Cars you have bought but regretted?
Discussion
I've only ever really regretted buying 3 cars out of the ~30 I have owned in 15 years;
1) Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth 4x4. Bought with the utmost stupidity. Everything was telling me to walk away from this car but I still bought it. Was a big pile of st and I ended up breaking it for spares.
2) Subaru Impreza Turbo WRX STi v1. Bought via PH. Worst car I have ever owned. Scaff bars for suspension, misfires, gearbox issues, over heating issues. This was all within 2 weeks. Sold the car after 4 weeks taking an £800 loss on it.
3) BMW M5. My current car. At first it was great, but over my ownership it has thrown up a few issues, with the latest one being one that I either live with, or throw money at, which I arent really prepared to do either of, so after deciding to keep it, I've now decided it has to go. What I will replace it with I do not know, as there is very little this side of £8k that does everything an M5 does. I could spend £4k on it and it be no closer to how I want it to be.
So thats my 3, what about yours?
1) Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth 4x4. Bought with the utmost stupidity. Everything was telling me to walk away from this car but I still bought it. Was a big pile of st and I ended up breaking it for spares.
2) Subaru Impreza Turbo WRX STi v1. Bought via PH. Worst car I have ever owned. Scaff bars for suspension, misfires, gearbox issues, over heating issues. This was all within 2 weeks. Sold the car after 4 weeks taking an £800 loss on it.
3) BMW M5. My current car. At first it was great, but over my ownership it has thrown up a few issues, with the latest one being one that I either live with, or throw money at, which I arent really prepared to do either of, so after deciding to keep it, I've now decided it has to go. What I will replace it with I do not know, as there is very little this side of £8k that does everything an M5 does. I could spend £4k on it and it be no closer to how I want it to be.
So thats my 3, what about yours?
996 C4S. I'd had a couple of air-cooled 911s and thought this would be a great way of driving my, then, 90 mile round trip commute and in a car I love instead of a snotter to keep miles off the 993.
Imagine my disappointment when about 20 minutes into the drive home it hit home that it simply wasn't a 911 at all. I tried for 6 months to think of it even remotely fondly, but gave up and sold it on.
Imagine my disappointment when about 20 minutes into the drive home it hit home that it simply wasn't a 911 at all. I tried for 6 months to think of it even remotely fondly, but gave up and sold it on.
My current car, an Alfa GT 3.2V6. When it works well, it's a joy. But for the other 98% of the time, there always seems to be stuff that needs fixing - generally chocolate suspension bits.
Almost certainly the last Alfa I'll buy.
My mileage is so low now that I can't justify changing it for anything else.
Almost certainly the last Alfa I'll buy.
My mileage is so low now that I can't justify changing it for anything else.
Only one. We bought a Seat Arosa 1.0, thinking it was the cheapest possible way of getting to work, and would be useful as a shopping car. Utter horrible thing it was, and it only did low 30's mpg as you had to drive everywhere with your foot on the floor just to keep up with traffic.
Sold it and got an old 1.6 Focus instead, which was better in every way.
Sold it and got an old 1.6 Focus instead, which was better in every way.
Bought an XR3i about 20 years ago which needed suspension work (broken mcpherson strut). Came with upgraded replacements, but obviously meant I couldn't drive the car until the work could be carried out, although the engine did start and did run fine.
Did the work. Car ran terribly. Gutless, choked up, overheating, the struts were too hard and the car sat too high, electrics failed. Scrapped it!
The surprising one for regret was my Chimaera. Think it's one of those meet your heroes things. I've been after one for about 10 years, drove a few. I'm used to having to fix a few things on my cars, but the TVR was appalling. 1 of 4 trips in it resulted in something failing along the way. It ran perfectly when I bought it, bar the misfire / lean running issue, but since then the remote locking has given up, the stepper motor needs cleaned every week to make it idle properly, it's overheated and cooked the starter motor most visits to the petrol station, the roof has leaked, the serpentine belt had to be replaced, the intermittent wiper struggles. On top of that, the handling is good and the steering and brakes sublime, but it's just such a handful in the wet (wheel spins in 3rd, even with decent tyres) that you drive it like a granny in the damp.
Still, it sounds absolutely awesome, looks great and drives well in the dry. But I'm still disillusioned and will be replacing it with an Elise.
Did the work. Car ran terribly. Gutless, choked up, overheating, the struts were too hard and the car sat too high, electrics failed. Scrapped it!
The surprising one for regret was my Chimaera. Think it's one of those meet your heroes things. I've been after one for about 10 years, drove a few. I'm used to having to fix a few things on my cars, but the TVR was appalling. 1 of 4 trips in it resulted in something failing along the way. It ran perfectly when I bought it, bar the misfire / lean running issue, but since then the remote locking has given up, the stepper motor needs cleaned every week to make it idle properly, it's overheated and cooked the starter motor most visits to the petrol station, the roof has leaked, the serpentine belt had to be replaced, the intermittent wiper struggles. On top of that, the handling is good and the steering and brakes sublime, but it's just such a handful in the wet (wheel spins in 3rd, even with decent tyres) that you drive it like a granny in the damp.
Still, it sounds absolutely awesome, looks great and drives well in the dry. But I'm still disillusioned and will be replacing it with an Elise.
E39 540i. On paper (and in the bargain barge thread) it's the MX5 of the barge world, everyone asks what barge to buy and like clockwork there'll be more E39 suggestions than any other.
In reality it was slow (I know it's big, and an auto, but really....) and unreliable - had just about every age related issue going, from corroded brake lines, failing ABS (resulting in a massive tailslide on the A34 one night as one rear wheel locked up while slowing for a slip road), MAF issue, Lambda issues, bearings, suspension.... All in the 9 months I owned it.
I'm sure a good one is a decent steer if you can live with the relatively low performance to mpg ratio, but a tired one is a very expensive proposition indeed.
In reality it was slow (I know it's big, and an auto, but really....) and unreliable - had just about every age related issue going, from corroded brake lines, failing ABS (resulting in a massive tailslide on the A34 one night as one rear wheel locked up while slowing for a slip road), MAF issue, Lambda issues, bearings, suspension.... All in the 9 months I owned it.
I'm sure a good one is a decent steer if you can live with the relatively low performance to mpg ratio, but a tired one is a very expensive proposition indeed.
Audi S4 Avant - V8 Manual.
I had sold the 535d sport touring and the M3 CSL and wanted a car that did it all.
I was looking at RS4's and then this came up, 2 years old with 13k miles on it for £22k when everything else was nearer £30k at dealers or £26k private.
I thought people were joking about the awkward pedal heights, they were't.
I thought people were joking about the short gear ratios, they weren't.
I thought people were definitely joking when they said the engine was in front of the axle, they weren't.
I thought people were joking when they said it under steered so badly that you will never feel the Quattro anyway, they weren't.
I thought people were joking when they said the manual does 3500rpm at 80mph and therefore only 18mpg when cruising, they weren't.
Terrible, terrible car.
Swapped for a 335i sport touring, which although was a little bit dull being forced induction, it trounced the S4.
Mercedes E350cdi estate.
After the 335i I had 2 Merc estates, and loved them.
Then got an F11 5 series touring and found it soft, if going soft may as well have a Merc?
So swapped for the new E350cdi estate. Knew on the 150 mile drive home I didn't like it.
Hard interior plastics.
Firm ride without being sporty.
Noisy cabin.
Steering wheel and pedal combination that means you can't get the steering wheel in a comfy position and see the cluster.
Seat doesn't go low enough to be comfy.
Horrible and dangerous parameter steering. (Whoever thought non linear steering is a good idea needs to get out the car industry quick!)
Not a good car imho, uncomfortable after more than an hour and just a bit of a pig all round.
Out of 40 odd cars in the last 17 years I think they are the only 'regrets', obviously some cars I have thought were not great, mainly when I was trying to find and Audi I liked and then realised it was FWD on them was the problem, but only two massive 'regrets' the two above.
I had sold the 535d sport touring and the M3 CSL and wanted a car that did it all.
I was looking at RS4's and then this came up, 2 years old with 13k miles on it for £22k when everything else was nearer £30k at dealers or £26k private.
I thought people were joking about the awkward pedal heights, they were't.
I thought people were joking about the short gear ratios, they weren't.
I thought people were definitely joking when they said the engine was in front of the axle, they weren't.
I thought people were joking when they said it under steered so badly that you will never feel the Quattro anyway, they weren't.
I thought people were joking when they said the manual does 3500rpm at 80mph and therefore only 18mpg when cruising, they weren't.
Terrible, terrible car.
Swapped for a 335i sport touring, which although was a little bit dull being forced induction, it trounced the S4.
Mercedes E350cdi estate.
After the 335i I had 2 Merc estates, and loved them.
Then got an F11 5 series touring and found it soft, if going soft may as well have a Merc?
So swapped for the new E350cdi estate. Knew on the 150 mile drive home I didn't like it.
Hard interior plastics.
Firm ride without being sporty.
Noisy cabin.
Steering wheel and pedal combination that means you can't get the steering wheel in a comfy position and see the cluster.
Seat doesn't go low enough to be comfy.
Horrible and dangerous parameter steering. (Whoever thought non linear steering is a good idea needs to get out the car industry quick!)
Not a good car imho, uncomfortable after more than an hour and just a bit of a pig all round.
Out of 40 odd cars in the last 17 years I think they are the only 'regrets', obviously some cars I have thought were not great, mainly when I was trying to find and Audi I liked and then realised it was FWD on them was the problem, but only two massive 'regrets' the two above.
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