Audi TT RS

[cmcpokey]

It's not like we buy cars as an investment or for economic reasons, do we?

no, but if you intend on buying a car and then selling it a few years down the line, it is a much smarter proposition to buy a car that will maintain a mojority of its value. when i bought the mini, i knew it would last me until i could afford a bigger, ballsier car. the fact that at the time it had the 2nd highest re-sale value was very present in my mind. (the highest was the BMW 3 series, and I didnt want one of those.) when i traded it in for the G, it was 3 1/2 years old with 55k miles and frankly needed some TLC, and i still got well over 60% of original value. as a trade in. i could have gotten more if i had sold it privately, but i couldn't be bothered.

[Waugh-terfall]

If you buy a C6 to sell it after three years you deserve being laughed at.

And if you buy a car for strong residuals then you don't understand cars.

Would that not explain the lack of them on the roads?

Most people tend to buy a car and sell it after the warranty expires. My Dad does, Pokey did, your uncle appears to have done, you did, I could go on...

[Ferrer]

no, but if you intend on buying a car and then selling it a few years down the line, it is a much smarter proposition to buy a car that will maintain a mojority of its value. when i bought the mini, i knew it would last me until i could afford a bigger, ballsier car. the fact that at the time it had the 2nd highest re-sale value was very present in my mind. (the highest was the BMW 3 series, and I didnt want one of those.) when i traded it in for the G, it was 3 1/2 years old with 55k miles and frankly needed some TLC, and i still got well over 60% of original value. as a trade in. i could have gotten more if i had sold it privately, but i couldn't be bothered.

Would that not explain the lack of them on the roads?

Most people tend to buy a car and sell it after the warranty expires. My Dad does, Pokey did, your uncle appears to have done, you did, I could go on...

It is not a reason in my mind though.

What I mean is that I wouldn't stop buying a car that I liked because it had bad residuals. I just can't consider cars as investments. I just buy whatever I fancy the most given my budget constraints (and other practicality requirements) regardless of everything else. Includng residuals.

[Kitdy]

My parents have taught me to drive a car into the ground, which I think is a sound philosophy.

[LeonOfTheDead]

It is not a reason in my mind though.

What I mean is that I wouldn't stop buying a car that I liked because it had bad residuals. I just can't consider cars as investments. I just buy whatever I fancy the most given my budget constraints (and other practicality requirements) regardless of everything else. Includng residuals.

I would go for the same way of thinking, but, since I not swimming in golden water or coins, I ould have to consider residual value.
My father did when it was time to change the car, the Thesis was the top of the list, but has a residual value as high as that of the Croma, which cost about 20.000 € less. So, the Thesis (100th Edition) stayed where it was.
It's a shame, but if something you have to face if you intend to save some money, or aren't rich enough to don't bother.

[Ferrer]

I would go for the same way of thinking, but, since I not swimming in golden water or coins, I ould have to consider residual value.
My father did when it was time to change the car, the Thesis was the top of the list, but has a residual value as high as that of the Croma, which cost about 20.000 € less. So, the Thesis (100th Edition) stayed where it was.
It's a shame, but if something you have to face if you intend to save some money, or aren't rich enough to don't bother.

Your dad did it, but would you have done the same?

I personally would've gone for the Thesis, no doubt.

[LeonOfTheDead]

Your dad did it, but would you have done the same?

I personally would've gone for the Thesis, no doubt.

he changes the car every two years due to how many miles he run in it, so a good residual is still a good point.
in the same condition, I would have done the same.
give me the possibility and the money, Thesis in a snap, especially this:

[Ferrer]

Even if I had to high mileage I'd still couldn't consider a car as an investment.

Either that or I'd have two cars.

[LeonOfTheDead]

Even if I had to high mileage I'd still couldn't consider a car as an investment.

Either that or I'd have two cars.

it's not an investment, but a mean for your work (actuall the only one recognized to my father by the government). so it's like a machine tool for a factory, or a server for an office and so on.
you need to cut costs to raise profits, in the end, or at least rationalize the costs.
to be brutally honest, yes, two cars are the best solution in this particular situation, but it involves much more money than buying an expensive one, not only for the purchase, but mostly due to maintenance. even insurance would cost much more for a second car, since you can't retain the same class you reached with the first car, and you are obliged to pay as much as a new customer, let alone the fact they would consider the second car as the one you use for your reckless weekend driving and charge you even more.
thanks.
we thought about that, but driving about 60.000 km per year requires a decently comfortable car, especially because my father is 59 and has already had some hernia related problems years ago. that means even a decently equipped Bravo (just to stay in the family...) could be a bad choice (as 18" rims for the Croma, but they were standard and actually played were well).
if you ask a dealer what's the right car for so many miles, he would answer something like an S-Klasse, but he isn't going to pay the difference, so, again, thanks.
even after that, at a certain point in our life if we are not economically lucky enough, even being car enthusiasts, we are going to face a similar choice, and it should be that of buying the car with the best residual.
tbh, buying a car, knowing you are loosing some money on it and that you don't have that much money to waste, it's just stupid, even being an enthusiast. I must admit cars are not the first thing in life, still they are the second most expensive stuff you are going to buy in your whole life, after a house. So I would find it selfish and even egoist, considering it would affect the economical situation of my family too.
then, if you live alone, you are in charge of your decisions and of their consequences, so it's just up to you.
while, if you are in the condition of going for your interests and even spending some heavy cash for them, well, why not?!

[Ferrer]

I'm sorry but I just can't consider a car a tool. I may use it for work, but I have to like it. If there was a car that I didn't like but had great residual values, I still wouldn't buy it.

As for being a bit tight, no problem either go second hand or there are plenty of cheap and cheerful cars out there in the market.

Of course I'm speaking from an enthusiasts point of view, but that's what we are, aren't we?

[cmcpokey]

do you have classic car rates for insurance? that woudl be a good compromise, get an older cheap sports car, and have a boring car for commuting. my RX doesn't cost me very much to insure, and maintenance on it is next to nothing (but then again i dont drive it very much).

[LeonOfTheDead]

I'm sorry but I just can't consider a car a tool. I may use it for work, but I have to like it. If there was a car that I didn't like but had great residual values, I still wouldn't buy it.

As for being a bit tight, no problem either go second hand or there are plenty of cheap and cheerful cars out there in the market.

Of course I'm speaking from an enthusiasts point of view, but that's what we are, aren't we?

well, it's a trade-off. you buy the car you like with the best residual and cheaper running costs.
and you can't, as my father, buy a second hand one because it wouldn't be recognized as a mean for your work, so say goodbye to tax refunding, which can be a decent amount of money.
for instance, he considered a Brera too (upon my unbiased suggestion , besides his back's problems), but, for it's kind of work he has the right for an off from the price, and for the Brera it was about half that you get with a 166, for instance.
then, my father isn't into cars even nearly as much as I am, and he preferred to save money for restoring the house, for instance, and other stuff, so probably I would have gone for the Brera or the Thesis, obviously.

in a more realistic situation, if I was in the market for a car right now with a minor budget, probably I would go for a Panda 100HP, even second handed, or an Integra Type R. So, a sporty car, cheap to buy and relatively to run, instead of the usual Golf/Punto and so on, maybe better refined, with more options, and maybe even a better mileage, but definitely not my first choice, given the possibility.
from this point of view, yeah, I would look for the best I could get, but still with an eye to the budget I have.

[bizkid21]

this is my dream car man... wish i can afford one... even a 2.0TFSI also will do... hehee...

[geordiejoker]

nice car