The worst car you've ever driven...
Discussion
As Trabi said earlier in the thread, you have to be old to have driven some really rough cars. The MOT was originally the 10 yr test so applied to cars over that age and was so basic it was quite funny really. If it drove and stopped it passed. Any of today's cars is a miracle compared to those days, but of cars of their time one of the worst had to be the Renault 19 I had as a hire car and if anyone has driven a Clio diesel non-turbo then on any hill it was down to third gear. My company Marina had wipers set up for LHD (cost-cutting for export), drum brakes and no servo. It was delivered with a gearbox jammed in second. Try driving a 1500 Maxi and see if you can find the gears and go on a Charles Atlas course to turn the steering. My SL Mercedes turned heads but was a ponderous barge with planks for seats. Over-engineered though. My very first car though was an E-type in 1961. Well, it was a Morris 8 series E actually. about 25 bhp, but immeasurably better than the equivalent Ford of it's day which had vacuum wipers driven off the inlet manifold. Accelerator to the floor, wipers stopped; going down hill foot off the pedal and wipers went like the clappers. 3-speed gearbox, cable brakes, drums of course, and a top speed of 45 mph. Frankly, you youngsters have no idea just how bad cars really were in those days. But coming up to date I had a hire Corsa when I flew in last year. It had that horrible dashboard light telling me to change gear, but changing gear still never got the ruddy thing over 80 mph on the motorway. It was truly terrible for a car of today. But I still miss the wind-out windscreen which was as close as we got to air-conditioning in those days.
Got a Fiat Punto hire car at the moment, it's woeful. The boot release is a t
t, build quality is ste and the further you push the accelerator the louder it gets, doesn't go any quicker though!
Why do people buy these cars when you can get something like a Seat Ibiza for similar money?
t, build quality is ste and the further you push the accelerator the louder it gets, doesn't go any quicker though!Why do people buy these cars when you can get something like a Seat Ibiza for similar money?
Nomination for the Fiat cinquecento. I'd just bought a one year old (original) mini cooper then had to drive a friend's Fiat the same age. I'm fairly sure the brake pedal was ornamental and going round even wide sweeping bends was terrifying because it felt like it wanted to flip over.
Every single aspect of driving the mini was superior despite it being based on a design which was 32 years older. Quite an achievement on Fiat's part.
Every single aspect of driving the mini was superior despite it being based on a design which was 32 years older. Quite an achievement on Fiat's part.
veccy208 said:
I find these threads about awful cars a bit over exaggerated to say the least.
Someone mentions a p12 Primera! My dad has owned one of these for years, great firm cornering car. Most certainly doesn't wallow. the 1.8 engine is a great engine (not a power house but perky enough for the type of car.) He has driven it for 13yrs or so and put 160k on it and all its needed is a couple of link arms and an exhaust. Definitely the no1 most reliable car I have ever come across.
We had a 2litre petrol one, bought it at 3 years old from a main dealer, never did more than 24mpg yet had no performance. Big, comfy, well spec'd, but if it had been either more frugal or had some performance I could have forgiven it.Someone mentions a p12 Primera! My dad has owned one of these for years, great firm cornering car. Most certainly doesn't wallow. the 1.8 engine is a great engine (not a power house but perky enough for the type of car.) He has driven it for 13yrs or so and put 160k on it and all its needed is a couple of link arms and an exhaust. Definitely the no1 most reliable car I have ever come across.
We had it 9 years, it had 155K miles on it when we traded it in, although it did have a new engine at 60K miles, as at the first service they forgot to put oil in it when they took it for a test drive.
Chris1255 said:
Nomination for the Fiat cinquecento. I'd just bought a one year old (original) mini cooper then had to drive a friend's Fiat the same age. I'm fairly sure the brake pedal was ornamental and going round even wide sweeping bends was terrifying because it felt like it wanted to flip over.
Every single aspect of driving the mini was superior despite it being based on a design which was 32 years older. Quite an achievement on Fiat's part.
I've driven a cinquecento, when I was 19. A pink one.Every single aspect of driving the mini was superior despite it being based on a design which was 32 years older. Quite an achievement on Fiat's part.
The pinkness I could handle, but in all other respects it was utterly awful.
Trabi601 said:
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 ste.
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.
Byker28i said:
veccy208 said:
I find these threads about awful cars a bit over exaggerated to say the least.
Someone mentions a p12 Primera! My dad has owned one of these for years, great firm cornering car. Most certainly doesn't wallow. the 1.8 engine is a great engine (not a power house but perky enough for the type of car.) He has driven it for 13yrs or so and put 160k on it and all its needed is a couple of link arms and an exhaust. Definitely the no1 most reliable car I have ever come across.
We had a 2litre petrol one, bought it at 3 years old from a main dealer, never did more than 24mpg yet had no performance. Big, comfy, well spec'd, but if it had been either more frugal or had some performance I could have forgiven it.Someone mentions a p12 Primera! My dad has owned one of these for years, great firm cornering car. Most certainly doesn't wallow. the 1.8 engine is a great engine (not a power house but perky enough for the type of car.) He has driven it for 13yrs or so and put 160k on it and all its needed is a couple of link arms and an exhaust. Definitely the no1 most reliable car I have ever come across.
We had it 9 years, it had 155K miles on it when we traded it in, although it did have a new engine at 60K miles, as at the first service they forgot to put oil in it when they took it for a test drive.
ch108 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 probably translates to "didn't adapt driving style for something slower than I'm used to driving". If you want dangerously slow, you really need to try driving a car with 26bhp.
Even hire/courtesy cars I've had including a Matiz and a Ford Ka couldn't be described as dangerous provided they were driven in the manner they were designed for.
If it feels wobbly or crashy that's probably a good indication your driving too fast.
If the gears are notchy, give the gear change time and stop treating it like a crash box.
I've driven vintage tractors on the roads without feeling 'dangerously slow' so I highly doubt any car is.
Theophany said:
Same answer as the courtesy car thread. Matiz!
Ha! This was my first thought. Hired one in Lanzarote as a cheap run about for a few days. Horrible, horrible POS.The Nissan Cash dodge we leased for three years comes a close second. Crap asthmatic 1.6 petrol engine. Uninspiring white goods motoring.
spyker138 said:
612 Scaglietti. Too big, too heavy, horrid horrid F1 gear change and ugly.
The worst car you have driven is a modern Ferrari! Probably my old H reg 1.1 Fiesta, although it wasn't terrible.. it's probably the worst I've driven. I don't think I've driven a truly awful car.
RammyMP said:
Got a Fiat Punto hire car at the moment, it's woeful. The boot release is a tt, build quality is ste and the further you push the accelerator the louder it gets, doesn't go any quicker though!
Why do people buy these cars when you can get something like a Seat Ibiza for similar money?
And the air con is st, build quality is ste and the further you push the accelerator the louder it gets, doesn't go any quicker though!Why do people buy these cars when you can get something like a Seat Ibiza for similar money?
teByker28i said:
veccy208 said:
I find these threads about awful cars a bit over exaggerated to say the least.
Someone mentions a p12 Primera! My dad has owned one of these for years, great firm cornering car. Most certainly doesn't wallow. the 1.8 engine is a great engine (not a power house but perky enough for the type of car.) He has driven it for 13yrs or so and put 160k on it and all its needed is a couple of link arms and an exhaust. Definitely the no1 most reliable car I have ever come across.
We had a 2litre petrol one, bought it at 3 years old from a main dealer, never did more than 24mpg yet had no performance. Big, comfy, well spec'd, but if it had been either more frugal or had some performance I could have forgiven it.Someone mentions a p12 Primera! My dad has owned one of these for years, great firm cornering car. Most certainly doesn't wallow. the 1.8 engine is a great engine (not a power house but perky enough for the type of car.) He has driven it for 13yrs or so and put 160k on it and all its needed is a couple of link arms and an exhaust. Definitely the no1 most reliable car I have ever come across.
We had it 9 years, it had 155K miles on it when we traded it in, although it did have a new engine at 60K miles, as at the first service they forgot to put oil in it when they took it for a test drive.
2 cars immediately spring to mind. Both British and both BL/Rover.
The first was a Mini. 998cc's of power mated to an automatic box which sucked all the fun out of driving a Mini.
Second was a Maestro. Your classic "I need a car sharpish and a mate is selling a cheap one" scenario. Woeful. A plastic gear linkage broke which meant I effectively lost a couple of gears (invluding reverse) which actually made it more interesting to drive.
The first was a Mini. 998cc's of power mated to an automatic box which sucked all the fun out of driving a Mini.
Second was a Maestro. Your classic "I need a car sharpish and a mate is selling a cheap one" scenario. Woeful. A plastic gear linkage broke which meant I effectively lost a couple of gears (invluding reverse) which actually made it more interesting to drive.
Peugeot 1007 with the S-Tronic box.
Love the sliding doors when parking, the 1.6 has a reasonable amount of power but the gearbox is so bad it makes it the worse thing in the world. The delay in changing gear and finding the clutch biting point is horrendous.
My mates find it hilarious in the sense that it looks like a granny doing lift off oversteer when I drive it.
Love the sliding doors when parking, the 1.6 has a reasonable amount of power but the gearbox is so bad it makes it the worse thing in the world. The delay in changing gear and finding the clutch biting point is horrendous.
My mates find it hilarious in the sense that it looks like a granny doing lift off oversteer when I drive it.
A 16 plate Skoda Octavia with the 1.2 TSI lump.
Made some interesting noises (Dump Valve and lots of turbo chatter) but as it had the most uncomfortable and depressing interior ever. Was as dull to drive too. Was such poverty spec that it had black plastic mirrors and door handles, the only thing it seemed to have is DAB radio and wheels.
Luckily it was a hire car and I managed to swap it for a high spec'd passat instead.
Made some interesting noises (Dump Valve and lots of turbo chatter) but as it had the most uncomfortable and depressing interior ever. Was as dull to drive too. Was such poverty spec that it had black plastic mirrors and door handles, the only thing it seemed to have is DAB radio and wheels.
Luckily it was a hire car and I managed to swap it for a high spec'd passat instead.
Vauxhall Vectra - I had one of these forced on me as a company car in 1997. Absolutely hateful PoS with no redeeming features whatsoever:
Gutless, thirsty, droning, 4-pot dog of an engine.
Lousy, obstructive gear-change. Over damped action with too much mass in the linkage.
Completely dead steering. No chatter and no feedback (change in weight) to let you know what the front wheels were doing.
Appalling bouncy chassis. Over-sprung and under-damped (or maybe the other way round; it was too bad to tell)!
Terminal understeer even if you trail-braked into a corner to keep more weight on the nose.
Possibly the most boringly-styled car ever.
Dire interior, poor driving position and instant backache from the improperly-contoured seats.
'Repmobile' image. The only car people ever took the piss out of me for driving!
I always wished I'd wake-up to find it had caught fire and died!
Gutless, thirsty, droning, 4-pot dog of an engine.
Lousy, obstructive gear-change. Over damped action with too much mass in the linkage.
Completely dead steering. No chatter and no feedback (change in weight) to let you know what the front wheels were doing.
Appalling bouncy chassis. Over-sprung and under-damped (or maybe the other way round; it was too bad to tell)!
Terminal understeer even if you trail-braked into a corner to keep more weight on the nose.
Possibly the most boringly-styled car ever.
Dire interior, poor driving position and instant backache from the improperly-contoured seats.
'Repmobile' image. The only car people ever took the piss out of me for driving!
I always wished I'd wake-up to find it had caught fire and died!
You lads are spoiled youngsters; you missed the delights of a 1970 something Skoda 110L(unbelievably bad steering and engine which would be defeated by rice pudding skin ) Viva HA (snappy gearchange but engine a thrashy horror producing about 30bhp on a good day ) SC 100 Suzuki (directional stability of a helium balloon yet unaccountably popular with some anoraks) Marina TC (there aren't the words )and , of course , the mighty Allegro and Maxi. The latter's gearchange was operable entirely, and solely by prayer and its engine mounts were made from pre chewed liquorice .
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