By Jonny Lieberman
May 20, 2008 -
I've been reading through the comments y'all are gracing my Audi A5 review with. Roughly half of you seem to feel that the latest from Mr. d'Silva's studio is so good looking, that's its fancy price, drowsy mechanicals and counterintuitive controls pale when compared to its sensuous shape. The other half offer up the quite logical chestnut, "Bah. 335i ." I of course, reserve the right to sit on the old fence. Yes, the 335i trumps the (as tested) A5 in every meaningful way — and costs less — but holy dog food, Batman! In coupe form, the 335i is the ugliest car in production. Just… ick. But then look at me. I drive a station wagon version of the world's second ugliest car (a bright blue flying vag WRX) because it is such a practical car. And (again) look at me. I'm young (ish), single (ish), childless (probably) and relatively affluent (compared to Turkey). I should be driving a Boxster or a Miata or an Elise. But, you can't run to Target for paper towels and mops in those cars now can you. Can you?
Subscribe to Newsletter26 Responses to “ Question of the Day: Does Emotion Trump Logic? ”
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May 20th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I can’t say the 335i coupe is that ugly. It’s not my cup of tea, but it’s not objectionable. Best Bangle for the buck, I think. But that’s not emotion talking, it’s logic. I’m always logical about cars…I want good performance, a good deal, comfort etc. I don’t care what the color or maker is, if it fits my needs that’s it. My wife insisted her new Mini come in a certain color. Nothing could persuade her otherwise. That’s emotion for you.
May 20th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Buying cars is always emotional. Logically we’d all be driving Tata Nanos or taking public transportation.
May 20th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
I actually like the Bangle-era BMWs and I think the current 3-series is among the best looking cars of their type. Of course, I also have no problem with iDrive, so what do I know…
May 20th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Yes, and my Jeep is proof. It is fairly inefficient and I could have bought a much cheaper car to suit most of my needs, nay all of my needs, but several times a year, I really like to take it where no automobile has any business being. It’s pure emotion, but my mountain and desert ventures really help me to stay wings-level for the rest of the time.
May 20th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I wonder the same thing… I could have gotten that Mustang GT, MX5, or even a regular cab 4×4 F150.
But, I got the more rational vehicle and paid cash: Mazda 3 wagon. And it seems to be a great decision, while it does tug at the emotional side from time to time. It looks pretty darn good for it’s size, handles well for it’s class, and doesn’t anger me at the pump or when I pay insurance on it.
So, it makes me happy from a rational POV.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
The other half offer up the quite logical chestnut, “Bah. 335i .
Yes, but the 335i is not a rational decision either. Why does going from 0-60 in a whisker over 5sec matter? Does the leather interior matter? Great handling?
Objectively, rarely. Except if you go to the track, the difference in daily driving is imperceptible, and most of us spend our time in 15mph traffic anyway.
I’m glad you asked this question, as, in my opinion, it’s this conflict that makes cars so interesting. They are appliances, but appliances that give us a lot of fun, and that have a high social resonance.
Combine all this, and our brains often hesitate between those contradictory aspects. In your case, you’ve taken the best of both worlds and combined them together.
And here’s another point of reflexion: we often think we behave logically/rationally, while it’s not the case. the 335i is a case in point, and so are people buying SUVs for “safety” reasons, while all studies show that minivans are safer. We apply our subjective thinking to what we believe is a rational decision.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
I used to do quite a lot of shopping in my first gen Miata. As long as you can keep the top down, you can cram quite a bit in the passenger seat. I remember getting a giant set of blinds for an apartment I was moving into, and I just throw it in the passenger seat, and let about half of it stick out the top. Also, I was 19 and (slightly) crazier than I am now.
Maybe I’m not though, my current car is a 350ZR.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Emotion is the automotive driving force but logic is (sometimes) used to moderate the emotion. Thankfully as I get older I’m getting a little bit better at the logic thing.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I went to a Honda dealer looking to test drive an Accord coupe (4-cylinder, manual, and with as few options as possible). In the back of my mind I was thinking of a figure just under $20k.
Then I saw an S2000…. test drove it on a lark… and the rest is history. :)
May 20th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
As a car nut, logic is only useful to provide good sounding reasons why I should do what my emotions dictate.
That is, if I can get the voices in my head to sound rational to you, who’s to say I’m crazy?