Does the car you drive affect other drivers' attitudes towards you?

[Fido McNasty]

Much of it imho comes of how you conduct yourself. But there is always the idiot contingent who you can either school or allow to go forth and hurt themselves a bit hopefully alone somewhere in a ditch (depending upon the situation). Otherwise, as above, it's made no difference what car I've been in as to how others behave.

 

[Eliot]

personally i think this is the way it works

Cheapo hatchback (people abuse you)
Similar Fast hatchback (saxo vts etc) You are the subject of much traffic light revving

BMW ( NO ONE likes you)

Ferrari / nissan GTR / supercar that could obliterate anything (No one would dare mess with you)

I wish i had a GTR......

 

[Peerzy]

When I had my bog standard 1.2 Punto I use to get traffic light GP challenges all the time by other shoddy slow hatchbacks.

Since I've got the Bravo I don't get 'challeneged' at all, people see it as a family hatch and don't bother.

I did pull up beside a bloke in an E39 5 series the other day, he reved, I reved, he pulled away to reveal an M5 badge leaving me for dead

 

[xyphox]

I feel it's the fact that younger drivers find it fun to be able to beat obviously faster cars away from traffic lights and it gives them some gratitude.

So yeah, if you own an obviously fast car (your ST220 definitely being one) then you have to expect that I reckon.

 

[Eliot]

i will admit i got absolutely destroyed the other day by a mk3 golf gti. was following a cyclist uphill doing 5 mph finally got my break, floored it, she rose to the occasion. i gave her an awesome run for her money though because i gear changed like a beast but alas the hill went against my favour. made me lol that she rose to a 1.25 fiesta and nearly failed though...

 

["andy"]

this becomes very very obvious the moment you first drive a white van. everyone hates you and they dont stayy quiet about it

 

[Sone]

Yep definitely. When i had the Volvo loads of people would let me out and at roundabouts would just leave it creeping as someone would let me in.

I found the BMW not too bad but when i was driving my dolomite i had so many crazy maneuvers. People pulling out in country lanes when there was traffic coming the other way; wrong lanes on roundabouts etc. Wasn't a quick car but 100bhp and under a ton made it perfectly acceptable.

 

[Sime]

The main differance I notice is being let out (be it at junctions or on the motorway). In the Rover I was contantly battling my way out but in the Astra people always seem to let me out. Deffonatly get a more positive response from other road users in the Astra.

Suppose its easier to see a gold car

 

[Dave85]

Bmw 5 series- never let out of junctions and generally treated like a boob unless by other bmw drivers

Golf mk4 1.4 and my Gti - Exactly the same

Cadillac - always let of junctions, car parks etc and people where generally nice as they usually had no idea what it was.

Civic Type R *current* - Treated like a chav, attempted races and people cutting me up and sitting up my bum on the a92. Cant complain I love it

 

[BigglesPiP]

In the Alfa I can use the 3rd lane of the motorway without being cut up, this was impossible in the Uno.

I get a lot of "Christian motoring" from other Alfa drivers.

But vans and taxis seem to hate me, or think I'm in their way, I regularly get tail-gated horrendously. It's like "You're only doing 35, get a ****ing move on, I want to do at least twice the limit." My current response is to slow to about 20, until they are angry enough to pass on double whites.

 

[iaind]

I get a lot of "Christian motoring" from other Alfa drivers.

I noticed that in my 156 - do you partake in the Alfa wave?

 

[StevenG]

i'll admit ive only driven 1 car. clio 60bhp and i get treat like im going to go slow everywhere so most people up my back all the time far too close for my liking.

i tend to try and pull away from lights etc as fast as i can (not very in a 60bhp car) just to get away from them...

anyway i'll be sure to post back once ive driven another car.

StevenG

 

[iaind]

Best way to deal with tailgaters is to slow down - creates more space around your car and means you if something happens with the car in front of you, you wont need to slam on the brakes as hard and end up with a new car in your boot.

Also encourages them to pass you

 

[miniyazz]

Best way to deal with tailgaters is to slow down - creates more space around your car and means you if something happens with the car in front of you, you wont need to slam on the brakes as hard and end up with a new car in your boot.

Also encourages them to pass you

Plus it's fun watching them in the rear view mirror

 

[ShiWarrior]

drove a Ford Ka for a short while , loads of tailgating
now a clio sport - They dont get a chance anymore (althought i had one the other day)

 

[NitrogenY3K]

The only difference between the fiesta and the impreza is that in the impreza I seem to get a lot of people staring at me.

 

[RockLobster]

In my old T reg old battered Mondeo people used to let me out and were generally ok. In my S2000 I find people don't let me out and I do get quite a few people tailgating. Another strange thing is when I'm taking it easy on a dual carriageway (55-60) people will not overtake me the other day I had a long line of cars behind me. When I put my footdown fair play they must hear the noise and pull straight in.

 

[Vtec9k]

Can't say I've really noticed, usually it depends on the other person more than my car.

My old Civic Type R would get a mixed bag, most people wouldn't care but it would get plenty of traffic lights revving and attempted races from certain other tyoes of people.

I've not driven the 350z enough to get a proper opinion yet but mostly good I think, doesn't seem to attract the cocks as much as other cars.

 

[fonzee]

for getting out of junctions, window down and get that eye contact/stare them out, most succumb to the pressure

works 60% of the time, everytime

 

[Andr3w]

Since having the type r (A day) everyone seems to want to race me