Car design peaked around 1997 (Nissan Puke FTL)

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Visiting Norway for a job interview, I decided to eschew Rent-a-Wreck and stick with Sixt (mostly because of this cult video with the German cousin of Richard Branson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KXdajSrNZk ). Instead of a Polo/Corsa/whatever, I got upGRATED to a Nissan Puke. I thought 'alright, I may hate the way it looks but maybe, just maybe, it's not such a bad car after all'. Well, gentlemen, 'a bad car' would be a fucking euphemism for that steaming pile of excrement. To be fair, it's remarkably smooth for an oil-burner (hello DMF) and the turbo hasn't blown the engine up in the first 5,000km of its life, but that's where the good points end. I could overlook some negatives that could have been brought about as unintended consequences when sorting something else (e.g. the steering is far too light), but the design issues really take the piss.

 

You already know about the annoyingly fat pillars and how they are GR3 4 visibility, but you should try putting a suitcase in the boot...First of all, it helps if you are a weightlifter as the thing is impossibly high. I have put stuff in the back of bona fide 4x4s which have much easier access to the load area. Then, after you managed to lift the suitcase up, you realise that the boot is too small. Too fucking small for ONE SUITCASE. Alright, it's not a small suitcase but it's not a massive or custom job either- just a usual hardside Delsey. Therefore the back seats had to be folded but, before doing that, I went and sat in the back. The Puke is hardly roomier than my mum's Sirion, which is half a metre shorter (and IIRC can accommodate that particular suitcase if the parcel shelf is taken out).

 

Again, what really disturbs me here is the fact that it looks like they've done it all on purpose...After the N14 Sunny having space for 4 people and probably a couple of suitcases, they tried the bigger Almera and have now managed to design something that's 4.14m long and fails to deliver as well as their penultimate model. I'll try the Wrecks next time.

[retrogeezer]

I was thinking about this the other day, I think it's even earlier than 97!

 

My Bluebird for instance does everything you need a car to do, plenty of cabin space, great visibilty, huge boot. The plusher ones are even better comfort wise.

 

I guess maybe cars needed front airbags and side impact beams but thats it really. Most stuff that is supposed to be an improvement from the early 90's onwards is pretty much a waste of time.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Ah, speaking of airbags, I forgot to mention that the glovebox is too small to fit a bloody Tomtom (this is not a figure of speech- I am being literal here)! FFS, my own car manages to have both a passenger airbag and a glovebox inside which you could lose a small child.

[catsinthewelder]

The most modern vehicle that I've owned was a 2001 Megane and the only improvement over my current BX was fingertip stereo controls.

 

I had to move the bosses 09 plate Passat the other day, took me 10 mins to get the bloody thing started. I was assuming the electronic handbrake was the cause and doing a right fucking jig on the pedals following the instructions on the dash. When I put the seatbelt on it started straight away of course (so I could move it 10 yards accross the carpark).

[eddyramrod]

1997? Nah mate, 1972! Seriously: look at the feckers, then show me anything designed later that's more pleasing than the model it replaces. You'll struggle to fill a transporter. Doesn't stop us buying them of course, because 10-20 years old is when cars tend to fall into our price brackets; before and after that, most people here probably can't afford them.

[Negative Creep]

My Bluebird for instance does everything you need a car to do, plenty of cabin space, great visibilty, huge boot. The plusher ones are even better comfort wise

 

 

I can vouch for this - the visibility is utterly fantastic. Add in the fact you can see where the boot and bonnet end and you get one of the easiest to park cars I've ever driven

[retrogeezer]

haha, yeh - and what a bonnet eh!