Why are people snobby about cars?

[Meetmeattheapt1]

If you have an interest in cars and genuinely prefer premium, luxury ones that's absolutely fine, but it's when people assume anything else is a piece of crap.

My car cost under 4k, I didn't have the money for anything else and I only wanted a smaller, older car for my first. Also didn't want years of expensive finance payments.

A friend in the group recently passed their test and was looking for a car, someone asked what their budget was and they said, 5k? The friend scoffed "Ha!" you'll get nothing but bangers for that."

Someone didn't know what car I drove and made a loud joke across the table about 'No way i'd drive that car'.

i've also had people surprised that the car is capable of doing long distances? Don't people realise that not everyone can afford something brand new? I know used car prices have gone up, there probably are cars ready to fall apart but under 5k gets you plenty of reliable and durable cars that do what you need them to.

I know some people get newer cars through work and if I had that option at work i'd consider but I don't.

I agree, to me it’s just a means of transport. But like clothes or other things some people like to show their taste or income

Don’t worry if you ever do buy a new car you’ll be told on here that it’s a stupid financial decision anyway and that it’s no guarantee that the car won’t have problems so it’s a lose lose…

4k means a car with have extremely limited use left, it’s hardly going to be a reliable good quality car. Thats just a fact.

I can't believe people say stuff like that out loud. Your best bet is to find better friends

Oh as if, on MN you’re tacky and classless if you have anything other than a 20 year old Passat with 150,000 miles on the clock. I’m sure you’re fully aware of the reverse snobbery around cars on here.

They are probably over stretching their personal finances on financed new cars. The joke is on them.

you can't say that as a fact, it really depends on the car.

Yes I was thinking this. I bought a newer one as I wanted a better safety rating with dd in the car and living semi-rurally. Dh has new ones through work every few years. Generally neither of us have any real interest in cars or a need to be flashy (no point, nothing to be flashy about), but reliability and safety are important. I don't usually pay attention to what others drive, but some people seem fascinated by it.

There's nothing at all wrong with wanting a newer car with more modern features and I can understand why people do. I suppose it's loud judgement from both sides, I'd be just as bad if I loudly mocked their finances.

Op I recently bought a car and spent weeks looking for anything even close to what you paid- in all cases the cars had huge mileage on them or were huge engines I couldn’t have afforded diesel for or boy racer cars that were really old. And I can see why people buy new, sometimes you can’t get a loan, you don’t have savings and if new you can pay monthly because they’re jumping to tie you into a contract! You were very lucky to find a car for that so your friend was right in a way

I’m a bit of an inverse snob about cars (as PPs have said, this is fairly common on MN), and quite enjoy people making judgements on us based upon our 22 year old, totally reliable, Yaris.

However, my real snobbery comes when people are driving expensive leased cars, and claiming they can’t afford to pay into a pension. And yes, I know more than one person in this position. If you can afford a nice car (whether you’re paying £25K, or £250K), that’s just a lifestyle choice - and we all have different priorities.

I have a fiesta 1l eco boost and someone laughed in my face because they have BMW. I told them if I wanted a BMW I'd have got one. They told me ford's were shit and they needed a BMW for comfort like im driving round uncomfortable. I asked them if they liked mustangs.... of course they do luxury car but you know a ford.

I think some people still see cars as a status symbol but now anyone can have any car and I no longer look as range rovers for instance and think nice, because they're everywhere.

I also go with the get the best you can afford. I did get a bank loan but I lived at home so didn't have many expenses and its been a decent car for 10 years.

LOL. Priceless.

I never heard anything snobby about cars. Must admit I don't understand why anyone get one of those huge cars as they look impossible to park. I paid 4k new for my skoda and it lasted 20 years and barely cost me anything re repairs. Bought a second hand one skoda for 4k and had three happy years with it and fingers crossed ill get 20 years out of it like it's previous one. Cost £20 tax for the year which I'm still shocked about. A car is to get you safely from a to b.

It's usually classless, new-money types who can't imagine driving anything other than a new car and love to draw attention to themselves. I've known multi-millionaires who drive bangers, and of course everyone knows that the richest families drive beaten up Landrovers.

No it isnt. Ive had my car for 9 years. It was several years old when I bought it and still going strong!

I love my quirky little £5k car. It’s 18 years old and has just passed its latest MOT with no issues. It costs me £20 a year to tax, £200 to insure and about £40 a month in fuel.

No judgement from me about what people choose to drive but I do feel a bit sorry for them sat in their bland metal box while I’m whizzing around in my little Smart Car with the roof down.

Haha here we go, it is so cringeworthy people type this shit.

Yes I’m probably the same. I drive an old fiat 500 , no one has ever commented but if they did I’d not care and id laugh along but I could really afford a very expensive car I am just not interested. I think op the issue you have is that it’s hitting a nerve you are feeling inadequate and it’s that you are reacting to.

Unfortunately 5k used to get you a decent second hand car of about 3 or 4 years of age. You might have had to stretch to 6 or 6.5k. Absolutely no chance now.

Second hand car prices went THROUGH THE ROOF, and that same car now costs you 10k.

People think, well if it's 10k I am going to have to borrow... and if I am borrowing money I want a gurantee on this second hand newish car. Enter the dealership warranties.....

I bought my car for £3K. It was only supposed to be a stop gap as I needed to get back on the road urgently - nearly 3 years later and still going strong!

Cars are far more reliable than they used to be, a 10 year old car in 90s was probably ready for the scrap yard but now they can go on and on if maintained - I think a lot of people don't realise how much cars have improved

I got my cheap runaround for a few £K over five years ago, so that isn’t a fact. I couldn’t be worrying about accidentally scraping the paintwork on the country lanes where I live, and I don’t need a vehicle for work, just fun!

That’s a “fact” is it? @Arbourimage ?

do you even have a proper definition of what that word means?

in my family’s fleet is a Hyundai i30. Owned since 21000 miles, now on 109000 miles. Worth £2.5k. Only thing it’s needed is spark plugs and oil and filter. Engine is the impressive Hyundai four pot, plenty of examples of those pushing past 250,000 miles if properly maintained.

or my friend’s Yaris which is now on 120,000 miles since being bought on 2,000 miles. It’s probably worth £1.5k but she maintains it diligently and it’s a workhorse tool.

the Volkswagen PD diesels I have seen with over 200,000 miles on them , legendary 1.9 diesel engine , probably worth £1000 if buying, but my goodness it’s a reliable engine.

There’s a myth spouted by certain generations of people who heard their mums and dads in the 70s and 80s talk about cars “never lasting beyond 100,000 miles” because their choices weee Allegros and Cortinas and cars would rust before they’d break.

today’s Japanese and Korean hatchbacks from the 2000s are vastly superior and if well maintained can do moon mileage.

There is also a strident mentality in the UK that people now want their cars to be like mobile phones - get the newest one, have services and maintenance thrown in for £300 a month (!!) and then they justify that to everyone by saying “I don’t have to think about repairs so therefore your car is unreliable”.

my average service or repair bill is tiny. I own my car alongside others . Does that make me a mug?

Indeed, also these cars that were lasting 20+ years on 100,000 miles with minimal repairs, that, that is happening less and less with modern cars. Good luck seeing a Ford ecoboost engine on the motorway in 20 years time that hasn’t had thousands and thousands of repairs and maintenance spent on it.