How was your Golf bought?

[Guzzle]

Seeing some of the posts in here, you might think we were still in the 1950's.

But I suppose old habits die hard. I'm sure most think nothing of paying monthly for a mobile phone, yet if you pay for your car that way you are somehow looked down on. It's seemingly because people assume (sometimes wrongly) that it's because you otherwise can't afford.

Having the cash in the bank doesn't guarantee you'll pay less, it simply gives you more options.

[CHB100]

Seeing some of the posts in here, you might think we were still in the 1950's.

But I suppose old habits die hard. I'm sure most think nothing of paying monthly for a mobile phone, yet if you pay for your car that way you are somehow looked down on. It's seemingly because people assume (sometimes wrongly) that it's because you otherwise can't afford.

Having the cash in the bank doesn't guarantee you'll pay less, it simply gives you more options.

Sorry to disappoint, I have only ever purchased a mobilephones and network with a Sim monthly. Cash always means you pay less, if you know how to that is.
Money expert, if you have the cash that earns less where it is, then use it to purchase, Don’t borrow.
You are all to young I guess to remember why HP was called the never never.

[BobbyT]

Put in my 'car' savings and got the rest as a loan. When I sell the car in 4 years I should get back my deposit and maybe a little more. That's how it's always worked with the last cars. That way my deposit always goes up for the next

[Guzzle]

Seeing some of the posts in here, you might think we were still in the 1950's.

But I suppose old habits die hard. I'm sure most think nothing of paying monthly for a mobile phone, yet if you pay for your car that way you are somehow looked down on. It's seemingly because people assume (sometimes wrongly) that it's because you otherwise can't afford.

Having the cash in the bank doesn't guarantee you'll pay less, it simply gives you more options.

Sorry to disappoint, I have only ever purchased a mobilephones and network with a Sim monthly. Cash always means you pay less, if you know how to that is.
Money expert, if you have the cash that earns less where it is, then use it to purchase, Don’t borrow.
You are all to young I guess to remember why HP was called the never never.

Sim monthly is still monthly.

Sorry to disappoint but cash doesn't always mean you pay less. Let me give you an example.

My Octavia vRS was. £23k, that wasn't list price that was Drive the Deal. My lease cost me £8k over 2 years. I was offered the car for £14.5k at the end of the lease. By my reckoning that's a £500 saving over the best cash price. I also had the £15k in the bank earning a paltry 1.5% interest for 2 years. If i'm not mistaken that's another £453 saved. I also got my second years VED and breakdown cover paid by the lease company. So please educate me as to how cash always means you pay less.

HP is Hire Purchase, which is different to both PCP and PCH.

[fredgroves]

The figures are proving interesting.... but we've still got a way to go before we reach the 85% who used finance to buy a new UK car in 2016.

(I found the figures after someone mentioned the vague stats yesterday)

[Daz Auto]

The figures are proving interesting....

... will be heavily influenced by the demographics of this forum i.e. the average Golf GTI forum member might not be the average car buyer.

Certainly when I was younger buying a Golf GTI for cash was not realistic.

The entire economy seems to based on 'extend and pretend' at this moment in time. I often wonder where it is all going to end. When will the bill become due?

[Mustabuster]

I paid for mine up front as I did with my last few cars. I tend to be a high milage driver (18-19k) and tend to keep my car for about 7 years or so before getting the urge to change. I only changed from my last diesel Golf because of the emissions problem and because I felt the tide was swinging against diesel.

I do have a mortgage and bringing up a family on just my income so we're not a dinky family. Our holidays are modest in comparison to some so we live within our means.

I've always been of the pay up front mentality rather than credit and I assume the high milage would knobble any PCP scheme anyway so I never looked too deeply into them but I guess that's the current way to go these days.

[I wanted a GTi]

Strange how it can be so incomprehensible that someone depends on reliable transport I used to do virtually all my own repairs and servicing but although I enjoyed it and in some ways miss it, nothing quite beats being pretty sure when you are off on your holidays that your car will get you there. That's why my current and last car have been new/nearly new.

As for credit, well it's hardly new nor is irresponsible lending, debtors prisons weren't exactly empty. I think some of the attitudes exhibited in this thread are a bit snobbish as in people in a lesser financial position to me shouldn't be allowed a new car. Well why not? We don't all live next to the factory where we work these days and public transport for many is either a non-starter or expensive and unreliable, even in London. So a good reliable car can be essential and financing a necessity.

As for the OP's question, I bought second hand (ex demo) on a PCP and paid it off shortly after.

Post of the thread for me.

[fredgroves]

Strange how it can be so incomprehensible that someone depends on reliable transport

Probably speaks tons about how the users of this forum differ from the majority car owning population of the UK...

I've always said, my car is an essential tool that I use for work. Mine is not a plaything or a luxury I don't need.

Sure I could probably drive a 1.0 Fiesta L but getting to my jobs in a fit state of work and not letting driving fatigue overcome me leaving my family without a bread winner after I crash through the central reservation is also high on my priority list.

I should point out I've driven all sorts from crappy bangers to much more luxury items than a Golf, but here I am with a reasonable car that does what I need it to do.

Whoever honestly ever dreamt that the successor to the People's Car would be considered a luxury? The Golf being the biggest selling model of car of all time... you know, something as rare and exotic as that.

[Little Lofty]

Cash is no longer king when it comes to buying cars. I've bought using all methods, cash, lease, pcp, bank loans and balanced payments, There is no right or wrong, you just need to know how they work and use what best suits your situation at the time. If your eating beans on toast everyday to pay for a car then you obviously can't afford it, if you have a healthy income then I see no wrong in using finance so long as it's a reasonable interest rate.