Your Car Verdicts That Go Against The Grain

[BlueComet]

I'm going to go first and put my head above the parapet, and I'm ready to get laughed out the room by PH.

Here we go:

Having owned both, I think the MGTF is in many ways a better car than the MX5 of similar era. It's just a sharper drive with a nicer engine, better steering feel and it looks better. I also think it's more fun than some brand new, premium cars with x3 the power.

What are your against the grain/controversial verdicts? And can anyone beat my one on the gasp'ometer?

Edited by BlueComet on Thursday 1st August 21:45

[Monkeylegend]

I had a 1994 Morris Marina 1.3 that I bought for £400 to use as a daily driver so I could buy a TR6.

I ragged that car for nearly 6 years, it never let me down, only ever topped up the oil, never serviced it properly, just did things that needed doing as and when, like brake pads.

I did have to replace one rear leaf spring after loading the back with too much turf, and it finally failed the MOT due to rust around the rear screen/ boot area.

I did nearly 60k miles in that car without drama and I will never say a bad word about the Marina.

I also had a Fiat Strada for a while but that's another story

[Carfield]

I was given a Stilo Abarth with the selespeed gearbox as a hire car in Paris. It was great, and way better than the Mini Cooper that followed it.

[mike9009]

BlueComet said:

I'm going to go first and put my head above the parapet, and I'm ready to get laughed out the room by PH.

Here we go:

Having owned both, I think the MGTF is in many ways a better car than the MX5 of similar era. It's just a sharper drive with a nicer engine, better steering feel and it looks better. I also think it's more fun than some brand new, premium cars with x3 the power.

What are your against the grain/controversial verdicts? And can anyone beat my one on the gasp'ometer?

Edited by BlueComet on Thursday 1st August 21:45

I was unimpressed with my MX5 (1991 Eunos) compared to a MK1 MR2 and smart roadster that I have also owned.

My Eunos was probably a bit sus, but it just felt a bit dead and unexciting in comparison to the other two.....

[Pica-Pica]

I tried a Honda Jazz for a test drive, quite impressed.

[Heaveho]

I appear to be completely alone in my dislike of both the Nissan GT-R35 and BMW M5 V10.

[fantheman80]

I took an Alfa Guilia quad for a much looked forward to test drive and could hardly hear the exhaust in dynamic, let alone see if I agreed with the YouTube vids that wax lyrical. It even had the valve mod! Maybe pressed the wrong button or user error. Still love it though…

[POIDH]

Small estate cars are the shizzles, way better than small crossover things, and we will see more of them in the future again.

[Hoofy]

BlueComet said:

I'm going to go first and put my head above the parapet, and I'm ready to get laughed out the room by PH.

Here we go:

Having owned both, I think the MGTF is in many ways a better car than the MX5 of similar era. It's just a sharper drive with a nicer engine, better steering feel and it looks better. I also think it's more fun than some brand new, premium cars with x3 the power.

What are your against the grain/controversial verdicts? And can anyone beat my one on the gasp'ometer?

Edited by BlueComet on Thursday 1st August 21:45

I only had an older MGF with the 1.6 so the engine was gutless but it was a really good drive - I guess having lost half its suspension gas/fluid/whatever meant that it was like driving a lowered car and it felt like there was no body roll. Harsh ride, mind.

As for other cars that impressed even if I initially thought they would be naff to drive: MR2 Turbo (quicker than I thought they would be!) and Mk1 Audi TT 180 2WD (drives really well for a hairdresser's car... and much better than many non-hairdresser's cars!).

[OldGermanHeaps]

Monkeylegend said:

I had a 1994 Morris Marina 1.3 ...

I don't think you did.

[Leithen]

Mk4 V5 Golf.

Leather Recaro seats, the softest suspension ever found on four wheels, which resulted in continued bottoming out on the slightest compression.

God I regret selling it. It was one of the nicest cars I have ever driven.

[Dusty964]

Carfield said:

I was given a Stilo Abarth with the selespeed gearbox as a hire car in Paris. It was great, and way better than the Mini Cooper that followed it.

I actually went and bought one!

With sat nav and (from memory) chilled glovebox.

I loved it. Drove it without much sympathy...at all.
Never had an issue.

[Kuwahara]

I would rather Volvo had gone bust than Saab.

[anyoldcardave]

I have a thing for Vauxhall/Opel even though been Ford all my life.

I really like the Insignia Diesel Estate, though it had to go with ULEZ, an 95 and old, Astra 1.7d done me proud for years, until it was stolen, always had very good running luck with them, even a 1.0l Corsa never let me down.

I just sold my Mokka 1.6 Diesel auto SE after 18 months.

Classic wise, I only have 1 Ford, A MK1 Sierra. But 3 Vauxhall/Opel

62 VX4/90

73 Kadette B L Rallye

91 Carlton GSI 24v,

Owned a load more, Manta x 2, Chevette, Olympia x2, realy Kadette B coupe, MK1 Carlton x 2.

Somebody has to love them.

[Frankthered]

OldGermanHeaps said:

Monkeylegend said:

I had a 1994 Morris Marina 1.3 ...

I don't think you did.

I suspect you are correct! Maybe ML bought it in 1994, or maybe it was a 1974 Marina?

Marinas were never terrible cars, but neither were they ever great. They receive a lot of criticism, much of which is equally applicable to the Marina's contemporaries but, in many cases, just isn't.

Also agree that I found a test drive in a mk2 (maybe mk2.5) MX5 completely underwhelming, but I might still buy one at some point.

My own "against the grain" opinions are that I'm rather fond of French and Italian cars and don't really buy the argument that they are unreliable - no more so than most other cars. OTOH German cars are MASSIVELY overrated, in particular with regard to reliability.

[legless]

When I was in my late teens I didn't yet have my own car and used my mum's car whenever I needed one.

She changed her 1.4 MK2 Rover 400 for a 1.8 MK1 Focus, and the Focus disappointed me in comparison. While the Rover has comical levels of lean in bends, the chassis felt much better balanced, and the 1.8 Zetec E was a wheezy old thing compared to the 1.4 K series.

[5s Alive]

I've had two Imp variants, Sunbeam Stilletto and Imp Sport. Both were better than any Mini I've ever driven. Caveat - neither were standard.

The Mk1 Panda was a better drive than the Mk1 Fiesta.

[Heaveho]

[quote= The Mk1 Panda was a better drive than the Mk1 Fiesta.
[/quote]

Agreed.

[Ezra]

I'd been lusting after some kind of Alpina for quite a while and saw a lovely D5 for sale in 2017. It was a 2014 model (I think) in Black with gorgeous cream interior.



Was nowhere near as good to live with as I thought it would be, attracted a lot of (the wrong) attention and it was a proper struggle to get any decent bids when I wanted to move it on - it was mint condition, just a v v limited market. It was all a bit....meh.

[anonymous-user]

There hasn't been a good-looking Ferrari since the 360 Challenge Stradale.