Cars - they represent excellent value for money

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Volvo V90 D5 AWD
I was just thinking how you get a lot for your money when purchasing a new car.

For £10K you can get something really decent.

When you think of the body, treated and painted, the engine, made up of hundreds of parts, all the interior/exterior components, the trim, the systems, the electrical /electronic items, glass, wheels, tyres, and all the labour to source, transport, assemble, test, deliver and sell (and numerous other processes involved), they really do represent excellent value for what you pay.

Here's a few comparisons to add perspective:

My pal bought a cartridge for his Linn hifi £800 (he negotiated a discount)
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. You can pay silly money for hifi.

My recent quote for a day's tree felling at my house £1200
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A motorised canopy over the patio windows £2500
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A decent home cinema projector, about the size of a couple of shoe boxes will set you back c£4000
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Tarmac driveway quote, estimated at one week to complete £6500
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You can get a 2012 Ford Fiesta for less than £9000 (other cars are available).

Good value I think.
 
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I suppose economy of scale has a lot to do with it.

I was surprised to read in yesterday's Telegraph Motoring supplement that a Piaggio 'Yourban' three-wheeled scooter costs over £5600 new. I'm sure there are some hatchbacks you could buy for that (or not much more), and they have full bodywork, seats for four, similar economy and better performance to boot. Oh, and a boot...

The only reason I can see why the scooter would cost so much is that they must be made on a much smaller scale. I would imagine the Linn cartridge is made to exacting standards on a very small scale indeed, and the other examples would be much lower-scale production than a mass-prodced car. The tree felling and drive resurfacing are bespoke jobs, where you're paying for labour at one-off rates.
 
When I consider my wedding costs, the old 230k is cheap as chips !

If I don't have a photographer and suits, I could get myself a nice E55.

SWMBO will not be happy though . . .
 
You get lots of bang for your buck with both new cars and mobile phones, not to mention Digital SLRs. As MOCAŠ says, economy of scale.

To add to your list, I was quoted £30k for double-glazing our flat by a well-known national installer...

(even given the ongoing increase in energy prices,the ROI will take a very l-o-n-g time, in fact it will probably be my grandchildren who will finally benefit from this investment...)
 
To add to your list, I was quoted £30k for double-glazing our flat by a well-known national installer...

(even given the ongoing increase in energy prices,the ROI will take a very l-o-n-g time, in fact it will probably be my grandchildren who will finally benefit from this investment...)

I can digress on my own thread because it's my thread (ne ne ne ne ne :D).

I had Staybrite round to my house in 2004, shortly after we moved in. The man quoted £31K - I laughed - he requoted at £9K (however, he'd got no chance by then - tosspot).

I asked him why he started at £31K and he said "well, some people just pay it"
 
When I consider my divorce costs a SL 55 AMG is a giveaway
 
You can get driveways done for around £500 in certain areas :D
 
Kind of on topic....I'm amazed how cheap flying remains, also some electrical goods. But labour rates for some people can be silly money.
 
Someone gave me a VW beetle, as long as I collected it, as the rear brakes had seized, it had been standing for 5 years.
Took a gallon of petrol, jump leads and my patent beetle freedom tool (a 5" 3/4" breaker bar, 36mm good quality socket and a small sledge hammer.

40 minutes to unlock the brakes, get it started, check the brakes and steering, and tow it home.

£100 to get it through the MOT (brake pipes + exhaust), about 4 hours work.

Drove it for 6 months while I decided to restore it or not, then stuck it on ebay and got £800.

That was good value:) (if a not very nice to drive car..)
 
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