2nd Aug 2017, 07:55

Re: running a luxury car on economy car money: Sort of. BUT, and it's a big "but", it depends on which country you are in and which particular model.

I'm in New Zealand, and whereas 20 years ago a European car was fairly unobtainable and posh, because we have used Japanese market imports in RHD form, most of the BMWs, Audis, Volvos, Mercs, VWs and the like can be bought used, 8-12 years old, for much less than a brand new Hyundai. It's so common here that even people in rough neighbourhoods drive them; you just don't get car jacked here for driving them. It's accessible now, but more so, independent mechanics have geared up and become very familiar with these cars, so they're no more mysterious to repair than a Honda Prelude or a Subaru (which is in fact more complex and expensive to fix). They charge the same per hour labour rate whether Euro or Japanese, and it's a matter now of the cost of parts. Sticking with standard vehicles (basic 4- or 6-cylinder petrol/gas, no turbo, no AMG or M-Sport or S-line), the cost of basic parts from filters to water/fuel pumps or even aircon compressors (and using OEM) is comparable to Japanese.

I do know that Americans are gouged by garages for simply driving European cars; not so here. But you must know the market too - in NZ, parts of German cars tend to be OK, but Italian car parts or French can cost much more. And while you can improve your chances by getting a German car that's been checked out, it's still a risk to get a Range Rover or Jaguar, regardless. In the UK, French and Italian car parts are much cheaper than here. If you stay away from the BMW 7-series, Merc S-class (from the mid-90s onwards), Audi A8s, you just might be able to enjoy having a normal European car, and put up with minor age-related quibbles like a sunroof with a busted motor.

2nd Aug 2017, 10:40

My opinion is now they are now very dated. And it shows. I had them. I had big repairs. Like the 5k air replacement. The dated look also is evident in the interiors. Often these are money pits with or without diligent maintenance. I would rather stay Mercedes not switch. What's wrong with having cachet if you work hard and are highly successful? If you can well afford a nice car, buy it.

2nd Aug 2017, 13:01

Generally I agree. I'm the guy that left the comment about not being able to run luxury cars on economy money. What I was getting at is the general running costs you should be aware of when buying such a car, even if it looks like a genuine bargain.

And yes as others have commented - it depends on many things, the country you live in, the time period you are buying from, and the availability of parts, and even the generation of people buying certain types of cars.

For example I live in the UK. As a kid growing up in the late 80s and 90s I watched the likes of Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 series cars and was always told they was unattainable by anyone who isn't a doctor or movie star, haha. I've since had cars like that and enjoyed them - but they were not cheap to run.

For example now you can buy a 1996 Ford Escort for £600. And you can also buy a 1996 BMW 750iL for £600 as well. The Ford cost £8000 new in 96, and the BMW cost the best part of £75,000. So initially this seems the BMW is a bargain, and it is, but what I'm saying is the Escort will maybe only be £200 to fix an average repair. The BMW on the other hand is a liability - get an engine or gearbox problem and you are looking at over £1000 even at a good independent garage.

I wasn't being negative, and at the end of the day you only live once, and you should buy what makes you happy, but I was just pointing out that when an expensive car gets older, it may be as cheap to buy as an economy car initially, but the running costs are likely to be double. Not to mention fuel, insurance, tax etc is also very expensive where I live.