The worst car you've ever driven...
Discussion
Chrysler Sebring, given as a hire car when my Lexus IS 200 was being repaired after someone crashed into me.
Absolutely horrible, uncomfortable with a fidgety ride and the vaughest steering I've ever encountered. Made my left leg ache after driving for a while. Got it on a Saturday morning and had to wait until Monday morning to go to the hire company to beg for something, anything else. They couldn't understand why I didn't want to keep the car, and said they couldn't give me a lower grade car like a Focus because I'd been in a non-fault accident and was entitled to a "prestige" car. Eventually managed to get a Volvo V70 D5 R-design which was fantastic.
The Sebring was so bad even the Americans didn't buy it!
Absolutely horrible, uncomfortable with a fidgety ride and the vaughest steering I've ever encountered. Made my left leg ache after driving for a while. Got it on a Saturday morning and had to wait until Monday morning to go to the hire company to beg for something, anything else. They couldn't understand why I didn't want to keep the car, and said they couldn't give me a lower grade car like a Focus because I'd been in a non-fault accident and was entitled to a "prestige" car. Eventually managed to get a Volvo V70 D5 R-design which was fantastic.
The Sebring was so bad even the Americans didn't buy it!
Yet another vote for the Vauxhall Corsa. This one was a 1993 mk1 model.
Never have I climbed out of something after driving it and felt so much hate for it.
Terrible things. Who on earth actually went along to the showroom, drove one and thought "Oh, I quite like this" and bloody bought them??
I don't want to know them, whoever they are. The one I drove was an ex bosses wife's car. We're no longer in contact, good.
That thing scarred me mentally.
Never have I climbed out of something after driving it and felt so much hate for it.
Terrible things. Who on earth actually went along to the showroom, drove one and thought "Oh, I quite like this" and bloody bought them??
I don't want to know them, whoever they are. The one I drove was an ex bosses wife's car. We're no longer in contact, good.
That thing scarred me mentally.
E65Ross said:
Willy Nilly said:
A 3rd class drive is better than a 1st class walk
But some cars are better than others, I'm simply asking people to state which car was most "3rd class"3rd class because the vehicle doesn't fulfill it's design brief?
3rd class because it's not the right too for the job?
In my first post in this thread, I cited the .Citroen C4 Picasso I had as a hire car last year in France. It's not close to being as bad a car as my Mum's Maxi that was the first car I ever drove (or most cars I drove in the 80s), but as an example of what can be achieved with today's technology, it is desperately disappointing.
I arrive in Majorca on Friday evening and was offered one by Avis. I shuddered as I rejected it and ended up with a 318d, not an exciting car, but it is a very good one. It has a decent amount of go, a good auto box, decent steering (I've been driving the Serra de Tramuntana) and nice, predictable rwd handling.
I arrive in Majorca on Friday evening and was offered one by Avis. I shuddered as I rejected it and ended up with a 318d, not an exciting car, but it is a very good one. It has a decent amount of go, a good auto box, decent steering (I've been driving the Serra de Tramuntana) and nice, predictable rwd handling.
JimbobVFR said:
Back at the end of the 90s I went to Romania a few times, the first time we went our BT liveried transit got as much attention as a Ferrari would here. Hardly surprising when just about every car was one of these turgid piles of s
te.
A Corsa, Serena or even a Yugo just don't compare with how appalling they are to drive.
Good. Someone else who has driven a truly awful car!te.A Corsa, Serena or even a Yugo just don't compare with how appalling they are to drive.
ChilliWhizz said:
Vauxhall Frontera - the diesel one.... so bad it made me smile 
(It was the wife's choice)
Oh! Forgot the Frontera. (It was the wife's choice)One of my customers had one and for some, long forgotten reason, I had to take it on an extended road test. It was the most awful POS and I don't remember driving many cars that were worse!
First off, it was a 2.3 diesel, normally aspirated so in a drag race with a canal boat I think the boat may have been in with a chance..... Talking of boats it leaned round bends like a sailing boat hit by a sudden gust. There seemed to be a mismatch in the front and rear suspension rates so it lurched from front to
The brakes were spongy, synchro weak, the door seals popped at moderate speed making a massive increase in wind noise, no ABS so the brakes locked at the slightest provocation, the wipers lifted off the screen...... The list of faults was endless and made 70's BL build quality look as tight as a drum!
In fact so many parts had been replaced under warranty that most of the vehicle was a couple of years newer than the registration mark suggested. It makes you wonder how bad it was before!
Great thread, reminded m meow many bad cars I've drove;
Toyota Yaris hybrid - the noise, the lack of speed, the NOISE of that engine. How are they a common site on the roads? Didn't handle too badly (batteries made it feel pretty stable and small size helped) but the noise of that CVT gearbox especially in Eco mode was unreal.
2011 Chevrolet Malibu - first trip to America, couldn't get over how cheap American cars were compared to European ones - thought to myself they get such a better deal. Then I drove one, 3.8 V6 auto with "leather and wood" interior. Car was so woefully in terms of handling, build, and although it was quick, the gearbox clearly had no idea of how to shift smoothly or when to stay in a gear. I'm now convinced that American cars are totally overpriced from that.
Chrysler 200C - same as the Malibu but even more worse at everything.
But the winner? The 1998 Buick century I drove in Canada. Asked a mate to have a go in a (what I thought at the time) was a proper American car. In my job, I've driven all sorts even up to lorises, but NOTHING gets close to that. I'm not using hyperbole to say every single element of its driving was appalling, and unsafe, and awful. How can you make a car with a v8 so slow? Or with suspension so soft it rolls like a boat yet also can't absorb any road bumps? And the interior?!? WTF happened there?!
Like small pox, the Buick Century needs to be wiped from the world.
Toyota Yaris hybrid - the noise, the lack of speed, the NOISE of that engine. How are they a common site on the roads? Didn't handle too badly (batteries made it feel pretty stable and small size helped) but the noise of that CVT gearbox especially in Eco mode was unreal.
2011 Chevrolet Malibu - first trip to America, couldn't get over how cheap American cars were compared to European ones - thought to myself they get such a better deal. Then I drove one, 3.8 V6 auto with "leather and wood" interior. Car was so woefully in terms of handling, build, and although it was quick, the gearbox clearly had no idea of how to shift smoothly or when to stay in a gear. I'm now convinced that American cars are totally overpriced from that.
Chrysler 200C - same as the Malibu but even more worse at everything.
But the winner? The 1998 Buick century I drove in Canada. Asked a mate to have a go in a (what I thought at the time) was a proper American car. In my job, I've driven all sorts even up to lorises, but NOTHING gets close to that. I'm not using hyperbole to say every single element of its driving was appalling, and unsafe, and awful. How can you make a car with a v8 so slow? Or with suspension so soft it rolls like a boat yet also can't absorb any road bumps? And the interior?!? WTF happened there?!
Like small pox, the Buick Century needs to be wiped from the world.
Trabi601 said:
I'm intrigued by the 'dangerously slow' posts. Nothing available in the last 20 years or so could be described as 'dangerously slow'.
If you want dangerously slow, you really need to try driving a car with 26bhp.
Dangerously slow that it can't maintain speed uphill on a motorway in my books is dangerous. Especially with the lack of attentive drivers out there.If you want dangerously slow, you really need to try driving a car with 26bhp.
Another vote here for the Vauxhall Frontera, what a POS!
Nissan Pixo is bloody horrible.
Worst recent one was a Citroen auto of some description. C3/C4? I dunno, just had to move it point a to point b and endure its "I make the decisions" gearbox and wobbling gobbling suspension. Bloody awful.
Nissan Pixo is bloody horrible.
Worst recent one was a Citroen auto of some description. C3/C4? I dunno, just had to move it point a to point b and endure its "I make the decisions" gearbox and wobbling gobbling suspension. Bloody awful.
Muddle238 said:
Trabi601 said:
I'm intrigued by the 'dangerously slow' posts. Nothing available in the last 20 years or so could be described as 'dangerously slow'.
If you want dangerously slow, you really need to try driving a car with 26bhp.
Dangerously slow that it can't maintain speed uphill on a motorway in my books is dangerous. Especially with the lack of attentive drivers out there.If you want dangerously slow, you really need to try driving a car with 26bhp.
(I've been out in the Trabi today - my speed wasn't an issue. The string of hesitantly driven 'tall' hatchbacks was, though!)
Trabi601 said:
I don't think a single car posted in this thread qualifies for that - you may need to change down and you may lose some speed, but aside from stuff like the Trabant and similar, which struggle to maintain over 50mph on inclines, nothing is remotely 'dangerously slow'.
Nothing that can keep up with lorries on motorway inclines is "dangerously slow" and even cars that can't are only dangerous if the driver is an idiot, IMO. For me "worst" is a very difficult thing to define. Objectively, as a means of getting from A to B, the worst thing I've driven is probably an Austin Seven but it was vastly more fun than most modern cars. I don't think I've ever driven anything with no redeeming features.
Edited by kambites on Monday 30th May 22:16
kambites said:
Nothing that can keep up with lorries on motorway inclines is "dangerously slow" and even cars that can't are only dangerous if the driver is an idiot. "Dangerously slow" just means "the driver is clueless".
This actually turned up in the "annoying PH behaviours" thread.
Best I can think is that it's said by people who want everyone to know they drive incredibly fast cars.
De Lorean.
Without doubt the single worst car I have ever had the mis-fortune to drive and that includes various Metro's, Maestro's, Montego's, Allegro's etc.
The De Lorean was hateful in every way. It's looks, that god awful aluminum finish. The engine. The gearbox. The interior.
Everything. I even hated the gull wing doors. Horrible car. IMO.
Without doubt the single worst car I have ever had the mis-fortune to drive and that includes various Metro's, Maestro's, Montego's, Allegro's etc.
The De Lorean was hateful in every way. It's looks, that god awful aluminum finish. The engine. The gearbox. The interior.
Everything. I even hated the gull wing doors. Horrible car. IMO.
KarlMac said:
In 2011, Mini Countryman Cooper SD. Courtesy car I had for two months.
Couldn't fit in it, despite how monstrously huge it was. Knees, head and elbows constantly hitting various parts. Four fully grown adults was only possible when front seats were pushed forward.
Just awful. Hated every minute.
Really though? Like, genuinely?Couldn't fit in it, despite how monstrously huge it was. Knees, head and elbows constantly hitting various parts. Four fully grown adults was only possible when front seats were pushed forward.
Just awful. Hated every minute.
I'm effectively 6' 7" and had zero issue in the courtesy car I had. I like it.
For me, the Toyota Aventis hire car I had a couple of month ago with a CVT 'box. It was dire. The auric is just as bad.
Muddle238 said:
Dangerously slow that it can't maintain speed uphill on a motorway in my books is dangerous. Especially with the lack of attentive drivers out there.
Try riding a 125 motorcycle on a fast A road or D/C as an adult. You'll be so slow that lorries will pass you on hills, never mind on the flat. The weedy lights add to the thrills. It's often unnerving but even that isn't dangerously slow.Haven't read the whole thread but have we had the Mk3 Escort 1.6D yet? It wasn't dangerously slow, it was just a pain to drive and offered no enjoyment, other than being an alternative to walking. Its later sibling, the Mk4 1.8D is there too. Others, notably PSA, managed to imbue their D (this is generally pre-TD) engined cars with at least some handling finesse so fun could be had once up to speed. But not the Escort.
Speaking of old stty Fords, the Mk1 Escort 1100 estate I drove a few times was only let off the hook by being RWD and having 135-section tyres
My Talbot Horizon, by contrast, was glorious with its wide track, wheel-in-each-corner, soft ride, easy handling and spacious cabin that could easily hold 10 people. The engine was a nail, the interior had the design flair of a cave, and rust was rampant, but it was a car that (mostly) worked and got me around.
Speaking of old s
tty Fords, the Mk1 Escort 1100 estate I drove a few times was only let off the hook by being RWD and having 135-section tyresMy Talbot Horizon, by contrast, was glorious with its wide track, wheel-in-each-corner, soft ride, easy handling and spacious cabin that could easily hold 10 people. The engine was a nail, the interior had the design flair of a cave, and rust was rampant, but it was a car that (mostly) worked and got me around.
I had a Chevrolet Aveo as a hire care in France a few years back, which was terrible in every conceivable way. Horrid steering, a gear box that seemed to be connected to the gear stick by a series of loosely strung elastic bands, uncomfortable seats... just awful.
And I must give a special mention to the Vauxhall Aguila I had to get me from Edinburgh to Coventry and back, that then tried to kill me on the M6. A bus overturned just in front of me, as I hit the brakes it spat me sideways towards the central reservation. I had no steering lock on, so can only assume it had a massive brake imbalance at the rear.
And I must give a special mention to the Vauxhall Aguila I had to get me from Edinburgh to Coventry and back, that then tried to kill me on the M6. A bus overturned just in front of me, as I hit the brakes it spat me sideways towards the central reservation. I had no steering lock on, so can only assume it had a massive brake imbalance at the rear.
Edited by HarryFlatters on Tuesday 31st May 07:41
Admittedly I haven't driven hundreds of cars but the Renault Fluence dCi I had as a rental three years ago. In addition to feeling very much the car for emerging markets it was designed to be (yet selling like hot cakes in Ireland....), the steering was awful. It was this variable-weight system but the transition between weights was as smooth as changing gears on an old bike. Pretty weird feeling if you had any momentum exiting a roundabout.
Worst car I've even been in (I wasn't actually driving) was an original Beetle - absolutely deafeningly loud but not in a nice way, more in a "marbles shaken in a tin can" sort of way, and seemingly had to be at full throttle all the time just to make it move. 5 minutes in that was more than enough. There are not many cars I dislike but what people see in these things is beyond me.
Worst car I've driven was a series 1 Land Rover. I'm sure its well-suited to driving over fields but on the road it was just so unpleasant in every way, extremely slow, terrible ride over everything, even a small bump produced a variety of loud crashing and banging sounds and propelled you off the seat towards the roof, and so noisy it was impossible to be heard when shouting to the passenger at 30mph.
Worst car I've driven was a series 1 Land Rover. I'm sure its well-suited to driving over fields but on the road it was just so unpleasant in every way, extremely slow, terrible ride over everything, even a small bump produced a variety of loud crashing and banging sounds and propelled you off the seat towards the roof, and so noisy it was impossible to be heard when shouting to the passenger at 30mph.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 31st May 08:38
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