Used car prices post lock down

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Putting to one side the nostalgia, every new model of S-Class has moved the game on; go and drive a W222 S500 back to back with the W140 S500 and tell me which one is “nicer”.
It is personal preference; I find the new car interiors brash and garish . Don’t like the dash and I hate cluttered steering wheels .

I was sitting at traffic lights last night and a Jag XJ6 crossed in front of me , followed by a new E class , and I couldn’t help but think what a lovely , elegant car the Jaag was , and how much I hate new cars .

Before anyone says , I’m not a huge fan of the looks of the W140 from side on ; I’d rather still have a W126 , but try finding a good one nowadays without all the age related faults .
 
Maybe you are right. For someone who is not in the slightest bit interested in in-car "tech" however and just wants to drive and enjoy a high quality car would there be a difference.
I have no doubt the newer car will be faster , quieter , more fuel efficient, have even more toys , but the later cars have lost the comfy ‘gentleman’s club’ interior with uncluttered wood and leather . They now resemble the cockpits of fighter aircraft- not my thing at all
 
Maybe you are right. For someone who is not in the slightest bit interested in in-car "tech" however and just wants to drive and enjoy a high quality car would there be a difference.
“In-car tech” is nothing to do with it; the ride, power and feel of materials is top notch.
 
I've had my current car for 10 years, the longest I've kept any car, I suspect there will be some bargains in the not too distant future, the dilema though is petrol, electric, diesel, hybrid whatever. As it's likely to be the last car I shall ever buy I need to make the right choice as I suspect in another 10 years I may not be driving, if I'm even still here.

Had same dilema , same situation, hence decided that a nice V8 convertible fitted the bill perfectly as I live in a rural area
 
“In-car tech” is nothing to do with it; the ride, power and feel of materials is top notch.
Well it is good that Mercedes have upped their game again then.

As for what i call "in car tech" surely it is unavoidable on modern high end Mercedes. The dashboards are just lcd screens aren't they?

I do like tech at home, just find it is pretty pointless in a car (ABS, ESP, airbags etc obviously useful).
 
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Yes, but a lot of old cars had their dashboards styled on old fighter aircraft, the new ones are styled on new fighter aircraft (ish).
Certainly my sister’s SAAB 99 the whole cabin felt like an aeroplane with that curved windscreen , and yes , something like an MGB or an E Type was very much in that mould , but not to my taste .
 
“In-car tech” is nothing to do with it; the ride, power and feel of materials is top notch.
Perhaps, but styling is a matter of taste , and many new cars don’t appeal to mine .
 
Certainly my sister’s SAAB 99 the whole cabin felt like an aeroplane with that curved windscreen , and yes , something like an MGB or an E Type was very much in that mould , but not to my taste .
I think it was the bmw e21 3 series that pioneered that driver focussed dash layout in the late 1970's with the center console area tilted towards the driver.
 
I’ve got two cars up for sale at the moment.

My CLS63 is a bit of a one off, but priced it knowing that CV-19 will have slowed down people buying cars, it’s had some interest with offers of part exchanges, but happy to sit and wait.

My Lexus RX300 I thought I’d priced competitively, but when checking others for sale it’s very well priced at the lower end. In the couple of days it’s been up for sale it’s had quite a bit of interest albeit some speculative, but have received a few low offers already and a potential viewing.

I think time will tell how the buying market pans out, but can only think that on normal everyday cars that prices will drop as there will be less demand. I’m happy with this as I’ll be on the lookout for a classic Mercedes so May get a bargain!
It's encouraging that you have had some interest. I've been postponing advertising my R230 SL350 until lock-down travel restrictions were eased. Now that it has happened, at least in England, I may do it. However, since the car is SORNed I would have to tax it so probably won't do it until June 1.
 
I think it was the bmw e21 3 series that pioneered that driver focussed dash layout in the late 1970's with the center console area tilted towards the driver.
Mercedes did that in the 1950s with the Ponton Coupes , where the dash and all the minor controls were radiussed to the reach of the drivers fingertips, and the sculpted wooden dash was offered in a choice of seven exotic wood finishes 😊

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Very few makers nowadays could make anything as lovely as that .


In the 1970s , Morris half heartedly imitated them with the curved dashboard of the Marina , similarly curved out of horrible moulded plastic .
 
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Maybe the ultimate driver focussed cockpit was the McLaren F1 with it's central seating position. It would be nice to find out one day, but unlikely.

Here are some nice dash's...

 
Maybe the ultimate driver focussed cockpit was the McLaren F1 with it's central seating position. It would be nice to find out one day, but unlikely.

Here are some nice dash's...

While one can’t deny the craftsmanship in most of these , few of them are to my liking .

Its just personal preference
 
Mercedes did that in the 1950s with the Ponton Coupes , where the dash and all the minor controls were radiussed to the reach of the drivers fingertips, and the sculpted wooden dash was offered in a choice of seven exotic wood finishes 😊

View attachment 96417

View attachment 96415 View attachment 96416

Very few makers nowadays could make anything as lovely as that .


In the 1970s , Morris half heartedly imitated them with the curved dashboard of the Marina , similarly curved out of horrible moulded plastic .
It was rumoured that plastics in the Marina came from recycling vast stocks of unused Betamax cassettes after VHS won that war.
If you had a Benz like that you would need a matching Riva Aquarama.
 
It's encouraging that you have had some interest. I've been postponing advertising my R230 SL350 until lock-down travel restrictions were eased. Now that it has happened, at least in England, I may do it. However, since the car is SORNed I would have to tax it so probably won't do it until June 1.
Of my two cars for sale the Lexus sold within 4 days of being advertised. Must have had 20-25 direct enquiries. It shows there’s a definite buy / sell market still there, but I have still have my CLS to sell which is up for much more than the Lexus was, so we will see.
 
I always keep an eye on the used market and I was interested in a pre-reg Audi A8 (I know!....)
That one sold a couple of weeks ago now for a really bargain price of £40K whilst retail for a brand new similar spec one would be £75k.
The others similar to that in the market place have increased in price by up to £2k over the past week as the 'dynamic' pricing kicks in, so I can only assume the easing of Covid restrictions have actually bolstered prices of near new large diesel cars....at least in the short term. :dk:
 
Maybe the ultimate driver focussed cockpit was the McLaren F1 with it's central seating position. It would be nice to find out one day, but unlikely.

Here are some nice dash's...

 
Of my two cars for sale the Lexus sold within 4 days of being advertised. Must have had 20-25 direct enquiries. It shows there’s a definite buy / sell market still there, but I have still have my CLS to sell which is up for much more than the Lexus was, so we will see.
How did you set the asking price for the Lexus? Maybe from similar cars in terms of age and mileage in Autotrader or from some valuation websites? I've had mixed results on Autotrader over the years despite trying to set an attractive price.
 
How did you set the asking price for the Lexus? Maybe from similar cars in terms of age and mileage in Autotrader or from some valuation websites? I've had mixed results on Autotrader over the years despite trying to set an attractive price.
Set it roughly for what I paid for it in November, but added a little for the tyres / MOT, plus small negotiation. I let it go for less than it was advertised as the gentleman who bought it was honest / genuine and I was happy with the price.
 
I had been looking for a fun car to add to the stable but with recent events I've had a rethink, maybe buying a car now it isn't the best move with the mother and father of recessions around the corner, If this recession is going to be as bad as the economists predict there will likely be some very good deals on cars to be had in the coming 6 months or so for cash buyers as the market inevitably slows down. You could bag a great car for significantly less if you keep your powder dry for the time being.

As a quantifier the financial times ran an article which stated during the 2008 crash GDP was down to - 8% and their study showed that it was predicted by leading economists that this crash could fall as low as -35%. Scary.

Scaremongering? Who knows but it's certainly food for thought I would say. Any thoughts?

probably a small correction across top end value cars but thats about it i think
 

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