Why do people change cars so often?

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ftb

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As the title really. I tend to get at least a few years worth before I think of changing. Others don't even last a year. Given the whole business of selling/buying, what's the point of changing cars soon? Other than circumstances etc. What's your view on this?

Just seen an ad by a member on here so got me thinking. I know some are fussy when they see too many previous owners on the V5. This is a classic case yet so hard to explain to the next owner....

Discuss.
 
Same reason tramps replace their underwear less frequently than the employed folks ? :D

To be serious, if you want to change and can afford it, why not?

Qty of previous owners = nonsense thinking from the 1970's

Car has done over 100k miles = nonsense thinking from the 1970's

Buy on condition and service history.

Javelin.
 
I've had 4 on 4 yrs, various males and models buy sold them on for different reasons, an X5 which was due some really.big bills, a Renault which was insipid and a panic buy but couldn't live with it, a mazda which was full of electrical gremlins and now a MB which I love and hope to keep until it starts costing too much money to justify keeping. I wish I could buy new but I have expensive taste and don't have the money to back that up so I buy used and it's a gamble to what you get!

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Used to change cars every couple of years. Last ones have been:
Skoda Octavia VRS (1st one sold in NI) 6 mths
Mitsubishi Galant 2.5 V6 5 years
SAAB 93 9 years.
Intend to keep present girl for at least as long as the last SAAB
 
I've had 4 on 4 yrs, various males and models buy sold them on for different reasons, an X5 which was due some really.big bills, a Renault which was insipid and a panic buy but couldn't live with it, a mazda which was full of electrical gremlins and now a MB which I love and hope to keep until it starts costing too much money to justify keeping. I wish I could buy new but I have expensive taste and don't have the money to back that up so I buy used and it's a gamble to what you get!

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Thinks he meant cars mate ;)

Am exactly the same would love to buy new but can't stretch to it anymore.
 
Ha ha bloody predictive text!!!!

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Cars are now seen as just another disposable commodity. However I tend to keep them quite some time. CLK now 14 years. SLK 12 years and no plans to change either. The 124 7 years. Prior to these a BMW E28 for 13 years. the only one we did not keep long was one of the first W203s. The quality and reliability were so dreadful that it was changed as soon as the warranty expired.
 
It's a hobby for some people, simply transport for others.
 
Lifestyles and Prediction

A few different scenarios go through my head. Today at least.

Sensible family cars can last for ages in the hands of one owner. I've just seen "The World's most expensive cars" on Channel 4 (?) with Ant Ansted. He included an S124 - lovely 1980's Estate car. Those things can stay with one owner for ages. It's a stable lifestyle thing.

Sports cars and convertibles change hands very quickly. Tick box. "I had one of those." Typical 911 or Ferrari ownership. It's a lifestyle thing - moving on.... My wife has owned four different MX5's in the last 25 years - and others in between - every MX5 was sold to her by a pregnant woman. It must be an MX5 thing.

International people come and go. You're in a country for 6 - 12 months. A car gets bought, and sold. Others have cars in second homes that seldom get used.

Some don't care about cars.... Often the ladies...They buy it, run it, and replace it when it's done.

Some people like new cars and replace routinely every three years. Tick, job done. Some of these are wealthy, some are poor.

Some people hate a car. I had an E55 in exactly the same spec as the one freshly on the "seen on Ebay" post today. Brilliant silver with grey / black seats and 20 inch wheels. Lord, I hated that car as soon as I bought it. Hopelessly wrong for London life with young children, surrounded by speed bumps. I lost a fortune on it when I sold it a year later. Nothing faulty with the car,, just wrong for me.

Others buy on a whim but just put the car away in a garage. Sounds luxurious, but that's what they do. Like the nice suit / dress that you never wear because it's too smart.

Like buying shoes: some are loved, some are practical, some will be seldom used. You just can't tell in advance.
 
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I've had cars that I've bought and disposed of in three months ; one that I kept for 34 years , two more I had for about 11 years each , lots that I've had for 3 , 4 , 5 years and more .

I've always had at least two cars at any given time , and often 3 , 4 or 5 .

I don't often sell cars : more usually I either run them into the ground , swap them for something else , or give them away to friends or family when finished with them .
 
It's a hobby for some people, simply transport for others.
For me it's more transport, than hobby. Having said that I'm loving the W222 and giving it the attention it deserves, I hope! Before the W222 it was Saabs: a 9-3 for 5 years and a 9-5 estate for 9 before that. Loved both cars. So I tend to be a one car guy and hold on to them for a long time.

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Que SPX... :D

If you can, why not?

I would like to keep one as my own and have a second that I changed regularly, just to try out and have some fun in
 
Because sometimes you have to scratch an itch. Sometimes you get bored. Sometimes something really clicks and you love it. Sometimes you want to fulfill an ambition. Sometimes circumstances change.

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Sensible family cars can last for ages in the hands of one owner. I've just seen "The World's most expensive cars" on Channel 4 (?) with Ant Ansted. He included an S124 - lovely 1980's Estate car. Those things can stay with one owner for ages. It's a stable lifestyle thing.

S123. Although I think the 'expert' did actually call it an 124:doh:
 
Generally speaking I was happy to keep cars for 3-4 for years and replace them if I could afford to! When I came into some money I bought my 964 as a tick box /bucket list scenario and only sold it at a loss as my circumstances changed :wallbash:.

I bought my CLK350 and part exchanged it after 5 months, after realising that the CLK55 was not much more expensive to buy and I only do around 4k miles a year! Working on my car bucket list again hence the E55 and now looking at a 1999 to 2001 XJR once all the jobs have been done on the W210 :doh:
 
The XJR is a great car to drive, had one for 18 months in 2000 -1, loved it and only sold it when I moved to Jersey. It was very reliable but liked rear tyres ! However the driver's seat in my w211 is a lot more comfortable , could only drive for an hour in the XJ before I needed to stop. Bought my current w211 E320 cdi from a family friend having never owned a Merc, or even sat in one until I went over to the UK mainland to collect it. Love it !
 
I try to run relatively nice cars for relatively long periods of time to minimise the hit taken when changing and keep costs sensible.

Prefer to any money I have left over into property, pension, etc.

Evidently I've turned into my Dad.
 
I've just seen "The World's most expensive cars" on Channel 4 (?) with Ant Ansted. He included an S124 - lovely 1980's Estate car. Those things can stay with one owner for ages. It's a stable lifestyle thing.

Three of the parents at my kids' school run S124's as dailys.

Some people hate a car. I had an E55 in exactly the same spec as the one freshly on the "seen on Ebay" post today. Brilliant silver with grey / black seats and 20 inch wheels. Lord, I hated that car as soon as I bought it. Hopelessly wrong for London life with young children, surrounded by speed bumps.

Wow sounds like I dodged a bullet there - when I was looking earlier this year there were so few 212 petrols that my head was getting turned by 55K's or slightly scabby 63's. Glad I held out. The 212 is pretty wafty on the speedbumps and broken tarmac round this way.
 
Londonscottish said:
I try to run relatively nice cars for relatively long periods of time to minimise the hit taken when changing and keep costs sensible. Prefer to any money I have left over into property, pension, etc. Evidently I've turned into my Dad.
Totally agree.
 

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