Worst car I have ever driven....
Discussion
For me would have to be a Passat 1.8 the better half had as her co. biffabout for a few months. Got to the stage I refused to drive it, preferring my 1.8 Almera every time (which itself was no ball of fire but not a bad wee car). Wheezy, asthmatic engine, gearbox felt like a stick stirring thick porage, and jeez that steering! Turning the wheels yielded results eventually, but I suspect laden tankers respond quicker. You had to turn the wheel in advance of a corner to get round it safely. Then the ride was like being on a half filled water bed........ I shudder when I think back to it.
By contrast the A4 that replaced it managed to ride as though it was on concrete struts while at the same time handling like a drunk bambi on roller skates. Insomniacs cure and to this day don't know what all the fuss is about.....................
By contrast the A4 that replaced it managed to ride as though it was on concrete struts while at the same time handling like a drunk bambi on roller skates. Insomniacs cure and to this day don't know what all the fuss is about.....................
CoolHands said:
should have gone for the note! I've got one & I like it. Seats are comfy.
I know someone who had a Note as a hire car and said pretty much the same things the OP is saying about the Corsa, including complaining about the seats. I'm very happy with mine though.Worst car I have ever driven was a 2005ish Vectra estate, not because it was incompetent in any measurable way, but because the car seemed to have been designed and built from 100% pure apathy.
Chrysler Sebring.
Had one as a rental, when I returned it I told them the suspension must be broken as it did not feel right at all, just floated all over the place. I was scared driving it at 60 on the highway.
Was told, nope, they are all like that.
Googled it afterwards, and it returned "worst car ever", according to Clarkson's review.
Had one as a rental, when I returned it I told them the suspension must be broken as it did not feel right at all, just floated all over the place. I was scared driving it at 60 on the highway.
Was told, nope, they are all like that.
Googled it afterwards, and it returned "worst car ever", according to Clarkson's review.
Recently, a rented auto Hyundai Tucson here in Singapore. Had to drive it to Kuala Lumpur and back - 700 km of very fast highway.
Specifically at fault - its drivetrain. There must have been a 2 second delay between applying the throttle and getting a genuine response if you take into account the gearboxes glacial kick down. The other big problem with it was the horrendous choice of gear ratios - you could lose an airbus a380 in the gap between 3rd and 4th gear (only 4 speed). At 70 mph it would either be screaming its head off, or slowly but surely falling 'off cam' in top gear and then... oh yes, back to screaming in vain again.
Strangely, and just as disappointing (in relation to what it cost daily) was the Golf R I hired from Avis prestige for a couple of days of 'fun' on a home visit.
Very poor boost response, serious tendency to understeer and a very synthesized engine note. There was no way of pulling away from a standstill snappily as you were hamstrung by the DSG - yes you could use 'launch' control, but that involved a couple of button presses, holding the brake and accelerator together and just wasn't practical. It was a nice place to be, but by my seat-of-the-pants dyno, it felt no faster than my mates standard mk6 Golf GTi, just heavier and laggier. My old Evo FQ300 with only 30 bhp more would have ABSOLUTELY torn it a new one in a straight line - in fact I think my standard Fiat Coupe 20 VT would have been at least as quick.
Specifically at fault - its drivetrain. There must have been a 2 second delay between applying the throttle and getting a genuine response if you take into account the gearboxes glacial kick down. The other big problem with it was the horrendous choice of gear ratios - you could lose an airbus a380 in the gap between 3rd and 4th gear (only 4 speed). At 70 mph it would either be screaming its head off, or slowly but surely falling 'off cam' in top gear and then... oh yes, back to screaming in vain again.
Strangely, and just as disappointing (in relation to what it cost daily) was the Golf R I hired from Avis prestige for a couple of days of 'fun' on a home visit.
Very poor boost response, serious tendency to understeer and a very synthesized engine note. There was no way of pulling away from a standstill snappily as you were hamstrung by the DSG - yes you could use 'launch' control, but that involved a couple of button presses, holding the brake and accelerator together and just wasn't practical. It was a nice place to be, but by my seat-of-the-pants dyno, it felt no faster than my mates standard mk6 Golf GTi, just heavier and laggier. My old Evo FQ300 with only 30 bhp more would have ABSOLUTELY torn it a new one in a straight line - in fact I think my standard Fiat Coupe 20 VT would have been at least as quick.
TallbutBuxomly said:
otolith said:
AJordan said:
I think its just rather fasionable at the moment to hate the corsa.
No, it's stylish to hate the Corsa - fashionable implies that it's going to go out of fashion.
t, hence why criticising it isn't "fashionable".Now I think about it, this...thing:
The most simultaneously uninvolving and unrefined (considering its era and price) car I've ever driven.
The latest BMW 1-series comes close for sheer frustration (nothing seemed to do what you wanted it to and everything simple and straightforward had been made pointlessly complicated and adjustable), but that Smart really takes the biscuit. I hope I never have to drive one again.
The most simultaneously uninvolving and unrefined (considering its era and price) car I've ever driven.
The latest BMW 1-series comes close for sheer frustration (nothing seemed to do what you wanted it to and everything simple and straightforward had been made pointlessly complicated and adjustable), but that Smart really takes the biscuit. I hope I never have to drive one again.
Renault Clio - hateful things, the gear lever would be like porridge except that porridge would offer more resistance and steering with absolutely no feel. Not to mention the fact that they are constantly broken in some way.
106 gti - like st off a shovel and great fun, but the pedal position is horrible with them too close together and offset towards the middle of the car
106 gti - like s
t off a shovel and great fun, but the pedal position is horrible with them too close together and offset towards the middle of the carDaewoo/Chevrolet Matiz. The 'pedals' seem to be mounted to the floor and behave more like switches. The steering is so light you could probably spin it lock-to-lock like an old Sega arcade game which is out of coins. The gearbox feels as though it is being lubricated with lego blocks.
Twincam16 said:
Now I think about it, this...thing:
The most simultaneously uninvolving and unrefined (considering its era and price) car I've ever driven.
The latest BMW 1-series comes close for sheer frustration (nothing seemed to do what you wanted it to and everything simple and straightforward had been made pointlessly complicated and adjustable), but that Smart really takes the biscuit. I hope I never have to drive one again.
Compared to a Corsa of the same vintage, they were a million times betterThe most simultaneously uninvolving and unrefined (considering its era and price) car I've ever driven.
The latest BMW 1-series comes close for sheer frustration (nothing seemed to do what you wanted it to and everything simple and straightforward had been made pointlessly complicated and adjustable), but that Smart really takes the biscuit. I hope I never have to drive one again.
lbc said:
A Corsa and Honda Jazz are the worst for me, and both were rentals or loan cars.
I was surprised the Honda Jazz was so bad, as when you read some magazines it gets good reviews,
so maybe it is only purchased by people over 60 that never drive over 30mph.
My main issue with the Honda is it was very noisy and handled like a boat.
The Corsa was just very slow with not enough power to overtake anything.
The basic Jazz is kind of boat like, but the Sport model has a completely different suspension setup and the handling is great. I love flinging it down a B-road. I was surprised the Honda Jazz was so bad, as when you read some magazines it gets good reviews,
so maybe it is only purchased by people over 60 that never drive over 30mph.
My main issue with the Honda is it was very noisy and handled like a boat.
The Corsa was just very slow with not enough power to overtake anything.
ohtari said:
Which year? The ones I drove where 01/02 1.7 DI engines, so all of 64hp monotony. People talk about 75hp saloons being dangerously slow. Trust me, this was something else! At least I managed to kill one, because if the accident didn't write it off, the resultant fire certainly did!!! 
07. It's the 110hp one, if I remember right. First time I drove it, a greasy day, I had the boss in the passenger seat and I came off the greasy roundabout where the A421 meets the A43 (Left - Banbury, Right - Brackley, 2nd exit - Aynho) at about 5000 rpm in 2nd gear with about 10mph of forward motion, because I was so used to driving the 1.2 Corsa...That was fun.
And the audio system on it is quite bearable, which helps, as unfortunately it is stuck with Corsa seats but with rock hard plastic headrests instead of nice ones that you'd want to rest your head upon...
The last few weekends I have had the misfortune of winning an new Astra via the hire car lottery at work. 1.4 petrol,it claims to be an SRi too! I thought the first one was broken as it wouldn't make 70 on any kind of hill and barely made it on the flat,I mentioned this to the hire car place and they said they would check it. I have 2 more and they are all the same,very thirsty too. The handling can only be decribed as vague and wallowy. The blindspot caused by the bizarre placement of the A pillar/quarter light is awful-this could also be down to the dash top being huge. The distance from the base of the windscreen to the drivers seat back is such that if my 206 gti work shed was the same I would be sat in the back!
Awful,awful car and I can't imagine anyone other than hire companies would buy one. Vauxhall really have lost the plot, I have had a few over the years:
Corsa B Sri 16v
Cavalier Sri/Gsi 4x4/Turbo
Vectra Sri
All good cars,fast and fun (the Corsa was a bit sh*t but I was 18 and loved it)!
I wouldn't buy a single car in the line up now.
Awful,awful car and I can't imagine anyone other than hire companies would buy one. Vauxhall really have lost the plot, I have had a few over the years:
Corsa B Sri 16v
Cavalier Sri/Gsi 4x4/Turbo
Vectra Sri
All good cars,fast and fun (the Corsa was a bit sh*t but I was 18 and loved it)!
I wouldn't buy a single car in the line up now.
StefV said:
Chrysler Sebring.
Had one as a rental, when I returned it I told them the suspension must be broken as it did not feel right at all, just floated all over the place. I was scared driving it at 60 on the highway.
Was told, nope, they are all like that.
Googled it afterwards, and it returned "worst car ever", according to Clarkson's review.
Had one as a rental, when I returned it I told them the suspension must be broken as it did not feel right at all, just floated all over the place. I was scared driving it at 60 on the highway.
Was told, nope, they are all like that.
Googled it afterwards, and it returned "worst car ever", according to Clarkson's review.
Worst auto box ever, wobbles under any braking and the naffest interior... But fond memories due to the epic trip I did in it.
The worst car I've ever driven honour goes to a mk2 Ford Fiesta Popular Plus 950cc. It was quite old at the time but it pretty much wouldn't go, wouldn't stop, horribly noisy and woeful gearbox. I can't see that a modern car like a 2012 Corsa wouldn't have improved on that!
Not too bad in the grand scheme of things but a Mazda Demio (looks like a Postman Pat van). Narrow tyres (165 I think?) and comically light steering made it feel like it was aquaplaning all the time, only daft amount of body roll told you it actually had grip. Engine and brakes weren’t bad though.
My brother took it to the 'ring after the snorter he bought for the trip decided to slip it’s handbrake roll down a hill into two of the neighbours cars just before the trip.
My brother took it to the 'ring after the snorter he bought for the trip decided to slip it’s handbrake roll down a hill into two of the neighbours cars just before the trip.
Well I dumped the corsa last night (back at the hire company though should have set fire to the hateful thing).
Picked up new car today and was given a free upgrade so now swanning around in a Qashqai. Very nice piece of kit if honest. Best bit is its costing me less per day than the corsa was.
Picked up new car today and was given a free upgrade so now swanning around in a Qashqai. Very nice piece of kit if honest. Best bit is its costing me less per day than the corsa was.
McAndy said:
FIAT Grande Punto 1.2. So slow it was dangerous.
Ahh yes, I had one as a hire car for a week. 4 up I had to put it into 1st AND slip the clutch to get up some of the inclines in the village I was living in. If it wasn't at maximum power, the car would slow down and roll backwards (hence riding the clutch).Horrendously underpowered but otherwise I found it quite likeable.
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