[Closed] Seriously now are all cars really that drab!

Long since given up caring about getting the most beautiful looking car. They're a money pit so now concentrate on reliability/economy/running costs.

It's not really about beautiful as such, guess I was just hoping I would find something that I would look forward to driving 🙂

agree with allthepies. long gone are the greats with soul.
i think if your a petrol head you need to look at both,your do anything car (souless) and maybe a second car. Go fire up the quatro..

When were middle of the range family cars exciting? I've been driving for 30 years and I can't recall a time when they were better than today's crop. They've become universally competent, certainly. They drink less fuel, you'll survive a crash in them, and they'll probably never properly break down on you.

Unlike their wonderful predecessors - the Escort, Peugeut 309, Morris Ital, Austin Ambassador, Cortina, Toyota Corolla, Allegro, Nissan Bluebird, Cavalier...they all had bags of character, mostly bad.

I learned to drive in an Austin Princess. It was rubbish - the gearbox was hideous at the best of times, the steering was woeful, the brakes overheated with one hard-ish stop, it drank fuel, and it was so noisy that you never drove it above 70. And the window seal leaked incessantly. It also rusted like there was no tomorrow, but that didn't matter so much as the engine, gearbox and just about everything else was dead by 100k miles anyway.

If you want interesting/inspiring, get an older car (5/6 year old BMW 5-Series) and accept the higher running costs. Or something like a Kia Soul - a bit quirky, a bit of fun, but again a more expensive to run than the 'dull' cars you've rejected.

Captivating but practical? Alfa Romeo? But you probably want reliability and bulletproof build quality too, don't you? Figure out what is most important to you, as manu's will be trying to make good cars that appeal to the masses so they can actually sell some...

:'( gutted...

guess I will have to strike "not drab" from my needs/wants list 🙂

Actually the Giuiletta had been on the possible list. I think I am actually just wanting it to tick too many boxes.

Good point about family cars though nickf, it's not so much I have rejected anything, was presuming lots of cars were desirable though that was when I wasn't in a situation to get one and was banging round in an old heap.

What about this... big fanfare for the NEW .. MG???

[img] [/img]

One thing about MGs was their originality. Now, take a bit of Golf, bit of Prius, bit of Picasso, Focus... etc and come up with something... yes, drab.

Yup! some folk choose a classic for that reason I'm sure. Some examples of what people have done to keep their old cars alive in my galleries below

www.peterflynnclassiccars.com

focus drab (get an ST/RS)
golf yawn (get a GTI/R)
civic soulless (TypeR)
qashqui - looks like a duplo lego car (erm, get a GTR?)
Octavia - looks like a repmobile (dare I suggest a vRS? I love driving mine and I actually think its quite a nice thing to look at?)

Just get the Giuiletta, they're lovely.

A big second-hand Saab or Volvo.
Character & not drab - [possibly not too pretty either,, but hey]

[img] [/img]

Beat me to it... That DS3 looks anything but drab! But... It has gone too far the other way and looks a bit boy-racer.

If only they did a Focus-sized one.

As an aside, the Seat Leons don't look too bad.

mrblobby - Member
Just get the Giuiletta, they're lovely.

Posted 24 minutes ago

+1

 

Wtf are you expecting?

I liked the Civic - interesting and different interior, felt sporty to me, and cool design features. I also like VWs because they look classier than many of the others and are comfy and refined. Loving the Passat's comfort.

Focuses handle really well (so I'm told) which is great if you live in the countryside or like throwing it about a bit.

I think you're being overly precious about cars. Too much Top Gear. All modern cars are actually brilliant engineering.

EDIT: as above for Citroen - my dad always poo-poohed them but I think their design is really tasteful and lovely now. From the outside at least!

Double edit - get a Scirocco.

3 series beemer estate of some variety? 6 cyclinder petrol versions if you can afford it for the fun/noise factor, but my 2.0d is loads of fun to drive and makes everything else I've driven since buying it feel really quite crap. Only downside is a solid ride around town.

molgrips I don't know what I was expecting to be honest. I didnt dislike the Civic, it is probably the most likely I would go for, it just felt very clinical. Getting in a Golf Plus after the Civic showed up the Golf's interior.

Have written the Focus off puely on the fact there are so many around and it really doesnt do it for me lookswise.

C3picasso was on the list but apparantly a bit gutless.

Not knocking modern cars in terms of engineering, as I said maybe having had old/get you by cars I thought the experience of having time and a pretty open choice would leave me struggling to choose because of all the options not lack of 😀

A mate of mine has got a brand new A4. He just finds it "a car". He gets no more pleasure from it than I do from my 10 yr old Mondeo Estate. In fact, I probably enjoy mine more because i don't have to be careful with it, and don't thing that every mile is costing 50p in depreciation.

Bangernomics! That's the way forward. If all the car factories started making 10 year old Mondeos and selling them for £1500 we'd ba back to full employment in a flash!

'fun' family cars?

Mitsubishi evo?
Scooby (older ones, new one looks a bit wet)?

The problem is you're looking to have fun in a boring car, regardles of what the STW VAG diesel driving hive mind says, driving arround at 1300rpm isnt fun, even the midget can do that, and accelerate straight upto the redline if you floor it, the difference is, the midget just becomes more and more fun the closer you get to the redline, whereas the sensible economic option, is, well, sensible?

New quatro coming out? Although in reality it's just a 5cyl petrol in another re-hashed VAG chassis.

Build a kit car or buy a cheap classic car for fun if you're into driving.

i'd have a civic just for the Star Ship Enterprise dashboard

Renault Wind?

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RCZ:

[img] [/img]

Sirrocco is ok:

[img] [/img]

Family/Bike Van:

[img] [/img]

And you can blame the Euro regs for the lack of decent family car styling - especially the pedestrian impact part that means no low noses or anything resembling an edge!

ooh that 159 is nice! That's what I am talking about 🙂 tho probably cramped in the back etc etc etc

I guess it is all about compromises.

3 series beemer estate of some variety? 6 cyclinder petrol versions if you can afford it for the fun/noise factor, but my 2.0d is loads of fun to drive and makes everything else I've driven since buying it feel really quite crap. Only downside is a solid ride around town.

+1

I have a 330d Tourer, makes noises like it's running on Tigers. Sweet.

driving arround at 1300rpm isnt fun

What difference does it make how fast your engine is turning?! 😯

It really does depend on what you want from a car. Like I say, I like comfort, so I really love cruising along the motorway in my Passat. Puts a smile on my face. Now I know I'm only meant to smile when driving up an Italian mountain pass in a super car, but I've resisted the conditioning so far...

If you want sporty then there are sporty cars, if you want fun and quirky then they are there too. You have to put some effort in to this choice 🙂

Cars that fit the bill.
some form of AMG Merc estate
M3/M5 (M3 estate on the cards)
RS4/RS6 Avant
Scooby STI
Evo X
etc etc

focus drab

I like my Focus (Ghia 2l petrol)

Granted I'm really not a "car person", I only learnt to drive about four years ago - but it is comfy, reasonably nippy, reasonably economical, easy to drive and lots of nice gadgets in it to make the drive a little nicer*

Yeah it is a pretty common car on the roads, but that's a bonus: big user base means garages know what they are doing with it and there are plenty of parts as it gets older!

* (aircon, satnav, cruise control, heated leather seats, voice control, bluetooth, multi CD, auto lights & wipers, heated screens & mirrors, auto-dim mirror, cooled glovebox and probably some other frippery)

The competence of most modern cars is incredible, even compared to 20 years ago. And in terms of drabness, compare the handling and styling of the Focus, Civic and Golf to the Escort, Civic and Golf from back then - and be thankful!

cheap classic car

no such thing, either;
it's expensive for what is it (BIL's Mexico)
it's modified/ripe for tinkering (other BIL's 1.8 crossflow powered anglia 105)
it's used every day and needs maintaining (my midget)
it's a "modern classic" which just means old skool reliability and new car repair costs!

It really does depend on what you want from a car. Like I say, I like comfort, so I really love cruising along the motorway in my Passat. Puts a smile on my face. Now I know I'm only meant to smile when driving up an Italian mountain pass in a super car, but I've resisted the conditioning so far...

If you want sporty then there are sporty cars, if you want fun and quirky then they are there too. You have to put some effort in to this choice

Thats the car driving equivelent of saying "I'd rather go to bed with a hot chocolate than Carla Bruni"

Yes, my 1994 Passat was a dog compared to the 2006 one!

Get a Chevrolet Camaro, a 1982 one, in green specifically.

4 gears and 5.7 litre engine.

Thats the car driving equivelent of saying "I'd rather go to bed with a hot chocolate than Carla Bruni"

Sportiness is not everything Spoon. There are many ways to enjoy the world, even when it comes to cars...

As for Carla Brunei - never met her, I dunno if I'd like to go to bed with her or not 🙂

No it's the modern equivalent actually being able to meet up with your side squeeze and get back afterwards without arriving on the back of a RAC lorry.

The 159 sportswagon is huge iin the back, not like the 156 sportwagon.

The Scirocco is like the Brera with an unusable opening to the tail - pointless.

I can get my mtb in the back of my Alfa GT lying flat with just the front wheel off and the rear seats down. The Guillietta looks similair but just a tad shorter. I will probably get a Guillietta next, which will make 4 alfas in a row...

The longish term reviews I have seen in the car mags have all been good.

compare the handling and styling of the Focus, Civic and Golf to the Escort, Civic and Golf from back then

That's why the latest Focus is a worse drive than the older one, and the mk4 golf was a joke compared to the older ones.

I've got a new Leon and I think it looks a bit more interesting looking than the other Golf based cars. With 210hp on tap its pretty fun to drive too but the compromise is 28mpg on average which isn't great. Its by no means a sportscar but I needed something that I could comfortably cart about bikes in so a hatchback with a decent engine was the way to go.

I could have bought a 140bhp diesel got 55mpg and moaned that mid range cars are boring but I didn't.

There are plenty of options out there for fun motoring if you a prepared to compromise on something but you can't have your cake and eat it.

never met her

I've never driven a F-50 either, and probably never will, but I know I want to.

How about a Skoda Yeti? No older ones around obviously so still near £15k, but a bit less dull than the squashy blob shapes of the others, and more useful for carting bikes and kit.

I've never driven a F-50 either, and probably never will, but I know I want to

Women are not quite the same thing as cars... 🙂

I could have bought a 140bhp diesel got 55mpg

You could also have got a 170bhp diesel engine* and still got 55mpg and been almost as fast. Diesel FTW 🙂

* dunno if it's specifically available in the Leon but it is in many VAG cars. I really want to drive a Passat CC with the 3.0 V6 diesel.. mmm torquey...

Diesel FTW

Well, almost.

One of my diesels does all that you suggest - fast, abstemious, refined.

The other - a Disco 3 - is thirsty and slow (very refined though) but I love it to bits. Lots of character (mostly good) and carries everything you could ever want. As a family car, it's brilliant. It doesn't bother me that it's slow, because I have no desire to drive it fast, and although it handles well for a big bus, at 2.7 tonnes it's still a very big bus.

Sportiness is not everything Spoon

I'm sure he knows that, he's got a Midget.

I really want to drive a Passat CC with the 3.0 V6 diesel.. mmm torquey...

Which they don't make. I'd like to drive an Audi A6 with the A8's 4.2TDI, but as VAG don't make this model either, it's not going to happen.

I've an Alfa Brera - not many around and certainly not dull!

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

[img] [/img]

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.