What car has the best ever build quality?
Discussion
So yesterday, I was asked by my trader pal to ferry him to a garage in a 110k mike e39 diesel. The car owes him about £1000.
I sat in it, remembered how compact cars used to feel and drove off.
Four miles later, my jaw was sat on my knees and I was literally laughing to myself. The car felt like it was carved out of a solid block of “vehicle” - when I hit a bump, nothing moved. The steering, although weighty, was perfectly precise and alive. Every control, although primitive compared to modern designs, had the feel of an installation just completed and happy to go on indefinite duty.
I got into my 2k mile 2017 m4 tonight. I love the M4 but by comparison the steering felt less impressive, and the build quality not even in the same game - never mind ball park. Every hard bump yields a slightly plastic edged sound as things that might be giving evidence of costing less and might be less well installed move together. They’re not rattles, but they are signals that the old car was, for sure, a better made machine.
I don’t know what that makes me feel about the M4 but it does raise the question - what car is the all time build quality king?
(Bonus points can be awarded for experience on the spanners where cars are intelligently constructed making working on them a pleasure - or where the manufacturer of the mainstream vehicle has gone out of its way to overspecify mechanical things that you might have noticed. Doesn’t have to be just interior construction quality)
I sat in it, remembered how compact cars used to feel and drove off.
Four miles later, my jaw was sat on my knees and I was literally laughing to myself. The car felt like it was carved out of a solid block of “vehicle” - when I hit a bump, nothing moved. The steering, although weighty, was perfectly precise and alive. Every control, although primitive compared to modern designs, had the feel of an installation just completed and happy to go on indefinite duty.
I got into my 2k mile 2017 m4 tonight. I love the M4 but by comparison the steering felt less impressive, and the build quality not even in the same game - never mind ball park. Every hard bump yields a slightly plastic edged sound as things that might be giving evidence of costing less and might be less well installed move together. They’re not rattles, but they are signals that the old car was, for sure, a better made machine.
I don’t know what that makes me feel about the M4 but it does raise the question - what car is the all time build quality king?
(Bonus points can be awarded for experience on the spanners where cars are intelligently constructed making working on them a pleasure - or where the manufacturer of the mainstream vehicle has gone out of its way to overspecify mechanical things that you might have noticed. Doesn’t have to be just interior construction quality)
My mate had a 1996 Volvo 960 stretch Limo he ran up to 230,000m which was totally original apart from a steering rack, two balljoints an alternator and a fuel level sender.
The suspension bushes were starting to show signs of age but the engine, body and autobox were sound, still on the original exhaust as well when he sold it in 2010.
As an ex mechanic I took care of servicing and can say it was built like a tank compared to contemporary cars let alone current models.
The interior was like new despite the mileage and everything worked including the air con, no squeaking or rattling despite having 2ft added to its length.
Other than Rolls Royce, Volvo were the only cars I know of that left the factory with copper brake pipes, wierdly it also had a single composite transverse leaf spring in the rear suspension like a Corvette.
The race to the bottom for cars in geneal started around 2000 with water based paint, plastic instead of alloy and can bus with thin brittle wiring for example.
The suspension bushes were starting to show signs of age but the engine, body and autobox were sound, still on the original exhaust as well when he sold it in 2010.
As an ex mechanic I took care of servicing and can say it was built like a tank compared to contemporary cars let alone current models.
The interior was like new despite the mileage and everything worked including the air con, no squeaking or rattling despite having 2ft added to its length.
Other than Rolls Royce, Volvo were the only cars I know of that left the factory with copper brake pipes, wierdly it also had a single composite transverse leaf spring in the rear suspension like a Corvette.
The race to the bottom for cars in geneal started around 2000 with water based paint, plastic instead of alloy and can bus with thin brittle wiring for example.
While I like the shape I seem at odds with the love shown everywhere for e39s. My e39 must have been a lemon - bought it at 3 years old and about 40k miles - owned it for 2 painful years. The doors squeaked like Fievel’s family had abandoned America and settled in my car instead. Electrical gremlins, new wiring loom and incurable rattles in the dashboard were just a few of the issues. Definitely not solid. Perhaps it was built on the last Friday in July.
My current pre GM SAAB 900 turbo, these were designed by engineers.
My previously owned Subaru Legacy 2.5 (04 reg), I only owned it for a year, put 23k miles on it and the car felt new. Frameless doors, supper confy seats, the steering wheel was one of the best (I think it was a MOMO as standard) and of course that drive system, nothing rattled when I sold it on for 100K miles plus on the clock.
My current 2.7 diesel quattro A6 Avant, it's 12 years old, over 100k on it, I've put on 13k in less than a year and it feels like a new car, no wear in the interior, no squeaks from the suspension, nothing has broken.
My previously owned Subaru Legacy 2.5 (04 reg), I only owned it for a year, put 23k miles on it and the car felt new. Frameless doors, supper confy seats, the steering wheel was one of the best (I think it was a MOMO as standard) and of course that drive system, nothing rattled when I sold it on for 100K miles plus on the clock.
My current 2.7 diesel quattro A6 Avant, it's 12 years old, over 100k on it, I've put on 13k in less than a year and it feels like a new car, no wear in the interior, no squeaks from the suspension, nothing has broken.
The interior and 3.0 six keeps stopping me going to something more modern but cheaper (running cost and ‘feel’). The interior is so clean and solid after 150k miles and so much better plastic and details than some brand new cars. Soft/Squidgy dashboard plastic and Carpet lined door pockets anyone? 
But while it was built on the inside, I wish they spent money on rust proofing - my V50 D5 from the same year (2002) had not one spot of rust despite being rough, and the paint seemed much more hard wearing than the e39
So after v50 D5 auto, 530i Touring Auto what’s the best made 2004-2005ish estate?
But while it was built on the inside, I wish they spent money on rust proofing - my V50 D5 from the same year (2002) had not one spot of rust despite being rough, and the paint seemed much more hard wearing than the e39
So after v50 D5 auto, 530i Touring Auto what’s the best made 2004-2005ish estate?
According to Auto Bild, who have probably one of the most punishing long term tests of all time, it's a piddly little hatchback with a stonking big engine in it.
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/bmw-130i-named-...
Going by how reliable my Coupe version has been, I'm not inclined to disagree.
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/bmw-130i-named-...
Going by how reliable my Coupe version has been, I'm not inclined to disagree.
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