AIBU to drive a banger?

[Ruleof72]

I don’t think I’m being unreasonable but I’ve had another comment today about my car and I need a sense check.

I own a 10 year old car outright. It’s a cheap and cheerful Nissan juke and is viewed as a banger by friends/ family/ colleagues. Someone pushed their trolley into the side so it’s scratched and doesn’t look great but mechanically, excellent, I have looked after it.

Quite a few people have made the comment that my car is essentially a banger and they don’t understand why I don’t just buy myself a nice new flashy car. I have no desire to do this, so long as it gets me from
A to B, that’s good enough for me.

YABU - you have the means to drive around in a nice car so ditch the banger!
YANBU - current car is mechanically sound and reliable. You don’t need a Porsche (insert other flashy car brand) on finance!

I don't really understand people who pee money away on cars!

I view them as functional. If it gets you safely /comfortably from.A-B, fab.

I thought the same!

My current car is a 2011 Skoda Fabia and it's the nicest newest car I've ever had. The car before this, which I had til 2023, was a 2001 people carrier 😁

Cars don't need to be status symbols. They just need to work and be safe.

I'm 100% with you! I'm on a good salary, own several small properties and am very financially comfortable. I drive what I regard as a banger. It looks OK, but won't make it past its next MOT.

Meanwhile, some of the school run parents I know drive expensive, flashy cars or have an EV, despite being on low incomes and having financial struggles. Totally their choice, and I know some people enjoy cars, but seems illogical to me. It's transport.

Keep the car, get new friends/family/colleagues - your current ones are dicks. Not being too bothered about cars and just keeping the one you've got if it works is one of the most sensible things you can do from a financial perspective. People who talk like your f/f/c likely do so because they have crushing status anxiety issues from not being given enough love as a child. Pity them.

Edit: and FFS it's 2026 - there is no way a 10 year old car is a 'banger'.

I’ve had a succession of old bangers, usually get rid of them at about 14 years old and replace with something 5 or 6 years old. Recently got given my dhs old car when he went electric. I now have a proper grown up car, while enjoying the parking sensors and reversing camera and heater that works….I miss my old banger that I could squeeze past range rovers on country roads and not mind it getting scratched.

i could buy a very nice new car easily…but its not where i want to spend my money.

The people telling you it’s a banger and to get a new one are super rude! Your car sounds absolutely fine.

I bloody regret getting my car on finance. I pay £226 a month and totally regret signing up. It’s a nice enough car but I feel a bit sick when the monthly payment leaves my account. I can’t wait to get out the arrangement but I’m only 1 year in to a 4 year deal so a bit stuck.

If anyone knows of any way I can end the deal early please let me know.

I think it sounds perfectly reasonably. Can you get the scratches fixed, if you wanted to do something? My car is 14 years old and still going strong though my mum is now in "maybe you should buy a new car" mode.

Edit: no one has ever called my car a banger to my face! It's never needed more than new spark plugs/brake discs so I'm delighted with its continued performance. <Goes off to make a sacrifice to the car gods and hope I haven't cursed it>

My car is 10 years old - haven't thought of it as a banger! Since working from home after COVID, I no longer have to commute and only make short leisure trips so the mileage is low. I don't see the point in buying a new car though I could readily afford one. Plus the only car I like is the Nissan Figaro which isn't made anymore and that'd be even older! Ignore the shallow sheep!

Honestly it doesn’t matter what other people think, if you’re happy with it then that’s your choice. I’d rather have a car that I’ve paid for outright than on finance - I currently finance a car because I didn’t have much choice unless I wanted to use most of my savings up. If things were different I wouldn’t of.

I get the same comments about my 16yr old car. I’ve had it since nearly new & know everything about the history of it. It owes me nothing & has been so reliable. We plan to do the same again when this one gives up on us. We’re actually seeing how high we can get the mileage on the original clutch 😂 You don’t get to play these fun games in a new car!

Our runaround car is 13 years old and is a Citroen C1. Whilst I wouldn't want to do long distances in that car, for our purpose it does the job it needs to do.

It does feel like luxury when I drive our 5 year old car though and I appreciate it more.

My car is 13yrs old, 98k miles, and no problems. As long as it gets me from A-B, I don’t care.

A 10 year old car is not a banger. We have 2 skodas, 10 years old and 20 years old and still going strong. I don't care how old or new a car is, damage is damage and trolley bashes annoy me so much. Our 10 year old car has a tiny scrape on the front bumper and our 20 year old car has a minor scrapes, paintwork is looking tired on it though.

Absolutely no intention of changing either car unless we have to. They are both perfect for each of their uses.

We use that 20 year old as a run around for local runs and the 10 year old for longer runs as it has way more spec

Current car is 11 years old and previous one was a Fiesta that I sold when I got over 250,000 miles . I prefer to own my cars outright and I am really not bothered what other people think

Your friends/family sound not very nice, and, frankly, snobs or idiots. The funny thing is that the genuinely upper class people I know tend more to the "old banger" (probably land rover/range rover style) that can take the requisite dogs and drive around the muddy lanes of the estates with overgrown scratchy hedges without a second thought😃

Id ignore these people personally. I own a 2010 SMAX Titanium sport. No finance, no debt, I enjoy driving it and if a 10 plate is considered a banger to some people I would say I own a nice looking banger! 😊 Plus sometimes when you've had a car so long you feel like you know it's reliability, quirk's etc I know enough people who are driving new cars that are constantly in the garage or some are paying for cars they don't even have any more for one reason or another.

Tell them to pipe down.

When anyone gives you a hard time about your car tell them this. A new car could be £500 a month on finance. Over 10 years that's £60,000. Id rather have that and a ten year old car.
And that's without compound interest!

There’s a lot on SM nowadays of mechanics advocating having older cars as they are fixable
snd not full of ridiculous levels of software! Mines 10 years old this year, bought from new. I love it and want it to last another 10 years!

I know 2 very rich people and they both drive bangers because they don’t feel the need to prove themselves by flashing their money around, and also because they don’t want the bother of being worried about it being stolen or dinged in an accident. I live in London so maybe the culture of dressing down is more prevalent here but if you like your banger, tell them to sod off!

Yanbu OP. Mine's an 8yo Volvo. It's perfectly sound, why would I replace it? I'll get at least another 4 years from it, maybe more.

My last car was a Saab Aero, was 12yo and had 235,000 miles on the clock. I loved it 😊

My cars cost me about £150 a month. Why would I waste an extra £400 a month of something that does the same job? It's a working tool, not an evening dress.

As long as you are happy with it that’s all that matters. Just ignore the comments. I actually can’t believe people comment on your car.They must be really bored. I wouldn’t give a flying shite what someone else drove.
However..my new car is on finance and that is also my choice. I love cars, always have and I enjoy driving nice ones. My Dh and ds21 are also car mad but the older the better with them. Ds has a 1999 Honda civic!

I read the thread title as “aibu to drive to a banger” and was going to suggest The Reflex by Duran Duran 😂

I have an ancient little VW that I use to transport my two dogs around and drive down the bumpy track to my horse’s yard. It’s constantly grubby and full of nonsense, stuff for every eventuality incase I need another coat/pair of shoes/boots/dog lead/etc. I have no interest in a shiny new car but I do feel like im judged for it sometimes, when everyone around me seems to be driving whopping great 4x4s (with no intention of driving them off road!)

Friend has a very flashy car through work, it’s effectively a 2 seater as none of her friends are flexible enough anymore as we are old to sit on the back ‘seat’ that’s really a parcel shelf. She looked into buying it off them then realised how much a new set of tyres cost, servicing etc…. When she learned mine was £200 for a full set of tyres while hers was £300 each….she had a rethink.

My car is 17yrs old. Someone keyed it the other week and I was furious. But it runs and does its job. So don't you worry about yours!