Define "Generic" When it Comes to Cars.

  • Thread starter Thread starter JohnBM01
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sure you could do that, but i assume that if a particular model is bland, others wont be much better. changing the bodystyle rarely imbues a car with character.

im trying to think of a model whose shape changed from sedan to other or from other to sedan and it resulted in a car that was fundamantally different and bold. i cant. even the alfa GT which is one of the sexiest designs out there has been lambasted as being a dour understeerer.

alli can think of is along the lines i said;

OG vw golf, nice shopping trolly. GTi firebreathing little demon
mitsu lancer, plain jane sedan, dull, inoffensive; lance evo, firebreathing little dragon

etc etc etc

i dont see
honda acoord sedan= dull, honda accord coupe= most exciting thing since he invention of the wheel. i dont see it.

although i must say that after the ES250 and LS400, the SC series lexii were very very exciting. but its a whole other car, not just a cosmetic chopping off of two doors.
 
Ev0
There are plenty of generic sports cars out there. Case in point, the V6 Mustang (previous generation 'Stangs, not the current 2005 model). But, I have to agree that there are no generic supercars, the thought of a generic supercar is very oxymoronic.
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Corvette. Well, not that generic, but they just don't have the same kind of prescence that, well, say that Ferrari 355 I saw today had.
 
Victor Vance
Corvette. Well, not that generic, but they just don't have the same kind of prescence that, well, say that Ferrari 355 I saw today had.
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100 thousand dollar price difference tends to do that....

Edit - although, I'm sure chevy doesnt mind you comparing the two :)
 
I think a Mustang GT is fairly generic but not as generic as a Z28. Or at least, it's very generic when compared to a Saleen Mustang, which has immense prescence in person.
 
neanderthal
sure you could do that, but i assume that if a particular model is bland, others wont be much better. changing the bodystyle rarely imbues a car with character.
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I'm willing to stipulate that body style doesn't much change the character of a car, but the obvious reason I wanted to break it down like that is because the Accord coupe offers a six-speed manual transmission mated to the 240-horsepower 3-liter V6, which does indeed change the character of the vehicle (compared with the full-automatic, which is the only transmission available in the sedan).

Obviously anyone would agree the character is significantly altered between the four-cylinder and the six, so at least two distinctions must be made.
 
ok, now i get you when you metion the six speed vs the standard models.

for me the distinction between the fours and sixes isnt that great, but manual tranny on the six definitely changes things.
 
so an E30 BMW M3 is generic? (older than 1990)
and so is a dodge SRT4 (under $25000) this would include the forthcoming pontiac solstice as well
and a corvette (american car) :odd:
 
ShobThaBob
100 thousand dollar price difference tends to do that....

Edit - although, I'm sure chevy doesnt mind you comparing the two :)
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Actually, lack of presence can sometimes be beneficial.

Case in point - C6 in a few years (after the excitement over the new design has died down) vs. Ferrari 355

"I can't believe a mere Corvette smoked this $200,000 [or so] Italain exotic!"
 
I don't like American cars. I guess you might not call some of the higher end models, like the Viper, Corvette, Saleen's, Chrysler ME412, Cadillac Sixteen generic. I just don't pay attention to them and to me, they are all like a blurr. Those new chevy's, like the cobalt, and stuff are awful though. I would for sure say that they are generic. I would even say like the Ford Five Hundered, and maybe the Thunderbird, was generic. I guess foreign cars all have different designing from American car designs, and I like that, so all American cars tend to be this "generic" design. The Mini, BMW Roadster, and Mercedes all have what I would probably call a "non-generic" designs.
 
cardude2004
I don't like American cars. I guess you might not call some of the higher end models, like the Viper, Corvette, Saleen's, Chrysler ME412, Cadillac Sixteen generic. I just don't pay attention to them and to me, they are all like a blurr. Those new chevy's, like the cobalt, and stuff are awful though. I would for sure say that they are generic. I would even say like the Ford Five Hundered, and maybe the Thunderbird, was generic. I guess foreign cars all have different designing from American car designs, and I like that, so all American cars tend to be this "generic" design. The Mini, BMW Roadster, Scion XB, and Mercedes all have what I would probably call a "non-generic" designs.
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Mini: 'Nostalgic' IMO
bB: Go to Japan. They're all over the place :dopey:
Thunderbird: C'mon man, that thing screams 1957. But it needs a higher roofline.

Now, the Cobalt? You mean generic as in generic sport compact? Well I differ. I think the STi-like wing and R30's-inspired taillamps sets it apart from the blandness of the Civic EX Coupe and even Si, to a degree, Sentra SE-R, because I think the Sentra also got that fugly 'mini-squares' grille, the front end is pretty enough, and the Supercharged ( response > 'pssh') SS should be a blast. Now, what were you saying again? Oh yes, the Cobalt is nice.

Ford Five Hundred.... well when the Mercury version comes out (and it enevitably will) you'll have a nice entry-level luxury 4WD. That'll make it the cheapest lux 4WD on the market, well below the $35,000 Infiniti G35x. Not that I like it, being a GM fan, but it does excel over the Buick LaCrosse. To a degree...

The and what about Monte Carlo? That thing's all looks. Well, the base version with the 6 spoke wheels is fugly, but throw on the NASCAR style spoiler and SS wheels, and we're stylin' and profilin' :sly:
 
IMHO, a generic car is one that garners no special notice. If you were a bodyguard/protector, or a detective on stakeout, a generic car is one that would not arouse any nervousness in the neighborhood you would be surveilling, or any car you happened to be following.
So, How about any mid-size GM car?
Any late model Taurus/Sable.
Any medium sized SUV.
Any late model Camry.
Any late model Honda Accord.
Any Mini-van,
Pick a color like dark blue, dark green, champagne gold, mocha metallic... and you have the ubiquitous "invisible car."
To give you an example of the "generic-ness" of the Camry. My wife has a '99 Mocha metallic Camry. I took it the other day to pick up a job application in Olathe, KS. Picking a parking place at random, I parked in front of a Camry, that was beside a Camry, and I was beside yet another Camry. I was about 3 rows from the door, and I passed two more Camrys on the way in.
I also see a plethora of Mini-vans of all makes. It isn't strange to park in a line of 10-12 mini-vans all in a row at Wal-Mart, or at a school function for the kids. It's getting to be the same way with medium sized SUV's like Pathfinders, Blazers/Jimmys, Explorers, and Highlanders.

All the cars mentioned above should have remote un-locking so that you can figure out which one is yours by the flashing of the headlights. But even that isn't enough sometimes.
I once parked my Chevy Venture at a grocery store in North Carolina. When I came back I pushed the button on the remote. I heard the doors unlock and I still couldn't get in to my van. I pushed the button several more times and heard the locks release, and still couldn't get into my van.
After a couple of minutes I stepped back and noticed that the white Venture I was trying to get into was right next to my white Venture. That is generic.
 
Victor Vance
Ford Five Hundred.... well when the Mercury version comes out (and it enevitably will) you'll have a nice entry-level luxury 4WD. That'll make it the cheapest lux 4WD on the market, well below the $35,000 Infiniti G35x. Not that I like it, being a GM fan, but it does excel over the Buick LaCrosse. To a degree...
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What?

- Audi A4 1.8T Quattro: $27800
- BMW 325xi: $30000
- BMW X3: $30300
- Chrysler Pacifica AWD: $30400
- Jaguar X-Type: $29300
- Land Rover Freelander HSE: $28300
- Mercedes C240 4Matic: $33900
- Mitsubishi Montero: $35000
- Nissan Murano SE: $30800
- Saab 9-2X Aero: $27000
- Subaru Outback LL Bean Edition: $32200
- Volkswagen Passat GLX 4Motion: $32600
- Volvo S40 T5 AWD: $27700
- Volvo S60 2.5T AWD: $31400

Look at all those! Wow!

The and what about Monte Carlo? That thing's all looks. Well, the base version with the 6 spoke wheels is fugly, but throw on the NASCAR style spoiler and SS wheels, and we're stylin' and profilin' :sly:
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Have you driven one? I'd call it the quietest vehicle I've ever driven, under $80000. Seriously. Mine (a rental LS) must've been noise insulated to hell, but it owned. You couldn't hear a THING in that car. Everything else was mediocre, though.
 
Believe it or not, I don't consider the Saleen S7 as generic. It's a very nice American supercar. It's a shame to not really see it as a pure contender against the Corvettes and Murcielagos anymore, but you'll have to tell me what's so generic about this machine.

A supercar I find generic that I'm not really fond of is the (prepare your rants) Lotus Esprit. When I first seen this car, I thought it was a poor-man's Lamborghini Diablo. I don't think it has much character to it. Now if you want a Lotus that's definitely NOT generic, it would have to be the Elise and the Exige (don't really know the difference except maybe that the Exige is better). I've almost always considered the Taurus as generic, even the Ford Five-Hundred. If they aren't generic, I don't know what is. The latest Monte Carlo isn't generic to me. Even if you give it the NASCAR look, it still has character.

Well, that's all. Now let me get back to enjoying this beautiful Isley Brothers song.
 
cardude2004
I don't like American cars. I guess you might not call some of the higher end models, like the Viper, Corvette, Saleen's, Chrysler ME412, Cadillac Sixteen generic. I just don't pay attention to them and to me, they are all like a blurr. Those new chevy's, like the cobalt, and stuff are awful though. I would for sure say that they are generic. I would even say like the Ford Five Hundered, and maybe the Thunderbird, was generic. I guess foreign cars all have different designing from American car designs, and I like that, so all American cars tend to be this "generic" design. The Mini, BMW Roadster, and Mercedes all have what I would probably call a "non-generic" designs.
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What Thunderbird? The ONLY generic Thunderbirds were possibly between 1983-1988. Go figure that those Thunderbirds have the most potential in drag racing. All other Thunderbirds are pretty non-generic, even if they don't seem like it. My best off-hand example is the fact that bewteen 1989-1997, Thunderbirds/Cougars have IRS, they have 4 engine options (3.8L V6, supercharged 3.8L V6, 5.0L HO V8, 4.6L modular V8), passive rear steering, they are essentially the only 2-door and *rear-wheel drive* cars in their class. They ride absolutley great. The high end models (Thunderbird SC and supercharged Cougar XR7) were the fastest in their class. They were very competitively priced. They have quite a large aftermarket and with enough weight reduction and a little bit of tuning they can thrash a LOT of other sports cars in autocross. Hell, the nameplate alone carries more weight than most other cars. They aren't very generic. Sorry, gotta defend my breed. :sly:

Maybe you don't like American cars but that doesn't mean they're all generic. The Japanese make just as many if not more generic cars. If you ask me, the European makes create the fewest generic cars but I could be wrong.
 
The 80's Mustang, y'know, the one where they watered it down a bit.
 
JohnBM01
Believe it or not, I don't consider the Saleen S7 as generic. It's a very nice American supercar. It's a shame to not really see it as a pure contender against the Corvettes and Murcielagos anymore, but you'll have to tell me what's so generic about this machine.

A supercar I find generic that I'm not really fond of is the (prepare your rants) Lotus Esprit. When I first seen this car, I thought it was a poor-man's Lamborghini Diablo. I don't think it has much character to it. Now if you want a Lotus that's definitely NOT generic, it would have to be the Elise and the Exige (don't really know the difference except maybe that the Exige is better). I've almost always considered the Taurus as generic, even the Ford Five-Hundred. If they aren't generic, I don't know what is. The latest Monte Carlo isn't generic to me. Even if you give it the NASCAR look, it still has character.

Well, that's all. Now let me get back to enjoying this beautiful Isley Brothers song.
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The esprit is certainly not a generic car, but having worked at a Lotus dealership, I can understand the points you make. Esprits are not for the general public, and they are not aimed at people who would be drooling over lamborghinis.
 
ultrabeat
The 80's Mustang, y'know, the one where they watered it down a bit.
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Agreed. Actually almost any Ford that was on the fox chassis is more or less generic. Fairmonts, Capris, Mustangs, Thunderbirds, Cougars, Mark VIIs, etc. were all on the fox chassis around the '80s and although they have an aftermarket that dwarfs that of the Honda Civic, and are very high up there as drag racing project cars, they are in fact very generic.
 
Drifting Thunda
My best off-hand example is the fact that bewteen 1989-1997, Thunderbirds/Cougars have IRS, they have 4 engine options (3.8L V6, supercharged 3.8L V6, 5.0L HO V8, 4.6L modular V8), passive rear steering, they are essentially the only 2-door and *rear-wheel drive* cars in their class.
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Was the 5.0 an option for all model years 89-97? I thought they phased it out later on in the model run so you could either get a base 3.8 V6, supercharged SC, or LX V8 with the 4.6?
 
No, none of the engine options were available through all of '89-'97 except the naturally aspirated 3.8L V6. But still, the chassis is what I was talking about, it's not generic.

MN12 chassis engine options:
3.8L NA V6 available '89-'97
3.8L supercharged V6 available '89-'95 for Thunderbird, '89-'90 for Cougar
5.0L High Output V8 available '91-'93
4.6L modular V8 available '94-'97
 
skip0110
Was the 5.0 an option for all model years 89-97? I thought they phased it out later on in the model run so you could either get a base 3.8 V6, supercharged SC, or LX V8 with the 4.6?
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The rundown:

Thunderbird (1989-1997)
1989:
- Base, LX: OHV 140hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- SC: OHV 210hp 3.8L supercharged V6/5-M (standard), 4-A (optional)
1990:
- Base, LX: OHV 140hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- SC: OHV 210hp 3.8L supercharged V6/5-M (standard), 4-A (optional)
1991:
- Base, LX: OHV 140hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- Base, LX optional: OHV 200hp 5.0L V8/4-A
- SC: OHV 210hp 3.8L supercharged V6/5-M (standard), 4-A (optional)
1992:
- Base, LX: OHV 140hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- Sport: OHV 200hp 5.0L V8/4-A
- SC: OHV 210hp 3.8L supercharged V6/5-M (standard), 4-A (optional)
1993:
- LX: OHV 140hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- LX optional: OHV 200hp 5.0L V8/4-A
- SC: OHV 210hp 3.8L supercharged V6/5-M (standard), 4-A (optional)
1994:
- LX: OHV 140hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- LX optional: SOHC 203hp 4.6L V8/4-A
- SC: OHV 210hp 3.8L supercharged V6/5-M (standard), 4-A (optional)
1995:
- LX: OHV 140hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- LX optional: SOHC 203hp 4.6L V8/4-A
- SC: OHV 210hp 3.8L supercharged V6/5-M (standard), 4-A (optional)
1996:
- LX: OHV 145hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- LX optional: SOHC 203hp 4.6L V8/4-A
1997:
- LX: OHV 145hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- LX optional: SOHC 203hp 4.6L V8/4-A

Cougar (1989-1997)
1989:
- LS: OHV 140hp 3.8L V6/5-M (standard), 4-A (optional)
- XR7: OHV 210hp 3.8L supercharged V6/5-M (standard), 4-A (optional)
1990:
- LS: OHV 140hp 3.8L V6/5-M (standard), 4-A (optional)
- XR7: OHV 210hp 3.8L supercharged V6/5-M (standard), 4-A (optional)
1991:
- LS: OHV 140hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- LS optional: OHV 200hp 5.0L V8/4-A
- XR7: OHV 200hp 5.0L V8/4-A
1992:
- LS: OHV 140hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- LS optional: OHV 200hp 5.0L V8/4-A
- 25th Anniversary Edition: OHV 200hp 5.0L V8/4-A
- XR7: OHV 200hp 5.0L V8/4-A
1993:
- XR7: OHV 140hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- XR7 optional: OHV 200hp 5.0L V8/4-A
1994:
- XR7: OHV 140hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- XR7 optional: SOHC 205hp 4.6L V8/4-A
1995:
- XR7: OHV 140hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- XR7 optional: SOHC 205hp 4.6L V8/4-A
1996:
- XR7: OHV 145hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- XR7 optional: SOHC 205hp 4.6L V8/4-A
1997:
- XR7: OHV 140hp 3.8L V6/4-A
- XR7 optional: SOHC 205hp 4.6L V8/4-A

Mark VIII (1993-1998)
1993:
- base: SOHC 280hp 4.6L V8/4-A
1994:
- base: SOHC 280hp 4.6L V8/4-A
1995:
- base: SOHC 280hp 4.6L V8/4-A
- LSC: SOHC 290hp 4.6L V8/4-A
1996:
- base: SOHC 280hp 4.6L V8/4-A
- Diamond Anniversary Edition: SOHC 280hp 4.6L V8/4-A
- LSC: SOHC 290hp 4.6L V8/4-A
1997:
- base: SOHC 280hp 4.6L V8/4-A
- LSC: SOHC 290hp 4.6L V8/4-A
1998:
- base: SOHC 280hp 4.6L V8/4-A
- LSC: SOHC 290hp 4.6L V8/4-A

P.S.: the 1984-1992 Lincoln Mark VII used the pushrod 5-liter V8 (with 225 horsepower and a 4-speed automatic) exclusively until it was cancelled.
 
skip0110
Holy crap. Thank you.
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Hah, anytime. You can't ask about my specialty (non-supercars from 1989 to 2005) and not expect a response like that, even if you weren't asking me. :p
 
M5Power puts it in a list, very good.
Just note that the Mark VIII is on the FN10 chassis, which is almost exactly the same as MN12 anyways.

And one thing is that the Mark VII didn't actually use the 5.0L HO exclusively, though that's commonly thought -- "In 1984, Ford Motor Co. purchased 3,794 BMW 2.4L, 115 hp turbodiesels for the Lincoln Mark VII and Continental." - Source: Ward's Auto World, Scuttlebutt, February 2000

Here are pics of one of the 1984 Lincoln Mark VII Turbo Diesels.
 

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