Have you gone insane man? Are you telling me a bit of shiny chrome is better than something developed from scratch? Of course not. That would be a totally retarded thing to suggest about a Ferrari or even an Audi. But for cheaper cars, it's true, and nobody seems to notice it.
The first-hand experience of trying to find the best cheap but new family car has taught me that we gobble up huge amounts of marketing BS. And the money for that marketing BS comes from you, the buyer.
But 3 or 4 years into the life cycle, when the facelift arrives, the initial investment has been recuperated. There's also not as much money being spent on marketing while dealers are inclined to be competitive and reduce their markups due the age of their product.
If you've only ever driven your parents' car, I can tell you that annual servicing costs almost as much fuel. Wouldn't it be great if it were free?
Not only that, but the mechanics have already been familiarized with the niggling flaws that that your particular model has.
When facelifts are introduced for B- and C-segment cars, the things they work on are usually refinement and reliability. More soundproofing is added; the suspension is tweaked and stronger components are developed.
In some rare cases, you can even get something as extreme as a larger trunk. For example, Nissan increased the capacity of the Juke by about 50% on models with FWD by getting rid of the full-size spare tire.
Instead, most companies use white lies to convince us progress have been made. Usually, that's either fuel economy, significant weight loss or both.
Starting with the first, I don't think I need to tell you downsized turbo engines like the 1.0 EcoBoost and 1.2 TSI have trouble achieving their fuel consumption numbers, while their 1.4 or 1.6 atmospheric units didn't.
That's because the numbers are calculated in a lab, not on the road. Emissions regulations are kind of forcing engineers to trick us into think smaller is better, but it's really not.
Hopefully, by the time the facelift comes out, you can ask a friend what his fuel bills are like.
A couple of days ago, I was shocked to look at a chart of all the major cars in the B segment and discovered all of them weighed about the same. Some were old, others brand new, which proved there's no weight-saving magic: if you need airbags, five seats and a boot, it's going to weigh about 1.1 tons.
You might think this only applies to cheap cars made by deceitful French companies. But I looked at the W205 Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the differences compared to the W204 were smaller than I was lead to believe. To give you an example, let's look at the C220 CDI, which most Europeans buy. The old one weighed 1,585 kilos (3494 lbs) while the new model is 1,550 kilos (3417 lbs) and part of the difference is down to a smaller fuel tank.
I've seen it with SUVs too. Some companies claim they've reduced over 200 kilos (440 lbs), but they did it by removing some of the mechanical differentials. Either this ruins the handling or you can order them as options and add the weight back on.
The point is that brand new generations of cars with "all-new" platforms and engines don't make as much of a difference as you're being told.
When a facelift or special edition is introduced, they usually throw in an extra color or two to make it appear different. That's a free advantage in your favor, so make use of it!
I will agree that interior finish has made gigantic leaps in recent year. You can now even order a head-up display on a Mazda2. But can you afford to? Probably not, nor can you pay for lots of cameras and navigation if you're on a budget.
If you think about it, the infotainment screen is a 7-inch section of your 170-inch car (roughly) that gets used for only a couple of seconds at a time. So why would you pay €1,000 for it when aftermarket navigation is cheaper and less likely to become dated.
The things I've said cannot be universally applied to every type of vehicle. But I want you to remember that something that's been tried and tested is always a safer bet than "all-new" . Buy with your head and don't read into the company press statements.
Cheaper to buy
Sticking with the Ferrari versus family car theme, the cost of buying a 458 Italia stays about the same because profits come from options, not the list price. But my guesstimate is that a Renault Clio or Ford Fiesta is about €1,000 for the first year after the launch. After that, not only do they cheapen the cars, but they also add more features.But 3 or 4 years into the life cycle, when the facelift arrives, the initial investment has been recuperated. There's also not as much money being spent on marketing while dealers are inclined to be competitive and reduce their markups due the age of their product.
Servicing and reliability
Often, car companies offer something extra to get you through the dealership door. That something could be free oil changes, free winter tires or something along those lines.If you've only ever driven your parents' car, I can tell you that annual servicing costs almost as much fuel. Wouldn't it be great if it were free?
Not only that, but the mechanics have already been familiarized with the niggling flaws that that your particular model has.
When facelifts are introduced for B- and C-segment cars, the things they work on are usually refinement and reliability. More soundproofing is added; the suspension is tweaked and stronger components are developed.
In some rare cases, you can even get something as extreme as a larger trunk. For example, Nissan increased the capacity of the Juke by about 50% on models with FWD by getting rid of the full-size spare tire.
Lower weight and better fuel economy: white lies
I can't deny that the current Ford Fiesta is better than its predecessor in every way, or that the same applies for the Focus. But premium quality and solid feel are not quantifiable.Instead, most companies use white lies to convince us progress have been made. Usually, that's either fuel economy, significant weight loss or both.
Starting with the first, I don't think I need to tell you downsized turbo engines like the 1.0 EcoBoost and 1.2 TSI have trouble achieving their fuel consumption numbers, while their 1.4 or 1.6 atmospheric units didn't.
That's because the numbers are calculated in a lab, not on the road. Emissions regulations are kind of forcing engineers to trick us into think smaller is better, but it's really not.
Hopefully, by the time the facelift comes out, you can ask a friend what his fuel bills are like.
A couple of days ago, I was shocked to look at a chart of all the major cars in the B segment and discovered all of them weighed about the same. Some were old, others brand new, which proved there's no weight-saving magic: if you need airbags, five seats and a boot, it's going to weigh about 1.1 tons.
You might think this only applies to cheap cars made by deceitful French companies. But I looked at the W205 Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the differences compared to the W204 were smaller than I was lead to believe. To give you an example, let's look at the C220 CDI, which most Europeans buy. The old one weighed 1,585 kilos (3494 lbs) while the new model is 1,550 kilos (3417 lbs) and part of the difference is down to a smaller fuel tank.
I've seen it with SUVs too. Some companies claim they've reduced over 200 kilos (440 lbs), but they did it by removing some of the mechanical differentials. Either this ruins the handling or you can order them as options and add the weight back on.
The point is that brand new generations of cars with "all-new" platforms and engines don't make as much of a difference as you're being told.
Extra colors and features
Have you ever really looked at a paintjob long and hard? Has the orange peel effect lessened over the years? I think it hasn't. How about the wheels? No, they are still made from metal and weigh a lot.When a facelift or special edition is introduced, they usually throw in an extra color or two to make it appear different. That's a free advantage in your favor, so make use of it!
I will agree that interior finish has made gigantic leaps in recent year. You can now even order a head-up display on a Mazda2. But can you afford to? Probably not, nor can you pay for lots of cameras and navigation if you're on a budget.
If you think about it, the infotainment screen is a 7-inch section of your 170-inch car (roughly) that gets used for only a couple of seconds at a time. So why would you pay €1,000 for it when aftermarket navigation is cheaper and less likely to become dated.
The things I've said cannot be universally applied to every type of vehicle. But I want you to remember that something that's been tried and tested is always a safer bet than "all-new" . Buy with your head and don't read into the company press statements.
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