| Hive Brain - When to change car? 08:49 - Sep 30 with 892 views | Lesta_Tractor |
With the price of petrol I've been looking at electric cars, and solar panels!, but I'm not sure when is the best time to trade in. In the past I've bought two year old cars with ~15-20k on the clock and kept them until they're either 10y.o or have 100k on the clock.
I've currently got a 69 plate Karoq with ~55k on that I bought 5 years ago which sailed through it's MOT last week and a 71 plate Leon with ~40k on that I bought 3 years ago.
The Karoq does ~10k per annum and the Leon ~7k, the Leon gets one run to Leicester each week (45 mile round trip) and other than that is used for the nursery run, shopping, and getting to the leisure centre when it's raining. The Karoq does all the 'family trips' including driving to France in the summer. Both are paid for/no finance.
When should I look to trade them in?
Thought I'd rather ask TWTD than AI! |  |
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| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 09:02 - Sep 30 with 839 views | Swansea_Blue |
Whenever to be honest. It’s swings and roundabouts all the way down, depending on whether you’re swapping for new or used, buying or leasing, can use a company car scheme or not.
I’ve been a buy and keep for years type and am in the same boat. We’re looking at going full electric (already have solar panels and are also getting a battery). Possibly the ‘big’ car through a work scheme as they’re so bloody expensive and also before they cut the tax benefits. The smaller runaround may end up being a 1-2 year old something. We’ve got a 10 yr old big and 3 yr old small car to play with.
2nd hand prices seem to be reasonable now for electric, so maybe a good time? That’s what I’m thinking before fuel shortages get worse. I can only see the global position on energy making more people look at electric and bump the prices up. But might be wrong.
But the flip side is that to run an electric is only going to get more expensive as they bring in mileage charging and phase out tax breaks. And presumably when everyone has them, the charging stations will whack up their prices too. |  |
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| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 09:06 - Sep 30 with 823 views | Lesta_Tractor |
| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 09:02 - Sep 30 by Swansea_Blue |
Whenever to be honest. It’s swings and roundabouts all the way down, depending on whether you’re swapping for new or used, buying or leasing, can use a company car scheme or not.
I’ve been a buy and keep for years type and am in the same boat. We’re looking at going full electric (already have solar panels and are also getting a battery). Possibly the ‘big’ car through a work scheme as they’re so bloody expensive and also before they cut the tax benefits. The smaller runaround may end up being a 1-2 year old something. We’ve got a 10 yr old big and 3 yr old small car to play with.
2nd hand prices seem to be reasonable now for electric, so maybe a good time? That’s what I’m thinking before fuel shortages get worse. I can only see the global position on energy making more people look at electric and bump the prices up. But might be wrong.
But the flip side is that to run an electric is only going to get more expensive as they bring in mileage charging and phase out tax breaks. And presumably when everyone has them, the charging stations will whack up their prices too. |
Yeah, I was looking at an ID3 to replace the Leon with and the prices seems decent at the moment.
Interesting points about the mileage charging and the potential for charging stations to whack up prices in the future.
The correct answer, as always, is to move back to a city where I can use the metro or cycle everywhere and keep the car for weekends! | |
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| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 10:10 - Sep 30 with 698 views | davblue |
We started looking recently and my Mrs liked the Geely SUV Ultra Hybrid it had 80 miles of battery and petrol. So she would have used the electric to commute to work during the week and then for longer trips use petrol once the electric charge was done.
Think it was about £2.50 to charge the battery. |  | | |
| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 10:53 - Sep 30 with 627 views | hype313 |
I'm at the point now, where I'm more comfortable with Iran having nukes than the thought of filling my car up. |  |
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| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 11:02 - Sep 30 with 615 views | Zx1988 |
I'm starting to have similar thoughts.
My diesel XC60 gets about 45mpg, and I do about 20,000 miles a year in it - about half of which is for work.
Switching to an EV makes a tremendous amount of sense, but I have two reservations:
1) I'm very much of the mindset "if you don't have the cash, you can't afford it". But, at the same time, I understand that I'm probably only going to get the best sort of deals on a lease, and a lease would also remove battery depreciation from the picture.
2) The wider T&Cs package at work is currently under review, and there's a chance that the car provision (currently a cash allowance) may change. I don't necessarily want to push the button on a personal lease, if a T&C review might result in a more efficient package being available through my employer.
Any thoughts on the above? |  |
| Not a prophet, or a stone-age man; just a mortal with potential of a superman. | | Poll: | Worst Ginger? |
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| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 11:02 - Sep 30 with 612 views | Cotty |
Our car is 9 years old and approaching 100K. We've decided to run it into the ground, and when it's dead, go electric, hoping that the cars and infrastructure will continue to improve in that time. Sorry, that's not advice really, just what we're planning to do! |  | | |
| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 11:28 - Sep 30 with 504 views | NedPlimpton |
Currently have solar and a battery and am thinking about getting an EV through a work scheme. I think the Ford Explorer works out around £340 per month.
Not really a big fan of having a car you don't actually own, but my current Seat diesel is now 7 years old and has done 100k miles.
One issue for me is knowing which charger to get, which electricity tariff is best, knowing what mileage you're actually likely to get from the EV etc. it just seems like a minefield [Post edited 30 Sep 11:47]
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| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 11:37 - Sep 30 with 472 views | Lesta_Tractor |
| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 11:02 - Sep 30 by Zx1988 |
I'm starting to have similar thoughts.
My diesel XC60 gets about 45mpg, and I do about 20,000 miles a year in it - about half of which is for work.
Switching to an EV makes a tremendous amount of sense, but I have two reservations:
1) I'm very much of the mindset "if you don't have the cash, you can't afford it". But, at the same time, I understand that I'm probably only going to get the best sort of deals on a lease, and a lease would also remove battery depreciation from the picture.
2) The wider T&Cs package at work is currently under review, and there's a chance that the car provision (currently a cash allowance) may change. I don't necessarily want to push the button on a personal lease, if a T&C review might result in a more efficient package being available through my employer.
Any thoughts on the above? |
"if you don't have the cash, you can't afford it" has always been my attitude.
I've decided to go and test drive a year old Polestar at lunch, I could just about pay for it outright if I get what I have been quoted as the trade in value for my Leon. | |
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| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 12:30 - Sep 30 with 358 views | WicklowBlue |
| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 11:37 - Sep 30 by Lesta_Tractor |
"if you don't have the cash, you can't afford it" has always been my attitude.
I've decided to go and test drive a year old Polestar at lunch, I could just about pay for it outright if I get what I have been quoted as the trade in value for my Leon. |
Through a mix of hard work, luck and saving like crazy... we managed to go fossil free (aside from electricity into the house) in January this year. Pure luck timing wise with what has happened since then.
We moved house in 2024, complete retrofit in 2025. Windows, doors, insulation, solar + battery and heatpump.
Then moved from a 9 year old Diesel CX5 to a Polestar 4 in Jan. The P4 has its quirks software wise and is a wide car. But I am loving it and as I WFH since Jan have just been topping it up with a granny charger, getting a fast charge is on my list. The P4 was my first ever brand new car and was my own middle age present to myself.
To the OP anytime is a good time to move to BEV go test drive some and see what is out there. So much FUD online about BEV but seeing many more new ones around where I live. |  | | |
| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 12:53 - Sep 30 with 321 views | bluefunk |
| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 11:02 - Sep 30 by Zx1988 |
I'm starting to have similar thoughts.
My diesel XC60 gets about 45mpg, and I do about 20,000 miles a year in it - about half of which is for work.
Switching to an EV makes a tremendous amount of sense, but I have two reservations:
1) I'm very much of the mindset "if you don't have the cash, you can't afford it". But, at the same time, I understand that I'm probably only going to get the best sort of deals on a lease, and a lease would also remove battery depreciation from the picture.
2) The wider T&Cs package at work is currently under review, and there's a chance that the car provision (currently a cash allowance) may change. I don't necessarily want to push the button on a personal lease, if a T&C review might result in a more efficient package being available through my employer.
Any thoughts on the above? |
I sold a diesel Mercedes GLE in February, and leased a Cupra, based on comparing the cost of the two options. The Cupra came out ahead by some margin, which only got bigger once Trump attacked Iran.
Capital tied up in a car is a deciding asset, with the lease I have a fixed monthly cost for three years, and running costs are minimal (about £3 for an overnight top up to 80%)
As for your employer package, you need to work out why they would move away from a simple and straightforward cash allowance, unless you’re in an industry related to solar energy/electric cars etc.
Edit - to add some more details, range is about 220 miles on an 80% charge, which covers pretty much any journey I make regularly. On a longer trip a little planning allows a charge to 100% in about 20 minutes at one of the high capacity charging stations at motorway services. [Post edited 30 Sep 12:56]
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| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 13:05 - Sep 30 with 270 views | vilanovablue |
| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 12:53 - Sep 30 by bluefunk |
I sold a diesel Mercedes GLE in February, and leased a Cupra, based on comparing the cost of the two options. The Cupra came out ahead by some margin, which only got bigger once Trump attacked Iran.
Capital tied up in a car is a deciding asset, with the lease I have a fixed monthly cost for three years, and running costs are minimal (about £3 for an overnight top up to 80%)
As for your employer package, you need to work out why they would move away from a simple and straightforward cash allowance, unless you’re in an industry related to solar energy/electric cars etc.
Edit - to add some more details, range is about 220 miles on an 80% charge, which covers pretty much any journey I make regularly. On a longer trip a little planning allows a charge to 100% in about 20 minutes at one of the high capacity charging stations at motorway services. [Post edited 30 Sep 12:56]
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Charging to 100% at public chargers is crazy that last 20% takes an age. Better to have shorter stops in most cases. |  | | |
| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 13:41 - Sep 30 with 209 views | TIB |
Karoq with its size and recent service sounds like the workhorse for now so I’d maybe cash in the Leon for something electric on finance. Capital in bank plus covers any deposit required, but there are competitive finance rates on electric vehicles and a lot of manufacturers seem to have targets to hit so often good deals to be had.
I imagine those 2500 miles per year to Leicester will go from costing maybe £600 to £100 or less. That’s £2400 across four years on petrol vs £400 on electric charging at home.
We switched our family car to fully electric last year and the savings have been more impressive than I imagined. The downside, any longer trips your stops go from quick toilet breaks to maybe 20mins - 60mins depending how much charge you need. Really not that big of a deal, albeit charging on the go is equivalent to petrol prices. [Post edited 30 Sep 13:42]
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| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 13:43 - Sep 30 with 193 views | Zx1988 |
| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 12:53 - Sep 30 by bluefunk |
I sold a diesel Mercedes GLE in February, and leased a Cupra, based on comparing the cost of the two options. The Cupra came out ahead by some margin, which only got bigger once Trump attacked Iran.
Capital tied up in a car is a deciding asset, with the lease I have a fixed monthly cost for three years, and running costs are minimal (about £3 for an overnight top up to 80%)
As for your employer package, you need to work out why they would move away from a simple and straightforward cash allowance, unless you’re in an industry related to solar energy/electric cars etc.
Edit - to add some more details, range is about 220 miles on an 80% charge, which covers pretty much any journey I make regularly. On a longer trip a little planning allows a charge to 100% in about 20 minutes at one of the high capacity charging stations at motorway services. [Post edited 30 Sep 12:56]
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Regarding my employer's attitude, that's going to be one for them and the accountants. I know that it's something my colleagues have raised - especially as other competitors within the sector (surveying) tend to offer a little more flexibility when it comes to cars, even if it's not an outright company car.
It feels (from my layman's perspective) like an easy win for them. Currently I get about 50%-60% of the headline car allowance figure after tax, and it costs the firm more than the headline figure when one factors in NI contributions on the payments.
They could keep making the same payment, but as a BIK through a car, thus reducing the cost to them, and increasing the 'in the pocket' value of the payments to the employee. | |
| Not a prophet, or a stone-age man; just a mortal with potential of a superman. | | Poll: | Worst Ginger? |
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| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 14:08 - Sep 30 with 132 views | mutters |
| Hive Brain - When to change car? on 11:02 - Sep 30 by Cotty |
Our car is 9 years old and approaching 100K. We've decided to run it into the ground, and when it's dead, go electric, hoping that the cars and infrastructure will continue to improve in that time. Sorry, that's not advice really, just what we're planning to do! |
Same as me. My 13 plate has 155k on it (I've put 120k on I myself), and maintenance aside, I've spent less than 1500 on it for repairs etc in nearly 10 years of ownership. My plan has been to drive it until it drops, but have started to think that maybe that time could be soon |  |
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