I drive a crap car, I paid £250 for it 12 months ago and It’s already taken me 25,000, pretty much the circumference of this planet we call Earth. It’s not missed a beat and I would jump in it tomorrow and drive it anywhere.
Why do it?
1: For the equivalent of one months payment a friend is paying on their lease car, I have bought, taxed and insured my car. The money I save each month pays my bills and what’s left over means I can afford to go sailing. Without cheap motoring I wouldn’t be able to live where I do, let alone enjoy my life.
2: It’s easy to work on, not that I’ve had to (apart from basic servicing) the car is basic. I can work on it, there’s no fancy electronics, no turbo, it just about has a heater!
3: It has keep fit windows, and no power steering this keeps my exercise regime in order…
4: I don’t need to worry about it. I can leave it anywhere and not have to worry about people damaging it, because it’s a shitter.
5: Nobody wants a lifts in it. Who really wants to be seen in a battered red French car apart from a tightarse.
6: People don’t get angry with you if you drive at 60mph on the motorway. They look at a small French car and think I’m going flat out.
7: It runs on fumes, honestly, this thing regularly does 70mpg, I’ve had 85mpg before. It’s so good on fuel I don’t even bother working out how efficient it is any more. Over my last car this thing actually pays be £150 a month to drive it.
8: Parts are cheap, thousands of 106’s have been built and are knocking about in scrap yards.
9: It’s easy to park, I can squeeze into spots you couldn’t in your generic, fake 4×4 that you’re paying a million pounds a month only to give back after 3 years. Even though it’s tiny, I managed to empty the boat, sails, cushions and everything else that comes home in the winter, drive to Southampton, sleep in it in a car park and attend a VHF course and drive back the next day!
10: I’m not keeping up with the Joneses… they can do one.
A superb example in economics! I applaud you.
Thank you, it takes a lot of dedication to drive a shit box. It would be so easy to get into debt for speed and comfort…..
Oh man, i worship you, and i hate you.
I applaud you for explaining to me why a feel a grin spread across my face every time i drive my £400 corsa.
Like you, i spend nearly nothing running it!
But i’m wounded by realising that i might have got something similar for £150 less.
I woz robbed!
Don’t worry, I’ve just (last night) had to fit a new rear axle and four new tyres (after nearly 30k) so thats £150 it’s gone up in value……