We, as predominantly left-brained beings, like to quantify, calculate, compare and test stuff. We really genuinely love it, as it gives us a feeling of uniformity and control, and the false idea that we are in complete control of our lives. However, facts and figures are actually completely irrelevant, especially in the automotive industry, one of the few ‘special’ industries, where people should not use their left brain, logic and reason to choose a car, as it will most likely steer them towards a Golf. Who wants a Golf?
I sure don’t want a Golf, and neither should you. Buying a car because it does 0.05 mpg better than some other, or because it is 0.05 seconds quicker to 100 km/h, or because the electric windows go up 0.05 seconds faster is like buying a book you don’t want to read, yet you are forcing yourself to do so because of some positive and biased review of it you read somewhere. It is not your own opinion!
We, as a species, are all obsessed with numbers – it is our thing. If we didn’t have numbers to guide our lives, we would run rampant in the streets, throwing Molotov cocktails through shop windows, and run around waving our arms about aimlessly. This is actually a form of control, designed to keep everything in check, by limiting our horizons, but that is another topic altogether.
The idea is that if you choose your next car because of hard facts and figures, you will most likely be disappointed with it, as it will fail in the areas which really matter, and which make a car stand the test of time, and I`m not talking about durability or build quality, I`m talking about forming a special bond with your vehicle. This is something which naturally happens when you buy a car you actually want.
When you buy a car you actually want, you as a devoted petrolhead, become a bit happier, and your mood improves, you start making excuses just to take your new car for a spin, not because you have to, but because it brings you pleasure and you want to. When was the last time you heard an Opel/Vauxhall Astra owner say he’d fancy a drive in his 1.7 diesel slowcoach.
Buying a car needs to be an event. You need to feel that it is the right thing to do, and go with your instinct, and it will eventually lead you to the car you wanted. It truly does work, and the Universe will align itself so that you eventually get what you want. If, however, you only take into account facts, figures and other fixed and rigid ways of judging a car, you will end up overpaying for something you don’t want.
Most of us now live in cities, and about 90% of all cars on sale today are sold as city-friendly, but they are all overkill. I won’t even mention driving an SUV in town, because the matter has been discussed countless times, but aside from SUVs, other cars are just as bloated and pointless for city use. You don’t really need five seats in your car, or a big boot, or an extra row of seats.
What you need is something which is fun to drive, practical and safe. All other qualities, aside from those three are either irrelevant or bordering on. You want a supercar which you can afford and drive in town, buy a Twingo RS (or an Abarth 500, or a Suzuki Swift Sport) – you will find out that it is even faster than a supercar, in town. It may even be faster than one on a road which was made up only of hairpins.
You need to get your priorities straight, try to understand what your exact needs are and then, and only then, do you go out and buy a car. Another important aspect which is worth mentioning is that you should not, under any circumstance, buy a car based on some marketing campaign or TV ad you liked. Go and take as many test drives as you possibly can, to get your own ideas and own opinions.
The bottom line is that you are an individual, and the set of wheels you own and drive must show that. It detracts from your personality and character if you choose to blend in, just because everybody else is doing it. Do not follow the herd, think for yourself and try and apply this philosophy to not only your future car-buying experiences, but wherever you deem it necessary. It will make you happier and more at peace with yourself, as well as allowing you to see things in a new light. Also, avoid anything which is 'popular', which is just another way of saying lots of people copied each other's ideas and bought the same thing.
We, as a species, are all obsessed with numbers – it is our thing. If we didn’t have numbers to guide our lives, we would run rampant in the streets, throwing Molotov cocktails through shop windows, and run around waving our arms about aimlessly. This is actually a form of control, designed to keep everything in check, by limiting our horizons, but that is another topic altogether.
The idea is that if you choose your next car because of hard facts and figures, you will most likely be disappointed with it, as it will fail in the areas which really matter, and which make a car stand the test of time, and I`m not talking about durability or build quality, I`m talking about forming a special bond with your vehicle. This is something which naturally happens when you buy a car you actually want.
When you buy a car you actually want, you as a devoted petrolhead, become a bit happier, and your mood improves, you start making excuses just to take your new car for a spin, not because you have to, but because it brings you pleasure and you want to. When was the last time you heard an Opel/Vauxhall Astra owner say he’d fancy a drive in his 1.7 diesel slowcoach.
Buying a car needs to be an event. You need to feel that it is the right thing to do, and go with your instinct, and it will eventually lead you to the car you wanted. It truly does work, and the Universe will align itself so that you eventually get what you want. If, however, you only take into account facts, figures and other fixed and rigid ways of judging a car, you will end up overpaying for something you don’t want.
Most of us now live in cities, and about 90% of all cars on sale today are sold as city-friendly, but they are all overkill. I won’t even mention driving an SUV in town, because the matter has been discussed countless times, but aside from SUVs, other cars are just as bloated and pointless for city use. You don’t really need five seats in your car, or a big boot, or an extra row of seats.
What you need is something which is fun to drive, practical and safe. All other qualities, aside from those three are either irrelevant or bordering on. You want a supercar which you can afford and drive in town, buy a Twingo RS (or an Abarth 500, or a Suzuki Swift Sport) – you will find out that it is even faster than a supercar, in town. It may even be faster than one on a road which was made up only of hairpins.
You need to get your priorities straight, try to understand what your exact needs are and then, and only then, do you go out and buy a car. Another important aspect which is worth mentioning is that you should not, under any circumstance, buy a car based on some marketing campaign or TV ad you liked. Go and take as many test drives as you possibly can, to get your own ideas and own opinions.
The bottom line is that you are an individual, and the set of wheels you own and drive must show that. It detracts from your personality and character if you choose to blend in, just because everybody else is doing it. Do not follow the herd, think for yourself and try and apply this philosophy to not only your future car-buying experiences, but wherever you deem it necessary. It will make you happier and more at peace with yourself, as well as allowing you to see things in a new light. Also, avoid anything which is 'popular', which is just another way of saying lots of people copied each other's ideas and bought the same thing.
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