Favourite: metallic black 1984 Audi 80 quattro. Lovely torquey 5 cylinder engine warbling through generously sized cat-free exhaust. Great traction on wet roads and very good fun in the snow. Looked a bit like a Mk5 Cortina (boxy shape with rectangular headlights) but sounded and went considerably better.
Disappointing?: Not cars I have owned myself but used to share two Metros with my Mum, an MG and a 1.0 Mayfair. Not really disappointing as I didnt buy them and didnt have any expectations of them. The MG had a broken heater, constantly squeaky suspension and constantly deflating tyres. The Mayfair never really ran properly despite many services, tune ups and carb fiddlings.
Its not fair to name my Pug 405 Mi16 here. Was a brilliant car, great engine, 160bhp in an 1100kg car, quick with great handling (better than the Audi and that had fully independant suspension).
It was disappointing on the reliability front; I bought it with my heart not my head, with 75k presumably hard-driven miles under its belt. Car cost £2500 and I spent on average £200 per month on repairs/ parts for the 2 years I owned it.
The last straw was being unable to select reverse because the gearbox was parting company with the engine (stripped alloy threads). Mechanic had two unsuccessful attempts at mending it, then it sadly had to go.
I would have loved to have owned a mint one.
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Talk about horses for courses!
I too had a Maestro - standard Diesel package. Brilliant use of space, wheels set in the 4 corners like a Mini, so internally tardis-like compared to its rival Escorts of the time. Great rumbling clatter from a rock solid engine with more ooomph than needed, and injected too, rare for those days.
Sadly, I'd be amazed if any survive long enough for classic status, given Leyland attention to chassis rust-proofing.
My first was a Hary Potter Ford Anglia with the clever automatic demisting rear concave window. Gear nob came off in my hand once - drove 60 miles home in 4th. Next came a Fiat 127, off-loaded to a boyfriend-in-law before I suffered too much. He lasted even shorter than the car probably did. Loved my BX like others here, and owned two in succession. Is the C6 an oldies version?
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Favorite: 1979 Audi 100 GL5E Auto in silver. Huge car but the kickdown was just at the right place and it actually handled extremly well. I was only about 20 years old. While all my friends had mini's or escorts I was in this and as much rubbish as they could fit to their cars to make them go faster I would wipe the floor with them. Engine was a 2.2i 5 cylinder.
I got the 84 Coupe 2.2i later but it never felt as quick.
Worst car: 2006 Fiat Multipla diesel. Actually a current car in our household. I've driven transit vans that feel more refined and avoid using it whenever possible.
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Incidentially, I had a Griff 500 and never had any problems with it.
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Disappointing? None really - and there've been quite a few over the years! Some pretty nasty - Peugeot 305 Talbot Horizon (shudder!) >>
That's funny. I have very happy memories of a Peugeot 305 petrol. Very smooth engine, and very comfortable ride in the old French way. I agree about the Horizon, though. I was almost successful in writing-off my mothers in the ice years back on the Archway Road. I don't think she ever forgave me (for NOT writing it off, that is).
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My best car was a '93 Lexus LS400, bought when 4 years old. It was comfortable, effortless and genuinely luxurious. I covered thousands of miles in it and was able to avoid many a night away in a hotel because it was such a comfortable cruiser. An honourable mention though for a '96 Cavalier SRi 5 door that I had as a loaner for a month whilst my Golf GTi was in the bodyshop.
My worst, probably a Daihatsu Fourtrak, bought for its towing ability. It was just horrible to do any distance in.
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I like all vehicles. It's a bit of a curse really. I don't think I've ever driven one with no redeeming features at all.
However, I don't enjoy diesel Transit Lutons. I've never driven a nice Fiesta, coarse little motors. And I have a deep-seated prejudice against the VW Polo.
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Lud, all cars have redeeming features.
They are the great liberators that give us freedom to do what we want, when we want, with very few ties. Which is probably why this government seems to be doing its level best to get us out of them!
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One of two favourite cars has to be Alfasud 1.5ti, quick with beautifully balanced handling and poise. A real delight to drive and very reliable. My brother had a Mk 2 Golf GTi at the same time and although it was definitely quicker than the Alfa, it was nowhere near as much fun to drive. It was the handling that really made the Alfa so good.
Another favourite car was a 1966 Mini Cooper 998 which, again, was massive fun to drive, quick in its day and with the great Mini go kart handling. Super little car and would love to have another one someday along with the Green Cloverleaf version of the Alfasud Sprint.
Worst car ever owned has to be a Rover 416i which was noisy, miserable to drive and horribly unreliable. The engines fitted to these cars were (IMHO) an absolute disgrace and should never have been put into production. Overall a useless shed of a car!
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Biggest disappointment was a Volvo! After a number of bangers I borrowed some money and brought an end of range Volvo Amazon a few years after production ceased. It looked attractive, was comfortable and a nightmare to own. It had numerous problems (mainly engine electrics, carburation and brakes). After spending a fortune (in those far off days) I sold it three months later. Next biggest was an Omega. Following on from two Carltons I had high hopes. In every respect it is totally inferior, particularly reliability (mainly electrics) and fuel consumption.
Favourite the second aforementioned Carlton. Reliable, comfortable, economical (both fuel costs and maintenance). After nearly 200k its end came when it was parked ? a sideswipe hit and run by a 4x4! Second favourite an old Rover P5 Coupe. Totally silent and not dissimilar to sitting in a gentlemen's club. With new tyres and shocks it handled quite well for its age and size. No wonder ministers hung on to them.
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The favourites are probably the Citroen ZX TD, great handling, economy and performance and the Caterham 7 Supersprint.
The most disappointing? A Porsche 911 GT3, stunningly quick, too quick to use half its performance on the road. Handling was too good to ever have any fun throwing it though a twisty section and the carbon fiber race seats were about as comfortable as a VAT inspection.
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I read often, only post occasionally
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Worst car ever owned has to be a Rover 416i which was noisy miserable to drive and horribly unreliable. The engines fitted to these cars were (IMHO) an absolute disgrace and should never have been put into production.
Eh? What era of 416 are you talking about? My brother in law had a K-plater which had a 16v (but sohc) 1.6 litre Honda unit, and it was an absolute gem of an engine. Sold it to a friend who was still using it daily until it was written off last year with nearly 170,000 miles on the clock. I went in it a few weeks before and the car itself was feeling very tired, but that engine sounded like a 20,000 miler. Absolutely no ticks, rattles or knocks, no smoke and still pulled better than some 2.0's I've been in.
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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I have to agree, Mrs P had one as a company car - a Rover 216 gti. Apart from being "undertyred" its by far one of the best cars we both enjoyed, that Honda SOHC was a rev-muncher and as smooth as anything....
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416 on a 'K' plate and the 216 GTi used the Honda engine. I suspect 'Designer' is refering to 1995 onwards 416, using the K Series.
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Favourite - a toss between a Misubishi Celeste when I was about 18 - seemingly made out of Bacofoil but when your mates were driving 10 year old Allegros, everyone wanted to ride with me. The other was my Fiesta XR2 - a bit of a joke car now but when you're 22 and someone says here's a brand new company car with bling styling, the world changed.
Disappointing - Corrado for its rubbish build quality.
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Yes the car I had was an N plate 416i with the Rover K Series engine and suffered from the usual (with these engines) cylinder head and gasket problems plus a water pump. The car was purchased in very clean condition with FSH and was just a big disappointment.
As regards the earlier Rover 216 GTi with the Honda engine, a friend of mine had one of these purchased from a friend of his in the trade for just a few hundred pounds and it was a great car. Quick, fun to drive and absolutely reliable. It was a very clean car and he only sold it when he changed jobs and was given a company car. The company car was a Peugeot 206 1.1 which was no fun at all after the Honda engined Rover!
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All Mercs,BMWs and anything Japanese in origin.
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Most Disappointing: S reg VW golf gt tdi - a merciless money pit.
Favourite: Y reg Mondeo estate that I currently have. Then again I have only owned 3 cars so my experience is limited.
When I was at Fire Service Training School I remember cutting up a few Citroen BX's. Massive plastic panels towards the rear that deformed when being cut . Strange, but I recall thinking how big the boot was in them.
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Most disappointing:- 2004 Nissan Primera P12 dCi SE. Unreliable shoddy but well equipped piece of Renault infested carp.
Favourite - 1991 Nissan Primera 2.0eZX. Immense fun, had a build and engineering intergrity sorely lacking in the above. Closely followed in the fond memory stakes by it's predecessor a 1990 G reg Sunny 1.4LS which was a wee gem.
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All Mercs BMWs and anything Japanese in origin.
The problem with sweeping statements is that they are just too hard to resist ...
Like, er, Mk1 Merc A-class or Merc Vaneo? Or Suzuki X-90 or Nissan Arna, or Nissan Cherry Coupe? I could go on ...
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"Favourite - 1991 Nissan Primera 2.0eZX. Immense fun"
I'd second that. I briefly had a '94 2.0 eGT. Such great steering and so much grip.
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Most Disappointing: A 51 plate Citroen Xsara estate HDI I picked up at auction for £3000.
Even though it had FSH and was an ex-company car it was an incredible money sink. I reckon I paid over £2000 in repairs for it in the year I had it.
I got rid of it by trading it in when I bought my new car. I no longer trusted it, so it had to go.
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"I'd second that. I briefly had a '94 2.0 eGT. Such great steering and so much grip."
My current 156 is more fun and Up there on the favourites board - but time will tell if it lives up to the eZX but 156 doesn't have it's overall bombproof feel. But what a car none the less. But the eZX is the one I keep coming back to in reference and the one car I had which I still talk about with any affection.>> Most Disappointing: A 51 plate Citroen Xsara estate HDI I picked up at auction for
" I got rid of it by trading it in when I bought my new car. I no longer trusted it so it had to go."
Know that feeling well, which is why my P12 went. Situation made worse by the incompetence of the dealer chain up here in Scotland and their inability to be trusted to repair anything correctly.
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So far the best car I've owned was the Ford Ka, simply for it's reliability in it's three years of ownership before wanted to change to a 03 reg Ford Fiesta.......
worst thing i've owned electrical problems with engine management light coming on when it wanted to
The steering would start shaking at around 70 mph
Had a big thirst for coolant as well as fuel!!!
Enough said about that.
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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