Is anyone else sick of seeing/hearing about MPVs?
Discussion
OK, I'm not going to go into insulting any particular kind (although I particularly dislike that awful Citroen, but I digress), but it just seems like almost every manufacturer is releasing one seemingly just for the sake of it. Do they not want us to drive normal cars any more? OK, versatile they may be, but they are absolutley hideous to look at!!! Every week on a car program, a new MPV! Not everyone wants to drive an MPV!!! And just what is the point in these mini-MPVs, like the Hyundai Atosser, I hardly think something that size is going to be any more practical than a normal supermini.
Soz if I go on a bit, I just had to get that off my chest. *feels better*
Soz if I go on a bit, I just had to get that off my chest. *feels better*
I couldn't agree more. Hideous. However, these things (I guess starting with the Espace) have created their own market and all of a sudden many people want to be able to transport 7 people in reasonable luxury.
Even worse, my wife has set her mind on one - can't complain too much as long as I drive the Cerb! I am faced with a choice between a Honda Stream and a Zafira. What a dilemma...
Even worse, my wife has set her mind on one - can't complain too much as long as I drive the Cerb! I am faced with a choice between a Honda Stream and a Zafira. What a dilemma...
Yes, I have to agree with some of that..
The thing I really don't like about them is being behind them on the motorway - you can't see past them like you can a regular car, but experience tells you they've let a 500yd gap open up in front of them in the outside lane..
one problem is that frequently, they're bought by people who would otherwise have bought a Volvo estate.. go figure..
For some people they can be useful, but I suggest that a lot of those people should have stopped f***ing breeding when they got to 2 children!
(It has been shown that more intelligent people are less inclined to breed to the same degree and therefore it's lamentable but consequential that the country's being over-run by ill-educated socially irresponsible morons.. )
The family over the road from me have a Zafira and I've yet to work out why - they only have 2 kids and I've never seen the thing full.. the only thing I can come up with is that the guy seems to spend all day outside, mowing his lawn and washing his cars (presumably to stay out of the way of his miserable wife) and having an MPV gives him more time outside polishing..
The thing I really don't like about them is being behind them on the motorway - you can't see past them like you can a regular car, but experience tells you they've let a 500yd gap open up in front of them in the outside lane..
one problem is that frequently, they're bought by people who would otherwise have bought a Volvo estate.. go figure..
For some people they can be useful, but I suggest that a lot of those people should have stopped f***ing breeding when they got to 2 children!
(It has been shown that more intelligent people are less inclined to breed to the same degree and therefore it's lamentable but consequential that the country's being over-run by ill-educated socially irresponsible morons.. )
The family over the road from me have a Zafira and I've yet to work out why - they only have 2 kids and I've never seen the thing full.. the only thing I can come up with is that the guy seems to spend all day outside, mowing his lawn and washing his cars (presumably to stay out of the way of his miserable wife) and having an MPV gives him more time outside polishing..
quote:
Yeah thats another thing, sometimes on my drive to work for a little game (yeah bored) I see just how many people are actually in these cars. 90% of the time, there is just the driver. How f**in stupid is that??
Hence my Smart car being a "sensible" (yawn to some I know) car for the daily commute. But it does allow me to play motorbikes, so can I really complain? - and the damn thing is surprisingly good fun.
A lot of peep carriers are now company vehicles. My mates Zafira handles like a barge, I was shocked at the understeer !
They do have their uses though - not much boot space in my Spider, I have a deal with my dad that I can borrow his 3.0 V6 Espace (same size engine as the spider) if I need seats or loadspace. Moved house in it in the summer.
It's not quick and handles as you'd expect, but I took it to France with 4 people and loads of luggage, and surprised a few local bad boys in Le Mans with it off the lights...
It's not quick and handles as you'd expect, but I took it to France with 4 people and loads of luggage, and surprised a few local bad boys in Le Mans with it off the lights...
Slightly off topic, but what has everyone got against volvos???
Now, My dad has had several! Too many to count, starting with a 740 Saloon, he has progressed to a 960 Estate and a 960 Saloon! (He has both at the same time). Now, i've driven the Saloon, and, although it's automatic and the steering feels like a toy car, it's really very quick, nice comfortable drive and very spacious for the passengers! It's not a sports car, it's a Fat Mans Saloon! And does it's job very well! The estate has 300,000 on the clock and is still going strong, obviously with that mileage it's had it's bumps and scrapes, (usually from mums in 4x4's), the engine is noticably tired, and the ride is getting a tad rough, but it will still pull from 90 to well over 120 when it's asked to!!!
Can someone please enlighten me to the dislike!! Is it a dislike of the Drivers rather than the cars???
Now, My dad has had several! Too many to count, starting with a 740 Saloon, he has progressed to a 960 Estate and a 960 Saloon! (He has both at the same time). Now, i've driven the Saloon, and, although it's automatic and the steering feels like a toy car, it's really very quick, nice comfortable drive and very spacious for the passengers! It's not a sports car, it's a Fat Mans Saloon! And does it's job very well! The estate has 300,000 on the clock and is still going strong, obviously with that mileage it's had it's bumps and scrapes, (usually from mums in 4x4's), the engine is noticably tired, and the ride is getting a tad rough, but it will still pull from 90 to well over 120 when it's asked to!!!
Can someone please enlighten me to the dislike!! Is it a dislike of the Drivers rather than the cars???
IMO. Its the buying into the selling point that the cars are indestructable, and the occupants are safe, the crash test dummies ad said it all. It's not often you can tar all with the same brush, but this comes dangerously close.
The company perpetuates the myth, drive how you like, it does'nt matter, you're safe.
Its a mindset thing.
I don't mean to offend , but this is how I see it after being amongst them for over 30 years.
The company perpetuates the myth, drive how you like, it does'nt matter, you're safe.
Its a mindset thing.
I don't mean to offend , but this is how I see it after being amongst them for over 30 years.
Tvraddict, its more againat the driver than the car. Volvos have a syndrome (starting to show in MPV and SUVs as well now) That because the driver thinks they are safe they can pull out, cut you up, and drive how they like. I believe the police actually officially call this kind of driving Volvo Drivers Syndrome.
As a low sports car driver and regular pillion rider you can guarentee that the car that pulls out in front of you causing heavy breaking/near misses, when there FA behind you will be the Volvo driver.
The other nickname for Volvo is OVLOV which is what you see in the mirror when a lorry is tailgating you in cr@p conditions.
Its more down to the driver than anything wrong with the car, in fact the Volvo s70 is particualaly nice and quick.
One funny saying a friend told be about the rover (usually driven by some old git who drives in the middle lane at 50mph and on country roads at 30 but passes schools at 40) They often have the letter SLi on the back. Stands for Slow Learning Idiot.
As a low sports car driver and regular pillion rider you can guarentee that the car that pulls out in front of you causing heavy breaking/near misses, when there FA behind you will be the Volvo driver.
The other nickname for Volvo is OVLOV which is what you see in the mirror when a lorry is tailgating you in cr@p conditions.
Its more down to the driver than anything wrong with the car, in fact the Volvo s70 is particualaly nice and quick.
One funny saying a friend told be about the rover (usually driven by some old git who drives in the middle lane at 50mph and on country roads at 30 but passes schools at 40) They often have the letter SLi on the back. Stands for Slow Learning Idiot.
Fun things to do with Volvo drivers:
I used to live not far from Milton Keynes, and in the countryside around there we used to come across an inordnate amount of volvos coming towards you down the middle of the very narrow roads, forcing you to head for the ditch.
My friend bought a 1977 Chevy Caprice (5l V8, 2.25 tonnes, drives like a very fast whale) with the driver on the left side. When we came across a volvo heading towards us down the middle of the road, he would keep his line with the nearside wheels practically on the grass. (given that the thing is 6'6" wide, he had very little feel for where the offside of the car was anyway)
If the volvo driver looked like he was going to hold his (middle of the road) line, I would hold my hands up to the windscreen so the volvo driver could see them. Of course he assumed that I was driving being on the right side of the car, and usually got really concerned that the oncomming driver had apparently let go of the wheel
. Paniced Volvo driver then usually went for the ditch himself. 
I used to live not far from Milton Keynes, and in the countryside around there we used to come across an inordnate amount of volvos coming towards you down the middle of the very narrow roads, forcing you to head for the ditch.
My friend bought a 1977 Chevy Caprice (5l V8, 2.25 tonnes, drives like a very fast whale) with the driver on the left side. When we came across a volvo heading towards us down the middle of the road, he would keep his line with the nearside wheels practically on the grass. (given that the thing is 6'6" wide, he had very little feel for where the offside of the car was anyway)
If the volvo driver looked like he was going to hold his (middle of the road) line, I would hold my hands up to the windscreen so the volvo driver could see them. Of course he assumed that I was driving being on the right side of the car, and usually got really concerned that the oncomming driver had apparently let go of the wheel
. Paniced Volvo driver then usually went for the ditch himself. quote:I was recently tailgated by one of those Kia Sheds at astounding speed on the M3.. the guy obviously thought it was a scooby..
What about the Kia sadowner an mpv with a scooby syle vent on the bonnet , sad
There seem to be are a lot of SUV/MPV drivers (Zafiras notably) who drive the things like they drove the Vectras they'd traded in - ie Badly - I was in the environs of one this morning and watched him overtaking on the inside, tailgating, cutting people up and generally acting like he was still in his Vectra....
I'm desperately waiting to see a Zafira Turbo with 35mm chopped off the suspension, aftermarket alloys, big exhaust and a kenwood sticker..
quote:
There seem to be are a lot of SUV/MPV drivers (Zafiras notably) who drive the things like they drove the Vectras they'd traded in - ie Badly - I was in the environs of one this morning and watched him overtaking on the inside, tailgating, cutting people up and generally acting like he was still in his Vectra....
Oh god. That'll be my mate on the way back from Slough. Does it have "XOO" or "SOO" on the plate? assuming you can *read* the plate? He traded in a company Vectra for the Zafira. Urgh. The Vectra pretended to handle, the Zafira doesn't even try.
My dad saw someone similar in an MPV on the M40 last Saturday on his way up to us....Zafira full of kids, while he inside-laned every man and his dog and generally weaved his way through. 
Dad said it looked like the bus driver from the Simpsons (hey, my dad watches the Simpsons ! Cool !)
Selfish sod (the MPV driver, not my dad)
Dad said it looked like the bus driver from the Simpsons (hey, my dad watches the Simpsons ! Cool !)
Selfish sod (the MPV driver, not my dad)
quote:
I'm desperately waiting to see a Zafira Turbo with 35mm chopped off the suspension, aftermarket alloys, big exhaust and a kenwood sticker..
ROTFLMFAO!!!!
Actually though, I have seen something really funny - It was a Daewoo Matiz with HUUGE 17" Alloys and lowered suspension
. Now that is hilarious. >> Edited by pbirkett on Wednesday 20th February 13:01
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