Car changes over the years

[Hairy]

40 minutes ago, ALBERT MICHAEL said:

Thanks Karl Marx

 

5 minutes ago, LazyTrailRider said:

John Galt, is that you?

Beavis and Butthead .... is it you two guys?

Keep to the topic please guys.

[LazyTrailRider]

Just now, Hairy said:

 

Beavis and Butthead .... is it you two guys?

Keep to the topic please guys.

I'd love to, but John Galt would just mercilessly roll F350s off the production line because the market is always right.

[ALBERT MICHAEL]

1 minute ago, LazyTrailRider said:

I'd love to, but John Galt would just mercilessly roll F350s off the production line because the market is always right.

I was commending my fellow traveller's concern for the society at large as we continue this dialect unpacking material effects of the forces of production and consumption and, the inevitable outcome of an acute deficit of surplus space (the commons) affecting those of us who choose to travel by power of our own labour in a most oppressive manor. This is not even to start with the children. I believe we are very much sticking to the topic sir

[Hairy]

[Shebeen]

4 hours ago, ALBERT MICHAEL said:

I was commending my fellow traveller's concern for the society at large as we continue this dialect unpacking material effects of the forces of production and consumption and, the inevitable outcome of an acute deficit of surplus space (the commons) affecting those of us who choose to travel by power of our own labour in a most oppressive manor. This is not even to start with the children. I believe we are very much sticking to the topic sir

It would appear the problem lies within. You need to look in the mirror if the vehicle you choose to transport is so large it can be described in such gargantuan terms, before criticising others.

[LazyTrailRider]

Back to the topic: Gotta love how manufacturers are raising the suspension of budget and mid-range models slightly, changing the bumpers and lights, cheapening some of the trim and slapping on a 20% premium because it's a "crossover".

T-Roc instead of Golf

T-Cross instead of Polo

Must be so satisfying in the boardroom!

 

[Hairy]

1 hour ago, Shebeen said:

It would appear the problem lies within. You need to look in the mirror if the vehicle you choose to transport is so large it can be described in such gargantuan terms, before criticising others.

[OVERDRIVE]

2 hours ago, LazyTrailRider said:

Back to the topic: Gotta love how manufacturers are raising the suspension of budget and mid-range models slightly, changing the bumpers and lights, cheapening some of the trim and slapping on a 20% premium because it's a "crossover".

T-Roc instead of Golf

T-Cross instead of Polo

Must be so satisfying in the boardroom!

I battle with this. 

Volkswagen Group MQB platform - Wikipedia

So basically, people pay more, or less, for basically the same thing in different shape. 

Or, is it the same as Shimano/Campagnolo/Sram? 

[LazyTrailRider]

11 hours ago, OVERDRIVE said:

So basically, people pay more, or less, for basically the same thing in different shape.

In short, yes. It’s a way for VW to minimise costs, but it does offer some parts availability benefits also.

The Polo and T-Cross examples are illustrative of the craziness, but the GTI and T-Roc ones are not. Well, it’s an illustration of how South African demand for mid-range hatchbacks is non-existent because VW now only offers the GTI version of the Golf because Saffas don’t buy enough of the normal ones. The GTI however has a very different drivetrain and suspension layout, so it should actually be something like “Golf = R496k, T-Roc = R596k”…

[Jewbacca]

1 hour ago, LazyTrailRider said:

In short, yes. It’s a way for VW to minimise costs, but it does offer some parts availability benefits also.

The Polo and T-Cross examples are illustrative of the craziness, but the GTI and T-Roc ones are not. Well, it’s an illustration of how South African demand for mid-range hatchbacks is non-existent because VW now only offers the GTI version of the Golf because Saffas don’t buy enough of the normal ones. The GTI however has a very different drivetrain and suspension layout, so it should actually be something like “Golf = R496k, T-Roc = R596k”…

Is it also not indicative of the times?

There are 55 billion OLD model golfs and Polos driving around and that target market is struggling to buy NEW model cars at the current lending rate.

I'd guess that new cars are struggling to move, especially those in the mid range price point.

Interest rates and cost of living are driving huge changes in who can afford what

[Hairy]

25 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

Is it also not indicative of the times?

There are 55 billion OLD model golfs and Polos driving around and that target market is struggling to buy NEW model cars at the current lending rate.

I'd guess that new cars are struggling to move, especially those in the mid range price point.

Interest rates and cost of living are driving huge changes in who can afford what

I think SA also needs a new frame of thought.

Higher purchase is a killer, it is easy to buy a higher spec car than you need because it is just a few hundred rand more, then in about five years the car is traded in on a new car with the same mentality.

Perpetual debt.

Ride that 5 year old car that is now paid off for another 3 or so years, over that 3 year period you put the money away you would have spent on a new car, then when the cash is right you buy a new car cash.

Following this period you have a new car that can see you through the next 8-10 years easily, and it offers an opportunity to save another 3-4 years for a new car, with the remainder years to save or invest the other money you would have been throwing away on a HP purchase.

Now the above sucks because you do not have instant gratification of a new car when you want it, or your old car is not "up to date", but screw it, you will be better off in the long run if you can make the sacrifice now in the short to medium term.

[LazyTrailRider]

2 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

There are 55 billion OLD model golfs and Polos driving around and that target market is struggling to buy NEW model cars at the current lending rate.

I would have said about the Golfs "Yes, so people are buying Polo Vivo, Renault Kwid and Suzuki S-Presso models instead", but the reality is also that a huge number of people who would previously have bought Polos are now buying a T-Cross instead, at a higher cost.

[LazyTrailRider]

2 hours ago, Hairy said:

Now the above sucks because you do not have instant gratification of a new car when you want it, or your old car is not "up to date", but screw it, you will be better off in the long run if you can make the sacrifice now in the short to medium term.

One of the finance gurus in my feed said something very interesting recently:

"Much of the psychology around owning an expensive car is about the *ability* to own an expensive car, more than actually owning it. Do yourself a favour over the next few years: Save until you get to a point where you can buy the car you dream about with cash, but then don't actually buy it. You'll find that you'll likely get just as much pleasure out of knowing that you can walk into the dealership tomorrow and drive out without debt as you would actually doing so."

I've done this experiment, it works 😉

[Hairy]

24 minutes ago, LazyTrailRider said:

One of the finance gurus in my feed said something very interesting recently:

"Much of the psychology around owning an expensive car is about the *ability* to own an expensive car, more than actually owning it. Do yourself a favour over the next few years: Save until you get to a point where you can buy the car you dream about with cash, but then don't actually buy it. You'll find that you'll likely get just as much pleasure out of knowing that you can walk into the dealership tomorrow and drive out without debt as you would actually doing so."

I've done this experiment, it works 😉

The other aspect is that once you have that lump of cash in the bank, you know how much work and sacrifice it took to get to the point of attaining that money ... so it makes it harder to "just spend it" on a car. Monthly payments with a potential "whatever end of policy lump sum" makes it easier as it is only a little money every month with realising just how much you are spending.

One has to be realistic here too. There are times in life where you do not have a choice, like needing your first car, or first decent car in order to get to work and back because you do not have reliable transport or need it to perform the function of your employment.

But ideally you would work yourself out of this situation over time and follow the save and then buy principle.

[LazyTrailRider]

1 minute ago, Hairy said:

The other aspect is that once you have that lump of cash in the bank, you know how much work and sacrifice it took to get to the point of attaining that money ... so it makes it harder to "just spend it" on a car.

Disclaimer: This approach doesn't work for bikes. I "just spend it" every single time 😆

[Jewbacca]

1 hour ago, LazyTrailRider said:

One of the finance gurus in my feed said something very interesting recently:

"Much of the psychology around owning an expensive car is about the *ability* to own an expensive car, more than actually owning it. Do yourself a favour over the next few years: Save until you get to a point where you can buy the car you dream about with cash, but then don't actually buy it. You'll find that you'll likely get just as much pleasure out of knowing that you can walk into the dealership tomorrow and drive out without debt as you would actually doing so."

I've done this experiment, it works 😉

I have been in a position in life where I have never bought a car over finance. From my first to my current, I have paid cash every time.

I was lucky enough to have had an opportunity straight out of school to do a very dangerous, but profitable, manual job allowed me to buy and pay for things like a car and education cash.

That said, I hate cars. Cars are stupid, people driving cars who are usually reasonable, decent people become entitled and enraged over nothing.

I hate driving on our roads and having to interact with other drivers. Single person transporters taking up kilometers of road, but feel like the traffic is everyone elses fault, hate any other type of road user and will cause more traffic by just not merging and splitting until they have to stop to do it because 'I'm in front of you and must stay in front of you because I'm more important than you!'

I promise you, no one who lives in a city or urban sprawl needs a sports car or a bakkie. Most people on here have at least one of the two, or both. (Yes, some don't, no need to say 'I don't)

I know people who own land Rovers and Fortuners so they can drive the dogs 2km to the park.

Two cars crash? A car kills a pedestrian? Oh dear, what a terrible accident!

2 people drown at Iron Man and everyone wants to ban the race. BAN CARS! They kill thousands of people every year and few people are actually fit to drive them safely.  

Start talking about car free areas, or creating car free zones in cities and people lose their minds. We are so programmed as a people to just accept cars for what they are they never get questioned. Spend 70 million on fixing roads, right next to a railway? absolutely!

Spend 20 million fixing up the railway so you don't need to drive? Absolutely NOT!