HELP!, Only one careful owner..................
April 22nd 2008 13:09
How good is your memory? Remember back in the early to mid 1980's when every man and his dog sold their six cylinder cars to buy four cylinder cars?
It was a difficult time for the Australian motor industry, both the Ford V8 engine and the Kingswood/ Statesman died around this time and sudenly everyone had a Corona/ Sigma/ Bluebird as a company car. Why? The price of fuel.
Since then, we as a nation have embraced the American way. Hell, we are one of the most urbanised nations on Earth and yet we have one of the highest rates of 4x4 ownership in the world ( I hate the term SUV, so I wont use it! ). Mums drive them to school, to the shops, to coffee but hardly ever to the Outback or the beach. If you want to move five or six kids then apparently these things are the only way to go!
Australians (and the motor trade) are now experiencing the same kind of symptoms as we did back in the eighties. This last month or so, most of the trade-ins I have looked at have all had 4 x4 in their badge . The funny thing is that the owners who are trying to ditch these things won't admit that fuel consumption has anything to do with their decision.
Amongst the favoured excuses heard at the moment include,
1" I just dont use it any more!",
2" Its too big for my wife to drive!""
3 "It wont fit in the garage!"
What they are really trying to say is:
1 It only does 12 MPG
2 It only does 12 MPG and she is sick of putting fuel in it!
3 It only does 12 MPG, please take this thing away before it bankrupts me!
The upshot of all this is quite simple, the used vehicle market is flooded with all shapes and sizes of 4x4's and values are plummeting. The big bruiser Patrol and Landcruiser in petrol automatic form are the worst hit, with Landrover Discovery V8 and Jeeps of all models following close behind. The problem will only compound as more people try to quit them.
On reflection, Its a shame we did not follow the Europeans at some stage. If you really needed an eight seater, the option of a Turbo diesel powered Renault Grand Espace would surely now be looking quite sensible.
It was a difficult time for the Australian motor industry, both the Ford V8 engine and the Kingswood/ Statesman died around this time and sudenly everyone had a Corona/ Sigma/ Bluebird as a company car. Why? The price of fuel.
Since then, we as a nation have embraced the American way. Hell, we are one of the most urbanised nations on Earth and yet we have one of the highest rates of 4x4 ownership in the world ( I hate the term SUV, so I wont use it! ). Mums drive them to school, to the shops, to coffee but hardly ever to the Outback or the beach. If you want to move five or six kids then apparently these things are the only way to go!
Australians (and the motor trade) are now experiencing the same kind of symptoms as we did back in the eighties. This last month or so, most of the trade-ins I have looked at have all had 4 x4 in their badge . The funny thing is that the owners who are trying to ditch these things won't admit that fuel consumption has anything to do with their decision.
Amongst the favoured excuses heard at the moment include,
1" I just dont use it any more!",
2" Its too big for my wife to drive!""
3 "It wont fit in the garage!"
What they are really trying to say is:
1 It only does 12 MPG
2 It only does 12 MPG and she is sick of putting fuel in it!
3 It only does 12 MPG, please take this thing away before it bankrupts me!
The upshot of all this is quite simple, the used vehicle market is flooded with all shapes and sizes of 4x4's and values are plummeting. The big bruiser Patrol and Landcruiser in petrol automatic form are the worst hit, with Landrover Discovery V8 and Jeeps of all models following close behind. The problem will only compound as more people try to quit them.
On reflection, Its a shame we did not follow the Europeans at some stage. If you really needed an eight seater, the option of a Turbo diesel powered Renault Grand Espace would surely now be looking quite sensible.
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