Does anybody else feel guilty for liking German cars?

Does anybody else feel guilty for liking German cars?

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Discussion

Car Fan

Original Poster:

162 posts

115 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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Like most people, I am a fan of German cars and there is no doubt that they are very good at what they do (although they are not perfect, e.g. I think the reliability of modern German cars is overrated).

However, I am starting to get a bit bored of their dominance of the market, and kind of feel like I should boycott the Germans and support manufacturers such as Jaguar, Volvo, Lexus etc. simply because they aren't German. Also, in the case of Jaguar, I feel like I ought to buy one to support local industry over foreign rivals. It's just that whenever I look at alternatives I always seem to find some way in which they are not quite as good as a German rival.

I was just wondering if anybody else feels the same way?

SuperchargedVR6

3,138 posts

219 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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Nope. I love German cars smile

Impasse

15,099 posts

240 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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Car Fan said:
Like most people, I am a fan of German cars
I challenge this bit.

LankyLegoHead

749 posts

131 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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Guilty? Like there's some direct link to the Holocaust for buying a Polo?

Na, they're dominant for a reason. I do like my Niche cars also, but nobody can seem to do everything as well as the Germans. Whether that be the quality of the product, or the marketing. It's always sad when brands like Saab go under, but it's business at the end of the day.

Nik da Greek

2,503 posts

149 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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I like Opel GTs and Mercedes 540Ks. Don't feel guilty about it at all

culpz

4,881 posts

111 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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I know what you mean. Sometimes i find myself looking at the German's equivalent rivals just to have something "different". German cars are absolutely everywhere now which i don't really have a problem with and you can't really blame people with the cracking lease/PCP deals you can get on them. I do like my German cars but i also like many other manufacturers. I don't believe in limiting myself to specific brands because of this. The perception and image of them seem to be the main selling point these days. I blame that "German Whip" song for that laugh

berlintaxi

8,535 posts

172 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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Its only on here that it is fashionable to dismiss all German cars as crap and owned by idiots, meanwhile in the real world very little currently on sale that most people would pick over a German manufacturer.

Alex_225

6,234 posts

200 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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Like what you like mate, makes no odds.

I've been predominantly a Renault/RenaultSport fan for most of my life. I've owned a VW and now own an AMG which is pretty immense.

The only thing I find funny is that people tend to like cars based on country rather than marque. People that say they love Jap cars and I always wonder if they just like Japanese cars by default, regardless of it being a Honda, Toyota etc?

Same goes for German, I like Mercs but I'm not big into Audi and I like some BMWs but I wouldn't say I'm a German fanboy.

My preference is by marque/model rather than country although I do appreciate there's an ethos behind countries car building.

swisstoni

16,850 posts

278 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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I don't view cars by place of origin, just whether I like them or not.

Markbarry1977

4,027 posts

102 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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Nope.

I love my Porsche!

LankyLegoHead

749 posts

131 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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swisstoni said:
I don't view cars by place of origin, just whether I like them or not.
Yep. I agree with this. I can't blame a cars country of origin for whether I like it or not.

roboxm3

2,414 posts

194 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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Nein.

WJNB

2,637 posts

160 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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I'm VERY uncomfortable owning a German car as I was when owning a Jap one.
The reasons are personal, political, contentious & most of all non-PC thus not suitable for public discussion.

Leins

9,418 posts

147 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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I'm a 100% blinkered and biased, unashamed and unswerving, dyed-in-the-wolle German-car fanboi

(I would like an Alfa SZ though)

Car Fan

Original Poster:

162 posts

115 months

Friday 12th February 2016
quotequote all
Interesting, thanks for the replies. It seems that the majority don't agree with me, which is fair enough. Just to clarify, I am not asking why people like German cars - as I stated in the OP, I like them myself so I can see why people buy/lease them. I guess I'm kind of wondering if I should 'support the underdog' even if I know that it is not quite as capable as a German car.

Although I do wonder how many members of the general public would choose a VW over a Honda (for example) simply because the former is German, so they perceive it to be 'better'.

Impasse said:
Car Fan said:
Like most people, I am a fan of German cars
I challenge this bit.
Could you elaborate please? I'm just going by what I see on the roads, I see tonnes of German cars every day - if people didn't like them, surely they wouldn't buy/lease them? Are you saying that the majority of people don't like German cars?

Axionknight

8,505 posts

134 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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I like certain cars, their nation of origin doesn't bother me, the C63 in particular - I would very much like.to oen one (estate form), it being German has no influence on that.

I'd feel guilty if I nicked something or supported ManCity, but not for liking a car.

Car Fan

Original Poster:

162 posts

115 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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Axionknight said:
I'd feel guilty if I nicked something or supported ManCity, but not for liking a car.
Yes, I think that "guilt" was maybe the wrong term to use. Perhaps more of a conflict of interest in that I wish that more people would look beyond German cars, but then I like them myself so I feel hypocritical.


Seventy

5,500 posts

137 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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Myself, no.
My grandfather,however, would never have a Mercedes as much as he wanted one (Jewish). Used to get a new XJ6/12 every year.

SidewaysSi

10,742 posts

233 months

Friday 12th February 2016
quotequote all
Car Fan said:
Interesting, thanks for the replies. It seems that the majority don't agree with me, which is fair enough. Just to clarify, I am not asking why people like German cars - as I stated in the OP, I like them myself so I can see why people buy/lease them. I guess I'm kind of wondering if I should 'support the underdog' even if I know that it is not quite as capable as a German car.

Although I do wonder how many members of the general public would choose a VW over a Honda (for example) simply because the former is German, so they perceive it to be 'better'.

Impasse said:
Car Fan said:
Like most people, I am a fan of German cars
I challenge this bit.
Could you elaborate please? I'm just going by what I see on the roads, I see tonnes of German cars every day - if people didn't like them, surely they wouldn't buy/lease them? Are you saying that the majority of people don't like German cars?
They may like the car - where it is built may have nothing to do with their choice. I have German cars, I have British cars. I have owned and loved French and Japanese cars. I buy the car, not the country.

Besides, no one nation produces the "best" cars. In fact, no one mainstream manufacturer has "best in class" cars across its range.

RDMcG

19,096 posts

206 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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I have had a fair number of them and am a fan and unashamed of it. Right now I have mainly Porsches but for off road I have a Jeep Wrangler which is better than any German in my experience. Have only once owned an Italian car decades ago [Fulvia HF), and never owned a French car. Had a few Toyotas and Hondas . Np denying overall preference for the German stuff