The great French Divide

rossnunn · Unread post by **rossnunn** » 17 Jul 2007, 18:58

Why is it so many people have this thing against French cars? What is it thats so rubbish that I'm just not getting?
& whats so clearly fantasticallydoodydandy about Jap cars that everyone must have one & if you don't your looked down on?
I've always had this thing that just because someone like Clarkson (& I do like the old fella) says a car is crap doesn't mean it is, to have a opinion on a car you must first drive it surely? & if you have done that then you have nothing to base ones opinion on, other than looks & we all know how far they go.

Some points I've found over my time having various French in the family;

They don't Rot.
They handle well.
They go well.
They have brilliant MPG.
The engines go on forever.
The diesels, if kept well, don't smoke heavily - Ford anyone?
They're comfortable
They're pretty looking - not including Pugs latest
They're well built - here's a sticky point one everyone like to poke, build qualitly, yes some can be abit - Matalan - but nothing goes wrong.
They're a hoot to drive.

In fact thinking about it there is only one point I can think of that would be cause for criticism, the brakes can be alittle spongy.

So lets have your opinions, why do us french owners get such a bashing?

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 17 Jul 2007, 19:23

Isn't poking fun at France and all things French a national past time over here?

It's just tradition.
Ever wondered what sticking two fingers up meant?
It's a taunt to the French that we still have two fingers to use our deadly longbows against them, as they used to chop those fingers off any archers they caught.

nick · Unread post by **nick** » 17 Jul 2007, 19:51

One thing that people seem to continually criticise with French cars is their interiors, and I've come to the conclusion that for people that don't know a lot about cars its the only way they can judge the "quality" of a vehicle. Some motoring journalists are no better either!

A work colleague of mine used to continually go on about French cars being crap, "Why?" I asked, "because the interiors are placticky" was the only reason he could give. "Why do you think German cars are so good?"
"Nice solid interiors" he said

To give you some idea of his technical ability, he used to have to call out the AA to change a wheel.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 17 Jul 2007, 20:07

Simply because BMC/British Leyland/Austin Rover is no longer there to be bashed. That was a national sport.

And given that PSA are perhaps seen by the great unwashed as the French equivalet of BMC in the character of their cars, that makes them ripe for being a convenient whipping boy.

Still, who worries, we know the truth... And it does not stop them being massively popular. Just like BMC in the 60s and 70s.

nick · Unread post by **nick** » 17 Jul 2007, 20:12

citrojim wrote:Simply because BMC/British Leyland/Austin Rover is no longer there to be bashed. That was a national sport.

There are still people on the Honest John forum complaining about the reliability of Rover, even after most of it has been packed into crates and sent off to China

rossnunn · Unread post by **rossnunn** » 17 Jul 2007, 20:25

nick wrote:One thing that people seem to continually criticise with French cars is their interiors, and I've come to the conclusion that for people that don't know a lot about cars its the only way they can judge the "quality" of a vehicle. Some motoring journalists are no better either!

A work colleague of mine used to continually go on about French cars being crap, "Why?" I asked, "because the interiors are placticky" was the only reason he could give. "Why do you think German cars are so good?"
"Nice solid interiors" he said To give you some idea of his technical ability, he used to have to call out the AA to change a wheel.

Did you point out the at least £10k difference in the quality?

nick · Unread post by **nick** » 17 Jul 2007, 20:56

rossnunn wrote:
Did you point out the at least £10k difference in the quality?

When I bought my Xsara HDi last year I noticed I could buy 2-3 of them for the price of a similar age/spec/mileage Golf TDi !

I recently had a Corsa TD owner tell me "I would never buy a foreign car"

Ok, why do you drive a car built in Spain, by the German division of an American company, with a Japanese engine then?

mezuk04a · Unread post by **mezuk04a** » 17 Jul 2007, 21:04

I much prefer the plastic interior in the Xantia compared the really cheap looks the fiesta has.

Both the zx and xantia seats are miles more comfortable that the Fiesta.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 17 Jul 2007, 21:26

mezuk04a wrote:I much prefer the plastic interior in the Xantia compared the really cheap looks the fiesta has.

Both the zx and xantia seats are miles more comfortable that the Fiesta.

I don't get this. Xantia interiors are lovely and have a quality feel. At least, both of mine have...

reblack68 · Unread post by **reblack68** » 17 Jul 2007, 21:33

For some reason it seems to be seen as some kind of capitulation to drive a practical family car, and that's what the French do best. I've actually been asked why I choose not to drive a cramped, thirsty car with a boneshaking ride, apparently this is something I should aspire to.
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nick · Unread post by **nick** » 17 Jul 2007, 21:36

I've always thought Xantias have nice interiors, better than the Xsara I have now, and just as good as the Mondeo mk3 company car I used to have. But just dare to suggest that on some forums . . .

bxbodger · Unread post by **bxbodger** » 18 Jul 2007, 01:05

cramped, thirsty car with a boneshaking ride

...Nothing wrong with that....that's what classic british sporting motor-cars are all about!!!

What people have against French cars is the watch-dog effect: a genuine and dangerous problem with Clio bonnets...Renault refuse to admit that it happens, the leaky Pluriels- Citroens attitude: it never happens....and I've mentioned my mates Picasso on here before, awfully assembled, and it arrived brand new with water in the underseat draws and a dent in the sill; the interior mirror fell off in the first week, when the lease came up for purchase the autobox warning lamp was on and Citroen couldn't say why.......he went for a new shape Vectra.....

I love the BX, but I wouldn't buy a new Citroen, no way.....

OwenP · Unread post by **OwenP** » 18 Jul 2007, 08:11

I really liked my first 405, my second one is less of a good car, I have had quite a lot of expensive problems with it, things that I don't have the knowledge or equipment to fix - new speedo gearbox drive anyone?

My g/fs C3 is being a right PITA. It drinks oil on long runs, the interior was falling apart when we got it, last night it said engine temp too high after a 5 minute drive, seems like the rad isn't pressurising. Sometimes it cuts out for no apparent reason just stalls dead, its an auto by the way, its a nice enough car but there do appear to be some problems appearing with it.

Oh, its only a year and a half old with 12000ish miles. Most of these faults Citroen don't seem to know anything about when asked. Apparently the oil is normal. Haven't rung them about the rad yet.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 18 Jul 2007, 10:20

OwenP wrote:My g/fs C3 is being a right PITA. It drinks oil on long runs, the interior was falling apart when we got it, last night it said engine temp too high after a 5 minute drive, seems like the rad isn't pressurising. Sometimes it cuts out for no apparent reason just stalls dead, its an auto by the way, its a nice enough car but there do appear to be some problems appearing with it.

Oh, its only a year and a half old with 12000ish miles. Most of these faults Citroen don't seem to know anything about when asked. Apparently the oil is normal. Haven't rung them about the rad yet.

SWMBO uses a C3 for her driving school. It is a year old and 30 odd thousand miles old and lives a hard life and barring muppetry on the part of her pupils (banana fingers on the mirror switch and close encounters with kerbs) it has been perfect, an absolute paragon and very economical.

I have to agree though, the quality of the materials it is made from is absolutely terrible. Cheap, flimsy, tacky and shoddy quite well sums it up. A McDonalds burger box is made of higher quality stuff.

But as I say, it has been perfect in a very demanding role even though it appears to have the structual integrity of a rice cake.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 18 Jul 2007, 10:25

Something definitely seems to have gone wrong at PSA after they stopped production of Xantias