What is the most nicely surprising car you've driven.
Discussion
KarlMac said:
1.0 3 cylinder VW Up. Nasty cheap interior but was a hoot to sling around. So little power you couldn't get in trouble but the engine had loads of character.
I really wanted to hate this car when my wife declared she was going to look at one.I was surprised in almost every way - no power, however it's very easy to steer on the throttle, very chuckable for a modern hatch (they weigh very little, which I'm sure is the key), well screwed together and will sit at motorway speed and still allow passengers to have a conversation without raising their voices.
All that and it does 55mpg day in, day out and cost us £10k new (with free insurance for a year and free servicing for 3 years).
Frankly, as a day-to-day snotter, I can't think of anything better. It even sounds like a miniature Porsche flat-six when thrashed.
C63 AMG, in all seriousness i expected a car the antithesis of what i love in a performance car, but it was all surprisingly lovely.
i could even put up with the woeful delay on up-shifts for the fact that you just never need to use manual as the autobox is so accomplished.
& the noise! oh the noise
big V8s have never been my thing but what an engine.
added to all that, a lovely interior, almost discreet looks (well, it looks like any other 2.0CDTi with AMG "sport" body-kit) & i think i could happily bimble about in one until shell reposes my house
i could even put up with the woeful delay on up-shifts for the fact that you just never need to use manual as the autobox is so accomplished.
& the noise! oh the noise
big V8s have never been my thing but what an engine.added to all that, a lovely interior, almost discreet looks (well, it looks like any other 2.0CDTi with AMG "sport" body-kit) & i think i could happily bimble about in one until shell reposes my house
Mark Benson said:
I really wanted to hate this car when my wife declared she was going to look at one.
I was surprised in almost every way - no power, however it's very easy to steer on the throttle, very chuckable for a modern hatch (they weigh very little, which I'm sure is the key), well screwed together and will sit at motorway speed and still allow passengers to have a conversation without raising their voices.
All that and it does 55mpg day in, day out and cost us £10k new (with free insurance for a year and free servicing for 3 years).
Frankly, as a day-to-day snotter, I can't think of anything better. It even sounds like a miniature Porsche flat-six when thrashed.
Had ours two years now and it's great. Will be rather sad to see it go next year. I was surprised in almost every way - no power, however it's very easy to steer on the throttle, very chuckable for a modern hatch (they weigh very little, which I'm sure is the key), well screwed together and will sit at motorway speed and still allow passengers to have a conversation without raising their voices.
All that and it does 55mpg day in, day out and cost us £10k new (with free insurance for a year and free servicing for 3 years).
Frankly, as a day-to-day snotter, I can't think of anything better. It even sounds like a miniature Porsche flat-six when thrashed.
Another vote for the original Ford Ka, I was given one as a courtesy Ka when I took my Mk1 Focus RS in for a service. Once I'd gotten over the shame of driving it I was pleasantly surprised. Ok, so the engine was gutless but once wound up it was an absolute hoot, roundabouts could be taken flat-out! Reminded me very much of how an original Mini drove tbh.
Xtriple129 said:
Citroen 2CV.
Years ago I was experiencing another of my periodic financial embarrasments and bought one for £120...
If necessity is the mother of invention, poverty is the discovery of welcome characteristics in unlikely cars.Years ago I was experiencing another of my periodic financial embarrasments and bought one for £120...
In my finacial disaster three or four years ago I traded down and down until I bought an S reg Mondeo Tdi with fairly big miles and no history for £550. My word it was scruffy. But, I quickly discovered, in its unpretentious way, it did everything I asked without complaint and would bang along at 70 to 80 and was warm, dry and had comfortable seats. Everything worked and it gave good mpg. It handled well, had good roadholding and was completely invisble. No one was going to nick it or vandalise it. And it had the sweetest gearchange; much better than the A4 that replaced it. And it cost next to nothing to maintain.
It was so good, in fact, I wondered about acquiring one a bit higher up the range at some time or even a "loosely based on the Mondeo" X-type Jag.
S1_RS said:
Another vote for the original Ford Ka, I was given one as a courtesy Ka when I took my Mk1 Focus RS in for a service. Once I'd gotten over the shame of driving it I was pleasantly surprised. Ok, so the engine was gutless but once wound up it was an absolute hoot, roundabouts could be taken flat-out! Reminded me very much of how an original Mini drove tbh.
I was also given a Ka (bright yellow!) as a courtesy car when my Mk1 Focus RS was being serviced.Found it great fun on the country roads.
Suzuki SJ410, they have a stupid amount of off road ability as standard. Drift ok too on knobblies 
I don't understand all these comments about '02-'08 Fiestas, we had a 1.25 until recently & it was utterly s
te. Didn't handle, didn't go, uncomfy, noisy & crap visibility. Only thing it had going for it was it didn't use much fuel. Oh & no it wasn't knackered, Mrs Hooli had it from new & we got rid at 24k.
I don't understand all these comments about '02-'08 Fiestas, we had a 1.25 until recently & it was utterly s
te. Didn't handle, didn't go, uncomfy, noisy & crap visibility. Only thing it had going for it was it didn't use much fuel. Oh & no it wasn't knackered, Mrs Hooli had it from new & we got rid at 24k.Cadillac SRX crossover/SUV/4wd-type thing that I've got as a rental car this week in California. Probably not the most surprising, and TBH I can't really think what was, but certainly a lot better than I was expecting
Pity it's not a V8, but it's got a decent turn of speed for a big bus due to its 308bhp 3.6L V6. Plus it's damn comfy for tooling around the place in, and things like blind-spot warnings and heated steering wheel are nice novelties for a week before I get a chance to become bored and moan about them
Now if only I could figure out the hi-fi as I've had enough of hearing about bee-atches and hoes to do me for a while
Pity it's not a V8, but it's got a decent turn of speed for a big bus due to its 308bhp 3.6L V6. Plus it's damn comfy for tooling around the place in, and things like blind-spot warnings and heated steering wheel are nice novelties for a week before I get a chance to become bored and moan about them
Now if only I could figure out the hi-fi as I've had enough of hearing about bee-atches and hoes to do me for a while
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff