When having a Z is nice, and when its not

[shabba]

Had both sides of the coin in terms of image/what others think (not that its important) within 48 hours.

Sat I was filling up at a local petrol station, car pretty clean and was nice evenough that I had the top down, a guy I hadn't seen since school comes over, exchange some small talk and he comments that its a nice car. I guess always nice to be seen as to have done ok, the car probably looks more expensive that it actually is - I mean if I'd have been driving say a new Fiesta (same value) I doubt he or others would comment.

Monday I had to drive to our Birmingham office, park up in one of the spaces, but the one furthest away from the door, but within 10mins of being in there 'is that your car - I must be in the wrong career'. I don't like my colleages thinking I'm earning tons and they aren't, so just say 'no its 7 years old, not expensive as you'd think etc'.

Not sure why I'm writing this, guess to highlight both sides of the image thing with a car like the Z. Even though they are cheap now people always seem to say 'flash car' or other things about it being expensive and such. Maybe its a well kept secret to the general public, a 'flash' car for cheap money.

Then again alot of people commented on my Fiat Coupe and that was worth next to nothing.

 

[koolchris99]

people just dont think that you can get that kind of car for the money, a sub 10k 3 litre sports car...

I spent sunday washing and polishing it on the street in london and had alot of good comments, my friend who just got a new mini thinks im flash even though his car is much more expensive than mine.

 

[Dreamer]

I dont think people give it a lot of thought, its just more a reaction/converstion thing than anything. Only to you does it seem such an issue to think over. To them they just made a casual comment about your car.

The Z isnt that common though so its understandable people wont know its value.

 

[exmazdamx5]

Funny how our friends and work mates view these things I have had for the past 8 years run two cars one a summer car and one a winter car. My current car are 52 plate 1.6 Zetec Focus and upto a few weeks ago a 1998 Mazda Mx5 import (only had 52k on it when I sold but immaculate) The comments I have had "paying you too much to run two cars" Your a bit flash etc etc

What makes me smile is that my two cars were only worth 6k Mazda sold for 3k yet the the ones that make the comments are driving 10k plus cars.

Its their problem let them deal with it :evil:

 

[Mik]

Sometimes , with a 2 seatear sports car (whatever it might be ) its not the intrinsic value as such , more the fact maybe that its an indulgence that perhaps we are fortunate enough to own because we have understanding partners ? don t need a family 4 door 4 seater ? perhaps the other half has that ?
I've got a mate who's 37 , he;s a money broker in the city, he's paid his mortgage off and got both his kids in private school and has a house worth in excess of £ 350,000 , but his miserable wife won t let him have a sports car and he just does the station commute in an old renault megane whilst he's furnished her with some massive 4x4 merc for the school run

 

[easty027]

i get exactly the same, (all from colleagues)they like it and it does get comments, but i get a lot of bitchy comments about, "they pay you too much"..... its all a bit pathetic and i agree if i had spent the money on a newer car say a golf, focus etc they wouldn't have said a word.

 

[fitnessfanatic]

I parked up outside a barbers and a guy came up and asked about the car and wanted to look under the hood and then on the way home, past the pub a few lads shouted "i hope it pisses it down" because i had the hood down.

 

[Ewazix]

Nobody comments on my newish family motor, presumably because they feel sorry for a down-trodden sap reduced to having his mid-life crisis in a Ford people carrier, but the Z gets a lot admiring comments and I love it 8)

Funnily enough my Cooper convertible elicited a lot of hostility (what’s the difference between the Mini and the Mini convertible - you can hear people calling you a *rick in the convertible etc) shame because it's a great little drive too.

 

[Pauly]

Got to agree bought my Zed in May after owning a standard 1.8 Focus and people in work made comment about being paid to much, even tho they know how much I earn (the same as them) The funny thing is the works car park is full of cars at least twice the value of my 10 grand Zed! Some people just dont have the fore-sight to research cars and really look into want they desire instead choosing to walk into a euro box dealership and have the sales guy pick something for them! At the end of a days work I love getting into my Zed and driving home happy and that is what it is all about

 

[Whitehouse]

I get this all the time too, like youve all said though there are people at work with cars worth double but i always get the usual flash/expensive car comments. I could of quite easily bought an astra diesel for the same money but decided to get something which most people havent got the balls to buy, best thing i ever did!!! i have to say i do like it when i get "nice car" comments 8)

 

[Taz]

i have 2 cars both 20k ish, but i live in a shed hehe - er got my priorities wrong

 

[tomTVR]

I had the old "did mummy and daddy buy you it?" at work recently. Its worth about £7,000 ffs! Knowhere near the most expensive car in the car park. Easily the 'flashiest' though and thats what seems to be the problem. Jealously is a terrible thing (i found this out for myself when i had a ride in a mates V8 Vantage!)

FAR, far more nice comments though - from all walks of life.

 

[Anonymous]

:lol: that is the exact reason I started looking at Z4s

I had my heart set on a MK5 golf GTI but they are all £10-£12k for a decent example, I almost got giddy when I realised you could pick up a really nice zed for less than that :lol:

Some people have strange prioties when it comes to cars, a good friend of mine has just bought a £13k KIA because he thinks it will save him money :| No MOT for 3 years, warrenty and its brand new... no thought to what it will be worth in 3 years though (or the fact you are driving a KIA cee'd )

 

[Z4Nick]

Same the world over... In the US, the first day I arrived at work with the Zed I got all sorts of comments. I tried to hide it round the back when i parked but got spotted by one particularly nosey bloke (who's basically the town crier of the office). That was the worst possible senario. Had fun listening to the rumours going round the block before i confessed to owning it. Then the comments...

 

[Blue]

The good thing about the British public is that they don't know the first thing about cars, if they did then they'd all want a second hand one and prices would go through the roof.

One of my colleagues who's a position higher than me commented on mine being really nice the other night, he drives a Saab 93 bought nearly new and I bet it cost a little more than my Zed

 

[ksher]

I started my current job in 2003 when I had the 523i SE (E39). Since then, I had Lotus Elise, 323Ci, 523i Sport (E60), Z4 2.5i Sport, and now sDrive23i. All my close colleagues/bosses know I love cars, so I didn't get any comments directly to me when I bought my current car brand new In May this year.

 

[encee]

I think that certainly the "soft-top" thing seems to annoy lots of people in this country, and for no apparent reason ?

ie, when I`m in my coupe, I get nothing but admiring glances (especially from the ladies :wink: ), thumbs up from school kids, and lads of about 18yrs old walking past telling me that it`s "sick" when I`m washing it on the drive............all positive comments, but a couple of weeks ago, I was out in a mate`s convertible, and he had the top down, as (unbelievably) the sun was out, and some idiot shouted " I hope it p*sses down" as we drove past him (he was on foot, of course)............so what`s that about ?

Nothing but jealousy, really....... :thumbsdown:

 

[kipperonabike]

Only had my Z a couple of months and so far its just been great. The only downside so far is that my Mum lives up in Cheshire - my 3 siblings (all hard-up, apparently!!) get petrol money if they go visit . Not me. And I'm the baby too. 8)

 

[a11y]

Nothing but jealousy, really

Exactly. It's almost at the stage where it's not "right" to be seen to be doing well in the UK. Soooo many people have such a large chip on their shoulder (probably worse in Scotland too).

 

[Trut01]

Can't say I've ever encountered any negativity. Some "you must be paid to much comments" but generally very good humoured. If anything, I find I have to reign it in a bit so I don't gush to people enquiring about how great the car is - cos I expect that would be quite irritating.

What's quite amusing is that I work with lots of folk from the Nordic region where car taxes are very high, so occassionally I tell them some ballpark prices for second-hand sports cars in the UK just to watch their chins hit the floor...