[Omkar]

The automobile industry is so massive that there’s something for everyone. And not just in terms of cars or the types of cars, but also the many industries related to the automotive industry. We all have certain areas of interest and have certain opinions regarding others. So, let’s get into the uncomfortable zone and voice out some of the controversial car opinions that you have. This is purely an opinion and not up for debate. It can be from any area related to automobiles, be it entry-level cars, premium cars, insurance or tyres or automotive media. There’s a lot that can be talked about. So, share thoughts (that you normally wouldn’t) without the fear of getting into an argument with someone. That’s the only thread rule here – Do not debate on an opinion.

I’ll start with mine.

Vintage cars: I find vintage cars boring. Yes, they appreciate in value and are an important part of automotive history, but apart from that, they just seem like collectables rather than something you’d enjoy driving. Maybe that’s because I enjoy driving and would like something that I could drive regularly without having to worry about it breaking down. Not that I don’t like the old technology, but I would still enjoy driving something like an old Jeep where everything is very mechanical. But for something that’s just a show car, I don’t see the point.


0-100 km/h: Just because a car is quick to reach 100 km/h from a standstill doesn’t mean that it’s fast. I think some BHPians would agree that straight-line speed isn’t everything and the way a car feels connected with the road is more important. The list of cars that aren't as fast on a straight line but are fun to drive is pretty long.


Fiat India cars: This would probably ruffle some feathers, but I don’t think the Fiat cars launched in India are great looking. I’m not talking about the engines and driving dynamics, but purely the aesthetics. They’re too round-shaped IMO and I don’t see why a lot of people like the designs of Fiats.

[GTO]

Great thread . My two paisa:

1. In India, 150 - 200 BHP cars are way more fun than 600 BHP cars. I know many young enthusiasts will be shocked by this statement, but the fact is, you can wring the neck of a 150 BHP car and drive it on the redline. 500 BHP? You'll be hard-pressed to redline it even in 1st gear in India. It's the same reason why I feel a 400cc motorcycle is more fun than a liter-bike in India. The same reason why I think a Mini Cooper S is more fun than an Aventador in India.

2. EV "range anxiety" is overrated. Let's accept it, most EVs today are for city use only, with a few adventurous types taking them long-distance on the highway. Charge at home, use your EV in the city, be happy and rent / borrow / swap an ICE vehicle for your quarterly road-trips. Even mainstream EVs offer 300-km range, so get over your anxiety already.

3. I think quality fabric upholstery is as good-looking, good-feeling & comfortable as pricey leather upholstery. There, I said it. Especially when done well.

4. I H-A-T-E ADAS and all the auto-braking, lane assist & auto-driving that comes with it.

5. Top speed is irrelevant. What matters most is the 0 - 100, 40 - 120 kmph....generally, outright acceleration & mid-range punch interest me more than driving at insane speeds.

6. MPVs rock . Related Thread (Why MUVs / MPVs are the most competitive bodystyle today).

7. I find purists to be rather boring. Inclusive personalities are way more interesting. Purists who want their classic car 100% original (I believe in aftermarket improvements), purist Harley owners (e.g.) who scoff at lesser bikes, purist offroaders who overanalyze obstacles (instead of just powering through & enjoying), purist detailers who frown at swirl marks (well, this is India), purist car enthusiasts who only care about 765LTs, 911s & Supras (I can even have fun in an MG Hector)....

8. I find attainable cars priced between 4 - 50 lakhs more fun than the 2-3 crore species. In fact, 99% of my reading, writing & watching time is on Marutis, Hyundais, Tatas, Kias, Mahindras, Toyotas etc. Give me a 3000-word article on a McLaren and you'll find b-o-r-e-d-o-m written all over my face. Supercars today are all scary fast, all amazing handlers, all phenomenal brake-masters, it's really uninteresting for me to discuss the difference between a 0 - 100 time of 2.2 Vs 2.4 seconds.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by Omkar

So, let’s get into the uncomfortable zone and voice out some of the controversial car opinions that you have.

Nice! A safe space to bring up an unpopular opinion on an auto forum. Here goes- we've designed/given way too much of our public space in cities for cars. And we are paying the price. Car ownership is still restricted to a minority in our country (8%?) and yet, we car owners (I own a car too, my family too has always owned a car) hog up a lot of the public space in terms of roads, parking, traffic, pollution, etc. Even driving is no longer fun in any of our cities. It is time to start designing public spaces for the public. For pedestrians and for public transport.

[Maky]

Originally Posted by Omkar

So, share thoughts (that you normally wouldn’t) without the fear of getting into an argument with someone.

In person I recall to have upset a great many people by saying my 2013 Maruti Swift has the same interior quality as modern Skoda and Volkswagen 2.0 cars.

[arnav17]

Hopefully bikes too are a part of this discussion.

1. The Himalayan looks better than the Classics.
2. Maruti Suzuki Ritz was an underrated all rounder, and not just saying this because we own one.

3. Bikes like the RX100, RX135 and RXZ look way better than the current ones and have the charm unlike todays motorcycles.

4. THe 2nd generation of the Wagon-R is the best looking one.

5. ADAS in India is a Joke (though most may agree)

6. I would never buy a Hyundai car even though its loaded with features just due to its flimsy build.

6. Honda WR-V was an underrated gem.

[shankar.balan]

I love cars. And everything to do with automobiles.

Controversial Statements that I have made and continue to make: (which often end up as Hate-Magnets).

1. I dislike all the excessive hype around hypercars.
(They are absolutely unusable in Indian daily operating conditions.)
2. I am not enamoured by new age Hypercar design.
I find them over-designed. (I prefer a classic 911 to the new GT3)
3. I dislike large-group off-road events and these expeditions to ecologically sensitive areas. (Since the 'democratization' of off-roading, there are far too many unsupervised, inexpert and frankly enviro-destructive mudroading events and these adventure-overland expeditions. Without supervision and regulation these destroy our eco sensitive areas.)
4. I don't like small size forced induction engines and auto trannies as much as I like the joy of thrashing a not-so-powerful car with a Manual Gearbox and a Naturally Aspirated engine along the B Roads.
5. I used to say EV's are the Work of the Devil. (But I've become more accepting and appreciative of them since yesterday and today after driving the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq5.)

I regularly refer to Plato's Saying - No Man is Hated more than He who tells the Truth.

Nuff said.

[IshWish]

1. Car is a depreciating asset. Always buy a humble car, use it for longer years and spend rest of the money on travel or other memorable experiences.
2. Pedestrians are the most uneducated people on the road. Government should bring in a law to teach us the road etiquettes before we can actually apply for a learner license.
3. OEMs should bury the 1.2 Lts Petrol Engine. The puny engine on 9-10 lakhs car is a joke.

[TheFonz]

VAG 2.0 cars have all the necessary features and equipment, not only to satisfy a driving enthusiast but also to cater to the regular Joe.
It's all the car a person needs.

[N4Nikunj]

There are Many But the list is as Follows.

1. I don't like how Tata engines especially Diesels behave in General. The torque delivery is too childish in my opinion.

2. I would rather buy a car of another brand than an Indian brand considering the time the new generation cars are spending in the service centers waiting for replacement parts. Simply Why launch a Car/Technology that your Sales Advisor/Service engineers fail to explain or solve?

3. Some or the other way I feel manufacturers who follow part sharing across products are less prone to failures. Never heard of Maruti's power window, Push button start, Or OEM Central lock system that failed or malfunctioned. Never heard of a Toyota Fortuner/Crysta or Creta/Seltos or any Hyundai product that had a Screen/Cluster that went blank. There must be some off-cases.

Let's have one more thread that will show how many times a year your car goes to workshops apart from general servicing. I think Tata and Mahindra owners will take the trophy.

The DPF regen is user doable process. But Tata Cars needs to go to the workshop for the same while in Hyundai/Kia cars it can be done with some simple steps.

Sorry For the Rant.

[youknowitbetter]

1. Prefer good and sturdy mechanical cars compared to over gizmo-ed cars! (case in point Korean Twins, even though I own one!).

2. Thanks to this forum (recently read 2 posts wherein members have bought good old Honda Accords) have started taking active interest in considering buying a good pre-owned powerful sedan before its too late and EVs take over!

[ike]

Originally Posted by arnav17

6. Honda WR-V was an underrated gem.

Wasn't the WRV a done up Jazz? Just my thought, not looking for a debate as pointed out in the opening post.

• BTW the statement I hear the most is how "European" cars are very different and why once you drive a VAG a non European car is a "downgrade". Now they say VAG 2.0 isn't good enough for people who are used to the earlier standards
  
• I still go back and read the Ford exit thread and laugh reading how some people were saying we don't deserve good cars and good OEMs. Ford was a one trick pony that had ONE successful car at any point in time. The fiesta initially, the figo and then the Ecosport. Endeavour never sold in massive numbers anyway to keep their India operations alive.
  
• I don't really care about the planet. I love diesel engines.
  
• Dual clutch gearboxes are overrated. A conventional TC shifts just fine.

[skarthiksr]

I have many such views not agreeable to many. Let me list the same.

1. I don't see a significant difference between a sub-4m SUV(Tax friendly) and a Creta Segment SUV to pay the significant premium. The rear leg room and bigger boot benefits are not significant in my opinion to pay such a high premium over sub-4m cars.
2. I hate bigger cars. In a traffic prone city like Bangalore where every junction and every road is choked on most of the days, I don't understand the craze for bigger cars. They are a pain to me in every single sense.
   • Difficult to park in tight spots
   • Difficult to put U-turn
   • Difficult to give pass in narrow lanes
   • Difficult for pickup/drop in railway and bus stations
   I don't understand the concept of road presence as well and why does it matter so much to tolerate all the above pain points.
3. Looks of the car do not matter much to me. It is only the safety and other features which are important to me. No wonder I liked Volkswagen Ameo a lot. All accessories pertaining to enhancing the looks of the car are not worth in my opinion.
4. I don't understand why people get so attached to their cars and become so enraged on a minor scratch/dent to their cars. Cars have a life and once they reach the threshold or start giving problems, you are not going to love it anymore and will sell it. It is as simple as that and it doesn't make sense to get too much attached to it.
5. Sunroof is not a gimmick. May be the smaller ones are pretty useless, but the panoramic sunroof is an absolutely "wow" feature. I traveled for a short stretch in Hyryder recently and the experience was amazing. Me and few of my family members are prone to motion sickness and the panoramic sunroof takes off the claustrophobic feeling completely. Don't hate sunroofs without experiencing it.
6. Inspite of the more and better recent crash test results from other manufacturers, I am still of the opinion that VW/Skoda group of cars are unmatchable in build quality and this group would not do any workaround to get away with a namesake better crash test result.

[anandhsub]

Barring a few exceptions ( like Fortuner) I find most cars are actually well priced for what they offer.

Mainly talking about the 10-30 Lakh range, starting with say the Nexon and all the way till the Safari/ XUV7OO.. I feel what they offer right now is much more value for money than what a segment lower or higher offered a decade or so back..

[Mystic]

I shared some of my controversial views sometime back :

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...n-machine.html (Philosophy of man and machine)


In addition to the above, I strongly feel that joy of driving automobiles on tarmac will be history in our life time. We have only a few years more to drive ICE engines, so enjoy now before they are all gone to a museum for posterity to see. Already we are testing the flying cars, driver less cars etc. There will be a revolution in the way we travel at the speed of sound on a personal level. Already we are seeing commercial bullet trains almost at the speed of sound. The impact of AI on automotive industry will be huge and unimaginable to the extent that there will be no accidents at all as AI will be in charge.

[SS-Traveller]

1. People who own the nicest cars in India are not necessarily the nicest people, and are more likely to be bad drivers. And most of them are neck-deep in loans they are struggling to pay, in order to buy those nice cars.

2. Most women are better (read: safer) drivers than men.

3. There are 3 types of car buyers: those that focus on economics, ergonomics and Ego-nomics.

4. The car ownership and driving experience in India is the poorest in the world, due to the weirdest regulations restricting enjoyment of ownership, and a complete lack of regulations for issuing driving licences.