The worst car you've ever driven...

[mr_fibuli]

I did a Vauxhall track day a few years ago, with everything up to and including the VXR8. I have to say the Meriva VXR was one of the most fun cars there! The comedy body roll and lack of grip made for a very entertaining couple of laps. Kudos to Vauxhall for doing a VXR version of their granny wagon.

The worst car I have ever driven was an ex's C-Reg Suzuki Swift 1.3, which had been fitted with a different profile tyre on each wheel by her dad.

[coppice]

Err- what is 'boost threshold lag ' ? Is it what I'd call 'lag' in my simple Earth language ?

[BenRichards89]

Proton Impian. 4 Speed Automatic. "Courtesy Car"

[Dracoro]

coppice said:

Err- what is 'boost threshold lag ' ? Is it what I'd call 'lag' in my simple Earth language ?

I think he's trying to differentiate between the lag when in the boost threshold (i.e. Engine X has turbo assistance between 3-5k rpm) and "lag" when he engine does not have turbo assistance (e.g. between 1-3k rpm.)
When in the boost threshold 'zone' and floor the throttle, that lag is the time it takes before the turbo starts boosting.
When in the non-turbo zone and floor the throttle, the lag is the wait until the engine gets to sufficient revs to produce meaningful power.

Many people don't seem to know the difference and this causes confusion on here too when person X says car Y has awful lag and then person Z says "rubbish, it has minimal lag!", they are often talking about two different things (as I explained above).

[Fastdruid]

Dracoro said:

coppice said:

Err- what is 'boost threshold lag ' ? Is it what I'd call 'lag' in my simple Earth language ?

I think he's trying to differentiate between the lag when in the boost threshold (i.e. Engine X has turbo assistance between 3-5k rpm) and "lag" when he engine does not have turbo assistance (e.g. between 1-3k rpm.)
When in the boost threshold 'zone' and floor the throttle, that lag is the time it takes before the turbo starts boosting.
When in the non-turbo zone and floor the throttle, the lag is the wait until the engine gets to sufficient revs to produce meaningful power.

Many people don't seem to know the difference and this causes confusion on here too when person X says car Y has awful lag and then person Z says "rubbish, it has minimal lag!", they are often talking about two different things (as I explained above).

Yes. Boost threshold is the point the turbo effectively starts working, the lag is the time taken to get up to there and very different from turbo lag (which is effectively the throttle lag once beyond the boost threshold). It's especially bad on heavily boosted small engines as the "natural" power is so low in comparison to the boosted power and especially so in high geared diesels so it can take an exceptionally long time to get up above the boost threshold.

[SteveTTT]

Trabi601 said:

It's not a CVT box. Once you settle into how to drive those things, they're quite relaxing. Just requires a different mindset.

Your own opinion acknowledged and respected. But I had one as a company car for 2 years and couldn't wait to get rid. Try driving south on the A71 in central France, maintaining a steady kph for a half hour of constant uphill gradient, with the engine screaming and redlined and doing about 25mpg, and impossible lift off without losing pace. OK in cities but crap on longer trips. Relaxing at 50mph perhaps.

I am convinced that Lexus, Toyota, and Suburu for that matter, would expose themselves to a much greater sales opportunity (and to a younger target market) if they engineered a torque converter auto or manual alternative to CVT.

Just my opinion!

[SteveTTT]

Back in the mists of time... Company pool car used for a fortnightly trip from Swindon to Hartlepool and back. In a 1.3 Marina. No radio. Needed a pint of oil at each end of the journey. And ear defenders. At least no Gatsos back then....

[theshrew]

I've driven allsorts from 1L puddle jumpers, hot hatch, sports cars, vans and trucks.

The worst out of anything was a Winnebago. What a absolute bag of st, the slightest bend in the road even at very slow speed and it had more lean angle than Valentino Rossi. Jelly on wheels.

[GravelBen]

SteveTTT said:

I am convinced that Lexus, Toyota, and Suburu for that matter, would expose themselves to a much greater sales opportunity (and to a younger target market) if they engineered a torque converter auto or manual alternative to CVT.

You may be correct (I'd want a manual one), but most people who have actually driven the modern CVT cars seem to think they're pretty good, and that bad experience with the older CVT of previous generations isn't really relevant at all.

A lot of 80s and 90s torque converter autos were pretty dire as well - apply throttle and nothing... nothing.... nothing... kickdownSCREAMINGREVS then bog down again. Some of them seemed to be in the wrong gear more often than the right one. But that doesn't seem to put people off buying modern ones.

[Löyly]

Yes, CVT's are great for every day cars. Better than a torque converter auto. I wouldn't want one in a performance car but then I wouldn't want a torque converter there either.

[Trabi601]

SteveTTT said:

I am convinced that Lexus, Toyota, and Suburu for that matter, would expose themselves to a much greater sales opportunity (and to a younger target market) if they engineered a torque converter auto or manual alternative to CVT.

Just my opinion!

The reason the Toyota hybrid system is so good is that the gearbox is an integral part of blending electric and petrol power sources.

[Baz Tench]

Morningside said:

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.

You've perfectly described my old mk3 Crapi. Hateful thing! Aside from the 'qualities' you mention, when stuck in traffic and the engine got a bit warm, it used to pink like mad when I pulled away and it refused to go over 45mph in those situations. I suspected timing or a carb issue (1.6GL), but I could never get to the bottom of it.

In reality, I couldn't really be arsed to find the source of the problem, I hated the car too much. Was so glad to see the back of it!

Edited by Baz Tench on Saturday 27th August 09:28

[techguyone]

PomBstard said:

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.

I can vouch for the 'joy' of the mk 4 1.8 D noTD just D - that was dangerously slow at anything requiring a moving start like a junction, roundabout, anything.
I can see why years ago Diesels had to be like a 2.5 to be like a petrol 1.6, thankfully someone discovered that turbos on diesels were a good idea, sadly too late for me, I only drove the car once, my Boss who's CC it was was stuck with it for several years, no wonder he was miserable.

[johnggilmartin]

beko1987 said:

Plus it always bd leaks oil from somewhere. Sump (had that off and re-sealed it), rocker cover (new gasket), oil pressure switch (new one) and it still smells oily now the bd. Doesnt burn any more than the 1.2l the handbook says it does every 1000 miles so fk it it can stay as it is

1.2 litres every 1,000 miles?!

[Straff99]

Well I had several shocking cars. McLaren F1 - poor boot and who came up with that third seat idea? Ferrari F40; constant smell of fibreglass like my Grandad's old Reliant Robin. Rolls Royce Phantom - far too little room in the back and that umbrella was such a pig to use. My supermodel girlfriend kept breaking her nails on it! Aston Martin Vantage (1970's version) far too loud and the steering was way too heavy - piece of cr*p all round. Ford Escort RS1600 - leaf springs? LEAF SPRINGS?? What a POS.

That is the idea isn't it? Making these up as we go along...?

If you've not driven a car from the 60's or 70's you've no idea what a bad car is.

[Slow]

Straff99 said:

Well I had several shocking cars. McLaren F1 - poor boot and who came up with that third seat idea? Ferrari F40; constant smell of fibreglass like my Grandad's old Reliant Robin. Rolls Royce Phantom - far too little room in the back and that umbrella was such a pig to use. My supermodel girlfriend kept breaking her nails on it! Aston Martin Vantage (1970's version) far too loud and the steering was way too heavy - piece of cr*p all round. Ford Escort RS1600 - leaf springs? LEAF SPRINGS?? What a POS.

That is the idea isn't it? Making these up as we go along...?

If you've not driven a car from the 60's or 70's you've no idea what a bad car is.

"Worst car YOU'VE ever driven" Someone of us are too young to have driven cars from the 60s/70s. Some people I know have been driving for 4 years (im 21 so assuming they passed at 17 too) and have had nothing but brand new cars. Therefor the worst they have driven is say a 2012 polo.

[Vron]

Slow said:

"Worst car YOU'VE ever driven" Someone of us are too young to have driven cars from the 60s/70s. Some people I know have been driving for 4 years (im 21 so assuming they passed at 17 too) and have had nothing but brand new cars. Therefor the worst they have driven is say a 2012 polo.

Oh to have had brand new cars at 17 or 21.........

I had a Peugeot 205cc when they first came out. Kept it two weeks and that was only because it took that long to find a replacement. Awful. Fiat X1/9 was pretty bad but that didn't drive much.

[AC43]

Straff99 said:

If you've not driven a car from the 60's or 70's you've no idea what a bad car is.

I just spent two weeks in Greece defying physics in a Suzuki Jimny hire car. When I say "defying physics" I don't mean off roading. i just mean going round a corner at more than 30mph, braking on gravel, hitting broken tarmac without fracturing a bone, that sort of thing.

Virtually unchanged since it launch in 1970. I remember one of the sports jock types at my school bought one "because it was a Jeep" in 1981. He had it for a couple of months before it reappeared having slid down the road on its side. fking terrifying on rough gravelly Greek roads with precipitous drops.

For; not diesel. Against; everything else.

Someone please push it over that cliff.

Edited by AC43 on Thursday 1st September 17:06

[Vron]

AC43 said:

Straff99 said:

If you've not driven a car from the 60's or 70's you've no idea what a bad car is.

I just spent two weeks in Greece defying physics in a Suzuki Jimny hire car. When I say "defying physics" I don't mean off roading. i just mean going round a corner at more than 30mph, braking on gravel, hitting broken tarmac without fracturing a bone, that sort of thing.

Virtually unchanged since it launch in 1970. I remember one of the sports jock types at my school bought one "because it was a Jeep" in 1981. He had it for a couple of months before it reappeared having slid down the road on its side. fking terrifying on rough gravelly Greek roads with precipitous drops.

For; not diesel. Against; everything else.

Someone please push it over that cliff.

Edited by AC43 on Thursday 1st September 17:06

You are lucky. I saw four friends go over a cliff edge in one of these on an organised 4x4 day in Cyprus. It was horrific. A tiny bit of gravel at lowish speed and they were over the edge. How nobody was killed was a miracle. The 'worst' injury was a fractured pelvis. Hateful cars.

[davebem]

Noooo you cant pick the jimny! They are phenominal off road!! I had one last year in Zante and got it sideways on the mountain hairpins in 2wd mode a couple of times.