What I think people miss in the debate about manufacturers is that they only respond to feedback from people that buy NEW. Budget-minded, ethical consumers buy used. Their preferences are not represented to the manufacturers/marketers of new vehicles. So what is represented is skewed towards people impressed by shiny objects.
BUT if the used market dries up for their overpriced vehicles then they can't get as much resell value and will be stuck with that car or have to take a huge hit when they try to trade in.
They care about the loss or else they would be selling for the same prices they used to sell older models for. The fact that used behemoths still go for a lot of money shows that demand is keeping that price high. There's only so much loss the average buyer can take. Why throw away their last vehicle just to wind up with a new POS when they could have gotten more for a better model that would help them afford another nice car that is more reliable, comfortable, luxurious, and/or sporty. Monthly payments decide what people buy even if it is a splurge on rapidly depreciating new cars.
You mean dealership. Car lobby has made it illegal for manufacturers to direct sell their vehicles.
But I know they used to have those deals where any trade in counts but I think trade in of newer cars at a dealership should bring higher credit than the any car counts deal but still isn't as good as private selling, bc of convenience. I was referring to both as trading in.
I can't believe anyone with a brain is trading in a 3 year old car with blue book value of 20k for a 3k credit on a new car.
I need my car to work. Spending 17k on a new, vs 7k on a used car that I have to immediately pay MOT, risk that it has an issue seller hasnt told me about, high cost of repairs where I live, big service if applicable, wear and tear and planned obsolescence that is around the corner doesn't make me ethical or budget minded.
Cheap will often cost you
The best middle ground is cars that were driven for about 5k during a period of 6 months... that used to get you a nice deal. When I was buying, it was a pretty low discount vs a new one
What I hate is the subscription cars. If I pay for a piece of equipment on my car, I don’t want to have to also pay a monthly subscription to Audi to actually use it!!
I get your point, then again... i only buy new and even i don't want 50+% of what is added inside. Not only with cars, but also with other vehicles.
My first car was a KIA Picanto, which didn't have much luxery items. Only a limiter, Airco, and a simple Radio to which i could connect a USB for music.
Second car is a KIA Ceed SW, this one does have a lot of extra stuff, but that has more to do with the car being discounted a lot as the official dealer needed them gone as (according to my friend who did the sales there) they were planning to bring that line-up out as a hybrid/ Electric, and as such the gas variants needed to go.
Still, half the stuff in there i don't use because i don't trust the technology. Some stuff works, but i've seen them make mistakes which could be dangerous if i wasn't actively driving myself, so i'd rather not use it.
I've driven a few other KIA's, and some have very strange things. One had a digital screen streching from the normal driver dash all the way to the passenger seat. I mean, if that ever gets damaged it will cost you a rib to replace. It can get damaged much more easily due to how large it is, and why the hell does my passenger needs a touchscreen?
Having one in my own dash i can still get behind. Anologe is better in my book, but TFT has an advantage. Anything past that is just stupid.
While it's cheaper to buy used, it's not necessarily more ethical. If someone buys new, their old car moves onto the used market and eventually the worst-condition (likely less safe and more polluting) used vehicle is scrapped.
It’s one thing to scrap a polluter to buy a clean burning new car, but I don’t think that represents a significant portion of new car buyers. Besides, while not all used purchases are ethical, I think most ethical consumers buy used. Apples to apples, it’s more ethical, I’d argue to buy a used hummer than a new one.
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u/AdReal9235 16d ago
What I think people miss in the debate about manufacturers is that they only respond to feedback from people that buy NEW. Budget-minded, ethical consumers buy used. Their preferences are not represented to the manufacturers/marketers of new vehicles. So what is represented is skewed towards people impressed by shiny objects.