To think that the car you buy is a statement of the 'tribe' you belong to.

[BusyCee]

DH wants to buy a Discovery Sport 7 seater so we can fit 3 DCs plus others.

We live in a relatively affluent area. Discovery Sports around here are driven by perfectly pleasant women, but women who tend not to work, to spend a lot of time and energy on appearance, and who definitely don't ever drive off road.

I come from a working class family. We currently are not affluent. I have worked since I could. I like working. I like to look nice, but for me style is less important than substance.

I do NOT want to drive a Discovery Sport. We have talked about this. He has just bought a friend who works for LR home with one for us to test drive. I work in marketing. I understand very clearly why people chose the brands they chose.

AIBU to insist that we do not buy the Discovery Sport on brand/looks/target market grounds only and the fact it has a fucking tiny rear window which might be why they're always parked over two bays round these parts

I like Audis. They're a good drive.

I mostly cycle/walk but when I need a car I hire one so I get to be a different tribe every time. As a regular at my local hire place often get upgraded so while I'm usually in the basic Corsa/Golf tribe, sometimes I get to be slowest driver of a BMW or Audi ever tribe

We have a VW golf estate, donated to us by my affluent BIL. I am part of the 'not really into cars but have one for weekend trips to the country' brigade.

I love our Vauxhall Zafira automatic. It takes the three of us and nearly all the camping crap I want to take (at least with a roof box) and I am comfortable driving it. That was the deciding factor for us as DH is happy driving anything.

I suspect I don't want to know what my tribe is (and I have not RTFT yet)

Whattheactualfugg a Range Rover is better off-road than a Defender or a County Series? Depends who's driving. I've never seen a Range Rover towing a 2 tonne drilling rig across a ploughed field. I've seen plenty stuck in ditches though.

I have a VW Touareg 4x4 and bloody love it. It almost drives itself so requires very little effort as everything is automatic. I smile every single time I get in it.
Tight squeeze in the average parking space though.

IMO there are few bad cars out there anymore except french ones so it's a matter of whatever floats your boat or can afford.

Where I live there are minivans and people carriers everywhere, it's pretty affluent.

I've driven big and 4 wheel drive cars for years and now that dcs are growing up I've swapped to a 2 litre twin turbo mini clubman, so I'm excited to announce that I've swapped tribes my youngest dc told me he can hear my car coming up the road before he can see me

Two cars here. Tiny 4-door Suzuki which was I had brand new 2 years ago (first ever new new car from me) and a large 4 year old BMW estate that DH mainly drives.

BMW not as reliable as first thought (had a 1-series before and it was a proper workhorse) and DH talking about chopping it in for a Z4. He's heading straight into mid life crisis territory. The Suzuki is not at all sexy but it's small, sweet and easy to park, costs £30 to fill up, is tax exempt and does almost 350 miles on a full tank!

I have a 4x4 because I have a massive dog. So my tribe is "stinky".

I'm in the practical-but-ugly car brigade. I used to love cars. I once drove my boss' Ferrari which was a thrill and my fav car is a Pagani Huayra. But I have never owned anything exciting and we now have a VW Touran, which can take our 3DC, as well as friends/ visitors but is such a box, I really hate looking at it.

On the subject of Landrovers, I don't like 4x4s either, or the people who drive them (equated to BMW drivers/ white vans). But I do LOVE the Landrover Defender which lives up our road. Every time I look at it, I lust.

We live on a small housing estate (30 houses). There are eight almost identical 2/3 year old Fiestas, including mine.

DH has a Discovery. He fancied one last time he was car buying after having a series of various sporty hot hatch Golfs. I wasn't convinced - the whole reputation of them and all. Have to admit though - it is very comfortable, spacious, easy to drive and yes, easy to park too.

But I have a small car so we can balance each other out. Had a Mini til last week. Now have an Abarth 500 - very nippy! :D

Round here LR and Discoveries are not on the top cars to steal - the only LR near the top of the list is the Defender.

However, DH's last car - one of the sporty Golfs (Gold R I think it was) - was near the top and our home was broken into by people looking for the keys. Couldn't wait to get rid after the second time they tried to get in - first time they did get in but took the wrong keys, second time they were foiled by the new locks and door.

No issues since having a Discovery I have to say.

Well I looked on my neighbours' drives this evening. A mix. Audis, mercs, BMWs, VW, Honda. Some big, some 4 x 4, some small, I'd say mostly five years old or more. Only 10 houses. Doctor/dentist/accountant/retired sort of country. Nothing flash - never looked before. Most houses have two or three cars.

Well I looked on my neighbours' drives this evening. A mix. Audis, mercs, BMWs, VW, Honda. Some big, some 4 x 4, some small, I'd say mostly five years old or more. Only 10 houses. Doctor/dentist/accountant/retired sort of country. Nothing flash - never looked before. Most houses have two or three cars.

I currently drive a French diesel that has a book price of about £500 . It gets me about in my job which involves lots of town driving , doesn't cost a fortune in fuel , has great visibility , can park it literally anywhere .

I live and work in a relatively affluent area , lots of very expensive cars of all marques,. Rolls , Bentley, Porsche, the occasional Lambourgini and Ferrari , Range rover sport ( overfinch etc ) are ten a penny , Evoke the same , as are Disco's . I look at these cars and to be absolutely honest , I don't really care what car people drive , it is how they drive it that is far more important . I have to say that from my ( limited) experience , going on where I live , the most considerate drivers are actually those who drive the very top end cars and are ( hate to say this ) men , they will often flash you out , don't block junctions , stop at amber and will give way when there is the need to and they also always thank you with a cheery hand signal if you show them the same consideration . Unfortunately the same cannot be said of women driving the same top end vehicles , I keep giving them the opportunity to redeem themselves , in the hope that one day one of them will just raise a bloody hand in recognition of you kindly letting them through

DH drives whatever is cheapest and most comfortable from the list that is on his work car list , so think rep car , although not a rep ( nowt wrong with a rep though )

Merry Marigold I have the seat Alhambra so the tournan with a different badge. Not exciting, but my god it's practical and fuel efficient (mine also has massive sun roof and leather seats). Does 90 on the autoroute no problem.

I know lots of people with Disco Sports but DH is an engineer at JLR we get whopping discounts... but I drive a VW because I love 'em. I have a turbocharged petrol Golf that drives like a rocket-powered rollerskate and I wouldn't swap it for anything. Get something you love to drive, stuff what people think.

The thig is old cars ( by which I mean more than about 5 years old) iME cost a fortune to keep on the road if you do any sort of serious mileage and cost more to tax and are less fuel efficient. A small new car on hp costs £100 per month which you would make back by reduced running costs if you drove 300--400 miles a week.

stillwishihadabs (i never had abs, so good on ya). Is it really the same car as the Touran? I've seen lots of Alhambras and I thought they were a bit bigger. It is v fuel efficient though, and the 6th gear gets me a little bit excited. But ds1 (age 10) has decided he doesn't want any kids so he can drive a decent car!

I think the Alhambra, Galaxy and Sharan are on the same platform. The Alhambra is definitely larger than the Touran.

Well I have a r reg disco covered in dog hairs kids crap and stinks of horses to great work dog really high mileage but love the old girl wouldn't have any other 4x4 oh and nice clean windows where my young horse licks them !!

I have a Touran (and like it) 4 DDs so 7 seater wasn't by choice, had a Sharan previously for 11 years and it was the same as the Alhambra and Galaxy. It was the original mass market people carriers so 3 big manufacturers pooled ideas, design teams etc to keep costs down. I loved my Sharan and it is still on the go (my sister passed it 20 miles away with its new family). Like my Touran too but not sure we could get from central Scotland to Burgundy with all our camping gear and all DDs. The "tribe" I belong to is "toomanyweansnotenoughspace".

Stillwish the problem is that in the three years that I bought my car for £1500 for cash , I would have spent £3,000 on my teeny new car , I have spent less than £1,000 so far ( lucky I know ) , so to me it is the most economical option , plus I do not know of any schemes that will give you a brand new spankety car for £100 a month without some sort of deposit or final payment , even personal lease where you give it back would see me out of pocket as I drive over the miles they usually allow at the £100 mark and I have children , and I park it up in public where some selfish twat might ding the door , some drunk git might take offense and key it , a child might fall against it on their scooter or bike and then the dealer will absolutely murder you with charges if it isn't returned in pristine condition .

My DF's tribe was "farmer" and he used to drive across his muddy fields in a Mma Ramotswe-esque tiny white (Fiat Punto) van. Did the job.