SALES DRIVE

The popular press is constantly harping on about low car sales, blaming the fall in sales on environmentally-conscious buyers and the demand for the latest technology in vehicles, etc. My view is that this reasoning covers just a small proportion of car buyers and that there are many other reasons aside from cost affecting the current drop in sales, especially among those of the older generation. 1) Scrappage schemes taking in cars that are anywhere from seven to 10 years old. Who on earth is going to buy a car if the manufacturer gives the impression that it will potentially be scrap in a few years? Any environmental improvement from the allegedly more efficient engine will be outweighed by the environmental impact of manufacturing a brand-new car every few years to replace a scrapper. 2) Long-term unreliability of the most modern engines. Just look at the number of recent articles talking about the need to decoke inlet manifolds and the like after just a few tens of thousands of miles – and we are talking about four-stroke petrol engines here, not just dirty diesels or good old two-strokes – due mainly to direct-injection, seemingly required to meet emission regulations when the car is new, and the lack of a petrol/vapour wash of the inlet components. Can anyone tell me that a modern engine that’s rapidly working its way towards this choked-up, coked-up state is any better for the environment than a flat-four that’s still sweetly running after 15 years? 3) Too much technology I don’t need or want, such as an integrated infotainment system, parallel parking aids or a multitude of cameras and sensors, some of which will undoubtedly fail after a few years. One of my neighbours was quoted well over £200 to update his Audi sat-nav system to cover the three years since he bought the car new. He politely declined. Short-term fashionability and long-term environmental labels have been latched onto by the car industry and politicians, I suspect to support the economics of this particular industry at the expense of consumers. I just hope some common sense and practicality returns before I need to buy my next car! Colin Rienewerf