Pistonheads vehicles you don't "get"

Pistonheads vehicles you don't "get"

Author
Discussion

mattknight1984

157 posts

114 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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soad said:
MX-5. Woefully under powered... getmecoat
Agree 100% - I've driven several and don't understand the appeal at all.

nunpuncher

Original Poster:

3,363 posts

124 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
quotequote all
TommoAE86 said:
I have a giant Golf R chip on my shoulder, I don't get it and I don't see the worth in compromising. If I want something fast I want it to look fast, if I want something to ferry life around with me I'll get something that does that job.
But what if you want something fast but life (the wife) dictates something to ferry life around in?

Regarding the Mx5. that was one car i also didn't get. My wife had a 1.6 mk2 and it was utterly terrible. She replaced it with a mk2.5 1.8 limited addition and that changed my opinion. My old man was then given a mk1 import as part payment on a debt and my mind was completely changed after driving that. in the end I had to get one of my own.

csampo

236 posts

194 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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dme123 said:
I'll defend Volvo and say they are PH but in quite a subtle way. They aren't exciting and even the quick ones go about their business in quite an aloof way, but they are good at practically everything and truly bad at nothing that is really important in an everyday/family car. They're just... competent. This doesn't make for an exciting car but it does make for an excellent daily driver, which then gives you the freedom to have something as stupid as you want for a 2nd car.

They also don't have any particular dhead image, they're generally engineered and built very well, the engines are very good and have enough character to be enjoyable without having any foibles that irritate and the ergonomics and human interface aspects are absolutely spot on.
+1. As a tool they are excellent; not excellent to drive, but competent, reliable and lovely places to sit. Great seats and a great stereo are a strong combination in a daily driver.

TommoAE86

2,659 posts

126 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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nunpuncher said:
TommoAE86 said:
I have a giant Golf R chip on my shoulder, I don't get it and I don't see the worth in compromising. If I want something fast I want it to look fast, if I want something to ferry life around with me I'll get something that does that job.
But what if you want something fast but life (the wife) dictates something to ferry life around in?
This is where everyone else goes wrong, if I want a life mobile it's got to be interesting. Any VW is never going to be interesting, to drive or to look at.

If I was forced into just a family car I'd get an Impreza, Aristo, Chaser, Volvo 850, E28/39 etc Vastly more interesting and fun to drive, I'm willing to bet that all but the Japanese will do the same MPG etc than the shopping trolley

the_stoat

504 posts

210 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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Any BMW with M sport suspension. Seriously harsh for no good reason that I can work out. I have a Megane R26 daily and while it is stiff it does not cause the same gut wobble as M sport stuff.

DS197

992 posts

105 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
quotequote all
soad said:
MX-5. Woefully under powered... getmecoat
x2

TurboHatchback

4,151 posts

152 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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Muzzer79 said:
Big engined petrol 'every day' cars. Sure, a V8 powered sports car or similar is great but I can't understand some people who's affinity to petrol is so great that their 5 series/Range Rover/Mercedes has to be a big V8....
I on the other hand can't see why you'd pick any version other than the big V8? You get a lovely noise, lots of oomph, no nasty dieselyness and the fuel economy is hardly different enough to pay much attention to. My big V8 barge quite happily does over 30mpg on trips of 10 miles or more, I've seen over 35 on some journeys. A smaller petrol would be no better and a diesel would offer maybe 10-15% lower fuel costs at the expense of performance, diesely unpleasantness and complexity.

I sort of agree about the MX5, they are too small for me to physically fit in and very lacking in gumption. On the other hand the Mk3 MR2 roadster I tried was excellent whilst following a fairly similar recipe.

andy-xr

13,204 posts

203 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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TurboHatchback said:
I on the other hand can't see why you'd pick any version other than the big V8? You get a lovely noise, lots of oomph, no nasty dieselyness and the fuel economy is hardly different enough to pay much attention to. My big V8 barge quite happily does over 30mpg on trips of 10 miles or more, I've seen over 35 on some journeys. A smaller petrol would be no better and a diesel would offer maybe 10-15% lower fuel costs at the expense of performance, diesely unpleasantness and complexity.

I sort of agree about the MX5, they are too small for me to physically fit in and very lacking in gumption. On the other hand the Mk3 MR2 roadster I tried was excellent whilst following a fairly similar recipe.
It's the running cost, the ongoing cost though, from a past S Type owner unless you're running a pre 99 car the road tax is horrible and 20'ish to the gallon or a range of like 350 miles or less round town at 119p per litre gets tiring quickly.

I mostly do town driving, and right now I'm doing it in a 2.0 diesel, it does somewhere around 35'ish to the gallon in mostly sub 40mph driving, it's half the equivalent petrol in road tax though, repairs I'd try and do myself unless it's beyond me

I did really really like the shove of a big V8, 280hp in the S Type meant you could overtake anything you wanted other than a petrol station

TurboHatchback

4,151 posts

152 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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andy-xr said:
TurboHatchback said:
I on the other hand can't see why you'd pick any version other than the big V8? You get a lovely noise, lots of oomph, no nasty dieselyness and the fuel economy is hardly different enough to pay much attention to. My big V8 barge quite happily does over 30mpg on trips of 10 miles or more, I've seen over 35 on some journeys. A smaller petrol would be no better and a diesel would offer maybe 10-15% lower fuel costs at the expense of performance, diesely unpleasantness and complexity.

I sort of agree about the MX5, they are too small for me to physically fit in and very lacking in gumption. On the other hand the Mk3 MR2 roadster I tried was excellent whilst following a fairly similar recipe.
It's the running cost, the ongoing cost though, from a past S Type owner unless you're running a pre 99 car the road tax is horrible and 20'ish to the gallon or a range of like 350 miles or less round town at 119p per litre gets tiring quickly.

I mostly do town driving, and right now I'm doing it in a 2.0 diesel, it does somewhere around 35'ish to the gallon in mostly sub 40mph driving, it's half the equivalent petrol in road tax though, repairs I'd try and do myself unless it's beyond me

I did really really like the shove of a big V8, 280hp in the S Type meant you could overtake anything you wanted other than a petrol station
Oh for sure in traffic idling a big petrol engine ruins economy and is rather pointless. I don't do traffic driving though so for me they're perfect, 350hp and 30+ mpg is a pleasing combination!

fatboy b

9,492 posts

215 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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Anything from Germany for me at the moment. I've had BMWs and Audis in the past which have been good, other than the A5. But today's line up is not for me, though Porsche and Merc never will be.

s m

23,164 posts

202 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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Got to agree on the old Land Rover thing - I've driven a few and they're not my thing
Then again I don't do off-roading and similar stuff

andrewparker

7,897 posts

186 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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Focus ST and Octavia VRS. Yes, they're cheap, I get it. Still don't want one.

MarshPhantom

9,658 posts

136 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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nunpuncher said:
Reading these pages I frequently see 2 particular car manufacturer mentioned and always praised and i just don't get them. Am I just not ph enough? What am i missing?

The first is Land Rover. That's a broad brush I suppose. I get the discovery as a capable off roader which is luxuries, I get the new ones less than the earlier ones as they just seem ridiculously over opulent for their intended use now. Going to the other extreme are the Defenders. If they were really cheap i'd get why farmers loved them but they aren't really cheap and i hear their praise being shouted by devoted petrolhead who also happen to not be farmers. I know that they aren't built fantastically well so are they just really amazing to drive or something? What am i missing?

The other is Volvo. They have always been the maker of safe but never exciting cars to me. "Good in a crash" seemed to be what they were known for when i was growing up (in the 80s) and the only one I can really remember thinking "that's verging on interesting" was the v90 turbo because the traffic police used them so they must have been quick. I then see lots of praise for older models, both petrol and diesel on here and I think "what the hell have I missed?"

So, can someone enlighten me?

or

Share your "don't gets" and hope someone comes along and enlightens us all.
Much of the love for Defenders is based on they look which is odd for a vehicle that is used by farmers.

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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Muzzer79 said:
Big engined petrol 'every day' cars. Sure, a V8 powered sports car or similar is great but I can't understand some people who's affinity to petrol is so great that their 5 series/Range Rover/Mercedes has to be a big V8....
The attraction is precisely because common sense says it doesn't make sense.

The difference in economy between my old 3 litre and current 4.2 litre was negligible, but there's now comfort, more toys, more room for passengers front and back, a boot that swallows everything I've thrown at it (so far), the car itself is cooler, scarcer and will be worth something when I sell it and above all this there's the lovely V8 burble.

I like the fact that it's a stupid car to potter to the shops in but then I like being slightly contrary.

wack

2,103 posts

205 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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Defenders are like dogs, every time you see one they make you smile but if you bought one home without asking your wife wouldn't be happy.

Captain Muppet

8,540 posts

264 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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DS197 said:
soad said:
MX-5. Woefully under powered... getmecoat
x2
Underpowered for what? I've only driven mk1s, but even the 1.6 will be sideways all day long if you like.

I can understand people thinking they were slow, but then they've never pretended to be fast. If you want a fast MX5 buy an Elise or TVR (or fit a turbo). They aren't about performance, they are about sensation.

Ollie_M

2,268 posts

105 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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V80 turbo: Marmite i guess but loved that thing. Also rover 200 vi.. a true sleeper of its day

Nickbrapp

5,277 posts

129 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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E46 csl. It's a tarted up reps saloon with a few bits removed to save some weight, then the owners had refitted on the options list. Then the drivers are overweight anyway.

Same with the m135i. It's a glorified hot hatch. It's ulgy and soulless.


DS197

992 posts

105 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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andrewparker said:
Focus ST and Octavia VRS. Yes, they're cheap, I get it. Still don't want one.
Focus ST is a big one for me. Both the mk1 and mk2 just look big and bloated. Not exciting in any way whatsoever. The mk3 with 5 doors? bleugh.

ORD

18,086 posts

126 months

Thursday 23rd July 2015
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the_stoat said:
Any BMW with M sport suspension. Seriously harsh for no good reason that I can work out. I have a Megane R26 daily and while it is stiff it does not cause the same gut wobble as M sport stuff.
Interesting. I have the absolutely opposite view smile I wouldn't buy a BMW without the M-Sport suspension (or, more accurately, the switchable adaptive set up). To me, the standard suspension is wallowy and unbeatably vague.

Goes to show how differently we all perceive cars.

I don't get VWs either. The Golf was the worst super-mini of a few that I tested last year, by quite some margin, and it was also the most expensive.