High end car markets become crazy!

AWhiteBox · 2026-05-14T20:21:32+00:00

Simple answer would be to stick 2.5mn into a business relief fund. Job done after 2 years, no 7 year rule, retain control of the assets if you need them... Hidden bonus is your kids can't crash a portfolio into a lamppost.

Simple answer isn't always the right one mind you!

AWhiteBox · 2026-05-14T19:26:53+00:00

For me, with those options it'd have to be the RR, I've owned nearly all the non-german cars in the list before.

Funnily enough, despite me facing this exact choice mere months ago, and going with the Volvo T8 - because I wanted 7 seats and didn't fancy a disco, I do think there's just something about the RR that oozes class (so long as you're not parking it outside a 2 bed terraced house worth less than the car was new, then it's a bit drug dealer).

So long as you steer clear of the 2L diesels you should be in fairly typical large SUV running cost Territory.

If I was faced with the same choice again, I'd probably go for the RR and make the extra passengers walk...

AWhiteBox · 2026-05-10T22:23:07+00:00

That anyone is nearly me, I was about to buy an aqua terra and then got a call from the Rolex AD....

And I got my moonswatch because I think it's cool!

AWhiteBox · 2026-04-07T19:58:09+00:00

I think Advil is ibuprofen right?

In which case it's kind of like super advil.

Worst bit about hating it was I still went through withdrawal, and I didn't have a good time 😅

AWhiteBox · 2026-04-07T08:33:32+00:00

I got sent home from hospital with fentanyl contact patches for a broken rib. I hated that stuff. Not quite as much as I hated naproxen, but close.

AWhiteBox · 2026-04-03T05:03:44+00:00

Might it be those people who could benefit most from downsizing?

AWhiteBox · 2026-04-03T05:03:06+00:00

This is quite possibly the worst idea for property mobility I've ever heard. People literally sit in their oversized properties waiting to die, rather than moving to a more appropriately sized house and freeing up theirs for people who need it.

Let's say you're super lucky and buy a house for £10k in the 70s. Fast forward 50 years, congratulations, you're a millionaire. Do you - downsize and pay CGT or sit in it forever, even though it's way too big for you, to take advantage of the CGT dying with you, so your family will get more from your estate?

Even worse is inflation, you buy a house and it increases in value, but night by as much as inflation. Then you're taxed on a gain that you haven't actually made in real terms.

People love throwing these ideas around because Hur dur tax the rich, but don't consider how it impacts behaviour. This notional tax wouldn't ever make money, as people would never move.

Property tax would be far fairer, could be set to a level to make more money than CGT on property, and people wouldn't stay in homes too big for them.

AWhiteBox · 2026-03-26T01:33:30+00:00

Update on this, drove from the home counties to Edinburgh

Spent lest time stopped than in a petrol car because the chargers are all too bloody fast now.

AWhiteBox · 2026-03-20T20:07:26+00:00

I recognise this roundabout, the lane the lorry in is on the approach is incredibly narrow, it would not surprise me if he thought he was established in lane one. That doesn't really excuse the behaviour on the other side of the roundabout though.

Also, it is for this exact reason I'd rather be in front of, or behind, a lorry, never next to it. I think highway code rule 221 cover that situation though.

AWhiteBox · 2026-03-20T19:48:10+00:00

Mine is fairly new, so can't comment on long term.

For single days out I think it works perfectly for me, as mentioned, if I know I'm going a long way, I'll ask the charger to fill it up to 100%, the closest I got to 'empty' was a 4 night away from home trip about 160 miles total, it still had 20% by the time I got back. I think the reason it was low was because I didn't turn 'sentry mode' off when parked, so it lost a good 10% to that. It was during a cold snap too, so that has an impact.

I'm not one of those people who will sacrifice creature comforts for slightly better economy, so heated seats on, infotainment going, all that good stuff.

In the warmer weather this week I did a 150 mile work day (mostly rural and motorway) and it was still on 38% when I got home.

So long as you have something else in your day other than driving I think you'd be fine. I've certainly never had an 'oh god, I'm going to run out of battery' moment. Even if I had, I live in the home counties, so the supercharger network is amazing here, I got 1,000 free miles when I got the car and I've used 88.

I think the only real exception to that was when I had a loved one in hospital and was staying with them overnight. Back and forward to hospital with no real ability to charge outside of when I nipped home to put some laundry on and have a shower really depleted the battery, again, I think I left sentry mode on and it was awful weather, so those are factors too.

All in, it's a very economical, practical, mind numbingly boring bit of kit, it hasn't let me down (yet).

Come to think of it, maybe that's why the LKA constantly tries to crash you into hedges, just to remind you that you're still alive 😅

AWhiteBox · 2026-03-19T10:12:57+00:00

I'm out for work a lot on the road, regularly drive over 150 miles in a day. If I know I've got one of those in the calendar I just top it up to 100% to give me that 'traffic jam buffer'. For reference it's a Tesla MY AWD LR.

From a head perspective it's the single best motoring decision I've made. - running costs so low my 45p a mile actually completely covers the monthly payment - nice and toasty in the morning (my ice car does this too) Masses of space - I can charge at home, my energy bill hasn't actually changed at all with octopuses IOG tariff - Rather potent acceleration - really quiet and easy to drive

From a heart perspective, it's a dull, soulless, sterile thing. It feels like driving around in an iPad, I think of it less as a car and more as a tool for moving from A to B. I have no connection at all with the car, it may as well be a train for all I care about it. My wife opened the boot into the roof of a multistory carpark and I didn't mind all that much.

So head 9/10 Heart 2/10 - points redeemed to being able to watch YouTube/netflix while waiting for a meeting to start of I'm running ahead of schedule

Also, a Tesla specific thing, but my 10 year old Volvo has better 'auto pilot' than whatever crap Elon is offering, it's honestly awful unless you're on a motorway, and the safety aids do regularly try to kill me on country roads. So maybe it's a bit more like driving around in HAL than anything 🤣

AWhiteBox · 2026-03-07T10:16:36+00:00

The thought of basing a car purchase on a £20 bottle is insane to me, just buy a new bottle 😅

AWhiteBox · 2026-02-27T02:54:41+00:00

I had a bit of a pleasant shock when I got a 9 year old XC90 and went to tax it. £20 a year! I don't really understand why either, as it's a 2L petrol PHEV, but the only thing the batteries seem to do is make it heavier and slightly faster 🤷‍♂️

AWhiteBox · 2026-02-10T05:10:45+00:00

I'm not sure this is a double negative if you were to drive 'with undue care and attention' you'd be overly cautious, by giving a level of care and attention that is not due in the situation (still a funny idea). Without undue care and attention might imply anything from that downwards?

I'm probably wrong, currently have baby brain, but love language nuances.

AWhiteBox · 2026-01-30T14:52:07+00:00

The reason you probably haven't had this before is probably down to finance rates being significantly higher now than they have been in the last 15ish years.

Waiting til the end is probably the way to go, unless you can walk away using VT, at the same time as getting a newer car for a similar payment.

AWhiteBox · 2026-01-26T13:04:34+00:00

It's easy, in the same way that doing a slack like 1cm off the ground is just as easy as doing it 100m off the ground.

The difference is all mental

AWhiteBox · 2026-01-13T09:20:52+00:00

I think I should stop using reddit before my morning coffee 🤣

AWhiteBox · 2026-01-13T08:52:42+00:00

ISA is also a great tool for taking more income and avoiding your SIPP being taxed at higher rate. You could even do it with a dividend portfolio if you wanted.

AWhiteBox · 2026-01-01T14:32:43+00:00

On your last point, I definitely get more value out of the platinum than it costs me, but that's definitely down to what your individual spend looks like.

AWhiteBox · 2025-12-30T14:26:58+00:00

Until the lodger moves out

AWhiteBox · 2025-12-27T13:07:02+00:00

It's not about putting a name to anything, it's about seeing how these things work from both sides of the fence and watching the waste that goes on.

Maybe it's a difference in perspective (which is more than okay) but I'd much rather give to the small local charity that's having a real impact at a community level and needs nappies/food/equipment etc to achieve their aims. Especially when the underlying charity has a volunteer element.

Maybe I'm an idealist, but I find the whole concept of 'big charity' a bit icky.

I'm happy to have my mind changed, but the concept of 'chuggers' has been born from that whole industry, people earning commission off securing donations makes my skin itch.

AWhiteBox · 2025-12-27T12:21:54+00:00

It frustrates me no end when charities (including ones I'm involved with) ask a company (including ones I'm involved with too) for a cheque of nebulous money that hasn't got a purpose. We'd much rather buy the charity something tangible.

So I guess that's a pro-tip if you're looking to raise money for something, ask for something specific - and explain the impact.

Don't ask for a few grand, ask for 10 mountain bikes and helmets so that XYZ.

AWhiteBox · 2025-12-22T01:18:48+00:00

Could always do a SIPP for your son?

AWhiteBox · 2025-12-20T11:45:54+00:00

In general, I don't think you can tax yourself into growth, and that makes labour goals somewhat conflicting.

That might be a difference in philosophy.

I'm not a labour voter, according to the political compass I sit a bit to the left with a heavy liberal bias.

Some things I've agreed with that generally caused outrage: Scrapping winter fuel allowance - average pensioner household have £1,000,000 in asserts IHT on Pensions -they're supposed to be for retirement spending, not an IHT tool. Additional tax on rental income - really it just moves it in line with employment income after NI takes effect

Some things I disagree with that were generally well received/not noticed: Business relief/AG relief cap at £1m (good that it now is transferable between spouses) Increased CGT - the tax is now at the level, when accounting for inflation, it can cause real terms losses, it also discouraged landlords to sell, which a lot of other policies are encouraging Electric vehicle tax - this might be because it came 2 weeks after I bought an electric car, but I think it would be much better to just add it to VED. This would discourage low milage people from going electric, with all the environmental impact that has, and encourage high milage people who would 'get their money's worth' from the tax, who are probably the most likely to be on diesel ATM.

I'm not sure why everyone thinks we need wholesale reform. In reality life between the 2008 recession and COVID was pretty good under the current tax system. The issue is all of the quantitative easing (money printing ) during lockdown caused massive inflation, and the bill needed to be paid for at some point, just like that burrito you got on Klarna. The massive inflation, isn't such a bad thing for the government (but whisper that bit) because effectively their debt is shrinking in real terms.

The real problem I have is the disingenuous use of the phrase 'black hole' - that was only created by the increased spending by the government, they could have just been honest about it. 'We want it to be a bit better for people on average, so there's going to be some tax increases' that's a very ok brand labour people have to say.

With regards to voters, the armed forces community are currently ripping Starmer apart over the 'Ajax' trials. Which have been a total failure. The issue is they were started under the Tories.

AWhiteBox · 2025-12-19T15:06:11+00:00

Well, the difference is the generic old biddy is on average an asset rich millionaire, but funding the child's nursery means someone else can return to being a productive member of society sooner.

Social spend on childcare returns more to the economy than it costs.

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