Prospective owner - help!

[joelad86]

Hi!

My wife and I test-drove a Macan this week & had a really fun time with the car. If we were to go for one we’d likely go for a Macan S with a couple of modest extras (sunroof, parking sensors, paint).

My question is what the most economical purchase options tend to be?

The car new is about 50k. Leasing seems to be in the region of 30k over 4 years; PCP seems to be similar? However, looking at second-hand prices, they seem to hold their value rather well so buying outright might be the best option? The caveat to that is, if electric cars take off in the next few years, petrol cars may see greater depreciation?

So looking for some advice on what the sensible decision might be!

Many thanks

Joel

[ScotMac]

You will get lots of theories but no one has a crystal ball.

My theory was, spec the Macan that I really wanted, buy the car outright and be prepared to keep it for a while.

Good luck

[andywebber]

I actually did the same thing as Scotmac.

I was looking to buy used but the prices of used vehicles are so high (and always have been for Porsche) I decided to spend a bit more and get the Macan Brand new and the exact spec that I wanted (well within reason). I plan to keep the vehicle for many years as well!!

I did have to limit myself to about 5K's worth of Extras though (I could have easily doubled that) but actually I have now put a deposit down for a facelift model when they come out later this year / early next year as I am in no rush to buy

HTH

Andrew

[pmg]

I am in agreement with the replies so far. Specify the car that you want with the extras you need and will use. Buy outright and control costs by keeping the car a long time. If happy with OPC service and costs and convenience, extend Guarantee at 3 years, If not and you have a good local convenient independent use them from 3rd anniversary of ownership

[MikeM]

As already stated. Buy New, Pay Cash, Spec what you want. If your concerned about future trade in value don’t overspend on spec and just be aware that the gap between OPC dealer used sale price v trade in can be considerable.

[Caster]

You will get lots of theories but no one has a crystal ball.

Plus, I never know what my car thoughts/needs will be in the future so like to buy outright and keep for as long as I fancy. Lost out on a few that I’ve had in past for only a year or so but doing nicely with my SD that’s coming up to 5 yrs old

Over the 5 yrs there’s been times when it would’ve been both more or less economical to change for one reason or another but I’ve still got it because I really enjoy driving it & find it hard to think of something to replace it with!

Quick calc - mine bought for approx £50k - 5 yrs later worth approx £30k trade in so now on an average of £333 per month depn. Not bad for nearly 5 yrs of enjoyable driving

Good luck

[Makanik]

“The car new is about 50k.”

Note that the base price of the Macan S is nearly £50k alone without any options. Very few would spend less than £5k on options and remember there will be first year road tax on top.

Generally I would say buying outright is the most economic way to buy.

Note that the exceedingly high current prices for used cars is not a normal situation - things may be different when you come to sell say 3 years from now. But depreciation on Macans is generally pretty good.

[Macan360]

Hi

Firstly as previously stated nobody knows what will happen to values in the future

Just been through the exact same dilemma as you are going through.

The text below are my thoughts and in noway am I offering advice. I am sure there are many who will have an alternative view.

Needing to change vehicles due to my wife's medical condition. I sold my Porsche 996 & Cayman S (That was tough)

Porsche electric vehicles being to much for my budget I felt forced to move away from the brand if going electric.

I looked at Electric and hybrids from alternative manufacturers from MG up to Mercedes but couldn't get excited. To be fair most of the dealers I spoke to ask me questions and said based on your reservations and questions your not ready to go electric yet. None ever stated you need to go electric because of depreciation with environment being the main reason.

I have also read in a respected car magazine that some dealers are having difficulty selling 5 year old electric/hybrids due to concerns over battery life and cost of replacement, getting a warranty to cover it is virtually impossible.

The final nail in the electric coffin came when I was planning a day out and realised that with a petrol car I could drive to my destination have my day and drive home without having to stop on route. In any electric car I would need to stop, either on route or return to charge unless I could find a carpark with a charger at my destination. Very rare presently. In a hybrid the car would be running on petrol at least some of the time as the journey was mostly motorway or 'A' roads.

Concern over lack of charging points and distance of travel niggled away at me all the time.

Another concern was city centre pollution charges (Not that I visit many) it came to light that the Porsche Macan is Euro 6 approved and does not pollute with the nox chemicals and therefore is clean and not chargeable.

Another concern was what if i need to charge and all the chargers are in use or there is a que already, especially on the motorway

I gradually drifted back to the idea that it had to be a Porsche.

In the end I decided to bite the bullet and buy a 2018 Porsche Macan GTS as it was the best drivers car by a mile of those looked at.

My theory came down to this:-

Petrol cars will be on British Roads well past 2030 as already stated by the Government.

Values may go down but then rise as petrol engine vehicles become more scarce.

Even if values go down I will still have a fantastic car to drive so only lose if I sell it.

Porsche developing synthetic fuels to protect its owners and other petrol motorists. Could synthetic fuels put a stop on electric?

Cost of repairing electric cars long term is very high, Nissan leaf owners reporting £10,000 repair bills as have Citroen owners along with main dealers not being capable of fixing them. (Ref Rip Off Britain May 2021)

Now at this point I must say my Macan is for driving pleasure, weekends away, holidays and I also wanted to keep the trips out with friends and the car clubs going.

I do have a normal car for short journeys, bad weather days etc.

If I was about to replace this then my attitude would be different and I would definitely go electric.

Buy the car you want or you will always pondering your decision. Luckily I am not

Good luck with your purchase but only you can decide based on your requirements.

The Macan is however a great car.

Trevor

[SAC1]

Another point regarding BEV is that insurance premium costs are much higher. I understand that even a minor shunt can cause battery damage resulting in a significant repair bill. Also fire risk is greater.

[joelad86]

Wow this is so helpful, thank you all!

Last question: how negotiable are dealers on new purchases? If they have wiggle room, what’s a suitable approach?

Many thanks for the quick & helpful replies. My wife and I have never been car people as we do such little mileage, but after driving the Macan last week we had such fun we might have started something here!