Quote:
Originally Posted by Buttons
Please excuse the personal element of question but who better to ask than fellow enthusiasts right?
I've always wondered how people buy their cars..... there are so many people around now-a-days driving new cars it makes me think i'm missing a trick 
Surely everyone isnt earning big salaries and are splashing their cash on cars??
Ive always bought 2-3 year old cars so have no experience buying new.
Ive read of people negotiating discounts with dealers - does this mean the are paying cash??! 
so: lease, outright purchase, finaced purchase, PCP with baloon.... aaagggghhhh! |
Just some anecdotal evidence here.
When I was purchasing my last BMW, the salesman told me that less than 5% of their sales were cash sales. I don't know how true this is or whether it was an attempt to make me take the finance. But have you noticed how difficult it is to find the list price of a car in most adverts these days? You have to wade through all the different finance options before you eventually see the list price in the small print somewhere at the bottom.
On a different note, from the very few extremely rich and successful people I know well, only one drives what could be considered an expensive car (a Lexus RX), the others drive either quite old (>6 years) german cars (Mercs,BMWs, Audis etc.) or reasonably new Fords,VWs,Renaults etc. So I have long lost any association between wealth and what type of car you drive in my mind.
Drive what you can afford and what you enjoy would be my advice.