the actual HP. Only this time the sums didn't add up for a car that suited our needs. Cars cost more. Insurance costs more. Fuel costs more. Everything else costs more.

That's a fab idea! I will look into that :)

It's actually nearer £330 per month plus the advance payment. In my case, the advance payment was nearly 8k

Glad to have been of assistance. I found it was a really easy way to do it, as having been used to paying out the HP money for 3 years, I didn't miss it once the loan was paid off, and it was nice to see it growing and even having interest added too. Gave me peace of mind about the next purchase I needed to make.

To stop people who assume people on PIP are fraudsters the DWP recently reported a PIP fraud level of 0.4%.

We own our car because my very much loved FIL died suddenly and we were given his car. Simple as that. If he was alive we would either still not have one or we would have a banger.
I would a million per cent give up the car to have him back. I'd give up anything. But the fact is we have it and it's very useful to us and has made a huge difference.
People on our street are probably wondering why we have a nice car when our guttering is a mess and our driveway needs redoing and our windows are old and crappy.
Fact is, you never know someone's personal circumstances and there are a million reasons someone might have something.

They won’t stop - it doesn’t suit them to stop blaming vulnerable people for the world’s problems.

More than 50% of people who are entitled to claim pip also work. Its an in work benefit designed to help with the extra costs of living with a disability. In my case, the care component goes on buying incontinence supplies, a carer to help me shower, help around the house and garden to do the jobs my disability stops me from being able to do . Any left at the end if the month is saved towards a weeks holiday in an adapted cottage but there hasn't been any left since 2018.
The mobility component pays for a wheelchair accessible vehicle such is renewed every 5 years. We have to pay the advance payment and adaptations of thousands of £ ourselves which is the equivalent of buying a 3 year old mid range car.

What car do you have and how much do you pay a month, if you don't mind me asking?

I have a new 24 plate vehicle via motability as I have just been awarded the higher rate of PIP. I have a degenerative, incurable condition which is why after the gruelling assessment I received the award for the next ten years. I do work 30 hours currently but I don’t anticipate that I will be working for the next ten years because of the way I will deteriorate. I’ll wait for someone to tell me I’m not disabled enough if I can work and that I should be grateful that I will be medically retired. I’d gladly swap the car, blue badge and early retirement for a clean bill of health.

Not from me. Enjoy your car and the independence it brings you.

What if it’s the parents who are leasing it for their child? I am a healthy adult but I have a child who could be entitled to the higher rate of mobility - it’s a very hard fight though. I know someone currently going through appeals for their 6 year old who is still 1 years old in every sense, despite a mountain of evidence they have still decided that said child can walk about adequately despite being in a specialist pram most of the time. If they do get a motability car, is it not allowed to be cleaned in case someone thinks they’re committing fraud?

If you can’t have the best house maybe you can have the best car.

I get the idea that the other poster would also be angry if PIP cars weren’t maintained. I don’t think they have a clue.

Some people will prioritise a car over other standards of living.
Even, say, in run down areas such as mine, there are a disproprtionate amount of what I'd call 'flash' cars.
I guess some may be Motability PIP related, others may be HP, other forms of loans etc.

Some of the stereotypical nonsense coming out here, I’m shocked certain posters haven’t suggested that these undeserving people of motability cars aren’t also sticking 50 inch tvs in the back for all 200 of their kids that the government are paying for on top. All whilst they have to go chop wood for their poor, exceeding wealthy parents so they don’t freeze in their big house in the Home Counties this winter 🥺

I couldn’t afford one either. Until my 10yo car died and I had no choice. You cut your cloth as they say.

Different life choices and priorities?

I could afford a brand new car, either bought outright, with HP or through loans at those monthly costs, but I'm content with my 20 year old Volvo and when it dies, I'll probably get another second hand car which I'll buy outright.

We earn well. I'm not a car person, although my DH is, but he likes big vehicles that I don't wish to drive.

We prioritise fun, going out when we want, and having a beautiful home that is owned outright.

Sorry, I meant to say I couldn't afford to buy a brand new car outright, but I could afford those monthly payments on a Loan or HP.

Re: your ‘washing the car’ comment - you really are spectacularly tone deaf and ignorant as to what life with a disability can really look like. You obviously have no idea what you’re talking about, stop spouting such bigoted nonsense.