Andy Laub

I remember back in my high school days and all through college when, in my delirium of car enthusia I was convinced the Germans could do no wrong. I loved Audis, Benzes, BMW’s, and aspired to own a VW when it was time for a new car. I think some of this came from my dad, who’s quite the BMW enthusiast, but it was also partially German heritage and partially just the unbelievably beautiful designs (so crisp and clean!) they were cranking out at the time (the B5 Passat, Audi A6, Golf IV, TT, E46 3-series, etc) as well as their perceived superiority over the rest of the world.

Seems like things have kind of gone downhill in the looks department. VW and Audi have introduced the monogrille to absolutely no enthusiasm from me, likewise with every single new BMW. All of these cars just rub me the wrong way, maybe because they were looking so, so good and then suddenly turned into crap. Maybe one of the reasons I’m losing my affection for these masters of the autobahn is a feeling of betrayal. VW’s questionable intent to move upmarket ($30,000 Jettas?) is another decision that just irks me.

Above all, I think the Germans are notorious for FIWA. The cars that I once admired now seem overweight and overstyled, especially compared to cheaper and less complicated alternatives like the new Civic Si or the gorgeous TSX and S2000. Plus, as my dad likes to say, “the more things it has, the more things can go wrong,” and from my experience, Honda’s been more than capable of eliminating frivolous electronics (Hill-holding assist? Volkswagen, it’s called the damn brake pedal!).

There are, as always, exceptions to this.