The worst car you've ever driven...
Discussion
skyrover said:
Driving a car with failed power steering is not the same as driving a car without power steering as you are fighting against the hydraulic system as well as the wheels.
Yes, our old 1.3 CDTi Astras at work used to suffer electrical problems that would strike randomly and knock the power steering out. It was a complete pain driving them back to base after that. Far more effort at any speed than any non-PAS car. It was apparently the start of alternator failure that caused the problems. vmackie said:
Top spot for me is an early 1750cc Allegro, impossible to select any gear with any confidence, and as you fought with the gear lever the strange "rectangular" steering wheel made you wander all over the road.
Possibly made worse for me as at the time the only car I had driven was a relatively low mileage Mk1 Escort.
About twelve years ago, the drive up the coast road from Dubrovnik, ruined by a small squareish Vauxhall MPV (Meriva)? hire car. Heavy steering, epic understeer, etc. etc.
The MK 1 Escort has now been beatified of course; the reality was rather different though. Some were wonderful - my Escort GT was not one of them.Snappy gearshift, good seats and instruments . Thrashy and uninspiring engine - and shock horror- whatever you did with mine it understeered like a stuck pig . The 1100cc Escort Van which it replaced was much better - dab of oppo-tastic.. Possibly made worse for me as at the time the only car I had driven was a relatively low mileage Mk1 Escort.
About twelve years ago, the drive up the coast road from Dubrovnik, ruined by a small squareish Vauxhall MPV (Meriva)? hire car. Heavy steering, epic understeer, etc. etc.
Ste1987 said:
Ah fair enough. Like I said, never driven a car without power steering
I keep looking at that statement and thinking, "How can this possibly be?" Even my admittedly very early Range Rover didn't have power steering. It had five turns lock-to-lock very woolly steering instead. The world appears to have move on.
DickyC said:
I keep looking at that statement and thinking, "How can this possibly be?"
Even my admittedly very early Range Rover didn't have power steering. It had five turns lock-to-lock very woolly steering instead. The world appears to have move on.
It's been standard fit on more or less everything for what, about 20 years now? I'd imagine there are a great many people who have never driven anything unassisted (I'm one of them).Even my admittedly very early Range Rover didn't have power steering. It had five turns lock-to-lock very woolly steering instead. The world appears to have move on.
TORQ said:
Having driven a few cars the singular worst one in memory was a Vauxhall Belmont - circa '89 model. It was so unspeakably horrid in every way. Always hated Vauxhalls ever since.
Don't think they've improved much since then - every Corsa courtesy car I've ever had has been hateful, and the latest shape Astra loaner I had was woeful too. Genuinely shocked to discover it had a 1.6l engine it was so painfully slow to accelerate. And as for the genius who signed off the handbrake design...How many of the cars in this thread were designed to be the standard bearers in the field of excellence when it comes to Handling, Performance and Dynamics... and how many were designed as Practical, Affordable and Easy to Handle for a 17 year old learner and a 70 year old pensioner type cars?
It is hardly surprising to see the Corsa listed so regularly in here, is it?
It is hardly surprising to see the Corsa listed so regularly in here, is it?
Shakermaker said:
How many of the cars in this thread were designed to be the standard bearers in the field of excellence when it comes to Handling, Performance and Dynamics... and how many were designed as Practical, Affordable and Easy to Handle for a 17 year old learner and a 70 year old pensioner type cars?
It is hardly surprising to see the Corsa listed so regularly in here, is it?
But if Ford can get it right with the Fiesta...?It is hardly surprising to see the Corsa listed so regularly in here, is it?
Spumfry said:
Shakermaker said:
How many of the cars in this thread were designed to be the standard bearers in the field of excellence when it comes to Handling, Performance and Dynamics... and how many were designed as Practical, Affordable and Easy to Handle for a 17 year old learner and a 70 year old pensioner type cars?
It is hardly surprising to see the Corsa listed so regularly in here, is it?
But if Ford can get it right with the Fiesta...?It is hardly surprising to see the Corsa listed so regularly in here, is it?
What would happen if we asked the same question on Mumsnet?
Shakermaker said:
How many of the cars in this thread were designed to be the standard bearers in the field of excellence when it comes to Handling, Performance and Dynamics... and how many were designed as Practical, Affordable and Easy to Handle for a 17 year old learner and a 70 year old pensioner type cars?
It is hardly surprising to see the Corsa listed so regularly in here, is it?
Which falls flat on it's face when compared with it's direct competition.It is hardly surprising to see the Corsa listed so regularly in here, is it?
Having never driven a Corsa, I have to say it's brother the Astra is the worst care I ever drove. Pitiful compared to a Focus, nevermind a Golf and the i30 was also a far better car.
Shakermaker said:
Then we wish everyone else could as well. They must have designed that in, for it to work... making themselves the exception? I don't know.. it just doesn't surprise me that the Corsa is on here so often, or the Micra, or my own choice of the Citroen C1/Aygo etc, when we are a petrol head forum.
What would happen if we asked the same question on Mumsnet?
It surprises me, as none of them are actually *bad* cars. They're just not cars which appeal to people on this forum.What would happen if we asked the same question on Mumsnet?
I'm not sure there has truly been a bad car since the Iron Curtain fell.
Hard choice.
Mark 3 Escort Diesel. Non turbo and had the power of an ant and zero probability of overtaking anything. Never started in the mornings and used to borrow the wifes Skoda.
Montego. The one with the talking dash. Kept telling me all sorts of things were wrong when they were not. Chucked out plumes of white smoke when idle. So glad to get rid of it.
Friends Mark 1 Capri. Steering all over the place with massive play. Crap brakes, crap visibility, bloody uncomfortable and useless road holding. Funny thing is now I expect someone would happily pay £10k for it.
Mark 3 Escort Diesel. Non turbo and had the power of an ant and zero probability of overtaking anything. Never started in the mornings and used to borrow the wifes Skoda.
Montego. The one with the talking dash. Kept telling me all sorts of things were wrong when they were not. Chucked out plumes of white smoke when idle. So glad to get rid of it.
Friends Mark 1 Capri. Steering all over the place with massive play. Crap brakes, crap visibility, bloody uncomfortable and useless road holding. Funny thing is now I expect someone would happily pay £10k for it.
Corsa (Mid 90s, it was rubbish when it was new) also pedals were a bit close together.
Hyaundai Matrix - courtesy car - I just wanted to get out.
BMW 1 series, the pedal spacing must be for people smaller than me; I kept catching more than one pedal, which ruined the car for me, at least I could drive the Matrix!
Hyaundai Matrix - courtesy car - I just wanted to get out.
BMW 1 series, the pedal spacing must be for people smaller than me; I kept catching more than one pedal, which ruined the car for me, at least I could drive the Matrix!
For me the worst was the Toyboata Pious I had one year as a hire car in Florida – I hated it with a passion, in fact it was so bad I dropped it off the next day in exchange for something (anything!) else. I think I would prefer ANY car produced in the last 5 years over this absolutely hateful pile of s
te.
Had a doom blue non-turbo diesel Escort as a courtesy car may years ago, glacially slow but better than walking (just!). Mrs Iroc has a 1.4 (‘low power’) Astra… what saves it is that it’s acceptable as a shopping car otherwise it’s hopeless
te.Had a doom blue non-turbo diesel Escort as a courtesy car may years ago, glacially slow but better than walking (just!). Mrs Iroc has a 1.4 (‘low power’) Astra… what saves it is that it’s acceptable as a shopping car otherwise it’s hopeless
coppice said:
vmackie said:
Top spot for me is an early 1750cc Allegro, impossible to select any gear with any confidence, and as you fought with the gear lever the strange "rectangular" steering wheel made you wander all over the road.
Possibly made worse for me as at the time the only car I had driven was a relatively low mileage Mk1 Escort.
About twelve years ago, the drive up the coast road from Dubrovnik, ruined by a small squareish Vauxhall MPV (Meriva)? hire car. Heavy steering, epic understeer, etc. etc.
The MK 1 Escort has now been beatified of course; the reality was rather different though. Some were wonderful - my Escort GT was not one of them.Snappy gearshift, good seats and instruments . Thrashy and uninspiring engine - and shock horror- whatever you did with mine it understeered like a stuck pig . The 1100cc Escort Van which it replaced was much better - dab of oppo-tastic.. Possibly made worse for me as at the time the only car I had driven was a relatively low mileage Mk1 Escort.
About twelve years ago, the drive up the coast road from Dubrovnik, ruined by a small squareish Vauxhall MPV (Meriva)? hire car. Heavy steering, epic understeer, etc. etc.
I can remember scrapping them at the garage I worked at in the late eighties, nobody wanted them, generally rusty, leaky and usually not much fun, remember driving MK2 XR2's and they were miles more fun than the average MK1/2 Escort, its like the Mini, back then the reality was a steamed up, rusting 850 in sludge brown with mouldy trim that wouldnt start int he wet, that you had to use every day and hated, but now people compare it to a pristine, modified, restored Cooper they drive once a month, just like not every MK1/2 Escort was a 5 linked, caged beast with 300 bhp and a roll cage.
Theophany said:
Same answer as the courtesy car thread. Matiz!
Whenever on holiday I always like a really basic rental car. "four wheels and an engine will do". The original Fiat Panda was always a favourite. It's good fun coaxing them up to speed, drifting them through roundabouts on skinny tyres whilst trying to maintain momentum. Just rough and ready with no gadgets. A pleasant change from the usual techno barge at home.But that Matiz thing ruined the whole theory for me. It truly was the worst pile of crap I have ever been near. Often the more basic a car is the more connected you feel. But the Matiz is exactly the opposite and has no redeeming features, a thoroughly unpleasant thing.
Daewoo Matiz.
I got it as a courtesy car when I took my Fiat Seicento (Sporting) in to get the Speedometer fixed.
The car I took in was a fizzy, spunky 1.1L go-kart, not unlike a small but feisty dog. The car I got as a temporary replacement had I'm fairly certain a motor more usually found in an electric screwdriver, only with less torque.
It was ridiculous.
I got it as a courtesy car when I took my Fiat Seicento (Sporting) in to get the Speedometer fixed.
The car I took in was a fizzy, spunky 1.1L go-kart, not unlike a small but feisty dog. The car I got as a temporary replacement had I'm fairly certain a motor more usually found in an electric screwdriver, only with less torque.
It was ridiculous.
Mate of mine who has a V8 mustang, it was in the spray shop having the bonnet done.
the loan car was a...................Matiz
He told them he was going for a long trip on the weekend and they should give him a better car because he thought the Matiz would not make it, they laughed, he blew up engine 10 miles from home, not on purpose of course
The worse I have ever driven, a 1994 Ford Escort estate 1.6, a gutless waste of metal, no go, handled badly, felt like it was made of tinfoil.
the loan car was a...................Matiz
He told them he was going for a long trip on the weekend and they should give him a better car because he thought the Matiz would not make it, they laughed, he blew up engine 10 miles from home, not on purpose of course
The worse I have ever driven, a 1994 Ford Escort estate 1.6, a gutless waste of metal, no go, handled badly, felt like it was made of tinfoil.
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