(Update by Paul Niedermeyer): Unfortunately, this post inadvertently has turned into another ugly and stupid internet Prius hate fest, and I’ve had to delete a number of comments the likes I’ve never seen here before. I simply can’t understand how one car can make so many folks foam at the mouth.
My theory is this: it’s not the car itself, which although may not be everyone’s cup of tea, is a highly functional vehicle as well as an extremely reliable and efficient one as well as a commercially successful one. I don’t want one for myself, but it’s a valid automotive choice.
The Prius has become a political symbol, because there’s no possible other explanation of the ugly venom it inevitably generates, and not so much against the car itself, but its owners. In fact, often the most venomous comments are by folks who obviously have never driven one.
CC has prided itself in staying away from politics. Since many readers seem not to be able to distinguish the Prius’ actual automotive qualities from the political baggage it wears, we’re going to have to make it a taboo subject for now. I’m going to bed, and I refuse to see more idiotic comments posted about a car, and its owners.
CC always welcomes intelligent and insightful comments about cars or whatever the subject matter may be. If a comment is negative, but based on some actual aspect of the car or the writer’s experience with it, we welcome it.
Please note: this is NOT comparable to a GM Deadly Sin or such. It’s one thing to write about a car’s actual shortcomings, especially when those were clearly validated by its failure in the market. That certainly doesn’t apply to the Prius, one of the biggest success stories in the modern era.
Sometimes it’s thinly veiled, other times it’s right out there: some of these Prius comments are a form of hate speech against their owners. We’re not going to allow that now, or ever, against any group, including owners of a certain car. It’s sad and pathetic. Please grow up. Or go away.
“It’s… gorgeous.”
We’ve all had buddies buy something which doesn’t suit our tastes. When it comes to cars, though, it can be hard to keep our mouths shut, or at least in my case, it’s been quite difficult. As enthusiasts, our opinions can be strong, but even still, many of us have had to watch friends flash a poorly-considered purchase in hopes of a kind word or two. Did you grin and go for the polite option or did you spill the beans?
It’s not uncommon that those who make bad decisions in all areas of their lives expect our approval, and in such situations, telling the truth can lead to all sorts of mayhem. So we often go with a safe (in the short term) response, like, “I think it’d be a great idea to marry your partner after three months,” or, “I love your spring break tattoo,” or perhaps, “go ahead and try that 500 pound dead lift!”
You’d think it would be rather easier to be truthful about a car purchase, but then again, after someone’s shelled out thousands, it can seem especially unkind.
Even sharing your opinion with a friend of a friend can seem mean, like when I told my father that his best friend’s Benz ML was “crap.” But for chrissakes, don’t pretend to appreciate my car knowledge and then expect to remain care-free in your ignorance. This question is by no means limited to friends; significant others and family members are game, too, especially if their purchase was gravely disappointing.
Which car, new or used, purchased by a friend, lover or family member had you seeing red behind your clenched smile?
Each and every last Prius that gets purchased. Followed by each and every Corolla and Camry purchased. Followed by the “Shaming” that I’m not a real adult because I don’t have a “respectable” car.
I have a GREAT poker face.
I understand you don’t like these cars, but they’re not “bad” cars. In fact, they’re just about the perfect cars for a whole lot of folks who value reliability and efficiency over other qualities. I have often recommend them to other folks…and I certainly wouldn’t recommend a W116 to anyone unless they really know what they’re getting into. If I did, I know they’d likely never let me hear the end of it. 🙂
It’s when someone shows up in a Dodge Nitro, or Jeep Compass, or Hummer, or a Cobalt, or….now that’s when I find it difficult to feign enthusiasm.
Dodge Nitro… *shudder*
Count me as a Prius fan, at least the smaller two variants. Still, fun to imagine the poker face.
It’s funny because I was just visiting some folks in Maryland who offered to drive me and my friend to a Metro stop in a new car that was in a nearby parking garage. They were waxing enthusiastic about the driver’s new car we were about to see – what great quality, how luxurious, etc. – and both of us (car people, BMW 328i and G37 owners) were excited.
Imagine how we looked at each other when we saw a new Jeep Compass awaiting us. Even though it indeed was a loaded model, the interior was ugly, the leather was craptastic, and the car was already creaking and rattling (and no wonder, given the rough ride produced by that suspension). We did our very best to muster enthusiasm for the vehicle but barely got on the train before we began wondering aloud how she possibly could have traded a very nice Grand Cherokee for this car (or thought it was in any way “luxurious.”)
I’m with you this one, Paul. My brother-in-law and son-in-law both own them and one will likely be my next purchase. I’ve had some high performance cars in my life and I think they drive well. Spot on regarding the Hummer or really any big SUV. I graduated from college at the ripe old age of 48 in 2005 so most of my classmates were quite younger. There was a young,single, good looking, nice young police officer in many of my classes and damned if he didn’t drive an H2! I wanted to take him aside and recommend a Miata or something fun since he didn’t need the space for a family. I mean, if you really like big vehicles like that, get a job at UPS.
Paul, I don’t get the hate for the Nitro or Cobalt. Hummers Im kind of ‘meh’ on either way, the Compass isn’t a real Jeep.
But the Nitro is a cool little rig. I like the look better than its Liberty twin, and everyone I know who has owned either LOVES them. My only gripes are theyre limited to V6 power, although the available 4.0 is potent, and the Nitro lacks a true 4wd setup…theyre either rwd or full time AWD.
Same with the Cobalt. I know nothing of the lower end models, but everytime I see the SS coupe, I think “Now THATS what the Neon SRT-4 should have been all along!!!” The supercharged models are decent, but the later turbos are good for 260 hp stock. That’s respectable and it looks decent too. This is coming from a chevy-hating Mopar fanboy.
Luckily most people know better than to ask for my recommendations anyways. I guess more of my issue about the Prius (and to a lesser extent the Corolla/Camry) is the whole “Why don’t you give up on…” (insert my recent used purchase) and get (insert dull Honda/Toyota sedan with high resale value).
It comes from the tension that a good number of friends that will get into a semi-moralizing place with this live in suburban environments with long commutes, so a Prius or such makes sense in a “commuter pod” sense. Ideally that’ll never be my life, nor will being excited about seeing how long I can putter on suburban streets at 23 mph to see how long I can stay in EV mode.
Plus, having “car-sat” a Prius V for 3 weeks last summer, it’s kind of an annoying penalty box when trying to keep up with the flow of some traffic on Bay Area Freeways (580 and 280 cross a lot of hilly terrain where people drive in 75-85 mph ranges). My ire relates less to the Corolla/Camry, but I do have to watch the arch of my eyebrows when people say they’re stylish.
Wow….’stylish’. Just unbelievable. I mean to each his own and all, but I think its just sad to think that ANY sedan is ‘stylish’ or ‘cool’. To me, ‘cool’ is a HellCat Challenger or an Audi TT RS for example…but then, Im very much a ‘car guy’ and have specific tastes. When someone praises a boring camacord or hybrid I chalk it up to being terminally car inept and not knowing any better. At first I feel contempt, but then just pity for the poor sod.
I have a similar reaction when I go into a bar and see someone ordering a coors lite. I mean this is Oregon….we make some of the best beer in the country…the whole friggin WORLD, even!
If only we made cars in Oregon. They’d run on hops and beer-piss, if I had my way.
I have pretty much only owned V8 powered vehicles, with a few exceptions, but I was the one who convinced my wife to try a Prius. She did, and she loved it and so we bought a Gen III We sold off our old Civic, which she despised. It was a base model, with terrible seats but it was a good car to us. We have owned the Prius for about 3.5 years and I can honestly say it is probably the lowest operating cost of any car. The average fuel economy has been spectacular, the thing has give us zero problems in 80K miles, and it is actually reasonably roomy and comfortable for tall people.
That said, I still have a love hat relationship with the car. I love that it is super reliable, and economical, but I can’t say I overly enjoy driving it. It’s okay, but it labours in the hills, and isn’t overly fun when you feel sporting. But it does the job better than our old Civic, for less money and has FAR more room. Plus, she puts most of the miles on it, I still have my CC and my Truck.
+1, Laurence.
I held my tongue from 2008 until this year when a close friend traded her Prius for a new Audi A4. I think she was a bit disconcerted when the new car arrived (it was a special order and took a long time) and I began unleashing my long held hate for the Prius. In truth she came to dislike it early on and but only started to reveal this to me last year when asking for advice on a replacement.
Same thing happened with friends up in Seattle but they hated their Prius so much by the end of the first year that they traded it in:-)
I don’t have anything against the Prius, but my 83 year old grandfather recently bought one and has been bragging about how much money it is going to save him. The thing is he drives about 3000 miles every year these days.
The really bizarre thing is that my grandfather has ONLY owned Chrysler Corp vehicles ever since he bought a ’55 Dodge Royal Lancer. The 300C he traded in hadn’t given him any issues so it isn’t like he defected for any major reason.
“I don’t have anything against the Prius”
You must not live in Seattle. The Prius is the official car for Seattle’s huge legion of Mr. Magoo drivers. Seattle has been on a right sizing kick resulting in 2 lane arterial streets. It’s a real cluster f***. One badly driven Prius can wreak havoc for miles. There is something about the Prius that attracts non attentive and non skilled drivers.
In S King County I find that is just as likely to find a Prius flying by me at 75mph in a 60mph one as I am to find one slowing down traffic.
BTW, thanks for starting another deadly boring/stupid Prius internet hate fest. I know you didn’t meant to, but I’m so utterly sick of them. I’ve been dealing with them for years, and they bore me to tears. I’ve already had to delete one comment because it seems to bring out the utter worst in people. Why folks get so worked up over a car never fails to amaze me. Especially one that does have some very real positive qualities, unlike the many POS cars I can think of. Maybe I should just close any further commenting. Way too few of the comments are actually a direct answer to the question.
Yeah this is curbside classic, this is supposed to be a another deadly sin GM internet hate fest!
The question is what we have difficulty feigning enthusiasm for, and reliability, safety, and low operating costs aren’t that exciting. Especially when those merits guarantee an unprovoked lecture about how their new car payment is worth the savings on gas or how much more responsible they think they are. And yes, this is the dialogue I had with a certain family member who recently bought a Prius.
I have driven the Prius and the 2014 Camry Hybrid. The Prius is an engineering marvel, offers good space, is easy to park and has excellent visibility. I also hate driving them as it is much like strapping a steering wheel and four wheels on a fridge. The Camry, on the other hand, is MUCH better and feels like a real car. The SE Hybrid would suit me just fine and could very much be in my future.
I don’t get the Prius hate. I love the car. Toyota totally went out on a limb and created something completely new and marketed it. How many howls of “They’ll never make money on them har, har, har, we know better!” did we hear? Well, now Toyota makes more than a million a year and makes money on each one, and has very happy owners.
It has taken me a long time to realise that not everybody is like me. They have different tastes and preferences. I wouldn’t buy a Prius but for my wife or sister it would be perfect.
I can hardly wait…..
-Nate
My sister bought a new 1980 Pontiac Phoenix 4 door in white, with a burgundy interior. I rode in it a few times, and was not impressed by the cheap aura, given the hype surrounding the X-cars. She started to have mechanical issues within the first year, I recall. I offered minimal feedback on that car. lol
I’d say the worst was the F250 my brother in law purchased after I told him not to. Nothing against a F250 but this one had been totaled and had a rebuilt title. Not only that it was all the way in OR meaning that even if it didn’t look good he would be way to inclined to bring it back home since he had driven so far to look at it.
They did do a good job fixing it, they did paint the whole truck and they did have the before pictures to know exactly where the damage was, left front and all down the left side. Not too long after he got in home the air bag light came on and neither the dealer nor the air bag specialist could fix it so it stays on to this day. The driver’s side door has never quite lined up exactly right and occasionally doesn’t close like it should. But hey is was cheaper than a truck that hadn’t been wrecked. But then again it needed a new set of tires negating some of the savings.
I knew a guy who bought a 4 door second generation Toyota Tercel. The ugly 4door hatchback. The color can only be described as “flesh”. The one with the black rubber bumpers. And it had a hood ornament! But as a car guy, l just couldn’t lie. I told him it was ugly!
I remember when the 2nd generation (fastback) Toyota Prius premiered. I thought it was uglier than crud. I still think it’s the ugliest cars on 4 wheels, but I find them more attractive than the Prius V and later Prius’ Toyota has released to the public.
How about the friend who goes out and buys the same car you just did a couple months prior? I was not amused… And no, it wasn’t one of those 4 wheeled appliances, either.
Happened to me but it was one week later and the car was an exact duplicate of mine – color, options, everything – sticker was identical. I know I have good taste but…
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! LOL
x2.
Hell, start a club!
My Dad’s used 1962 Chevy II “300” 4-door sedan. Even a kid knew there was something wrong with a car whose engine started THUMP-THUMP-THUMPing after driving it for a few miles at highway speeds from San Francisco to Colma, where we’d park the car and go visit relatives (readers from the San Francisco Bay Area will realize that these were DEAD relatives, in some of the many cemeteries that were Colma’s claim to fame before the big Serramonte Shopping Center was built on the other side of the I-280 freeway). Once the Chevy II sat for a bit, the engine cooled and quieted down, but it would start complaining again on the way home, just shortly before we got there and the car was parked again.
After a couple of episodes, even Dad must have suspected that it was time to get rid of it, because although he kept it on a slow, under-two-mile drive to/from work, he soon started shopping for a new car. Always a Chevy man, he settled on a new 1967 Camaro, a stripper with the base 210hp 327 and an automatic transmission (this particular box had its woes, written about in my comment following the CC article, “Powerglide: A GM’s Greatest Hit Or Deadly Sin?”) but instead of trading the Chevy II, he decided to sell it privately because he could get a little more money that way. That “advantage” was blown shortly after the private sale because…you guessed it…the new owner wanted to drive it farther than Colma. The mighty 194 Six spun a bearing on his first drive past San Mateo, and he was mightily pissed.
I do have to admit, however, that the used 1980 Chevrolet Citation he bought would come in a close second. What saved it from that ignomious honor: there really wasn’t anything WRONG with it, as there was with the Chevy II. As a really awful car, it was working as designed, and ultimately its motor didn’t blow up.
I recommended a used Honda Accord to a friend. When I heard she bought one of the rare V6 versions with the “glass” transmissions, I hemmed and hawed. Sure enough, it broke within a year. Since she only putters around the flats of Iowa, it never occurred to me that she would get the V6.
She then bought a Prius, and I congratulated her on that choice. Seriously. It’s almost the perfect car for a large percentage of women: efficient and reliable. And holds its value. Recommending a “driver’s car” to many women is not generally a good idea.
A couple of things to watch out for in recommending the Prius, which is indeed a very high quality, reliable car. My female friend constantly complained about the poor rearward visibility due to the car’s shape, a big issue in a city where we are constantly parking in tight spaces, parallel on the street, etc. And her model had a very poor rearview camera without moveable grid lines or parking sensors (most likely corrected on the newer models).
The other issue – and this has impacted other friends as well – is that if the person is used to a high-powered car, the lack of quick acceleration can be a problem, especially when trying quickly to get out of difficult situations on the freeway or, say, trying to quickly accelerate from a complete stop to get on the Pasadena Freeway (the ancient Arroyo Seco Parkway) because of the lack of contemporary access ramps.
My friends who live on Kauai – former Mercedes S Class and Audi A4 owners – love their Prius because it is perfect where parking and the need for rapid acceleration are not issues and gas prices are high.
I get asked about the Prius more than any other car. They have the most awful ride and steering and, for some reason, the hardest, flattest seats. Since I also hate the way they look I am careful to state my biases at the beginning before commenting on the wonderful efficiency, reliability and resale value. Once you buy one you get used to the commuter pod feel, so I like to warn people it’s truly a Stepford car.
As much as I hate the look of the Prius I find the Lexus CT hybrid to be one of the best looking and proportioned hatches in the business. It even looks nice with the new “spindle” front end. I wonder if it drives any better than the Prius, anyone know?
I actually don’t mind the Prius as far as looks and the way it drives. I’m much more concerned about how long the battery will last and how much will it cost to replace.
300k miles or more. Some have gone over 500k miles. About $4k, installed. Good used ones from a wrecked car are cheaper.
The second US generation Prius battery is usually good for over 200K in frequent use. Aftermarket batteries can be had in the 2-3K range. “Reconditioned” batteries which are just made from the good cells from used packs can be had for around $1000.
Supposedly pretty good; Car and Driver just tested one if you want to read about it:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2014-lexus-ct200h-f-sport-hybrid-test-review
That said, I’ve ridden in back of both, and the CT is noticeably smaller.
Thanks for that it was an interesting read especially the comments. Seems most guys like the styling.
The article reminded me of another thing I hate about my BIL’s Prius, the horribly abrupt transition between EV mode and gas. His is brand new but feels just as bad as the original for driveline lash. It’s like Toyota isn’t even trying.
I agree with the comments that the CT would be a real winner with a conventional engine like Toyota offers in other markets.
You are right that Toyota hasn’t put much effort into refining their hybrid system. Ford does a much better job of making the EV/ICE mode transition hardly noticeable.
In Vancouver, at least 90% of the taxis are a Prius of some sort. According to the taxi people with whom I have spoken, the batteries are good for the life of the car in taxi use, which is six years in Vancouver and about 800,000 km. The cars then are passed down to drivers or family members and continue to drive people about. Surrey is full Prius ex-taxis, some with over a million km on them.The brakes are also good for 200,000 km or more, while the cars average 5 L/100 km in Vancouver’s horrid traffic.
A huge win for everyone.
Many non-enthusiast female owners prize reliability, not wanting to be stranded. We recommended the Prius to my sister-in-law, to replace her moneypit Jag S-type. Perfect for her circumstances in high-tax L.A., it’s the trim level with all the fruit, so she loves it.
Only problem: it’s a magnet for door-dings. It’s probably vandalism even though she isn’t a tree-hugger by any means. Unfortunately the Prius is a political/religious statement for a lot of people, so those who only buy them for economic reasons get caught in the crossfire.
I had the I4 Honda Accord and its transmission barely lasted 100K miles.
Isuzu P’up. Also its relatives Opel by Isuzu, that stupidly smiling Isuzu hatchback, and the Axion/Axiom that lives up the sreet. (I forget which was a vehicle and which was a detergent.). Might as well throw in other “Z” cars like Prizm and even Cruze–just too cool.
I have owned too many Grand AMs to throw any judgments at anyone.
A friend bought a Volt, against my recommendation. My poker face isn’t that great, so I don’t spend much time around him anymore.
I’ve been known as a car nut for so long by so many people that anyone who knows me well enough to tell me what they bought would have first asked me what to buy. It’s interesting how my recommendations have changed over time. Nowadays there are few new cars that I will tell people to avoid. Wasn’t always the case.
One of the things I get asked the most, by guys, is “is this a chick car”? They don’t always heed my advice on reliability or fun to drive but if I suggest the car is popular with women, or worse moms, that choice gets cut from the list immediately. I tried backpedaling once on the Range Rover Evoque stating I wasn’t sure if it was more popular with women than men but it was too late.
Dad bought a brand new hearing aid beige Allegro in the autumn of 1973.I had the feeling it was going to be a POS,I kept quiet as he was going to pay for driving lessons if I passed my O levels
I know those cars only by reputation, but I don’t think anyone will be able to top that.
“Dad bought a brand new hearing aid beige Allegro in the autumn of 1973…” That’s like the opening line of a very sad Country Song.
I would send them an algebraic meme. Anonymously or pseudonymously.
I recognize the car on the right. But what is that hideous, repulsive, slimy-looking creature on the left? The far left, I mean.
AMF experimental safety car. Dunno much about it, but when the Panamera was launched my mind went straight to this. And the fish.
1985 Dodge Shelby Charger. My buddy talked up the great balance between performance and economy, and felt the Shelby name added value.
At the time of purchase, there were far better performance cars for similar money, and far better economy cars for much less money.
In regards to the Shelby cachet, someone on the internet said “I think the Omni GLH is way more collectable.” -I concur.
I disagree! These are cool little rides and were FAR more capable than many want to admit.
I used to give my dad advice on what to buy and what to stay away from, but if he didn’t get the answer he wanted to hear ‘I don’t know what I’m talking about’. One that sticks in my mind was an early 80’s Jeep Cherokee, with the V6 engine. I told him the engine is no good, get a later one with the inline 4.0 six. He said the engine was rebuilt, and I told him it will soon need to be done again. He bought it, and soon had to have the engine rebuilt. Then he sold it. Never a ‘you were right’ comment. I did convince him in 72 to buy mom a new Pinto with the 2.0 and 4 speed, and not the Vega. That was a good car, it only had AC, deluxe decor and am radio. It gave them no trouble.
What? No Aztek stories?
The only story I can think of is of two friends of mine, who always bought used GM cars. They needed a small car for a commute and bought a Pontiac Sunfire, which I had always thought was a horrid design. But . . . that’s ok; I didn’t need to drive the darn thing!
“What? No Aztek stories?”
Somebody has to BUY one before there is an Aztek story, and the sheer ugliness probably put them off.
Close tie between my friend’s 2006(?) Limited Edition Subaru STi and my mom’s 2005 Prius.
I like comfortable soft-riding, bof cars. The STI is the opposite, gut wrenching suspension, uncomfortable seats, roaring motor. I hated that thing with a passion but had to express enthusiasm. He knew how I really felt and didn’t mind.
As for the Prius, I don’t want to pile on too hard. They’re reliable, apparently well built cars that for a tiny little thing are reasonably comfortable. I just happen to hate them. Growing up with academic parents in their Civics, I was delighted when they upgraded to a Camry sedan in ’98, even if it meant a stick version. Two years later I bought the Crown Vic, my first car, but I didn’t hate the Camry. It was a good looking car. Then I sold the Crown Vic and bought the Fleetwood Brougham. Shortly afterwards, the grey Mayta–erm Prius pulled into my parents driveway. It was everything I loathed in a vehicle: touch screen controls, Soviet grey interior appointments, all sorts of things that beep for no reason, and no keys. It gets 50 mpg but I still think it is a hideous little machine. My mom loves it, when they first got it Prii were new and all the drivers would wave to each other in a self-congratulatory manner. I offered to drive us places in the Brougham whenever possible so I wouldn’t have to be seen in the thing. 9 years later she still has it, still going strong. Great car I suppose but ick.
I tried my best not to say anything mean in the first flush of new ownership for either. I took every opportunity I could to travel in my own car thereafter.
Well youre a better man than I am! Id have laid into her every chance I got about that dopey thing. Driving a hybrid is the automotive equivalent of making a ‘kick me’ sign and taping it to your own back. At that point, youre ASKING for ridicule!
A friend of mine was dating a woman that got rid of her whipped Sephia for a……Dodge Caliber, that was a tough one congratulate. I know of another woman that recently got rid of her 6 year old Focus because the a/c went out and she got…..a Chrysler 200.
Is it a 200 convertible? Because I think I have to give any convertible a thumbs up no matter what it is.
No…the sedan, and not the new for 2015 one, the old cant give ’em away 2014 version.
Do they even still make a 200 convertible?
Luckily I’ve done this way to many times to keep track because I wouldn’t want to offend anyone I know personally by sharing my opinions in writing. Not that many personal friends and acquaintances read CC, but still this is the internet haha.
I had to really bite my lip when a friend repeatedly asked my advice regarding getting a high-end SUV, and then wound up getting something just… so…. wrong. We talked about his needs–he just had to have something very practical with lots of cargo hauling capacity, and the ability to handle Chicago winters without having to run snow tires, so good AWD with normally-sized, all-season tires. It needed to be stylish and luxurious, but not too flashy. We went over everything from loaded Grand Cherokees to Lexus, MB, BMW and Audi SUVs. I even went to some dealers with him, examining cargo areas and discussing Winter performance.
Then… he wound up getting an X6 with the sport package and low profile tires. When his wife freaked out at how ugly it was, he said I had recommended a BMW SUV (not THAT one!!!). He then proceeded to complain about how impractical it was in back. Plus, when the snow and ice came–you guessed it–he griped how horribly it handled in bad weather.
Whenever I get asked that question now, from anyone outside my closest circle of friends/family, I simply say that there really aren’t too many bad choices today, and that they will undoubtedly be happy with whatever they pick.
Not for nothing do real estate agents say, “Buyers are liars.”
A friend felt he needed an SUV to tow his caravan, so traded his Renault Megane for a SsangYong Rexton. Ummm…… He since ssold the van and traded the SsangYong for another Renault.
Last year the local farm supply store replaced their forty-year-old Holden one ton with one of the first Great Wall trucks sold here. You’d think they’d have got some idea of what makes a good truck from their customers, rather than buying an unproven brand! Cheap, yeah, but…..
Back in the day my (now ex) Brother in Law bought a new 89-90? Olds Cutlass brand new.
Anyway it was the era of Olds with the door handles half way up the door.
I didn’t have the heart to tell him that my first thought was the car looked stupid.
Academic though ,as by the time that Cutlass was through draining his wallet, the mere mention of anything GM would send him into a tirade.
In retrospect I wish I had written the head of Oldsmobile a thank you note….
My buddy went from a 2005 Suburban LTZ to a Highlander Hybrid. Manhood right out the window. He quickly went to a Tahoe LTZ. I gave him so much crap for that Highlander, I had to stop myself!
A buddy showed up at college with a three year old 1985 Renault Le Car. We enthused about the full-length sunroof, but made it the butt of our practical jokes by finding impossibly tall and heavy objects and inserting them through said sunroof when he was in class. More than once he had to go to his after class job with something absurd like a broken grandfather clock or 200 lb cast iron coat rack sticking up through the roof because conveniently none of us were ever available to “help” remove them…
An ex g/f once brought home a clapped out ’85 Civic. Of course it HAD to be a sedan AND a slushbox! I specifically told her not to even LOOK at a car without me there, let alone buy one. That tinny, clattering underpowered POS sheared a key off the cam sprocket a month later and wiped out every valve.
The moral of the story, kids: Don’t add your girlfriends name to your ‘main’ checking account. Don’t leave any real money in there if she’s stupid. Don’t bust your ass to raise the money to buy her a car, and leave it at her disposal! Granted, it was only a $1500 mistake, but at the time that was a lot of coin for us.
Sometime around 20 years ago, one of the guys in the office made a big deal about bragging about his brand new car — a VW Cabriolet!
Everyone politely congratulated him while sorta shuffling their feet. I told him I’d dated a girl in college with one, and it was a very fun car to cruise around in. (And a beaut, metallic blue with a white interior. Not to downplay the girl.)
Finally one of the older guys couldn’t resist and just blurted out “That is a girl car.” The owner said “Really?” and we all had to nod in agreement. For the rest of the day he looked very pale and sick like we had all had punched him in the stomach.
Two days later he came in and announced he’d convinced the dealership to take back the Cabriolet in return for a Jetta. We all slapped him on the back and congratulated him. It was just an honest mistake. Welcome back to manhood.
A Jetta is almost as bad! A GTI or the 2nd gen turbo new beetle are the only things I would touch on a VW lot.
Jettas are fine. The Beetle might be the girly-est car made.
Back then, Jettas were the number #2 pecker-head drivers behind Saabs. When they cut you off, you could just see the thought bubble emerging from the car “I can’t afford a BMW so fooooock yooooou!!!”
(Meanwhile most F-body drivers were polite and courteous because they knew every blue-collar cop was staring at them.)
I love the second-gen New Beetle advert where the car is blasting out of a tunnel. “It’s a Boy!” (But not sure if it was convincing yet.)
Funny, the first thing that came to my mind when I read the beginning of the post was a that Renault Fuego that my cousin’s former boyfriend bought! I didn’t tell him anything about his purchase but I had a good laugh when I saw that!
As I scrolled down, I saw a picture of a Fuego!
My cousin already had a Renault 5 GTL which her father found for her, I wasn’t too impressed with that choice either…
I remember how she could get the driver’s side window down from outside the car to unlock her door when she forgot her key in the ignition! Not theft-proof but who would steal a car like that!? Well, someone did steal her fuel cap once! Her father had the clever idea to repaint the next fuel cap in with “aluminum” paint so no one would want to get the next one! And he did the same with her rims when they began to rust but did’t care to avoid painting the tires that became silver wall tires!
My first car wasn’t approved by everyone either. I bought a 1968 Buick Wildcat for $600 in October of 1992 when I was 15. A few weeks after i got my driver’s license (that was over 6 months later in April of 1993!), my high school principal asked me to come to his office and told me I should get rid of that as I’d get broke with a car like that. Then he told me he got rid of a Pontiac with a 400 engine when gas prices went up to 40 cents a gallon almost 20 years earlier… I knew he was probably right but I didn’t follow his advice and I kept the car for 8 years.
Pure envy here. I looked at a ’67 or ’68 Wildcat around ’88 and passed it up for a ’72 Pontiac Grandville 455.
Your principal knew nothing about economics. You owned that car during a long period of (adjusted) very low gas prices. Your cost of acquisition, insurance and taxes were very low. Repairs on a basic GM car like that would be very reasonably priced.
I enjoyed my Grandville for 5 years. One of the most economical cars I’ve ever owned.
Now that is a cool car and I am sure you really enjoyed. Oh and your school principal was an idiot, when you have a good car that drives well for $600 you can feed it a lot of gas for cheap.
Son Number Two bought the pictured ’84 Mustang L (2.3l, manual everything, no a/c, leftover ’70s seat cover fabric). Previously owned by a family with five girls, all of whom learned to drive in said car. Didn’t run right, but he got it home and google pointed us to the fix. And then the next fix. And the next. And so on…
After having to retrieve him with a trailer for the third time, he began backing off his effusive praises of the car. Ran it out of oil and seized the camshaft, but we thankfully were able to unstick it without breaking anything. Finally died for good about three months later.
He drives a 4th gen Grand Caravan now. Likes it and isn’t the least ashamed to drive a minivan. His bosses brother keeps trying to buy it off him.
A friend I have known since high school is also a car guy and had a thing for late 70s era 911s. By the late 80s he had some money and bought a Lotus Esprit turbo. I admit when I first saw the car it looked great for the era. Then I drove it. The leather was nice. However it felt and drove like a badly built kit car. Doors hard to open or close, screws falling out of interior trim, the A/C system was really a device to overheat the engine, the air coming out of the vents never got below 65 degrees. I won’t even mention the drivabililty of the ridiculous turbo lag over big 4 cylinder engine. It made the GM 2.5 iron duke look good. As soon as he heard about the Acura NSX he traded it in. He has not mentioned it since.
I’m dealing with a friend who bough a a5 convertible.
The coupe is OK. The convertible, well, it’s ok if you swing that way.
I was horrified to hear of his complaints about the massive power of the 2.0T and the CVT. I’m not how that porker even gets up to 60.
Luckily his new little wife is on the case and he’ll end up with something more appropriate.
Paul, the prius thing is an useful idiot test for those people who think of cars as some sort of personality marker, and those people who like cars. I’m not a fan, they are ugly, but the ultra-silent creeping is pretty amazing when you are walking next to one. The Prius C is quite cute and right sized.
My best friend at the time traded his Mitsubishi Mighty Max (probably a 1988 model at the time) for an equivalent S10. He reasoning was that the camper top fit with no modification. The S10 was shod of typical 1980’s GM quality indifference and the truck developed problems within months. (mind you, he bought a base Iron Lung 4 cylinder model with an automatic. It was dangerously slow even at the time).
I tried to be supportive but he never asked for my advice of car shopping and he paid the price. He sold that lump for a loss several miserable years later.
Friend who rolled up in a new Dodge Journey, proudly. I didn’t bother to stifle the revulsion.
What was your concern with the Journey? I drove one with a V6 across the country, and it was more than acceptable. It’s rather handsome, too.
My friend’s slow aqua/green 92 Camero with T-tops. Just a bad choice from the get-go.
Or when my boss was excited about our new mini fleet of burgundy Hyundai Accents with crank windows and manual locks.
I’m no discerning expert on anything, especially car styling, but I like a small amount of comfort and being able to run the AC while merging on the interstate.
My Dad’s been making a lot of noise about selling his 02 GS300 for a new Accord lease. Talk about a downgrade! Luckly he lately seems to have come to his senses and plans to keep the Lexus(which there’s nothing really wrong with)
My wife’s brother came back from serving in the U.S. Air Force in Europe (and Gulf 1) for about 10 years in 1993. He brought back his wonderful Spanish wife and a taste for small performance cars. He ordered a new Eagle Talon while still abroad and picked it up from the U.S. dealer with my wife’s help.
Now, you wouldn’t think that being out of the States and missing the memo on the Olds 350 diesel would come into play here, but it did.
When it came time to pick up a second car for his wife, she was quite attracted to early ’80s GM luxury cars, and my BIL thought picking a cherry Cadillac in the Phoenix area where they settled would be child’s play.
They found a beautiful ’82 Cadillac Sedan DeVille diesel and bought it. When my wife told me, I uttered my memo analogy. It was pretty easy to hold my tongue, we lived two day’s drive away.
My SIL will still tell you the car was beautiful and how much she liked it when it was running.
I tend to have trouble showing interest in cars I think are overpriced or bad value or what everyone wants or have strayed from being enthusiast cars. For example, a coworker asked my advice about buying a new sports sedan as he knew I had previously sold Cadillacs. He ended up buying a BMW 5-series and I couldn’t have been more bored by his choice. I also tend to be bored by suburban folks buying Subaru wagons. And I can’t stand anything with a CVT, at least not the Nissan version.
But these are all cars that do have a purpose and that I used to love! I just helped my mom buy a BMW 320i to replace her 2005 BMW 325i wagon, as it seemed to represent a decent value (less expensive than a Lexus or Mercedes or Toyota Avalon even) and fit her feeling of what she needed.
My brother in law just bought a used Subaru Outback with a CVT and I was not as gracious as I should have been. But in his case, the car fits his needs. He’s a former professional surfer and likes to get his car out on the beach, needs a car that can lock up his surfing gear inside, and wants good highway mileage. He said it gets 30 and to me that’s impressive as my 4-cylinder, FWD Kia Rondo only gets 24 on the highway!
It just that I wish every BMW were actually a sports sedan, and every Subaru was a stick shift with a 50/50 front and back torque spilt. In the case of BMWs, I think there are now far better sports sedans available for less money. And now that you can get AWD in almost every brand of car I don’t see the use of a subaru for most folks.
Oh and I tend to gag almost instinctively when people buy a Lexus as I find them over-rated and over-priced, despite a quite exciting looking new IS model.
A friend bought a new Olds Cutlass Supreme for his wife. This was about 1995 and he was 22. He was a GM fanboy to the core.
I kept a straight face.
I did not keep a straight face two years earlier when he said they were getting married.
Anyway, two months after he bought the Olds she threw him out as she had been entertaining a guy 20 years older with about 4 ex wives.
Last I knew, GM had laid him off and he was working at Ford.
If only he had listened….
Anytime one of them buys a Chevy. I’ve never liked them and never will. But then it’s their money so I try to keep my mouth shut.
BTW that car in the Griswold Family Vacation is just flat fugly If one of my friends ever bought something like that I’d be laughing in their faces.