Are EU and UK governments pricing the youngsters out of the freedom and fun of car ownership?

Sarge2255

Sarge2255

Sarge2255

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Do you think that the EU and UK governments are basically pricing the youngsters out of the freedom and fun of car ownership!?

I really believe that in the future, cars would be affordable to less people in general and car firms won't be making cheap small cars anymore!

This might give some insight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WYBR0tlPA8
 
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Sarge2255 said:
Do you think that the EU and UK governments are basically pricing the youngsters out of the freedom and fun of car ownership!?

I really believe that in the future, cars would be affordable to less people in general and car firms won't be making cheap small cars anymore!
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How so? Are you referring to new car ownership? Do you have some source material to further the debate?

-edit did you just watch the new carwow video? I guess I'll have to watch it so I know what you are talking about :rolleyes:
 
People choose to buy less small cars so the companies are responding by changing what they manufacture and giving the public what they want.

He's also using the example of Skoda for pricing. Their market position is completely different to the pre VW era so it's not a fair comparison at all. You can still buy a Dacia Sandero brand new for not a whole load of money for example.
 
Emissions and safety tech cost more money than a tin box from the 1960s. How dare the government try and protect its citizens!
 
Look at the Peugeot 107/C1/Aygo thing. They have an RRP of 12 grand.

No way new drivers are going to be splashing cash on something like that. 99% of people will be buying something second hand for a year or two and then going to a bigger class of car.

I can remember when I first passed my test Citroen were selling the Saxo with tax and insurance for the whole year for reasonable money.
 
You only have to look at the number of cars in the UK to see this isn’t a problem! It has only ever been a tiny minority of people who bought brand new cars when they first passed. The real issue for me is the ‘it only costs £x a month’ attitude that seems to apply to everything in society at the minute including cars. Loads of people don’t seem to care if the deal represents good value as long as they can afford the monthly.
 
adam cool dude said:
Look at the Peugeot 107/C1/Aygo thing. They have an RRP of 12 grand.

No way new drivers are going to be splashing cash on something like that. 99% of people will be buying something second hand for a year or two and then going to a bigger class of car.
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They will because it's only £xxx a month!
 
I miss the days when youngesters bought £100 bangers and were just happy to have that initial freedom. Most people seem to go straight into a £20k car now.
 
Its easier to 'buy' a new car than ever in the UK, cheap finance means nearly everyone can afford one. I see many young people driving new cars. I'd say the whole sector is moving away from actual 'ownership' and towards a 3 year rental market.
 
I still buy '£100 bangers'. Maybe not that bad, but I've never spent more than £2k on a car, if it gets me to work and back for a few years I'm happy.
 
adam cool dude said:
Look at the Peugeot 107/C1/Aygo thing. They have an RRP of 12 grand.

No way new drivers are going to be splashing cash on something like that. 99% of people will be buying something second hand for a year or two and then going to a bigger class of car.

I can remember when I first passed my test Citroen were selling the Saxo with tax and insurance for the whole year for reasonable money.
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According to Parkers, the cheapest RRP for a Saxo was £5,855. Can't find exact confirmation but assuming that was the price at launch in 1996, adjusted for inflation, that's £11,239.

It's hardly a million miles away in terms of pricing.

Edit - that's without considering the ease with which you can buy cars on finance these days - a C1 can be had for about £150 a month on a PCP or a lease or something. You can spend £150 a month on a phone these days if you're bonkers enough :p
 
I love cars and couldn't wait to buy my first and start driving, but I think most people now don't care so much.

To be honest, nirvana isn't a world where everyone can afford and drive a car. That world looks congested, potentially polluted and dangerous. Hardly somewhere to enjoy the act of driving itself even. I would say that in the future, we need to think about how we build towns, cities, infrastructure so that cars aren't necessarily needed as much. That would be freedom. Freedom to be able to walk, cycle places and so on without worrying about air pollution, crossing busy roads and everything being so spaced out due to road infrastructure and car parks and so on. Just look at the US and how towns and cities sprawl because they are designed around the car. I think it reduces everyone's quality of life.

Perhaps an unpopular opinion in the motors subforum, and also contradicting my own passion for cars and driving, but I do feel the future has to be different now.
 
The biggest obstacle that I can see for young drivers is insurance. Back in 1985 when I passed my test I bought a MK4 Ford Cortina 1.6L which cost me the grand sum of £180 for a years insurance. Now £2k+ per year for a tiny car is common and seems to be a huge obstacle to overcome to me. Personally I can't see any point in buying a small, cheap car only to end up paying more in insurance than the car is worth. I just couldn't bring myself to do that.
 
There might be fewer cheap small cars but youngsters will just buy cheap old cars instead that others no longer want.
There's also autonomous driving looming on the (distant) horizon and that might shake things up a lot in terms of car ownership being less necessary, you just press the app on your phone to send the driverless uber to your location (or whatever). Kids might not have the cost and hassle of learning to drive, with cars effectively being available as public transport.

Kenai said:
According to Parkers, the cheapest RRP for a Saxo was £5,855. Can't find exact confirmation but assuming that was the price at launch in 1996, adjusted for inflation, that's £11,239.

It's hardly a million miles away in terms of pricing.

Edit - that's without considering the ease with which you can buy cars on finance these days - a C1 can be had for about £150 a month on a PCP or a lease or something. You can spend £150 a month on a phone these days if you're bonkers enough :p
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My wife bought her first car brand new in 2007 I think it cost £7400 or thereabouts. It wasn't actually a very good car (VW Urban Fox) but she got on fine with it before passing it on to her mum 3 years later.
 
My first car was £1000 for which I took out a bank loan. It cost me £42 a month and I earned around £50 a week. Today I could get a brand new car I lease for £80 a month I suspect so stop moaning you young feisty woke wasters!! :D
 
These 'cheap' cars have always held a premium because they're cheap to insure for new drivers.

If you could insure a 10 year old Focus for the same as a 5 year old C1, then I'm sure more people would pick a focus as their first car.
 
pastymuncher said:
The biggest obstacle that I can see for young drivers is insurance. Back in 1985 when I passed my test I bought a MK4 Ford Cortina 1.6L which cost me the grand sum of £180 for a years insurance. Now £2k+ per year for a tiny car is common and seems to be a huge obstacle to overcome to me. Personally I can't see any point in buying a small, cheap car only to end up paying more in insurance than the car is worth. I just couldn't bring myself to do that.
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i agree with this, especially if you're the type who doesn't want to run a "black box", and even with them the prices are ludicrous.

serving your time in an little runabout is standard fare, but it seems that it's taking longer and longer these days before you're allowed to climb out of that hole into something vaguely interesting.
 
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