Unpopular Opinions- Cars in General

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Something I have thought for a long, long time. Pretty much since day one.

Almost all convertibles look absolutely horrible. Almost all.

There are so few cars which suit the style and it's pretty much two-seater roadsters like an MG F or Mazda MX-5. Everything else is so fugly. Every time I see a convertible BMW, Audi, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Porsche, whatever, the convertible looks so ungainly.
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Yes that's true. In a way that reminded me of what Clarkson said about convertible supercars over a decade ago



And I agree with what others have said - the best convertibles/open top cars are the ones designed to be that way from the start.
 
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AW11 MR2 was the better 80's Toyota over the AE86.

The st185 was the best looking Celica generation.

MR-S was better than the NB MX5. Toyota just messed up by not offering a trim that had the 2zzge in it.

The MR2 is the best sports car Toyota has ever created.
 
"Blacked out" trim makes a car look cheap. Why would you want to remove the chrome/aluminium trim pieces and badges? Here's an example:
audi-rs5-coupe_front.jpg

2018-Audi-RS5-Coupe-Test-Drive-Review.jpg
 
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ScottPye20
"Blacked out" trim makes a car look cheap. Why would you want to remove the chrome/aluminium trim pieces and badges? Here's an example:View attachment 1159807
View attachment 1159808
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Frankly, I'm not sure why anyone would change the aesthetic appearance of trim on a fairly new car unless it's already worn out. Audi did used to offer different trim types but maybe not so much anymore.

I'm not a big fan of chrome trim (and even less so when the light hits it just "right" while I'm driving near it). I can appreciate it on period correct models but by the mid-1980s, I've always felt it's just trying too hard for attention and looking like over-applied make up. Aluminum-like trim is okay to give a shiny appearance without being distracting, but it tends to fade easily, though. Glossy black / gun-metal / piano black trim looks alright, but it's tougher to polish.

The typical do-it-yourself kit for darkening headlights and taillights was played out after the third time you saw it, which was near the turn of the millennium. I think that makes a vehicle look even more worn out, because of the uneven matte finish which also looks like the surface of burnt toast.

Cranky old man rant thus ends.
 
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I prefer the look of non widebody mk1 Deltas (up until HF 4WD I think) to wider ones (Evos).

EDIT forgot a few words the look of lol
 
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I pretty much only care about competition cars. Basically 99.9% of the time, road cars do not interest me one bit. I'm more likely to be impressed by a road car's mpg than it's performance or body kit. A rally-spec Nissan Micra will turn my head infinitely faster than any Lambo.
 
I would pay extra, like several thousand extra for a new car with optional aluminum engine covers and intake manifold.
 
Electric cars can be very, VERY cool, but I don't think they're the future. Instead, I'm much more interested in what Porsche is doing, with fuel made from carbon capturing.
 
MIE1992
Electric cars can be very, VERY cool, but I don't think they're the future. Instead, I'm much more interested in what Porsche is doing, with fuel made from carbon capturing.
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With the way legislation is going in Europe, EV's are 100% the short-term future. In the long term, things like hydrogen fuels and clean-burning synthetics are more likely to overtake EV's. But I agree there are some very cool EV's - Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron GT, Polestar 2, amongst others.
 
MIE1992
Electric cars can be very, VERY cool, but I don't think they're the future. Instead, I'm much more interested in what Porsche is doing, with fuel made from carbon capturing.
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I would hope for this and that there's a better solution to come along than just simply giving cars electric motors.

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I understand why the world is charging at EVs (no pun intended). It seems to be the best way at the moment to change how people get from point a to b while helping save the penguins and polar bears. The infrustructure will eventually improve enough where EV use is no worse than just using a gas station, as long as the demand is there.

However, despite all of the good things at come with EVs, I can't help but feel sad about the whole ordeal. I feel like with the way cars are being built now, they lose a bit of the stuff that makes me enjoy cars. I dunno, I don't think I'll be able to get excited about new cars anymore.
 
Unsure if this would fit here or "just plain ugly" thread, but extended formerly 2 row SUVs to be a three row look terrible. Without extending the wheelbase, it just looks like it crapped it's own pants.... Only two examples that really come to mind are the last generation Lexus RX350L/RX450hL and the new Land Rover Defender 130.
5a1f50973dbef426008b913e


Land_Rover-Defender_130.jpg



I get families want a third row in a popular model, but man do these look like half-assed jobs compared to purpose built extended SUVs where the wheelbase is actually different from the shorter model. I love the current Defender 110 (and 90 for it's stubbiness), but the 130 looks like an afterthought. The Lexus RXL (as I call it) does not look good when parked side by side with the shorter model as well.
 
MedigoFlame
Unsure if this would fit here or "just plain ugly" thread, but extended formerly 2 row SUVs to be a three row look terrible. Without extending the wheelbase, it just looks like it crapped it's own pants.... Only two examples that really come to mind are the last generation Lexus RX350L/RX450hL and the new Land Rover Defender 130.
5a1f50973dbef426008b913e


Land_Rover-Defender_130.jpg



I get families want a third row in a popular model, but man do these look like half-assed jobs compared to purpose built extended SUVs where the wheelbase is actually different from the shorter model. I love the current Defender 110 (and 90 for it's stubbiness), but the 130 looks like an afterthought. The Lexus RXL (as I call it) does not look good when parked side by side with the shorter model as well.
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In the same veign, luxury SUVs - I'm looking at you Bentley, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini - are stupid and destroy the image of a good supercar or luxury car brand. How long til we get a Bugatti or Koenigsegg SUV? I hope never.
 
merseyxshore
SUVs are stupid in general, and always seem to only have one person in them.
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What annoys me more is how many people say they "need" a 3-row SUV for two kids, but even then most smaller 3-row SUVs have an abysmal amount of space in the third row that even a small child would hate. Glad that my brother and I grew up with parents who got a minivan instead of something horribly cramped as a three row crossover of the early 2000s. My friend's mother had a first generation Toyota Highlander and the third row was absolutely awful, with no cargo room either. Then there's the other spectrum of the gargantuan full size SUVs like the Ford Expedition and Chevrolet Suburban that have the space of a minivan, but are excessively large.

This same friend who grew up with his mom's first generation Highlander told me that he and his wife are planning on a second child and refuse to get a minivan..... It angers me to no end of how these new families would sacrifice actual practicality because of their disliking of the minivan stigma. I will never not stop praising vans for their usability for families. Sadly, money speaks and people will still be buying SUVs/crossovers.

MidnightRun85
In the same veign, luxury SUVs - I'm looking at you Bentley, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini - are stupid and destroy the image of a good supercar or luxury car brand. How long til we get a Bugatti or Koenigsegg SUV? I hope never.
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As much as I can "understand" it as the Porsche Cayenne complex of helping a brand survive.... I question the point of them, not for the image of the supercar/luxury brand, but the point of them. Are all these wealthy people growing their families or something? I'm sure there's lots of factors behind such decisions behind these people, but SUVs on the level of exotic cars just seems overly excessive.

I feel like a bit of I'm doing a bit of a ramble here as I'm sure others on this forum know better reasons for the SUV's popularity. So I won't say I'm entirely against them as I'm sure I'm ignorant to whatever reason is behind luxury SUVs.
 
MedigoFlame
As much as I can "understand" it as the Porsche Cayenne complex of helping a brand survive.... I question the point of them, not for the image of the supercar/luxury brand, but the point of them. Are all these wealthy people growing their families or something? I'm sure there's lots of factors behind such decisions behind these people, but SUVs on the level of exotic cars just seems overly excessive.
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They're 100% jumping on the bandwagon of people buying SUVs for no genuine reason other than they like them - you're up high, feel safe, and can drive like a lunatic (apparently) and people will move out of your way because you're in a big shiny SUV. Most of the time there's one person in the car, and even when the whole family are in there's way more car than they need. It's a weird market where they're really popular but hugely unnecessary on the whole. Exotic supercar brands that resort to SUVs are simply trying to boost sales and take a share of the SUV market. I mean, really, does anyone who needs an SUV really need a V12-powered Ferrari SUV? Just buy a Ferrari for fun driving and a proper SUV if you really need the thing...
 
MidnightRun85
They're 100% jumping on the bandwagon of people buying SUVs for no genuine reason other than they like them - you're up high, feel safe, and can drive like a lunatic (apparently) and people will move out of your way because you're in a big shiny SUV. Most of the time there's one person in the car, and even when the whole family are in there's way more car than they need. It's a weird market where they're really popular but hugely unnecessary on the whole. Exotic supercar brands that resort to SUVs are simply trying to boost sales and take a share of the SUV market. I mean, really, does anyone who needs an SUV really need a V12-powered Ferrari SUV? Just buy a Ferrari for fun driving and a proper SUV if you really need the thing...
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Seems like it is the manufacturers wanting a cut of the pie and keeping these customers within their brand. Despite the fact these wealthy owners likely own several different brand of cars, as a marketing exec or whatever....it'd be appealing to see your loyal customer keep everything within your own brand. Range Rover has long dominated the luxury SUV market, but why not have people brag they own a Ferrari SUV along with their Ferrari supercar/sportscar. But yeah, I struggle to see that mindset when your "daily" SUV should be something different than your toys. But these folks want their cake and to eat it as well.

I'd rather just do something along the lines of owning a Land Rover Defender alongside a Morgan Plus Six or something to really change up my garage. Of course, this is purely an opinion and not everyone is like us... Rather than wanting different vehicles for different experiences, they want the same experience from their daily to their toy.
 
SUVs work for families, especially if they have a kid still in a car seat. For the life of me I can't understand what car seats are designed to be so big and bulky when they could be better designed to provide just as much protection while fitting in the vehicle. My wife had a Mazda CX-5, and we had to push the front passenger seat so far up to give my son room and stay within the manufacturer's specs that it was unusable. It also made the middle seat in the rear useless as well. When it was rear-facing, it was even worse.

I like my 4Runner though, mostly because it's a body-on-frame SUV instead of a car-based unibody. It has ample towing capacity, a good 4WD system, and is structurally pretty stout. Could I get by with a car? Sure, but given that we live in the middle of nowhere and the winters in northern Michigan are brutal, I think I'm going to be pretty happy to have something with good ground clearance and proper 4WD. My Volvo S60 worked in the snow around Salt Lake, but it sat so low to the ground that anything over 6" of snow was trickier than I wanted it to be.

I do wish more companies made body-on-frame mid-sized SUVs though. I mean I'm probably always going to buy Toyota, but having competition wouldn't be a bad thing.
MedigoFlame
What annoys me more is how many people say they "need" a 3-row SUV for two kids, but even then most smaller 3-row SUVs have an abysmal amount of space in the third row that even a small child would hate.
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I hate that my 4Runner has the third-row, but I had to take what I could get in the used market. I don't use it and will likely never use it. As soon as the kits to perform a third-row delete gets back in stock, I'm going to get one so I can remove it and use the space for a covered cargo compartment. Why anyone willingly ordered a third-row 4Runner is beyond me unless you have a family without legs.
 
Coming from the flip side re: SUVs and based solely on my own observation, my mother is a Highlander owner and her use case for it boils down to being able to haul all five of the members of the household around if needed, as well as being able to transport our family dog and our luggage for road trips. All things considered, she gets a fair amount of use out of all of the space in the thing. It's also a plug-in hybrid and she's been getting 1500 miles to a tank of gas or about 110 or so MPG. :odd: I think she's only on her third or fourth tank and she's had the thing for months now... I imagine she'd use a minivan if she could get one that does the same exact thing her Highlander does, but IDK why she doesn't.

I did just text her to get her two cents on why she went with a Highlander over a Sienna just to get perspective on that.
 
Joey D
SUVs work for families, especially if they have a kid still in a car seat. For the life of me I can't understand what car seats are designed to be so big and bulky when they could be better designed to provide just as much protection while fitting in the vehicle. My wife had a Mazda CX-5, and we had to push the front passenger seat so far up to give my son room and stay within the manufacturer's specs that it was unusable. It also made the middle seat in the rear useless as well. When it was rear-facing, it was even worse.

I like my 4Runner though, mostly because it's a body-on-frame SUV instead of a car-based unibody. It has ample towing capacity, a good 4WD system, and is structurally pretty stout. Could I get by with a car? Sure, but given that we live in the middle of nowhere and the winters in northern Michigan are brutal, I think I'm going to be pretty happy to have something with good ground clearance and proper 4WD. My Volvo S60 worked in the snow around Salt Lake, but it sat so low to the ground that anything over 6" of snow was trickier than I wanted it to be.

I do wish more companies made body-on-frame mid-sized SUVs though. I mean I'm probably always going to buy Toyota, but having competition wouldn't be a bad thing.

I hate that my 4Runner has the third-row, but I had to take what I could get in the used market. I don't use it and will likely never use it. As soon as the kits to perform a third-row delete gets back in stock, I'm going to get one so I can remove it and use the space for a covered cargo compartment. Why anyone willingly ordered a third-row 4Runner is beyond me unless you have a family without legs.
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I do miss the days of more midsize body-on-frame SUVs, at least smaller ones than the gigantic ones I listed earlier. Considering how our infrastructure isn't getting any better in the United States at least, I can understand why it's such a popular thing.

Are car seats any different when putting them in a minivan to an SUV? Never really tried installing one in any vehicle myself. I feel like the door access is the biggest challenge for just how bulky those are.

Rather surprised the 4Runner is still going with the third rows as I remember them occasionally coming into our inventory when I worked at the local Toyota dealer. People would ask about them, but they were such an afterthought with how little room there was. Guessing you didn't have much of a choice with the current market and finding the spec you wanted for yours.
 
While I don't doubt the suitability of SUV's for practicality and everyday use for a lot of people, I sincerely doubt the need for a supercar variant. I also can't really see the appeal of "coupe" style SUV's like the BMW X4/X6 and the Mercedes GLE (especially when they're the M or AMG version and they're pretending to be a sports car). If you want a sports coupe, buy a sports coupe, not an oddly proportioned SUV that compromises on all the aspects of what an SUV should do.

I also can't see the appeal of the mini SUV's that are starting to become commonplace in the UK and Europe. VW started off with the Touareg years ago, which is a decent sized SUV that can fit a family of 4 plus the dog and the luggage for a week long holiday. Then they released the Tiguan which is a smaller version, for people who want the same capability but don't have quite as much stuff. Then they released the T-Roc, which is smaller, and the T-Cross, which is smaller again! If you want a small car, why buy a tiny SUV that's actually smaller than the equivalent small hatchback and more expensive, and also useless for anything other than being slightly taller than that aforementioned hatchback? I really don't get it.

I'm also the sort of person who's more inclined to buy an estate / station wagon than an SUV. Indeed, I own a Mazda 6 touring, and I've owned a BMW 320d touring in the past too. I much prefer riding near the road than miles up off the tarmac, and I never really go off-road more than a flat piece of grass every now and then to park in a field...
 

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