Moving on from my ve ss to VF SS V is it worth it???

My mate has a VY SS in black tuned up really nice. The car is great maybe nicer than my stock VF Redline. It's all relative. Would I swap with him? NO WAY!!

 

I've always said this ... and if I totalled what I wanted & could have been able to pay repayment-for vs what I actually bought over the years, I've probably saved myself at least a coupla hundred grand ...

But at mid 40's neither I nor my better-half had ever bought a new car, the newest either of us had bought was a couple of years old - and that was in the early 90's for both of us. And as a car enthusiast I'd never owned an Australian V8 car, which (like owning an Alfa) is something I felt needed rectifying, despite the fact that I'd probably regret it (like owning an Alfa) because we all know Holdens are cheap+nasty (the reliable comfy 20yo one that the VF was replacing notwithstanding ).

Would I have bought a VE? I dunno. The interior was always very taxi-spec to me, but without the VF to compare I mightn't have been so against the concept. But we were always going to buy new, so the question never really came up.

I ... well I almost regret not waiting for a VF2. But I wouldn't have got the colour we both wanted (it's NLA in Redline), and it'd have cost nearly an extra $10k. Yes our car's depreciated AT LEAST $10k since we picked it up a bit over 5 months ago, but if you own a car 20 years like we intend to it's the purchase-price that's the biggie - resale notsomuch.

 

I wonder how many vf2 buyers are first new car buyers. I've never really considered getting a new car until the vf2 because it's the last one.

 

I know of quite a few people who've never considered owning a Commodore before, and who are keen for (or have ordered or bought) a V8 VF2.
The 6's don't have as much aura.

 

I know 3 people who bought purely cause it is the last chance to get one. Holden should of done this on the VE as a marketing ploy!

 

I spent many years buying cars a few years old based on my finances at the time. But eventually, I also came to the conclusion that if I bought new and kept the car for a longer period, the practicalities and economics were not that different. That is on the proviso that I could pay for the car up front, and not be saddled with high interest rates - remember the days of 19% home mortgage rates anyone?

Then I was given some valuable advice from a car salesman, who became a friend, on the best buying situations. When salary sacrifice came along, I started to follow his advice and have been more than pleasantly surprised.

In fact, I have found it possible to continue by buying two new cars for a very good changeover since I ceased working. The depreciation figures that I have seen are always quoted against the list price, not the actual price paid. Granted I only buy V6's, but I have never suffered anything like the "claimed" depreciation.

The last change effectively cost me less than $2K. I may yet do one more change before the VF disappears, but I will keep the last one I own as long as I can.

PS: I must add that having $3K GM discounts was a big part of the picture. With all my credits now gone, the future might not be so good.

 

Asking the original question on the VF forum, most people are going to say the VF is better. If you asked it on the VE forum I'm sure you would get plenty who prefer the VE over the VF. A lot of good things have been added in the VF and a lot taken away. Also many of the new tech can be more annoying than helpful at times. At the end of the day they are both good cars and you choose what you prefer.

 

So, what was the valuable advice?

 

What's better about a VE, apart from a more pure exterior design & costing less?

 

I bought the VF Calais (albeit series 1) for a few reasons, but having owned most versions of the Calais over the years I wanted to own one of the last versions. Initially I regretted not waiting for series 2, but not a fan of the wheels or clear tail lights on the series 2 for a Calais, so happy with my series 1.

 

Depending on exact model- AFM, flex fuel, design, better quality paint, better climate control, underbody aerodynamics, horns, DVD, handbrake, quality control, less annoying technology, door locks, cup holders, colours. No fake suede. Reversing lines on camera. Economy.

 

That one I will concede.
VF is a far better looking car and interior is miles ahead of VE.
The only good looking VE is the Senator. Everything else you can keep.

(runs and hides)

 

1. Buy a manual. Save $1K on price, save 10% on fuel, sell for $1K more after 5 years. Those figures were 20 years ago, and from my experience have only increased.

2. There are better times to buy. Late in the month, EOFY, early in the year. These are not always predictable, so deals come from keeping up with what is going on. I also inform the salesman upfront that I buy on the deal, not emotion. Last buy, the sales manager came up to the salesman that I was talking to, and told him that he had his work cut out with me – and he did. His smile when the deal was done was classic. The sales manager’s frown was just as priceless.

3. Keep the car standard, or expect a big cut in trade-in.

4. Be relaxed about colour, etc if the price is right. If you state that you want a particular colour, deals seem to disappear. I generally start saying the colour that I want, telling them the price is too high, and then asking if they can do anything special on any other colour. Last buy ended up $7K lower than their final offer for the colour that I "wanted".

5. Don't succumb to pressure from salesmen. Be prepared to walk away, but be patient before you do. Give them a chance to come down,
Lately, I have started looking again after one year. I do research on vehicles around the time of most sales. Yes, I do play games with salesman, but only when there is a chance that I will buy. My last two buys (VF SV6 manuals) were, IMHO, extremely good. Otherwise I would not have bought them.

On both occasions, I worked out what I was willing to pay (based on what I thought was also achievable), stuck to it under some pressure, and eventually got the car. It surprised me that I could turn a car over so cheaply.

 

+1 great advice!
Buying what's on the lot is so important - that's the car sitting there depreciating in value and taking up space. You're more likely to pay through the nose on something you order for this very reason.
Carsales is a fantastic tool to understand what the offering price is on a car and the final sale price.
Finally, if trading cars you need to understand changeover price and LCT rate - you do not want to bump a deal into a 33% tax rate as your just burning money away.