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Mike Brewer's column
Do we need all the bells and whistles which bump up a car's asking price?
We Brits have always loved to have a pop at the Germans, and constantly mock them for being nothing more than a bunch of dullards. Well, as far as I’m concerned, the joke is very much on us. In my experience, Germans have a much better idea of how to have fun than we do…at least they do when it comes to motoring.
Take the Autobahns, for example. Drivers have been allowed to travel at the speeds they feel safe at, and are not forced to stick to some draconian limit set decades ago.Then there’s the Nürburgring. It’s a 12.7-mile, high-speed race circuit with no run-off areas, and no restrictions on what or how you drive. Not even the Italians or Spanish would allow something as daft. Only the Isle of Man TT course comes close for the sheer madness of it all...
I visited the Nürburgring recently, and I’m still laughing just thinking about the absurdity of what I saw. On one of my first laps, I came up against hardcore bikers, knees down, giving it their all. Moments later, I had my doors almost blown off by a 200mph Lamborghini Murciélago, which was being hotly pursued by a Volkswagen Golf diesel with five large blokes packed inside the cabin.
But while we may be wrong about the Germans’ sense of fun, what is true is that they are absolutely obsessed with being the most technologically advanced nation – a trait many of us Brits actually admire. Car makers have always tried to outdo each other in the techno arms race, and you’ll usually find it’s either Mercedes or BMW leading the way. And it’s little wonder why these two firms invest so much in the latest innovations – German car buyers are famed for their love of gadgets.
While most BMW or Merc drivers here probably don’t know how to operate their iDrive or COMAND cabin control systems properly, you can bet our European cousins do. In fact, while at the Nürburgring, I spoke to one Merc owner who’d used his car’s computer to set the vehicle up for optimum track performance – and he didn’t even have an engineering degree! And another local was using radar and a complex GPS navigation set-up to work out the most direct line around the track to cut his lap times.
The Germans’ interest in such gadgetry is understandable, but I think I’d get more use out of the new anti-sleep system on the Lexus LS, which can tell if you are about to nod off while behind the wheel. After driving a couple of laps round the ’Ring I was starting to feel pretty tired. Citroen’s lane departure warning system, which vibrates the driver’s seat if you start weaving across the central reservation, would have helped when I got a little drowsy, too.
But in reality do we need all these gadgets? The answer, in the vast majority of cases, is ‘no’. Most of the latest kit is only available as an optional extra and can add hundreds, or even thousands, of pounds to the price of a new car. And while the salesmen may tell you that you absolutely must have the microwave oven function fitted to your glovebox, or that everyone selects the neck massaging head restraints, the fact is you’ll lose a shedload of cash come resale.
As a former used car salesman, I always valued a motor based on the model, age, mileage and condition. Nothing else came into the equation. Extra kit only really serves as a sweetener in most cases – so bear that in mind before you go mad with the options list. Unless you’re German, of course...
Mike Brewer presents ITV’s Pulling Power, the Discovery Channel’s Wheeler Dealers and the British Rally Championship on Sky Sports
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| The salesman will tell you that you need the microwave function in your glovebox, but you will lose loads of cash at resale time | |
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Take the Autobahns, for example. Drivers have been allowed to travel at the speeds they feel safe at, and are not forced to stick to some draconian limit set decades ago.Then there’s the Nürburgring. It’s a 12.7-mile, high-speed race circuit with no run-off areas, and no restrictions on what or how you drive. Not even the Italians or Spanish would allow something as daft. Only the Isle of Man TT course comes close for the sheer madness of it all...
I visited the Nürburgring recently, and I’m still laughing just thinking about the absurdity of what I saw. On one of my first laps, I came up against hardcore bikers, knees down, giving it their all. Moments later, I had my doors almost blown off by a 200mph Lamborghini Murciélago, which was being hotly pursued by a Volkswagen Golf diesel with five large blokes packed inside the cabin.
But while we may be wrong about the Germans’ sense of fun, what is true is that they are absolutely obsessed with being the most technologically advanced nation – a trait many of us Brits actually admire. Car makers have always tried to outdo each other in the techno arms race, and you’ll usually find it’s either Mercedes or BMW leading the way. And it’s little wonder why these two firms invest so much in the latest innovations – German car buyers are famed for their love of gadgets.
While most BMW or Merc drivers here probably don’t know how to operate their iDrive or COMAND cabin control systems properly, you can bet our European cousins do. In fact, while at the Nürburgring, I spoke to one Merc owner who’d used his car’s computer to set the vehicle up for optimum track performance – and he didn’t even have an engineering degree! And another local was using radar and a complex GPS navigation set-up to work out the most direct line around the track to cut his lap times.
The Germans’ interest in such gadgetry is understandable, but I think I’d get more use out of the new anti-sleep system on the Lexus LS, which can tell if you are about to nod off while behind the wheel. After driving a couple of laps round the ’Ring I was starting to feel pretty tired. Citroen’s lane departure warning system, which vibrates the driver’s seat if you start weaving across the central reservation, would have helped when I got a little drowsy, too.
But in reality do we need all these gadgets? The answer, in the vast majority of cases, is ‘no’. Most of the latest kit is only available as an optional extra and can add hundreds, or even thousands, of pounds to the price of a new car. And while the salesmen may tell you that you absolutely must have the microwave oven function fitted to your glovebox, or that everyone selects the neck massaging head restraints, the fact is you’ll lose a shedload of cash come resale.
As a former used car salesman, I always valued a motor based on the model, age, mileage and condition. Nothing else came into the equation. Extra kit only really serves as a sweetener in most cases – so bear that in mind before you go mad with the options list. Unless you’re German, of course...
Mike Brewer presents ITV’s Pulling Power, the Discovery Channel’s Wheeler Dealers and the British Rally Championship on Sky Sports
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