whats your motoring guilty secret?

[Yadizzle1]

I prefer FWD hot hatches to roadster type things and my MX5 bores me

[cybertrophic]

My wife has a purple diesel PT Cruiser with 172,000 miles on the clock as a runaround. I have to say it’s roomy, comfy on long drives, a surprisingly eager steer if you keep that old Mercedes van engine in the sweet spot and it has the character of a cheerful Labrador. Yes, it has electrical gremlins at times, but it cost £650 and a bit of labour on my part, but you don’t shoot the dog when it has an occasional accident on the rug and I have grown fond of it.

It is demonstrably an awful car by many benchmarks, but she loves it and I, to my shame, can see why.

What’s even more shameful is that I genuinely can’t think of anything I’d replace it with that would be any more capable for what she uses it for (odd day out, liking the dogs into and taking them and our daughter to the park, or chucking the odd hay bale in the back for her horses.

Prior to that she had a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7 and a p38 Range Rover (4.6 GEMS), but the PT cruiser suits her needs and does at least reach double digit fuel consumption.

[SunsetZed]

Fore Left said:

I drive a BMW. I indicate and let people out at junctions.

I did this when I had a BMW as well (because I do it regardless of what I drive) but it was most frustrating with the BMW as people hesitated the most as if they couldn't believe that I was doing it and thought I was waiting / waving / flashing my lights for some other reason.

Edit: Just read it back and despite the way I've highlighted bold suggesting otherwise I did (and still do!) indicate as well

[ESD1711]

I think mine would probably have to be my dislike for RWD cars. They give me an irrational fear of death.

Owned an Elise, an E36 M3, a banger of a 316 Compact and most recently a 120d.

Enjoyed the 172 Cup i had before the Elise more than I did the actual elise.

Enjoyed the Evo I had after the M3 more than I enjoyed the M3.

The compact was a £350 banger which im surprised I didnt write off due to my attitude towards it.

And the 120d lasted maybe 6 months before getting rid in favour of an A-Class.

I should really just learn that me and RWD wont ever get along haha!

[pyruse]

I much prefer steel wheels to alloys. Better ride, less likely to get damaged.
Also, these days, I much prefer automatics, but that's just because I'm getting old.

[Coire]

I've noticed others have said the same, and I don't know why, but I love driving vans over anything else, any day. Currently my daily is a Renault trafic and I always have a bit of a sulk every time I'm forced to drive a car.

[Hitch]

I prefer the boggo-spec manual versions of most cars.

[BergunSlangler]

It makes me feel dirty admitting this, but I like to hypermile in lane 1 on the motorway. Let all the eager beavers steam past and then catch them up at the next queue of traffic.

[ScotHill]

I try to change lanes on the motorway without driving over any cats eyes.

[Jonny_]

vw_robert said:

I have a penchant for cars that make no commercial sense whatsoever, preferably ones from the VW group/ from the 2000s.

I currently own a W12 Phaeton, W8 Passat, Lupo 3L and have owned a Passat R36.

Oh and I also have a Renault Avantime V6 for good measure which I have always had a soft spot for!

Next on the list will be a V12 TDI Audi Q7

Maybe I can be redeemed by the Aston DB9 that sits along side them all in the garage/ driveway

I'm highly envious of the Phaeton W12. Did once seriously consider buying one but didn't have the cherries!

My own guilty secret is I'm quite happy using a slow and decidedly unfashionable hybrid as my daily driver.

[Yadizzle1]

cybertrophic said:

My wife has a purple diesel PT Cruiser with 172,000 miles on the clock as a runaround. I have to say it’s roomy, comfy on long drives, a surprisingly eager steer if you keep that old Mercedes van engine in the sweet spot and it has the character of a cheerful Labrador. Yes, it has electrical gremlins at times, but it cost £650 and a bit of labour on my part, but you don’t shoot the dog when it has an occasional accident on the rug and I have grown fond of it.

It is demonstrably an awful car by many benchmarks, but she loves it and I, to my shame, can see why.

What’s even more shameful is that I genuinely can’t think of anything I’d replace it with that would be any more capable for what she uses it for (odd day out, liking the dogs into and taking them and our daughter to the park, or chucking the odd hay bale in the back for her horses.

Prior to that she had a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7 and a p38 Range Rover (4.6 GEMS), but the PT cruiser suits her needs and does at least reach double digit fuel consumption.

If you wanted an equally quirky replacement runabout, Citroen Cactus?

[swisstoni]

I put a car in a lockup in about 1991 thinking I’d ‘sort it out’ when I had the time.
I haven’t had the time.
And I don’t live anywhere near it any more.

[MrBig]

I like the Pontiac Aztek.

Let me be clear, I don't think its a good looking car, but some of the ideas used; hatch tent, seat back rucksacks, sliding boot floor, removable rear centre console that doubles as a drinks cooler etc... have always struck me as great ideas. I also like all the plastic/rubber trim used to protect it from car park dinks. Fond of the Cactus for the same reason.

[S2r]

Yadizzle1 said:

If you wanted an equally quirky replacement runabout, Citroen Cactus?

My other half has one of them, 120hp petrol, it's brilliant, comfy, quick enough and managed to take the family virtually the whole length of the country at mid 40s mpg and 70mph with no aches and pains whatsoever. If you can get a second gen Flair it has floaty bump stops as well (but no roof bars or air bumps)

The only other car that got close was her old Fiat 500L Trekking. Universally hated by most PH but it was great fun to drive, yes it under-steered and the body rolled but it was lovely with loads of space - the rear seats were also higher than the fronts in that so everyone got a great view. Could be another alternative...

[Mr Tidy]

Fore Left said:

I drive a BMW. I indicate and let people out at junctions.

I only drive BMWs and also indicate, but I don't need to let people out of junctions because they all just pull out anyway.

[talksthetorque]

cerb4.5lee said:

ess said:

Mr Tidy said:

Sorry if I'm getting a bit over-exuberant about my latest car.

But it feels like I've come a long way from my first car, a MK2 1500cc Cortina with vinyl seats and rubber mats on the floor, rust everywhere, a clapped out engine and a kn*ckered gearbox!

Enjoy !

S

• Disclaimer : Emoji animation, as to the ease of 1st/2nd gear change operation, is for illustrative purposes only.

I've only had one car with a worse manual gearbox than my Z4M...and that was my Skoda Estelle!!

I was very nearly tempted to throw in the towel and scrap three pedal manuals after the Z4M...thankfully I still managed to keep the faith though!

Its the car I learnt to Double declutch in

[DickyC]

ScotHill said:

I try to change lanes on the motorway without driving over any cats eyes.

That's a great one. I try but when it works it's more by luck than judgement. Easier on slight bends.

[DickyC]

talksthetorque said:

Its the car I learnt to Double declutch in

I double declutch. Yes, I know it's ridiculous but I do it anyway.

If I hadn't blipped the throttle on every down change for the last forty years enough money would have been saved to build three hospitals.

[skylarking808]

mmm I am a throttle blipper on the down change; faster and more controlable for me than heel n toe, but never thought of it from that perspective!

More a necessary technique than a guilty pleasure and part of the running cost?

[kiseca]

One of my old cars had a worn synchro on 2nd gear, so I had to learn to double clutch, and heel and toe, if I didn't want to stumble around tight corners in 3rd. And once learnt, it's a habit I never dropped even in manuals with a perfectly good set of synchros.