More of a fraud

The problem what I have with this car is that it's meant to be bought like a pair of Italian shoes. Not really practical, not pretty but expensive, hence it's a fashion statement. I'm talking of course of the Nissan Juke.

The mere existence of it annoys me. It's a forceful try of Nissan to make a hip car for the "young" parent. And they did this by having it star in some funky commercials with it being under water and skydiving. Now that is some great marketing right there. Granted, it does look different and combined with those funny commercials it was destined to end up being a fashion statement. It looks big as well and you sit a little higher up than in a sensible car, which appeals to people who think sun glasses should be the size of microwave ovens. And it's classed as a crossover. Please. The only thing it can cross over are some pebbles on a roadwork site.

I've actually got a family member who just bought a Juke second hand. I wasted so many hours trying to convince here that there are better cars out there and at a cheaper price. But her mind was set on a Juke so it was a lost cause. I said the VW Golf is cheaper and bigger, but no. I said the new Opel Meriva is very innovative and different like the Juke, but no. So now she drives around in a brown Juke. 

Nissan pulled off the same stunt that BMW did with the new Mini. It's fashion. You could have bought a warm fuzzy beanie when instead you came home with a fedora. It's not as warm or as simple, but at least it looks good (or so you think). 

But at least my family member says it's good to drive.

This is the Nismo tuned Juke. 197 hp is not enough to make it go away.

I'd have the Opel Meriva instead. Look how happy the kids are to see it. 

Why people, why?!

Today I saw a commercial on TV that really sparked anger within me. It was the commercial for the all new Renault Clio Sport Tourer.  And don’t be fooled by the word sport, it’s actually the estate version of the brand new Clio. It sparked fury because I don’t see the point of that car and still Renault is going to sell thousands of them hence it has no rivals except for the Seat Ibiza ST which also falls into the category of pointless cars. The problem lies in the people who buy them as well. Who thinks that it’s a great idea to put a considerable sum of money on a car that does the job of a normal estate but worse?  If all you want is a compact car that has a big boot get a Citroën C3 Picasso or an Opel Meriva for all I care. The Clio estate (I’m not saying Sport Tourer) has 430 litres luggage place, that’s 130 litres more than the hatchback Clio. And let’s be honest. The only reason you buy the estate Clio instead of the hatchback is for that lump of extra empty space hanging over the back wheels. Since there are countless cars that are cheaper, more practical and more reliable than the estate Clio it’s absolutely impossible to comprehend a person who buys one.

The second hand car market is full of cheap, practical and reliable cars that would do the job of a car so much better than the estate Clio. The only reason to buy one is that you haven’t tried anything else. And if you must have a Renault that’s an estate why not get the Megane Sport Tourer which is all the things the Clio estate isn't, except being a Renault of course.

Not hating the car, hating the concept

It does look okay though

And the cars I recommend instead of the Renault Clio estate.

The sensible Opel Meriva

 The funky Citroën C3 Picasso