What Car Company Are You A Fan Of And Why?

"Speedmonkey" (Speedmonkey) 11/26/2013 at 12:30 • Filed to: Porsche, 911, Porsche 911

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Many people like a particular car company. Be it Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, VW, Ford, Audi or even Vauxhall. Even if we are not overt fans we often have a soft spot for a particular company.

I've been thinking about this and, for me at least, the company I most align with is Porsche. Thinking about it further this is because Porsche reflects my personality quite well.

I like a bit of risk, a bit of danger, but not too much. Porsches, being fast but solid cars, reflect this. I also like some flair and a little bit of outrageousness, but not too much. Porsche designs are sporty but also conservative. They are a bit out there, but not so out there as to be over the top.

I also like comfort and home and Porsche interiors are cosseting and familiar. You get in almost any Porsche and think, "Ah yes. Porsche." The !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! just felt so dependable.

I've also got an OCD streak. I cannot cope with component failure and breakdowns. This is why I would love to love Italian cars but can't bring myself to ever buy one. Porsches are reassuringly dependable.

Finally, I like to be different. To at least try and stand out from the crowd, and not really care what others think. Porsche has been ploughing its own furrow for decades, especially with the engine out the back in the 911. Its also realised it has to be populist in order to be successful, something I can identify with.

So with that self-analytical cod-psychology out there please, do tell, what car company do you align with and does it reflect your personality?

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 12:35

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Lexus. Mainly because my dad is so biased towards that brand now that I also really like it. I mean, no college student should ever want an LS over a WRX or something as their dream car. I just love large executive sedans (not that I'll be able to afford one any time soon) but they just seem so amazing and for comfort and mainly reliability, I think that the LS does it the best and also for the cheapest price. I don't know how it reflect my personality really, but what you said about not buying Italian because of reliability is a similar point of view I share, except unreliable to me is everything European.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 12:35

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Land Rover-

Why? Because I love fixing cars and hate having money...

Seriously though, I love Land Rovers because they reflect my sense of adventure and quirkiness. That and when I wheel, I like wheeling with heated leather seats.

Brian Silvestro > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 12:41

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Aston Martin. They are truly geniuses in design and art, and they put V12's in all of their cars. And they make this:

Agrajag > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 12:43

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I don't have a favorite brand. If it is good I'll like it. That said, good is entirely subjective, but not brand biased.

. . > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 12:44

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I'm not giving you any hints! ;)

This company was considered the epitome of a proper, luxurious, well made car when I was a little kid. I always admired them. Now, even though I own a Benz from their 'malaise era', it's still a lot better than any other cars that I've tried from that period.

EDIT: Thank you Kinja for ruining the joke. FYI, there's a load of Mercedes logos above the text.

Speedmonkey > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 11/26/2013 at 12:45

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Never was a Lexus fan but drove an IS recently and was blown away by how good it was

Speedmonkey > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 11/26/2013 at 12:45

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I just had to grease up my wife's back end….

… handle on the tailgate on her Discovery 2 had seized. Usual Landie problems

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 12:46

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I associate with the Ford and GM brands the most. I never really got into Chrysler brands but at the same time I don't dislike them.

I've worked for both Ford and GM advertising (and now Audi too) but I'm an American car guy, through and through- unwavering.

Inside that, as you guys know I'm a big fan of Mercury (despite it's deadness). They took the Ford and added a dash of class and a couple more features as standard. I like that.

It's not over the top, it's not overly expensive, but it is just a touch nicer.

Speedmonkey > . . 11/26/2013 at 12:47

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A car company should make their logo a small blue box with a question mark inside. Then it'd get coverage all over Kinja

. . > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 12:48

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How about we start a Kinja car company?

The cars will only work when they feel like (which is very rarely) and will redesign themselves to be worse and more confusing every few months.

KnowsAboutCars > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 12:48

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Koenigsegg to name one. I don't necessarily have any of their cars in my do want list but I like the company. Christian Von Koenigsegg basically went from the want for building super cars to actually doing just that, and not only that but also designing and building their drivetrains which is something not many small car companies do and inventing some really ingenious stuff along the way.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 12:50

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If you use sillicon grease it helps keep the grim out. Although my D2 is coming up to the point of needing another round of greasing on the back door.

71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors > . . 11/26/2013 at 12:50

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Bruno Martini > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 12:51

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Ford for me. My grandfather had a ford of some kind when he was young. I owned my first new mustang at age 23. By 28 I bought another one due to an unfortunate crash, however this time I bought a second addition. A 2012 explorer xlt 4wd as a gift for my dad. 3 ford in less than 7 years purchased by me. Love the driving dynamics, love the power they provide along with very very smooth powerplants. The styling is great, the technology is there, the quality rocks. Never had a problem with any of them. The aftermarket on the mustang is welll... depends on your taste and budget, but it goes from mild to im going to grab that veyron and swallow it and shit it out territory. The mod engines are very very well thought out. Definitely good engines. However even their 6 and 4 cylinder engines to me drive/feel great. No NVH at all from their small 4 cylinder engines on a sub zero start, and the v6 is so quiet that many times I have no idea its on without looking at the tack. IF those engines had 4 rings on them or a 3 pointed star on them they would sell for 2-4x the price and not be out of place with any manufacturer. I love sync thats included in nearly every vehicle. Honestly I cant think of a single negative thing on any of the cars I bought. I paid what I paid and felt I got a bargain.

Joe_Limon > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 12:51

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I was going to say Lotus... But lately they have tarnished their image with a mish mash of broken promises.

I really like Mclaren, been that way ever since I made a Mclaren for MM2 way back in the day. I admire their passion, and dedication to doing things correct at all costs. Ferrari has similar passion... But they like to cut corners, I remember seeing a video of a F458 being put together and in the half completed state I was sooo unimpressed... A large portion of their chassis work is simply welded together aluminum hss sections. No optimization anywhere, heck, a properly designed high strength steel frame would have been stronger/lighter.

Montalvo > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 11/26/2013 at 12:51

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My mom has had various models from Lexus over the years and I have gone the other way I HATE them. Originally she had a GS sedan and then moved into a RX 350. The GS and the first 350 were actually okay, they were comfortable for long roadtrips. However the most recent one our second 350 is an utter pile of garbage. The interior quality is abysmal I have found panels starting to lift up before half a year had passed. The engine feels anemic and it shouldn't with its 270 or something horsepower. At cruising highway speeds it felt unstable which I have never experienced before in a car and was quite shocking. I really hope that our 350 was the one bad egg and the rest were great but it felt like Lexus just took a huge step back to me.

RacecaR > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 12:52

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Years and years and years ago (I'm getting old), back when I saw one of the first Lexus commercials on TV, I declared I will own one. Now in my mid-30's I have yet to buy one. I may end up finding a good SC300 next spring to play with. Then maybe an IS F sport as my next daily.

But somewhere between my childhood and now, I fell in love with Mercedes. Not really sure why, other than the fact that when it comes to luxury, they just do not seem to care about the everyman. It seems they do not want to make a model that is attainable to the junior executive. It is like they are thinking, "Hey, when you are SERIOUS about your luxury car game, come see us. Until then, just go buy a BMW." I have wanted one for awhile now, pretty much for that reason. Plus some of them are just dead sexy and sound amazing!

Then there is always Aston Martin. I just love their cars. I want one so bad, and have for a long time. Their beauty, their sound, their performance. It just seems like a full package.

Joe_Limon > KnowsAboutCars 11/26/2013 at 12:53

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I had mad respect for them until I read a story of how they treated one of their customers.

Fed(oo=[][]=oo)uken > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 12:54

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BMW, because 2002 through e30. Also Rennwagen.

BMW used to mean cars that were dedicated, hard core driver's cars, while maintaining levels of luxury and build quality that kept it at the very top of the heap, like a leaner, meaner Mercedes. Which was great. Now they're stupid.

Joe_Limon > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 11/26/2013 at 12:55

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Its alright, I had a Mercury back in the day and I know the feels. I also had a Pontiac and that wound still stings.

KnowsAboutCars > Joe_Limon 11/26/2013 at 12:57

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Do tell. I haven't heard about that.

cazzyodo > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 13:03

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I am a Ford fan.

I blame my mom for instilling a love of Mustangs in me at a young age. The car I learned on and drove to high school was an F-150 that was practically bulletproof.

Something about Ford and me just feels right. When they return with a small truck or something in the like, it will feel that much more right.

Montalvo > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 13:03

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I believe I fall into the BMW and Ford camp. My father has always had a thing for BMW's V-8s and as such he was flying around in a 540i until the 550i came along. I have a lot of memories of highway on and off ramps just getting squashed into the back of my seat an feeling a huge surge of acceleration. My father's Camaro and Lincoln LSC fostered my interest in cars, the BMWs cemented it and branded it on my brain. Fords have been mostly in the forms of SUVs in my life as they were the go to vehicle when my family went on road trips to vacation. They were mostly dependable and willing to take a beating and carried my stuff to and from college. Whenever the weather got biblical it would soldier on with no hesitation and bulletproof reliability. Only one of the trucks we have owned had problems and the issue wasn't mechanical but an electrical one where something was draining the battery and we nor the repair shop could ever find the source of it. So if I had a gun to my head and I was asked to pick a brand of car that I would have to drive for my entire life I would say without hesitation BMW. The practicality, performance and smiles per mile has been unmatched.

Stupidru > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 13:04

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Subaru-

I can work on them without having to break my bank account

They get decent mileage in jalop-approved form (turbo)

They have AWD that I actually need sometimes (WI resident speaking)

They're extremely safe, which is why my wife drives one too

They come with proper transmissions

My old LGT flew under the cop rader while still being faster than 95% of the things on the road

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Joe_Limon 11/26/2013 at 13:04

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Haha. Well they may have killed Mercury (simply to turn Lincoln into it) but they can't kill MY Mercury's. I have the 68 Montego MX and my DD is an 07 Milan V6.

Joe_Limon > KnowsAboutCars 11/26/2013 at 13:04

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Aparently the customer ordered it, and the vehicle they delivered wasn't road legal despite being part of the original contract. Then, they kept taking it back so they could show it off at car shows. They also made him sign a waver forbidding him to disclose his experiences in exchange for some sort of monetary compensation. However being rich, he eventually got fed up and let it all out.

Joe_Limon > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 11/26/2013 at 13:08

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Nice, I had an 99 Cougar. I eventually sold it when the cumulative chips/dents/scrapes ended up being worth almost as much as the car to fix.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 13:14

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I guess I'm just stuck with my Caddys. Thank God they came out with the V-Series in time for my mid-life crisis. I've gone through the litany of styles over the years: classic '50 with huge fins; '60s Eldorados of every shape and configuration; '70s big body coupes and sedans; I nust have slept thru the 80s (Oh no, I was flying jets in foreign wars); the '90s and millennium were family time in luxurious Eldos and Sevilles. Now that I'm back to having fun on 4 wheels, my V is the perfect combo of luxury, handling, and speed. Although I still own the 68 Eldo and the 72 Coupe De Ville, this sibling rivalry gets most of my attention:

SLR999 > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 13:22

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Jaguar.

Because at one point they made cars like this.

And now they're rediscovering that art.

AMC/Renauledge > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 13:28

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I like so many, dead and alive, for so many reasons...

Alfa Romeo - Soul and passion.

AMC - The inventive American underdog and unsung working-class hero.

Aston Martin - Some of the prettiest, beefiest, fastest cars ever made.

Buick - A rich history of discreet, elegant, powerful, beautiful, well-engineered cars. The bedrock of General Motors.

Eagle - AMC, Chrysler, Renault, and Mitsubishi all slam into each other at an uncontrolled 4-way intersection and what emerges is 11 years of jaloptasticness.

Hudson - A constant stream of really great cars with an emphasis on performance, comfort, and advanced engineering.

Jaguar - Desperately beautiful cars with humanizing interiors and tons of soul, charm, and character. Less flawed than Alfa, more attainable than Aston.

Jeep - They have figured out how to make a FWD Alfa work well off-road. They still make the Wrangler.

Lancia - Everything I could say about Alfa, but gone completely and totally insane and incredible.

Land Rover - They make an S-Class beating luxury sedan that can't be beaten off road. Except by the Defender, which everyone from a farmer to the Queen drives.

Lotus - They punch so far above their light weight, it's unbelievable. They do so much with so little. They make quirky, elemental cars that are beautiful and dangerous.

MATRA - In a parallel universe, they were Lotus taken over by French pirates on acid, churning out nothing but crazy brilliance with mainstream car components.

Nash - First American volume manufacturer to use unit construction, build a 30mpg standard-size car, invent the American subcompact, compact, and midsize categories, give us A/C, rust-proof exhausts, twin travel beds, and so much more.

Packard - The definitive American luxury car the entire world desired to own, from 1899-1939. And even when they abdicated the true luxury space after the last V12s were built, they made solid, beautifully-engineered, powerful, well-appointed cars until the end. Packard is my #1 choice for brands that deserve to be resurrected.

SAAB - They had a different approach to everything, even when they were using other people's engineering. And most of it was practical, sensible, and cool.

Tatra - Nazi-killing, aerodynamic, rear-engined air-cooled V8 luxury cars? Where do I sign?

Triumph - Brilliant name. Brilliant little British sports cars and sport sedans. Staged a credible threat to BMW before BL's gangrene set in and killed them.

TVR - Fast, cheap, bespoke, and crazy-looking. Crazy in every way, actually.

DanimalHouse > Speedmonkey 11/26/2013 at 13:54

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Mazda.

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SaabStutz > AMC/Renauledge 11/26/2013 at 14:01

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Thank god someone finally mentioned SAAB! Almost all their cars are incredibly fun to drive (except the god damned 9-7x) and the 9-3 and 9-5 wagon are boss. I hope I get to own a Viggen someday, beacuse torque steer!

Plus, who doesn't like driving a jet???

Stupidru > SaabStutz 11/27/2013 at 08:57

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James May said there is nothing in a Saab that reminded him of sitting in a cockpit

SaabStutz > Stupidru 11/27/2013 at 10:12

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Okay, so I should have slightly added a /sarcasm. It was intended to make fun of SAABs long time add campaign, but I guess it appeared serious.

Oops.

Stupidru > SaabStutz 11/27/2013 at 10:53

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I get it now- lol!