Anyone ever had a car that you liked but never clicked with?
Discussion
Hey, so I'm in a dilemma at the moment car is a eunos roadster mk1 it's actually my 3rd, the one I had before was a white 94 and sadly it got wrote off over a year ago now and I still miss it now. The one I currently have is a 93 in yellow it's actually a one off colour Porsche bahama yellow but over the last few months or so it's had engine trouble burns oil bad and big coolant leak. Plan is with a friend were going to put another engine in it it's in the garage ready and fix a few .ore niggly bits that bug me.
At the moment I don't enjoy driving it but with fear of overheating amongst other stuff it's hard to but I can't but feel even when it's fixed I just won't click with it. The white one I had a certain aura to it I can't explain I just clicked with it and loved it so much and I fear I won't get that feeling again. If I didn't I was considering trying a MK2 for a change.
But I just wanted to ask if anyone's has similar experiences ans did you sell up and move on?
At the moment I don't enjoy driving it but with fear of overheating amongst other stuff it's hard to but I can't but feel even when it's fixed I just won't click with it. The white one I had a certain aura to it I can't explain I just clicked with it and loved it so much and I fear I won't get that feeling again. If I didn't I was considering trying a MK2 for a change.
But I just wanted to ask if anyone's has similar experiences ans did you sell up and move on?
Yep. Wanted to love it, and in fact thought it was a great looking car, but it was a complete let down in terms of performance and handling. It couldn't live with the Corrado VR6 it initially shared garage space with when driven on the same road, and was really shown in a bad light compared to the car I got next, and still have 21 years later, my 2003 Evo 8. Catastrophic understeer was the Subaru's downfall, a trait I can't forgive in any car. It couldn't live up to the hype in the press and was sold when I simply stopped driving it in favour of the Evo.
lockey1995 said:
Hey, so I'm in a dilemma at the moment car is a eunos roadster mk1 it's actually my 3rd, the one I had before was a white 94 and sadly it got wrote off over a year ago now and I still miss it now. The one I currently have is a 93 in yellow it's actually a one off colour Porsche bahama yellow but over the last few months or so it's had engine trouble burns oil bad and big coolant leak. Plan is with a friend were going to put another engine in it it's in the garage ready and fix a few .ore niggly bits that bug me.
At the moment I don't enjoy driving it but with fear of overheating amongst other stuff it's hard to but I can't but feel even when it's fixed I just won't click with it. The white one I had a certain aura to it I can't explain I just clicked with it and loved it so much and I fear I won't get that feeling again. If I didn't I was considering trying a MK2 for a change.
But I just wanted to ask if anyone's has similar experiences ans did you sell up and move on?
Yep. My last Polo GTi. 22 plate, bought at a year old. Lovely engine and dsg, but I always had the haunting suspicion that electrical gremlins were just around the corner. Then I got the repeated "travel assist unavailable" warning come up, which meant I lost the ACC, CC, emergency braking and all the other gubbins. Was repaired under warranty, but not for long. Soon happened again. Also, the connection to my phone was haphazard. Would just drop, regardless of wired connection or Bluetooth, at any moment. At the moment I don't enjoy driving it but with fear of overheating amongst other stuff it's hard to but I can't but feel even when it's fixed I just won't click with it. The white one I had a certain aura to it I can't explain I just clicked with it and loved it so much and I fear I won't get that feeling again. If I didn't I was considering trying a MK2 for a change.
But I just wanted to ask if anyone's has similar experiences ans did you sell up and move on?
I moved the car on while it still had the original warranty and so still retained some value.
After 10 years of VW, I'm now driving a Lexus.
It's a shame; I had the previous shape Polo GTi and it never put a foot wrong (apart from the leaky sunroof in heavy rain). You could tell the difference in build quality between the two. The older one felt solid. The newer one just had a whiff of flimsy cheapness about it that became apparent the more I drove it.
P2 Volvo V70R.... covetted one for years, bought the "right" spec ie manual, facelift, black and granted it looked fantastic and on the right (smooth) road it was a nice old thing but it was ultimately a massive disappointment. Even after significant investment on suspension / brakes etc it was no better and I sold it. I still look at them thinking it was nice and I'd have another, bue the reality is within minutes of driving it I know I'd be deeply regretting that decision. Again.
BMW F30 330d. On the face of it, an exceptional car. It followed an E90 330d, which I kept for near 100k miles, it was brilliant and was a bit loathed to get rid, but was excited about the upgrade. It had to be even better, right?
Nope. Got rid after about 10,000 miles and not more than a year. By any measure, it was 'better'. Better engine, more efficient, faster, way better 8 speed gearbox, equipment etc etc. But I didn't get with it at all and it soon became just irritating to drive. Made several changes to the wheels an tyres to see if the runflats and ride were the issue, but no. I finally put it down to the move from hydraulic steering to electric PAS just not having the same feel, and weirdly as it sounds, that it was just too polished and effortless at everything, which made it dull.
Changed for an older Discovery 4. Complete opposite. The SDV6 engine I'd argue is even more creamy smooth than the BMW albeit nowhere near as punchy. The rest of it is wallowy, old fashioned, hopelessly outdated tech wise, isn't efficient and is painfully costly to keep on top of the maintenance, although it still has the 8 speed box. But to drive, infinitely more enjoyable to punt about. Now had it for 6-7 years and don't intend to get rid of it.
I still regret selling the E90 though... wonderful thing.
Nope. Got rid after about 10,000 miles and not more than a year. By any measure, it was 'better'. Better engine, more efficient, faster, way better 8 speed gearbox, equipment etc etc. But I didn't get with it at all and it soon became just irritating to drive. Made several changes to the wheels an tyres to see if the runflats and ride were the issue, but no. I finally put it down to the move from hydraulic steering to electric PAS just not having the same feel, and weirdly as it sounds, that it was just too polished and effortless at everything, which made it dull.
Changed for an older Discovery 4. Complete opposite. The SDV6 engine I'd argue is even more creamy smooth than the BMW albeit nowhere near as punchy. The rest of it is wallowy, old fashioned, hopelessly outdated tech wise, isn't efficient and is painfully costly to keep on top of the maintenance, although it still has the 8 speed box. But to drive, infinitely more enjoyable to punt about. Now had it for 6-7 years and don't intend to get rid of it.
I still regret selling the E90 though... wonderful thing.
Heaveho said:
Yep. Wanted to love it, and in fact thought it was a great looking car, but it was a complete let down in terms of performance and handling. It couldn't live with the Corrado VR6 it initially shared garage space with when driven on the same road, and was really shown in a bad light compared to the car I got next, and still have 21 years later, my 2003 Evo 8. Catastrophic understeer was the Subaru's downfall, a trait I can't forgive in any car. It couldn't live up to the hype in the press and was sold when I simply stopped driving it in favour of the Evo.
The classic shape was and still is iconic, I just love them. In 2 door guise they’re perfect and I still want a Type-R to sit alongside my Evo V.It’s a well known issue with Subarus that the front end is rubbish, they do understeer badly, the STI sorts that somewhat, but still no here near the dialled in ‘on its toes’ feeling of the Evo.
That’s a lovely colour though on the one you had. Was it a standard colour?
Audi e-tron GT.
It looked great, was fast, had great tech, cost me relative peanuts on SS and was efficient enough for my needs.
However, the seats were uncomfortable, it was hard to get in and out of, the rear doors too wide and the boot was tiny.
If one magically turned up for free, I'd drive it and I didn't dislike it enough to try and off-load it, but I wouldn't have another one.
It looked great, was fast, had great tech, cost me relative peanuts on SS and was efficient enough for my needs.
However, the seats were uncomfortable, it was hard to get in and out of, the rear doors too wide and the boot was tiny.
If one magically turned up for free, I'd drive it and I didn't dislike it enough to try and off-load it, but I wouldn't have another one.
Yeah. This BMW.
It was 3 years old when I bought it and I just never bonded with it. Looked good. Loved those wheels. Performance felt a bit thin, magnificent sounding engine but blunted by weight. Very comfortable and refined (perhaps too refined). Nice steering, you could cover ground quickly in it but it just never felt special and that was my biggest problem with it, just like a nice 3 series with a nice sounding engine.
I know it’s an unpopular opinion. Not a bad car and as an only car it might tick a lot of boxes for a lot of people. I kept it 6 months, probably shortest time I’ve ever owned a car.
It was 3 years old when I bought it and I just never bonded with it. Looked good. Loved those wheels. Performance felt a bit thin, magnificent sounding engine but blunted by weight. Very comfortable and refined (perhaps too refined). Nice steering, you could cover ground quickly in it but it just never felt special and that was my biggest problem with it, just like a nice 3 series with a nice sounding engine.
I know it’s an unpopular opinion. Not a bad car and as an only car it might tick a lot of boxes for a lot of people. I kept it 6 months, probably shortest time I’ve ever owned a car.
Edited by Lefty on Wednesday 25th June 09:13
Smart Roadster.
Loved the idea of it. Really liked how it looked (externally, at least). Loved the fabric roof that could be rolled back at any speed. Enjoyed the impracticality - it was part of the experience.
Loved the promise of RWD, but it was my first RWD and I didn't realise that a reconfigured town car with all the same mechanicals was never going to be fun to drive.
Sold it after nine months. Shortest time I've ever held onto a car.
Loved the idea of it. Really liked how it looked (externally, at least). Loved the fabric roof that could be rolled back at any speed. Enjoyed the impracticality - it was part of the experience.
Loved the promise of RWD, but it was my first RWD and I didn't realise that a reconfigured town car with all the same mechanicals was never going to be fun to drive.
Sold it after nine months. Shortest time I've ever held onto a car.
Arnage T
Wanted one for ages.
Felt more ponderous than I expected and I was worried about any sound it made, had two batteries that would drain faster than the trickle chargers could keep up with and a daily smorgasbord of warning lights and this was in spite of a trusted dealer saying I had a good one.
Tears of joy when it was collected after being sold at auction...
Wanted one for ages.
Felt more ponderous than I expected and I was worried about any sound it made, had two batteries that would drain faster than the trickle chargers could keep up with and a daily smorgasbord of warning lights and this was in spite of a trusted dealer saying I had a good one.
Tears of joy when it was collected after being sold at auction...
Heaveho said:
Yep. Wanted to love it, and in fact thought it was a great looking car, but it was a complete let down in terms of performance and handling. It couldn't live with the Corrado VR6 it initially shared garage space with when driven on the same road, and was really shown in a bad light compared to the car I got next, and still have 21 years later, my 2003 Evo 8. Catastrophic understeer was the Subaru's downfall, a trait I can't forgive in any car. It couldn't live up to the hype in the press and was sold when I simply stopped driving it in favour of the Evo.
I was about to post exactly the same thing about the same car. I fully bought into the Hype behind the Subaru Impreza Turbo to the point where at 26 I bought one as my first ever brand new car. I still cringe to this day how much money this was (£21,309 with mats, mica paint and headlight protectors, £40,579.66 in todays money), especially as I was renting at the time.I ran it in properly and after the 1000 mile running in service put my foot down on a dual carriage way and thought "is that it?". I didn't like the hard suspension and it all felt very low rent inside. As you say the understeer meant it was boring to drive, and the worst thing was on the motorway a E46 330i tried to overtake me and I thought "I will show you", only to find the Impreza was not any faster.
The fuel economy was poor, it needed servicing every six months and after doing a spreadsheet of costs I felt slightly sick and knew it had to go. After 22 months I sold it back to a Subaru dealership at my largest ever loss on a car.
I think the UK ones were the most over hyped car of the 90s, I wish I had got the E46 330i instead as that would have been way more my sort of car.
Andy665 said:
986 Boxster S - efficient, did what I expected it to do, not particularly reliable but the worst thing about it was its complete lack of character - utterly soulless
In drove one a year or so back, was surprised now by what i found bland 20-25 years ago!For me it was an R35GTR had nothing other than speed. Everything else about it left me cold.
MK5 R32 is the one that stands out. I had a MK5 GTI at the time and bought the R32 with the intention of moving on the GTI, so had both cars for 3-4 weeks. Long story short, the GTI was the better car, or more accurately, the better hot hatch. Ended up selling the R32 and kept the GTI for a number of years afterwards.
Yes, and funnily enough a Eunos 1.8 S Limited!
The tricked out version with strut brace, torsen, Mazdapseed headers, Bilsteins etc.
Could never understand the fuss over them - a nice roadster to cruise about in but slow, only 'okay' handling but mostly insufficient power/torque to have any fun. Possible the torsen but you could never get the rear to play, even a little bit.
My Elan was so much better
The tricked out version with strut brace, torsen, Mazdapseed headers, Bilsteins etc.
Could never understand the fuss over them - a nice roadster to cruise about in but slow, only 'okay' handling but mostly insufficient power/torque to have any fun. Possible the torsen but you could never get the rear to play, even a little bit.
My Elan was so much better
ThingsBehindTheSun said:
I was about to post exactly the same thing about the same car. I fully bought into the Hype behind the Subaru Impreza Turbo to the point where at 26 I bought one as my first ever brand new car. I still cringe to this day how much money this was (£21,309 with mats, mica paint and headlight protectors, £40,579.66 in todays money), especially as I was renting at the time.
I ran it in properly and after the 1000 mile running in service put my foot down on a dual carriage way and thought "is that it?". I didn't like the hard suspension and it all felt very low rent inside. As you say the understeer meant it was boring to drive, and the worst thing was on the motorway a E46 330i tried to overtake me and I thought "I will show you", only to find the Impreza was not any faster.
The fuel economy was poor, it needed servicing every six months and after doing a spreadsheet of costs I felt slightly sick and knew it had to go. After 22 months I sold it back to a Subaru dealership at my largest ever loss on a car.
I think the UK ones were the most over hyped car of the 90s, I wish I had got the E46 330i instead as that would have been way more my sort of car.
Interesting, I never bought into the hype for these either. Tried to, but just don’t see the attraction of them. Back in 07 / 08, these were so common in Essex & every time I went out in the Griff, one would appear behind me. I ran it in properly and after the 1000 mile running in service put my foot down on a dual carriage way and thought "is that it?". I didn't like the hard suspension and it all felt very low rent inside. As you say the understeer meant it was boring to drive, and the worst thing was on the motorway a E46 330i tried to overtake me and I thought "I will show you", only to find the Impreza was not any faster.
The fuel economy was poor, it needed servicing every six months and after doing a spreadsheet of costs I felt slightly sick and knew it had to go. After 22 months I sold it back to a Subaru dealership at my largest ever loss on a car.
I think the UK ones were the most over hyped car of the 90s, I wish I had got the E46 330i instead as that would have been way more my sort of car.
A good pal had owned a few and spent an absolute fortune on his last one, an W plate car, all of the “ trick parts “ including fitting £££ Ohlins to it, big brakes, blah blah, it supposedly it had 350hp. Had a couple of tear ups with him in my old E46 M3, up to 60 ish he was ahead ( M3 is a lot heavier and hampered by its poor gear change ) but I could soon reel him in.
In 2015 he just stopped driving it and it sat under a cover on his drive going moldy until about 3 years ago. He advertised it, someone bought it within an hour of the listing going live, dragged it off of the drive & onto a recovery truck. The following day, it’s back on flea bay at double what he sold it for……
And yes, you should have bought a 330Ci, great cars.
I think I may be having this with my last Saab purchase. My day to day car is a convertible 9-3, it's been such a good car. Surprisingly quick, looks great with the roof down but still manages to do 50mpg+.
So I tracked down a V6 9-3 albeit a four door. It's a really rare spec, 4WD, 2.8 V6, 280bhp, manual and in really good condition and a good looking car. But I look at the 700 quid tax bracket and 26mpg and wonder if the performance warrants the costs. By contrast I just bought a CLS55 with 480bhp, the tax is less and it'll do similar mpg on a cruise. So I suspect it's my logic that's making the car appeal less than the car actually being a good, fun drive.
So I tracked down a V6 9-3 albeit a four door. It's a really rare spec, 4WD, 2.8 V6, 280bhp, manual and in really good condition and a good looking car. But I look at the 700 quid tax bracket and 26mpg and wonder if the performance warrants the costs. By contrast I just bought a CLS55 with 480bhp, the tax is less and it'll do similar mpg on a cruise. So I suspect it's my logic that's making the car appeal less than the car actually being a good, fun drive.
birdcage said:
Arnage T
Wanted one for ages.
Felt more ponderous than I expected and I was worried about any sound it made, had two batteries that would drain faster than the trickle chargers could keep up with and a daily smorgasbord of warning lights and this was in spite of a trusted dealer saying I had a good one.
Tears of joy when it was collected after being sold at auction...
Totally agree. Well, mine was an Arnage (no “T”) but, adorable to look at, but cramped to the point of being diabolical for such a boat, and the only car I’ve had that I swear you can make the fuel needle move in real time if flooding it. 20 year old Bentley was always going to be a brave prospect, but I didn’t click with it to the point I knew I’d have zero patience for inevitable repairs, so kept it less than a month and took a loss on it. I was just happy to be shot of it. Wanted one for ages.
Felt more ponderous than I expected and I was worried about any sound it made, had two batteries that would drain faster than the trickle chargers could keep up with and a daily smorgasbord of warning lights and this was in spite of a trusted dealer saying I had a good one.
Tears of joy when it was collected after being sold at auction...
I bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee, lovely car to look at, all the accessories you'd need, airy cabin, air suspension, drove solidly on test drive, and was reliable while I owned it. Kids liked the look, the heated reclining seats in the back, panoramic sunroof and high driving position. Bought to travel long distances and camping trips etc across UK and Europe.
However i found after a few weeks of use, as a large SUV (in UK context) it had a small, high and narrow boot, roof rails were flimsy and as i discovered buried deep in the manual, only rated 45kg with the sunroof, so using a roofbox was always a concern, didnt help by the small boot, body trim was flimsy.
Diesel engine was powerful enough but extremely noisy and tractor like, there was little or no creep in auto that made slow speed manoeuvring and parking very difficult, and getting off the line at roundabouts was always a gamble. It had an annoying habit of wanting to run a dpf regeneration mid journey that wouldn't finish by the time you got home(should have just been 15 mins), which i was sure was not good for it long term.
Despite armchair like front seats I just could get comfortable on long journeys. Off road was OK, though higher air suspension settings (which you would expect to dial up on rough rutted tracks) caused the suspension to top out and slam alarmingly.
So for me, although ticking all the boxes as a handsome large family car built for adventure, and one i was really looking forward to owning, it just wasn't as practical, refined or built as I was expecting. Perhaps a match made in heaven of Italian engineering and USA styling ( being a Jeep-Chrysler-Fiat)?
So... after about 6 months, I went back to an Audi a6 avant and have loved it for 3 years and 25k miles of travel later.
However i found after a few weeks of use, as a large SUV (in UK context) it had a small, high and narrow boot, roof rails were flimsy and as i discovered buried deep in the manual, only rated 45kg with the sunroof, so using a roofbox was always a concern, didnt help by the small boot, body trim was flimsy.
Diesel engine was powerful enough but extremely noisy and tractor like, there was little or no creep in auto that made slow speed manoeuvring and parking very difficult, and getting off the line at roundabouts was always a gamble. It had an annoying habit of wanting to run a dpf regeneration mid journey that wouldn't finish by the time you got home(should have just been 15 mins), which i was sure was not good for it long term.
Despite armchair like front seats I just could get comfortable on long journeys. Off road was OK, though higher air suspension settings (which you would expect to dial up on rough rutted tracks) caused the suspension to top out and slam alarmingly.
So for me, although ticking all the boxes as a handsome large family car built for adventure, and one i was really looking forward to owning, it just wasn't as practical, refined or built as I was expecting. Perhaps a match made in heaven of Italian engineering and USA styling ( being a Jeep-Chrysler-Fiat)?
So... after about 6 months, I went back to an Audi a6 avant and have loved it for 3 years and 25k miles of travel later.
Edited by prand on Wednesday 25th June 10:00
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