Cars types or manufacturers you would never purchase.
Discussion
Bradgate said:
Mainstream Audis, Ie not the sports cars or S/RS models.
If I wanted a car like an A1, A3, Q3, A4, Q5, A6 etc etc I'd just save several grand and buy the equivalent mechanically identical VW or Skoda instead.
And in the eyes of many end up with a less attractive looking car, with an interior that isn't quite as nice to be in or use, less gadgets as standard and available on the options list, less engine choice and in many cases less power and torque from the same capacity engines. If it was the case that they were exactly the same other than the badge I'd agree, but its far from that simple when you investigate further.If I wanted a car like an A1, A3, Q3, A4, Q5, A6 etc etc I'd just save several grand and buy the equivalent mechanically identical VW or Skoda instead.
Edited by Bradgate on Monday 29th August 19:34
av185 said:
I mean, does anyone driving the likes of an A4 diesel seriously think they are 'premium' 
when the equivalent Ford or Vauxhall is actually the better car. Comedy gold if only on delusion...
Can't comment on the Mondeo as it's been a long time since I drove one (impressive to drive, not so much to sit in) but I can assure you that at no point in the life of the Vectra/Insignia has it been a better car than the A4 that was available at the time. I've had the misfortune of driving eac generation as hire cars at some point over the last 15 years and they've all been bloody awful in almost every measurable way. when the equivalent Ford or Vauxhall is actually the better car. Comedy gold if only on delusion...Edited by av185 on Monday 29th August 21:00
SWoll said:
Can't comment on the Mondeo as it's been a long time since I drove one (impressive to drive, not so much to sit in) but I can assure you that at no point in the life of the Vectra/Insignia has it been a better car than the A4 that was available at the time. I've had the misfortune of driving eac generation as hire cars at some point over the last 15 years and they've all been bloody awful in almost every measurable way.
My Uncle has a GM generation Saab 9-5 saloon which I must say does look passable compared to the Vauxhall Insignia but what a horrible drive.The car is a diesel and sounds like a WW2 tank. Nothing else about the car is positive.
Real shame.
ELUSIVEJIM said:
SWoll said:
Can't comment on the Mondeo as it's been a long time since I drove one (impressive to drive, not so much to sit in) but I can assure you that at no point in the life of the Vectra/Insignia has it been a better car than the A4 that was available at the time. I've had the misfortune of driving eac generation as hire cars at some point over the last 15 years and they've all been bloody awful in almost every measurable way.
My Uncle has a GM generation Saab 9-5 saloon which I must say does look passable compared to the Vauxhall Insignia but what a horrible drive.The car is a diesel and sounds like a WW2 tank. Nothing else about the car is positive.
Real shame.
SWoll said:
They're pretty much the only range of cars I've driven (including the Astra and Zafira) where I find it impossible to find anything positive to say about them. I don't understand why any prospective owner wouldn't just buy the equivalent Ford model instead as they seem to have at least been designed by someone who likes driving IME.
I would say price. Vauxhall always seem to have some sort of deal on for new cars, and models a couple of years old can be picked up cheaper than your equivalent Ford model. A fair proportion of the population will put price above what a car actually drives like.
Personally I don't think Vauxhall are as bad as some make out, although not so keen on their current range.
Of cars I've owned or had use of in the past it was always Fords I seemed to have problems with. Stupid things going wrong, constant warped brake discs and CV joint issues on a Fiesta, central locking and electrical issues on one of the last Escorts, my bosses Mondeo that was never out the garage with various faults. I've never really got the whole Ford is best thing and felt the normal run of the mill models drove no different to their nearest rivals.
That said if a good example came along when I am next looking for a car I certainly wouldn't rule them out, along with many other manufacturers.
ch108 said:
I would say price. Vauxhall always seem to have some sort of deal on for new cars, and models a couple of years old can be picked up cheaper than your equivalent Ford model.
A fair proportion of the population will put price above what a car actually drives like.
Personally I don't think Vauxhall are as bad as some make out, although not so keen on their current range.
Of cars I've owned or had use of in the past it was always Fords I seemed to have problems with. Stupid things going wrong, constant warped brake discs and CV joint issues on a Fiesta, central locking and electrical issues on one of the last Escorts, my bosses Mondeo that was never out the garage with various faults. I've never really got the whole Ford is best thing and felt the normal run of the mill models drove no different to their nearest rivals.
That said if a good example came along when I am next looking for a car I certainly wouldn't rule them out, along with many other manufacturers.
The price thing is certainly understandable as they certainly feel like they've been made to a budget. I can only go by my own experiences of driving them for short periods over the years as hire cars both in the UK and abroad, but having driven everything from the lowly diesel to V6 models at some point they've all been dreadful. A mate of mine had a 2.5 V6 Vectra GSi from new many years ago and the combination of rock hard suspension, wheezy V6, notchy gearbox, heavy but dull steering and regular axle tramp was staggering. It wasn't that much cheaper than the E46 330i I had at the time but the difference in engineering and driving experience was like night and day.A fair proportion of the population will put price above what a car actually drives like.
Personally I don't think Vauxhall are as bad as some make out, although not so keen on their current range.
Of cars I've owned or had use of in the past it was always Fords I seemed to have problems with. Stupid things going wrong, constant warped brake discs and CV joint issues on a Fiesta, central locking and electrical issues on one of the last Escorts, my bosses Mondeo that was never out the garage with various faults. I've never really got the whole Ford is best thing and felt the normal run of the mill models drove no different to their nearest rivals.
That said if a good example came along when I am next looking for a car I certainly wouldn't rule them out, along with many other manufacturers.
simonr100 said:
I would never own a Volvo - they are associated with those 65+ years of age with no taste and who can't drive(totally unaware of those around them).I would hope that when I am that age that I will still have some sense of style and avoid crap like Volvos! I guess those that buy them also haven't had their life turn out quite as good as they hoped of they would have bought a premium brand rather than a Volvo.
I dislike the current image of Audi but I love some of the older cars like the RS2
I dislike the current image of Audi but I love some of the older cars like the RS2
Cars for old people?
I don't get the idea that these are cars which people with no taste buy. They are certainly more tasteful than its rivals and are certainly a clever purchase for the job it needs to do - transport 7 people in space, peace and comfort.
The safety of these cars is unrivalled - they hope to have no one die from a crash in their cars by 2020. That, is certainly one reason to buy these cars instead of a reason such as 'impressing the neighbours'.
There is no need for people like you to turn your nose up at people driving these types of cars - we bought this car knowing we could have got a land cruiser, discovery 3 etc but we'd rather have a car that does the job. We then went on to buy a E70 X5, and it can make me miss what the Volvo does that it can't surprisingly, even though there's a 5 year difference between them. You definitely can't say I'm not doing 'well' in life - my life has gone much better than ever. Someone I know owns a 10 year old vivaro van but has 30+ properties! Surely the van he drives can't possibly imply to everyone how his life is?
Only imbeciles judge people by their car. The XC90 pushes itself much further up the SUV class with the T8 XC90 going for £80k+.
Badge snobbery makes people blind. Volvo is a premium brand - we're sad that ours is going. The same can be applied to cars like the 12C and the R35 GT-R - both great cars but the GT-R is more capable and yet people go for the mclaren because of the badge because 'the gals luv the mclaren badge' compared to Nissan!
Edited by rayyan171 on Tuesday 30th August 22:53
rayyan171 said:
simonr100 said:
I would never own a Volvo - they are associated with those 65+ years of age with no taste and who can't drive(totally unaware of those around them).I would hope that when I am that age that I will still have some sense of style and avoid crap like Volvos! I guess those that buy them also haven't had their life turn out quite as good as they hoped of they would have bought a premium brand rather than a Volvo.
I dislike the current image of Audi but I love some of the older cars like the RS2
I dislike the current image of Audi but I love some of the older cars like the RS2
Cars for old people?
I don't get the idea that these are cars which people with no taste buy. They are certainly more tasteful than its rivals and are certainly a clever purchase for the job it needs to do - transport 7 people in space, peace and comfort.
The safety of these cars is unrivalled - they hope to have no one die from a crash in their cars by 2020. That, is certainly one reason to buy these cars instead of a reason such as 'impressing the neighbours'.
There is no need for people like you to turn your nose up at people driving these types of cars - we bought this car knowing we could have got a land cruiser, discovery 3 etc but we'd rather have a car that does the job. We then went on to buy a E70 X5, and it can make me miss what the Volvo does that it can't surprisingly, even though there's a 5 year difference between them. You definitely can't say I'm not doing 'well' in life - my life has gone much better than ever. Someone I know owns a 10 year old vivaro van but has 30+ properties! Surely the van he drives can't possibly imply to everyone how his life is?
Only imbeciles judge people by their car. The XC90 pushes itself much further up the SUV class with the T8 XC90 going for £80k+.
Badge snobbery makes people blind. Volvo is a premium brand - we're sad that ours is going. The same can be applied to cars like the 12C and the R35 GT-R - both great cars but the GT-R is more capable and yet people go for the mclaren because of the badge because 'the gals luv the mclaren badge' compared to Nissan!
Edited by rayyan171 on Tuesday 30th August 22:53
rayyan171 said:
Badge snobbery makes people blind. Volvo is a premium brand - we're sad that ours is going. The same can be applied to cars like the 12C and the R35 GT-R - both great cars but the GT-R is more capable and yet people go for the mclaren because of the badge because 'the gals luv the mclaren badge' compared to Nissan!
Whilst I understand what you're getting at, I think the last analogy is a poor one. My life hasn't gone well enough to be ordering McLarens yet but of those I do know with high end cars like that, it's the pedigree and purity they want, not top trumps figures. Capability in a modern performance car is somewhat of a moot point for road use - they're all capable of doing hugely inappropriate things if the driver has no self discipline or brains, but to be honest I've yet to hear anyone who has actually driven a GTR for a period of time who wasn't simultaneously impressed and bored with it sooner or later. It's a one trick pony like all Nissan GTR models before it. It has lots of grip - that's all. Entertaining for a few goes of launch control then the novelty wears off. What you're left with is a fairly uninvolving car lacking in much design flair or aesthetic/ tactile appeal for many people.Edited by rayyan171 on Tuesday 30th August 22:53
I'd contest therefore that most people buying McLarens simply aren't interested in Nissan GTRs as an ownership proposition. Whilst the heritage and pedigree of a brand with strong racing credentials is undoubtedly appeal, it's got little to do with image-conscious badge appeal for anyone outside of London or Cheshire.
In other words, the weightings given to the many competing criteria for buying an expensive toy like a McLaren are very different to those applied to choosing a family car. Simply "doing the job" better isn't enough for someone spending money on something he/she doesn't really need - they actually have to want it.
Bradgate said:
If I wanted a car like an A1, A3, Q3, A4, Q5, A6 etc etc I'd just save several grand and buy the equivalent mechanically identical VW or Skoda instead.
Which VWs or Skodas are mechanically identical to the A4, Q5 and A6?Hint: none. The MLB platform that they're based on isn't used outside the Audi brand at the moment (unless you count the Porsche Macan)
Do people actually think repeatedly referring to Audi as "Aldi" makes them look somehow clever and witty ?
I have visions of those who do so very smugly telling their friends (who probably think they are utter pricks) about this in an Alan-Partridgesque fashion:
"What you've bought an Audi ??!! you mean Aldi !!! HA HA HA Aldi, Audi, you know Audi , sounds a bit like Aldi ....geddit... ??"
TW@T
I have visions of those who do so very smugly telling their friends (who probably think they are utter pricks) about this in an Alan-Partridgesque fashion:
"What you've bought an Audi ??!! you mean Aldi !!! HA HA HA Aldi, Audi, you know Audi , sounds a bit like Aldi ....geddit... ??"
TW@T
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 31st August 13:39
This thread really is a laughable indictment of modern consumer culture and peoples obsession with 'image'. I don't care what country a car was made in, what the badge on the bonnet is or what the neighbors might consequently think about my financial success or the size of my penis, I judge each car on its own individual merits.
I could pick a car type I would never buy, those stupid jacked up hatchback 'crossover' things. They offer not even a modicum of off-road ability but come with all the downsides of being tall and heavy and they universally look dreadful. They are cars for people who know nothing about cars and care not at all about driving, 100% image and 0% substance.
I could pick a car type I would never buy, those stupid jacked up hatchback 'crossover' things. They offer not even a modicum of off-road ability but come with all the downsides of being tall and heavy and they universally look dreadful. They are cars for people who know nothing about cars and care not at all about driving, 100% image and 0% substance.
Renault for me. Terrible experiences with two of them in the mid-noughties. Inherent faults / built-in unreliability, eye-watering parts prices (for non-service parts), and shocking customer service (3 yrs, 60,000 miles should be considered a reasonable life for a vehicle before very expensive things start failing, apparently).
Never again, unless it was dirt cheap or free and therefore disposable.
Never again, unless it was dirt cheap or free and therefore disposable.
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