Cars you have bought but regretted?
Discussion
Mk2 XR2 - not a patch on the Mk1 it replaced, soggy, bloated, horrible CVH engine.
Audi A4 1.8 - 3 years old, gutless engine, immobiliser problems, expensive repairs to prematurely worn suspension, VAG customer service appalling, a big disappointment after two superb Audi 80s.
BMW E30 320i Touring - thirsty, slow, inflexible engine, far from the ultimate driving machine.
I've bought cars knowing they would be rubbish drivers, that's not an issue but the above three did not live up to the hype or my expectations, the A4 remains the only car to leave me stranded in over 30 yrs motoring.
Audi A4 1.8 - 3 years old, gutless engine, immobiliser problems, expensive repairs to prematurely worn suspension, VAG customer service appalling, a big disappointment after two superb Audi 80s.
BMW E30 320i Touring - thirsty, slow, inflexible engine, far from the ultimate driving machine.
I've bought cars knowing they would be rubbish drivers, that's not an issue but the above three did not live up to the hype or my expectations, the A4 remains the only car to leave me stranded in over 30 yrs motoring.
bluenosewrx said:
Went from a RS4 B7 to a Megane R26 F1 Team, totally regretted it from about a week in, just did not have trust in the car at high speed corners etc.
also my current Range rover evouque is nice and feels good inside etc i miss the big engine of a RS4 or even a C63 next, i only do about 4k a year at the moment.
Nice. Any pics of the fleet?also my current Range rover evouque is nice and feels good inside etc i miss the big engine of a RS4 or even a C63 next, i only do about 4k a year at the moment.
R53 Mini JCW . Bouncy, didn't feel safe over 80 mph, fiddly to fix, power steering failure, sump gasket leaks. Wife wanted one. Lasted 18 months, said she wouldn't get another. Supercharger whine was great and er.... that's about it.........
Lotus Elise 111S. Yes,people may say, 'What? a real driver cars' Well, it didn't really feel great. Expensive twin cambelt service with rear tyres , was over a grand including geo. its a f
king K series !!. Cheap ( well not really) plastics. Bubbling paint, Seized bolts, Easier to get into a matchbox. Less driver dynamics, my Westfield just drover better. Crazy prices for spares, worry on HGF, just glad I didn't keep it. Went to France and got the same money for it 2years after I got it.
TVR S series 3. Wanted to scratch the TVR itch. There is no worse build quality than this. Leaky fuel tank, chassis rust, rough 2.9 ford lump, no power steering, means arms like popeye, iffy handling .Generally just a dog.
Normal cars now. Honda Accord CTDi Tourer................ Just sooooo poxy bland. Almost considered therapy to prevent taking my life, it was that dull. Never did decent mpg. My V6 Tdi Audi remapped did much better, but kept breaking, so the Accord was its 'reliable' replacement. Clutch failed at 24k miles. Changed by Honda under warranty, as a faulty master cylinder, caused the slave to make it slip the clutch and kill it over time. At least 12 replacement wheels for corrosion, lots of arguments with Honda. Electric boot lid jammed, while I am stood outside Wickes with a load of planks of wood. Honda wanted 2 hrs at £120 to diagnose. Potential £2.5 k bill to fix the bootlid FFS.
Sold it, as sick of electronics and bought a Focus ST Mountuned it, and my smile came back. 5 years later and now 300 bhp, its tucked away in the garage for sunny days , love it.
Lotus Elise 111S. Yes,people may say, 'What? a real driver cars' Well, it didn't really feel great. Expensive twin cambelt service with rear tyres , was over a grand including geo. its a f
king K series !!. Cheap ( well not really) plastics. Bubbling paint, Seized bolts, Easier to get into a matchbox. Less driver dynamics, my Westfield just drover better. Crazy prices for spares, worry on HGF, just glad I didn't keep it. Went to France and got the same money for it 2years after I got it.TVR S series 3. Wanted to scratch the TVR itch. There is no worse build quality than this. Leaky fuel tank, chassis rust, rough 2.9 ford lump, no power steering, means arms like popeye, iffy handling .Generally just a dog.
Normal cars now. Honda Accord CTDi Tourer................ Just sooooo poxy bland. Almost considered therapy to prevent taking my life, it was that dull. Never did decent mpg. My V6 Tdi Audi remapped did much better, but kept breaking, so the Accord was its 'reliable' replacement. Clutch failed at 24k miles. Changed by Honda under warranty, as a faulty master cylinder, caused the slave to make it slip the clutch and kill it over time. At least 12 replacement wheels for corrosion, lots of arguments with Honda. Electric boot lid jammed, while I am stood outside Wickes with a load of planks of wood. Honda wanted 2 hrs at £120 to diagnose. Potential £2.5 k bill to fix the bootlid FFS.
Sold it, as sick of electronics and bought a Focus ST Mountuned it, and my smile came back. 5 years later and now 300 bhp, its tucked away in the garage for sunny days , love it.
Justin S said:
R53 Mini JCW . Bouncy, didn't feel safe over 80 mph, fiddly to fix, power steering failure, sump gasket leaks. Wife wanted one. Lasted 18 months, said she wouldn't get another. Supercharger whine was great and er.... that's about it.........
Lotus Elise 111S. Yes,people may say, 'What? a real driver cars' Well, it didn't really feel great. Expensive twin cambelt service with rear tyres , was over a grand including geo. its a fking K series !!. Cheap ( well not really) plastics. Bubbling paint, Seized bolts, Easier to get into a matchbox. Less driver dynamics, my Westfield just drover better. Crazy prices for spares, worry on HGF, just glad I didn't keep it. Went to France and got the same money for it 2years after I got it.
TVR S series 3. Wanted to scratch the TVR itch. There is no worse build quality than this. Leaky fuel tank, chassis rust, rough 2.9 ford lump, no power steering, means arms like popeye, iffy handling .Generally just a dog.
Normal cars now. Honda Accord CTDi Tourer................ Just sooooo poxy bland. Almost considered therapy to prevent taking my life, it was that dull. Never did decent mpg. My V6 Tdi Audi remapped did much better, but kept breaking, so the Accord was its 'reliable' replacement. Clutch failed at 24k miles. Changed by Honda under warranty, as a faulty master cylinder, caused the slave to make it slip the clutch and kill it over time. At least 12 replacement wheels for corrosion, lots of arguments with Honda. Electric boot lid jammed, while I am stood outside Wickes with a load of planks of wood. Honda wanted 2 hrs at £120 to diagnose. Potential £2.5 k bill to fix the bootlid FFS.
Sold it, as sick of electronics and bought a Focus ST Mountuned it, and my smile came back. 5 years later and now 300 bhp, its tucked away in the garage for sunny days , love it.
I am not a small guy (6ft 2)and can quite easily get in and out of the elise. Can only assume you are festively plump.Lotus Elise 111S. Yes,people may say, 'What? a real driver cars' Well, it didn't really feel great. Expensive twin cambelt service with rear tyres , was over a grand including geo. its a f
king K series !!. Cheap ( well not really) plastics. Bubbling paint, Seized bolts, Easier to get into a matchbox. Less driver dynamics, my Westfield just drover better. Crazy prices for spares, worry on HGF, just glad I didn't keep it. Went to France and got the same money for it 2years after I got it.TVR S series 3. Wanted to scratch the TVR itch. There is no worse build quality than this. Leaky fuel tank, chassis rust, rough 2.9 ford lump, no power steering, means arms like popeye, iffy handling .Generally just a dog.
Normal cars now. Honda Accord CTDi Tourer................ Just sooooo poxy bland. Almost considered therapy to prevent taking my life, it was that dull. Never did decent mpg. My V6 Tdi Audi remapped did much better, but kept breaking, so the Accord was its 'reliable' replacement. Clutch failed at 24k miles. Changed by Honda under warranty, as a faulty master cylinder, caused the slave to make it slip the clutch and kill it over time. At least 12 replacement wheels for corrosion, lots of arguments with Honda. Electric boot lid jammed, while I am stood outside Wickes with a load of planks of wood. Honda wanted 2 hrs at £120 to diagnose. Potential £2.5 k bill to fix the bootlid FFS.
Sold it, as sick of electronics and bought a Focus ST Mountuned it, and my smile came back. 5 years later and now 300 bhp, its tucked away in the garage for sunny days , love it.
Did you take it on track?
How long ya got ?
Merc 123 series 240D
Near mint and rare bits fitted from the factory like leather , spoiler and amg`s , Brought off my sister ( the vile piece of shyite ) and i got all off 1/3 mile before the slave cylinder went , yep ever rarer a manual. Everything that could go wrong did and when it started miss firing i had enough and weighed it in. Slow , gutless , uncomfortable and VERY VERY VERY over rated by people here. It did not go on forever , it did break ALOT
Ren 19 convertible
minutes before the head gasket went bye bye , bye bye ren 19 and your pwitty roof
Mits GTO
Shoutty , loud , 320 fun brake of unusable power , bye bye big end , 10 mpg !!!
Bmw 740 , 535i etc etc , perpetually needing elecs sorting , there does not exist a thing such as a cheap BMW given if its cheap it needs 2 grand spending on it and for this you get sayyyy a window regulator , run , run fast , do not look back
Merc 123 series 240D
Near mint and rare bits fitted from the factory like leather , spoiler and amg`s , Brought off my sister ( the vile piece of shyite ) and i got all off 1/3 mile before the slave cylinder went , yep ever rarer a manual. Everything that could go wrong did and when it started miss firing i had enough and weighed it in. Slow , gutless , uncomfortable and VERY VERY VERY over rated by people here. It did not go on forever , it did break ALOT
Ren 19 convertible
minutes before the head gasket went bye bye , bye bye ren 19 and your pwitty roof
Mits GTO
Shoutty , loud , 320 fun brake of unusable power , bye bye big end , 10 mpg !!!
Bmw 740 , 535i etc etc , perpetually needing elecs sorting , there does not exist a thing such as a cheap BMW given if its cheap it needs 2 grand spending on it and for this you get sayyyy a window regulator , run , run fast , do not look back
Generally all the cars I've had have done the job they were intended for without too much disappointment. I have no luck with reliability and something always breaks, so I never get disappointed on that front.
The only car I truly regret is a Ford Cougar 2.0. Looked pretty sharp at the time but it was slow, uncomfortable, awful handling and snapped the cam belt well before it was scheduled for replacement. Oh and it lost a load in depreciation as well. What a mistake.
The only car I truly regret is a Ford Cougar 2.0. Looked pretty sharp at the time but it was slow, uncomfortable, awful handling and snapped the cam belt well before it was scheduled for replacement. Oh and it lost a load in depreciation as well. What a mistake.
Biggest regret, Fiat Coupe turbo, sold a perfectly decent Mondeo to get it, bought from a local dealer of performance cars, should have run away when I went to pick it up and it had a flat tyre, the gearknob was missing and there was absolutely no fuel in it. The engine had been run short of oil, I couldn't really afford it and I had to tell my wife it had major issues, not a conversation I wanted to repeat, made two grand on the Mondeo which I got very cheap, then lost the same grand flogging the Fiat at a loss to a guy who though it was just the turbo, but ended up doing a full rebuild.
Rover BRM, ace little car but the HG went, should have know, it had been done so I though I was ok, sold for spares/repair, lad came down from Scotland with a Rover 214 and a car trailer, got to Manchester, picked the car up, had a pee, turned round and went back !
Metro GTI, bought a right shed, rust, knackered radius arms, but strangely, the only K series I couldnt kill despite a massive effort to put it out of my misery.
Golf MK3, did us well but 12 grand for a new 1.8 one that was duller than eating dog biscuits.
Porsche 944, no real regrets but it was quite a big pain in the arse for a while despite huge efforts to bring it back to the straight and narrow, gave up after it stranded me in an Aldi car park, sold it for a little more than I bought it for.
Capri 1.6 Laser, my dad got it me whilst I was away working in America on a summer camp, was looking forward to it, a really nice E reg one in silver but it didnt last long, sooooo sllllllooooooowww, especially as I had sold a MK1 Golf 1.6 GTI that made me realise how far things had moved on since the Capri.
Mk2 Golf GTI, suspension so low it hurt to drive it, an engine that had lost all its "GT" and most of its "i", and interiors disintegrating as it mouldered due to leaky door seals, hateful POS, showed me the difference there can be between a good example and a ropey one.
Rover BRM, ace little car but the HG went, should have know, it had been done so I though I was ok, sold for spares/repair, lad came down from Scotland with a Rover 214 and a car trailer, got to Manchester, picked the car up, had a pee, turned round and went back !
Metro GTI, bought a right shed, rust, knackered radius arms, but strangely, the only K series I couldnt kill despite a massive effort to put it out of my misery.
Golf MK3, did us well but 12 grand for a new 1.8 one that was duller than eating dog biscuits.
Porsche 944, no real regrets but it was quite a big pain in the arse for a while despite huge efforts to bring it back to the straight and narrow, gave up after it stranded me in an Aldi car park, sold it for a little more than I bought it for.
Capri 1.6 Laser, my dad got it me whilst I was away working in America on a summer camp, was looking forward to it, a really nice E reg one in silver but it didnt last long, sooooo sllllllooooooowww, especially as I had sold a MK1 Golf 1.6 GTI that made me realise how far things had moved on since the Capri.
Mk2 Golf GTI, suspension so low it hurt to drive it, an engine that had lost all its "GT" and most of its "i", and interiors disintegrating as it mouldered due to leaky door seals, hateful POS, showed me the difference there can be between a good example and a ropey one.
StuntmanMike said:
Morningside said:
For some odd reason I was persuaded to swap my V8 SD1 for a Maestro.
What an utter utter pile of crap. Kept telling me that the battery was not charging (yes, it was the talking one). It was as I checked it with a meter.
Then parked at the traffic lights it emitted the most awful amount of white smoke I have ever seen coming from a car.
I have two comments to make.What an utter utter pile of crap. Kept telling me that the battery was not charging (yes, it was the talking one). It was as I checked it with a meter.
Then parked at the traffic lights it emitted the most awful amount of white smoke I have ever seen coming from a car.
Who the actual f
k talked you into that one.And lastly, I had to check your location, in the 80s I bought an SD1 V8 off a fat geezer that replaced it with a Meastro.
Its using too much fuel, I cannot afford to run it, blah, blah. I would love to know if its still on the road and keep trying to find an old photo to find the plate. It was in fantastic condition and I got it via a swap for a 286 computer. Those were the days eh?Fat bloke?
rules me out.My current - EP3 Civic Type R.
Overrated crock of ste. Rubbish interior. The "bucket seats" are less supportive than the ones I had in my Corsa SXi at 17. Doesn't inspire any confidence at all in high speed corners. Follows road cambers and darts across all over the place.
I don't care what Nigel down the pub says, the engine is so so gutless. Appalling to live with. I could improve some of these wrongs by chucking a couple of grand at it (LSD), K100 map etc), but I'd rather get shot and replace.
Overrated crock of s
te. Rubbish interior. The "bucket seats" are less supportive than the ones I had in my Corsa SXi at 17. Doesn't inspire any confidence at all in high speed corners. Follows road cambers and darts across all over the place. I don't care what Nigel down the pub says, the engine is so so gutless. Appalling to live with. I could improve some of these wrongs by chucking a couple of grand at it (LSD), K100 map etc), but I'd rather get shot and replace.
Edited by vtecyo on Monday 29th September 13:32
I can only think of two:
Mk2 MR2, 119k miles on the clock sold my Classic Mini for it...ended up cracking the head in 3 weeks of ownership.
Mk2 Golf GTI, gut instinct was to run a mile and I should have done. Long list of falts, oil cooler dumped all the oil on the drive home, headgasket went a few days later, 3 piston rings were also buggered.
Mk2 MR2, 119k miles on the clock sold my Classic Mini for it...ended up cracking the head in 3 weeks of ownership.
Mk2 Golf GTI, gut instinct was to run a mile and I should have done. Long list of falts, oil cooler dumped all the oil on the drive home, headgasket went a few days later, 3 piston rings were also buggered.
A few cars out of the many I've owned I did regret at the time:
Triumph Dolomite Sprint...I bought it as a runabout while I rebuilt/renovated my Datsun 260Z...Only I ended up doing more work on the dolly...head gasket, prop donuts, suspension, rust, rust, nore rust...
Fiat Uno racecar...I bought it as a turnkey car...but it was woefully underprepared...I ended up rebuilding the engine, the suspension, and the entire braking system...but, despite it having all the legal parts, was at least 20bhp down (out of perhaps 90-100bhp) on the leading Fiat Challange cars...I gave up after a season with it as I concluded all the leading cars were massively illegal!
I've owned loads of BMWs...but the only regret (sort of) was an E34 525iX Touring that I bought on a whim on eBay for £450...It needed a few joints and gaiters, but drove really nicely, but was hugely disappointing on fuel (best was 25mpg when driving like an old granny), the complex twin sunroof stopped working, the aftermarket aircon packed up..but I still sold it for more than I paid.
I also regretted buying my ex her Nissan Tino...it seemed a good idea for a family of 5 includig a baby...but the engines are nails (slow, thirsty, low-revving and prone to stretching timing chains...which finally killed it), the interior is made of cheap plastic that is always breaking and Nissan spares are horrendously expensive!
Triumph Dolomite Sprint...I bought it as a runabout while I rebuilt/renovated my Datsun 260Z...Only I ended up doing more work on the dolly...head gasket, prop donuts, suspension, rust, rust, nore rust...
Fiat Uno racecar...I bought it as a turnkey car...but it was woefully underprepared...I ended up rebuilding the engine, the suspension, and the entire braking system...but, despite it having all the legal parts, was at least 20bhp down (out of perhaps 90-100bhp) on the leading Fiat Challange cars...I gave up after a season with it as I concluded all the leading cars were massively illegal!
I've owned loads of BMWs...but the only regret (sort of) was an E34 525iX Touring that I bought on a whim on eBay for £450...It needed a few joints and gaiters, but drove really nicely, but was hugely disappointing on fuel (best was 25mpg when driving like an old granny), the complex twin sunroof stopped working, the aftermarket aircon packed up..but I still sold it for more than I paid.
I also regretted buying my ex her Nissan Tino...it seemed a good idea for a family of 5 includig a baby...but the engines are nails (slow, thirsty, low-revving and prone to stretching timing chains...which finally killed it), the interior is made of cheap plastic that is always breaking and Nissan spares are horrendously expensive!
jc84 said:
This thread makes me feel better. Group therapy, if you will.
Sorry VW but you got it very wrong. One of the very first mk4 Golf Gti 1.8T's. Bought already remapped. Fairly quick in a straight line. Like a jelly on a tray of marbles when faced with the slightest hint of a bend. As I learnt, more power does not equal more fun if the chassis can't cope. Avoid. Please.
Sorry VW but you got it very wrong. One of the very first mk4 Golf Gti 1.8T's. Bought already remapped. Fairly quick in a straight line. Like a jelly on a tray of marbles when faced with the slightest hint of a bend. As I learnt, more power does not equal more fun if the chassis can't cope. Avoid. Please.
Mk4 Golf 4motion. Almost like an R32 they said!Spoiler alert: it isnt. Sounded alright when you booted it, was the only thing it had going for it. Handled like a fat drunk bird in heels and got trimmed in a straight line by a diesel civic. Which my girlfriend was driving. Still hasnt let me forget it either
Two cars for me.
1997 MK3 Golf Gti 8v with just 30k back in 2009. Thought it would be great but it was terrible and slow. Don't ask how much I bought and then sold it for...
2005 Civic Type R - great fun...for the first week then annoyed the hell out of me. Things like the seats not remembering their positions plus having to rev the hell out of it and every modded car I come across trying to race me...bleugh.
I kind of regret my current car, it has no soul.
1997 MK3 Golf Gti 8v with just 30k back in 2009. Thought it would be great but it was terrible and slow. Don't ask how much I bought and then sold it for...
2005 Civic Type R - great fun...for the first week then annoyed the hell out of me. Things like the seats not remembering their positions plus having to rev the hell out of it and every modded car I come across trying to race me...bleugh.
I kind of regret my current car, it has no soul.
Vx220 turbo. Loved it at first, then the paint started lifting and the squeaks and rattles began. Sold at 7 months old at a huge loss. Went back to bikes and not looked back. It was good to try a rapid car but didn't excite in the same way and left me fuming at losing all that overtaking opportunities I took for granted even with a slow bike. In hind sight, the shoddiest quality car I ever bought and not the bargain it looked initially.
HertsBiker said:
Vx220 turbo. Loved it at first, then the paint started lifting and the squeaks and rattles began. Sold at 7 months old at a huge loss. Went back to bikes and not looked back. It was good to try a rapid car but didn't excite in the same way and left me fuming at losing all that overtaking opportunities I took for granted even with a slow bike. In hind sight, the shoddiest quality car I ever bought and not the bargain it looked initially.
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.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff