Cars you have bought but regretted?
Discussion
bennyboysvuk said:
That's funny, I did something quite similar. The VX was an attempt for me to get away from bikes, but it failed and I bought an R1 a year later. The only thing that bothered me with the VX was the lag and the low driving position meaning overtaking on a road with minor crests was nigh on impossible.
Thats because you both bought the poor mans Lotus! 
I've only had two cars disappoint me, the most recent of which was my E91 330i Auto Touring, which is being part exchanged at the end of October. However, it's main failings are:
- Understeer-led handling - This is a 255hp RWD car that wears its front tyres down faster than the rears!
- Dim-witted auto box
- Annoyingly loud gong sound from the iDrive that can't be turned down, which seems to bong about nearly everything
- If DSC is off, clicking the cruise button does nothing
Plus a load of slightly annoying little things that all add up to make me despise the car.
After the previous BMW Sports that I've owned (E30 and E36), this car was a huge let-down. Back in the late 80s and 90s, the 3-series had very throttle adjustable handling and if you were silly with the throttle in the wet you would spin. Enter the E91 330i Touring and BMW have:
- Not fitted an LSD
- Which meant that an inside wheel might spin up during cornering, so they fitted a 13mm rear anti-roll bar to ensure both tyres were planted mid-bend
- Then the car rolled alarmingly in the corners so they fitted a 26mm front ARB
- Then they fitted sloppy suspension bushes at the front so as soon as you enter a corner the suspension geometry goes out and the front outside wheel goes into positive camber.
- All of which means the front washes out into terminal understeer
My 1991 £325 Volvo 460 was a more involving car to drive!
I really, really wish I'd never bought it.
...of course it is superb on the motorway, so if you want one for that, it's great.
- Understeer-led handling - This is a 255hp RWD car that wears its front tyres down faster than the rears!
- Dim-witted auto box
- Annoyingly loud gong sound from the iDrive that can't be turned down, which seems to bong about nearly everything
- If DSC is off, clicking the cruise button does nothing
Plus a load of slightly annoying little things that all add up to make me despise the car.
After the previous BMW Sports that I've owned (E30 and E36), this car was a huge let-down. Back in the late 80s and 90s, the 3-series had very throttle adjustable handling and if you were silly with the throttle in the wet you would spin. Enter the E91 330i Touring and BMW have:
- Not fitted an LSD
- Which meant that an inside wheel might spin up during cornering, so they fitted a 13mm rear anti-roll bar to ensure both tyres were planted mid-bend
- Then the car rolled alarmingly in the corners so they fitted a 26mm front ARB
- Then they fitted sloppy suspension bushes at the front so as soon as you enter a corner the suspension geometry goes out and the front outside wheel goes into positive camber.
- All of which means the front washes out into terminal understeer
My 1991 £325 Volvo 460 was a more involving car to drive!
I really, really wish I'd never bought it.
...of course it is superb on the motorway, so if you want one for that, it's great.
Only owned 5 cars in 3 years i've been driving but the mine was an E46 330ci.
Couldn't find one single thing I liked about that car. Sound was average at best, didn't feel all that quick. Got a Ci when I really wanted a saloon and not fussed on the colour. Proper rushed in to buying something and thought the 330 was what I wanted.
All my mates were telling me how much of a nice car it is etc but I just couldn't get on with it. Sold it 6 weeks later.
The car I got after it (my current one) is all the car I could ever want. The looks, the noise, I love it all.
It's not known to be the most reliable (so far touch wood nothing has gone wrong) but I'll forgive everything because of that engine.
Couldn't find one single thing I liked about that car. Sound was average at best, didn't feel all that quick. Got a Ci when I really wanted a saloon and not fussed on the colour. Proper rushed in to buying something and thought the 330 was what I wanted.
All my mates were telling me how much of a nice car it is etc but I just couldn't get on with it. Sold it 6 weeks later.
The car I got after it (my current one) is all the car I could ever want. The looks, the noise, I love it all.
It's not known to be the most reliable (so far touch wood nothing has gone wrong) but I'll forgive everything because of that engine.
I traded an excellent MX-5 for a low mileage one year old Lotus Elise, which was a utter nail.
Within the first week the throttle stopped working. Back to the dealer on a AA truck, clam off, new throttle sensor and ECU. When it returned the new ECU/map made the rear diffuser rattle like an absolute b
d at idle. I cannot believe no-one noticed this...
Had it back for a week and the heater expired. The speed controller resistor pack inexplicably lives under the radiator in a void in the chassis that resembles a basin. If you leave the car outside this basin fills up with water, the contacts erode and the pack expires. I was told that this was a fuse by the dealer and not covered by warranty, but they'd do it as a good will gesture as in the three weeks I'd owned the car, they'd had it more than me... It's not a fking fuse! It's role is to change the voltages to the fan on the heater. Another clam off job.
Driving home from picking it up, one of the indicators popped out of the bonnet. I didn't even make it back before returning to the dealers this time.
There were other minor issues that it seems I've purged from my mind now (EDIT: just remembered that the drivers side window only went up and down with the door shut. Try to do it open and the window went down at a funny angle and jammed). But needless to say, when you took a car for a run, you shouldn't have a feeling of relief when you get back and everything still works.
The straw that broke the camels back was a tiny plastic component on the door release mechanism. I'd got back from a run, tried to open the door and nothing happened... Took the door panel off and found said broken piece of plastic. Dropped off at the dealers and they tried to charge me labour to replace it. Still under warranty at this point (only 9 months into my ownership 'experience'). I mentioned that if I knew they were going to charge me I'd have drilled the rod and shoved some lock wire through it. Their comeback was brilliant. "but that'd rattle..." I responded that the whole fking car rattles and argued that the part that had failed wasn't a wear and tear thing, just a piss poor choice of component by Lotus.
Brilliant, brilliant car to drive, when it worked. Sadly most of the time it didn't. Traded it in for a Porsche within the month and haven't looked back.
Within the first week the throttle stopped working. Back to the dealer on a AA truck, clam off, new throttle sensor and ECU. When it returned the new ECU/map made the rear diffuser rattle like an absolute b
d at idle. I cannot believe no-one noticed this...Had it back for a week and the heater expired. The speed controller resistor pack inexplicably lives under the radiator in a void in the chassis that resembles a basin. If you leave the car outside this basin fills up with water, the contacts erode and the pack expires. I was told that this was a fuse by the dealer and not covered by warranty, but they'd do it as a good will gesture as in the three weeks I'd owned the car, they'd had it more than me... It's not a f
king fuse! It's role is to change the voltages to the fan on the heater. Another clam off job.Driving home from picking it up, one of the indicators popped out of the bonnet. I didn't even make it back before returning to the dealers this time.
There were other minor issues that it seems I've purged from my mind now (EDIT: just remembered that the drivers side window only went up and down with the door shut. Try to do it open and the window went down at a funny angle and jammed). But needless to say, when you took a car for a run, you shouldn't have a feeling of relief when you get back and everything still works.
The straw that broke the camels back was a tiny plastic component on the door release mechanism. I'd got back from a run, tried to open the door and nothing happened... Took the door panel off and found said broken piece of plastic. Dropped off at the dealers and they tried to charge me labour to replace it. Still under warranty at this point (only 9 months into my ownership 'experience'). I mentioned that if I knew they were going to charge me I'd have drilled the rod and shoved some lock wire through it. Their comeback was brilliant. "but that'd rattle..." I responded that the whole f
king car rattles and argued that the part that had failed wasn't a wear and tear thing, just a piss poor choice of component by Lotus.Brilliant, brilliant car to drive, when it worked. Sadly most of the time it didn't. Traded it in for a Porsche within the month and haven't looked back.
Edited by juansolo on Wednesday 1st October 08:52
I've never regretted a car purchase because I've been disappointed by the car I ended up with. In retrospect, I've been disappointed that because I'm so impatient, when I've bought cars in the past, I've gone for the easy to source choice from my list of potentials rather than waiting for what would have been the better car. Examples:
When I bought my Civic Type-R, I'd also been looking at Integras
When I bought my 350Z, I'd also been looking at NSXs and 993s
I loved my Civic and Nissan but I should definitely have held out for a decent NSX. Now I can't afford one.
When I bought my Civic Type-R, I'd also been looking at Integras
When I bought my 350Z, I'd also been looking at NSXs and 993s
I loved my Civic and Nissan but I should definitely have held out for a decent NSX. Now I can't afford one.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff