Why the UK obsession with "German" cars?
Discussion
Welshbeef said:
The new SL (Sports light) is very aggressive looking v your version but also devastatingly powerful.
Yes , I agree, but I prefer the R230 shape and interior and lack of depreciation. I am a bit old school I suppose, and to be honest although the additional power/performance is admirable, I would not really drive it any faster than my current cars.One of the side affects of getting old unfortunately
To me some German cars, particularly BMW's, represent the default choice in some sectors. People who don't want to think too much about what company car to choose next for instance, will automatically go for a 3 series... that's not to say it isn't an excellent car amongst its peers, but never the less choosing one shows no imagination, much like the Mondeo in the 90's.
I think this impacts badly on their image in other areas ie. the M235i is ideal for me (it would be perfect if it was made by Nissan and said 200SX on the back) but the brand puts me off and is proving to be an obstacle to me. I don't know if many other people think this way though so it may not be a common thing. Also brands like Porsche don't have the same stigma so it's not even necessarily the German part that is the problem!
I think this impacts badly on their image in other areas ie. the M235i is ideal for me (it would be perfect if it was made by Nissan and said 200SX on the back) but the brand puts me off and is proving to be an obstacle to me. I don't know if many other people think this way though so it may not be a common thing. Also brands like Porsche don't have the same stigma so it's not even necessarily the German part that is the problem!
iphonedyou said:
Blaster72 said:
Biggest selling cars in the UK last year?
Ford Fiesta
Vauxhall Corsa
Ford Focus
VW Golf
Nissan Qashqai
Vauxhall Astra
VW Polo
MINI
Merc C-Class
Audi A3
Us Brits bought almost twice as many Fiestas as we did the nearest German, the Golf.
Everywhere I look in my area German cars aren't the most popular, it's Fords, Vauxhalls and lots of Nissans.
I suspect fleet buyers and company car owners are responsible for a big chunk of German models on the road.
Well that's rather killed this thread.Ford Fiesta
Vauxhall Corsa
Ford Focus
VW Golf
Nissan Qashqai
Vauxhall Astra
VW Polo
MINI
Merc C-Class
Audi A3
Us Brits bought almost twice as many Fiestas as we did the nearest German, the Golf.
Everywhere I look in my area German cars aren't the most popular, it's Fords, Vauxhalls and lots of Nissans.
I suspect fleet buyers and company car owners are responsible for a big chunk of German models on the road.
Welshbeef said:
lucido grigio said:
No obsession here,owned 37 cars or vans,3 being VWs,the rest being Fords,5 SAABs,2 Japanese,1 French and a Fiat.
NoBMW
Merc
Alpina
Autounion
SturdyHSV said:
iphonedyou said:
Blaster72 said:
Biggest selling cars in the UK last year?
Ford Fiesta
Vauxhall Corsa
Ford Focus
VW Golf
Nissan Qashqai
Vauxhall Astra
VW Polo
MINI
Merc C-Class
Audi A3
Us Brits bought almost twice as many Fiestas as we did the nearest German, the Golf.
Everywhere I look in my area German cars aren't the most popular, it's Fords, Vauxhalls and lots of Nissans.
I suspect fleet buyers and company car owners are responsible for a big chunk of German models on the road.
Well that's rather killed this thread.Ford Fiesta
Vauxhall Corsa
Ford Focus
VW Golf
Nissan Qashqai
Vauxhall Astra
VW Polo
MINI
Merc C-Class
Audi A3
Us Brits bought almost twice as many Fiestas as we did the nearest German, the Golf.
Everywhere I look in my area German cars aren't the most popular, it's Fords, Vauxhalls and lots of Nissans.
I suspect fleet buyers and company car owners are responsible for a big chunk of German models on the road.
I'm afraid I've fallen for it hook, line and sinker. Though I have had a fair number of Japanese cars and I've had far more French cars over the years than anything else.
The Tiguan I'm in right now is just a nice place to be. Other German stuff I've owned has always been solidly put together and reliable. The Japanese stuff has been the same but, as others often say, they've never been as nice a place to sit.
A chap dropped something at my office the other day and I closed his 207 estate bootlid. Very lightweight, no satisfying thud. I can't believe a Polo would feel the same.
Mrs Pistonbroker wanted an Evoque but I'm afraid my perception - along with most people I talk to about it - is that Land Rover stuff just isn't reliable and the aftersales service is slim to non-existent.
I'm surprised at the OP's original suggestion though. I live in a close that's chock-full of retirees, so perhaps it's skewed locally, but moving round the close it's Nissan/Citroen, VW, Toyota, Citroen, Ford, VW (me), Ford and Kia/Ford. So not at all overwhelmingly german stuff.
The Tiguan I'm in right now is just a nice place to be. Other German stuff I've owned has always been solidly put together and reliable. The Japanese stuff has been the same but, as others often say, they've never been as nice a place to sit.
A chap dropped something at my office the other day and I closed his 207 estate bootlid. Very lightweight, no satisfying thud. I can't believe a Polo would feel the same.
Mrs Pistonbroker wanted an Evoque but I'm afraid my perception - along with most people I talk to about it - is that Land Rover stuff just isn't reliable and the aftersales service is slim to non-existent.
I'm surprised at the OP's original suggestion though. I live in a close that's chock-full of retirees, so perhaps it's skewed locally, but moving round the close it's Nissan/Citroen, VW, Toyota, Citroen, Ford, VW (me), Ford and Kia/Ford. So not at all overwhelmingly german stuff.
lucido grigio said:
Welshbeef said:
lucido grigio said:
No obsession here,owned 37 cars or vans,3 being VWs,the rest being Fords,5 SAABs,2 Japanese,1 French and a Fiat.
NoBMW
Merc
Alpina
Autounion
Simply because people's perceptions take a long time to change.
When the 'best of British' in the early 90s represented a Cavalier or Sierra, it's not hard to see how Mercedes and BMW stole half a yard on the opposition that they've struggled to overcome since. It's a similar story with the Astra/Escort/Golf.
The equivalent Germans were better built and more reliable by far than their Brit counterparts. Until the Brits produce something that represents a major step beyond the Germans, they are forever pegged as similar/worse in people's minds.
When the 'best of British' in the early 90s represented a Cavalier or Sierra, it's not hard to see how Mercedes and BMW stole half a yard on the opposition that they've struggled to overcome since. It's a similar story with the Astra/Escort/Golf.
The equivalent Germans were better built and more reliable by far than their Brit counterparts. Until the Brits produce something that represents a major step beyond the Germans, they are forever pegged as similar/worse in people's minds.
2 things that are, predominately and sadly, both human traits in all of us. Greed and envy. There is also the subconscious act, in all of us, to act like sheep. That's probably all to do with the phrase "safety in numbers".
These 2 things, (there are others), are what assist in the decision by too many people that the car we drive is SO IMPORTANT. The truth is - it isn't. It is the buyers perception of what other people think of them and the car they drive/size of house/expensive holiday that drives their choices in life.
Hence the reason that the reason for so many people thinking that entering the (perceived), exclusive club of owning something that is made in Germany somehow makes you special. The truth
is that it doesn't. You are merely allowing your mind to lead you into the 3 traits above. Using common sense and/or logic is put to the back of the mind.
NO German machinery is any better than anything from any other manufacturers. In many cases it's inferior. There is FAR BETTER machinery and back-up to be found from makers from other countries. But for too many people. Image is all.
Sad.
These 2 things, (there are others), are what assist in the decision by too many people that the car we drive is SO IMPORTANT. The truth is - it isn't. It is the buyers perception of what other people think of them and the car they drive/size of house/expensive holiday that drives their choices in life.
Hence the reason that the reason for so many people thinking that entering the (perceived), exclusive club of owning something that is made in Germany somehow makes you special. The truth
is that it doesn't. You are merely allowing your mind to lead you into the 3 traits above. Using common sense and/or logic is put to the back of the mind.
NO German machinery is any better than anything from any other manufacturers. In many cases it's inferior. There is FAR BETTER machinery and back-up to be found from makers from other countries. But for too many people. Image is all.
Sad.
eltax91 said:
We got to talking about her new car and she came out with this gem:-
'I bought the BMW after trading in my 3 year old Audi. It's not really about keeping cars or making them last, I consider a new premium car every 3 years as important, to show people how well I'm doing'
Yup, simply confirms the moronic factor 11 delusion afflicting the majority of BMW Merc and Audi drivers who consider they are driving a perhaps one time 'premium' car but now ubiquitously relegated to white goods by dilution and pcps and in reality most models no better than the equivalent Ford or Vauxhall.'I bought the BMW after trading in my 3 year old Audi. It's not really about keeping cars or making them last, I consider a new premium car every 3 years as important, to show people how well I'm doing'
Tragic. And laughable.
The power of marketing eh?
I go for them because there are few other manufacturers that make the sort of cars I want. In a barge I require RWD or AWD, 6+ cylinders, a quality autobox, a nice interior and good refinement, that basically leaves the Germans, Jaguar or Lexus. The non-'premium' (I hate the term) brands tend to be 4-cylinder FWD models, if they did proper cars like in the US or Australia (Crown Vic, Falcon, HSV etc) I would have no problem driving them at all. I don't really get the point of basic model 'premium' cars, FWD 2.0l TDI Audis, BMW 320d manuals etc, you'd be better off with a nicer spec Mondeo or similar.
If you had the misfortune of experiencing anything BL built during the troubled period from late 60s through to 80s then you would appreciate why foreign cars were perceived as better. German cars' reputations were, IMO, largely a result of Mercedes producing well built reliable cars. That is not to say BMW or Audi were inferior. You only had to travel around the Med and North Africa to see which marques were universally popular with taxi drivers operating in harsh environments and seemed to last for decades. Closer to home before licenced minicab drivers were required to accomodate disabled passengers 90% of the taxis at my local station were either VW Passats or Audi A6s. Eventually punters draw their own conclusions about build quality and reliability from what they observe as well as what the experience. I certainly do. We are on our 3rd Audi in 10 years!
Its a pretty perverse snobbery.
Before we bought our current car, we did 3000 miles in a Mercedes GLE, 1500 miles in a BMW X5 and 1500 miles in an XC90 (all hire cars) before we bought an FPace.
Only one of the cars let us down (GLE with 500 miles on the clock - engine warning light, mirrors would fold in randomly and twice it refused to start) and only one of the cars had bits falling off the interior (X5 with 1000 miles on the clock with a rattly door and a random bit of plastic that appeared under the passenger seat).
Despite this, the reaction of friends/neighbours/a random tit at a service station to these cars has been interesting. The number of 'Indian car' jibes to the Jaguar is obviously hugely hilarious and original but the 'it will fall apart' remarks are illuminating when Mercedes, BMW or indeed Porsche all perform worse in reliability studies and all the UK/European supposed prestige manufacturers fall well below others.
Image/perceived quality appears to be all and the Germans have very cleverly ridden the zeitgeist focusing on handling when that was meant to matter in the 90s/00s and now on soft plastics and infotainment systems.
Before we bought our current car, we did 3000 miles in a Mercedes GLE, 1500 miles in a BMW X5 and 1500 miles in an XC90 (all hire cars) before we bought an FPace.
Only one of the cars let us down (GLE with 500 miles on the clock - engine warning light, mirrors would fold in randomly and twice it refused to start) and only one of the cars had bits falling off the interior (X5 with 1000 miles on the clock with a rattly door and a random bit of plastic that appeared under the passenger seat).
Despite this, the reaction of friends/neighbours/a random tit at a service station to these cars has been interesting. The number of 'Indian car' jibes to the Jaguar is obviously hugely hilarious and original but the 'it will fall apart' remarks are illuminating when Mercedes, BMW or indeed Porsche all perform worse in reliability studies and all the UK/European supposed prestige manufacturers fall well below others.
Image/perceived quality appears to be all and the Germans have very cleverly ridden the zeitgeist focusing on handling when that was meant to matter in the 90s/00s and now on soft plastics and infotainment systems.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff