Envy from other drivers

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mbz 6

Active Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2003
Messages
186
Location
Huddersfield
Car
BRABUS 190E 3.6 24V and Skoda VRS
I have several cars and I get differn't reactions from dirvers I overtake.
Some people do not like to be overtaken by the Brabus they flash thier lights,speed up (I still manage to pass them) or do hand gestures.
The same happens sometimes with the Saab could be the private plate, but never when I drive the vauxhall corsa.
My Pinzgauer is to slow to overtake any thing apart from tractors
so no problem there then

Is it just me or do you find driver's react differntly depending on the car you are driving
 
I just think there are two types of people.

Those who are plodding along at x speed and don't care if you overtake and those that are doing x speed because that is the right thing to do and how dare you overtake.

Upset the latter one in a nice car, dare I say nicer than theirs and you will get them pretending they are having an MOT, testing their headlights and horn.
 
or the ones who are just arrogant and think they own the road and try to run you off it!
 
When I drive my 2.0 turbo diesel Fiat Scudo van people always try to overtake me particular on the motorway, why I dont know, the van is quick handles very well and I dont drive it like a vicars wife, I think maybe that it is because it is just a VAN, but when I am in the car people pull in and let me pass, the amount of people who stop and stare is remarkable especially when I am leaving car parks etc. All this in a car that cost me Ford Mondeo money. Personally I think that it is the colour that does it.
 
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My wife used to have an old Honda Accord. She works in Blackpool and the traffic there in summer is Horrendous as you can imagane. Pulling out in the honda was always a gamble as to who would give way first. In Her 190E people tend to hold back and let her out, seems if you drive a Merc people tend to be more aware of the repair costs if they hit you.
 
People tend to move out my way . I normally drive with my headlights on. Maybe its the Brabus :p
 
When I'm driving my S-Class, i get one of three reactions:

1) Indifference - just another car on the road

2) Envy/respect - people give me way, let me overtake etc.
perhaps its to do with the size of the car (LWB)

3) 'Hate', Jealousy - People will try to "challenge" me, overtaking
making a point of not giving way, or pushing in front of me.


Funnily enough, no.3 only happens from 'boy racer' type cars/drivers. eg. Golfs, GTI's, BMW coupes etc. Otherwise I'm fine. I think its because the S-Class is not a show offy car (others disagree, and call it pretentious, but i disagree), its impressive, but it doesn't project an arrogant in your face attiude, unlike some other luxury cars.

Maybe thats just me.

regards,
Bob.
 
Quote from Jezza Clarkeson years ago

" when FMC gave me the Escort Cossworth that I had been testing for a year NOBODY in London would give way, or let me out from a side road. Instead I got abuse and hand gestures.

However, Take a bog standard white Vauxhall Senator 3.0. 24v, put a orange stripe down the sides and blue lights on the top.

Then people cant do enough for you. They move over, let you pull out. In fact. Driving becomes very pleasurable !"
 
I think its because the S-Class is not a show offy car (others disagree, and call it pretentious, but i disagree), its impressive, but it doesn't project an arrogant in your face attiude, unlike some other luxury cars.

Maybe thats just me.

regards,
Bob.

This is interesting. I always thought the Audi A8 was the least "show off" luxury car. What car in the same price bracket of the S-Class is more "show offy" ?
 
I find this subject quite interesting, as I regularly drive a variety of different cars:

The late Mercedes SL: You definately are noticed, but often it is not a negative reaction. Often people are quite happy to let you in etc. just to get a look at the car, and there is an element of respect.

The '99 Ford Puma: for some reason people believe you are going to bahve like a B***** and then quite surprised when I don't! Also when overtaking, I often get raced. I had one person dawdling along a country road (national speed limit), at 35-40mph, so down into second gear. The Puma really flies in second, yes faster than the old SL, so whoosh straight past. But then I noticed after I had pulled back in that said car was doing about 50, so I continued to go up to 60 and slowly it disspeared. But I expect it reverted to its original behaviour as some time later the car behind me in the queue appeared behind me again!

The 93 Nissan Micra: People do seem to let you in, but in London one can be bullied by SUVs when it comes to changing lane and such the like. But otherwise fairly anonomous.

The '94 Rover Metro: Complete and utter annonymity: You may as well not be there. No one ever notices you!

So there we have it. Its too early to tell the reaction to the new Sports Coupe, and another thing is that it does vary region to region. In London, the SL feels perfectly in place, but in Liverpool, there is quite a different reaction!
 
Olikea
So there we have it. Its too early to tell the reaction to the new Sports Coupe, and another thing is that it does vary region to region. In London, the SL feels perfectly in place, but in Liverpool, there is quite a different reaction!

Why is there a different reaction in Liverpool?:confused:

Joe
 
I get cut up/tailgated all the time - it must be "Small Car Envy" :rolleyes:

Most other drivers think its an electric rollerskate thats limited to 70mph - its nice to prove them wrong occasionally, especially if they are driving a BMW ;)
 
Well, there is quite a different car culture in Liverpool than in London.

For one thing, the most common car in L'pool is the Ford Escort, and various versions of that, a "posh car" is an Escort Cabriolet and so on. This is in stark contrast to London where Escorts are very rare.

In London driving is more aggressive, each to his own. The idea of "give way" and lane changing is down to how assertive you are and how big your car is. But in liverpool people seem to be happy to give way.

The only thing is pull up in a Merc SL and people stare at you in case you are someone really important. It may be fun at first but one can tire of it :)
 
London is definately a contrast to anywhere outside of it. Driving the cabrio in london, no one cares, oftern people let you go, but its just another cabriolet..there are so many in london.

Drive with the top down in coventry, and a lot of people actually stop walking, eating, looking where theyre going, just to take a look...

Driving a big old yellow mercedes commands a look wherever you go!
 
Olikea,
I am slightly confused by your revelations that the most popular car in Liverpool is an Escort...
And that a Posh car would be an Escort cabriolet

where did you get this data? :confused:

Methinks you have a slight sterotyping problem. lmao

Where you live, would your car be considered "Posh":bannana:

Whilst I understand that the Capital has without a doubt an excellent selection of Cars, uncommon to anywhere else in the Country. I would never consider Liverpool to be anyone's poor Relation.

Joe
 
Where I live no one gives a t&*s about my cars past or present, let me give you an example why......

.....outside the post office was:

1 x AM Vanquish
2 x CL500
1 x S500
2 x 745
2 x ML
4 x X5

and you should've seen Waitrose(local supermarket) car park, need I go on;)

Kinky will back me up here on the motors locally - it's when we go somewhere else that attitude is noticable.

When I had the C220 people were fine, the ML people were quite obstructive and now I've got a BMW, well the brand has a stigma assigned by the few and suffered by the many:D

R
 
Why did you get rid of the ML Richard? You didn't have it for long.
 
I really wanted a diesel and thought if we could buy and sell a couple, trading up each time we could make the step.

Bought it very cheap, privately and took the chance to sell it on, which was harder than I expected. People with a £20k budget to spend on a car don't usually have the cash to go and bid on a private sale, they've got a p/ex or want some sort of finance deal.

So we changed tack and decided to go back to a 'normal' car, big dissapointment for my wife who loved the ML. So we went for a diesel again, putting the profit from the ML into the renovations on the house......

Couldn't find a W203 CDi:( at sensible money (under £15k) so the 320 it became, and found this one as an early lease disposal. It's the facelift model with the 150bhp engine and suspension mods. :D

But my whole BMW experience has been tarnished by the attitudes of other drivers, it's a bit chicken and egg - people expect you to be a w%^*er so treat you like one - so you have to react in some way because they cut you up, don't let you out etc etc so you end up behaving like one!:crazy:

The real good news is my chip will fit with very minor changes to the loom - 190bhp/400Nm......:devil:

R
 
Originally posted by joe
Olikea,
I am slightly confused by your revelations that the most popular car in Liverpool is an Escort...
And that a Posh car would be an Escort cabriolet

where did you get this data? :confused:

Methinks you have a slight sterotyping problem. lmao

Where you live, would your car be considered "Posh":bannana:

Whilst I understand that the Capital has without a doubt an excellent selection of Cars, uncommon to anywhere else in the Country. I would never consider Liverpool to be anyone's poor Relation.

Joe

Sorry to cause offense!

But seriously, a couple of years ago I was travelling almost weekly between London and Liverpool, and there were noticable differences. There seem to be almost no Mercs in L'pool, quite a few old BMWs though. In London, lost of new Mercs, few BMWs (new or old!). And on the motorway and so on LOTS AND LOTS of Vectras. And around the streets of L'pool LOTS AND LOTS of Escorts.

I only report what I see :)
 

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