New reg hype !

Silvera

Think about it ............

How many people in Ireland change their car annually just to have the "new" reg ?

The current reg system psychologically 'ages' a car each year - regardless of the actual condition of the vehicle !

It works a treat for both the car dealers - who see increased sales - and the government - who get increased revenue via VRT and VAT !

So many people are caught up in the 'keep up with the neighbours' race that they put themselves (and their family) into ridiculous debt - just to have the "new" reg each year !

My point ?
Think for yourselves folks, don't get caught up in the hype.

ambro25

I'm gonna be quite proud of my forthcoming '98 IE reg on my MX5 - F*** the neighbours, my '98 is in outstanding nick compared to their '02 Corolla or '01 Focus! (+ it's one of the last 400 to come out of the factory before the non-pop-up headlights facelift).

lomb

i think its GREAT! cars supposedly age as the bargains are there for the taking. how about a 100000 euro 7 series (say 97) for 10 grand. happy days......

Cosworth

I can't understand why some one would buy a car just to keep up with the neighbours but unfortunetly it's happening in every housing estate in ireland and it's ridicolous,plus these people are putting themselves in massive debt.

And for what,a car that will do and look the exact same but with a different no. plate,and it's not justs cars,people are overspending big time on everything holidays,houses etc.The only loan me and my partner have is our mortgage and thats the way it will stay.We have a 96 and a 00 car and we bought them both cash no loans.

Unfortunetly people are actuaally remortaging to buy cars,holidays etc and i find this incredibly stupid,any one who does this to buy a car or holiday etc needs there head checking...big time

Gary

Seth Brundle

As the banks are throwing money at people it can be very difficult to turn it down.
Also with hire purchase plans, usually most people are not aware of the massive baloon payment that is due at the end of the term.

lomb

kbannon wrote:

.
Also with hire purchase plans, usually most people are not aware of the massive baloon payment that is due at the end of the term.

wel if they dont know this they deserve to suffer as indeed they will financially.

RedorDead

Silvera wrote:

Think about it ............

How many people in Ireland change their car annually just to have the "new" reg ?

The current reg system psychologically 'ages' a car each year - regardless of the actual condition of the vehicle !

It works a treat for both the car dealers - who see increased sales - and the government - who get increased revenue via VRT and VAT !

So many people are caught up in the 'keep up with the neighbours' race that they put themselves (and their family) into ridiculous debt - just to have the "new" reg each year !

My point ?
Think for yourselves folks, don't get caught up in the hype.

Almost 20,000 people in the first 13 days in January - thats who !!

Would be ideal if we followed the UK and changed plates twice yearly - wouldnt lead to such pandemonium around January every year.

Seth Brundle

I suppose there is a valid argument towards avoiding the new year rush but at the same time the Irish reg plate system is very sensible and clear. I am not sure if I want to sacrifice it in favour of reducing the workload of a few car salesmen!

unkel

lomb wrote:

i think its GREAT! cars supposedly age as the bargains are there for the taking. how about a 100000 euro 7 series (say 97) for 10 grand. happy days......

Stop telling people!

Blitzkrieger

There's a 'sweet' age range for cars sometime after they've been run in and before they become so old it's hard to get parts for them. I'll always buy cars in this age range. My car's a 96 and apart from a grubby dented exhaust it's in perfect condition.

I know a guy who buys a new car every 2-3 years (depending on warranties). He says he knows it's expensive but he does if for peace of mind. Every little fault he has with the car he can bring it back to the dealer and get it fixed. I'm far too cynical for that thinking the dealer would come up with all sorts of excuses to void the warranty. I also couldn't handle that huge chunk of depreciation as I drive off the forecourt.

There's also going to be problems with the computers on newer cars. Because the electonics will have to be reset everytime you so much as change the oil, it's going to become impossible to do any work on a car at home. It's also going to be difficult for smaller garages to service them and this will drive up prices for servicing/repairs.

John R

I think a big thank you is due to these financial lemmings, if it weren't for them it would not be possible to buy first rate cars for €10,000 and in warranty 1 or 2 year old cars with tiny mileage for half the original cost.

Lawdie

kbannon wrote:

As the banks are throwing money at people it can be very difficult to turn it down.
Also with hire purchase plans, usually most people are not aware of the massive baloon payment that is due at the end of the term.

kbannon you've made a very uninformed statement, the majority of hire purchase loans do not have balloon payments. Although if your thinking about changing your car regularly (optimal option) is two or three years with a final payment. The final payment is calculated at say 60% of the trade value of the vehicle when been part exchanged against a new vehicle.

People should think strongly about four to five year balloon payments.

Finally all hire purchase agreements come with a completion fee at the end its a nominal amount (circa. €50) which transfers title from the finance company to the owner, hence the term hire purchase....

funkyniff

RedorDead wrote:

Would be ideal if we followed the UK and changed plates twice yearly - wouldnt lead to such pandemonium around January every year.

YEH BUT IN THE UK YOUR CAR VALUE GOES DOWN EVERY 6 MONTHS NOT EVERY YEAR..

Tommy Vercetti

Blitzkrieger wrote:

I know a guy who buys a new car every 2-3 years (depending on warranties). He says he knows it's expensive but he does if for peace of mind. Every little fault he has with the car he can bring it back to the dealer and get it fixed. I'm far too cynical for that thinking the dealer would come up with all sorts of excuses to void the warranty. I also couldn't handle that huge chunk of depreciation as I drive off the forecourt.

It's mad the way people have this attitude, the depreciation must be at least 10 times the amount these faults would cost to be repaired. And don't they realise that used cars come with a warranty as well?

Seth Brundle

Lawdie wrote:

kbannon you've made a very uninformed statement,
<snip>

Maybe I did but I was uninformed by the following:-
http://www.oasis.gov.ie/consumer_affairs/hire_purchase.html
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/motoring/2004/1110/465231253MOT10FINANCEPAN.html
http://www.cbg.ie/finance_products.asp

samo

I live across the road from a guy who for the few years has bought an 03 Avensis (new one) then an 04 Avensis then an 05 this year, thing is the cars are the same colour and the same model and probably the same batch!!!

Cannot belive he would waste the money for the same car for literally a differnt reg plate, thats one pricey reg!!!

I was looking at changing cars this month and changed to an 01 Focus - got it for a great price - will never buy a brand new car again unless I win the lotto!

halkar

samo wrote:

I live across the road from a guy who for the few years has bought an 03 Avensis (new one) then an 04 Avensis then an 05 this year, thing is the cars are the same colour and the same model and probably the same batch!!!

Maybe he is doing his own reg plates

jayok

kbannon wrote:

Maybe I did but I was uninformed by the following:-
http://www.oasis.gov.ie/consumer_affairs/hire_purchase.html
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/motoring/2004/1110/465231253MOT10FINANCEPAN.html
http://www.cbg.ie/finance_products.asp

Touche Lawdie.

mike65

Maybe its time to scrap the Year sensitive reg scheme and adopt a "Permenant Plate" which is registered to you not the car so change car take plate with you.

The plate would have a index which was a mix of owner name intials and a number. Would that work?

Mike.

glynf

Changing a new car for the plates every year is plain stupid.
If you rely on your car a lot for work, and do high milage it makes perfect sense to change every 2 years, if something goes wrong-let the dealer worry about it.
As mentioned above, the way cars are designed these days, most models need speciality tools/diagnostic equipment to do any work on them.
The days of doing serious work on your own motor are coming to an end, unfortunately.
New models can be a nightmare,I have an 04(aug), and so I will change soon again, not because I want to,(its had lots of small software problems,and partly because some idiot ran into the back of me), and its going to cost €4k :eek:

lomb

its not strictly true that people cant work on them with the diagnostics. not true at all. u can buy a diagnostics probe for ur car for 75 euro and download free software which will give u the faults and readings at various sensors.

i was reading that even a 1980's 6series bmw has a crank shaft sensor that if it fails the car wont start.......

ambro25

mike65 wrote:

Maybe its time to scrap the Year sensitive reg scheme and adopt a "Permenant Plate" which is registered to you not the car so change car take plate with you.
The plate would have a index which was a mix of owner name intials and a number. Would that work?
Mike.

Me likes a lot. Also makes 'ringing' / 'cloning' cars a lot more difficult.

ambro25

lomb wrote:

its not strictly true that people cant work on them with the diagnostics. not true at all. u can buy a diagnostics probe for ur car for 75 euro and download free software which will give u the faults and readings at various sensors.

Fair point - but.
Had a '96 Brava, car of the year and all that back then. I was charged £50 everytime it went in just to rig the diagnostic to tell the mechanics what was wrong.
Funnily enough, always the same symptoms (over nearly 3 years): -10 deg C, +30 deg C and anywhere in-between = no prbs, but one flake of snow in the sky = flood the engine on cranking/cold start (I mean, flood to the point I had to take out & dry the spark plugs).
And on every occasion, diagnostic was different - initially, t'was all under warranty, fine. But then over 2 years down the line, warranty expired, problem still there and FIAT-trained dealer mechanics and me totally at our wits' end. Part-exed it for the MX5: simple, lambda mechanics, only electronics in there is an ECU.

Still, I suppose when they make cars electronics Wi-Fi compatible in the not-so distant future, we'll be able to download software patches at the same time we fill up, eh? BRRRR, blue screen of death on your dashboard, hahaha!

unkel

mike65 wrote:

Maybe its time to scrap the Year sensitive reg scheme and adopt a "Permenant Plate" which is registered to you not the car so change car take plate with you

No thanks

As said, a main reason for depreciation is the yearly license snobbery in this country. Were it not for this, I wouldn't be able to afford driving a nice car...

djeclips

I myself have ordered a new car for 05',Had a new one again back in 02'.Nothing to do with being a snob just fancied a change.Had an Mg Zr before, traded in against a new Zs.Got €12,000 for the Zr,so only €6k down in three years.The car has 56k on it,all of which were trouble free.Not bad value in my opinion.

Have to agree with Samo.What his neighbour is dooing is daft...It's practically the same car,just this time with different coloured dash lights :rolleyes: .

Evryones' got free will,Trying to pin it on the banks and financial instutions is a bit too far.It is easy to resist,Just say no.If people are daft enough to put themselves in debt that they can't afford then it's there fault,no one else.

John R

ambro25 wrote:

Fair point - but.
Had a '96 Brava, car of the year and all that back then. I was charged £50 everytime it went in just to rig the diagnostic to tell the mechanics what was wrong.

That's what you get for going to a dealer.
Oh and car of the year!!! HA, HA, HA, etc.

ambro25 wrote:

Funnily enough, always the same symptoms (over nearly 3 years): -10 deg C, +30 deg C and anywhere in-between = no prbs, but one flake of snow in the sky = flood the engine on cranking/cold start (I mean, flood to the point I had to take out & dry the spark plugs).
And on every occasion, diagnostic was different - initially, t'was all under warranty, fine. But then over 2 years down the line, warranty expired, problem still there and FIAT-trained dealer mechanics and me totally at our wits' end. Part-exed it for the MX5: simple, lambda mechanics, only electronics in there is an ECU.

FIAT-trained as opposed to properly trained.

Silvera

samo's post about the Avensis guy changing each year for the same model/same colour car is a great case-in-point of how so many people fall for the 'new reg hype' !

samo

I think it must be something in the water in my estate - a guy further down the road has just swopped his blue alfa romeo 156 04 for a red 05 156! Looked very proud parking it up yesterday!!

ambro25

John R wrote:

That's what you get for going to a dealer.
Oh and car of the year!!! HA, HA, HA, etc.

FIAT-trained as opposed to properly trained.

But that's the very problem, John R.

Some cars have such specific electronics that they can't be diagnosed elsewhere than at the dealer - captive servicing market, that'll do nicely...

And the same comment applies in regards of the mechanics: you can laugh all you want about FIATs, but the same is true of any brand with an increasing amount of electronics under the bonnet, which makes for mechanics with a lot of car-specific experiences (depedent upon having the car-specific testing gear, btw), but not good competent generalists (like AA/RAC guys, who increasingly resort to towing instead of fixing by the roadside, same problem - same punition ).

Never had a FIAT before, swore blind on anything sacred that I'd never buy one again...

Lawdie

kbannon wrote:

Maybe I did but I was uninformed by the following:-
http://www.oasis.gov.ie/consumer_affairs/hire_purchase.html
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/motoring/2004/1110/465231253MOT10FINANCEPAN.html
http://www.cbg.ie/finance_products.asp

I will stand by my original statement, kbannon is working off an uninformed basis on this piece of subject matter.
His retort is some links picked up on Google most likely.

Let’s take a look at the links
First is the government article which defines hire purchase, yet does not reflect the current marketplace or even suggest whats good or bad. Therefore does not strengthen the case.
Secondly is an article about leasing, not hire purchase. Noting that none of the comments are by finance companies but individual car dealers or distributors. There are no statistics or actual case references. No support here.
Thirdly, the third link did not open, so thats that.

Its good to have a reply, however I suggest you spend time building a case and not just throwing a few links together and hoping you'll be right. The funny thing is another person supports the effort with "touché"?

If you don't understand or can't formalise a factual reply, don't do anything.

Regards, Lawdie

ando

Blitzkrieger wrote:

I also couldn't handle that huge chunk of depreciation as I drive off the forecourt

Agreed, buying new is financial suicide. I wonder if you can re-register a car in Eire so to get a '05 plate for a '01 car , might save a few thousand :rolleyes: