Vehicle Ageism

MrFoxman360

How many people have you seen dismiss a car or 4x4 (or jeep as I prefer to call them wheather you like it or not ) because of its age.The kind of people that think if a jeep is over ten years old it is to be automatically rendered useless, worthless and unreliable. In one sense it drives me nuts, but in another, it fills me with a sense of self sadasfaction.

I drive a 15 year old LWB pajero, its perfectly reliable (touch wood and all that...) does everything I ask of it including long haul road trips and towing heavy trailers. It has all the jazz, e/w e/m e/sunroof a/c with climate control, cd palyer and so on. It is very capable off road, putting shame on a defender 90 just this week, well there was a tyre difference:rolleyes:

Point is, where is the sense in paying big money for a newer model and suffering the deprection, when the exact same function can be served by and older model for a quarter of the price.

Is this a status thing, where people think the newer my jeep or car is the more people will think of me? Is there another reason?

I see my friends who are just learning to drive, take out a loan and go and buy some piece of Korean crap. Just because its newer than mine they think its better, but they are forever breaking down and costing them a fortune.

Some may look down on drivers of older vehicles, for no reason other than this whole age related status thing, but I for one commend them for making the sensible choice and not being sucked in to this social rating system like so many narrow minded people.

What are your opinons?

Well thats my rant and in the words of Peter Griffin thats what grinds my gears

Slig

I suppose a lot of people will say that a newer jeep is more modern, has newer technology, better fuel effeciency or power or just looks more stylish. There is the old number plate snobbery issue aswell. If I saw the exact same jeep as mine parked on the side of the road the first thing I would look at is the number plate. Dont know why but I feel better if mine is newer.

fastrac

My 99 Fourtrak will go anywhere the 08s can and im not counting euros when theres a bang from hopping the sump guard off the odd rock.My advice is to lie back and think of all those jeeps depreciating by the minute and what a bargain you will get when you need to change.At this stage you would need medication if you even think of driving a big jeep around town,school runs,shopping etc.

Cmar-Ireland

+1


Agree with you 100% OP. I for one, cannot afford a top of the range new 4x4, but I could with an older one. Once the mileage isn't too high and it's been well looked after, I'm happy.
There is a huge number plate status thing in Ireland. Madness IMO.
Seems to be loads of money in the country with the Celtic tiger and all that, but the amount of depreciation on any new big 4x4 would make you shudder.

Me, I'll stick with something a few years older and a hell of a lot higher up the scale.

Mahatma coat

well Duh like, plates are SOOOOOOOOO like everything, its all that matters in the world, it lets people know how Important you are.

Like who'd drive an old bomb like this


when you could have this with the all important 08 Plate


on a serious note tho, when I get someone commenting on the age of some of my vehicles I point out that teh most battered lookin ( the Work Ute) is also the newest

and I then ask them to show me someone driving a 25 year old Hyundai that's as reliable as the day it rolled off the assembley line

Slig

Reliability isnt everything
- creature comforts
- advance in technology
(LR wouldnt keep bringing out new defenders if they were just as good as the last ones)
- Styles, personally I like the new pajero much better than the old modle
- Milage

CtrlSource

Mahatma coat wrote: »

well Duh like, plates are SOOOOOOOOO like everything, its all that matters in the world, it lets people know how Important you are.

Like who'd drive an old bomb like this


when you could have this with the all important 08 Plate


on a serious note tho, when I get someone commenting on the age of some of my vehicles I point out that teh most battered lookin ( the Work Ute) is also the newest

and I then ask them to show me someone driving a 25 year old Hyundai that's as reliable as the day it rolled off the assembley line

Bit OT, but what's with all the Santa Fes on the road? Mingin' car IMO - both old and new models. So flabby looking....

Slig

I think they look fairly nice for an SUV, suppose they were the original entry level SUV, still cheap, decent size, good engine and fairly reliable

Wizard007

Vehicle Ageism - I so agree. I drive a '97 3.1 Isuzu. It's an automatic and I love it to bits and no way no how would I pay any more for something else that does the same job. I got it for 1,500eu less than the asking price because the dealer had no interest shown in it whatsoever. I do alot of long trips and the comfort is unbelievable, it's like driving from an armchair. I get 32 to 34 mpg if I keep it around the limit ( though I have done in the region of 150kph on motorways, once or twice, out of pure devilment to see what I'd get out of it ). The previous owner kept it immaculate and fully serviced. It's reliable. I love the look of it, I love the feel of driving it and I plan on keeping it for as long as I possibly can.

I think buying a brand new vehicle, that loses huuuuge money once it's taken off the showroom floor, is pure lunacy. Ego deffinately plays a huge part in it. Sorry but that's my 3 1/2 cent on new buys :rolleyes:

wet-paint

I also prefer the look of my older model Jeep to the newer one.

ploughbynight

I could not agree more, I'm driving a 01 discovery and love it but reliability is sometimes an issue. Am currently looking for a Toyota Amazone 1998 - 2000 or a Nissan Patrol (passenger). If I had spare cash there is no doubt I would go for newer 4*4 (but never new regardless of how much money I had) but after changing wifes car and having just bult a house and young family priorities are different at the moment.
But I still like my mortors!

As a matter of interest how many of you if you had the spare cash would remain driving aorund in 15 year old Pajeros or 10 year old troopers etc.. (dont get me wrong, in my eyes all have their advantages )

Wizard007

We had that very conversation here in the house yesterday - Spare cash? I'd keep my trooper, no question what so ever. The previous car I had was a mercedes and no way would I go back. I . LOVE . MY . WIZZZZZZARD

MrFoxman360

yea, I'll be keeping my 93 pajero for a few more years. If I had a new one I would be worrying about getting a little scratch in it when driving off road, and also worrying about how I was going to pay for it

ploughbynight

Dont get me wrong..Number plates mean nothing to me. I just like things to work, and when they don't I like to able to fix them. My Discovery has been ok in that respect until now, Ive done all the work myself. I have just replaced 2 pipes in the ACE system and now I have to bring it to a main dealer to get the lights put out and the system recallibrated(mucho money). With only 160000 miles done I have done quite a bit of work on it, including new clutch and will have to replace gearbox in coming weeks (spigot bearing issues). Anyhow newer hardware you dont have that fun with.
My disco is worth nothing on the market but its worth alot to me. Cant help but thinking I should have stuck with Japanese (had a number of commercial troopers, not without trouble)

bcmf

i have a 1991 2.5 LWB Paj.Just come back from a long haul trip in France.Paj loaded to the gills (roof crate the lot with 3 bikes on the back)treated it with a bit of respect and not a problem.Would have serious doubts whether a new style 4x4 could do the hardship.this is the 4th year I have done this.i look after myself so if something goes wrong i have a fair decent idea how to fix it.Would i swap it for a piece of korean tin.Not a F***ing chance.

Slig

bcmf wrote: »

i have a 1991 2.5 LWB Paj.Just come back from a long haul trip in France.Paj loaded to the gills (roof crate the lot with 3 bikes on the back)treated it with a bit of respect and not a problem.Would have serious doubts whether a new style 4x4 could do the hardship.this is the 4th year I have done this.i look after myself so if something goes wrong i have a fair decent idea how to fix it.Would i swap it for a piece of korean tin.Not a F***ing chance.

Some people might prefer to have a new 4x4 with all mod cons for their long haul trips. could also be handier to just drop it into a local dealership if under guarantee and something goes wrong, which it shouldnt because surely a brand new chassis, suspension etc has got to be more reliable than the same components 17 years older.

P.S I'm just being devils advocate here(troll?) I honestly dont believe I would ever buy a brand new car but I can possibly see the other side of the debate

bcmf

Slig I can also see the other side.Dont get me wrong.Having an older 4x4 can and does have its problems.But so does newer yokes.I will not go into names and makes here.
I was very recently getting the a/c recharge before I went away and I was having a chat with the "a/c engineer".He had recharged it about 14 months back and subsequently found a small leak.New o-ring fitted and Bingo.Anyway when he did it 14 mnths ago he also did a friend of mine at the same time.A model that begins with "H".He asked me how was his getting on and I told him the compressor seized.He said that roughly over 50% of his work comes from that make.They are simply not made to last.Any kinda heavy duty work load and there is a good chance of it going.
Point is newer things can be just as un reliable as old things.I now that when a part goes on my Paj (with 1 exception) I can usually have a replacement sourced within 1 hr of going online or phone calls.
Again I see both sides of the argument.

fletch...

Myself I love my old discovery 1, looks a beast of a car, drives like a beuty, two front armchairs, rear couch and loads space for the mut. or I can flatten it out for van mode. perfect for sleeping in. Modern??? er... I bought a cd player, and does no-one like big clunky switches anymore? She has plenty of bumps and scratches but others with thier perfectly unscaved cars think thiers is the bees knees until theres as much as a speed bump.

Im a bit gutted actually because my dad was telling me the old dico most likely wont pass nct due to rust. Hes a wise old man so I gotta listen to him.
In my opinion rust is part and parcell of landrovers, I wont be happy if some anti 4x4 nct guy tells me i cant drive her anymore due to rust.

Anyways, Old 4x4's RULE!!!!

Slig

fletch... wrote: »

Myself I love my old discovery 1, looks a beast of a car, drives like a beuty, two front armchairs, rear couch and loads space for the mut. or I can flatten it out for van mode. perfect for sleeping in. Modern??? er... I bought a cd player, and does no-one like big clunky switches anymore? She has plenty of bumps and scratches but others with thier perfectly unscaved cars think thiers is the bees knees until theres as much as a speed bump.

Im a bit gutted actually because my dad was telling me the old dico most likely wont pass nct due to rust. Hes a wise old man so I gotta listen to him.
In my opinion rust is part and parcell of landrovers, I wont be happy if some anti 4x4 nct guy tells me i cant drive her anymore due to rust.

Anyways, Old 4x4's RULE!!!!

just to bring it back on topic coz I think we are straying, say, for example, your LR doesnt pass the nct and you have to get rid. would you buy a brand new disco?
why?
why not?

oflynno

hey thare,

i drive a 1993 hilux crewcab and i'm all for other people panicking when a car hits 100,000 miles
now they panic at 100,000 km which is even better
most cars are just run in at this stage and it makes buying them and parts a way easier

okay,so you don't have the creature comforts with the older ones but when you are doing your own mechanical work to them,i find it better than needing software to get an engine running smoothly:D

i'd give me left nut for a 1990 - 1995 amazon passenger

i'm stuck in a time warp and like older stuff that has not reached vintage status yet(cars i grew up with)

so i am biased

Cmar-Ireland

oflynno wrote: »

okay,so you don't have the creature comforts with the older ones but when you are doing your own mechanical work to them,i find it better than needing software to get an engine running smoothly:D

i'd give me left nut for a 1990 - 1995 amazon passenger

Agreed,

I'd love to get a 4.2 VX myself, just need to convince myself that 20 - 25 mpg is not too bad :eek:

oflynno

ya
you can tell yourself its better than a lexus 400 or a hummer

the temptation for me is to run it on veg:cool:

fletch...

Slig wrote: »

just to bring it back on topic coz I think we are straying, say, for example, your LR doesnt pass the nct and you have to get rid. would you buy a brand new disco?
why?
why not?

If money where no issue Im not sure what I would do to be honest, I would probably buy a decent disco 2 and just have it kitted out with confort features , 20 years from now I will probably buy a disco 3 or maybe something different alltogether depending on my needs.


speaking of which, after shopping around (lots) Ive just bought a very nice 95 discovery . There were many newer 4x4's for the same price and very posh normal cars for cheaper but Im just drawn like an addiction to the older Land rovers, great machines in my opinion, they can take a good beating, built to last, can go anywhere, just as confy as new cars, I dont have to worry about giving it it's first scratch or dent and ive often heard more reliable then the newer models if used / looked after properly.