Which cars are classy these days?
Discussion
Zad said:
Good point earlier about the Focus RS. Whilst I don't think it could really be called classy, it is a lot more subtle than many other cars in the same segment. I had walked past a black one earlier this week, without realising it was an RS, I only realised on the way back when I saw the badge (that is probably a hanging offence on PH). If the windows weren't drug dealer spec, and if the wheels had been standard silver, it would look quite subtle from the back. No overblown chrome and tyres that are a good profile ratio (especially for the horrible roads here). Indeed, the conservative design has been one notable area of criticism.
The Focus is an interesting case. The Escort never had class but when the mk1 Focus came out, as well as appealing to loyal Ford customers, it also attracted more affluent people that would never have considered an Escort. Perhaps the (mk4) Golf was still the "classy" (or classless) choice but maybe by being such a radical departure and actually being a superior car to the Golf, unless you wanted a diesel, it earned an air of middle class respectability, a bit like the Peugeot 306 had before it. I think that Ford dropped the ball a bit with the mk2 Focus despite still being a decent steer and roomier because if you sit in a mk5 Golf and a mk2 Focus, the Golf feels way "classier". The mk3 Focus seems to have got some class back though in my opinion. The last two vehicles that I rented on holiday were a mk7 Golf and a mk3 Focus. I like Golfs but the mk7 was disappointing and didn't feel like the step-up in quality that Golfs used to compared to their rivals. In fact it felt a little cheap. It drove OK but the Focus drove better and felt like the more "premium" car. To be fair, the Focus was a Zetec-S I think and the Golf an S but still, I found the Golf lacking. Despite this though, I probably still wouldn't call the new Focus classy but it seems to have transcended its humble origins more so than the Fiesta/Mondeo and gained a measure of middle class respectability and I would still say the Focus and Golf are the go to choices in this class. Think of it as the working class Oxford University professor then for want of a better analogy! Nothing classy about the RS though. In my opinion the only spec for an RS is Nitrous Blue with black wheels. Definitely not classy but all the better for it! 
DonkeyApple said:
DonkeyApple said:
The Cactus is pretty innocuous, affordable runabout and seemly bought by none spitters who have their clothing labels on the inside of their clothes.
These things seem quite classy also. No shoutiness, no show, just a boggo runabout and I get the impression that they aren't going to be owned by punters who have sex ponds or bars in their homes.
Normally I believe that the word 'classy' is applied to something that is anything but. This evening however, my mother referred to her car as being 'classy', and I had to take issue with her. She drives the yellow vehicle below. Not being a believer in 'classy', I had to find something to show her that actually does have class, and the first thing that sprang to mind was a Bristol. Almost anonymous to anyone who isn't a petrolhead, but as a coupe they would assume it's not 'cheap'. Wouldn't be turned away by a valet outside a decent London Hotel, and I could picture Joanna Lumley driving it.
Struggled to think of anything modern.
My mother is 70, loves gardening, The Archers, has an Aga and exemplifies Middle Britain. She should know better.
My mother's idea of a classy vehicle.
My idea of a classy vehicle.
Struggled to think of anything modern.
My mother is 70, loves gardening, The Archers, has an Aga and exemplifies Middle Britain. She should know better.
My mother's idea of a classy vehicle.
My idea of a classy vehicle.
DoubleD said:
DonkeyApple said:
DonkeyApple said:
The Cactus is pretty innocuous, affordable runabout and seemly bought by none spitters who have their clothing labels on the inside of their clothes.
These things seem quite classy also. No shoutiness, no show, just a boggo runabout and I get the impression that they aren't going to be owned by punters who have sex ponds or bars in their homes.
I think I get the Dacia, sometimes a car is so unclassy for the people that think they have class, that that in itself is really that more classy. Youve also got cars that cost a lot to maintain and run, ooze character and luxury, but are unconventional and dont really make any sense. A V6 Alfa 166 springs to mind, you know the owner is loaded but doest want to be vulger and buy a Audi on a lease deal about it, that is classy.
Uncle John said:
DoubleD said:
DonkeyApple said:
DonkeyApple said:
The Cactus is pretty innocuous, affordable runabout and seemly bought by none spitters who have their clothing labels on the inside of their clothes.
These things seem quite classy also. No shoutiness, no show, just a boggo runabout and I get the impression that they aren't going to be owned by punters who have sex ponds or bars in their homes.
MaxSo said:
Each person's definition of "classy" is obviously quite subjective, but to me it is primarily about behaviour. So if you translate this to cars, you are mainly thinking about your preconceptions about what kind of behaviour you would expect from the driver of a particular car.
In people, most may agree that classiness is a trait exuded by those that are, inter alia:
- Genuine
- Considerate
- Polite, and bestowed with good manners
- Someone of integrity
- Restrained
- Calm
- Graceful
(Hint: these have nothing to with money: they are all free).
Although less important, from a visual standpoint, people who may typically thought to be classy also tend to avoid trends or fads, tend not to be showy, and tend to favour simple, elegant aesthetics over fashion or "luxury" / "premium" looks.
Given the above, when thinking about cars, I'd postulate it is mainly about how likely, in perceived wisdom, is the driver of that car to be someone who exhibits these traits. We've seen various posters here comment on suggested cars by judging what type of person they are most often perceived to be driven by. I'd suggest this is possibly why many cars from the German brands are no longer considered to be classy. Rightly or wrongly, the behaviour of the drivers of many of these cars (not all) is often perceived (by many, not all) to exhibit traits which are antithetical to those of classiness. That is, they are often perceived to be:
- Inconsiderate or selfish
- Impolite, with bad manners
- Lacking calmness; easily angered
- Lacking in restraint
- Showy
Further, and in relation to aesthetics, many modern cars may also be seen to be ‘unclassy’ if they are:
- Disingenuous (unnecessary sports styling, false diffusers, false exhausts)
- Ungraceful (tacky LED DRLs, poorly proportioned, unnecessarily large)
- ‘Trendy’ (animated indicators, bedazzled headlights, fancy LED DRLs, needlessly large wheels, needlessly low profile tyres, false sport styling, large grills, aggressive ‘presence’)
- Overtly luxurious/premium.
Given all of the above, this is possibly why some of the most frequently mentioned "classy" cars are Land Rover Defenders, certain Volvos and various classic cars. It’s why I’d also agree that something like a Skoda Yeti can be a classy car. Or a VW up!. In relation to Volvo; however, I’d say the previous generation V70 was more classy than the current V90, which has perhaps erred a little bit too much in the direction of the ‘unclassy’ aesthetic traits. This is probably at least partly why the V90 is also likely to be much more popular, driven by a wider range of people, and therefore probably less easily able to be distinguished as conforming to the traits of classiness outlined above.
Ultimately, it is less about what the car looks like and more about the associations seeing it invoke in each person. This is largely about stereotypes, generalisations and about personal experience. There are always going to be exceptions. If suddenly, overnight, all of the ‘German brands’ started wafting about with impeccable road manners then people’s perception of the drivers of those cars would start to change. Eventually, over time, the existing associations would be diluted and more people may consider some of these cars to be classy once again, because they would start to be associated with classy behaviour. The styling traits of the cars (aggressive, LEDs, large wheels etc) may then no longer continue to be associated with ‘unclassy’ behaviour. This is unlikely; however, as the styling of the cars arguably a)influences behaviour and/or b) appeals to people with certain pre-existing behavioural traits. (This is a generalisation of a stereotype. Please don’t get upset if you drive one of these cars and consider yourself to exhibit classy driving traits).
Society is arguably becoming less ‘classy’. Many would agree that people seem to be getting more angry, rude and impatient. This is probably why it is more difficult to pick new cars as being classy, as they are associated with the standard of behaviour that is occurring now. Older cars, particularly classic cars, may be associated with past, higher, standards of behaviour. It’s rare that you see classic cars being driven on the road, but when you do they are (almost) never driven in anything approaching an unclassy manner (again, this is a generalisation; there will be exceptions. If you once saw someone in a classic car tailgating a pensioner then there is no need to mention it).
Of new cars though, my suggestions would be:
- VW up!
- BMW i3
- Skoda Superb Estate SE
- Skoda Yeti
This. Absolutely nailed it. In people, most may agree that classiness is a trait exuded by those that are, inter alia:
- Genuine
- Considerate
- Polite, and bestowed with good manners
- Someone of integrity
- Restrained
- Calm
- Graceful
(Hint: these have nothing to with money: they are all free).
Although less important, from a visual standpoint, people who may typically thought to be classy also tend to avoid trends or fads, tend not to be showy, and tend to favour simple, elegant aesthetics over fashion or "luxury" / "premium" looks.
Given the above, when thinking about cars, I'd postulate it is mainly about how likely, in perceived wisdom, is the driver of that car to be someone who exhibits these traits. We've seen various posters here comment on suggested cars by judging what type of person they are most often perceived to be driven by. I'd suggest this is possibly why many cars from the German brands are no longer considered to be classy. Rightly or wrongly, the behaviour of the drivers of many of these cars (not all) is often perceived (by many, not all) to exhibit traits which are antithetical to those of classiness. That is, they are often perceived to be:
- Inconsiderate or selfish
- Impolite, with bad manners
- Lacking calmness; easily angered
- Lacking in restraint
- Showy
Further, and in relation to aesthetics, many modern cars may also be seen to be ‘unclassy’ if they are:
- Disingenuous (unnecessary sports styling, false diffusers, false exhausts)
- Ungraceful (tacky LED DRLs, poorly proportioned, unnecessarily large)
- ‘Trendy’ (animated indicators, bedazzled headlights, fancy LED DRLs, needlessly large wheels, needlessly low profile tyres, false sport styling, large grills, aggressive ‘presence’)
- Overtly luxurious/premium.
Given all of the above, this is possibly why some of the most frequently mentioned "classy" cars are Land Rover Defenders, certain Volvos and various classic cars. It’s why I’d also agree that something like a Skoda Yeti can be a classy car. Or a VW up!. In relation to Volvo; however, I’d say the previous generation V70 was more classy than the current V90, which has perhaps erred a little bit too much in the direction of the ‘unclassy’ aesthetic traits. This is probably at least partly why the V90 is also likely to be much more popular, driven by a wider range of people, and therefore probably less easily able to be distinguished as conforming to the traits of classiness outlined above.
Ultimately, it is less about what the car looks like and more about the associations seeing it invoke in each person. This is largely about stereotypes, generalisations and about personal experience. There are always going to be exceptions. If suddenly, overnight, all of the ‘German brands’ started wafting about with impeccable road manners then people’s perception of the drivers of those cars would start to change. Eventually, over time, the existing associations would be diluted and more people may consider some of these cars to be classy once again, because they would start to be associated with classy behaviour. The styling traits of the cars (aggressive, LEDs, large wheels etc) may then no longer continue to be associated with ‘unclassy’ behaviour. This is unlikely; however, as the styling of the cars arguably a)influences behaviour and/or b) appeals to people with certain pre-existing behavioural traits. (This is a generalisation of a stereotype. Please don’t get upset if you drive one of these cars and consider yourself to exhibit classy driving traits).
Society is arguably becoming less ‘classy’. Many would agree that people seem to be getting more angry, rude and impatient. This is probably why it is more difficult to pick new cars as being classy, as they are associated with the standard of behaviour that is occurring now. Older cars, particularly classic cars, may be associated with past, higher, standards of behaviour. It’s rare that you see classic cars being driven on the road, but when you do they are (almost) never driven in anything approaching an unclassy manner (again, this is a generalisation; there will be exceptions. If you once saw someone in a classic car tailgating a pensioner then there is no need to mention it).
Of new cars though, my suggestions would be:
- VW up!
- BMW i3
- Skoda Superb Estate SE
- Skoda Yeti
If we are struggling to identify a current model with class, what will be the future classics?
This isn't me asking should I spend 8 grand on a 205 CJ in case it appreciates, and I am aware they don't always go hand in hand, but most classics (not necessarily just old cars) have an element of style/class.
This isn't me asking should I spend 8 grand on a 205 CJ in case it appreciates, and I am aware they don't always go hand in hand, but most classics (not necessarily just old cars) have an element of style/class.
Moulder said:
If we are struggling to identify a current model with class, what will be the future classics?
This isn't me asking should I spend 8 grand on a 205 CJ in case it appreciates, and I am aware they don't always go hand in hand, but most classics (not necessarily just old cars) have an element of style/class.
If you take the very basic view that a 'classic' is defined by what over 50s wanted when they were under 20, then what is it that under 20s are lusting after today? Is it actually cars at all? I think that under 20s today are viewing cars in a very different manner to the Baby Boomers who have defined the current classic market. Generation X has a clear affinity to 80s/90s kit but will the Millenials or more importantly, those behind them have any kind of lust for the final days of ICE in the same kind of numbers as those before?This isn't me asking should I spend 8 grand on a 205 CJ in case it appreciates, and I am aware they don't always go hand in hand, but most classics (not necessarily just old cars) have an element of style/class.
Back to the 'class' issue, nothing can be classy if it is used to overtly display an image of wealth. Traditional class is a subtlety not a statement. Everything manufactured today from clothing through watches, to cars is a statement of vulgarity. Labels on the outside, brand names on view, increasing size to be more visible, body kits etc etc. It's all about shouting out, all about projecting an image of success.
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