Ongoing maintenance costs

[Gregs24]

I was going to buy a MAC 1 and laughed at £50k, so I won't be spending £60k on a GT. For the price of a new GT you could have bought a new GT500 in the US. It will be interesting to see the Mustangs UK sales figures considering all car sales in the UK are down and Ford apparently sold 34k (24%) less cars in 2024 than it did in 2023.

Ford don't really want to sell many Mustangs - or at least if they do then they risk not making various CO2 targets. Ford sold a lot less cars because they dropped the Fiesta that they were making virtually no profit on - like a lot of car makers selling fewer more profitable cars is quite a good idea - look at JLR for a very good example.

We don't live in the US. Petrol is cheap in Libya and I don't live there either!

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[GR11M]

Ford don't really want to sell many Mustangs - or at least if they do then they risk not making various CO2 targets. Ford sold a lot less cars because they dropped the Fiesta that they were making virtually no profit on - like a lot of car makers selling fewer more profitable cars is quite a good idea - look at JLR for a very good example.

We don't live in the US. Petrol is cheap in Libya and I don't live there either!

That's my point, the Mustang isn't very well priced in the UK because we don't have good trade deals with the US and the Mustang isn't made in the EU to get discounts and we get r@ped by taxes.

The problem is China flooding the world with cheap crap through the subsidies the CCP is paying to it's manufacturers and Western companies are struggling. The US and EU now have tariffs in place to slow it down but if people don't wise up we're going to end up like Russia, with only Chinese cars that they hate.

 

[Gregs24]

That's my point, the Mustang isn't very well priced in the UK because we don't have good trade deals with the US and the Mustang isn't made in the EU to get discounts and we get r@ped by taxes.

The problem is China flooding the world with cheap crap through the subsidies the CCP is paying to it's manufacturers and Western companies are struggling. The US and EU now have tariffs in place to slow it down but if people don't wise up we're going to end up like Russia, with only Chinese cars that they hate.

Don't agree with pretty much all of that!

 

[GR11M]

Don't agree with pretty much all of that!

This is the problem, people don't see what's really happening in China because they manipulate everything. I've been following the news in China for the last 5 or 6 years, what we currently see in the West is very different. The Chinese domestic market is a complete shambles and close to collapsing. Even their so called top brands like BYD are $70bn in debt. The CCP are paying their car manufacturers billions in subsidies to flood the global market with cheap crap, to damage local businesses and grab market share. China has already done this in other industries such as steel, aluminium and solar panels, this is why the EU and US have started massive tariffs on China. The problem is people in China are setting up car manufacturers purely to profit from the subsidies before going bankrupt. The same thing is currently happening with China's chip industry because of US sanctions limiting the technology China can buy from the West. This mass increase of China's car manufacturers has flooded the Chinese market, crashing prices and has led to massive cost cutting in build quality and R&D, and has left tens of thousands of excess, new and unsold cars sitting in fields. What we see in the West is shielded because we have strict health and safety regulations for our cars, China has too but corruption usually finds a way of avoiding them.

 

[Gregs24]

This is the problem, people don't see what's really happening in China because they manipulate everything. I've been following the news in China for the last 5 or 6 years, what we currently see in the West is very different. The Chinese domestic market is a complete shambles and close to collapsing. Even their so called top brands like BYD are $70bn in debt. The CCP are paying their car manufacturers billions in subsidies to flood the global market with cheap crap, to damage local businesses and grab market share. China has already done this in other industries such as steel, aluminium and solar panels, this is why the EU and US have started massive tariffs on China. The problem is people in China are setting up car manufacturers purely to profit from the subsidies before going bankrupt. The same thing is currently happening with China's chip industry because of US sanctions limiting the technology China can buy from the West. This mass increase of China's car manufacturers has flooded the Chinese market, crashing prices and has led to massive cost cutting in build quality and R&D, and has left tens of thousands of excess, new and unsold cars sitting in fields. What we see in the West is shielded because we have strict health and safety regulations for our cars, China has too but corruption usually finds a way of avoiding them.

I said I don't agree. I don't have a problem, I just have a different opinion on Mustang pricing.

Not sure why you have now 'started' a thread on China?

 

[GR11M]

Not sure why you have now 'started' a thread on China?

We were discussing why car sales were down, I mentioned China flooding the market and you said you didn't agree with anything I said.

 

[SCP440]

As a buy the way, the Chinese cars might be cheap but spares are almost non existent. A work mate has been waiting for an ECU for his Chinese made MG and the dealership cant get one. Luckily it is still under warranty so they have lent him a car.

 

[GR11M]

As a buy the way, the Chinese cars might be cheap but spares are almost non existent. A work mate has been waiting for an ECU for his Chinese made MG and the dealership cant get one. Luckily it is still under warranty so they have lent him a car.

This was one of the many complaints made by Russians, who are now forced to drive Chinese cars due to sanctions. They also complained that cars were badly designed, that maintenance cost a fortune because simple tasks required the engine to be removed. They also complained that due to the cold weather that 2-3 year old cars had structural damage caused by rust, due to the metal not being properly treated. They also found brand new cars leaving the show room already rusty.

 

[SCP440]

The dealership has offered him a new one and he only has to pay the difference between the price he paid for his and new one. The problem is they have gone up 10k since he bought his and reading between the lines he doesn't want another one even if it cost no extra.

 

[GR11M]

The dealership has offered him a new one and he only has to pay the difference between the price he paid for his and new one. The problem is they have gone up 10k since he bought his and reading between the lines he doesn't want another one even if it cost no extra.

What was the price increase for, the UK, unlike the EU, hasn't imposed any tariffs on Chinese cars because they're worried about the retaliation ?

I had an hour and a half trip in an MG EV and it actually felt quite nice, although I don't think the range in it was particularity great.

 

[SCP440]

I think he got a crazy good deal on the one he has and he has had it two years and a few months so that is probably the price difference.
On the couple of times I have been it I have thought the initial impression is ok but there are rattles and squeaks that were normal 20+ years ago but most modern stuff doesn't have..The last service was expensive because apparently it needed discs and pads all round together with an AC service ect ect..
What will be interesting is how many of these Chinese cars last 10years or will they be like Kia and Hyundai rust so badly they are lucky to survive that long.?

 

[Gregs24]

As a buy the way, the Chinese cars might be cheap but spares are almost non existent. A work mate has been waiting for an ECU for his Chinese made MG and the dealership cant get one. Luckily it is still under warranty so they have lent him a car.

And MG are one of the best for spares!

 

[Gregs24]

I think he got a crazy good deal on the one he has and he has had it two years and a few months so that is probably the price difference.
On the couple of times I have been it I have thought the initial impression is ok but there are rattles and squeaks that were normal 20+ years ago but most modern stuff doesn't have..The last service was expensive because apparently it needed discs and pads all round together with an AC service ect ect..
What will be interesting is how many of these Chinese cars last 10years or will they be like Kia and Hyundai rust so badly they are lucky to survive that long.?

Kia and Hyundai don't rust like they used to.

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