I’ve been driving since 1984, I’ve had 12 cars, for the past 20-odd years, always estate cars.
The best was a BMW 525i, the least enjoyable a Mercedes A200 (horrible drive). The others were a Saab 9-5 Aero (excellent), VW Passat 2.0i (very good), Toyota Avensis (also top-notch) and currently a Mercedes 220d AMG - very economical - and fast - but actually a bit too small. I’ll probably change it soon for another BMW 5-Series wagon.
Can’t really go wrong with German cars in my experience. The Toyota and Saab were really good, but the Germans do do it better.
Naturally, I agree with you on German cars in general, but I'm not a huge BMW fan. I appreciate the engineering, but the design isn't for me. In an ideal world it would be Audi or Porsche for me. As it is, I'll happily stick with Volkswagen :)
Thanks for your kind words about the podcast. I enjoyed making it too. Will try to do more.
Good chat. I’ve never had a German car however my siblings and parents have had several BMWs, VWs, and Mercedes-Benz. My mother had a Polo about forty years ago, good car. I’ve had one, too expensive I’m afraid. As a child I recall being very impressed with the huge Mercedes Benz Großer.
German cars are unfeasibly expensive. As I said in the podcast, there were much more sensible options than the Polo for me too. I made an effort and test drove a few (Ford, Fiat, Skoda and Hyundai), but it just didn't feel right. I don't know if it's the aesthetics, the driving experience or a badly suppressed sense of automotive patriotism, but it had to be the Polo.
Nice one, James May always good to listen to, enjoyed that as it made sorting my letters much more bearable. I've had two German cars a Polo which was near the end of its life and a mark 2 Ford Granada. These days an Octavia which is based on a Golf. Katja how do find going from right hand drive to left I except you find quite easy.
I agree on James May's listenability. He knows a lot about a lot of things and also is a very nice man on top of that!
As far as driving on the wrong... err.. I mean, left side of the road goes, it took a while but now I have a switch in my head that just goes back and forth as I still drive a bit in Germany as well.
Mk2 Granada, big boxy one? If so my father had three of them. Magnificent! I got to drive the last one, biggest car I have ever driven. Cologne’s finest.
Granada Mark 2 + same era Cortina were early private cars in S. Korea when I 1st visited in summer 1987. 100% black paint jobs. Most all w. young chauffer in white cotton gloves. The Hyundai Pony was out too, 5-door + pickup models -- but the ROK Government brought in the Fords to boost private cars numbers
Otherwise, traffic was buses, "Bongo Vans", 125cc motorcycles, cargo bicycles, "1 Eyed Bufallo" tractors w. trailers... .
James May ? no relation to pop-novelist Karl May ?? ;-)
While I was a U.S. Army kid in West Germany, my parents got cool cars that had failed TüV !! M-B 180A + 280S + 280SEL 3.5 + 190SL + 300TD ... also Porsche 912 + 924
I’ve been driving since 1984, I’ve had 12 cars, for the past 20-odd years, always estate cars.
The best was a BMW 525i, the least enjoyable a Mercedes A200 (horrible drive). The others were a Saab 9-5 Aero (excellent), VW Passat 2.0i (very good), Toyota Avensis (also top-notch) and currently a Mercedes 220d AMG - very economical - and fast - but actually a bit too small. I’ll probably change it soon for another BMW 5-Series wagon.
Can’t really go wrong with German cars in my experience. The Toyota and Saab were really good, but the Germans do do it better.
p.s.
Forgot to add.......really enjoyed the podcast - an excellent departure.
Naturally, I agree with you on German cars in general, but I'm not a huge BMW fan. I appreciate the engineering, but the design isn't for me. In an ideal world it would be Audi or Porsche for me. As it is, I'll happily stick with Volkswagen :)
Thanks for your kind words about the podcast. I enjoyed making it too. Will try to do more.
Good chat. I’ve never had a German car however my siblings and parents have had several BMWs, VWs, and Mercedes-Benz. My mother had a Polo about forty years ago, good car. I’ve had one, too expensive I’m afraid. As a child I recall being very impressed with the huge Mercedes Benz Großer.
German cars are unfeasibly expensive. As I said in the podcast, there were much more sensible options than the Polo for me too. I made an effort and test drove a few (Ford, Fiat, Skoda and Hyundai), but it just didn't feel right. I don't know if it's the aesthetics, the driving experience or a badly suppressed sense of automotive patriotism, but it had to be the Polo.
Nothing wrong with automotive patriotism.
Nice one, James May always good to listen to, enjoyed that as it made sorting my letters much more bearable. I've had two German cars a Polo which was near the end of its life and a mark 2 Ford Granada. These days an Octavia which is based on a Golf. Katja how do find going from right hand drive to left I except you find quite easy.
I agree on James May's listenability. He knows a lot about a lot of things and also is a very nice man on top of that!
As far as driving on the wrong... err.. I mean, left side of the road goes, it took a while but now I have a switch in my head that just goes back and forth as I still drive a bit in Germany as well.
Mk2 Granada, big boxy one? If so my father had three of them. Magnificent! I got to drive the last one, biggest car I have ever driven. Cologne’s finest.
Granada Mark 2 + same era Cortina were early private cars in S. Korea when I 1st visited in summer 1987. 100% black paint jobs. Most all w. young chauffer in white cotton gloves. The Hyundai Pony was out too, 5-door + pickup models -- but the ROK Government brought in the Fords to boost private cars numbers
Otherwise, traffic was buses, "Bongo Vans", 125cc motorcycles, cargo bicycles, "1 Eyed Bufallo" tractors w. trailers... .
as to synthetic fuels in 1930s + 1940s Germany, see "Oil and War" by Goralski + Freeburg -- PDF download from Marine Corps University Press
James May ? no relation to pop-novelist Karl May ?? ;-)
While I was a U.S. Army kid in West Germany, my parents got cool cars that had failed TüV !! M-B 180A + 280S + 280SEL 3.5 + 190SL + 300TD ... also Porsche 912 + 924