Model Railway Forum

I don’t think many on here, are in the new car market, and your post helps to show why we are better as we are. When you retire, the last thing in my view would be to waste hard earned lump sum on a new car. Apart from our 1993 Peugeot, we have a 2008 Volvo v.50. Diesel, auto. So economical, it ain’t true.

Couldn’t afford a new car and will never be able to afford an electric one.

Just sold the wifeys car, it did 26 mile last year ( going for its MOT ).

Walkingthedog wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 11:55 am Couldn’t afford a new car and will never be able to afford an electric one.

Likewise. Even if I could, I baulk at the idea of paying £40,000 for a mediocre hatchback with a battery of unknown longevity. The complete lack of flexibility is a deal breaker, having to find a charging spot in a town or planning long trips to include a 3+ hour recharge at a services.. no thank you.

That’s why we’re keeping our old diesel. Sixty plus mpg on the motorway even when loaded with luggage and four adults. We can’t afford electric and even now the technology isn’t there yet in my opinion. We don’t want to buy something that may be quickly obsolete. Also, the infrastructure isn’t yet set up - a bit of a chicken and egg situation. Apparently a domestic wall charger can cost anything up to £1000 and if you need your consumer unit thingy upgraded it’s up to £500 on top - and that’s before the new expensive electric car has even been charged. We live in quite a poor area so can’t see many people rushing out to pay for such a commitment.

I was offered £3k for my 2013 Fiesta ST two years ago - actually sold it a year later for £9k.
Happy to run around in my clunky old Kuga diesel - not so good around town but it comes into its own on longer trips and I have a few of those coming up in the next couple of months.
I’ve recently replaced the rear shock absorbers - took all of an hour of the half and cost me £55 for a pair, delivered from Berlin.

Good thread this, thanks Sandy for Posting it. Pension goes much further over here. Council tax here is very low,and food about one third cheaper. Not so much choice of Car Insurers, but don’t find it expensive. One of main benefits, House purchase apart, is total lack of traffic, and little crime. Gun carrying Gendames, really, respected.

Whilst living in Cyprus we kept a car over there and over here. The one over here a Meriva 2 diesel whilst not a bad car had the awful electric handbrake which was dire. Once ensconced over here for good we binned that one for a Skoda Karoq petrol four month old demo, which had 1300 miles at delivery to us. It goes for its first MoT next week with 7500 miles on the clock - all thanks to covid. Bonus is if I wanted to sell it I would get back almost what I paid for it. Do I want an EV, no thanks, not until the battery tech is better and the charging infrastructure is more viable. I think replaceable fuel cells are the future not battery electric.

Yes, replaceable fuel cells have to be better I would have thought. Pull into the garage, slide out the old cell, pay for a charged cell, slide it in and drive away. Again, miles per cell will be the deciding factor as well as cost.

I am keeping the one I have on the road. Is the other one which I am deciding what to do with.