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Sportiness is not everything Spoon
I'm sure he knows that, he's got a Midget.
Indeed, drove to wrok this morning, stayed within the speedlimit the whole way and still arrived with a cheshire cat esque grin. As an added bonus I got a parking space right by the lift in the undergound car park as it's too small for a 'normal' car 🙂 , see practical too!
I'm not sure that you can have reliable, practical, and fun to drive
I've gone for reliable and fun (mx5)
If you want practical and fun to drive
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this might tick all the boxes
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I've thought this for a while now.
You see, say, a car today from the 80s, it's instantly recognisable. These days, they're all the bloody same. Someone else here nailed it earlier - bags of character but mostly bad. I'd love to see some modern, good cars built with some distinctive designs rather than the cookie-cutter shapes we get these days.
Credit to Renault for consistently turning out Meganes that look a bit more funky than the norm without going completely French with it. I quite liked the new Civic for a while too (till I test-drove one).
You see, say, a car today from the 80s, it's instantly recognisable. These days, they're all the bloody same. Someone else here nailed it earlier - bags of character but mostly bad. I'd love to see some modern, good cars built with some distinctive designs rather than the cookie-cutter shapes we get these days.
Rewriting history? When did the Sierra come out? Mid '80s to mid '90s was a total styling low.
I really want to drive a Passat CC with the 3.0 V6 diesel.. mmm torquey...
Which they don't make
Hmm.. maybe I was thinking of the Phaeton. I'd like to drive that too 🙂
They need to put that V6 in a Scirocco.
I'd love to see some modern, good cars built with some distinctive designs
Mini, Fiat 500, Alfa, Citroen, Toyota (love it or hate it you know what I am talking about - that and the iQ), Smart, Scirocco, those new Skodas, the new Nissans (maybe), Kia perhaps too
Edit: Honda Civic
Edit: Audi A5
Edit: BMW Z4
I really DONT WANT TO BE EXCITED by a car on public roads. I am however quite happy to get places comfortably, relatively economically and with the minimum of fuss.
Cars are like bikes - everyone should have a sensible commuter, and if they want some fun, something sportier to use on a track. Then every municiple sports centre should have a driving circuit, and the roads would be a far safer place.
My 2p worth
Mid '80s to mid '90s was a total styling low.
Point is, they were all relatively distinctive. Love it or hate it, you'd know a Sierra if you saw one now. I drove past a Peugeot 309 last week, knew instantly what it was. How many people would see an Escort and think "oh, a MkII Escort" - not just recognising the car but the revision?
I'm not suggesting that we start rolling out 50s Cadillacs again, but I'd just like to see a bit more variety on the roads rather than every other vehicle looking like a silver Passat.
why shouldn't a car be fun to drive on public roads - give good road feedback and carve round corners.
surely you are more likely to be attentive to the road in such a car rather than in some antiseptic boring car?
I've got an A3...not a particularly interesting car, but it has a comfortable interior.
Who cars what it looks like on the outside as long as it's nice inside.
My brother in law used to have all sorts of fancy cars, big mercs, suped up skylines, TVRs etc etc. He's now a firm believer in bangernomics and is driving an old golf.
"I'm not suggesting that we start rolling out 50s Cadillacs again"
I am.
Daveyboy - Just sticking a go fast engine in an every day car doesnt make it a great car.
IMO get a BM 3 series, stick narrow tyres on it and switch off traction control. You will then have an exciting car to drive.
or...
be realistic. Buy a cheap everyday car ie Mondeo/Focus etc and then buy a weekend car Elise/Catherham etc for fun driving.
Point is, they were all relatively distinctive
So? Distinctive isn't necessarily good.
So after having a browse around today I stumbled across the kia soul.. Now my snobbish mind wants turn it's nose up but it's quirky, well specced, keenly priced and has a 7 year warranty... It's no rocket but can't see where I'd need to do it's 112 top speed. Think a test drive will have to be taken.
Civic is still a contender and the giulietta is a beauty but may stretch me a bit, going to test a second hand rav 4 on the weekend too just to eliminate it from my mind.. 😀
If you want something that isn't drab get an Alfa. The diesels are quick, economical and very reliable, yes I did say reliable.
Some good open minded shopping going on there then 🙂
Have you test driven a Civic btw?
yeah, civic is the only one I have test driven thus far. Have been coerced into reconsidering the Golf too, have owned one in the past but interested to see how a mk6 goes.
I was going to buy a Civic but they were a smidge over budget and no auto. I loved the interior, the engine (that diesel is just fab), the drive and the extras like panoramic sunroof. Then I was going to buy a Jetta (same as Golf basically) - liked the interior, understated but classy - but the one I wanted had gone, so I got a Passat which in the end turned out better.
Passat's an old mans car though - I thoought I saw you say you were only 35, molgrips?
It's a car that I like, who gives a crap about someone else's labels? 🙂
Daveyboy - Just sticking a go fast engine in an every day car doesnt make it a great car.
Of course you're right. All those I mentioned are widely recognised as being shite.
Practical(ish) and stylish. I give you the [url= http://www.lotuscars.com/en/lotus-evora ]EVORA[/url]
Nom nom nom. Plenty of people seem to pay that sort of money for BMW/Audi (though I only ever look at second hand prices).
Main reason for all the 'blandness' is the introduction of safety legislation.
I saw an article (probably in Auto Express) a few yrs ago that basically warned of this change in safety legislation and the fact it would result in the front-end of most cars becoming very similar looking.
Problem too is risk, I reckon. It's such a competitive market and the car companies invest massive amounts in new models. They need them to sell. If they make a mainstream model too outlandish and they don't sell then they will lose massive amounts of money.
I wonder if shared platforms has anything to do with it too?
It's a car that I like, who gives a crap about someone else's labels
I am not labelling it, it is just that nearly all the ones I see are driven by old men, who are quite often the ones hogging the middle lane in the m/way as well.
I saw an article (probably in Auto Express) a few yrs ago that basically warned of this change in safety legislation and the fact it would result in the front-end of most cars becoming very similar looking
No bad thing though.
I am not labelling it, it is just that nearly all the ones I see are driven by old men
So? This one isn't 🙂 Most of the ones I see are driven by lower grade managers and reps 🙂
Car magazine ran a Kia Soul as a long-term test car, and quite liked it - sort of a 4/5 opinion. I think they're interesting looking.
This one isn't
The funny thing is, before I saw you 35 comment, I thought you must be somewhere near 60 from your comments on the forum... That explains the passat 😉
Have a civic 1.8ESi with the glass roof.
0-60 is around 8 or 9 seconds if that's yer bag and it returns mid 40mpg.
It's like a tardis inside - looks small from the outside to me. Couldn't believe the space in it when we were looking for a new car. Hadn't really considered them as thought they were small and overpriced but the interior is class and, as I said, the space is brilliant. We looked at them by chance really and both decided there and then it was what we were going to buy. Touch wood it's been good so far.
Plus, supposedly higher than average residuals - lower than average running costs plus it's got to be one of the most destinctive cars on the road. Nowt bland about a civic, whether you like the styling or not 🙂
Had a fiesta tdci before that for 6 years - great wee car - 60mpg and torquey as heck! Sadly became a money pit near the end so got rid but reached 130k with hardly anything going wrong.
P.S. only trouble with Civic which i've since found out is you can't get a tailgate bike carrier for them and you have to be careful with roof bars if you have the glass roof. A minor niggle to most but if you do a lot of travelling with your bike then it might be something to think about
grantus can you not get them in the rear seat area by folding up the rear seats? it looked like you could get a bike in there when they showed me.
Just looked at the stats for the blue motion tdi golf. 0 road tax and 70summet mpg, will do over 800miles on one tank of fuel... bloody hell now theres a reason to accept blandness!
Feel free to laugh me off the forum but, er, Nissan Cube anyone? No? Ok.
Think you probably could but seeing as I wrecked the interior of said Fiesta putting bikes in the back of it I have been warned in no uncertain terms that no bike will ever grace the inside of the civic.
I've got an old 206 chugaboom for bike transportation 😉
That sounds so ridiculous - I have a car for transporting my bike 😀
I thought you must be somewhere near 60 from your comments on the forum... That explains the passat
Hehe.. I drive relaxed (mostly), I save the zooming for the trails. I'll show you how it's done sometime if you like? 😉
(if it makes you feel any better, I would really like to replace the springs and dampers with something lower and progressive. And the replacement I specced was the 170bhp. Although I haven't had the car lowered because of cost and insurance impacts.. and lowering it might not be ideal for towing the caravan.. DOH I've really ruined my cool credentials now 🙂 )
be a while before I am zooming again after near 6 months off with a broken collarbone 🙁
carefully does it from now on...
Go old and used and Japanese.
Mitsubishi Legnum VR4, Nissan Stagea, Subaru Impreza Wagon.
They're all available for less than £4k, they're all mental fun to drive, they're all massive inside. The money you save by not buying a £14k focus will easily compensate for the sub-30 mpg and occasional hefty repair bill.
Hmm the fly ing ox may have reset my thoughts somewhat.. So under 10k but hopefully older than 05 .. What to go for.
at the risk of being flamed...
mini cooper clubman, i've had 2 bikes and 2 kit bags in the back with the rear seats dropped 😯
and undeniabley fun to drive!
Christ but there's an awful lot of people wearing rose-tinted glasses around here. Modern cars are remarkably diverse in their styling, compared to a couple of decades or so ago. Try looking at Vauxhall Vivas, Hillman Hunters, Ford Cortinas and Escorts back in the 70's. They were all square boxes virtually indistinguishable from one another.
And as far as the new MG6 is concerned, what parallel universe are some people living in who think older MG's were more exciting styling-wise?
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I mean, [i]really?[/i]. The cars of the eighties all conformed to a jelly-mould convention that rendered them all very similar in silhouette, often it was only the badge that gave the game away. When Peugeot brought out the 205, there were a bunch of similar looking small rounded hatchbacks, when VW introduced the Golf, there was a rash of small, rectangular hatchbacks. Put a Golf, a Fiesta and a Polo from the eighties together for example. Really, many modern cars are anything but bland, look at the latest Mazdas, the Seat's, the Fabias, the latest Astras and Corsas, and the Insignia, which is a very sleek saloon, the latest Fiesta and Ka, and the latest Citrôens, particularly the DS3, which is [i]supposed[/i] to be a modern hot hatchback, but is also unique in it's styling, unlike anything else around. How can that be bland? Yes, there are similar shapes, but various models are much more easily distinguished from one-another now.
willard citreon do a focus sized sweet car. not sure of the model but looks like the ds. Saw one out the other day.some of the vauxhalls look cool too. I love the little fiat 500!
I've got a Citroen C4 (bought recently) in the older shape. Very happy and it looks a lot more interesting than the new one.
Ok so drove a civic 2.2ex diesel (08) rav4 t180 (06) and golf 1.4 tsi (58) today. All do around 40mpg , I bloody loved the rav, my wife got out of the car and said it was bland and she is the sort of person who if asked what car we currently have would say ... A green one 🙂
So, would it be stupid to buy a 40mpg car? Insurance and mpg are all similar on all three cars, the Honda and Toyota have all sorts of gubbins, sat nav blue tooth leather etc..
we will be doing sub 10k miles a year
Bah decisions decisions ...
Bah decisions decisions ...
Which one will impress the neighbours?
Lol, dunno, tbh hadn't thought about them.. In all honesty I don't really care tho.
😆