Why did anyone buy these?

"Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell." (oppisitelock)
10/07/2015 at 09:38 • Filed to: None

That’s rhetorical because I know it’s for the badge, but still. No kit, plain interior, ugly outside, only 82 hp from a 2 litre engine, expensive, probably doesn’t handle very well and slower than my little Twingo (and trust me the Twingo is plenty slow enough).

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/adv…

DISCUSSION (28)

bob and john > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/07/2015 at 09:45

canada actually got 1/2 decent engines...and no one bought on tht wasnt fully loaded....

but yea, i dont get it either.

m2m, apex detective > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/07/2015 at 09:47

At least they fixed the windshield with this generation! Had to do a cross-country trip in a 1st-gen FL A170 CDI once ... I’m only 5’10”, and yet I felt like sitting in a bunker with the roof coming down in front of your eyes.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/07/2015 at 09:48

Somebody I work with has a VW Routan - aka VW-badged Chrysler minivan. I haven’t really bothered to ask why.

boredalways > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
10/07/2015 at 09:51

Usually the price is right

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > bob and john
10/07/2015 at 09:52

Being the UK most of the ones sold were base engines, most were a bit more kitted out than this one though. By the time they’re specced out the price grows to silly figures though. I believe a highish spec diesel was hitting Golf GTI prices easily.

Osiris - I can haz Euro spec? > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
10/07/2015 at 09:53

Funny enough, I saw a Lancia badged Grand Caravan. I had no idea that Lancia was owned by Chrysler.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
10/07/2015 at 09:53

Do they cost about the same as the Chrysler version?

dogisbadob > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/07/2015 at 09:53

The A-class is awesome, especially the first two generations! I wish they sold them over here. And fuck MB for not selling the non-electric B-class down here, and they even sell it in Canada. WTF?

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > m2m, apex detective
10/07/2015 at 09:54

Yeah the first gen was much worse, the seating position was bizarre. I notice the same as you, I’m 5’ 9” ish and I felt like I was looking through the top of a fish bowl.

bob and john > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/07/2015 at 09:55

oh here a BASe gti is 28K.
a base B-class (the b200 with 208 hp...only motor we got) is 31K

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/07/2015 at 09:55

I’m almost certain the base price was more, but since they didn’t really catch on fire, they probably cost about the same most of the time.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/07/2015 at 10:00

Is that a second-gen? No idea why anyone bought one of them, except that they weren’t notably more expensive than the competition from non-premium brands.

The first-gen made some slight sense, at least on paper, because interiors were so utterly woeful in small cars back then.

This:

Kinja'd!!!

Or this?

Kinja'd!!!

Other than that, I was always amazed by A-Class drivers’ ability to persuade themselves that it was a purely rational purchase not driven by the badge at all, however much of a stretch that was.

MultiplaOrgasms > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/07/2015 at 10:00

Because they are comfy, have a high seating position, are pretty spacious for their size and easy to drive. In other words they are cars for old people, and old people only care about comfort anyway. My grandfather, who just turned 80 years old has one as well.

Cé hé sin > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/07/2015 at 10:02

To answer your question...because it had a Merc badge and was the cheapest way there was of getting one of those short of buying a van.

Cé hé sin > Osiris - I can haz Euro spec?
10/07/2015 at 10:04

Fiat own Lancia and Chrysler.

Meet the Lancia Thema, aka Chrysler 300

Kinja'd!!!

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
10/07/2015 at 10:05

But to my knowledge, the Routan doesn't have the stow-n-go seats, by far the most useful feature of the Caravan. Some people just don't make smart money decisions.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > bob and john
10/07/2015 at 10:05

A base GTI is just under £27k here, an A20o diesel with 136hp is £24k with no options whatsoever. The 177hp A220 diesel easily exceeds the GTI price.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > dogisbadob
10/07/2015 at 10:06

Meh there are tonnes of better and cheaper hatchbacks. If you wanted an overpriced hatchback the BMW 1 series was at least good fun to drive.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Cé hé sin
10/07/2015 at 10:10

Indeed, at least the Audi A3 and BMW 1 series were somewhat nice cars, even though they existed for the same purpose.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > MultiplaOrgasms
10/07/2015 at 10:11

I found them quite uncomfortable to be honest, they crash over potholes and stuff pretty bad.

BJ > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/07/2015 at 10:13

I drove an A150 of this approximate vintage and it was OK, actually. Handling was acceptable, it felt safe at speed (up to 170 km/h) and it was quiet and comfortable. It felt well built for a small car.

But it was small and kind of pointless - my coworker and I agreed very quickly that it was a nice Hausfrau car, but not something we would own ourselves.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > BJ
10/07/2015 at 10:14

Acceptable is pretty poor considering how much the thing cost...

MultiplaOrgasms > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/07/2015 at 10:18

The ride isn’t brilliant for sure, that is a drawback of the short wheelbase, but the seats are damn good compared to anything of similar size.

jariten1781 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
10/07/2015 at 10:32

Got a co-worker who has one and I very delicately talked around asking why (I hate challenging other peoples car choices...none of my business). Turns out he has a somewhat valid reason...Always been a VW customer at the same dealer and they treated him well for decades with various Jettas/Passat wagons/Eurovans and that’s all they had to offer at the time.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > jariten1781
10/07/2015 at 10:46

The same general collective of people owned an Audi or two, so it may have been the dealership thing. Unrelated, I finished Book of the Short Sun. I think it came to a close pretty well overall, though the final paragraph or so (kind of an apotheosis type thing) didn’t quite have the punch it seems like it could have.

jariten1781 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
10/07/2015 at 11:54

I still enjoy it greatly, but it’s the weakest of the bunch (well, unless you include The Urth of the New Sun ...which I don’t because it’s many tiers below in quality and theme...felt like an unnecessary cash in, except I don’t think Mr. Wolfe is really rolling in dough). I’d say I appreciate New Sun the most, but surprisingly enjoyed Long Sun the most on first read-through, and Short Sun was merely greatly satisfying. Now though, after a billion read throughs they kind of morph in my mind to one big (and my favorite) work.

If you haven’t read Fifth Head, it’s a pretty thematically similar book by a younger Wolfe which is really interesting to read retrospectively.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > bob and john
10/07/2015 at 12:06

I see one on my commute everyday, guy drives it like a maniac. Girlfriend saw it from a distance and thought it was a Fit.

Saazbaru > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/07/2015 at 12:12

Tbh they’re kinda interesting. My family and I rented one in Germany once and it was kinda cool in a strange way. Wouldn’t buy one even if it was available in the US though