When most grown Belgian men are slightly down, frustrated or looking for a way to escape these boring, dark days of winter, they call their buddies for a beer in a local bar. Fortunately, I’m not your average Belgian male. But then again, like 100,000 of my gender, I am one of those men who do envisage buying a new car at the upcoming Brussels motor show. OK, I can hear you yawn across the entire blogosphere (’he has his mind set on buying a car, so what?’) but here’s the catch: I don’t really need (as in “must have”) a new car. Sure, my old Diesel has passed its expiry date, but given the fact that I’ve driven it only once last month, focusing on a major purchase like a new automobile must sound like a capricious idea, a foolish impulse buy, driven by a generalized state of dissatisfaction. Still, here I am, browsing countless glossy car magazines, offering “once in a life time discounts: up to 4,000 EUR ($6,000) on selected models”. Should I fight this whimsical urge, or allow myself to ‘just go with flow’ and indulge in a small, “environmentally friendly” low emission car?
January 13, 2008
Stop me from buying a new car
20 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
This blog is not affiliated with or endorsed by the city of Antwerp, Belgium.
Nothing loses it’s value faster than buying a car (at least in the states that is true). If you’re existing car is still running and not giving you too many headaches, stick with it.
Comment by furiousball — January 13, 2008 @ 10:43 pm
I know furiousball, cars are probably the worst investment one can make. But I’m still driving one of those gas guzzling older models that bleed me dry at the gas station. A new, compact city car will set me back 10,000 euro (about $15,000), but at 5 liters/100 km it will offer me a stunning 50 miles per (US) gallon.
I’m still not sure if it’s worth the investment, but consider this: Europeans are paying 1.10 to 1.50 euro per liter when filling up their cars: that’s over $9 a (US) gallon… The price of 1 US gallon of regular is just over $3 in the US. Europeans are paying 3x as much, in spite of the strong EURO.
Comment by Peter — January 13, 2008 @ 11:37 pm
If you have a car that works and don’t drive it often, I’d say spend the money on a week in Spain or something. I have a feeling that would lift your spirits more… Of course, you could do both. I mean, what’s another couple thousand…?
Comment by Pamela — January 14, 2008 @ 7:59 am
Thanks for commenting Pam, it lifted my spirits
The basic issue is a complex mixture of cash, environment and basic transport needs. My old, large gas guzzling Diesel basically is “fin de carrière”: many of the non-security parts (including one door) are broken. It does need replacement in the long run, if only for its lack of safety and outrageous insurance/ road taxes.
On the other hand, I’ve hardly driven any car since my spinal damage: most of the time my s/o drove me around in his car, but he obviously has a life of his own.
So here I am, needing a car, but hardly using it (for the time being)
Some car dealers are offering huge discounts during the January 2008 Brussels car show (exceeding 3,000 euro), so I’m still wondering if a small, environment friendly car might not be a wise investment. If I break down in February I will miss out on these really impressive discounts.
I’m still not sure and I appreciate any advice.
Comment by Peter — January 14, 2008 @ 12:49 pm
Lol steenezel, as if you’ll listen if your mind is made up, my lovely friend.
Comment by Di — January 14, 2008 @ 7:42 pm
I know Di, I’m asking for advice while my post implies that I already made up my mind
More logical next step: which (very) small car should I choose?
I can’t see myself driving a tiny Smart with all my groceries from Carrefour.
Comment by Peter — January 14, 2008 @ 8:03 pm
Do you REALLY need it Peter? I’m all about ‘need’ at this stage in my life as opposed to want. If I supplied myself with all my wants, I’m afraid I’d NEED another house.
Comment by Claudia — January 14, 2008 @ 11:21 pm
Well, if my aging (like in “real old”), gas guzzling diesel car finally dies on me in, let’s say February, (when the “minus 4,000 euro” motor show special deals are over), I’m in trouble. I’m currently relying on my s/o car to drive me around, but he has a life of his own and he does need his own car.
My family cannot be reached by public transport, my friends live in places only accessible by car and during the summer months I do need transport to get out of town. A tram ride won’t cut it.
It’s like a complex gamble: I can choose not to buy a car and hope my present pile-of-rust will last for another year. Or I can buy a new compact with a 5y guarantee and save $4,000 on the list price.
Life is full of choices.
Comment by Peter — January 14, 2008 @ 11:54 pm
I’m no use. I’ve become accustomed to not ‘wanting’ or ‘needing’ anything here … but deep down, you know precisely what to do. I’m sure of it.
xo
Comment by Di — January 15, 2008 @ 4:25 am
You know Di, I actually don’t like buying cars. And to be totally honest: I’m looking at a pile of glossy brochures and I haven’t got a clue which one I should choose. Compact: that’s a must, anything larger is asking for trouble in these narrow medieval streets.
But you drove around in NZ and I’m sure you have an opinion on cars
Comment by Peter — January 15, 2008 @ 12:25 pm
Once E started looking at car brochures, it was all over. We ended up with TWO new cars in a year’s time. “It’s such a great deal! Let’s get a second one!” Of course, to be fair, we hadn’t bought a new car in about 15 years. The cars we’d had in the interim were ones we bought used from his mum. She’d drive a car for a few years, and then get a new one, and we’d buy the old one from her to save money. The last one was plush but SUCH A LOSER. Cost us more in repairs than we paid for the car and maneuvered like a boat! I felt SO OLD driving that thing.
Comment by V-Grrrl — January 15, 2008 @ 11:13 pm
I know all about feeling old when driving my almost antique Diesel Veronica.
I picked it up for 2x nothing, paid through the nose in repairs but this car just kept on running (and guzzling gas). Must talk to that slick salesman about that huge Brussels car show rebate, I mean, who could pass up on a 4,000 EUR discount on these super-ecological cars while saving the planet along the way?
Comment by Peter — January 15, 2008 @ 11:53 pm
Peter,
I signed up for sitemeter, but I am totally clueless on how to put it on my site. Would you be willing to help a girl out if I e-mailed you the details? Maybe walk me through? [Author comment: "Claudia, you've got mail
"]
Comment by Claudia — January 16, 2008 @ 4:43 pm
haha how can I stop anyone from buying that car, I’ve already almost bought one twice since I’ve been back in Europe. I say go for it. Smartcars are the yum.
Btw.. I moved again
Suriname was too hot and dirty.. so I moved to Brussels. So I could be cold and surrounded by dirt instead heh
Comment by pixiemeat — January 17, 2008 @ 2:00 pm
Hi there, long time no see Jessica
I rediscovered your blog and was slightly surprised you moved back from Suriname, it’s cold over here in Belgium/Holland! Anyway, I’m glad your relationship survived the move.
As for that Smart car: I tried one and oh my, it’s soooo tiny! I wouldn’t even be able to get all my groceries in the trunk, there simply is no space at all. Step 2: find a compact that is cheap but larger than a smart.
Comment by Peter — January 17, 2008 @ 2:47 pm
Well, I was a driver in NZ and thought nothing of driving 900kms in a day but you would have hated the vehicles I drove. I had a tendency to fall in love with cars that nobody in their right mind would love. I would pack water and warm clothes and walking shoes, ‘just in case’ …
I’ve had most parts of a car break - cam shaft (’rarely broken’ they said first time, second time = silent surprise. When I cracked the rings, we dropped a secondhand engine into it and no more broken camshafts).
There was a hill on a particular road where the accelerator cable used to fall off on the downhill glide.
I drove a Dutch friend round the 600km long, 200km wide South Island and I think he suffered from the fact that Di drove an old wreck. He replaced the brakes just before we headed into the mountains, then made me leap out of the car when it appeared to be on fire (it was just the new brake pads wearing in in the mountains. I had to drive all the way back through a spectacular mountain pass, trying not to use those smoking brakes by a flatlander who had never run new brake pads in in the mountains)
The list is endless … my favourite car died after long service with the drive shaft dropping off on my way home from a Jack Johnson/Ben Harper concert. The mechanic had warned me and I wasn’t to go over 50kms because the car would flip if I was going at speed. (I was poor in those early divorce days, only excuse)
Anyway, I think you begin to see why you must never ever take my advice over a car … never ever ever.
[Author comment: "Wow Di, you really know how to drive in the most unusual vehicles, without any fear! Imagine driving through one of the congested Antwerp tunnels with a car that dies on you - even the thought makes me shake"]
Comment by Di — January 17, 2008 @ 5:21 pm
Have I mentioned how ROCKING you are??!
PS - I got my first visit from the (http://caci.com/) - the referring page? Yours. Heh. Naughty boy, you. I feel like a big girl now.
O’s to you. [Author comment: “Thanks Claudia, it was my pleasure assisting you. In a way, that's a part of blogging: sharing and assisting".]
Comment by Claudia — January 18, 2008 @ 12:53 am
@Peter - Yeah Suriname probably would have been great to live in, say 20 years ago, (incidentally a lot like brussels lol) but since their revolution from the Netherlands has really taken a dive. No one cares about anyone or anything there and sometimes I was up to my knees in liter, so we decided to leave. Lucien took a job in Hoeliart doing Senior Information Security work and we’re pretty happy with the move. We’ll be even happier when we move into a Flemish area. I’ve had nothing but problems with the people who live in Brussels and can’t wait to leave it already
On another note, have you seen the new car India rolled out? It’s small like the smart car, but has 4 doors and is something like 1500euros heh I’d like to see one when they start shipping internationally. It looks mucho badasso
Make the cold stop already
-Jessica
Comment by pixiemeat — January 18, 2008 @ 5:01 pm
You know Jessica, with 10°C/50°F it’s basically abnormally “mild” in Belgium: ‘regular’ January temps are around freezing, but I can imagine that returning from tropical Suriname actually makes it feel cold overhere.
Great that Lucien found a job in Hoeilaart (they grow grapes there, a white variety that I once tasted during a warm Belgian summer) - and trust me, I know all about the arrogant inhabitants of Brussels.
I saw several of those el-cheapo cars made for developing countries - I wonder if they ever were crash-tested
Comment by Peter — January 18, 2008 @ 7:16 pm
Yeah, I hear theres no airbags, and no power windows or locks.. but hell.. for that price its worth a long look.
Comment by pixiemeat — January 18, 2008 @ 11:28 pm