I still don’t understand this out and out comparison between lease and 2nd hand.

All that happens is someone with a used car just ends up justifying the daily economics of it in the sense they’ve been lucky in that it’s not cost them much to run.

Lease is for folk like me that want to minimise issues and can afford/justify the relatively cheap monthly payment and like the idea of a new car that they don’t sink their capital into. We also want to give it back before it needs proper attention. We also like the idea of a 3 year warranty and breakdown assistance included. I also enjoy cheap insurance on a new car. My last used car was 560 to insure. Current new Yeti of double the value is £300. Nice to have the car tax in to. Lot of perks.

My last used car was a 10K Honda CRV. Depreciation over 2 years was about 4K and cost about 1000 in parts and servicing/wear and tear. That is more than my current new car cost to lease over two years. Oh and it’s 7 years newer, more economical and better to drive. But it’s not a comparison as such as I didn’t lease a 2nd hand car.

You get lucky sometimes with used cars, I’ve had plenty, but it only takes one bad or average one…

Used guys – stick to your stuff and we’ll keep plying the market with vehicles for you to choose from.

Everyone wins.

Can you have a towbar fitted to a lease/contract car?

I think people underestimate the reliability of cars these days. I don’t think we’ve been lucky over the last 20 years not to have anything major go wrong on the 10 second hand cars my wife and I have owned. Sure, things go wrong and people post on here about £1000 repair bills. You don’t get to hear about the 1000000’s miles fault free (or at least, a few hundred pounds a year f0r a service).
I can’t remember the last time I had to fit a new exhaust.

like the idea of a new car that they don’t sink their capital into

You’re still sinking capital into it. There’s smaller capital outlay though.

Everyone wins.

This is true, financially. The environment is the big loser though so ultimately we will probably all lose 🙂

Only on STW can we justify a £5k pushbike, convince ourselves that it is significantly better than the 18 month old, £3k one it replaced…

…but we don’t want to spend a few hundred a month on a brand new car. A car that we use to get ourselves to work so we can earn a living and transport our children in. 😆

Or alternatively, running cheap s/h cars into the ground and cheap second hand bikes into the ground. I am grateful for those who are happy to spend more and allow me to spend less.

£13k goes nowhere now when buying a new car

Skoda Fabia Estate or Rapid Fastback in 1.2tsi SE-L/Tech has just been quoted to us at that price, and for a couple of quids more a Leon.

Last car cost 7k owned for 10 years, with two major repairs = 1.3k. So £69 a month + I still have a car (trend is cheaper each year)

Ah I have not allowed for servicing and mots. Price is £93 per month, car is currently still worth 2k so we could say £76 per month. Compare that to the £400 focus example posted above that is a saving of £38,880 !!!

Only on STW can we justify a £5k pushbike, convince ourselves that it is significantly better than the 18 month old, £3k one it replaced…

…but we don’t want to spend a few hundred a month on a brand new car. A car that we use to get ourselves to work so we can earn a living and transport our children in.

That’s a very odd comparison. Firstly, cycling is something I do for pleasure, whereas driving is for utility – if your car is worth more than your bikes, you’re doing it wrong. Secondly, many of us cycle to work, and use a cheaper bike for that purpose. Thirdly, there’s absolutely no need to spend hundreds per month in order to get a car suitable for transporting children.

That’s a very odd comparison. Firstly, cycling is something I do for pleasure, whereas driving is for utility

But some of us don’t see driving as ‘utility’. Some of us like to drive. I know I do – 32 years of driving and I still look forward to getting in a nice car and going for a drive.

But some of us don’t see driving as ‘utility’. Some of us like to drive. I know I do – 32 years of driving and I still look forward to getting in a nice car and going for a drive.

Fine. I’m suggesting, that on a cycling forum, it’s more common that people cycle for pleasure and drive for utility. In any case, we don’t all drop £5k on a new bike every couple of years…

…but we don’t want to spend a few hundred a month on a brand new car. A car that we use to get ourselves to work so we can earn a living and transport our children in.

No. I hate driving and see a car as a necessary evil. It drinks money and I will try an minimize that as much as possible.

The comparison with second hand cars is that they are not as likely to go as wrong as people are making out. So you can have a very similar driving experience from getting a second hand car as a new one, but you are avoiding a large amount of the cost. Plus people are talking about keeping a car for two or three years, which seems a very short time.

I understand that some people like the idea and feeling of a new car and having the latest technology but they cannot argue that it’s a cost effective way of running a car. Leasing is indeed a cost effective way of getting this, but I still cannot see how it works out cheaper than running a second hand car for as long as you can.

Similarly to the reasoning above about a new expensive bike – I don’t pretend it’s sensible to have a new expensive bike, I do it because it’s a treat to myself. I can get a second hand bike which will last me many years for very little money.

on a cycling forum, it’s more common that people cycle for pleasure and drive for utility.

They aren’t mutually exclusive and, judging by past threads about cars, I know I am not the only person on here that feels that way.

They aren’t mutually exclusive and, judging by past threads about cars, I know I am not the only person on here that feels that way.

Which is why I said “more common”.

But some of us don’t see driving as ‘utility’. Some of us like to drive. I know I do – 32 years of driving and I still look forward to getting in a nice car and going for a drive. [/I]

+1 and I’m 34 years in 🙂

We’ve two cars both bought new, many on here will see it as a total waste of money, but we work hard and like nice things plus now the 3 kids are all grown-up and working we deserve it (in our eyes anyway).

Both were on finance (one paid off) as it was cheaper than spending our cash, ie 0%. And they work out at about 1.5 days earnings per month, so not excessive we don’t think.

Which is why I said “more common”.

Is that a statement of fact? Where did you get your statistics from?

wilburt – Member
Can you have a towbar fitted to a lease/contract car?

Yes. Just has to be removed at end of term.