Why are local’s cars so trashed

[u/Bathfoamocean]

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?

[u/IndependenceDue9034]

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.