Car downgrade

adencool

adencool

adencool

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9 Feb 2011
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146
Has anyone ever thought about a car downgrade?

Me and my wife both have ev's but we dont own our right, both are on loans, and the cost including the high insurance cost is just under 1k for the both of them a month

Yeh the advantage are they are reasonable reliable, but if something goes wrong its £££ to fix. As im not far from 50 odd, started thinking about the cost we are spending on these?

My brother, brought a 2013 a4 estate earlier in the year for 3.5k and so far been issue free, and i guess as the tech is older, would be easier to fix?

Dont get me wrong, i love my current car, but dont know if i have got to the point, where i dont care as much.

Has anyone else "downgraded" did it work out for you or not?
 
Yeah, Ive been thinking about the new M5 Touring, But apparently its a bit of a downgrade from my current M5.

Is that what you meant?


Jest aside. I like my car and we do a big 6 week Euro trip on some fantastic roads, Its also my mobile office so needs to fill multiple roles.
However if I were to move to spain, Chances are I'd just get a normal "cheap" run of the mill car as my life wouldn't warrant a car that can cruise the motorways all day
 
It depends on your circumstances and usage.

In my circumstances, dropping £12k a year into a car "rental" is too much for me. I pay £200 a year insurance and then whatever maintainence, fuel, tax (£400+), probably works out to around £1k - £1.5k including a service per year on mine. The car was paid for outright 10 years ago now for £10.5k.
 
Yeah I've done it before. I sold my S2000 and bought an A4 Avant TDI. Couldn't justify keeping it as our lives changed with houses, kids etc. Put the money into savings/buffer after we upped our mortgage.

I'm just contemplating doing it early next year as life has changed again. It's just a "thing" and I'd rather have the money if it's better used elsewhere instead of depreciating on 4 wheels.
 
My Avensis Estate is £35 a year tax, sailed through it's last couple MOTs no problems. Gets 50+mpg. Comfortable, reliable, tons of space.

There are so many other things I'd rather sink £12k a year into than a slightly better car. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed having some fun cars when I was younger, but in terms of actual improvements to your life per £.....cars are pretty much bottom of the list for me.
 
Ha when my s2000 got written off I ended up with a Peugeot 207 automatic.

Its a 57 plate and cost 3k

Bit of a downgrade! :D

My brain just sees finance cars as money down the drain.
My thought process is:
-my car cost 3k. + 500 - 1000 maintaining a year. So about 4k.
-a lease car is more than that... Every year.. Forever.
-is a lease car worth 5k every year over my car?
-for me... No it is not.

Also a factor. I don't commute, and when do use car it's down dirty, potholey back roads.
I don't have to worry about scratching it, hitting things etc. It's just a tool to get from A to B. A 5k a year car is still going to be same. I can't really have a 2 seater anymore (unless it was a second car). So may as well stick with the banger.
 
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adencool said:
Me and my wife both have ev's but we dont own our right, both are on loans, and the cost including the high insurance cost is just under 1k for the both of them a month

Yeh the advantage are they are reasonable reliable, but if something goes wrong its £££ to fix. As im not far from 50 odd, started thinking about the cost we are spending on these?

My brother, brought a 2013 a4 estate earlier in the year for 3.5k and so far been issue free, and i guess as the tech is older, would be easier to fix?
Click to expand...

Essentially, way way cheaper motoring is available. Old cars can be just as reliable if well maintained, and there is less very expensive stuff that can go wrong.
 
randal said:
Yeah I've done it before. I sold my S2000 and bought an A4 Avant TDI. Couldn't justify keeping it as our lives changed with houses, kids etc. Put the money into savings/buffer after we upped our mortgage.

I'm just contemplating doing it early next year as life has changed again. It's just a "thing" and I'd rather have the money if it's better used elsewhere instead of depreciating on 4 wheels.
Click to expand...
Similar. Car is just a thing now. A 30k car isn't going to make my life better than a 3k car.
I loved the s2k. I really did. But with my outdoor hobbies it just wasn't practical as a single car anymore.
 
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If you moved to Spain could be in great roads situation where a nice car is much more enjoyable to own you put the tools in for the job;

but yes, in the UK now have an ice A4 estate, too, and am waiting for the ev equivalent.
 
We downshifted this year. I became unemployed and semi retired plus still have daughter at uni so costs high for next two/three years. We had two cars. One owned - a 5 year old Passat and a lease Qashqai for the Mrs. She works from home and having 2 cars was total luxury. We sent back the Nissan which saved about £400/month, traded the Passat for a 2 yo Id4 so we had a decent sized car for Uni runs etc and lower cost of ownership in terms of cost per mile. I figure the depreciation is £3k a year and other costs about £1000 so c£4k. I've budgeted that on cars going forward - a bit more when 2nd daughter leaves home.

We have my daughters 10 year old Renault Twingo to use while she is away at Uni so not strictly a one car family but tbh its seldom we need to use it.
Cars are a drain but I find running an older car more stressful so ideally want to keep something that is under 6 yo if possible. Less bothered about what it is. predictable costs and reliability more important.
 
I guess I downgraded going from a 2017 Honda CR-V to a 2017 Dacia Duster.

Similar size, driving position, capacity, fuel economy, reliability, but clearly built down to a price. No bells and whistles, just a few rattles and more wind noise.

On the plus side, the Duster is a collection of tried and trusted Renault Nissan parts bolted into a body made from melted down WW2 tanks which means any French garagiste with a hammer, a baguette and Gauloise on the go can fix them.
 
I'm kind of half and half on this. Tend to finance a decent car which always seems like a good idea initially but eventually I start begrudging the monthly payments! I always pay it off, then usually end up holding onto the car longer term (8-10 years) before jumping back in for the next financed upgrade to start the cycle all over again having forgotten how much the monthly payment annoyed me last time lol It seems to work for me at least to keep me in something decent that I enjoy driving without it costing the earth
 
Yes, moved from a Porsche 911 to a Mondeo estate! regret it occasionally but the 911 was getting to an age it needed more love and expense than before and I was getting more into cycling and needed the boot space. Still going strong after 9 years although has just replaced for a Range Rover, so big step up but justified after many years of driving it and stringing it along, although got a boxster to fill the fun gap in 2020.
 
Old, low miliage Toyota. Find a rust free one and pay less than 4k.

Lots of people are doing the "downgrade" for something cheap, but reliable. It's funny seeing the values of old hatchbacks creep up but high end stuff depreciating at an insane rate.
 
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Once i retire it will be on the cards, at 52 still got a few years left unfortunately! Will be a big step down though as currently salary sacrificing for a top of the range motor to get me under the £100k "60%" tax threshold along with other stuff.
 
5 years ago a downgrade was a much better option, now its much tricker, since covid used cars a way dearer than they used to be, even old bangers are now close to 1k. My old man paid 2k for a 2012 C class C220 CDI estate, base spec manual, cheap car it seemed at the time. But its been a bit of lemon, turbo and egr went. and then we found out the DPF had been gutted.

Imo, sticking to petrol will be best, Honda etc and you should still get an ok car. bigger the better, were on the hunt for a Yaris, and even 2013 ones are north of 4k, for a poxy yaris ffs :p
 
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