Earlier this week, we asked our readers what cars they hated on publicly, despite actually liking privately. Here’s what you had to say about the vehicles that it’s fun to hate, but that can also be fun to drive!
The question was inspired by the strong hatred that a lot of vehicles generated last year, and the peer pressure that can encourage us to pile on. Hardly a comment section goes by these days without someone mentioning how ugly the grille on the BMW M3 or XM are. And yet, the vehicles are selling, so there’s gotta be someone out there who likes them.
And while no one (except me, apparently) was willing to defend those vehicles, some did admit that there are interesting BMWs on sale today. In particular, the new 7-Series and the iX were the subject of some defenses.
Read: Confess: What Vehicle Did You Publicly Hate But Secretly Love?
Commentor Bruh Moment, for instance, wrote that “after seeing the iX in person with the black and white coloring, it didn’t look that bad.” User er… Fat Conservative Christian Hog summed the iX up like this: “The car that almost all car journalists and enthusiasts want to hate but can’t after driving it.”
User The Guy Formerly Known as 22, meanwhile, gave some insight as to why the BMW M3 and its ilk might be worthy of genuine criticism, not just aesthetic griping. Although he admits that he likes BMW’s latest sports sedan (and its coupe sibling, the M4), he says that there are American cars that are more worthy of your attention, despite getting a lot of flak.
“I give Mustangs and Cadillacs a lot of Sh*t but I actually think they’re amazing bargains for what they can do,” they wrote. “The Germans dropped the ball and the Americans have really improved on the chassis dynamics.”
User PhilMcGraw, on the other, came to the defense of something much less enthusiast oriented, and makes some really good points about the Toyota Prius. Automotive engineering isn’t all about G forces, after all.
“It was quite easy for people to hate on the third-gen Prius, but I secretly kind of loved it,” they say. “I thought it looked alright, was more practical than people thought, and the ability to get 50 MPG was underrated. I think part of the hate was directed at those who owned the vehicle (which kind of reminds me of some current Tesla owners). Heck, there was a whole South Park episode about it.”
User Misanthropic, meanwhile, really lived up to their name and wrote that “there is no such thing as peer pressure. You give in because YOU are soft,” (emphasis very much not my own). A lot to think about, then, when it comes to cars that may be underrated and, also, the power of self-deceit.
