Clarkson: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly discussion thread

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly discussion thread

  • Best Clarkson DVD ever!

    Votes: 76 30.4%
  • Better than most of his DVD's except [insert DVD name]

    Votes: 61 24.4%
  • Most of his other DVD's are better

    Votes: 71 28.4%
  • Worst Clarkson DVD ever!

    Votes: 42 16.8%

  • Total voters
    250
Also, an Atom can't tow, go offroad, haul, let alone have an A/C, heater, or radio. So the Dodge wins hands down.
First of all, the Dodge can't go offroad, it's 2WD. Secondly, the Dodge is cheap and feels like rubbush. Thirdly the, the Dodge can;t haul because everything gets stolen. And finally, who needs an A/C or a Radio or a boot when you're a car as fast as a Ferrari Enzo without roof?
The driving experience in the Atom is like nothing else, and I don't care what you've driven, Vitamin J, the Atom is simply better. So that's 1-0 for the Atom, then.
 
First of all, the Dodge can't go offroad, it's 2WD. Secondly, the Dodge is cheap and feels like rubbush. Thirdly the, the Dodge can;t haul because everything gets stolen. And finally, who needs an A/C or a Radio or a boot when you're a car as fast as a Ferrari Enzo without roof?
The driving experience in the Atom is like nothing else, and I don't care what you've driven, Vitamin J, the Atom is simply better. So that's 1-0 for the Atom, then.
Yes but Vitamin J's point was the Ram can do all the mentioned to a reasonabl degree whereas the Atom is really a one-trick pony, no matter how good it is at its one trick.
 
I'd rather have something that is astonishing at one thing, than something that is reasonable at some things, and bad at the others. And this may sound crazy but the ride in the Dodge is bone breaking, just because you get the time to think about it. In the Ariel, you don't care about anything except driving. Fast.
 
I'd rather have something that is astonishing at one thing, than something that is reasonable at some things, and bad at the others. And this may sound crazy but the ride in the Dodge is bone breaking, just because you get the time to think about it. In the Ariel, you don't care about anything except driving. Fast.
Here's a little piece of information:

People who buy an Atom buy it for fun, they don't drive it to work, they take it to the track.

People who buy a Dodge Ram need it for some reason or another, hauling, towing, etc. It serves an actual purpose. Also, it's 4wd, and has solid axles front and rear, it's great off road.

Which makes this comparison even stupider.
 
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Also, an Atom can't tow, go offroad, haul, let alone have an A/C, heater, or radio. So the Dodge wins hands down.

I'm gonna quote myself, cuz I dont think anyone read it the first time:


Why would American car companies try to compete with European companies? If I wanted a BMW I'd buy a BMW.

Cheap, fast, luxurious. Pick two. That's how American companies build cars. Europeans (try) to build all 3, and it ends up costing a helluva lot more money for a marginally better car. Hell, a $25k 2002 Camaro SS would smoke a $45k 2002 BMW M3 on any track, straight or crooked. A $40k Corvette will smoke an $80k BMW, Porsche, or Jag on any track, straight or crooked. And its the same story with a $21k Cobalt SS will and a $29k GTI.

Misconceptions. Let me clear a few up for you son. To start with, you've just demonstrated why most europeans and british people have a stereotypical view of yanks. Do you seriously think that if someone spent 30000 pounds on a car with no roof etc (the atom) that they want to "tow" and have "A/C". The sad fact is, american cars are built cheaply for comfort, hence why people like you want to ruin them with your shityt comforts and ruin they're driving ability. And dont give me any shit about using recycled rubbish in the interior because of the environment; if you cared about the world then why are you the only country that would sign up to the kyoto agreement?

Camaro SS, beat an M3?! HAHA. heres a tip. go to www.streetfire.net and search for M3 + POLICE CAR. a 15 year old in a 20 year old m3 outrunning a fat hillbilly yank in a camaro who is suppose to be able to "protect and serve"; im sorry but if one of those sheds ever outruns a properly engineered german car then Bush is an innocent man. And re: the Porsche; i not even going to bother. Also to add; Ford own jaguar; and Ford, as you well or may well not know, are american.

That's because the US is young enough that cities and roads were mapped out based on logic. England's old as fuck so the roads just go "where the horse wandered." But there's some sick roads here in Colorado, during the summer I can just drive and drive all day, I've used 2 full tanks of gas in one day before. Just cruising in my Miata, that was awesome.

But there's no shortage of straight roads either, but that's because the US is huge and putting a winding road through the middle of a flat desert is stupid.

Mate if it wasnt for the English, and the Europeans, not only would you not have roads or wheels, but you wouldn't even fucking exist; remeber we found your country? you've done it again also; cruise in my miata round the mountain "driving" roads. Summed up completely mate; you want to cruise around in your gas guzzlers saving your own country and making yourself comfortable while fucking over the rest of the world; and your car industry is the same. Il grant you maybe the z06 is a good car; but leaf spring isn't even used on Vans and trucks over here any more and your using it on your performance cars? Yet they can still out handle european and japanese sports cars? id like to see it mate

#12) The main reason so many american cars' interiors are crap, is because of US environmental law. It states that a certain percentage of materials MUSt be made out of recycled materials, in cars built in the US.

#16) Should have done the Range Rover (the quintessential British 4x4) against either a Jeep Wrangler or a Jeep Cherokee (ignoring the stupid SRT-8 version, or any of the models that aren't "trail rated")

#18) I live in the US, and I'd say about 95% of my driving is done on either 65mph, 5 lane freeways, or stop-and-go city traffic. So, that means, that 95% of the time, a car with a fast straight-line score is fine in my book if it's suspension is a little soft to take a sharp left at 60.

Your last point sums up precisly why you have little right to comment on real cars such as the lotus et all; because your roads are built for two tonne leaf spring pieces of crackerbread, cruising, and pimped escalades. As for your first point, please refer to my comment about the kyoto agreement above. and regarding the jeep wrangler, much to my digust, my mates mum has one, its done 14000 miles and has had 2 gearboxes already and is bulit like a fisher price toy.

First of all as I have said before, a Dodge Ram is faster than most European cars. Secondly, if he wanted to bring an Atom, the epitome of British design, he should have pitted it against something like a Panoz Esperante, Saleen S7, or Mosler Photon, the epitome of American Design.

FWIW the main reason cars like the Saleen and Dodge dont get tested on UK roads is simply because the dont fucking fit. Your cars are made so wide and large, and i imagine heavy, that they are practically impossible to use on roads in the UK or in europe, hence why they are never test driven. And yes im aware the corvette has won some Lemans titles and the saleen has probably won a thousand quarter mile drag races, but use your small brain for a second; do you think any of the parts in that Le mans corvette are at all related to the road going products. Think of the Citroen Xsara road car; shittiest one going yet it wins the world rally championship 3 years on a trot; get my drift?

As for the comment about the war and you lot saving us (i cant find the comment;), you've gone and done it yet again mate; made yourself and your fellow "compatriats" look stupid; if you actualy did your research and knew your facts (challenging, i know) you would realise that your country only got involved as A) you got ombed by the japs and B) you made millions by selling weapons to the allies. sounds familier dont it?!?!

and as for the clarkson video itself, in the 10 or 11 DVD's released by him, or infact any of the recent top gear programs ever, when has anyone taken the "facts" and opinions seriously? as mentioned, it is pure entertainment; i mean how many caravans have been blown up? yes clarkson expresses his opinion through the program and perhaps may and hammond but its never ever been about fact; occasionally they rant about how car a good is to drive and how much faster one is round the track than the other but this is not even close to a sure fire test of deciphering how good a car really is to drive; however you wish to define that term.

The fact is, apart from a few cars, im general, america constructs cheap, poorly built, un-engineered automatic cruisers to help you poor people across your country (or shall i say bits of other countries that you have stolen) Europe and Japan develop proper driving cars. end off.
 
People who buy a Dodge Ram need it for some reason or another, hauling, towing, etc.
That's not completly true, is it? That's like saying everyone who buy a Range Rover buy it because the road to their house is a field with big holse half the way.

Just rubbish.
 
That's not completly true, is it? That's like saying everyone who buy a Range Rover buy it because the road to their house is a field with big holse half the way.

Just rubbish.
We have a Range Rover, and the road to our farm is just potholes and dirt. I feel bad for taking the Jaguar trough this... :cry:
 
That's not completly true, is it? That's like saying everyone who buy a Range Rover buy it because the road to their house is a field with big holse half the way.

Just rubbish.
If they don't buy it because they need it then they buy it because they like it, and if they like it then it must be a good car.
 
If they don't buy it because they need it then they buy it because they like it, and if they like it then it must be a good car.

Plenty of old people bought Rovers beacuse they liked them.:lol:
 
Vitamin J if some American Sports Bikes are so fast then why do I never see them dominating everything then? And I'm not just talking about WSBK or Moto GP either.
 
The point was, that many buy these cars as a image-booster. Sort of.

You know it's true. My point was not that no one buy them because they need it. It is that not everyone - far from, it seems - buy them because they need them.

Admit it.
 
I'd rather have something that is astonishing at one thing, than something that is reasonable at some things, and bad at the others. And this may sound crazy but the ride in the Dodge is bone breaking, just because you get the time to think about it. In the Ariel, you don't care about anything except driving. Fast.

I would be interested to know what kind of car you have. I have owned a Dodge truck, and aside from its unique ability to hydroplane off the road and run me into a tree at 60 mph, it was fantastic. If I had to haul something big, I could throw it in the back. And I did. If there were 4 people besides me that needed a ride, I could provide it, and I did that, too. It never broke down, the A/C always blew cold air (very important to a Texan), and I thought it looked cool. Big and black.

I didn't care that it was slow, handled poorly, or sucked gas like a vehicle twice its size. I didn't buy it so that I could race it against something that would nearly fit in its bed. No one would. And that is why this video is getting all kinds of negative review from this forum.

Regardless of what Clarkson says, or how some people here want to defend the comment, few people here think that a Hemi Dodge is "fast," without adding, "for a truck." So Clarkson compares this utilitarian vehicle to one of the fastest things (I have reservations about calling it a car) and says, "This is what we Brits think is fast." He may as well have said, "Americans think the Corvette is fast... pfffft... this is what we think is fast." Yeah, the Atom is fast, but if you would seriously take it because it excels at one thing but fails at everything else?
 
The point was, that many buy these cars as a image-booster. Sort of.

You know it's true. My point was not that no one buy them because they need it. It is that not everyone - far from, it seems - buy them because they need them.

Admit it.
Obviously, but this is true of every car in that video. 90% of Vettes, Ferraris, Porsches, etc WILL NEVER see a racetrack. At least the Dodge has some (lots of) practicality.
Vitamin J if some American Sports Bikes are so fast then why do I never see them dominating everything then? And I'm not just talking about WSBK or Moto GP either.
I think they're relatively new to the market, also very low production. Sport bikes have never really been an American thing anyway, there's been such a strong Japanese presence no one really wanted to jump into it.

For a cruiser, you can't really beat a Harley or Victory.
 
american V8s could cure your caravan issues no problem :p face it, if you're gonna tug along a big camper, just get an american pickup with a V8 engine in it or a diesel. though i'm told the ford F150s engine is a little weak for the towing.
 
american V8s could cure your caravan issues no problem :p face it, if you're gonna tug along a big camper, just get an american pickup with a V8 engine in it or a diesel. though i'm told the ford F150s engine is a little weak for the towing.

The F150 with 7700 towing package pulls way, way harder than the Chevy 1500 we used to have. It's a great truck.

...that being said, we still have to borrow a F350 SD to move our trailer. :lol:
 
yea... the 350SD is a monster, i drove one of those around for a year at a job i had... great for snow plowing and stuff.
 
I'm glad someone said it, because I've been thinking it for a while. You would hear Clarkson and gang patter on about caravaning much less if more Brits towed their trailers with something a little more than... a Kia. I know when I tow a 49' trailer with a Duramax Chevrolet 2500, I can cruise at 75 and dominate nearly every tow car/truck on the road. Or perhaps I am just aggressive.
 
That's quite true, a Kia can barely pull its own weight around, much less a trailer. But from experience, I'd say that British roads are just too narrow to fit the kinds of RV's we use in North America. The roads are just claustrophobic compared to the ones we have here.

Ventura6: What kind of trailer is that 49'? That's pretty large for a 2500.
 
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