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've read this thread God knows why I'm in the 15 yr old French mummobile tribe wondering wtf a disco is. Is that a shortening of discovery? Surely not? Disco - sparkly / camp / fun. Discovery - well errrm not?

I've read the first and last pages of this thread... Apologies if it's been said but a lot of people seem to be confusing the Discovery Sport with the Discovery.

The Discovery is basically the new Freelander, it's the LR equivalent of the RR Evoque.

OP, there are plenty of DiscoSport owners round here who are exactly as you describe. The reason being... It's a VERY practical car for a parent. It's big enough for plenty of kids (7seast) and kit (have you SEEN the size of the boot??) without being so wide that you can't open the doors in a car park like its big brother the Discovery.

There's a reason a lot of women who "don't work" drive them... Because they do a lot more parenting in the week than their other halves, without the need for a penis extension the biggest car possible.

On that basis, YANBU about it having a clear target market. YABU and derogatory for assuming the target market you identify hasn't chosen it on the basis of car that best meets their needs.

Decent Mercs and Audis are good cars. Lots of redundancy in normal road conditions.

**sorry... The Discovery Sport is basically the new Freelander!!!

Point of post totally missed.

I have five DCs and 13 years ago I bought a great big F^ O^^ 4x4 that seats 8 - the whole family plus room for one more or for extra luggage, or me and some DCs plus several other children. Best decision exH and I ever made.

It's not a Range Rover. It's a Honda model not available in Europe, actually in the 'crossover' category. It's still going strong for the most part. I never go off road except entirely involuntarily, and it handles really well in the snow that we get every winter here. I only drive all five DCs around in it when they are all together at Christmas. These days it really shows its worth as a means of transporting DCs across the country to university with all their earthly belongings plus a mini fridge bunged into the back with the two rows of seats folded down, but back in its heyday I was able to carpool, go on long road trips comfortably with the whole family, do a huge grocery shopping, haul a Christmas tree plus several children, etc. Carpooling makes the world go round, in these parts.

Don't let your British working class identity keep you from making sound decisions. One of the peculiar features of British society is its insistence that everyone has a place, and that there are attributes or aspects of that place that must be honoured. So you find people not bothering to investigate third level education because 'it's not for the likes of us', which is profoundly sad. This is not the same thing at all as marketing niches, tribes, etc.

Sad to see that the DM pipped the OP to the post on writing a Buzzfeed article on car-choice based tribes.

Had to do some fantasy shopping just there and if I woke tomorrow with a driving license and plenty of money I think I'd plump for a BMW i3...could probably have a guess at that tribe!!

Ouch.

Not at all. I have a friend in the USA who drives a Jeep Cherokee. However his family can trace their roots back to the Mohicans. So, I don't think the car you drive is always the statement of the tribe you belong to.

Don't over stretch yourself to buy one, sets of tyres will set you back a small fortune, not to mention brakes etc. That's general maintenance before you've even had anything go wrong.

They are great cars, but I've seen many a person try and run one on a budget. They don't go.

Yes to the Range Rover stealing problem, you can buy the tool for peanuts on eBay to steal them and transits.

Oh and discovery has its roots firmly in the "working class tribe". Not sure where the sport fits into that, but its roots are there.

I don't have a car, does that mean I'm not part of a 'tribe'?. I really hope so.

OP - are you really working class You seem a bit pretentious for that.

I would heartily recommend giving up your car -.or car sharing if you absolutely need one for DCs - if you're in a heavily urban environment. The joy of not worrying about its safety out in the street...........

OP the only reason someone would buy a LR Discovery Sport is the same reason people buy Range Rover Sports. Because they can't afford the proper Discovery/Range Rover. Have you told your OH that's what a Discovery Sport will say about him?

And, coming from a LR driver, if I didn't genuinely need the off-road capability I'd much MUCH rather drive an Audi. Much more user-friendly imo.

We bought a car that was within our (small) budget, was big enough for three car seats in the back and that we could afford the insurance on. I suppose that shows we don't have much money to spend. That's fine with me!

I have a Discovery, live on a farm, it tows the horse box

So are you saying that your dh wants you to look like a wealthy SAHM? Personally, I've always thought worrying what other people think a really stupid reason not to like something. Unnecessarily high price tag, gas guzzling, high-polluting, poor rear view.... good reasons to reject a car. Worrying everyone will think you are a perfectly pleasant looking SAHM if seen in a car - bloody stupid reason.

Discovery is not the same as a Discovery Sport Smooth. Discovery Sprort is like the new Freelander, a cheaper Evoke.

DH drives a BMW X6
I drive a Renault Cleo Sport.
Don't know what tribe were in.

DH and I have never argued about cars. He used to buy himself what he needed and me what I needed.

Nowadays he has what he wants and I have what I want. We could have anything we wanted. We are sensible. I can pay for what I want myself.

It's,all rather a non issue and I neither care nor want to know what anyone else drives because it's completely irrelevant.

I don't give a toss about cars, I'll happily drive an old banger if It's reliable but, because of some things I do for work I sort of have to have a car that looks presentable. What tribe am I in with a black middle aged sports car?

I remember having the big SAAB parked outside and Two-along 'fraternisiing' on its (quite glorious) bonnet. The bliss of not having a car out there.,.....

Anyone want to join the "I'm not in a tribe" tribe?

Timemaychangeme- are you me?

It is definitely a "status symbol" in some cases

White cross overs. I'm just leaving this here.

My hatred of white cars knows no ends. Was offered a new car at a very much reduced price and decided I'd rather not bother as it was only on a white one. Bleugh.