[jacamar]

We're on to our third Subaru Forester - we still like them but each successive one has been less distinctive/"quirky" than the last. Now I have trouble telling ours from the other mid-size SUVs in the parking lot. But it is interesting how many Pentax owners also drive Subarus - basic reliability and slightly off mainstream has to have a lot to do with it.

[TER-OR]

Indian Motorcycle?
A brand languishing in the dustbin, bought by Polaris and now producing some great bikes.

No, I don't have a motorcycle. I don't trust myself on one. Same with a fast car, they'd cost me too much.

[Des]

"small market share,"?
You haven't been to europe recently.... this is one of the most popular brands, at least since it was bought out by VW a longer while ago (10+ years?).

Skoda European sales figures - 4.34% is still pretty small. That's roughly Pentax's share of the DSLR market in Japan,its strongest market: Japan Has Spoken: Canon Dominates, Sony Dethrones Olympus And Nikon Stutter - DIY Photography
Small enough to think you are getting something unusual. (In Australia, each is a very special club.)

I'll lay money on it being a hint that there's more codgers here than you'll meet in the average juice bar, per capita

Watch what you say young fella. When I were a lad, young folks had more respect. Juice bars?? Really, young people today ..... [drones on]

Among car enthusiasts I consider the Subies more like Nikons.

No, I reckon they are Sony. Big industrial conglomerate (Fuji Heavy Industries), behind other Japanese maket leaders (Toyota & Honda/Canon & Nikon), reliable, but dull and bland.

each successive one has been less distinctive/"quirky" than the last. Now I have trouble telling ours from the other mid-size SUVs

There you go, this from an owner.

Land Rover, like Pentax, are innovative and technology they develop or lead with is eventually used by others, e.g., coil suspension, airbags in a 4WD, 4-wheel disc brakes, Hill Descent Control, Terrain Response.

But - let me try to put this gently - LRs are not renowned for their reliability.;-)

I saw a review of a Discovery once that described it as "Just the thing for a walk in the bush". (Because that was how you were going to get home.)

Perfect - never heard of them.

Skoda had a stroke of marketing genius, in sponsoring the Tour de France. That's given them brand recognition in a lot of markets (not the US it seems).

In Australia it was actually *Volvo* owners who had that reputation.

And in another stroke of marketing genius, Volvo Australia used that stereotype as a basis for an ad campaign:

You Tube

You Tube

(Search "Bloody Volvo driver" in YouTube for the other 4. They are funny.)

---------- Post added 05-27-16 at 08:50 AM ----------

Not Trabant

Well at least some good lenses came out of the GDR.

There is a funny episode of "TopGear" where Clarkson compared a Trabant with a Morris Marina which he said were both from Communist factories.

[p38arover]

We are on our third Forester.

Land Rover like Pentax are addictive. I'm on my 5th Range Rover (I had my last one for 13 years. 2002-2015) and I've had a 110, Discovery, and a '63 Series IIA.

Look at my signature for Pentax although my first, a Spotmatic in 1968, is missing (stolen). It was unreliable and would lock up. It went back the the Australian agents several times.

My Q has been back to Japan after locking up, my K-7 went back to have a fix for a thin green line through images.

---

Last edited by p38arover; 05-26-2016 at 06:13 PM.

[RobA_Oz]

Watch what you say young fella. When I were a lad, young folks had more respect. Juice bars?? Really, young people today ..... [drones on]

Who you calling a young fella? When I were lad, my dad drove a Rover 75, then a twin-spinner Customline. Respect? Ha! I hear you can buy that on the Internet...

[Des]

Having driven plenty of Hyundais, I couldn't disagree more strongly. Where's the equivalent of pixel shift, for instance? Hyundai vehicles are built to a price, using features other manufacturers have brought to market and offer no advance in motoring in any form, sorry.

Yes I used to own a Hyundai Excel and have no sentimental feelings at all about it. It was just a car.

One strong memory of the Excel was putting an injured koala (he had been hit by a car) in the passenger footwell. My partner put her feet on the dashboard as we took the koala to a vet. There was no room for it anywhere else. But I digress.

[p38arover]

Indian Motorcycle?
A brand languishing in the dustbin, bought by Polaris and now producing some great bikes.

Nah. At least a Pentax is attractive and desirable.

(I ride a 2007 Yamaha XJR1300)

[beachgardener]

what ever it is, it has gotta be a ute

[gaweidert]

Well for me it is a Ford Edge. Awesome traveling vehicle. Very comfortable and great support for my back. My longest stretch is from Las Vegas, Nevada to my home in western NY in three days, About 2,500 miles (4000 Km). My longest day in it covered about 1,000 miles.

Sadly, I would like to say a new Ford Shelby Mustang but I don't fold and unfold as well as I used too. Awesome driving position once in the car. And the 1,000 mile day would only be about 7.5 hours of driving at cruising speed barring any legal issues I may encounter along the way.

[snpsht]

I had my first Pentax (Spotmatic) as a young 'un in about 1971 and my first Subaru (an ugly little yellowish wagon) in 1976.

Have had Subies ever since, and when I got into photography after a long break, it was Pentax that fitted.

So Subies and Pentax for me!

(but yes, Subies have become a lot less quirky than they used to be)