The worst road legal car you have driven?
Discussion
Until tonight, mine was a Brand new 1.0 litre? Automatic Renault Clio with ABS that kicked in at all times.
Now it is a Knackered old fiat Panda Auto, with seriously fading brakes.
I just had to pick it up from the BBC and take it 'home'. It was being used as dressing in a show and had a wallpaper steamer left in it for hours to really steam up the car, they also sprayed anti refelctive stuff on the outside of the windows which although i wiped it, it was like grease, and it just smeared everywhere. If you put your foot hard down on the accelerator at 60mph nothing happens....
So, i was driving a Gutless, poorly braking car with a dripping wet interior with windows I couldn't see out of, at midnight, oh yeah and the fuel gauge was pointing at empty, but i wasn't going to double the value of someone elses car by putting fuel in it...
Now it is a Knackered old fiat Panda Auto, with seriously fading brakes.
I just had to pick it up from the BBC and take it 'home'. It was being used as dressing in a show and had a wallpaper steamer left in it for hours to really steam up the car, they also sprayed anti refelctive stuff on the outside of the windows which although i wiped it, it was like grease, and it just smeared everywhere. If you put your foot hard down on the accelerator at 60mph nothing happens....
So, i was driving a Gutless, poorly braking car with a dripping wet interior with windows I couldn't see out of, at midnight, oh yeah and the fuel gauge was pointing at empty, but i wasn't going to double the value of someone elses car by putting fuel in it...
In 1982 white LADA estate, taxed and mot'd got about 5 miles and the brakes went, as I had a mile or so to got took a chance, stopped it in the yard by hitting something, can't remember what.
Same year, got the last van in a rental yard, a COMMA, 3 speed gearbox, if you could find one at all, drove like a keel less boat in a storm.
But the worst has to be the Talbot Sunbeam, 66 mph top speed, downhill with a following wind and if you held the gearstick in 4th, it never came out again, HERTZ had a fleet of them.
Same year, got the last van in a rental yard, a COMMA, 3 speed gearbox, if you could find one at all, drove like a keel less boat in a storm.
But the worst has to be the Talbot Sunbeam, 66 mph top speed, downhill with a following wind and if you held the gearstick in 4th, it never came out again, HERTZ had a fleet of them.
Ahonen said:
Suzuki SJ410. Worst by miles. The whole experience was unpleasant, but the steering stood out - no reaction for the first half a turn on the wheel, then after one more degree it changed direction like the motorbikes on Tron, which kept the adrenalin levels up...
It's an offroader you muppet!
(He who has an SJ and an LJ- they are crap on the road I agree)
For mine it was a modified A35 I had, 2 door saloon, 1293 full race engine, midget disc brakes, used to pretty much go around corners on one wheel. Got the white knuckle "Shit, we're going to die" feeling at about 30 mph. I think it topped out at about 125!
unrepentant said:
Suzuki SJ410.
It's an offroader you muppet!
(He who has an SJ and an LJ- they are crap on the road I agree)
A Suzuki SJ is not an offroader. A Range Rover is an off roader. A Suzuki SJ is a toy. (You muppet).
No, that's where you're wrong, an SJ is about the best offroader you can get, a range rover is a big ponced up boat for dragging people around Chelsea, Range rovers are far too big to fit down most lanes/tight courses. The thing which has the edge on an SJ is a Steyr Puch Haflinger. But not much.
I actually couldn't think of one because awful cars can be fun in their own special kind of way. I was tempted to post Hillman Imp (that's Imp with a silent 'G', or silent 'L'). But we made our own fun with it and out of it. Ditto Renault 4.
Seat Marbella was proper shite and, reflecting on it, was much harder to find 'fun' with. So Seat Marbella then. Shite and humourless.
Seat Marbella was proper shite and, reflecting on it, was much harder to find 'fun' with. So Seat Marbella then. Shite and humourless.
viggen114 said:
In 1982 white LADA estate, taxed and mot'd got about 5 miles and the brakes went, as I had a mile or so to got took a chance, stopped it in the yard by hitting something, can't remember what.
Drove a Lada Riva in the early 80's which was a brand new car at the time...but the brakes god you'd push and push and nothing happened...nightmare car.
unrepentant said:
I drove a new Peugeot 206 belonging to HHC a while back.
TVR Centre's Fiat is worthy of mention. It's pretty dreadful but it did have virtues - it didn't seem to consume any petrol and the chances of getting a speeding ticket with it are negligible. And it sure does make you pleased to see your TVR again.
Some years back I had a minor shunt in the MG Maestro (I have no shame 
- even in hindsight) I had at the time. The "courtesy car" the AA garage gave me was a Maestro Clubman Diesel (the one with Sherpa van normally asp. engine). It was without doubt the most disgusting thing I have ever driven...
- even in hindsight) I had at the time. The "courtesy car" the AA garage gave me was a Maestro Clubman Diesel (the one with Sherpa van normally asp. engine). It was without doubt the most disgusting thing I have ever driven...05 plate 1.6 petrol disAstra automatic, the "Design" trim level. (this seems to mean revolting interior plastics)
Dire in every aspect; gear changes that would embarrass a learner, a seat that cannot be adjusted into anything resembling a comfortable driving position, interior ergonomics that would offend a Vogon, a "sport" button that just made the already intolerable road and engine noise even louder, and braking that varied between non-existent and standing the car on its nose.
Performance was comical, handling was evil, and the downshifts were like being slapped around the head with a wet kipper.
Oh, and the kickdown was pointless, too; see the "sport" button for a suitable description of what happens.
Dire in every aspect; gear changes that would embarrass a learner, a seat that cannot be adjusted into anything resembling a comfortable driving position, interior ergonomics that would offend a Vogon, a "sport" button that just made the already intolerable road and engine noise even louder, and braking that varied between non-existent and standing the car on its nose.
Performance was comical, handling was evil, and the downshifts were like being slapped around the head with a wet kipper.
Oh, and the kickdown was pointless, too; see the "sport" button for a suitable description of what happens.
Delivery mileage '01 Vauxhall Vectra I had as a courtesy car. I can honestly not believe that the engineers at Luton could ever have sat down, looked at the data and said "Yep, that's a finished car, we can sign it off now". Surely one of them must have driven it and realised just how crap it was...
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