Brands you never wanted to love.

"McChiken116 - Patrick H." (mcchiken116) 12/25/2013 at 23:48 • Filed to: None

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I admit it, I'm not a fan of stance, or JDM, but yet, my love for my Honda betrays me. I never wanted to love a Honda, I actively fought it with my german predisposition, but yet here I am, with the honda Emblem on my keys. I love my little Japanese pocket rock. My S2000 is the most intune i've ever felt with a machine. That beautiful shifter, that engine that revs forever, and the timeless body. I love a Honda guys. Whats the brand/car you fell in love with that you never wanted to?

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > McChiken116 - Patrick H. 12/25/2013 at 23:59

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Porsche. I don't really care for German cars all that much and the 911 is so....wrong. But there is just something about them that I can't shake. A 993 gives me the weirdest insta-boner every time.

McChiken116 - Patrick H. > MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig 12/26/2013 at 00:00

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There is a 911 for everyone my friend, that's why they have made so many haha ;)

Suuuubaru > McChiken116 - Patrick H. 12/26/2013 at 00:32

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Chevy/Ford trucks because pop country has given them a fanbase with a lot of morons in it.

J. Drew Silvers > McChiken116 - Patrick H. 12/26/2013 at 01:09

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Vintage Volvos. Growing up, I hated the way the 200's look, but now I want a dropped 240 wagon.

Milky > McChiken116 - Patrick H. 12/26/2013 at 01:31

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Porsche. They are stupid expansive … but damn I want a Cayman S so bad.

Also, its not a brand but I might not hate the new Mustang.

Ian Duer (320b) > McChiken116 - Patrick H. 12/26/2013 at 01:43

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BMW. I had the brand figured all wrong. I was only seeing the badge snob image that was already well in swing by 2006 when I bought my first.

Constructed a very careful checklist of "wants."

Three pedals, straight six > turbo four, rwd > awd, 4 wheel independent suspension and 4 wheel disks, approx 3000 lbs or less, around 200 horse to go with it, insurance cheating body style (sedan/wagon).

All the signs pointed to BMW. I didn't want to believe it. Those weren't "me." I wasn't some status seeking douchebag. Then I got a call from a friend who needed help getting their car home safely because they'd been drinking. It was an e30 325i with an autotragic, but it seemed pretty good in spite of the unfortunate gearbox choice. The gear selection seemed aggressive, it was actually downshifting far sooner than other slushboxes. I actually thought something was wrong at first, till I kept my eye on the tach and realized what it was actually doing. I though "I have this company figured wrong. A poseur brand wouldn't set up an automatic this way. I have to try a stick."

Drove a few 3 pedal E36 325i(s) and I was hooked. Bought one. Became addicted. In a Saab atm but another 3er is in the cards. Too bad people assume you're a douchebag for driving one... I'm perfectly capable of acting like one on my own thank you very much.

Ian Duer (320b) > J. Drew Silvers 12/26/2013 at 01:47

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Don't know if I agree on the dropped part, I'd be more tempted to retrofit a T6 from a later model. My family had a 240 wagon growing up. I used to remember it as that weird hideous station wagon. For some reason lately I see a survivor pootling around and think it would be nice to have one.

NoahthePorscheGuy > McChiken116 - Patrick H. 12/26/2013 at 02:00

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I've recently become a large Saab fan. When I started looking for first car's, I couldn't stop lusting over Viggen's.

desertdog5051 > Ian Duer (320b) 12/26/2013 at 02:08

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Well put, sir.

Jayhawk Jake > McChiken116 - Patrick H. 12/26/2013 at 02:13

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Kia. I dismissed them like most people, Korean shitboxes.

Then I went to a dealer and was blown away, they aren't shitboxes anymore. They're good value on nice cars. I bought one, owned it for 2 years and loved it.

If they would actually make the concepts they show every year, I'd never buy another brand.

Stef Schrader > McChiken116 - Patrick H. 12/26/2013 at 02:36

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Mitsubishi.

Yes, Mitsubishi.

I always used to assume that they were meh little cars with nothing really exciting about them. Hey, this was back when I wanted a 911 because they were cute, too—don't judge me. (Wait, that hasn't changed. "Because racecar" was just added to the list of reasons why I need one. BID.)

I didn't actually know that the Evo existed until a professor had one in college, and then I found out that it was some kind of bonkers rally car stuffed into a rather normal looking sedan body. The contradiction! The craziness! There's so much to love about that.

And then—because shoot, the Evo's a pretty good car and the new Lancers looked pretty awesome—I ended up with a regular Lancer. I <3 that car. Must unexpected <3 ever.

Fuel_of_Satan > McChiken116 - Patrick H. 12/26/2013 at 03:51

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Mercedes, particularly the older models (W123/W124). Newer ones are pretty generic.

There was a time when I hated these things. They are like the Crown Vic of Europe, the unmistakable clatter of a Mercedes diesel lets you know there is a taxi nearby. The first time I drove a 250TD myself I genuinely thought there was something wrong with it because it was so slow. Every time we got one in the shop I couldn't help thinking that they were unnecessarily complicated as well. And those seats, dear mother of God, like a pair of barely sprung park benches.

Then a close friend of mine bought one. Sportline interior took care of my comfort gripes, 300 gasoline engine with a differential from a 200D manual for added funsies took care of performance, and by then Mercedes had lost their grip on the taxi market due to a period of questionable quality.

So I wound up buying one as well, no actually I'm on my second one now, and now just find the unnecessarily complicated pieces of engineering as "charming".

"They didn't have to put this much effort into it, but they did and I'm glad."

d00mZ > McChiken116 - Patrick H. 12/26/2013 at 04:35

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EDM. Not the music. Euro. I'm talking about all the brands from Euro markets. I'm all for JDM and it runs through my blood, but EDM is something I caught myself loving.

Goshen, formerly Darkcode > NoahthePorscheGuy 12/26/2013 at 05:19

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My first car of my own will most likely be a Saab. As well as several future cars of mine.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > McChiken116 - Patrick H. 12/26/2013 at 08:43

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Plenty. I hated VWs as a kid but later I caught the bug. Same goes for Porsche. And I was a Mitsubishi fan, I loved the Evos and hated the Imprezas, but that too changed.

I still hate Opels, though...

Rico > Ian Duer (320b) 12/26/2013 at 11:02

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Why'd you go from BMW to a Saab?

A3R0 > Goshen, formerly Darkcode 12/26/2013 at 11:28

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Wow, we sound very similar. I'm a couple years off of driving, but LOVE Saabs. I already found a 9000 Aero for my Dad and want one for myself when the time comes for a first car. Let's hope the prices don't rise to high!

Ian Duer (320b) > Rico 12/26/2013 at 12:25

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Weird story that one. My Bimmer was getting long in the tooth. An inexpensive, low mileage, older Saab presented itself. Figured it would give me something to drive while I waited for the right BMW to pop up for sale. It has some issues from being stored that I'm addressing but otherwise makes a good DD. I learned how to drive properly in a FWD 5-speed so it's no so horrible even if I prefer the rear drive I6 layout of the BMW better.

I've started to see the appeal that the Saab brand has to people. The balance shafts in the engine do a decent job of covering up the 4 pot roughness, and rev matching is much nicer than many similar 5-door hatches I tried. Out of the massive number of "basic" front drive 4 cylinder cars out there it feels like a pretty good one, and like I said, it fits my needs at the moment even if it doesn't fit all my wants.

Rico > Ian Duer (320b) 12/26/2013 at 12:36

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So you traded/sold the E36? I was wondering if you felt the Saab was easier on your pockets maintenance wise. Also going from I6 RWD to 4 cyl. FWD, do you miss the RWD or the extra cylinders more?

Ian Duer (320b) > Rico 12/26/2013 at 12:49

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The E36 puked up it's power steering pump pully (center broke out somehow) and that took the fan with it. It's too cold and snowy to deal with and I have no garage. It will sit in the driveway for the moment, and I'll decide what to do about it.

Have only had the Saab for about a week. Already chasing a difficult to find part, but it's a cosmetic one. So yeah no verdict yet on "easiness on wallet." It was pretty well maintained before it was let to sit prior to my purchase so hopefully no large surprises in store.

I probably miss the RWD more than the extra cylinders. A BMW I6 is nice and smooth and had more power than the Saab I4, but the Saab 4 pot is sufficient. I miss RWD+Snow tires, I always felt like a vintage rally driver when there was snow on the ground. I used to have a great deal of fun in FWD 4s though when I was younger, so I know it's not the end of the world.

Rico > Ian Duer (320b) 12/26/2013 at 13:14

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People here are so lucky to be in places with snow and wide open areas. Here in NYC hooning is the last thing you'd want to do because there is always a person, place, or thing at least 3 feet away in every fucking direction.

This is my fear of owning a RWD car in this city, if you accidentally slide by taking a turn harder than you expect you WILL hit said person, place, or thing and be either out hundreds if not thousands of dollars in repairs or sued into oblivion.

Ian Duer (320b) > Rico 12/26/2013 at 13:34

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I can understand that fear. I have spent about an equal number of years in FWD and RWD. I find that it's understeer vs oversteer, not sliding vs lack of sliding. You can overcook a turn in anything, botch a shift in anything, give too much gas in anything.

In a "properly set up" FWD car I often find lift-throttle oversteer to be present. If you appoach a turn slightly too fast and the car starts to push you can lift suddenly and the back end gets light and starts to come around, dragging the brakes lightly can sometimes increase this effect. Getting back on the gas switches back to understeer. I've had to use that alternating to keep the car pointed in the right direction will the excess speed scrubs off. Only if you are really comfortable light handbrake can be used to get the back end mobile in hopes of being able to disengage the clutch to let the fronts freewheel while countersteer to get things back under control.

RWD has been similar and different in my experience; most come set up to under-steer as a warning, gently adding extra gas will increase the understeer... to a point. Past that point adding extra gas can break the back end loose, so can lifting too abruptly as engine braking is sort of like applying some handbrake. RWD tends to have more ways to oversteer and less to understeer. Clutching in allows the rear to freewheel as a method of "saving" that end.

That's the best explanation I can give and it should be noted that it only reflects my experience with the cars I've had, and is entirely from memory. Not all my cars were left stock so the handling dynamics could have changed.

Rico > Ian Duer (320b) 12/26/2013 at 13:58

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I've driven only 1 RWD car and that was a MB C300. It didn't feel all that different from a FWD car except in the snow, the back end would come loose at any given moment ever so slightly, it was enough to let me know at least until I had more experience RWD was not for me.

Ian Duer (320b) > Rico 12/26/2013 at 14:11

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Probably a good move to hold off if it made you nervous; nervous is a step closer to panic. "Level headed" driving is safe driving, or at least safe- er when hooning. A little adrenaline is fun but it needs to be the amount that increases focus. Getting into situations where you become genuinely scared leads to overload, which just makes your hands shake and your brain go mushy.

The reader's digest version of my opinion is that neither FWD or RWD is easier or safer, but rather they take different sets of techniques.

J. Drew Silvers > Ian Duer (320b) 12/26/2013 at 18:28

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I wouldn't want it scraping the ground by any means, but just a very mild drop to stiffen it up a bit and get rid of the wheel well gap. Add on some 16-17" holeshot steelies with poverty caps or baby moons, throw on some tint, delete the moulding on the panels, call it good.

Ian Duer (320b) > J. Drew Silvers 12/26/2013 at 18:40

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Aesthetics are all to individual taste. I look at them and wonder what engine I can fit in that isn't as universally predictable as LSx. I suppose after that and some suspension work would be in order, mostly to compensate for the extra power. A slight drop could be part of that. I was having stance-horror images when I read dropped.

J. Drew Silvers > Ian Duer (320b) 12/26/2013 at 22:16

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Haha, No no. I am not a stanced type of guy, nor am I afraid of an engine swap, but for me, aesthetics take precedence over running gear. Now, I wouldn't drop tons of cash on a V6 pony car if there was a factory V8 option, but I also wouldn't personally go to the trouble of swapping an engine into a Volvo either, though a 2JZ-GTE would be lots of fun tucked into a 240, I'm sure. Hmm...

Ian Duer (320b) > J. Drew Silvers 12/26/2013 at 22:25

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I preferred thinking BMW v12 if I were going to go off make for the engine. Might not make the best power for displacement at 300hp/5l but: dat sound.

You can be an aesthetics guy if you want. There aren't any laws about it. Hell I just picked up a Saab that seems too mechanically sound and religiously kept stock to even want fit an CAI/Short-ram/Open-intake for improved soundtrack and whatever meager performance gain might come with it. The paint/exterior is in remarkable condition for 15+ year old car, makes me want to fix the few minor aesthetic problems and keep it looking nice. Hell I might be able to get it to a 9/10 with little effort.

Big-Boi > McChiken116 - Patrick H. 01/11/2014 at 00:09

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Lexus...have you seen the RC-F? The new IS on the road? If not Lexus, how about Caddy? They are making some giant boats (DTS) or utter failures (Allante, Cimmaron, Catera etc.) and all of a sudden, they are churning out manual wagons with supercharged V8s and awesome sports sedans (new CTS, ATS). 3 years ago, I would never have considered a Lexus or a Caddy, but now...they are certainly on my radar.

McChiken116 - Patrick H. > Big-Boi 01/11/2014 at 01:17

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The RC-F is awesome.