Cars getting mediocre?

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#1713632 1-Feb-2017 07:23

I don't necessarily think cars are gettting 'boring' but the lack of hot hatch options from the Japanese manufacturers is a bit disappointing. The only option on the market currently is the WRX, otherwise you have to go for a Focus ST, Golf GTI, 308 GTI, etc.

The Mazda3 SP25 is nice, but it's lukewarm rather than hot.

gbwelly

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#1713637 1-Feb-2017 07:44

alasta:

I don't necessarily think cars are gettting 'boring' but the lack of hot hatch options from the Japanese manufacturers is a bit disappointing. The only option on the market currently is the WRX, otherwise you have to go for a Focus ST, Golf GTI, 308 GTI, etc.

The Mazda3 SP25 is nice, but it's lukewarm rather than hot.

You understand where I'm coming from completely.

tehgerbil:

I think honestly we're spoilt for choice in the mid-range market, if you have 10-20k burning a hole in your pocket you can pick up traction control, leather seats, reversing camera, upgraded sound system, 4x4 2l+ with a car that hasn't done very many km's in really good nick.

Buying a $70,000 is just not attractive unless you either a) genuinely buy into the marketing crap, or b) feel the need to splurge on a new toy in which $70,000 will feel like your version of $10-20k

We've really plateaued in terms of what a new car can bring to your life in terms of safety features etc.. Especially as the vast majority of 2005~ cars have at least 150+ HP and can comfortably carry 5 adults.

I want to carry 2 adults uncomfortably at great pace.

wellygary

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#1713650 1-Feb-2017 07:56

tehgerbil:

We've really plateaued in terms of what a new car can bring to your life in terms of safety features etc.. Especially as the vast majority of 2005~ cars have at least 150+ HP and can comfortably carry 5 adults.

It's easy to say that, but we are sitting on the cusp of a huge leap into self driving cars, whether fully ot partially,

The next big things to become standard across all cars will include things like

Adaptive cruise control and auto braking, along with Lane departure and warnings and prevention,

mclean

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#1713731 1-Feb-2017 10:02

Inphinity: There are still a ton of fun cars around, however there are fewer at the lower range of pricing these days, relative to similar aged vehicles. There are fewer vehicles that fill the spot that the japanese sports brigade filled in the 90s - of the Celica GT4, MR2, Supra, 300zx, WRX, Evo, Integra Type R vein. These vehicles are mostly very old now, and there was a long time with no equivalents to depreciate into the price bracket. Combined with generally stricter saftey and emissions requirements, it's become more expensive to have a 'fun' car without significant compromise or cost. Not impossible, but far less available and accessible than 10 - 15 years ago in my opinion. Perhaps, too, I have different priorities in a vehicle now, or rather, additional priorities, which also narrow the choice band.

Exactly, and it's still like that. It seems like good GT86's and 370Z's just don't depreciate, not yet anyway.

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#1714351 2-Feb-2017 10:13

Boring? Not really. Plenty of exciting drives out there if you want that. Porsche. Lotus. Ferrari. Maserati. Morgan. Caterham. Jaguar. BMW M3. Aston Martin. Subaru WRX STI.

The driver (sorry) at the lower end is partially the use of CO2 emissions to determine annual tax/rego costs in many countries, especially the EU. We do not (yet) do that here but of course we are nowhere near big enough in market terms to get special treatment.

For example these are the UK annual tax rates for your car, in GBP (double the number to roughly get the NZD amount).

CO2 emissions (g/km) Petrol (TC48) and diesel cars (TC49) Alternative fuel cars (TC59)
0 £0 £0
1 - 50 £10 £0
51 75 £25 £15
76 - 90 £100 £90
91 - 100 £120 £110
101 - 110 £140 £130
111 - 130 £160 £150
131 - 150 £200 £190
151 - 170 £500 £490
171 - 190 £800 £790
191 - 225 £1,200 £1,190
226 - 255 £1,700 £1,690
Over 255 £2,000 £1,990

Inphinity

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#1714434 2-Feb-2017 12:44

Scott3:

I know that more power is really nice, but how much is actually needed for everyday use.

I have never driven one, but what does somebody actually use 445kW in an Audi RS6 as a street car for other than boasting at the bar, or the odd show of excessive speed at ramp signals?

To me the benefits are reduced time exposed to danger during overtaking or similar maneuvers, and increased flexibility of response to issues or difficulties that can arise. I guess if you're just doing inner-city driving these situations may be rare, but doing a lot of open-road driving they can be reasonably common.

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Wade

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#1714485 2-Feb-2017 14:31

I think it is fantastic that in today's market you can buy a late model family car that when compared to a 90's performance car has same/more power/roadholding/better economy/more reliable etc on top of that has safety and technology features coming out the wazoo

"Boring" in today's sense was deemed very good or class leading in years gone by

PolicyGuy

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#1714510 2-Feb-2017 15:08

You youngsters have no idea!
If you want a mediocre car, try a Hillman Hunter or a Morris Marina or just about anything on the NZ market in the 1970s - yes I am that old
<Shudder>

Today's worst cars are absolutely brilliant compared to even the better cars of forty years ago: they have

brakes that actually stop the car;
tyres that allow them to go round corners above the posted speeds;
engines that have enough power to go up most hills close to or over the speed limit;
air conditioning [ahhh, feel the coolth!];
audio systems that can produce brilliantly clear and/or deafeningly loud sound anywhere anytime; and
best of all, safety features that give you an excellent chance of walking away from what would have been a 100% certain fatal in the 'good old days'

Give me modern mediocre any day!

davidcole

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#1714516 2-Feb-2017 15:19

I don't think the conversation was about bad cars.....but boring cars, ie no personality, no performance, no sex appeal.

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#1714536 2-Feb-2017 15:57

I like my boring Golf R32

3.2L in a Golf, that's a HOT hatch

ubergeeknz

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#1714544 2-Feb-2017 16:34

alasta:

The Mazda3 SP25 is nice, but it's lukewarm rather than hot.

They still doing the MPS? They are pretty quick.

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Davy

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#1714546 2-Feb-2017 16:39

PolicyGuy:
You youngsters have no idea!
If you want a mediocre car, try a Hillman Hunter or a Morris Marina or just about anything on the NZ market in the 1970s - yes I am that old
<Shudder>

Today's worst cars are absolutely brilliant compared to even the better cars of forty years ago: they have

brakes that actually stop the car;

tyres that allow them to go round corners above the posted speeds;

engines that have enough power to go up most hills close to or over the speed limit;

air conditioning [ahhh, feel the coolth!];

audio systems that can produce brilliantly clear and/or deafeningly loud sound anywhere anytime; and

best of all, safety features that give you an excellent chance of walking away from what would have been a 100% certain fatal in the 'good old days'

Give me modern mediocre any day!

Don't forget that the engine would also conk out if you drove through a puddle!

gbwelly

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#1714549 2-Feb-2017 16:50

davidcole:

I don't think the conversation was about bad cars.....but boring cars, ie no personality, no performance, no sex appeal.

Yep, so far I've had suggestions like "Porsche. Lotus. Ferrari. Maserati. Morgan. Caterham. Jaguar. BMW M3. Aston Martin. Subaru WRX STI."

I'd agree the WRX is one of very few I think both cuts the mustard as something interesting, and is also affordable for an average kiwi to both buy and keep.

I do feel the list is getting smaller each year, with driving for pleasure increasingly becoming the domain of the very wealthy.

mclean

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#1714564 2-Feb-2017 17:17

gbwelly: I'd agree the WRX is one of very few I think both cuts the mustard as something interesting, and is also affordable for an average kiwi to both buy and keep. I do feel the list is getting smaller each year, with driving for pleasure increasingly becoming the domain of the very wealthy.

If that's your price range then I'd rate the MX-5, 370Z, GT86 and Golf GTI as all better than mediocre, maybe even the Mustang if you don't mind living dangerously.

alasta

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#1714700 2-Feb-2017 21:09

ubergeeknz:

alasta:

The Mazda3 SP25 is nice, but it's lukewarm rather than hot.

They still doing the MPS? They are pretty quick.

No, they dropped it when they launched Skyactiv with the third generation Mazda3 because they didn't have a high performance petrol engine in the Skyactiv range. However the new CX-9 has recently been launched with a brand spanking new 170kw/420Nm turbo petrol engine which would be a perfect fit for a relaunch of the MPS in future.

I have an SP22 Limited which has the 129Kw/420Nm diesel and I really like it but they dropped it from the range when the Mazda3 was facelifted a few months ago. The 138Kw/250Nm SP25 Limited is currently the top of the range.

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