Are you a car snob?

[Doggiedog]

Not so much. People have their justifications for buying things. I don't hold it against them. But on the other hand, it's nice to know my car can outperform at least 95% of the cars on the road..

 

[zerocool84]

I drive a turbo neon. Even people who don't know anything about cars make fun of me.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Fuck that...I'm a ME snob! I can drive the wheels of anything that handles well, be it 4 wheels or 2 wheels.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Hell yes, I'm a car snob. Any car I drive definitely has to get there under it's own power. If the doors, windows, AC/heater all work, it has the bones of being a great car.

 

[jlee]

I don't know what I am. I have more vehicles than I have limbs, though.

 

[DarkThinker]

Not a car snob, as long as people get what they like / need / can afford and not what they can impress others with I am happy for them.

But I can't stand those who do things to their cars just to impress others. If you install ridiculous chrome wheels / spinners, spoilers (right of a 747) and or silly LEDs all over under your car I am looking at you :|

Ya, but definitely not a gear-head, however I have always wanted to be able to do what gear heads do. I have always wanted to take my car apart to learn how to do repairs / upgrades on my own. It's just that over time I just never had the space, time, tools nor experience to risk doing things myself with my commuter(s). However, I have always done my own body work (dents, accident damage, rust removal - repair...etc) in addition to always doing my own electric / electronics work.

But since now I am done with school abd have a little more time on my hand, I will be dedicating more time and money towards learning more how to get things done myself and as a benefit saving myself from paying the exorbitant labor charges techs charge these days.

I drive a turbo neon. Even people who don't know anything about cars make fun of me.

So...how you liking the torque-steer?

Okay I kid I kid

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

No, my avatar is because I go to SMU.

I'm sorry

 

[EightySix Four]

I'm sorry

I'm not.

 

[mafia]

You can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't judge a car enthusiast by their car. You never know, maybe that guy who drives the Prius to work everyday has a nice Z06 in the garage that he takes out every weekend?

And to make another point, not all people who acctually have a nice car, are car enthusiasts. Some of them know nothing about cars and just want to have a nice image.

 

[TraumaRN]

I'm a car guy...I'm knowledgeable about MY specific car because it's my car...I realize I can't do many things on my car because of the complexity but that doesn't mean I cant rotate the tires, change the oil etc... And frankly if I talk to a car guru about my car they get just as confused as I would if they start talking about how they rebuilt the engine on whatever classic car they own.

 

[SearchMaster]

I used to give a crap but I'm older now and my priorities have changed and I just don't care that much any more. I'll take a reliable paid-for boring car over an expensive financed fun ride any day. That's why I'll probably end up with an older Miata in the next few years, they're fun, reliable, and cheap.

 

[DivideBYZero]

I'm not fussed about what other people drive. I do laugh at people with riced out cars or ///M badges on the bootlid of a 5 series diesel, so in that regard I could be accused of being a 'snob', but in the main buy whatever you like.

My Grandparent drive a Kia Rio hatchback, for example. No greater piece of shit exists on our roads, but I respect his decision to buy it, even though I want to scream, "WHY?!!?", every time I see it or he mentions it (always in good terms, so he enjoys it I suppose). I just don't have the heart to tell him Top Gear suggests walking or a Canoe as viable alternatives to his car.

OK, so just a bit snobby then...

 

[radioouman]

Not a car snob at all. I can usually appreciate just about any car on the road. I'm meticulous about maintenance on my cars and that has rewarded me with fantastically reliable transportation. We have an AAA membership but I've never used it.

But we have two boring cars: A silver 2002 Saturn L100, and a tan 2005 Honda Pilot. Neither of these cars stands out in any way. But my wife likes the SUV for getting our baby in and out of the car and it works well for towing our boat and utility trailer. I drive the Saturn which will easily get 30 mpg on my commute and is amazingly rust free (even underneath) which says a lot for a car that has lived in Ohio winters for 8 years.

I love cars and I love to work on them, but my current vehicles only represent financial security for me since they are paid for and will be driven for many more years.

 

[Koing]

No.

I don't car what people drive or what people think of what car I drive. For most people it gets from A to B.

Koing

 

[hans007]

does it make you a snob if you care about your car not being just an appliance?

i mean i guess it depends, if i was buying a midsize sedan, i wouldn't buy a camry i'd probably have to get the funnest one i coudl get, but i guess that would make me a snob as far as wanting to enjoy my car.

then again a camry might "do it" for you. i guess if you had no preference at all would that make you the least snobby?

or are we talking about purely badge appeal (i.e. i can't buy a kia, becuase blah its a kia type people)

 

[JeepinEd]

You can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't judge a car enthusiast by their car. You never know, maybe that guy who drives the Prius to work everyday has a nice Z06 in the garage that he takes out every weekend?

And to make another point, not all people who acctually have a nice car, are car enthusiasts. Some of them know nothing about cars and just want to have a nice image.

That hits close to home.
I drive a Prius to work every day. On the weekends I'm out four wheeling in my lifted Jeep that gets about 12MPG. I'm also looking into getting a used Vette just for the fun of it. Owning a Jeep that gets wheeled has also forced me to become a gearhead.

By the way, all these people talking about how the Prius lists like a ship either only drive exotic sports cars, or they have been reading too many auto magazines. I take the Prius through curvy roads and it handles better than many other cars I've driven.

 

[PricklyPete]

I'm a huge car nerd, and I have no snob level whatsoever, whether the time spent with the M5, or now with a mere Focus. I certainly have my preferences and opinions, we all do, but I would virtually never tell someone that their car sucks or that mine is better, or that kind of nonsense.

This describes me as well. I'm just as happy driving a Pontiac as a BMW as long as they drive nicely. I also see no issue with what someone drives if it suites their needs. I appreciate people's knowledge and enthusiasm for cars regardless of what they drive.

 

[Perknose]

True, but, as I already mentioned, the Jetta TDI wagon comes from the factory with wider, grippier tires and it also has, "good interior room and decent hatchback enabled cargo space" all while getting similar mileage.

WHOA! This is just . . . not . . . true! I see this stated time and time again in arguments like this, and it is a self-serving rhetorical fudge of the facts!

The EPA combined of a Prius is 50mpg, that of a Golf TDI w/manual (chosen to present the best case for this Rudolf D. cycle engine) is 34mpg.

50 is not "similar" to 34! It just isn't! And this doesn't even take into account the decisively higher cost of diesel fuel! Given that higher cost, the projected cost premium per year of operating a TDI is over 50% higher than a Prius.

And the only thing I've ever driven that got blown around by crosswinds more than the Prius was a 28-foot International moving truck.

I've gotten to drive several Pri-i. I believe your statement to be a gross exaggeration, to put it mildly.

Also, you have apparently never had the pleasure of driving a VW bus. I have, I've owned 3 of them. Death grip on the steering wheel, I've been blown 3-4 feet sideways, no exaggeration.

The Prius [...] If it got exactly the same mileage and drove exactly the same but didn't have the whiz-bang hybrid setup it would be just another econobox.

Not true. If tomorrow a non-hybrid that sat 5 with reasonably copious luggage room getting 50 combined on the newer EPA cycle came along, it wouldn't be "just another econobox."

Also, I must issue yet another "wretched rhetorical excess" alert! The Prius is not "just another econobox", the EPA lists it as a mid-size vehicle based on, you know, the FACTS.

Even given that VW's often outperform their EPA estimates real world (a fact I impute in part to the fact that the people who buy them tend to be FAR more intelligent enthusiast drivers) and that bozos without a clue often complain that their stupid lead feet can't replicate the Prius' EPA estimates, the mileage and mileage COST superiority of the Prius is STILL there.

Otoh, hypermilers (going downhill, downwind, ect., etc. ad infinitum) report 90mpg with Pri-i ZOMG, ZOMG, ZOMG! MY point is not that this is realistic, just that the Prius wins the upside comparison by a first round knockout and that the overall results, even real world, and especially controlled for the driver's ability, distinctly favor the Prius.

It's a perfectly adequate car and that's the best that can be said of it.

ZV

"Perfectly adequate car" is the BEST that can be said about it? More rhetorical BS, say I! It's a technological tour de force!

This is a TECH forum, fer crissakes! Your attitude towards the Prius, which so many others here seem to share, is analogous to looking at the ENIAC and having your main response being, pfffft, I'm keeping my typewriter and number 2 pencil and notepad . . . you can get number 2 pencils free after rebate at Staples . . . and notepads are significantly lighter and space efficent than the ENIAC . . . blah, blah, blah.

Here's the deal. With DI the diesel is approaching the outer limits of its development potential, whereas battery tech will eventually take off beyond anything now commericailly available.

So, keep praising your horse and buggy, my crude, smoke belching Model T will bury you!

What I'm trying to say, all inflated rhetoric aside, is that I just don't cotton to all the Prius hate from others (not you, ZV) here -- it seems short-sighted and outsized given our tech-loving roots.

 

[AdamK47]

If I’m honest, I can be sometimes.

You are British.

 

[radioouman]

WHOA! This is just . . . not . . . true! I see this stated time and time again in arguments like this, and it is a self-serving rhetorical fudge of the facts!

The EPA combined of a Prius is 50mpg, that of a Golf TDI w/manual (chosen to present the best case for this Rudolf D. cycle engine) is 34mpg.

50 is not "similar" to 34! It just isn't! And this doesn't even take into account the decisively higher cost of diesel fuel! Given that higher cost, the projected cost premium per year of operating a TDI is over 50% higher than a Prius.



I've gotten to drive several Pri-i. I believe your statement to be a gross exaggeration, to put it mildly.

Also, you have apparently never had the pleasure of driving a VW bus. I have, I've owned 3 of them. Death grip on the steering wheel, I've been blown 3-4 feet sideways, no exaggeration.



Not true. If tomorrow a non-hybrid that sat 5 with reasonably copious luggage room getting 50 combined on the newer EPA cycle came along, it wouldn't be "just another econobox."

Also, I must issue yet another "wretched rhetorical excess" alert! The Prius is not "just another econobox", the EPA lists it as a mid-size vehicle based on, you know, the FACTS.

Even given that VW's often outperform their EPA estimates real world (a fact I impute in part to the fact that the people who buy them tend to be FAR more intelligent enthusiast drivers) and that bozos without a clue often complain that their stupid lead feet can't replicate the Prius' EPA estimates, the mileage and mileage COST superiority of the Prius is STILL there.

Otoh, hypermilers (going downhill, downwind, ect., etc. ad infinitum) report 90mpg with Pri-i ZOMG, ZOMG, ZOMG! MY point is not that this is realistic, just that the Prius wins the upside comparison by a first round knockout and that the overall results, even real world, and especially controlled for the driver's ability, distinctly favor the Prius.



"Perfectly adequate car" is the BEST that can be said about it? More rhetorical BS, say I! It's a technological tour de force!

This is a TECH forum, fer crissakes! Your attitude towards the Prius, which so many others here seem to share, is analogous to looking at the ENIAC and having your main response being, pfffft, I'm keeping my typewriter and number 2 pencil and notepad . . . you can get number 2 pencils free after rebate at Staples . . . and notepads are significantly lighter and space efficent than the ENIAC . . . blah, blah, blah.

Here's the deal. With DI the diesel is approaching the outer limits of its development potential, whereas battery tech will eventually take off beyond anything now commericailly available.

So, keep praising your horse and buggy, my crude, smoke belching Model T will bury you!

What I'm trying to say, all inflated rhetoric aside, is that I just don't cotton to all the Prius hate from others (not you, ZV) here -- it seems short-sighted and outsized given our tech-loving roots.

Wow

 

[Perknose]

Wow

Yeah, I know. I've been trying to lay off that third and fourth cup of joe for quite some time now, but . . . D:

There's actually a much more sensible discussion of Prius pros and cons in Syringer's thread. :hmm:

 

[MJinZ]

WHOA! This is just . . . not . . . true! I see this stated time and time again in arguments like this, and it is a self-serving rhetorical fudge of the facts!

The EPA combined of a Prius is 50mpg, that of a Golf TDI w/manual (chosen to present the best case for this Rudolf D. cycle engine) is 34mpg.

50 is not "similar" to 34! It just isn't! And this doesn't even take into account the decisively higher cost of diesel fuel! Given that higher cost, the projected cost premium per year of operating a TDI is over 50% higher than a Prius.



I've gotten to drive several Pri-i. I believe your statement to be a gross exaggeration, to put it mildly.

Also, you have apparently never had the pleasure of driving a VW bus. I have, I've owned 3 of them. Death grip on the steering wheel, I've been blown 3-4 feet sideways, no exaggeration.



Not true. If tomorrow a non-hybrid that sat 5 with reasonably copious luggage room getting 50 combined on the newer EPA cycle came along, it wouldn't be "just another econobox."

Also, I must issue yet another "wretched rhetorical excess" alert! The Prius is not "just another econobox", the EPA lists it as a mid-size vehicle based on, you know, the FACTS.

Even given that VW's often outperform their EPA estimates real world (a fact I impute in part to the fact that the people who buy them tend to be FAR more intelligent enthusiast drivers) and that bozos without a clue often complain that their stupid lead feet can't replicate the Prius' EPA estimates, the mileage and mileage COST superiority of the Prius is STILL there.

Otoh, hypermilers (going downhill, downwind, ect., etc. ad infinitum) report 90mpg with Pri-i ZOMG, ZOMG, ZOMG! MY point is not that this is realistic, just that the Prius wins the upside comparison by a first round knockout and that the overall results, even real world, and especially controlled for the driver's ability, distinctly favor the Prius.



"Perfectly adequate car" is the BEST that can be said about it? More rhetorical BS, say I! It's a technological tour de force!

This is a TECH forum, fer crissakes! Your attitude towards the Prius, which so many others here seem to share, is analogous to looking at the ENIAC and having your main response being, pfffft, I'm keeping my typewriter and number 2 pencil and notepad . . . you can get number 2 pencils free after rebate at Staples . . . and notepads are significantly lighter and space efficent than the ENIAC . . . blah, blah, blah.

Here's the deal. With DI the diesel is approaching the outer limits of its development potential, whereas battery tech will eventually take off beyond anything now commericailly available.

So, keep praising your horse and buggy, my crude, smoke belching Model T will bury you!

What I'm trying to say, all inflated rhetoric aside, is that I just don't cotton to all the Prius hate from others (not you, ZV) here -- it seems short-sighted and outsized given our tech-loving roots.

Prius is fuuuuuuugly. I think that is the large basis of the hate. That just kills it in terms of appeal. I'd take a Camry Hybrid and give it a makeover any day. OK, Camry Hybrid is more expensive... but still.

 

[EightySix Four]

This is a TECH forum, fer crissakes! Your attitude towards the Prius, which so many others here seem to share, is analogous to looking at the ENIAC and having your main response being, pfffft, I'm keeping my typewriter and number 2 pencil and notepad . . . you can get number 2 pencils free after rebate at Staples . . . and notepads are significantly lighter and space efficent than the ENIAC . . . blah, blah, blah.

Here's the deal. With DI the diesel is approaching the outer limits of its development potential, whereas battery tech will eventually take off beyond anything now commericailly available.

So, keep praising your horse and buggy, my crude, smoke belching Model T will bury you!

What I'm trying to say, all inflated rhetoric aside, is that I just don't cotton to all the Prius hate from others (not you, ZV) here -- it seems short-sighted and outsized given our tech-loving roots.

No.

I can appreciate the Prius' technological advances, but there is a big difference between riding in a car from point a to point b, and driving a car. A Prius does not give you a choice, it is a car you ride in, no enjoyment. Sure, I like tech and computers when they improve the things I like to do, I can appreciate tech that doesn't improve what I like, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up what I have for it.

 

[MJinZ]

No.

I can appreciate the Prius' technological advances, but there is a big difference between riding in a car from point a to point b, and driving a car. A Prius does not give you a choice, it is a car you ride in, no enjoyment. Sure, I like tech and computers when they improve the things I like to do, I can appreciate tech that doesn't improve what I like, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up what I have for it.

I disagree ... I've driven plenty of Hybrids with CVTs, no brake feel, no good acceleration, poor steering feel, average road grip and feel... and it was still fun. I wouldn't enjoy it if I owned it everyday, but if you like driving you can make just about anything short of a tractor trailer entertaining to drive for a limited time.

 

[EightySix Four]

I disagree ... I've driven plenty of Hybrids with CVTs, no brake feel, no good acceleration, poor steering feel, average road grip and feel... and it was still fun. I wouldn't enjoy it if I owned it everyday, but if you like driving you can make just about anything short of a tractor trailer entertaining to drive for a limited time.

Point proven