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Unless you have a Rolls Royce ( a barge,but I would love one) it seems we have reached a point in time where it means nothing car wise nowadays.
Anyone can have a mercedes for £199 a month. Maybe some Audi owners think their car is different from a seat or skoda.It's not,its the same car.And people are buying Hyundais and the like in droves.
Used to be special when someone in your street actually had a BMW.lol
Do you think anything can be classed as prestige,really,anymore? Very liitle IMHO
To me it seems as more and more people have cars, now it's the norm, even for students, people become ambivalent. There is a definite shif in thinking "it's just a tool"
cars getting much better in every respect and cheaper (relative to earnings)
the EU ruling that forced manufacturers to honour warranties without having main dealers stamps - thus making 2nd hand ownership potentially more cost effective and helping specialist garages prosper as well
the ease of credit and payment plans on the "never never"
people releasing capital from increased house prices to buy cars they can't really afford - helped by point 2 above
Maybe some Audi owners think their car is different from a seat or skoda.It's not,its the same car.And people are buying Hyundais and the like in droves.
Actually there is a difference between Audis and Skodas (and VW/Seat)
Quite a big one as a matter of fact: NVH (noise, vibration and harshness).
A lot of sound proofing materials that exist on VW and Audi are not present in the same platform Seat and Skoda.
So yeah, the drivetrain and suspension are more or less the same. But a Seat Leon on the motorway is a much noisier affair when compared VW golf. My golf has 2inches of foam under the seats, sound deadening in the boot and under the dash and polystyrene in almost every void...The seat has none.
But yeah the average numpty would probably not notice, much like the people who don't notice the audio compression on a commercial radio station or Oasis CD
Well there is one Seat that does have sound proofing...ours....as someone went and fitted it all. It also wears a Audi engine cover and VW footwell covers as it never came with them which has also reduced the turbo/diesel noise in the cabin as well as making the heater blower quieter...
Last edited by ALi-B; 15 January 2017 at 09:22 AM.
I think it's only Mercedes that has the prestige out of the 'Normal' manufactures, BMW is just behind but more sports prestige orientated, that said you have to go to the top end of their ranges to find it, ie the 'Luxo barges'
Beyond that it's as you say Rolls, Bentley, Bugatti, same as it's always been really, just now BMW and Merc are making cars for the masses along with VW Audi, suppose you got to pay the bills somehow and not so many people can afford to run a Rolls or Bentley, the real money is in volume not the extravagance of hand built taylor made luxury, hence most of the luxury manufactures being taken over by the likes of VW, Ford, Toyota, although it does have it's place it needs the backing of a large corporation to succeed.
cars getting much better in every respect and cheaper (relative to earnings)
the EU ruling that forced manufacturers to honour warranties without having main dealers stamps - thus making 2nd hand ownership potentially more cost effective and helping specialist garages prosper as well
the ease of credit and payment plans on the "never never"
people releasing capital from increased house prices to buy cars they can't really afford - helped by point 2 above
Agree.
F.A.O. O.P.: Yes, no car seems to to make anyone look like some lord any more. As we are talking on a Subaru site, look at the Subaru alone. It's no more a novelty nor a status symbol. It used to be; at one point. Almost everyone (I confess, including me) thought they drove something special when they drove a scooby. People, who didn't have it, used to drool all over it, and burn with envy! Some would drive the blue one with gold wheels to stick out like some alien from another planet! Now look at it. It's nothing special, and bears the 'Fast and Furious' tacky image; due to its affordability.
I must say some cars 'look' more worthy of attention than others. We saw a twin turbo sports Jag yesterday in Chester roads. It wasn't even tarted up or anything, quite a humble one instead; being driven without any arrogance, but it still looked a part.
To be honest, I don't think I'm so accurate when I say that scooby was a prestige car and a status symbol. I don't think it ever was. It was just an expensive sports car, which people envied; due to its superb performance. I believe no one envies anyone for having a scooby anymore. I may be wrong, as some may.
I think it rather depends on how you define "Prestige". If I had the money - ha-ha - I would never get the ultimate prestige vehicle being one of the new style Rollers as I would find it totally embarrassing to park outside my gaffe and I happen to think they are ugly boats. My garage pal had an old Shadow but sitting in it was comfortable but a lot of things were cheap and ordinary, like a steering wheel that could have come out of an Allegro and not even a heated rear screen. But I might choose a Bentley Turbo for better looks and outstanding engineering.
And I'd find it hard to resist a Ferrari purely for the engine quality and looks.
And I've always had a soft spot for the big 70s yanks. A T-Bird, yes please.
I would never just get a boring brand new cars just to make a "statement" to my neighbours.
My favourite car ever by a country mile was a Jaguar SS100 just because it looked so fantastic when scrubbed up and sounded wonderful David
Last edited by David Lock; 15 January 2017 at 02:13 PM.
This thread is interesting and it shows "prestige" as completely subjective. To most people a Khan Range Rover is the epitome of money + no taste, which isn't prestige in their eyes. To me, a classic Subaru in original form, with gold wheels, is much more interesting and attractive than a brand new Audi/BMW/Merc RS/M/AMG which I wouldn't look twice at.
Supercar stuff is a bit different but as mentioned is no indicator of status as a lot of people could afford one in some form on finance.
Prestige for me would be plenty of space and gadgets not necessarily being a Range Rover but a big comfy car with plenty of gadgets is what I meant I guess a brand new Touareg would do me fine aswell
I think it rather depends on how you define "Prestige".
Originally Posted by mikejenkins
This thread is interesting and it shows "prestige" as completely subjective.
Yes. I typed a moral lecture ( ) on 'prestige' to post here....:
"On the thread title 'Prestige.....do you think it has gone?', no, it hasn't gone. All it is that feeling prestigious with the car one possesses and drives has thinned massively.
Realistically, prestige is in how someone behaves. If that's there, then prestige exists.
Imagine a person with a top of the range BMW behaving like a ***, and driving like an idiot on the road. No one would give a damn about his/her car-aided prestige, he/she would still be taken as a ***.
Prestige is in one's own behaviour, a car or any material could never stamp that on anyone. Illegitimate drug dealers and money launderers have so-called 'prestige' cars. It doesn't mean they have the prestige itself, well, unless they're bullsh7tting about their profession and, telling people that they're legit professionals."
.......then I didn't post it because that would have meant misunderstanding the O.P.'s point, which quite realistically directs to considering one's high-headed exclusiveness, as per one's car, which could be neighbour's envy and owner's pride. He's right, and quite rightly, as we see, most are agreeing with him that anyone can afford almost any car these days- no big deal.
Oh Dear, A Kahn Range Rover is Prestige???? Really??
Most would consider a Kahn RR as a Footballer's car or a Chavs car. To be fair, Kahn aren't quite as Sh!te as Gamballa Porsches.
F.A.O. Zany bro:
I agree with what stilover is saying, bro. there are plenty of chavs that are buying second-hand Range Rovers; just to look plush.
As soon I see a Range Rover esp. a white one, it makes me think of Katie Price the chav or some other deranged upgraded chav from Made in Essex. :brick wall They've given the Range Rover a very bad range to be considered in.
Last edited by Turbohot; 15 January 2017 at 04:04 PM.
I still think the top range of cars like bmw merc and jaguar have at least an element of prestige . And not everybody can afford a new one of those on finance
The merc looks the most prestiges out of those 3 . But they do all say .i am succesful and have loads of money . In my opinion anyway
Isnt prestige just about having a car only a small percent of people can afford?
Last edited by gary77; 15 January 2017 at 03:58 PM.
On a different perspective on this car ownership, it will feel great to say that no one cares what anyone drives, because it's the driver being a good person that matters. But the thing is, I'm sure many would agree that a boring car denotes a boring owner. Non-boring owner of a non-boring car doesn't mean being essentially bad by nature or character.
Back on the subject, I understand that it's no more a novelty when owning a so-called prestige car. But I really don't understand the people that buy 1.1 engine cars and some silly little bangers to knock about. Some even but brand new, tiny engine cars, and think it's great! I mean, it looks as if they're driving in some mass-produced, cheap, kid's toy for the sake of it. A car has to have something about it, if not prestige, come on.
I still think the top range of cars like bmw merc and jaguar have at least an element of prestige . And not everybody can afford a new one of those on finance
These cars do look good.
Isnt prestige just about having a car only a small percent of people can afford?
Yes.
Thing is, that small percentage has grown due to the dramatic devaluation of the car price with its age. That's why, most of the expensive cars are affordable as second hand to the most people; in comparison to the older days.
I agree with what stilover is saying, bro. there are plenty of chavs that are buying second-hand Range Rovers; just to look plush.
As soon I see a Range Rover esp. a white one, it makes me think of Katie Price the chav or some other deranged upgraded chav from Made in Essex. :brick wall They've given the Range Rover a very bad range to be considered in.
Never looked at them in that light to be honest sis I'm not right clued up on the big £50k+ motors but sitting in the mates range felt massive and comfy, something I'd get if I had a bad back and knobbly knees when I'm old too deaf and dumb to care about chaviness but till then I'm keeping to my scoobs all the way
I must admit, I hate the old shape Range Rover with a passion. looks ugly, Volvo engine in them aswell and to me it's most definitely a chav's car in my eyes. The new ones are much better but even they are becoming very common now.
This in spades in fact, the Kahn branding is a pretty effective way to strip any sense of prestige from a vehicle imo.
Strange how the perceptions differ.
I don't essentially associate 'KAHN' branding to the chavness or deterioration in the prestige of the Range Rover vehicle.
Kahn Design is quite prestigious in itself. I think the currently perceived (by many as) a chav mobeel attempts to retain its classyness with the KAHN brand.
Regarding the weirdity of the names, a Renault being a 'Kangoo' does deteriorate Renault's image even further in my eyes. VW 'Touran' and 'Tourag' are also quite weird. VW 'UP!' is even worse! 'PASSAT' was weird enough, can't the Germans think of any better names for their car models?? Where's their imagination??
Who made that Picasso model? Whoever did, it was an insult to Picasso! Ok, he intentionally made some famous art which was like 'looking London, talking Tokyo', but calling a fugly car Picasso is not very nice.
14 January 2017, 10:39 PM
Prestige..do you think it has gone?
it seems we have reached a point in time where it means nothing car wise nowadays.
) on 'prestige' to post here....: 
in fact, the Kahn branding is a pretty effective way to strip any sense of prestige from a vehicle imo.
Ok, he intentionally made some famous art which was like 'looking London, talking Tokyo', but calling a fugly car Picasso is not very nice.
