Most Pointless Cars

[Mrcarfan832]

The other day I saw a Vauxhall Signum. I know that cos it said it on the back of it, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to tell it apart from the Vauxhall Vectra estate that it looks exactly like.

What exactly was the point of the Vauxhall Signum? Does anybody know? It ranks alongside the Ford Fusion for sheer pointlessness and hell, even the Vauxhall Nova 2-door saloon (remember that?!)

Any other pointless cars people here can think of?

[NadiR]

It was apparently designed to be a "Dads" car as opposed to a "Mums" car such as the Renault Scenic. It is based on the Vectra estate platform, and it even had a fridge option for the back for the "Dads" beer. Vauxhall even said they did a lot of research and thought that the Signum was the perfect car. That shows considering they sold fk all.

Another car that I think is completely pointless is the Audi A5 Sportback. Its meant to be a hatchback of the A5 and better looking then the A4, but I just see it as Audi taking us for mugs and are charging a larger price tag for what is an A4 hatchback. Cant see anyone buying one of those really as you can't exactly call the A4 ugly, and that the Sportback doesn't offer more space then the A4.

[jebus]

the signum is a stretched vectra estate really, more misguided i think than pointless

[NadiR]

That said though, I wouldn't mind buying a Signum as a second hand buy as it certainly makes a change from the usual Astra's/Vectra's.

[Mrcarfan832]

NadiR said:

It was apparently designed to be a "Dads" car as opposed to a "Mums" car such as the Renault Scenic. It is based on the Vectra estate platform, and it even had a fridge option for the back for the "Dads" beer. Vauxhall even said they did a lot of research and thought that the Signum was the perfect car. That shows considering they sold fk all.

Another car that I think is completely pointless is the Audi A5 Sportback. Its meant to be a hatchback of the A5 and better looking then the A4, but I just see it as Audi is taking us for mugs and are charging a larger price tag for what is an A4 hatchback. Cant see anyone buying one of those really as you can't exactly call the A4 ugly, and that the Sportback doesn't offer more space then the A4.

I hear you. Audi has many pointless cars. Audi Q3, Q5, Q7 anyone? They are identical except for the length. *yaaawwnn*

At least BMW and Mercedes make their vehicles look different from each other. Audi 'designers' seem to have no imagination whatsoever!

[mph1977]

jebus said:

the signum is a stretched vectra estate really, more misguided i think than pointless

Holden sell long wheelbase commodores IIRC , the Signum was supposed to 'replace' the Omega as a car to be 'driven in' ...

[The Moose]

At last - a what car thread on PH that doesn't have MX5 as the answer

[forsure]

Emphasis was on rear seat comfort.

I remember the Top Gear review; Clarkson stood next to a motorway counting the number of cars with rear seat passengers.

My nomination: Suzuki X90.

[Mrcarfan832]

The Moose said:

At last - a what car thread on PH that doesn't have MX5 as the answer

Haha.. I'm full of bright ideas

[omgus]

mph1977 said:

jebus said:

the signum is a stretched vectra estate really, more misguided i think than pointless

Holden sell long wheelbase commodores IIRC , the Signum was supposed to 'replace' the Omega as a car to be 'driven in' ...

Yep, it was meant to be a great place to be a passenger. It is there with the Vel Satis and Avantine as cars that just didn't seem to capture people's imagination.

But then I love the original Fiat Multipla so I'm quite weird.

[Mrcarfan832]

omgus said:

Yep, it was meant to be a great place to be a passenger. It is there with the Vel Satis and Avantine as cars that just didn't seem to capture people's imagination.

But then I love the original Fiat Multipla so I'm quite weird.

But at least the Vel Satis, Avantime and Multipla were fresh, individual designs which had some flair about them and were unique. The Sigma looked exactly like the Vectra estate!

[omgus]

It is not a pretty car. Although bad design doesn't always mean pointless. It is certainly no more pointless than a 4seat coupe based on the Espace chassis.

Most PH cars are pointless, they are made pointless by other cars that are better all round.
MX5? A 320d is faster, more frugal, better equipped and a nicer place to be.
My focus, why have a 2.0 when you could get the 1.4? They do the same job?

The Signum has a very definite point, it was meant to provide the best rear seat passenger experience and general touring duties for less than £40k, the fact that is was a flop should in no way detract from a very focused design brief.

Something like the Signum would be huge in China now (although they do prefer saloons) as being driven is what most aspire towards.

[F1GTRUeno]

etc, etc.

[Zad]

Mrcarfan832 said:

I hear you. Audi has many pointless cars. Audi Q3, Q5, Q7 anyone? They are identical except for the length. *yaaawwnn*

At least BMW and Mercedes make their vehicles look different from each other. Audi 'designers' seem to have no imagination whatsoever!

They do? This is news to me!

The UK Ford Fusion may be a mediocre bit of design at best, but it does have a serious purpose. It is a very niche market but nevertheless an important one - older people or people with bad backs and joints. They find it difficult to get into lower roofed cars, and they can't afford higher roofed people carriers or soft roaders, so a vertically stretched Fiesta is perfect. Dull but true. Then again I'm afraid the real world is like that.

[Dave Hedgehog]

the giant audi and bmw penis cars

X6 and Q7

[Pints]

Mrcarfan832 said:

I hear you. Audi has many pointless cars. Audi Q3, Q5, Q7 anyone? They are identical except for the length. *yaaawwnn*

At least BMW and Mercedes make their vehicles look different from each other. Audi 'designers' seem to have no imagination whatsoever!

You really have no idea, do you? Just because you don't like a car does not make it pointless. Likewise, simply because a car doesn't meet your requirements does not mean it's pointless.

A chap down the road from me has a Signum and I'd happily take it off his hands. I much prefer their design to the Vectra estate.

[TRUENOSAM]

Peugeot 107. Why? Because it's the same car as the citoren c1 only more expensive. Same for the Toyota aygo

[New POD]

NadiR said:

That said though, I wouldn't mind buying a Signum as a second hand buy as it certainly makes a change from the usual Astra's/Vectra's.

It has all that space and only 4 seats. That's the reason I didn't buy one.

[Beeby]

Zad said:

They do? This is news to me!

The UK Ford Fusion may be a mediocre bit of design at best, but it does have a serious purpose. It is a very niche market but nevertheless an important one - older people or people with bad backs and joints. They find it difficult to get into lower roofed cars, and they can't afford higher roofed people carriers or soft roaders, so a vertically stretched Fiesta is perfect. Dull but true. Then again I'm afraid the real world is like that.

But who in their right mind would buy a Fusion when they could buy a Jazz which is far superior in every respect?

Edited by Beeby on Sunday 19th February 08:55

[StevieB]

Pints said:

You really have no idea, do you? Just because you don't like a car does not make it pointless. Likewise, simply because a car doesn't meet your requirements does not mean it's pointless.

.

Fair point, but can anyone explain the "point" of the BMW X6 and Audi Q7. you can extend that to the RR Sport, current X5 and other tanks that are on sale. I mean if you want space, buy an estate, if you want to go offroad, buy a Land rover. These cars are unnecessarily large and heavy, a totally inefficient way of going from A to B and just get bought by bullying types who want to barge other road users out of the way. You might say thats generalising, but in all honesty have you ever seen one of these massive SUV type vehicles driven with consideration? Nope thought not.