The Car Thread

I think Covid has addled  my brain and boredom has had me spending far too much time on the internet looking at Cars.
That's bad enough but I have changed cars 3 times in the last 12 months.
I do little miles these days so I have had Jaguar's for a number of years . Last Feb I had a XKR but house arrest/lockdown had me spending time convincing myself I need a V8 F Type so off I went to Swindon to do the hand over. I loved that Car but it made me drive like a lunatic so having had a clean license since 1983 it had to go and I changed it for a petrol F Pace far more subdued and my driving improved accordingly.
What I have noticed is just how crazy dealer prices are and despite the oncoming recession and people not having disposable income they are still asking top prices.
In 6 months time how many of these dealers are going to be left with a forecourt full of vastly overpriced Cars.

I think Covid has addled  my brain and boredom has had me spending far too much time on the internet looking at Cars.
That's bad enough but I have changed cars 3 times in the last 12 months.
I do little miles these days so I have had Jaguar's for a number of years . Last Feb I had a XKR but house arrest/lockdown had me spending time convincing myself I need a V8 F Type so off I went to Swindon to do the hand over. I loved that Car but it made me drive like a lunatic so having had a clean license since 1983 it had to go and I changed it for a petrol F Pace far more subdued and my driving improved accordingly.
What I have noticed is just how crazy dealer prices are and despite the oncoming recession and people not having disposable income they are still asking top prices.
In 6 months time how many of these dealers are going to be left with a forecourt full of vastly overpriced Cars.

V8 a beast of a car, wish I could afford one.  Is it true second hand cars have gone up in price? ( don’t know much about cars ) due to new cars waiting for chips? My son who lives in Middleton been on the waiting list over 8 months for a new (company car ) BMW

V8 a beast of a car, wish I could afford one.  Is it true second hand cars have gone up in price? ( don’t know much about cars ) due to new cars waiting for chips? My son who lives in Middleton been on the waiting list over 8 months for a new (company car ) BMW

as much as 30% increase meaning some newer second hand cars are worth more than the New equivalent. House prices just have to fall significantly when a 2 bed Terrace home is described as investment opportunity or first time home is advertised for £260k something is terribly wrong.

Used car prices were bonkers not too long ago but have cooled down. New car prices are more stable but it's harder to get discounts below MSRP and dealers are asking huge "market adjustments" for "niche" cars. Ford Bronco for example, just got released recently and have heard of ridiculous markups.

Vroom and Carvana have been disruptors in the used car market with on the spot offers and not having to go to the dealer and haggle. I have a 2019 Jeep Wrangler 4-dr and a few months ago vroom was offering me $7K more than what i paid for it 2 years and almost 30K miles earlier. That has since cooled off and the last offer i received (i like to check periodically for the heck of it) was $13K lower than the one referenced above.

Second hand car prices are crazy, I bought my 520d off my company for £18,000 and looking at the same spec 3 months later I could get £21000 for it 😳

Got my 1st company car in december.

brand new Kia Niro Hybrid. loving it.

Last 3 cars were old bangers, so this is a big change for me.

Second hand car prices are crazy, I bought my 520d off my company for £18,000 and looking at the same spec 3 months later I could get £21000 for it 😳

Same way over here. The thing I can't wrap my head around though....why are people paying over price for used cars when they could just buy a new model off the lot for less markup (at least over here).

they are still fetching 30% more than 12 or 18 months ago. When I bought my F Pace the last August the dealer had an empty forecourt he just couldnt get the Cars he wanted. I specifically follow Jag prices and they are just off the charts at present.

Got my 1st company car in december.

brand new Kia Niro Hybrid. loving it.

Last 3 cars were old bangers, so this is a big change for me.

cherish it mate I had Company Cars for decades and when you go back to having to finance your own its not fun

they are still fetching 30% more than 12 or 18 months ago. When I bought my F Pace the last August the dealer had an empty forecourt he just couldnt get the Cars he wanted. I specifically follow Jag prices and they are just off the charts at present.
cherish it mate I had Company Cars for decades and when you go back to having to finance your own its not fun

its superb so far. All paid for and I only have £7 tax or something every month.

its superb so far. All paid for and I only have £7 tax or something every month.

Christ £7  Think mines over £400 

Christ £7  Think mines over £400 

Its great. Hybrid way forward.

I dont think I will ever own a hybrid or Elec Car by choice and now with the cost of power . Whilst I still can I will go for premium petrol cars Jags mainly and as I do no more than about 3k miles a year fuel isnt a problem or at least it wasnt when it was   around £5 or £6 a gallon. Interesting a barrel of oil is less than $100 now but the prices at the pump remain high

I love how people want to push everyone to electric cars whilst ignoring the fact that

1) most of them are still pretty expensive
2) the electricity that is being used to charge those cars is still likely coming from fossil fuel power plants (at least over here in the states)


If people really want to be "green", hydrogen powered cars are the way to go.


I will say there's part of me that would love never having to visit a gas station and just plugging in the car each night, but I think they are still only practical for daily driving to and from work and not for people that tend to take a lot of out of town trips.

I love how people want to push everyone to electric cars whilst ignoring the fact that

1) most of them are still pretty expensive
2) the electricity that is being used to charge those cars is still likely coming from fossil fuel power plants (at least over here in the states)


If people really want to be "green", hydrogen powered cars are the way to go.


I will say there's part of me that would love never having to visit a gas station and just plugging in the car each night, but I think they are still only practical for daily driving to and from work and not for people that tend to take a lot of out of town trips.

Yea, like you I like the idea of plugging in overnight and never having to visit the petrol station but EV definitely aren't the 'green' solution they are made out to be.

Maybe better than diesel and petrol but still the energy is coming from fossil fuels as you say.

For me I'm not putting money into brand new cars at the moment and will wait to see if anything comes along like hydrogen to better EV's.

Lately I've been buying older cars I've always quite fancied owning but were too expensive at the time and for me is a way of being environmentally friendly as no energy is used to build another new car.

Bought an E92 BMW 3 Series Coupe a few weeks back with full leather interior, service history etc and loving driving it at the moment.

if public transport was cleaner and more efficient and affordable people would use it more.
Tax for Cars should be on fuel only the more miles you do the more tax you pay. Paying £600 a year Road tax for doing 2,000 miles is just stupid when someone paying £30 a year can do 50,000 miles a year sadly the Car is a cash cow for Government.

Got an Audi SQ5, has a fuel pump leak which is apparently a common thing with them. Also given me a nice smell of fuel in the car.

Not going to cost me anything to get it fixed but it’s just an inconvenience I don’t need.

I am tempted to email some of these dealers and ask them if they having a laugh with their prices.

Anyone recommend the Kia Sportage?.

Anyone recommend the Kia Sportage?.

Kia are really well made Cars
https://www.carwow.co.uk/kia/sportage?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=71700000038516186&utm_group=58700004220549763&utm_keyword=kia%20sportage&utm_term=kia+sportage&network=g&utm_account=700000001759618&gclid=CjwKCAjw_tWRBhAwEiwALxFPodvzlRQVBZVT_vRJJorEWZL0Vm9SXHtkAtFSy8TbFiUh3fEcg-1z2BoCKsIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I've got Vauxhall Corsa VXR, it's fast and nippy just like me 

Kia are really well made Cars
https://www.carwow.co.uk/kia/sportage?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=71700000038516186&utm_group=58700004220549763&utm_keyword=kia%20sportage&utm_term=kia+sportage&network=g&utm_account=700000001759618&gclid=CjwKCAjw_tWRBhAwEiwALxFPodvzlRQVBZVT_vRJJorEWZL0Vm9SXHtkAtFSy8TbFiUh3fEcg-1z2BoCKsIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Kia are making some really good looking cars lately. I’m still struggling to get past the “economy” reputation the brand has (at least over here) though but that Telluride and that Stinger and the new K5 are really sharp.

Noticed a few adverts with "reduced price" showing also a few Houses now being reduced.  FOrd have just put a Patent on a Hydrogen fueled engine ... about time too

Kia are making some really good looking cars lately. I’m still struggling to get past the “economy” reputation the brand has (at least over here) though but that Telluride and that Stinger and the new K5 are really sharp.

The problem with Kia is depreciation is steep. I looked the Stinger as it looked good and had great performance but the resale values are killers.
IT does get really good reviews though.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/yAOeq1CMS_s8Fmw7n5QuXmOzvuyHm68GqQgBdizNaQS8KqS6yNQAscWxUYXv3O1xds3mJyIVKsm2CsE5_SdekM8s5aoBeanhZSzaPjBW97_GnAG0PLNCSj2FEqUJzffugvHsZgSQLEw3OadedNd4UNXs5hwK5wbXcp4yGxcJrRu7RBbVaZoKQeX4A-C4saBoeZeuygtD5vMLNLLO4NY6miAmBNYH93j4jRiSZ7ZmNFO8FiegLF4Nja4iP5fcyJb4Tfsr-hYpuZZXmS1SHO0SioM6R0T9W-snSGoNW5lBEcFy3MJ3Bb4iSD1sZvDDG_NEWCH1HKjxjy_qVzUyZz_5ZrdphAwUMekSQ2PSb_DMTjqokbs8Vl1mIhH3yaXs4ye_l2ngr-261_DaRr-5UHfSaEQEpKzsxUCQDCIDQxpmcjWBjWpUwV2MXlhN8wr30Glbj6NbPocj90P6oqMTfPqN0BA54sjzigI3ErNVsyYfyPBTvBQzpOGig0eU2qiDB1cSYrsQNYxTlAsUrSBTV-eVwgXLNIQOShgwbfZWHPUtF7HBJRBfhPlRV4LqJx5xahb32r8mWUufaPlapEy-wpptz3DlsWnZBwrFQ8mtrxtZxhuw1GL_BNRqwSY5jcYQICuc_tbf0VFeKT0fUDAn6nOJCivgh-7SKpoRrirKLkEsGfr9KQSH0bVahxgVWcY0AJ-SVmp7v-2F84cb_uBncPJIhu-YitP3jAFr1SwotZ15cHxlEaI3Sbv9wjO-Wesxsw=w876-h657-no?authuser=0

its gone now I was afraid my license would go before I got shut of it the speed of it was addictive

The problem with Kia is depreciation is steep. I looked the Stinger as it looked good and had great performance but the resale values are killers.
IT does get really good reviews though.

The Stinger is a great looking car.

Best way around depreciation is not buy new with a Kia.

The Stinger is a great looking car.

Best way around depreciation is not buy new with a Kia.

True. I was checking out one of their mid size SUVs the other day on the website, Sorrento maybe? Anyway...the top end model was north of 46k (USD). I was like...for a KIA? I mean I'm buying Mercedes or Volvo for that kind of money. Like someone once said about Genesis (Hyundai's luxury brand)...it's a great looking car, really nice but you are still taking it to a Hyundai dealer when you take it in for service.

Noticed house prices are now being reduced but Car Dealers still living in cloud cuckoo land. With the cost of living rising faster  than anyone can remember they will end up with a Car lot of over priced Cars nobody can afford dumber than a piece of pie.

Can anyone recommend a good hybrid coupé?

Can anyone recommend a good hybrid coupé?

My company car is a Kia Niro Hybrid. loving it.

Broke down yesterday on way home from work , aa guy put it on computer and said it was the dpf clogged up had a quote off fords today £2000  all it is atm is paying out 🙈

My oldest got rid of his Mini...it was starting to become a real money pit. Replaced with a Jetta GLI. It's a 6sp manual transmission so I had to give him a crash course (no pun intended) driving stick the day before he had to drive 5 hours back to University. That was almost a month ago, sounds like he's got the hang of it now and he actually said he doesn't think he would ever want an automatic again. I told him he's coming along at the wrong time because I think manual transmissions are on life support at this point...everything is heading towards automatic.

My oldest got rid of his Mini...it was starting to become a real money pit. Replaced with a Jetta GLI. It's a 6sp manual transmission so I had to give him a crash course (no pun intended) driving stick the day before he had to drive 5 hours back to University. That was almost a month ago, sounds like he's got the hang of it now and he actually said he doesn't think he would ever want an automatic again. I told him he's coming along at the wrong time because I think manual transmissions are on life support at this point...everything is heading towards automatic.

But isn't manual transmissions almost an alien concept to you guys over there in the States?

Here manual is still the most popular and only starting to slow down a bit with hybrids etc have auto boxes.

But isn't manual transmissions almost an alien concept to you guys over there in the States?

Here manual is still the most popular and only starting to slow down a bit with hybrids etc have auto boxes.

The new car offerings with manual transmissions go down every year, as does the # of people who drive it with the younger generation(s) lazier and lazier. Harder to sip on that $7 latte if you have to shift gears. Manual transmissions are candidly known as a "anti-theft device".

But isn't manual transmissions almost an alien concept to you guys over there in the States?

Here manual is still the most popular and only starting to slow down a bit with hybrids etc have auto boxes.

I'd say now they are an alien concept, but when I was growing up and even in the last decade, they were still fairly prevalent, mostly on sportier cars though. I don't think I've ever bought a car that was going to be mine (not shared with my wife or kids) that wasn't a manual transmission. I had a Chevy S-10 Blazer, 2 Chevy Camaro Z-28's, two Chevrolet Cavaliers, a Jeep Wrangler, a Saab 9-5 and a Corvette all with manual trannies.

The new car offerings with manual transmissions go down every year, as does the # of people who drive it with the younger generation(s) lazier and lazier. Harder to sip on that $7 latte if you have to shift gears. Manual transmissions are candidly known as a "anti-theft device".

Interesting. I haven't bought a 'new' car in ages, always go second hand so bit out of touch on that one.

My Dad had bought three over the last number of years and still goes for a manual

Interesting. I haven't bought a 'new' car in ages, always go second hand so bit out of touch on that one.

My Dad had bought three over the last number of years and still goes for a manual

The only reason i know of the decrease in manuals in new cars is from car articles i read. New cars are so unbelievable expensive nowadays that i don't see how it makes sense to buy new. The last time i bought a new car was 2019 when i bought my current Jeep Wrangler, but that was a factory order at a sweet 13% off MSRP. Did buy it with auto transmission so the wife could enjoy it. Probably the last new one either I or wife will buy in the foreseeable future. We got her a 2019 SUV last summer and bought extended warranty on it so she's covered for 7 more years on it.

Love manual transmissions, though. My "toy" is a 2004 BMW 330i which is in 6spd.

I never buy new, am considering new for my next car though. Hoping Toyota comes out with a new 4Runner in a couple years and I’ll likely go for one of those for my wife. Love the new Sequoia but just can’t afford it. Have to save up for my Corvette E-Ray 😂

I've always had cars with manual transmissions. When I was growing up the idea of driving an automatic was very strange indeed. They were either for sh*t drivers, your mother-in-law who couldn't pass her test in a normal car or the very real housewives of the leafy suburbs (who still clog up our roads with their expensive cars which they struggle to drive.) Disclaimer: no prejudice intended but some stereotypes do turn out to be true.

I have had my 520d for 5 years now from new and doubt I would ever go back to manual.
Besides with the move to electric it’s auto any way.

Company Car, Kia Niro Hybrid. Been brilliant, get 35miles on a full leckie charge, so ideal for local driving, and been very efficient on longer drive with petrol, as leckie kicks in when going slow.

Company Car, Kia Niro Hybrid. Been brilliant, get 35miles on a full leckie charge, so ideal for local driving, and been very efficient on longer drive with petrol, as leckie kicks in when going slow.

I misread the Hybrid part and took me a few mins to wonder why you were so pleased with 35 miles on a full charge.

I misread the Hybrid part and took me a few mins to wonder why you were so pleased with 35 miles on a full charge.

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