I'm seriously annoyed with the amount of pointless cars that are getting churned out these days. For example the new Renault Grand Modus. So we have a Modus, grand Modus, Espace, Grand Espace, now even a bloody Clio estate. What else? Ford Fusion? Mini Clubman? All these stupid "crossover SUV's". I know they won't (hopefully) sell as much as "normal" cars but do we really need them - and they moan about the increasing amount of cars causing more pollution

Edited 20 December, 200718 yr by Mouse_GTI

what about the altea freetrack 4, another for the list no

what about the golf plus+?

pretty pointless if you ask me.

dry

Others....Audi Allroad, Audi Q7, BMW X3, Focus C-Max, Merc B-Class X-Y-Z Class, Nissan Note, Nissan Qashcrap, Pug 1007, Seat Altea, Vauxhall Meriva, Vauxhall Signum, VW Touran

Wow your angry! You dont you start blowing them all up!?

I think you've missed the point a bit.

People like chunky off-road looks, so things like the Audi Allroad, SEAT Altea Freetrack 4 (I've got one of those in January) and Skoda Octavia Scout sell because they look like they fit the bill.

The Focus C-Max, Nissan Note, Renault Modus, SEAT Altea, Golf Plus, VW Touran etc are actually very practical, versatile load carriers which also double up as a family car. On what grounds are these pointless? They're better at lugging larger loads because they have large flat open boot spaces when you fold the seats away or remove them. OK, they're boring and ugly cars, but it works and it sells.

The Quashqai is a whole lot more interesting than the Almera it replaced, and guess what, it's selling well. Looks like a 4x4, drives like a car. People buy it, so someone makes it for them.

Mini Clubman, don't get me started here, yes it's a style statement but what else do you expect from Mini. I've yet to drive one, but if it's half as good as the regular hatch it'll be a blast. It's a lot nicer to drive than most average small hatches. So what if you pay a premium, it's worth it for the driving experience alone, and to be honest most people buy it for the image.

In fact, I'd say the only truly daft cars you've pointed out are the 1007 (too heavy, too slow and too expensive), the BMW X3 (poor man's X5) and Vauxhall Signum (why?!?).

Basically, carmakers do their research, and most of the time if you see a new segment appear there's a demand backing it up. Believe it or not they're in the market to make money from selling cars, and as that market becomes more niche oriented it'll favour the people with the wider ranges.

Anyone would think youre a automobile journalist Alex :-D

tooo true someone get that boy a job!

tbh most highly modified cars are pointless as you never get to use them to thier full potentials on the road...

and supercars, even more pointless...

at least people carriers will be for people who actually serve a genuine purpose ie school runs, or mums getting food to stock up fridges, the nice person in his supercar is just going to drive fast on a public road and crash and die in a flaming wreck

which ones pointless now, well not supercar as in its mangled mess theres going to be loads of points, albeit made of out metal shards

what about the golf plus+?

pretty pointless if you ask me.

dry

Actually that's pretty good for people with some form of physical disability, like backs etc. Flat boot loading area etc. The only problem is it's got a hefty advance payment on the Motability scheme.

tooo true someone get that boy a job!

He actually is a journo dude

I'll maybe pick out the Allroad, Octavia Scout etc as exceptions, because they are cars based on original models. The Polo Dune does look good, though pointless, but its just a different variant of a certain model. It's where the "in-between in-between" models come in about that might give you an extra 2mm of headroom. The Golf Plus, slightly taller but it didn't sell because everyone wanted an estate version. VW ended up having to make the estate version after all.

The Mini Clubman is getting average reviews in the press at the moment. A Mini is more of a style statement, so why turn it into a half-arsed load lugger and try and sell it based on its name? That's one of the other things that annoys me, trying to cash in on a brand name, hence the X3 being a main choice of mine :)

The Grand Modus is the real reason I started this thread though. "Hmmmm, Modus is 2mm too small, and the Espace is 3mm too big, lets get a grand modus - genious!"

TBH, I wouldn't call the MPVs you've mentioned pointless, purely because they are designed to be practical, and take large numbers of people/stuff. If these things didn't exist, then all people who wanted a larger car would have for choice is an estate car or a 4x4, and anything that has people buying something other than a pointless offroad vehicle (as in will-never-go-offroad-in-its-life-except-maybe-to-go-10-yards-across-a-field-to-park-at-the-kids-sportday vehicle) is a good thing imho.

tbh I think Mouse GTI makes a very good point.

Correct me if I'm wrong but all these MPV's, SUV's etc are all made for there space inside, yet they still only seat 5 poeple, with the exception of a certain few.

Also they are billed for having extra head room blah blah blah but have you seen the size of new cars these days, even small ones? Of course they will have extra room they are HUGE! Fucking hell, I pulled up next to a VW Fox the other day (VW's smallest car apparently) in my saxo. When my back bumper was about level with his there was a foot and a half or so between his front bumper and mine and the height is unreal, The wing mirror on this thing was about my eye level, yeah my saxo is lowered but not that much.

And at work we have a Corsa D work van, the amount of space in the front of that is crazy, I'm a tallish lad about 6'1" and still i can get in with my health and safety hard hat on and still have loads of head room and thats a small car. So the point of a car with "extra" headroom is?

That's the point. You can have a medium hatchback then estate version for a bit more room, then a large hatchback then estate for more room, or then you can have a normal people carrier if they aren't big enough. If we managed it 10 years ago then why can't we now?

People like choice....simple. A lot of people make the wrong choices though.

Main reason for half of these cars is the amount of coffin dodgers who are still driving. Their joints won't let them get into a normal car.

People like choice....simple. A lot of people make the wrong choices though.

If anything is more pointless in life its brand new 4x4's being used in the city

Edited 21 December, 200718 yr by cornflakes

I know 5 people with 4x4 and only one of them actually lives on a farm!

Reminds me of a mate of mine who bought a Ford Maverick. When he wanted to go across a field, he tried to stick it in 4wd and found it wouldn't. Diagnosis was at no point in the 90k it'd done had it ever been put in 4wd, so the transfer box had seized into 2wd

LOL! Classic

Actually the best 4x4 usage I've known was in Scotland 2 years ago. I went on this animal/mountain trip and he drove us up a 3000ft mountain on right rough track. Really showed what a 4x4 can do!

Renault are rediculous for it...they also have the scenic and grande scenic

Reminds me of a mate of mine who bought a Ford Maverick. When he wanted to go across a field, he tried to stick it in 4wd and found it wouldn't. Diagnosis was at no point in the 90k it'd done had it ever been put in 4wd, so the transfer box had seized into 2wd

hahahahahhaa pmsl fucking 4x4 noobs

Others....Audi Allroad, Audi Q7, BMW X3, Focus C-Max, Merc B-Class X-Y-Z Class, Nissan Note, Nissan Qashcrap, Pug 1007, Seat Altea, Vauxhall Meriva, Vauxhall Signum, VW Touran

I have to disagree with you about the Pug 1007. my dad got one for free because of the slipped discs in his spine and disability benefits. it's actually a good little car, he'd be stuck without it.

handy little car!

probably much more reliable than my fucking GT at the moment. over the past 3 weeks, its had new radiator, water pump, wheel bearings, drums, alternator, tension strut pivot bolts. the exhaust fanimold has started blowing from somewhere and to top it all off, the newly replaced radiator literally fell out of the car a few days ago. it's just problem after problem for meeee!

Others....Audi Allroad, Audi Q7, BMW X3, Focus C-Max, Merc B-Class X-Y-Z Class, Nissan Note, Nissan Qashcrap, Pug 1007, Seat Altea, Vauxhall Meriva, Vauxhall Signum, VW Touran

I have to disagree with you about the Pug 1007. my dad got one for free because of the slipped discs in his spine and disability benefits. it's actually a good little car, he'd be stuck without it.

handy little car!

probably much more reliable than my fucking GT at the moment. over the past 3 weeks, its had new radiator, water pump, wheel bearings, drums, alternator, tension strut pivot bolts. the exhaust fanimold has started blowing from somewhere and to top it all off, the newly replaced radiator literally fell out of the car a few days ago. it's just problem after problem for meeee!

I'm not disagreeing with you or anything..but your GT is a lot older

Porsche 911 is a good example of choice. You can have anything from a base spec. rear drive Carrera all the way up to a fire breathing factory built GT3 RSR race car.

Carrera 2, Carrera 4, Carrera 4S, GT3, Turbo, GT 2, GT3 RS, GT3 RSR...then add in the targa models and all of the optional extras....and that's just one model of car. Even they feel the need to make a horrible 4x4...it sells though and makes them money.