R. VOGT wrote in last week’s edition regarding expenditure by the City of Stirling on motor vehicles for the mayor and chief executive.
To the best of my knowledge, I have no connection to any local member or City employee, but I do feel some sense of perspective needs to be presented.
As reported in the Stirling Times on November 24, a City of Stirling spokeswoman advised that the vehicles were a Mercedes-Benz C250 and a CLA250.
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READ NOWThe television report showed badging for one of these vehicles as C250D (for diesel).
Both vehicles were apparently obtained at a discounted price of $65,000 each.
The mayor’s previous vehicle was reported as a Holden Calise V8 that cost $60.000. There is no such car as a Calise. There is a Calais and a Caprice.
From the quoted price, I presume this vehicle was a Holden Caprice.
Even the person not over familiar with cars would have some appreciation of the size of a Holden Caprice compared say, to a Toyota Camry, the Caprice being far larger.
A Mercedes-Benz C250D is smaller than a Toyota Camry and as a diesel-engined vehicle of four cylinders, far more economical and environmentally friendly than a Holden Caprice.
The last available Glass’s Guide (an industry reference source) I could find for the Holden Caprice was for October 2015, which gave a projected resale after three years of 43 per cent of the original purchase price.
No later price could be found by me and I assume this to be because production ceases in 2017.
The latest forecast for a Mercedes Benz C250D is 60 per cent of purchase price.
So on all reasonable grounds, the City would appear to have made a sound judgment call on this issue.
MIKE ASHE, Carine.