Are German cars still cool?
Discussion
We've moved away from "cool" towards "aspirational" / status symbol.
I know that we are all different, but how is it that some people feel the need to display outward signs of their "status" and some don't?
In the case of the "German car", they are so ubiquitous and similar looking across the ranges (1.6 to 6.3, 3 series-7 series, A4-A8 or similar) that I can't imagine that many people notice them anyway.
I know that we are all different, but how is it that some people feel the need to display outward signs of their "status" and some don't?
In the case of the "German car", they are so ubiquitous and similar looking across the ranges (1.6 to 6.3, 3 series-7 series, A4-A8 or similar) that I can't imagine that many people notice them anyway.
MC Bodge said:
how is it that some people feel the need to display outward signs of their "status" and some don't?
Those who are happy / confident / secure with who they are, don't need to demonstrate how successful they are to all and sundry However most people have a need to fit in - so if everyone else has a new car and they don't they may feel pressured to buy one simply not to be the odd one out.
I tend to drive £5k cars but I admit it's nice to occasionally borrow something from my Dad (a car dealer) for a day out, I wouldn't want a Bentley / Ferrari everyday though - nor does he, his runaround is a dented £500 Honda Civic.
V8RX7 said:
Those who are happy / confident / secure with who they are, don't need to demonstrate how successful they are to all and sundry
However most people have a need to fit in - so if everyone else has a new car and they don't they may feel pressured to buy one simply not to be the odd one out.
I tend to drive £5k cars but I admit it's nice to occasionally borrow something from my Dad (a car dealer) for a day out, I wouldn't want a Bentley / Ferrari everyday though - nor does he, his runaround is a dented £500 Honda Civic.
Alternatively, we're over-thinking this and although I'm sure that's true in some instances, most people just buy the car that they like/want, whether that be a Ford, Renault, Audi or BMW. If they can afford it then why not?However most people have a need to fit in - so if everyone else has a new car and they don't they may feel pressured to buy one simply not to be the odd one out.
I tend to drive £5k cars but I admit it's nice to occasionally borrow something from my Dad (a car dealer) for a day out, I wouldn't want a Bentley / Ferrari everyday though - nor does he, his runaround is a dented £500 Honda Civic.
white_goodman said:
Alternatively, we're over-thinking this and although I'm sure that's true in some instances, most people just buy the car that they like/want, whether that be a Ford, Renault, Audi or BMW. If they can afford it then why not?
We can surely agree that the vast majority of car purchases aren't thoroughly researched / thought outThen the question is why do they like / want that car ?
V8RX7 said:
We can surely agree that the vast majority of car purchases aren't thoroughly researched / thought out
Then the question is why do they like / want that car ?
Which is what I was getting at. Then the question is why do they like / want that car ?
Similarly for other purchases, but cars are a particularly very visible, mobile device.
I suspect that there is a strong element of wanting to fit in with the norm, which differs from person to person. Some don't really care.
MC Bodge said:
Which is what I was getting at.
Similarly for other purchases, but cars are a particularly very visible, mobile device.
I suspect that there is a strong element of wanting to fit in with the norm, which differs from person to person. Some don't really care.
It has to be image because why else would people spend thousands of pounds on something they don't really care about and replace it regularly with a more expensive one which doesn't perform any better in any meaningful way.Similarly for other purchases, but cars are a particularly very visible, mobile device.
I suspect that there is a strong element of wanting to fit in with the norm, which differs from person to person. Some don't really care.
V8RX7 said:
MC Bodge said:
Which is what I was getting at.
Similarly for other purchases, but cars are a particularly very visible, mobile device.
I suspect that there is a strong element of wanting to fit in with the norm, which differs from person to person. Some don't really care.
It has to be image because why else would people spend thousands of pounds on something they don't really care about and replace it regularly with a more expensive one which doesn't perform any better in any meaningful way.Similarly for other purchases, but cars are a particularly very visible, mobile device.
I suspect that there is a strong element of wanting to fit in with the norm, which differs from person to person. Some don't really care.
Some people I know genuinely wouldn't like to be seen driving an old or non-premium car, and are typically not interested in cars or driving per se. I am interested and I currently drive a fairly old, increasingly tatty, non-premium car, which I find quite liberating
and the wife has an old, non-premium, fun to drive car with little power. Some of the best driving experiences I've had (on 4 wheels) have been in rented, cheap SUVs - Eco sport in the Andes and Duster in Icleand.Of course, if you can afford to pay for it, then you can have it, but as you say, the constant upgrading to newer, but with no increased utility or useful performance does seem a bit like pouring money away for the "privilege", especially if they are not loaded, couldn't replace a washing machine and have no savings.... Each to their own.
Edited by MC Bodge on Friday 3rd August 19:34
MC Bodge said:
It must be, although I think that for many the monthly car repayment or lease bill is seen as a "fixed cost" that will always be there, like a utility bill.
Some people I know genuinely wouldn't like to be seen driving an old or non-premium car, and are typically not interested in cars or driving per se. I am interested and I currently drive a fairly old, increasingly tatty, non-premium car, which I find quite liberating and the wife has an old, non-premium, fun to drive car with little power. Some of the best driving experiences I've had (on 4 wheels) have been in rented, cheap SUVs - Eco sport in the Andes and Duster in Icleand.
Of course, if you can afford to pay for it, then you can have it, but as you say, the constant upgrading to newer, but with no increased utility or useful performance does seem a bit like pouring money away for the "privilege", especially if they are not loaded, couldn't replace a washing machine and have no savings.... Each to their own.
So is this a phenomenon unique to just cars then? Do people buy hot tubs to make themselves appear posh/wealthy/successful, despite not really liking water? Some people I know genuinely wouldn't like to be seen driving an old or non-premium car, and are typically not interested in cars or driving per se. I am interested and I currently drive a fairly old, increasingly tatty, non-premium car, which I find quite liberating
and the wife has an old, non-premium, fun to drive car with little power. Some of the best driving experiences I've had (on 4 wheels) have been in rented, cheap SUVs - Eco sport in the Andes and Duster in Icleand.Of course, if you can afford to pay for it, then you can have it, but as you say, the constant upgrading to newer, but with no increased utility or useful performance does seem a bit like pouring money away for the "privilege", especially if they are not loaded, couldn't replace a washing machine and have no savings.... Each to their own.
Edited by MC Bodge on Friday 3rd August 19:34
MC Bodge said:
Some people I know genuinely wouldn't like to be seen driving an old or non-premium car
Laughable that so many fall into the herd mentality of being convinced Audi Merc and BMW are still 'premium' cars. No different to Rover essentially.Edited by MC Bodge on Friday 3rd August 19:34
White goods at best.
A triumph of marketing over substance.
av185 said:
Laughable that so many fall into the herd mentality of being convinced Audi Merc and BMW are still 'premium' cars. No different to Rover essentially.
White goods at best.
A triumph of marketing over substance.
As you said yourself, the general range props up the marque. Audi’s are generally garbage, BMW’s are good cars to drive, decent chassis in my experience. Mercedes, not a fan. All of the M/Alpine/AMG/RS cars do things as well as each other arguably. White goods at best.
A triumph of marketing over substance.
When talking about perceptions I’d say 911’s rank at the top of ‘people who are unlikely to be let out of a junction’. Modern ones just aren’t ‘cool’, fast, efficient, admirable but cool, nope.
None of this matters as most of these cars are just poseurs paradise. Never to be unleashed on the road and mullered on track by a ropey Caterham. If we must, it’d be lambo or Ferrari. But instead of all of the modern Uber cars I’d be looking back a few years. 70s or 80s really. This was when nobody really cared how many acronyms a car had and they weighed a sensible amount.
And they are all different to Rover, but don’t forget they gave us the K series, one of the coolest 4 pot engines.
roadsmash said:
I'm not sure what your obsession with the TT is but here's a deal for you:
https://leasing.com/independent-brokers/carleasing...
£399 a month with a £1.1k deposit... same car... same terms... same mileage as your example, but much cheaper.
I'm not sure where you have found your quoted deal from, but you're either posting it on purpose to strengthen your argument, or you're just clueless.
Good deal, finally one for hairdressers that are not so affluent.https://leasing.com/independent-brokers/carleasing...
£399 a month with a £1.1k deposit... same car... same terms... same mileage as your example, but much cheaper.
I'm not sure where you have found your quoted deal from, but you're either posting it on purpose to strengthen your argument, or you're just clueless.
I think when you look at the general car range in a city centre car park during the week, this should give an indication to what people can afford and also want to have (be it to fit in or not).
In my profession it seems to be the German car is part of the suit. If you don't have a newish grey-colour german car you're missing part of the work attire. Or at least that's the vibe.
In my profession it seems to be the German car is part of the suit. If you don't have a newish grey-colour german car you're missing part of the work attire. Or at least that's the vibe.
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