What car manufacturer's products do you not "get"?
Discussion
I've seen a few posts on here recently where people have said they don't "get" certain car manufacturer's products for instance Audis (which I agree with in general with a few exceptions) and Porsches (which I disagree with strongly). I love Porsches with the exception of the Cayenne and Panamera. Are there any other car manufacturer's products that you simply don't "get"?
Before someone says that not everyone's interested in cars and things like performance and handling, I would argue that even people who don't like cars would be interested in how it looks. There are perfectly decent, stylish, affordable products available from manufacturers such as Fiat, Ford, Kia, Mazda, Skoda and Suzuki, so why do some manufacturers insist on resting on their laurels and continuing to churn out automotive beige. I appreciate that situations can change. For instance, Skoda's product range was a complete joke 20 years ago and now they make really good cars that are well-built and still affordable. I won't give my reasons as that will take too long but I will put my nominations in 2 groups. Makes where I have never seen the appeal and makes that I used to "get" but for some unknown reason decided to stop making interesting cars.
Makes that I don't "get"
1. Audi
2. Hyundai (I can't even picture any of their current product line)
3. Mitsubishi
4. Nissan
5. Renault (apparently they make some great fast hatches but I've just never "got" Renaults)
6. Seat (not sure where they really fit in with VAG's plans for global domination)
7. Toyota (possibly the biggest car manufacturer in the world but with the world's most dreary product line)
8. Vauxhall (purveyors of automotive beige)
Makes that I used to "get" but don't any more!
1. Citroen (where's the quirkiness and trick suspension gone)
2. Peugeot (the RCZ looks great so hopefully they'll be a comeback)
3. Saab (classic 900 good! Rebodied Vauxhalls bad!)
3. Subaru (as an angry classic Impreza owner, they seem to have wrecked their model range in the last 2 years. The Legacy was quite a handsome saloon/estate and now look like an Avensis and the Forester was quite an interesting 4x4 estate with Impreza power and now comes in diesel only and looks like all the other small SUVs. They seem to be trying to sort the Impreza out, so maybe there is still some hope!)
So basically, there are not many car manufacturer's products on sale today that I "get". Feel free to disagree with me but what makes do YOU not "get"?
Before someone says that not everyone's interested in cars and things like performance and handling, I would argue that even people who don't like cars would be interested in how it looks. There are perfectly decent, stylish, affordable products available from manufacturers such as Fiat, Ford, Kia, Mazda, Skoda and Suzuki, so why do some manufacturers insist on resting on their laurels and continuing to churn out automotive beige. I appreciate that situations can change. For instance, Skoda's product range was a complete joke 20 years ago and now they make really good cars that are well-built and still affordable. I won't give my reasons as that will take too long but I will put my nominations in 2 groups. Makes where I have never seen the appeal and makes that I used to "get" but for some unknown reason decided to stop making interesting cars.
Makes that I don't "get"
1. Audi
2. Hyundai (I can't even picture any of their current product line)
3. Mitsubishi
4. Nissan
5. Renault (apparently they make some great fast hatches but I've just never "got" Renaults)
6. Seat (not sure where they really fit in with VAG's plans for global domination)
7. Toyota (possibly the biggest car manufacturer in the world but with the world's most dreary product line)
8. Vauxhall (purveyors of automotive beige)
Makes that I used to "get" but don't any more!
1. Citroen (where's the quirkiness and trick suspension gone)
2. Peugeot (the RCZ looks great so hopefully they'll be a comeback)
3. Saab (classic 900 good! Rebodied Vauxhalls bad!)
3. Subaru (as an angry classic Impreza owner, they seem to have wrecked their model range in the last 2 years. The Legacy was quite a handsome saloon/estate and now look like an Avensis and the Forester was quite an interesting 4x4 estate with Impreza power and now comes in diesel only and looks like all the other small SUVs. They seem to be trying to sort the Impreza out, so maybe there is still some hope!)
So basically, there are not many car manufacturer's products on sale today that I "get". Feel free to disagree with me but what makes do YOU not "get"?
BMW - the three series (E30, E36 and E46). Supposed to be sporting saloons but they just leave me utterly cold. The five series and seven series always felt much more honest to me, but the three is just too uninvolving too much of the time to work as a sporting saloon.
Modern Ferrari. I rarely get along with the styling now, and they seem far too focussed on Fiorano lap times and making daily drivers compared to the company I grew up admiring in the '80s.
FWD coupes from Alfa. It was hard enough getting my head around FWD sports saloons from the company.
205GTI. Way too compromised, for my idea of a hatchback - even a hot one. If I needed a hatchback, I'd want something a bit less demanding to drive in traffic. Too sportscar demanding to be a good hatchback, too hatchback looking and the steering feel is too FWD springy to be a satisfying sportscar. For me, they got it just right with the 306.
The Megane R26.R leaves me scratching my head too. If I was in the market for a hatchback, it would be off the list because it's not practical enough. If I was in the market for a sportscar, it would be off the list because it's a hatchback.
VW Scirocco, old and new. Similar problem as the 205, R26.R and Alfa FWD coupes for me. It's a golf, but it's less practical. Right, I'll have the golf then. In fact, I can't think of any hatch based coupe that makes sense to me, apart from the Puma for some odd reason.
New Beetle: It's a golf that looks like a beetle, has too much headroom in the front and not enough in the back. This car would only make sense to me if I met it at a fancy dress party.
Mercedes CLS and that Passat 4 door coupe thingy. OK, they look a bit nicer. But they're less practical.
I guess the truth must be that swoopy styling just isn't big on my list of priorities for a family car.
Modern Ferrari. I rarely get along with the styling now, and they seem far too focussed on Fiorano lap times and making daily drivers compared to the company I grew up admiring in the '80s.
FWD coupes from Alfa. It was hard enough getting my head around FWD sports saloons from the company.
205GTI. Way too compromised, for my idea of a hatchback - even a hot one. If I needed a hatchback, I'd want something a bit less demanding to drive in traffic. Too sportscar demanding to be a good hatchback, too hatchback looking and the steering feel is too FWD springy to be a satisfying sportscar. For me, they got it just right with the 306.
The Megane R26.R leaves me scratching my head too. If I was in the market for a hatchback, it would be off the list because it's not practical enough. If I was in the market for a sportscar, it would be off the list because it's a hatchback.
VW Scirocco, old and new. Similar problem as the 205, R26.R and Alfa FWD coupes for me. It's a golf, but it's less practical. Right, I'll have the golf then. In fact, I can't think of any hatch based coupe that makes sense to me, apart from the Puma for some odd reason.
New Beetle: It's a golf that looks like a beetle, has too much headroom in the front and not enough in the back. This car would only make sense to me if I met it at a fancy dress party.
Mercedes CLS and that Passat 4 door coupe thingy. OK, they look a bit nicer. But they're less practical.
I guess the truth must be that swoopy styling just isn't big on my list of priorities for a family car.
Edited by Alfanatic on Sunday 19th June 20:42
Symbolica said:
BMW. Not all (in fact there are lots that I would happily buy), but this specifically:
Who are these people that think, "Right I want a 5 Series but more practical. I don't want the estate though, I'd rather the one that is f
k ugly and only slightly more practical than the saloon" 
Agreed. BMW, Mercedes and Audi keep inventing niches which don't seem to be necessary, although you can buy a Mercedes GLK in Europe and North America which is a fairly good-looking Freelander/X3/Q5 rival but you can't buy one here! I'm sure that would sell much better than stuff we don't need like the B-Class and R-Class. I can forgive BMW for the 5-Series GT because they have made some great driver's cars over the years, both past and present and still keep to their RWD ethos! Who are these people that think, "Right I want a 5 Series but more practical. I don't want the estate though, I'd rather the one that is f
k ugly and only slightly more practical than the saloon" An excellent thought proposition.
Manufacturers seem to be chasing different things in different ways, which is no bad thing, but there are plenty of questionable decisions.
Audi RS5. Now I like the looks of it and the stats, but from what I have read, fails to deliver on the 8-tenths+ level. some might argue that you won't be doing this day to day, but the car is sold as such; a rival to the C63 & M3, but yet come nowhere near according to reports.
I really don't get it.
Alfa 159 - not properly replacing the Busso engine. their engine range seems a bit of a mess at the moment, not offering a good performance solution, hence the 159, which is due for replacement is in limbo. I'd question their decision-making on that front. The Alfa V6 saloon is tradition...
Manufacturers seem to be chasing different things in different ways, which is no bad thing, but there are plenty of questionable decisions.
Audi RS5. Now I like the looks of it and the stats, but from what I have read, fails to deliver on the 8-tenths+ level. some might argue that you won't be doing this day to day, but the car is sold as such; a rival to the C63 & M3, but yet come nowhere near according to reports.
I really don't get it.
Alfa 159 - not properly replacing the Busso engine. their engine range seems a bit of a mess at the moment, not offering a good performance solution, hence the 159, which is due for replacement is in limbo. I'd question their decision-making on that front. The Alfa V6 saloon is tradition...
AV12 said:
Alfa 159 - not properly replacing the Busso engine. their engine range seems a bit of a mess at the moment, not offering a good performance solution, hence the 159, which is due for replacement is in limbo. I'd question their decision-making on that front. The Alfa V6 saloon is tradition...
It is a shame there's not a proper V6 in the line up. But, unfortunately with fuel and tax going the way they're going, can you really blame Alfa for knocking V6s on the head? Tradition doesn't really come into it anymore unfortunately. The GM V6 they used to replace the Busso won't exactly be a great loss to motoring anyway.My candidate is BMW Mini. I just don't understand the appeal of them at all unfortunately. Ok, they're reasonably good to drive and the engines are excellent in general, but the interiors are an ergonomic disaster, they don't look attractive on any level (subjective of course), they're far too expensive and don't even follow the USP carved out by their namesake.
AV12 said:
Alfa 159 - not properly replacing the Busso engine. their engine range seems a bit of a mess at the moment, not offering a good performance solution, hence the 159, which is due for replacement is in limbo. I'd question their decision-making on that front. The Alfa V6 saloon is tradition...
I think the 159/Brera was a real shame. My father has a Brera 3.2 Q4 and it's a very nice car, but it's just missing that Alfa magic. It's much better screwed together than the 156/GT but it doesn't have that raw V6 note that previous Alfa's had. I honestly think that if Alfa had stuck to the original Brera concept, offered the Arese/Busso V6 with either RWD or Q4 options then it would be a massive success. I'd be saving my pennies for one right now anyway.Nissan Puke. The strange thing is there does seem to be a market for something that is compromised on almost every level:
Looks - do I even need to explain?
Packaging - Large, but relatively little interior space.
Looks - see above
Dynamics - not bad, but hardly on the level of an equivalent hatch.
Looks - see above.
Economy - see Dynamics.
Long distance ability - see Dynamics.
Looks - see ungainly heffalump vomit inducing abomination.
I just don't get it. Seems the worst of all worlds to me. Unless you want to ride around looking above all the 'little people' in what is essentially a massively jacked up Almera.
Looks - do I even need to explain?
Packaging - Large, but relatively little interior space.
Looks - see above
Dynamics - not bad, but hardly on the level of an equivalent hatch.
Looks - see above.
Economy - see Dynamics.
Long distance ability - see Dynamics.
Looks - see ungainly heffalump vomit inducing abomination.
I just don't get it. Seems the worst of all worlds to me. Unless you want to ride around looking above all the 'little people' in what is essentially a massively jacked up Almera.
mrtwisty said:
Nissan Puke. The strange thing is there does seem to be a market for something that is compromised on almost every level:
Looks - do I even need to explain?
Packaging - Large, but relatively little interior space.
Looks - see above
Dynamics - not bad, but hardly on the level of an equivalent hatch.
Looks - see above.
Economy - see Dynamics.
Long distance ability - see Dynamics.
Looks - see ungainly heffalump vomit inducing abomination.
I just don't get it. Seems the worst of all worlds to me. Unless you want to ride around looking above all the 'little people' in what is essentially a massively jacked up Almera.
I'd apply every one of those comments to every SUV. Looks - do I even need to explain?
Packaging - Large, but relatively little interior space.
Looks - see above
Dynamics - not bad, but hardly on the level of an equivalent hatch.
Looks - see above.
Economy - see Dynamics.
Long distance ability - see Dynamics.
Looks - see ungainly heffalump vomit inducing abomination.
I just don't get it. Seems the worst of all worlds to me. Unless you want to ride around looking above all the 'little people' in what is essentially a massively jacked up Almera.
VW. As far as I can tell, they make normal cars for people who work in offices and want a reliable, normal car to go about their daily business in. I don't get why their boring everyday cars are now so highly sought after - to the extent that people will only buy their products, or the perception of quality and class that comes from them.
I had an old VW Polo, and it was - without a shadow of a doubt, and by any objective or subjective measure, a terrible car. 8mpg on the A1 with 4 people in it and a 20 mpg average from a 1.3, a sunroof that you couldn't shut without getting out of the car, awful looks, poor handling, and a door handle that came off in the person's hand who tried to steal it.
Sold it for £100 to a scrap dealer, who then took £50 off me to tow it away.
I had an old VW Polo, and it was - without a shadow of a doubt, and by any objective or subjective measure, a terrible car. 8mpg on the A1 with 4 people in it and a 20 mpg average from a 1.3, a sunroof that you couldn't shut without getting out of the car, awful looks, poor handling, and a door handle that came off in the person's hand who tried to steal it.
Sold it for £100 to a scrap dealer, who then took £50 off me to tow it away.
Another one I've just thought of is the Audi A5 Sportback. WTF? 
Start with a 4 door saloon then remove the back doors to make it a coupe so give it a new name then add those doors back in and make it a hatchback and keep the coupe's name rather than the saloon's. Ahhh.... but it's got slightly different headlights so it must be an A5 not an A4.
Start with a 4 door saloon then remove the back doors to make it a coupe so give it a new name then add those doors back in and make it a hatchback and keep the coupe's name rather than the saloon's. Ahhh.... but it's got slightly different headlights so it must be an A5 not an A4.
Chicane-UK said:
miniman said:
5GT
X5
X6
Q7
Quite why people aspire to a pig ugly, oversized, chav mobile is beyond me.
Amen! X5
X6
Q7
Quite why people aspire to a pig ugly, oversized, chav mobile is beyond me.
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