What car do you drive?

[Some newbie driver]

That's not journalism, that's written hooliganism. It's supposed that people have access to those cars so they can bring us (consumers) the most objective reviews possible to decide where to spend our money. But in reality it seems more that they wanted that job so they could try for free luxury cars and then to write the review is the penitence to do to keep the hobby alive.

That kind of mentality is what leads companies to don't effort to really improve in their products; they only need to not to make big mistakes and take care of keeping their snob-level high. With that kind of journalists out there, it's an easy task.

I'm simplifying A LOT, but in certain way that's what happened with the arrival of Japanese cars (specially in the USA market). They despised them just because the badge and we all know how the story ended.

In fact, brands like the Cupra I mentioned (or that Genesis) had to be created partially due that. If Hyundai would badge those cars as so; they would sell not even the half; just because the prejudices people has about the brand being "generic affordable". So they had to create a new brand to separate those cars from the prejudices people has (fueled by "journalists" of that kind you explained). The more weird twist of all that history is that some premium brands since quite a lot of years already, trying to increase their market, started to produce lower tiers vehicles that are absolutely (expensive, due the badge) garbage.

Regards

[B787]

True words, I don't have anything to add.

I don't think that this is simplifying - here in Germany it's the same. Japanese cars are "uncool". I honestly wanted a Toyota again, the latest models are really nice to drive and also look cool - but too expensive.

Well, nowadays with the big offer of different brands, models etc. everyone has to fight against his rivals. If you want a big mass of customers you basicly need every type of vehicle in your range. I mean, even Ferrari is now building SUV. The question is if that is successfull, even if you are already don't have the best selling numbers. I think in the next years we'll see a dramatic change in the car industry with impacts we can't even imagine now. More and more countries want to ban petrol and diesel cars, also some manufactors already stated that they only want to build e-cars in the future e.g. JLR, Volvo, Ford, Audi, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz... some of them will already start in 4 years. I mean, who will still buy cars then? If you have enough money, why not. I could also imagine to drive an electric car. The range is enough for my daily drive to work and at night I can charge it in my garage. But here in the rural region everyone needs a car and the payment here in the east is quite bad in comparison to the rest of our country, so only a few could really go ahead and buy such stuff. So the only option is to buy one of the last produced cars and hope that it never will break up. But I think if we get a green government in September (and I think that they will win because of Greta and all those ****** kids) even this might be a bad idea because they will ban everything. And if they can't ban something they have enough other options to force you to give up. What happens next is a development back to the middle age...

[Andrei_03]

Aight, so as I turned 18 years old, I finally bought my first car: a 2004 BMW E46 320i in a terrible aesthetic condition - rust, dents, some bad respray. Under the hood, there's a 2.2 liter M54 straight six engine that supposedly had around 170 hp when new, and a basic 5 speed manual.

I know it's utter junk compared to other cars you see here, but I'd rather have the E46 rather than a 75 hp Volkswagen Polo like most beginner drivers Beware, it looks very abused (although it's condition is much better now, after I've taken some care of it).

[ external image ]Bought my first car at 18 years old! by Andrei Postolache, on Flickr

[shalafi]

Congrats Andrei, that's a solid first car (moreso when you buy it yourself)! I was actually looking at the same when I was buying my first one (for some reason I fancied the 320 Compact) .. but then my former company was ending the lease for a MkV Golf 1.9TDi and selling it for a very good price, so it was settled

Safe travels! (drum bun?)

[Trucker_71]

'99 Mustang, bought it new in December '98. It's been part of the family ever since.

[ external image ]

[Andrei_03]

@shalafi Thanks mate!! The Compact can be a good car, it's easy to park in small spots, slightly lighter and easier to find in good shape! Most cheap 3 series sedans and coupes are already thrashed by their previous teenager owners. But if you got such a good offer on the Golf... I think you made a logical decision I wanted a french hot hatch as a first car (Like a Saxo VTS or a Peugeot 306 GTI) but couldn't find any in my country... So I went BMW

Drum bun (good roads) too!

[Underscore_101_]

Photo Not taken by me:

[ external image ]

A Renault Twingo Miss Sixty, bought used, it's a bit girly, but it had all the features i wanted, rims on mine are much nicer and painted in the same colour as the car though.

[Space_Night]

i did have a 1996 Vauxhall Vectra, (S246TWA) with the 1.8 litre petrol engine an the 4 speed automatic transmission, great car and it finally died when the cam belt snapped, resulting in all the bits in the middle of the engine smashing all the bits in the top of the engine. It did have an issue where above 75mph the engine in top gear ran into the rev limiter, (only happend in the last 2 years of the cars life),

Now I have a Toyota Corolla "DU56 AZC" It is typically Japanese in build quality even though it was actually made in the UK at Burnaston factory, and with typical Japanese build quality it will go on, and on, and on and on and in the 3030 it will still be there, doing its thing. Japanese cars are known to be very very reliable!!! and despite being smaller than the Vectra and a lower spec car, it has more features inside such as electric rear windows, isolatable windows in the back. Only thing i miss is a factory fit DAB radio. It even has a CD plater where as the Vectra had a radio cassette player.

who uses tapes these days???

Aight, so as I turned 18 years old, I finally bought my first car: a 2004 BMW E46 320i in a terrible aesthetic condition (although technically it seems pretty solid) Under the hood, there's a 2.2 liter M54 straight six engine that supposedly had around 170 hp when new, and a basic 5 speed manual.

I know it's utter junk, but I'd rather have the 320i as a first car rather than a 75 hp Volkswagen Polo like most beginner drivers Beware, it looks disgusting!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/515 ... 62c6_c.jpg

it doesnt look that bad. At least the grille is nicely proportioned, these latest BMWs seem to have a grille bigger than the windshield!

[Andrei_03]

@Space_Night Thanks! I agree, the E46 is a beautiful car and well proportioned overall. It's just that this particular car was very neglected in the past and thus it has dents, scratches and the bonnet is full of body filler (the previous owner hit a light pole once, and they re-used the hood because the crash wasn't serious enough ). I can't stand the huge grilles on some new models either, I think it makes the car look like a beaver on steroids and very out of proportion.

[alluke]

Peugeot 309 and Citroen C2 VTR