[dgupta]

Fog Lamps: UK weather - Fog lamps. Absolute must. I don't like cars which have one fog lamp at the back and one reverse light, I prefer to have 2 reverse lamps and 2 fog lamps at the back. Not that I can see the back of my car when I am driving, but its a bit confusing till your mind is trained to recognise a single fog lamp and judge if the rest of the car is on the right or left of the lamp when you are driving behind such a car!!

Heated Windscreen: Again UK weather specific, I hate scratching that thin layer of ice on a frosty morning from the windscreen. One of those things that makes you go aaaarggh the moment you get out of bed and look at the car from your bedroom window.

These are the features that come to mind I would rate highly in my next car purchase, but I would like to point out a list of unnecessary features which I don't prefer and I think are given unnecessary due by naive car buyers

Auto - anything (wipers, headlamps et all): Let's face it, these features don't add any convenience in day to driving. To switch on the wipers, you need to operate only one switch. Your brain is developed enough to decide what speed you want the wipers to sweep at. Same for the headlamps, if it's dark, switch it on. I have seen these features create a safety hazard in real life situations. A slight drizzle combined with residual dust on the windscreen, combine that with the intelligent wiper making a single sweep and you have a smeared windscreen in front of you.
In UK, it's a unsaid convention that you flash your headlights to let the driver in front know that you are allowing them to pass. I have seen the auto headlights flash when you go under a rail bridge, the sensor detects its dark, switches the headlight on, in a second you are back in light and it switches the lights off. A driver at a junction ahead waiting to turn in front of you thinks you flashed him to go. What will happen next, is anybody's guess.

I don't like this auto business with any safety related equipment in the car.

[sukhoi30]

I have a very very "unconventional" preference ...

I don't like the present day design of all cars having two separate seats in the front. I would rather prefer a sofa like seat in the front like an ambassador or fiat (premier padmini) of the past. For this the gear needs to be shifted somewhere near the steering.
That should makes the drive much more easier and comfortable, I guess. Also, you don't have to keep your left hand away from the steering for a long time.

Also, I would prefer the A-B pilars a bit more slimmer or slender. For one, thicker or larger pillars obstructs our view of road slightly and secondly, it obstructs the view of nature (suppose I am driving in an area where all passengers are enjoying the beautiful landscape but I as a driver has to be content with limited visibility)

[GTO]

Guys, just a reminder : This thread is about unconventional preferences. And not what you generally look for in a car.

Deleted 5 posts that were off-topic.

Thanks

[MalluDude]

Originally Posted by GTO

Clean, proportionate designs:

Excessive rear legroom:

Petrol engines:

Fuel economy:

But then you did go an buy a Diesel Sunny, right?
Your points maybe valid because perhaps you could *afford* to enjoy the best of both worlds: The driving pleasure of a petrol along with the economy of a diesel. The average person would always try to arrive at a balance while buying his only car.

[puchoo]

Interesting thread!!

Guessing these would be considered unconventional?

1. Petrol over diesel all the time
2. No interested or obsessed with mileage
3. Dont like Silver , White , Greys
4. More than happy to go with a hothatch over a sedan anyday unless the Sedan is a T-jet

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by MalluDude

But then you did go an buy a Diesel Sunny, right?
Your points maybe valid because perhaps you could *afford* to enjoy the best of both worlds: The driving pleasure of a petrol along with the economy of a diesel. The average person would always try to arrive at a balance while buying his only car.

I think you missed the point. GTO named this thread that way because it is about unconventional preferences , not necessarily about what we look for in a car and end up buying (which is anyway considered normal). The unconventional preferences may not even be related to what we ultimately buy or use. In this case, family duty and high usage probably sealed the choice of a diesel Sunny, but the car may not be satisfying his individual quirks.

This thread is just about things you usually like/dislike contrary to what are considered obvious choices by most car buyers.

[PetrolRider]

Originally Posted by GTO

Excessive rear legroom:

Service Quality:

Petrol engines:

Engine Sound:

Safety:

+1 to GTO.

All black interior. The peculiarity with me is that, I can't stand the beige interiors.

Cars with low waistline feel more roomy and airy and I have preferences for them . Cars with high waistline and having smaller glass area feels like as if I am being kidnapped .

[nipcarlover]

Awesome thread GTO!
Here are some of my unconventional preferences:

Hatch over sedan: I would anyday prefer a well equipped hatch over a barebones sedan unlike most Indians who would give up on a top spec hatch to buy a low-spec sedan.

Black over Beige: Would take black over beige or possibly even any other colour. I don't understand the masses' obsession with all things beige. Beige just gets dirty incredibly quickly and just looks classless once it does. Black maintains its class much, much better over time and just looks cooler.

Chrome: Hate it. Chrome in small quantities looks good, but the way it is applied on cars in India is just a bit too ostentatious for me. All the sedans have either massive chrome strips on the bootlid or chrome grills or both. Many SUVs also have those bad chrome garnishes on their headlamps and taillamps which just which are absolutely horrendous.

Safety over features: This has been said a few times on this thread, and I am going to say it again. I would anyday buy a car that has ABS+Airbags over a car that has Bluetooth this and Chrome that at the same price.

Engine Noise: I definitely prefer engine/induction noise over exhaust noise unlike many other people who prefer the noises of exhausts which are basically tuned to produce a certain noise over the mechanical whirring and clanking and clicking noises from the engine itself. Unless its diesel clatter of course.

[hiren959]

My automotive preferences are
Organ type Accelerator: I just love this; will never buy Audi in my whole life for not giving this.
Low-Slung Cars: Absolutely love my Figo over my ANHC. I prefer maximum straight legs driving position.
Petrol engines: Anytime Laura TSI over TDI
Clean, proportionate designs: Fluidic or anything overdone designs are big no no for me.
Parking Sensors: Never installed or used in my any of the cars.
Electric ORVMs: A must in every cars, you can not adjust the co-driver side one manually.
Seats: Front and rear seats must be huge in dimensions with good thigh support
Rear Wiper: Hatch or Sedan it is must for all.

[karpusv]

Like many posts said earlier, I hate the automatic job. Be it the Transmission, Headlights, Wipers, AC or Electric ORVM.

I've never paid 2 hoots to the design. Will always look for practical value and Robust engineering (this one, time will tell though).

Design: Non flashy (sometimes plain & boxy) outisde, but spacious insides, yes, thats for me. Space for me is akin to investment in land the more, the better.

Steering: Power steering feels a little on heavier side? Again thats for me (Really get put off by the feather-lights)

Cabin Noise: This actually may be weird. But I do love some cabin noise to keep me conncted to the road. Silence is sometimes unnerving.

Power Window Switches on Door: My forearm is long. So I really get annoyed when my elbow takes a beating on B Pillar, trying to operate the window switches on the door armrest. Dash mounted ones are fine.

Mileage: Not really worried as long as it is above 12kmpl. Luckily, my current ride give me 17 in city traffic.

Probably these reasons hold me back from replacing my Logan after 5+ years and 80k kms.

[Arch-Angel]

Nice thread GTOji

My preferences for a car

Engine: V6/V8 with a bassy thrum, Rotary(Wankel) engined (preferable since i find this engine differing from the norms and it is an absolute beast)

Body shape: The RX7, i love how streamlined it looks and it is a lovely car. It shouldnt be too flashy but it should have class.

Innards: A slick gearbox and a slightly weighted clutch and a manual tranny

Balance: A car's poise on the road is dictated by how well its suspension is tuned along with the type of layout(FF/FR). Although i haven't driven one, after all its testing, the car should have poise like the Honda NSX.

Interiors: Would love to have a bimmer's interiors any day, and there is a part of me also loves of the fiat 500's dash.

Gauge preference: All the gauges in a logical layout unlike the one in the etios. Would want a turbo boost gauge and also a engine temp and battery voltage gauge as well. I prefer retro at times.

Heritage: Preferably a vehicle which has touge heritage like the AWD lancer evo, skyline and the legendary "hachi-roku" 86 from toyota(AE86 trueno sprinter).

[Mik]

My quirks

Diesel over Petrol: I love the whoosh of the turbocharged diesel over the linear acceleration of a petrol. Ofcourse, give me a turbocharged petrol and i will change my stance

Steering Mounted Controls: Absolutely hate them! They interfere with my driving and i end up calling people or increasing the volume.

White Coloured Cars: Beats me how the whole of North India ends up buying white cars. Some cars look downright ugly in white but its all ok for people as long as its white. I have had my relatives little child (all of 8 yrs old) saying to me "White le lete" when i committed the sacrilege of buying a red car. When i visit my in-laws in Ludhiana, i am unmissable as the only red coloured car-wallah around.

[rajshenoy]

Very good thread to read on a friday afternoon

Body Color - I like the colors which will stand out from the rest. I have been following the EcoSport thread and I hoped that Ford gives us the Yellow shade(Even the new Figo has it). That Blue Fiesta petrol 1.6 or the good old Yellow S10 Palio will still be a head turner for me. However, bright colors only seem to suit smaller cars. A Red scorpio looks like a joke(I keep spotting one near my house)

Manual controls - No ACC, no parking sensors, absolutely no features like rain sensing wipers and light sensing headlights. I know what to do and when to do. Also its fun reversing the car just by using rear view mirrors and our instinct.
Only exception i would like to have is probably cruise control which lets me rest my legs on a long journey.

Dead pedal/Driver arm rests - Again something that will keep me relaxed on long journeys

Music system - I use the music system when i got other passengers with me. When i am alone, its mostly going to be me enjoying the engine note(Main reason why i still drive a petrol car, in spite of my usage of 15-18000 kms per year)

[KiloAlpha]

Another very unconventional preference - the window line.
When I am in the normal driving position in the drivers seat, I want the window line to be well below the level of my shoulder - half way between the shoulder and waist is just perfect.

You see, I learned driving and parking in an Ambassador. I am used to sticking an arm and head out the window to judge the space on the right side - old fashioned parking. And a low window line allows me to do this comfortably.

EDIT: And for all you folks who like engine sound - if you could hear the engine note all the time, you really wouldn't need a tachometer, would you?

[AyAn!]

A few bits that spring to mind.

Wagons. I love them. In some cases, I have found the estate iteration of a particular car to be the most appealing of the lot. They are distinctive automobiles, at least in our country, and some have hugely contrasting character traits,like in the new M & AMG Wagons from BMW and Benz respectively. Old JDM wagons, especially this tastefully done up '72 Datsun 510 Wagon(below) featured on Deph Of Speed have always caught my fancy. Even shooting brakes look the part, I believe. They are rare, and always frowned upon by the so called purists, but they pack a different punch to the senses. One of being different from the rest and looking cool while at it. The new CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake looks divine, and I have to applaud Ferrari for actually having the bold FF in their line-up. And yes, love the Baleno Altura to bits as well!




Retro. I've always been a sucker for retro, and this phenomenon was glorified when I witnessed the Volga V12 Coupe from Moscow for the first time. The brainchild of this mysterious Russian tuning house a:level and based on a '96 BMW 850CSi, including the V12, this one-off looks ballistic .And yes, the Morgan line-up. The new Plus 8 looks delicious. To look look old, even vaguely(!) and run like new has an unmatchable appeal. And all that attention, to boot! The perfect Indian to the fit the bill has to be the Ambassador Avigo.




JDM Classics. JDM classic cars are always special to the rest of the car-loving world. Connoisseurs take to them like fish take to water. I love the honesty and purity that they signify. The original iterations of the Nissan GT-R and Datsun Z models look downright pristine and sound delicious. There's always this charm to them that makes me go weak in the knees.