Cars that shouldn't be good/fun but are!
Discussion
bucks said:
M1C said:
I agree on the VW up! thing.
One i recall fondly may well get sneered at on here...but here goes....
2008 VW Fox 1.2.
Look at the on-paper figures of 55PS (54bhp!) and 0-62 in 17.5s......it doesn't tell the story,
Wanging it around it would give you all of it's mighty 54bhp at any revs, at any time and the little 3cyl engine had a great thrum to it too.
Yes there was body roll and in may ways it was flawed...but it was such a fun little car to drive!
Are you kidding me? I'm currently pottering around in my mum's one as a stop gap as my dad can no longer drive so she uses his car. It is the worst car I've ever had to suffer and this is a 1.4. Slow, bouncy, flat uncomfortable seats with zero support, steering so vague I don't think the wheel is connected to the rack. I cannot wait to see the back of it.One i recall fondly may well get sneered at on here...but here goes....
2008 VW Fox 1.2.
Look at the on-paper figures of 55PS (54bhp!) and 0-62 in 17.5s......it doesn't tell the story,
Wanging it around it would give you all of it's mighty 54bhp at any revs, at any time and the little 3cyl engine had a great thrum to it too.
Yes there was body roll and in may ways it was flawed...but it was such a fun little car to drive!
You must be insane or I'm missing a trick
But i'm not saying you are thick. Lets agree to disagree.
I will say that the 1.2 is more fun than the 1.4 though....yes, the 1.4 will be a bit quicker but part of the fun was wringing out the 1.2, it was a great, punchy little engine.
My old 300 Tdi Disco. Crap on the road but took it to an Off-Road club once in Cannock Chase. Put it in low-range and left it there all day. Going down ravines and revving the nuts off it in 2nd/3rd gear to get up the other side, it seriously impressed me just how good they are at doing the dirty stuff.
caelite said:
Agricultural 4x4s/pickups. Nothing more fun at less than the legal limit imo, the on/off binary throttle, commanding driving position and hilarious driving dynamics make for extremely fun 55mph hustles down b roads. The fact that the good ones are neigh indestructible on the road is an added bonus, pot holes, speed bumps and other road furniture can all be tackled at 40mph with minimal fuss or damage to wheels/suspension/spine.
The only downside being their lack of overtaking oomph.
+1 for this.The only downside being their lack of overtaking oomph.
Edited by caelite on Thursday 23 March 14:44
I always head for the farm Hilux when I visit my folks. My car rarely moves once it's parked in the yard until it's time to leave.
Fourtrack was another one, and the 2.8td Pajero was surprisingly swift for what it was.
Interesting to read the Jazz comments. My wife has one, 2007 1.4. It's a strange engine, lots of torque low down and then nothing high up. The steering feel is terrible as it's electric but the suspension set up is very good and it all feels very solid and like it will go on forever. I quite like it but the seats give me terrible back ache.
I'd like to try the next shape to see if the steering is better.
I'd like to try the next shape to see if the steering is better.
ukaskew said:
I have a Citigo (so essentially an Up).
Love it to bits, sounds surprisingly brilliant when you head up through the revs (characterful 3 pot) and handles nicely.
Me too and it's bloody good! I calculated the other day that I'm doing 48.1 mpg too, and that's with trying to keep it above 4000rpm as much as possible...Love it to bits, sounds surprisingly brilliant when you head up through the revs (characterful 3 pot) and handles nicely.
It's even good on my 70 mile motorway commute. I'm actually considering buying an old Pug diesel snotter for work duties though just so I can keep the Skoda for fun (which probably sounds a bit backwards what with it being in warranty and stuff...)
Truckosaurus said:
It is always amusing when you rent a van for a day or two, but would probably be boring if you had to drive them every day.
This is very true, I drive a mk8 Transit everyday and they're pretty dull but if one of those is in for repair we get a hired mk7 which is always a nice change. I can categorically state that a hired Transit is the most abused vehicle on earth. 
vtecyo said:
+1 for this.
I always head for the farm Hilux when I visit my folks. My car rarely moves once it's parked in the yard until it's time to leave.
Fourtrack was another one, and the 2.8td Pajero was surprisingly swift for what it was.
The Fourtrack is a fine example of a machine that objectively is terrible to drive but somehow likeable.I always head for the farm Hilux when I visit my folks. My car rarely moves once it's parked in the yard until it's time to leave.
Fourtrack was another one, and the 2.8td Pajero was surprisingly swift for what it was.
We had one that we replaced with a Santa Fe.
The Hyundai is much nicer all round.
But id like the Daihatsu back.
Its all about character - it's not boring.
My brothers old 1990 Mitsubishi Galant was much nicer to drive then "it should have been". I mean it was the saloon so looked like a proper old man's car - and it was a normal Japanese car.
Saxo diesel would have been very good if Citroen actually knew how to position pedals properly. Still it did me proud in getting me around the driving test route in style to pass my driving test
Edit not sure how I forgot the Rover Metro.
Fantastic to drive and that 1.1 k series went well for what it was. Ride comfort good and it was relatively quiet for an early 90s small car
Edited by Sir Fergie on Thursday 23 March 20:09
M1C said:
bucks said:
M1C said:
I agree on the VW up! thing.
One i recall fondly may well get sneered at on here...but here goes....
2008 VW Fox 1.2.
Look at the on-paper figures of 55PS (54bhp!) and 0-62 in 17.5s......it doesn't tell the story,
Wanging it around it would give you all of it's mighty 54bhp at any revs, at any time and the little 3cyl engine had a great thrum to it too.
Yes there was body roll and in may ways it was flawed...but it was such a fun little car to drive!
Are you kidding me? I'm currently pottering around in my mum's one as a stop gap as my dad can no longer drive so she uses his car. It is the worst car I've ever had to suffer and this is a 1.4. Slow, bouncy, flat uncomfortable seats with zero support, steering so vague I don't think the wheel is connected to the rack. I cannot wait to see the back of it.One i recall fondly may well get sneered at on here...but here goes....
2008 VW Fox 1.2.
Look at the on-paper figures of 55PS (54bhp!) and 0-62 in 17.5s......it doesn't tell the story,
Wanging it around it would give you all of it's mighty 54bhp at any revs, at any time and the little 3cyl engine had a great thrum to it too.
Yes there was body roll and in may ways it was flawed...but it was such a fun little car to drive!
You must be insane or I'm missing a trick
But i'm not saying you are thick. Lets agree to disagree.
I will say that the 1.2 is more fun than the 1.4 though....yes, the 1.4 will be a bit quicker but part of the fun was wringing out the 1.2, it was a great, punchy little engine.
Another vote for the VW Up.
Bought it for my son who is learning to drive.
It's the 75bhp version with air con, nav, electrics, tints, alloys and a 300watt 7 speaker stereo.
Very easy to drive and lots of grip. You have to time your gear changes and time roundabout entry to maintain momentum but that's fun. Man and machine working together.
Averaging 55mpg in mixed driving, I even took it on 200 mile business trip last week.
Engine has a unique sound under revs, sort of a gruff growl.
Has really surprised me how good it is
Bought it for my son who is learning to drive.
It's the 75bhp version with air con, nav, electrics, tints, alloys and a 300watt 7 speaker stereo.
Very easy to drive and lots of grip. You have to time your gear changes and time roundabout entry to maintain momentum but that's fun. Man and machine working together.
Averaging 55mpg in mixed driving, I even took it on 200 mile business trip last week.
Engine has a unique sound under revs, sort of a gruff growl.
Has really surprised me how good it is
C1/Aygo/107!
I work in the motor trade and have driven hundreds of run of the mill cars, a lot have impressed for various reasons but the Aygo and its siblings are a real hoot!
Despite rubish interiors, cheap plastics, crap seats and notchy gearbox the engine is willing and full of character. They feel brisk and rather chuckable. You can be at 10/10ths with out worrying about losing your license. There's something to be said for basic motoring sometimes. Real world fun and in reality can be driven harder day to day than even my warm Fabia.
I work in the motor trade and have driven hundreds of run of the mill cars, a lot have impressed for various reasons but the Aygo and its siblings are a real hoot!
Despite rubish interiors, cheap plastics, crap seats and notchy gearbox the engine is willing and full of character. They feel brisk and rather chuckable. You can be at 10/10ths with out worrying about losing your license. There's something to be said for basic motoring sometimes. Real world fun and in reality can be driven harder day to day than even my warm Fabia.
+1 for the K11 Mira. I had a Super S and quite frankly it was brilliant fun. Weirdly, I found my old Rover 200 diesel good fun, too. I had the one with the intercooler so it made about 105 BHP IIRC. The car only weighed just north of a ton so it was quite perky. 3rd gear roll on acceleration was especially good. Plus, no matter how hard I clogged it, it still returned high fifties to the gallon. Reliable, too. Two years of ownership and apart from consumables, I never had to lay a spanner on it.
Edited by Derventio on Thursday 23 March 21:20
This thread has reminded me of a few cars I've enjoyed.
The VW Fox 1.2 was indeed surprisingly good fun.
I also remember being surprised by a friend's Nissan pick-up. Not fast, refined or sophisticated but the steering and gear change were far more pleasant than I expected.
Then there was the Honda Legend, the last one (I think) with all-wheel drive. It could be smooth, quiet and restful. It could also be incredibly entertaining; put the transmission in manual, let the V6 rev, marvel at how adeptly it could change direction. Honda's 'Super Handling All-Wheel Drive' seemed well named. Taking a Legend and charging around the back roads near Silverstone is one of my three all-time favourite drives.
The VW Fox 1.2 was indeed surprisingly good fun.
I also remember being surprised by a friend's Nissan pick-up. Not fast, refined or sophisticated but the steering and gear change were far more pleasant than I expected.
Then there was the Honda Legend, the last one (I think) with all-wheel drive. It could be smooth, quiet and restful. It could also be incredibly entertaining; put the transmission in manual, let the V6 rev, marvel at how adeptly it could change direction. Honda's 'Super Handling All-Wheel Drive' seemed well named. Taking a Legend and charging around the back roads near Silverstone is one of my three all-time favourite drives.
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