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Never saw why some people consider German cars as the "end all". Sure, they make some nice cars. But plenty of cars that are just as nice, if not nicer, come from other countries as well. Particular Italy and the UK.
Well here in the U.S. there is a wide variety of German cars available at a wide variety of price points, whereas the cheapest Italian model costs six figures and the cheapest British model (excepting the Mini) runs close to it. So yeah, at those price points they'd better be nice drivers. Even the lone exception, the Mini, is really only British on the surface but is a thoroughly German-engineered car underneath and it drives like one.
Point is, while some countries have some cars with balanced, solid-to-excellent driving dynamics, German cars almost invariably possess these characteristics right down to the lowly base-model Golf. And that's their best selling point; otherwise there's no compelling reason to put up with their quirks. Those times I said earlier I wish I had a Honda instead of a Jetta? Those moments disappear with every on-ramp and on every winding road.
Have driven new Mercedes AMG CLs (55/63 in past, 65 now) for past ~10yrs as daily urban commuter cars (and as wkend pleasure cars for mtn twisties); incredibly reliable cars despite cutting-edge tech, safety/perf/comfort
More importantly, though never been in a collision and have no scientific comparable data, suspect safest car on planet, from both an active and passive standpoint, is latest-tech, new AMG CL65 (or SLS)
Money "saved" on any "cheap" US or Asian or old-tech German commuter car is never retrieved when one faces irreversible risks of injury/disability/lost income in a collision (instant death is often more efficient exit, but one rarely can choose)
Driving is one's riskiest daily activity, and physical risks dwarf any mere financial risks in a collision or near-collision
Just curious, if you ever went german, could you go back?
the "stick to the road" and the handling, and the no BS design. i got a camry for a loaner and i just couldn't see myself driving that every day.
any time i'm away from my car, i can't help but say i missed her.
Imo German cars have become very fussy - not the pure cars they used to be. I'd go so far to say that certain Japanese and even American and Korean makers now have German-parity cars. A Camry however... I feel for you.
Well here in the U.S. there is a wide variety of German cars available at a wide variety of price points, whereas the cheapest Italian model costs six figures and the cheapest British model (excepting the Mini) runs close to it. So yeah, at those price points they'd better be nice drivers. Even the lone exception, the Mini, is really only British on the surface but is a thoroughly German-engineered car underneath and it drives like one.
Point is, while some countries have some cars with balanced, solid-to-excellent driving dynamics, German cars almost invariably possess these characteristics right down to the lowly base-model Golf. And that's their best selling point; otherwise there's no compelling reason to put up with their quirks. Those times I said earlier I wish I had a Honda instead of a Jetta? Those moments disappear with every on-ramp and on every winding road.
Good post - German cars have always had competency on the road, and now makers from other countries are finally doing a decent job as well. Even a jetta feels solid though - you don't get that feeling in a Civic, or even an Accord for that matter. Oddly enough, the new Sonata has that feeling - I think because Hyundai is paying attention to what makes a car feel good all around.
I've had three German cars including my current Jetta, and owning them is a mixed bag They are fun to drive but they can be temperamental. Basic maintenance can be head-scratchingly expensive, even for bread-and-butter Volkswagens. I'm willing to tolerate slightly higher operating costs to drive such capable cars, but there are moments when I wish I just had a Honda instead -- usually right after I get a repair estimate, or when the cruise control doesn't feel like working at any given moment, or when I could really use a functional cup holder, et cetera. If I ever reach a point where the higher maintenance costs don't sting much, then I'll probably have a garage full of German cars.
I love this post because it has so much truth to it! I've owned at least one car from every German marque save VW, and loved every one. The cupholders (if they even had one) were fussy, overcomplicated, and delicate, but the car was a joy to drive. Repairs were borderline ridiculous on cost, and with all the little gizmos came little gizmo problems. Fortunately the Japanese and Koreans seem to be able to build a 99% German-feeling car with Asian reliability.
Very good point that it is all very subjective to the individual owner.
However, on the last comment, I would say that yes, there are plenty of other cars that can equal the handling abilities of a German car. However, I have driven very few that can strike the balance that German cars do. BMW for isntance has an almost uncanny way of making a suspension compliant and comfortable while still being able to handle very well. Several cars come close, but there is a "dynamic" that the Germans seemed to have achieved that a lot of people try to emulate, but always fall a little short in one area or the other.
Something else to consider. Some people equate "handling" with "grip." It's pretty easy to achieve high skidpad and slalom speed numbers with just copious amounts of grip on an otherwise unremarkable feeling car. And even if you add horsepower so that that grip is matched with speed, there IS a difference. it's kind of like comparing, say, a ballroom dancer that knows and executes teh steps, and one that flows though the dance so you don't even notice the individual steps.
I've had the pleasure of driving a lot of high grip cars on autocross and road race tracks. Some have handled good, some have really only cornered at high speed. Some have required manhandling to get around the track fast, while others just seem to flow. After a few decades of that, I've come to realize that comapnies like BMW have known and practiced the steps so well that they can make a car flow. My own E38 7 series should NOT, by ll rights, be able to flow as well in a series of twisty corners, due to it's size. But unlike other large sedans, as you get going a bit faster, it starts to "shrink" around you and fell smaller and more agile. it's not simply about being "precise" but an overall competence in how the controls inform you as though they were an extension of you, rather than external things you made do what you want. That and a solidity of chassis that is hard to find elswhere, from the feel of the latches, to the lack of chassis flex intrusion into the communication from the road.
OTOH, while thy can and do make powerful engines, they do tend to have a rather clinical tone and feel to them. Compared to italian cars, German engines are merely competent. Italian engines tend, even in basic cars, to have a sense of fun and excitement that just make you want to listen to them. In a way, it's a parallel for Germanic languages and the Italian language.
Something else to consider. Some people equate "handling" with "grip." It's pretty easy to achieve high skidpad and slalom speed numbers with just copious amounts of grip on an otherwise unremarkable feeling car. And even if you add horsepower so that that grip is matched with speed, there IS a difference. it's kind of like comparing, say, a ballroom dancer that knows and executes teh steps, and one that flows though the dance so you don't even notice the individual steps.
I've had the pleasure of driving a lot of high grip cars on autocross and road race tracks. Some have handled good, some have really only cornered at high speed. Some have required manhandling to get around the track fast, while others just seem to flow. After a few decades of that, I've come to realize that comapnies like BMW have known and practiced the steps so well that they can make a car flow. My own E38 7 series should NOT, by ll rights, be able to flow as well in a series of twisty corners, due to it's size. But unlike other large sedans, as you get going a bit faster, it starts to "shrink" around you and fell smaller and more agile. it's not simply about being "precise" but an overall competence in how the controls inform you as though they were an extension of you, rather than external things you made do what you want. That and a solidity of chassis that is hard to find elswhere, from the feel of the latches, to the lack of chassis flex intrusion into the communication from the road.
OTOH, while thy can and do make powerful engines, they do tend to have a rather clinical tone and feel to them. Compared to italian cars, German engines are merely competent. Italian engines tend, even in basic cars, to have a sense of fun and excitement that just make you want to listen to them. In a way, it's a parallel for Germanic languages and the Italian language.
Well here in the U.S. there is a wide variety of German cars available at a wide variety of price points, whereas the cheapest Italian model costs six figures and the cheapest British model (excepting the Mini) runs close to it. So yeah, at those price points they'd better be nice drivers. Even the lone exception, the Mini, is really only British on the surface but is a thoroughly German-engineered car underneath and it drives like one.
Point is, while some countries have some cars with balanced, solid-to-excellent driving dynamics, German cars almost invariably possess these characteristics right down to the lowly base-model Golf. And that's their best selling point; otherwise there's no compelling reason to put up with their quirks. Those times I said earlier I wish I had a Honda instead of a Jetta? Those moments disappear with every on-ramp and on every winding road.
This is where I disagree. It is one thing to have a GTI or GLI. But the base Golfs and Jettas are exceptionally unexceptional cars. I say this having driven MK4 and MK5 Golfs, Rabbits and Jettas. The new (MK6) Jetta even looks like a boring Asian econo sedan.
GLI and TDI excepted, the Jetta's best selling point is (to paraphrase a journalist) to be the most affordable German sedan in a country which equates German cars to status symbols.
One unique fact about German cars is the extensive high speed testing they undergo. German engineering focuses on handling because of 100mph+ driving on the autobahn - the cars need to be competent at 130 mph for example, and this makes them competent at lower speeds typical to America. German engineers have also long tested cars on complicated road courses. You see more of this now with other carmakers that test their cars in Germany, with GM, that recreated part of a German race track at its test grounds, and with Hyundai, which has a huge test grounds and track in the USA now. Other carmakers are finally getting serious about adept handling vehicles.
The biggest problem with German cars is that while they excel at driving, they've been muddled with electronics and luxury to boost the price and profit margins. If the exchange rate were better, you'd see less luxurious versions of German cars, but VW has a very difficult time selling less expensive cars in the States.
This is where I disagree. It is one thing to have a GTI or GLI. But the base Golfs and Jettas are exceptionally unexceptional cars. I say this having driven MK4 and MK5 Golfs, Rabbits and Jettas. The new (MK6) Jetta even looks like a boring Asian econo sedan.
GLI and TDI excepted, the Jetta's best selling point is (to paraphrase a journalist) to be the most affordable German sedan in a country which equates German cars to status symbols.
I you drive any of those cars in comparison with a Corolla or Civic, you will always prefer the German car's driving dynamics.
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