I totally agree !.
I think the way buy cars now has completely changed in the last ten years at least.
PCP deals etc have shifted the trend.
Brilliant for increasing the sales of new cars of course, but people now enter into a showroom with a figure that they can afford each month and the deal is centred around that figure.
A lot of people have little idea of the price of the car and pay little interest in the trade in value of their own car ( if they have one ).
If it’s make the deposit and they have some cash left, that’s all that seems to matter now.
Dealers then calling people, offering to take in their current car, before the end of the PCP term, and putting them in a brand new shiny model ( which has increased in price ) for another few quid a month.
Of course, because the original car has not gone full term, the remainder of the PCP balance is then consolidated into the new deal.
Slowly but surely increasing the monthly payments each time the car is replaced.
You are now caught in the trap.
After a few years, and few cars latter, this can become a little dangerous.
How many people save to pay off the ballon payment at the end of the term ?.
Not many I would hazard a guess.
Just far too easy to jump into another new car and drive away, for an extra £40 a month let’s say.
Speak purely for myself here, but I think the PCP culture allows people to afford cars on a monthly basis, that normally they have no chance of owning.
All this is fine, until one day when you need to leave the merry go round ride.
After riding around in numerous high end cars and then when you need to jump ship, you either coughing up the ballon payment ( not going to happen ) or hand the keys back with very little else in return.
Even if you have built up some return in the car, what is that likely to buy you ?.
That is a long way to fall !.
I would advise caution

when being tempted by the latest and greatest offers from the dealership.
The likely hood is, that if you car has covered only a very small mileage, they already have a cash sale customer ready for that car, when you trade it in for your new car.
All to easy when you start on your first PCP deal, to find yourself placing down a small deposit and a couple of hundred quid per month.
Three or four new cars latter and your monthly payments have doubled or even trebled !.
We all love new cars, but you have to be carefully not to get sucked in too deep.
Buy what you need, not what you want !.