Unpopular automotive opinions...
Unpopular automotive opinions...
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Discussion

Starsky80

Original Poster:

82 posts

7 months

So with a new week starting, I have a few long-held automotive opinions that are probably unpopular/controversial to get off my chest. So whether it be styling, driving or just outright desirability, what are your unpopular/controversial automotive opinions. Going from mild to heinous in no particular order:

1) Modern Audis look better than modern BMWs and Mercedes and I would have a modern Audi RS over a modern BMW M/Mercedes AMG car.
2) Most BMWs are overrated.
3) Toyotas/Lexuses are boring and overrated.
4) The MINI Cooper S is a better hot hatch than the RS Clio 172/182.
5) The Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6 drives better than the 1.9.
6) I'm at best ambivalent about Porsche Boxsters/Caymans/911s and would rather own a Macan/Panamera/944/928.
7) I have no want for a modern supercar (Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren etc).
8) The Bugatti Veyron is ugly.
9) The best fast Golf is the mk4 Golf R32.
10) I would rather own a VW T6 Transporter than a Range Rover.
11) I have always disliked Teslas and would rather own a worse/harder to charge EV than own a Tesla (apart from perhaps a Chinese EV).
12) I prefer "classic" Beetles to "classic" Minis.
13) Having driven all three, the mk4 Vauxhall Astra drove better than the mk1 Focus and Peugeot 306.
14) I always preferred the mk3 Vauxhall Cavalier/Vectra B to the contemporary Ford Mondeo.
14) I think that Vauxhalls current range are quite good-looking.
15) The early 2000s Impreza WRX drives better than the Mitsubishi Evo 8 and the Impreza WRX is nicer to drive than the Impreza WRX STI.
16) I quite fancy an Ineos Grenadier.
17) I don't like 3 cylinder engines.
18) I like diesels.
19) I owned an NB (2nd generation) Mazda MX5 and I didn't care for it.

and possibly the most heinous of all

20) I don't hate the Nissan Juke/Qashqai!

So what are your controversial/unpopular automotive opinions?

Edited by Starsky80 on Sunday 31st May 19:54

Super Sonic

13,122 posts

79 months

I don't like German cars. (There are exceptions)
As for no17, I once had a 250cc triple, f&R drums!

Edited by Super Sonic on Sunday 31st May 19:19

WH16

8,161 posts

243 months

I'd say only half of those at most are unpopular opinions.

T1berious

2,650 posts

180 months

Crumbs, this a brave thread.

But you know what? Why not?

1) I was looking at a 911 not so long ago, a hero car as it was the first sports car I drove in the early 90's (993? ) and blew me away (compared to my very tired 205 1.6 GTi). So I thought right, I've done the 6 Cylinder Cayman, time to try the Daddy! A 992.1 C2S.

What a disappointment, it just felt meh, there's wasn't any excitement and it didn't feel overpowered like that Cayman GTS 4.0 does.

I'm sure the GT3 feels like the car that might have met my needs but the uplift didn't feel worth it

As they've moved the 992.2 GTS to T-Hybrid its not appealing to me. So unpopular view

Bizarrely the Taycan Sport Turismo GTS felt way more potent and special.

Left the flaming commence.



Honourable Dead Snark

597 posts

44 months

City driving can actually be quite enjoyable and fun

Tarby

151 posts

3 months

The Alpine A110 is a massively overrated mediocre piece of crap.

Roger Irrelevant

3,353 posts

138 months

The ADAS stuff in my BMW is fine now I'm used to it.

I like stop/start.

In general, quite a lot of automotive innovation after the mid 90s is actually pretty good.

Edited by Roger Irrelevant on Sunday 31st May 23:36

Tuggy

20 posts

2 months

An unhealthy dislike of SUV/crossover car shaped vehicles.
Especially Nissan Quashqai - it must be an unpopular opinion judging by how many of the bloody things there are

TwigtheWonderkid

48,369 posts

175 months

The 205GTi 1.6 driving better than the 1.9 is not an unpopular opinion with those of us who had both.
What is more unpopular is that the 309GTi was vastly superior to either.

dcb

6,046 posts

290 months

150 - 200 BHP is enough power. You might want a lot
more, but that amount of power will get you cruising
easily at 200 kmh (where permitted) and that's about
as fast as is practical in a car.

Alan Clark MP said his Land Rover Discovery, with the diesel
engine, was the fastest car he owned. This from a man
who owned many cars, including various Bentleys and Porsches.

Lotus sports cars are so narrow in purpose that they are rubbish.
Only two seats, not four, hard to get into and out of, no luggage
space for any shopping and the ride is rock hard. Why bother ?
A Fiat Panda would be far more useful.

  1. 2 extended: the car with the best fuel consumption and the
biggest fuel tank is the fastest car. Fewer 15 minute fuel stops,
never mind a few seconds on the 0-60 mph.

You can't measure safe driving in mph, since you can get it
right at 90 mph and wrong at 60 mph.


georgeyboy12345

4,439 posts

60 months

Starsky80 said:
So with a new week starting, I have a few long-held automotive opinions that are probably unpopular/controversial to get off my chest. So whether it be styling, driving or just outright desirability, what are your unpopular/controversial automotive opinions. Going from mild to heinous in no particular order:

1) Modern Audis look better than modern BMWs and Mercedes and I would have a modern Audi RS over a modern BMW M/Mercedes AMG car.
2) Most BMWs are overrated.
3) Toyotas/Lexuses are boring and overrated.
4) The MINI Cooper S is a better hot hatch than the RS Clio 172/182.
5) The Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6 drives better than the 1.9.
6) I'm at best ambivalent about Porsche Boxsters/Caymans/911s and would rather own a Macan/Panamera/944/928.
7) I have no want for a modern supercar (Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren etc).
8) The Bugatti Veyron is ugly.
9) The best fast Golf is the mk4 Golf R32.
10) I would rather own a VW T6 Transporter than a Range Rover.
11) I have always disliked Teslas and would rather own a worse/harder to charge EV than own a Tesla (apart from perhaps a Chinese EV).
12) I prefer "classic" Beetles to "classic" Minis.
13) Having driven all three, the mk4 Vauxhall Astra drove better than the mk1 Focus and Peugeot 306.
14) I always preferred the mk3 Vauxhall Cavalier/Vectra B to the contemporary Ford Mondeo.
14) I think that Vauxhalls current range are quite good-looking.
15) The early 2000s Impreza WRX drives better than the Mitsubishi Evo 8 and the Impreza WRX is nicer to drive than the Impreza WRX STI.
16) I quite fancy an Ineos Grenadier.
17) I don't like 3 cylinder engines.
18) I like diesels.
19) I owned an NB (2nd generation) Mazda MX5 and I didn't care for it.

and possibly the most heinous of all

20) I don't hate the Nissan Juke/Qashqai!

So what are your controversial/unpopular automotive opinions?
I agree with you on points 7, 8 and 17.

Let me try and think of some and I’ll get back to you


Ezra

888 posts

52 months

Blimey, this thread could be a bit of a hornets nest. So, for me, here goes...

- I wouldn't have a Land / Range Rover even if it was given to me free...and its nothing to do with reliability.
- Manual gearboxes are a pain in the arse. Auto's every day and the Porsche PDK is almost telepathic.
- Black wheels are the work of the devil. Mrs E's car has them and I struggle to even look at it sometimes.
- Lexus aren't boring, quite the opposite, they're extremely idiosyncratic but not in a good way. I wouldn't have another, but they're not boring.
- The Vauxhall Zafira was a great car and was all a family with 3 kids ever needed.
- Any base engine Cayman/Boxster/911 is a better road car than the S, GTS, Turbo etc models.

Clad-Hach

440 posts

13 months

Tarby said:
The Alpine A110 is a massively overrated mediocre piece of crap.
Agreed..!!!

Collectingbrass

2,818 posts

220 months

21) German Cars actually have working indicators as factory standard, and using them doesn't negate your warranty.

22) Gentlemen who use the left hand lane are considerate lovers.

_Rodders_

2,344 posts

44 months

I've got almost zero desire for anything Lamborghini post Gallardo Balboni and Murcielago SV.

I like oddball cars, things like Audi A2, Honda Insight, Citroen C6.

I also like proper ladder chassis 4x4 despite having almost no need for them.

I'm generally quite excited about the Chinese invasion and particularly their gift of ludicrous performance for the masses.

Road tax or whatever you want to call it isn't high enough for regular cars but should taper off much quicker for 20 or 30 year old cars. I'd have a flat fee and then a surcharge based on weight that becomes particularly punitive above around 2.5t maybe with business exemptions that require larger vehicles.

There should be no leniency around driving without insurance. Car confiscated immediately, you don't get it back. I've managed to not drive uninsured for the last 26 years, not difficult at all.



Josemartinez

384 posts

15 months

I agree re the Veyron, I'd say all Bugattis aren't good looking. Also who cares about multi million pound hypercarsike Bugatti, Koenigsegg, Pagani etc, most people will probably never see one never mind drive one and those lucky enough to buy one only drive it for Instagram posts or just keep it in temperature controlled storage.

Dapster

9,052 posts

205 months

LJKS writes pompous twaddle. There, I said it.

Glitzy Mitzy

1,411 posts

53 months

1) Manual gearbox cars are easier to drive than cars fitted with automatic transmission.
2) BMWs are boring.
3) Nissans are better than Toyotas.
4) Mazdas are better than both the above, but can be a bit cheap and nasty round the edges.
5) A light, front-wheel-drive car is the best thing for day-to-day and a bit of fun driving on the roads of Great Britain.
6) Ford is best.

Gerradi

1,984 posts

145 months

Tarby said:
The Alpine A110 is a massively overrated mediocre piece of crap.
Absolutely ...

FiF

48,261 posts

276 months

A number in that list I can agree with wholeheartedly.

1) Modern Audis look better than modern BMWs and Mercedes and I would have a modern Audi RS over a modern BMW M/Mercedes AMG car.
5) The Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6 drives better than the 1.9.
7) I have no want for a modern supercar (Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren etc).
10) I would rather own a VW T6 Transporter than a Range Rover. Though quite like the new Defender
11) I have always disliked Teslas and would rather own a worse/harder to charge EV than own a Tesla (apart from perhaps a Chinese EV). Definite No to Chinese EVs, complicated reasons.
16) I quite fancy an Ineos Grenadier.
17) I don't like 3 cylinder engines. Non wet belt in small light cars are OK, but a small highly stressed 1.2 in big heavy barges are just wrong
18) I like diesels. Especially simple large capacity atmo diesels that can run several times round the world without issue, won't do it quickly but that's ok


Mine, the last decent car Rolls Royce made was the Phantom III. Phantom IV is acceptable but as only a few were made for Royal Family and heads of State that excludes itself. Silver Shadow is OK. As for the modern stuff, yuck.