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Thread: The State of The Car

  1. #451
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    Because being faithful to a single car for a long period of time is a difficult business for me I'm always looking at new car prices to wonder if I can replace my current car with something or other.

    Lately I've been looking at small, basic, no-frills hatchbacks and I have found something interesting. One of the models the popped up in the screen was the, great news!, Dacia Sandero.

    Now, I've always liked the Sandero and its no-nonsense approach to basic motoring, and the latest facelift has been successful, but I've always been worried that if I got one it would just fall apart, wouldn't go round corners properly (probably because the front left wheel had fallen off) and that brakes would've been made from old milk bottle tops.

    But for the sake of the argument lets assume that the Sandero is a fine little car. On top of all that it costs around five grand less than even the cheapest of rivals. However there's a major problem. The most powerful engine has 90bhp.

    Now as we have discussed recently, on the open road this is a problem, because with 90bhp when you find a big-eared oaf in his old tatty Peugeot 307 doing around 37 you are going to be forever stuck behind.

    Everyone knows I'm from 1924 and that my time has long passed by now, but has it really? Apparently the entire Dacia range (and the Sandero in particular) are being a great success for Renault, so as it turns out I'm not alone in my liking of basic cars with manual everything.

    I just wished that they fitted more powerful engines to it. And since it is based in old Renault bits it shouldn't be too difficult. Then you'd be able to have 130-140bhp car that costs less than 15 grand; and this would be great.
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
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  2. #452
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    Quote Originally Posted by Autoceramic View Post
    Hello Friends,

    I m New member of this forum community. I m car lover.
    Hello and welcome!

    This is not the best place to introduce yourself, but nice to see new members around!

  3. #453
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    Question- I had an idea just now- what is the difference between a 5 series GT and say, a hatchback sedan? Isn't that technically a good thing because it gives more choice? I mean, it was no different from Honda in the mid 80's offering an Accord sedan and an Integra hatchback. Or a Civic sedan and a Civic wagon. What made the BMW 5 Series GT a hated design and the Civic wagon okay?

    Is it because the 5 series GT is more expensive and poorly styled?

    It's an interesting thought no?

  4. #454
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    I thought 5 GT was kinda taller than a standard 5? I mean A7 is basically a 5 door hatchback sedan...
    University of Toronto Formula SAE Alumni 2003-2007
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  5. #455
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    The BMW GT models are not only taller but also have a longer wheelbase than the standard models. I don't think they are traditional 5 door liftbacks (in the way the A5 SB and A7 SB are, at least) more like a cross between SUV, saloon, crossover and estate all wrapped up into one.

    Theoretically it's not a bad idea, but in my opinion the execution is quite poor.
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
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  6. #456
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    So, how many people will miss Fisker when it bites the dust?

    Not me!

  7. #457
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    I will. A very nice looking car. I see a fair amount of them in the 'burbs.

  8. #458
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    I don't know what people saw in Fisker. I always thought it looked a bit comical, in the ridicolous sense.

    Much prefer a Model S.
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
    Visca Catalunya!

  9. #459
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    OK, the Fisker is a bit overdone. But it is striking and different. The uh, moustache grille is less offensive to me now, but I'd rather the grille was a different concept.

    Ferrer, I am wee too (5'8", or 173 cm in communist/logical units, depending on your POV) but how tall (short?) are you?

  10. #460
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    Quote Originally Posted by NSXType-R View Post
    Question- I had an idea just now- what is the difference between a 5 series GT and say, a hatchback sedan? Isn't that technically a good thing because it gives more choice? I mean, it was no different from Honda in the mid 80's offering an Accord sedan and an Integra hatchback. Or a Civic sedan and a Civic wagon. What made the BMW 5 Series GT a hated design and the Civic wagon okay?

    Is it because the 5 series GT is more expensive and poorly styled?

    It's an interesting thought no?
    For some reason, ze Germans (especially Mercedes, BMW, and Audi), HATE calling their cars "hatchbacks." I don't know why, but if you've read the press release for the 5 Series GT, they go to great lengths to avoid calling it a hatchback, making up their own word and that whole funky door design. Mercedes and Audi do the same thing. I got the impression people hated it because of the huge lengths BMW went to to to call it a hatch.
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  11. #461
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    Quote Originally Posted by Magnum9987 View Post
    For some reason, ze Germans (especially Mercedes, BMW, and Audi), HATE calling their cars "hatchbacks." I don't know why, but if you've read the press release for the 5 Series GT, they go to great lengths to avoid calling it a hatchback, making up their own word and that whole funky door design. Mercedes and Audi do the same thing. I got the impression people hated it because of the huge lengths BMW went to to to call it a hatch.
    I think it's like how Mercedes didn't want the R class to be a minivan. But it is.

  12. #462
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    My 350Z has a hatch but no one refers to them as hatchbacks.

  13. #463
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    Quote Originally Posted by Magnum9987 View Post
    For some reason, ze Germans (especially Mercedes, BMW, and Audi), HATE calling their cars "hatchbacks." I don't know why, but if you've read the press release for the 5 Series GT, they go to great lengths to avoid calling it a hatchback, making up their own word and that whole funky door design. Mercedes and Audi do the same thing. I got the impression people hated it because of the huge lengths BMW went to to to call it a hatch.
    A hatchback is so unpremium.

    Quote Originally Posted by NSXType-R View Post
    I think it's like how Mercedes didn't want the R class to be a minivan. But it is.
    It is a minivan. I drive one every day. Actually been rocking a new B class recently. I don't mind it. Maybe I am drinking the kool aid!

    As for the original threas topic, it brings to mind what every US president says once a year.

    The state of the car is strong! Regardless of actually. I am fairly pessimistic about contemporary cars. But damn if a 2014 E Class ain't a great spot to be inside; especially the AMG. Screw 63 which was actually 62, this should be called an E55T AMG. Oh well. The Germans have thrown out logic to preserve premiumness.

    Premium. Premiumosity. Premium premium premium. See? It's meaningless now. Henk might argue it was always meaningless.

  14. #464
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dino Scuderia View Post
    My 350Z has a hatch but no one refers to them as hatchbacks.
    Same with my Supra; I think that because neither are upright two-box designs they escape that classification.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kitdy View Post
    A hatchback is so unpremium.
    As C&D pointed out decades ago, it is ironic that America hates the hatch yet everyone from the faux-rugged to the soccer mom drives around in a lifted 4WD hatch.

    Quote Originally Posted by NSXType-R View Post
    I think it's like how Mercedes didn't want the R class to be a minivan. But it is.
    Quote Originally Posted by Kitdy
    It is a minivan. I drive one every day. Actually been rocking a new B class recently. I don't mind it. Maybe I am drinking the kool aid!
    The R AMG (RAMG!) is one of those cars that I'm glad was built, but I can never really like (though LotD's love of it was amusing). While Audi and BMW jet off and pursue market segments that would make Dany Bahar shit his moonboots, Mercedes seems content to go slightly senile and releasemostly-sensible models and then, at random, something inexplicable.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kitdy
    As for the original threas topic, it brings to mind what every US president says once a year.

    The state of the car is strong! Regardless of actually. I am fairly pessimistic about contemporary cars. But damn if a 2014 E Class ain't a great spot to be inside; especially the AMG. Screw 63 which was actually 62, this should be called an E55T AMG. Oh well. The Germans have thrown out logic to preserve premiumness.

    Premium. Premiumosity. Premium premium premium. See? It's meaningless now. Henk might argue it was always meaningless.
    The state of the car is okay; at LA and Tokyo there were a couple of cars I liked and some that even look good. Compared to the big autoshows of recent years, that is quite the achievement.
    Last edited by f6fhellcat13; 11-27-2013 at 09:09 AM.
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  15. #465
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    Technically Mercedes actually have a "minivan", just not the US style one. V class exists...
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