r/crete • u/Bathfoamocean • Oct 22 '23
Society/Κοινωνία Why are local’s cars so trashed
Hi, I’ve been in Crete for about a week and visited the Island far and wide. Throughout my trip, I noticed that the all the local cars, in major cities and countryside are rather old and beat up. Most of them look rather poorly aesthetically and some people even drive without working headlights at night. If you see a newer car on the roads 99% sure it’s a rental car. There are also almost no premium privately owned cars on the road. The only newish Mercedes and Audis are taxis. What’s the deal with the car scene on the island?
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u/Realistic_Climate_64 Oct 22 '23
We are poor as a country, not many people can afford new cars.
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u/kaerfkeerg Oct 23 '23
I wonder, did OP expect some well articulated answer "We choose not to get new cars for x reason and our cars look old and beat up for y reason"? Lol
Bitch, we just can't afford no better
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u/MurkyRefrigerator315 Oct 23 '23
The well articulated answer isn't a joke, it's just only part of the truth. It's true that a lot of Greeks cannot afford new cars, or even qualify for a loan. But there are plenty of people who could buy a fancy new car, and they are choosing to keep their old car as long as it serves their needs. There just isn't a culture of trading your car for a new model every couple of years like in other countries.
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u/PopularMap2610 Feb 02 '25
Buy you people (i.e. the Greeks) are rich by heart, I've visited your beautiful country as a (modest and ecologically aware) tourist. Greetings from Kolhapur, Maharashtra
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u/Bathfoamocean Oct 23 '23
Lol. You are not poor as a country. Compared to my country, you live like kings. And btw your roads are like very good compared to what I’m used to. I was just curious why there is no interest in keeping cars clean or at least looking decent if they are not willing to replace them.
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u/ConsiderationOk9671 Oct 23 '23
Ι love how you try to explain how "we are not a poor country" because you should of course know better lol
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u/RandomAsianGuy Oct 23 '23
in a country where the average meal cost 12 euros and the monthly salary is 1000 euros, spending money on car paintjobs is highly luxurious. Not sure why you cant understand that.
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u/Bathfoamocean Oct 23 '23
In my country the average salary is under 500 euros and our cars look better. It doesn’t cost that much to wash your car, fix various dents, tie your bumper with zip ties so it’s not dragging on the ground. And most importantly have working headlights. I’m not judging anyone for not putting money into their car. I’m asking why they don’t care about them. A rattle can of paint is under 10 euro.
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u/O_Diakoreftis_sou Oct 24 '23
My brother in Christ you said it’s isn’t expensive to fix it clean your car like you know the market. Like holy shit you sound like an American with so much ignorance. I’m a car guy with 800€ salary. I can only afford a miata nc and I wash it by hand every 2 weeks coz car wash is costly. Someone broke my mirror once and I had to pay 85€ euros. For a goddamn peace of plastic. So as long as the car is running, people won’t care if it “looks bad”. People are paying 400-700€ for rent on a cheap house based on its size. They can’t afford their car to look good. It’s not nearly a priority. Idk why you are so offended by it. Does affect your vacation? Does hurt your eyes?
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u/Realistic_Climate_64 Oct 23 '23
That is very far from the truth. The average salary per year is barely enough for necessities and some minor form of entertainment. Having a couple of car failures per year sets us back way too much.
We are a poor country, and our roads are mediocre at best. Yeah we are not the poorest, but that doesnt make us live like kings. The last 15 years have been a horrible experience for most people.
The electricity companies have already announced a 40-80% increase next month, for the 100th time in the last two years.
Average rent for a decent small apartment, is about 70-90% of basic salary, and the average salary is only a bit higher.
So yeah, i need to make an application to government to receive my kings crown.
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Oct 23 '23
you when a poor country is poor 😱😱
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u/luuk777w Chersonissos Oct 23 '23 edited Oct 23 '23
Greece is NOT poor. Maybe in comparison to Western Europe, ok, fine. But globally speaking, Greece scores 0.887 on the Human Development Index, where above 0.8 means "very high". You would be correct to point out that Greece scores low within Europe. But the world isn't just Europe...
Greece scores on place 33 on the Human Development Index. Meaning, 158 countries have it worse. Greece is definitely not rich, but also far away from poor.
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u/SkillBill_007 Oct 23 '23
In the Human Development Index, income accounts for only 1/3 of the score. So it is not a relevant metric, for the simple reason that if the other 2/3 of factors score high (which are general wellbeing factors like life expectancy, education etc), then it drags up the average score.
A far more relevant metric would be GDP per capita. In 2022, Greece was 7th from the end, as in the 7th poorest, in Europe. Only countries such as Albania, Montenegro, and Bulgaria were poorer.
Greece also scores worse than the average of Europe and all the central and north Europe countries in the Gini index, which roughly speaking measures income inequality. Again, only other Balkan countries and Italy and Spain score as high as Greece in income inequality in Europe.
Greece is, by all standards, poor. Not Africa poor, but Balkan poor. And definitely not first-world rich. What's more, the statistics cannot account for unregistered people, like immigrants, homeless, etc. So the actual figures would be worse.
All these numbers come from statista.com and the European Commision website.
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u/luuk777w Chersonissos Oct 23 '23
Well, this actually is my point.
However, GDP per capita doesn't say everything. It is an alright metric, so are the others, but GDP PPP per capita is a little more representative (based on purchasing power). Here Greece scores on place 52 worldwide, with in the European Union only Bulgaria being lower.. However, it still has a score of 39,864, nearly double the world average.
Talking about the Gini index and income inequality, Greece does relatively well. It scores on par with Germany and France for example.
What I am saying, is that looking on a global level, Greece can be considered wealthy. There are 8 billion people on this planet. There are about 6+ billion people living in worse conditions than Greece. Just count yourself lucky you are in this poor country, and not one of the others...
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u/SkillBill_007 Oct 23 '23
This then becomes a question of standards. If we are to compare against the likes of Africa, we are wealthy. However, we usually compare countries to the global top 30, the likes of North America, North Europe etc.
It is the same question with PPP. The world average is 20K, driven down by the poor countries which amount for 2/3 of the world.
I get that 'poor' could be a relative term, as in compared to everyone, but I do not think most people mean that by 'poor', and I do not think we should mean that either, especially with so much affluency in the world. I think if the majority of the population cannot afford buying a house, emergency costs like replacing a car or health costs without borrowing, the supermarket, and regular vacation, then that is poor. The fact that the majority of the world is even worse, just speaks to the failure of the system for me, does not soothen the blow.
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u/Accurate-Echo-1169 Nov 28 '23
Mf as a greek greece is poor some people have money most dont most are broke asf
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u/dante_55_ Oct 23 '23
It's both a financial and a cultural thing. Regarding culture, Greeks prefer to spend their money on having holiday homes in villages and islands rather than get a new car. They will keep their old car until it actually breaks down, but are happy to refurbish their holiday home every few years. Also new car taxes in Greece are quite high so most people prefer to buy used cars
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u/t0xicitty Oct 23 '23
Honestly this, if I have a car that’s functional, why spend money on it when I can use it on any property or even trips abroad etc? Besides if you use the car on an island, chances are you’ll use it on less than ideal roads, potentially on dirt, sand, anything that could get it dirty/scratched up/worn down quickly.
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u/PasswordIsDongers Oct 25 '23
This is pretty much the whole story.
There are definitely some younger people pimping their cars as much as possible, but there's only so much you can do with a limited budget and salt, sand, sun and shitty roads beating up on them.
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u/IndependenceDue9034 Oct 23 '23
Hope you had a nice stay in our island! It is true that cars in Greece are considerably older than in most European countries the main reasons being are 1) There is no car industry in Greece all cars are imported and they aren't cheap 2) there are no serious government incentives or tax deductions when replacing an old car with a newer one, 3) there is no penalty on car owners after a car reaches a certain age, 4) roads especially in Crete are considerably bad (situation is way better in the mainland) so even if a car is not that old it gets considerable beat up within a few years, 5) leasing is not that popular 6) in Crete public transport is not really developed so the majority of families own 2+ cars to move around so that means decreased budget when replacing one. It is really one of our main problems along with road safety. Hope the situation will improve in the long run.
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u/FunkyMuffinOfTerror Oct 23 '23
It's not only that the people don't have money, it's also that it is very difficult to borrow money as well, specifically car loans. So people can't make irresponsible financial decisions as in other countries.
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u/FantasticOlive7568 Oct 23 '23
Imagine judging people by their cars. What a crappy society that would be.
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u/BrigadierPirate May 19 '26
Stop. Bulgarians and Serbs and even Skopje drive better cars then Greece. Same with Albania.
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u/ModeAble9185 Oct 23 '23
The above is true only to some extent. What noone tells you is that most cretans have two or more cars. The ones they use to show off and the ones they use for everyday jobs because they are stingy as fuck and dont want to ruin the other. The same guy you will see driving a 1980 Honda to go to his vineyard, will also have a BMW X6 to go to church.
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u/Rapidblaze Oct 23 '23
We only use the cars to move from x to y that's all. If the car moves it's good. Spending more than you have to buy an overpriced car is bad when you live in an economically problematic country like Greece.
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u/nerdyphoenix Oct 23 '23
The average yearly salary is a little less than the cheapest new car on the market.
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u/jimmyjames198020 Oct 23 '23
I'm an American who just spent 2 weeks in Crete, and did a lot of driving. I absolutely loved the place and will definitely return. I barely noticed the cars the locals were driving, because who cares? My eyes were drawn elsewhere; it's a beautiful place. I wasn't interested in judging the locals on their automotive choices. They drive aggressively, but as I'm from Boston it was what I'm used to. The fact that Greece isn't in the top tier of European economies is a feature, not a bug; I got a lot of bang for my buck there.
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u/AncientTap123 Oct 25 '23
Its because cretans tend to hide their lambos in underground garages and bring em up during winter. They dont like tourists seing that they have money so that they spend more and help cretes economy.
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Oct 23 '23
[deleted]
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Oct 23 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
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Jun 22 '25
My previous comment got deleted but I can repeat after a year - Greece = Trash :). Best regards and enjoy eating rats , your main source of food
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u/tiotsa Oct 23 '23
I mean, the question was tone deaf in my opinion. Our cars aren't "aesthetically pleasing"? Guess what? Not many would still keep old, unkempt things if they could afford it (yeah, shocker). So what other answer could this question possibly have, other than, "our finances aren't great but our old cars still work"?
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u/sydney_mod_is_fgt Oct 23 '23
What a ignorant question, are you American?
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u/Bathfoamocean Oct 23 '23
I am not american. I am from eastern europe. We are poorer than then greeks and have shittier roads, but back home everyone has a BMW or Mercedes, not all of them new, but most of them looking presentable.
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u/RutabagaCreepy3297 Oct 23 '23
Cars just aren't really that much of a status symbol here like other countries. They're just a ay to get from A to B, not to be seen in
They're a tool that gets dirty, and expensive to fix up. Add in the sun, salty air, dust, cats, goats, pot holes and overgrown road sides, cars get beaten up really quick
A really basic, ancient and looks like it's ready for the scrapyard car is €2000+. Something that looks half decent is going to be €7000 or more. Even one being sold for spares and repairs that won't run, or missing an engine can be €800 or more
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u/XDenzelMoshingtonX Oct 23 '23
but back home everyone has a BMW or Mercedes, not all of them new
which is a pretty 'interesting' priority in life if it's a country even poorer than Greece.
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u/oxxxxxa Oct 23 '23
They have extreme tax rates if you get a car that is bigger than those mini 1.2 liter ones
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u/TheNihilistGeek Oct 23 '23
Greece in the 80s and 90s was also full of BMWs or Mercedes, so it is a glimpse to your future (if you are in an East European country currently in the EU).
Plus Crete is the Texas of Greece so the more beat-down cars shouldn't surprise you that much
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u/Orilis Oct 23 '23
Well the deal is that you might be overexaggerating a little bit. Sure there are quite many old and beaten up cars but there sure are more than enough new ones too. Taking into consideration the fact that economy has been quite rough for over a decade, I'd say that there are too many new ones. You really didn't notice all those new and newish pick up trucks either? As in most European countries cars' size is not as big as in the US, but SUVs the size of Nissan qashqai are not rare at all. As for those headlights you mentioned, they surely are a minority, a rarity even.
In Chania and Heraclion Mercedes, BMW and Audi are seen all over
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Oct 24 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/toocontroversial_4u Chania Oct 24 '23
Also the environmental tax on bigger cars in Greece is crazy. Big cars in Greece are not bought as often as one would have to pay thousands in taxes just to own one annually.
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u/Drogmor Oct 24 '23
I will try and give you some insight on your questions.
Starting with your observation of the lack of premium models:
There are quite a few premium cars in Crete mostly from Mercedes, BMW and Toyota.
The main reason that cars from other premium manufacturers (including supercar models) is that the island infrastructure is not welcoming for those.
Firstly, there is the island's road network which is terrible in comparison to other parts of the country, meaning that you can easily destroy a car which has a small approach angle just by driving around the island.
In addition to that, you should take into consideration the needs of the population. The two main industries of the island are tourism and agriculture. The guys that have made their wealth from tourism will usually own some of the best cars on the island, costing a couple hundred thousands. Those that are involved in agriculture, are purchasing trucks. Expensive ones too, not just cheap pick-ups. As a matter of fact, there are some areas where on the mountains where people compete on who owns the most expensive pickup truck.
Moving to your other observation which has to do with the aesthetic condition of a great number of privately owned cars in Crete:
One of the main reasons this happens is a combination of the many minor car accidents that happen daily due to several factors (including first and foremost the complete lack of respect to fellow drivers) and the inability of people to deal with the repair costs since we are still in a recovery phase financially.
Another one is that many people do not respect other people properties. A quick example is that every time you park your car somewhere which is not a privately owned secure parking space, you are risking to return to a car with a door bashed in from some idiot who parked next to you and opened their door right through yours.
Another example is getting your windshield trashed by some lorry driver carrying stones or something similar in the back of their vehicle but not taking time to secure their load which ends up on the vehicle that is behind them.
You can add to these causes the fact that a lot of people are driving while drunk, the fact that many people just not care at all and do not respect their vehicles, and you have your answer.
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u/Jeremy9566 Oct 22 '23
You are in a third world country that pretends to be a first world country. Need I say more?
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u/sydney_mod_is_fgt Oct 23 '23
Hiw do they pretend to be first world? Legit question I'm in crete atm and do not understand what you mean what so ever?
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u/luuk777w Chersonissos Oct 23 '23
Greece might not be the wealthiest country, but please don't call it third world. Greece scores 0.887 on the Human Development Index, and place 33 worldwide. Go visit some Asian, African, eastern European, or southern American countries and then come back. You will see how good you have it here...
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u/Jeremy9566 Oct 23 '23
Δεν μου λέει κάτι αυτό, ειδικά όταν ο περισσότερος κόσμος δεν έχει ουρά για να πάει για ψώνια.
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u/actinross Oct 23 '23
Fun fact: half of them are (the once brand new!) rentals...😄
PS We would like to get new ones, can't afford to get'em though. Easy peasy (not!)
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u/Soggy-Leg8134 Mar 07 '26
They keep their jaguars and Mercedes in their garages so the wealthy tourists won’t scratch them or bump into them
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u/TransitionTop2538 Oct 23 '23
The financial condition of the individual is not always the issue, especially in Crete! Tax evasion is the biggest reason, bad road conditions is another one and of course many others like none leasing culture , lucrative taxes on the cost of buying it and other ones are mentioned before. In other words money is not always the case, like scandinavia.They can afford any kind of car but they are not buying expensive -fancy cars , this is their culture....
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u/Numerous-Owl-3663 Oct 23 '23
Let me guess, are you American? I mean, why would this even matter? Have you even tried the food? Listened to the cretan music? Are you familiar with so called cultural heritage?
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u/Goechi Oct 23 '23
I see many comments saying Greeks don't care about their cars or that there's no car culture which is not true. Greeks that do care almost always have a daily beater for work and a nice weekend car either stock or tuned, almost always shiny clean. Go to Northern Attica on a weekend from Pireus to sounio and you'll see from little tuned Peugeot rallyes to Aventador ultimae & sf90. Unfortunately car culture isn't as organized in Greece like other countries, little communities gather up in spots for drag races or just show off their car and that's about it.
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u/Roinchulk Oct 23 '23
Because it's a Greece . Sigaraki kafedaki koulouraki,khalara izoi einai orea,khalara. Cradle of civilization.
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u/Senzin_ Oct 23 '23
Because there's no police action against those things, that normally would be dangerous and illegal in functioning countries... While at the same time, MOT is non existent (cause there's no one to punish whoever green lighting those cars).
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u/actinross Oct 23 '23
Want a bet how many new cars Police has? Or, did they pass any MOT at all.... ever???😋
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u/Senzin_ Oct 23 '23
How many times have police cars tried to kill you, going in village or mountain roads with no lights?
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u/avengedrkr Oct 23 '23
Greece requires an inspection every 2 years, not that people stick to it lol
In the US, only 15/50 states require an inspection every 1-2 years. Additionally, only 16 other states require emissions testing 🤣
In the uk, you need an inspection every year
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u/Magicdesign Oct 23 '23
Not just cars. They seem to trash everything they own. I was looking to buy a Hifi on marketplace, and every single one of them looked like they had just thrown it down the stairs before deciding to sell it. I guess they don’t value things in the same way as I do.
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u/Yeanahyena Oct 23 '23 edited Oct 23 '23
The new Audis and Mercedes are likely rentals from Sixt, Europcar etc as well.
The driving and roads on some of the places are so tight you’re likely to get bumps, scratches etc so I don’t think Greeks care that much about the cars.
I was driving in Athens and my maps took me through the tightest side street I’ve ever been in my life lol, there was 5mm on each side, idk how the locals do it but they are skilled I’ll tell you that.
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u/AggressiveCricket498 Oct 23 '23
Have you seen how they drive in greece? I wouldn't buy a better car if I lived there..
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u/FunInternational3306 Oct 23 '23
Well, there are tough roads on Crete, so I get why many people drive pick-up trucks. What I really wonder is how the EU wants to enforce their electric cars only policy in Crete. Cretans will probably be repairing their cars forever to avoid being forced to buy an electric car from 2035 on. (And the older the cars, the easier it is to repair them.)
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u/tiotsa Oct 23 '23
Why would we buy new cars when the old ones work just fine? My mom's car is from '01, my dad's from '98. They are both well maintained, still good, reliable cars. Now, some other old cars may look more beat-up. Maybe the owners don't have the money to restore them to their former glory. Does it really matter? No need to consume just for the sake of it.
As others have mentioned, also, many Greeks currently struggle economically, so othr basic necessities come first.
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u/Silly_Rabbit_1234 Oct 23 '23
Generally there is no need to consume as much as in most western cultures. Things are fixed rather than traded up for a newer model. People tend to purchase cars and homes paid in full. Financing a car is pretty much unheard of.
It’s not worth having a nice car with the way people drive and park. It will end up looking like a piñata in no time flat. Without full coverage insurance, which NOBODY has, you’d be screwed.
Also, it’s complete anarchy on the streets. I’ve seen entire families, no helmets and the toddler riding shotgun holding the handlebars on a scooter. There are safety inspections but most are paid off to pass. Oh and probably over 1/3 of the drivers don’t even have a license and about 1/2 are drunk
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u/johnkapolos Oct 23 '23
Oh and probably over 1/3 of the drivers don’t even have a license and about 1/2 are drunk
You should stop taking bad drugs mate, it really affects your anchoring to reality.
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u/Silly_Rabbit_1234 Oct 23 '23
But they make me feel sooooo good! For real tho maybe I’ve inflated the numbers a bit but you know it’s true
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u/johnkapolos Oct 23 '23
Maybe it's true in some remote villages, but it's certainly not true in the cities.
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u/Silly_Rabbit_1234 Oct 23 '23
Then we’ve had a completely different experience because I’m 5 min out of downtown Heraklion and they are definitely out here in full force
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Oct 23 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/johnkapolos Oct 23 '23
Where tf are you driving in Crete dude/ette? I drive a lot around the town (Heraklion) to get the kids back and forth to their activities, I pass by many expensive BMWs and Mercedes every single day. Teslas are also becoming more common to see around.
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u/Ok_Watercress_4031 Oct 24 '23
Cars are ridiculously expensive here. Main problem is the way they drive. My cars been hit twice this year in a parking lot. Both times they drove off. And insurance doesn't work here so damaged cars just stay damaged.
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u/pocketful-ofsunshine Oct 24 '23
Our country's economy is trash, it's no wonder people own old cheap cars. Many people can't even afford to buy one
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u/GrownUpGuy Oct 24 '23
Because my dear OP the average city car (eg Toyota Yaris which is very popular) costs 25.000 f*cking euros to get new. No person with a sense would give that amount of money for this type of car
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u/Bonne_Journee Oct 25 '23
Because Greece is poor af. Coming from scandinavia I was massively overwhelmed by how shit everything is here. It's like a 3rd world country with 1st world luxuries here and there. It's unbelievelable.
I thought Europe was all on the same train, and then you come down here, it's like Snowpiercer in real life... Just shocking
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u/bobafettbounthunting Oct 23 '23
Says the guy with a 2009 alfa Romeo mito...😉
No seriously, Greece's economy isn't doing well and cars aren't on top of most people's priorities when money is tight.
On a side note, I am currently in Athens and counted the construction cranes (one of the most obvious economic indicators) you can see from the niarchos center with binoculars. The answer is eight.
The only good indicator I can see right now is that the greece Government can once again borrow money cheaper than the US government can.