What cars would you own again (and which ones not)?
Discussion
I have been lucky enough not to own any really bad cars but there are cars that I would be happy to own again and ones that I wouldn't. Generally, I like to try different cars but of the ones that I have owned, I would be happy to own most of them again (or the modern equivalent). You can't really give a car a better endorsement than that! These are the cars that I have owned so far.
M-reg Vauxhall Astra 1.4 - Good car, as well built as the contemporary Golf IMO but no, life is too short!
Peugeot 205 1.6 GTi - Absolutely, although preferably a 1.9 next time!
mk2 Mazda MX5 - Yes but probably not another mk2
E30 BMW 325i Convertible - Yes but probably an E30 325i Sport/M3 or straight-six powered E46
Volkswagen Corrado VR6 - Yes
mk4 Volkswagen Golf 2.0 GTi - Yes (the Golf is my favourite small car) but definitely not with that engine!
08-reg Volkswagen Polo 1.4 TDI - No, nothing wrong with it but again life's too short! The new one looks better but doesn't really offer a significant improvement over the old one and is significantly more expensive!
Fiat 500 1.2 Popular - Definitely. Great little car and never had so much fun buying a car (lots of affordable options)! Not sure whether to go with a Twinair Convertible or Abarth though!
Subaru Impreza WRX Estate - Yes (or a Forester or a Legacy or a WRX STI)
What cars that you have owned would you be happy to own again (and which ones would you not)?
M-reg Vauxhall Astra 1.4 - Good car, as well built as the contemporary Golf IMO but no, life is too short!
Peugeot 205 1.6 GTi - Absolutely, although preferably a 1.9 next time!
mk2 Mazda MX5 - Yes but probably not another mk2
E30 BMW 325i Convertible - Yes but probably an E30 325i Sport/M3 or straight-six powered E46
Volkswagen Corrado VR6 - Yes
mk4 Volkswagen Golf 2.0 GTi - Yes (the Golf is my favourite small car) but definitely not with that engine!
08-reg Volkswagen Polo 1.4 TDI - No, nothing wrong with it but again life's too short! The new one looks better but doesn't really offer a significant improvement over the old one and is significantly more expensive!
Fiat 500 1.2 Popular - Definitely. Great little car and never had so much fun buying a car (lots of affordable options)! Not sure whether to go with a Twinair Convertible or Abarth though!
Subaru Impreza WRX Estate - Yes (or a Forester or a Legacy or a WRX STI)
What cars that you have owned would you be happy to own again (and which ones would you not)?
I'm not sure I'd own any again.
There are too many cars out there to try and I'm the kind of person who hangs onto cars anyway, so going back and getting another seems rather pointless to me.
I always imagine I'd like to drive a R5 GT Turbo again, but I bet I'd find it agricultural and tinny now, my tastes have changed, so I think I'm better just remembering how much fun my GTT was
If I HAD to have one of the cars from my past again, I'd probably take the Puma.
M.
There are too many cars out there to try and I'm the kind of person who hangs onto cars anyway, so going back and getting another seems rather pointless to me.
I always imagine I'd like to drive a R5 GT Turbo again, but I bet I'd find it agricultural and tinny now, my tastes have changed, so I think I'm better just remembering how much fun my GTT was
If I HAD to have one of the cars from my past again, I'd probably take the Puma.
M.
Car i would love to own again (and currently seeking another one) is 1999-2003 Audi S3.
Car i wouldnt own again 2005 Clio 182 Trophy. My opinion might change now, but back when i owned it i was doing a 50+ mile a day commute and it was just a nightmare.
Currently drive 2001 Ibiza Cupra.
Car i wouldnt own again 2005 Clio 182 Trophy. My opinion might change now, but back when i owned it i was doing a 50+ mile a day commute and it was just a nightmare.
Currently drive 2001 Ibiza Cupra.
Would:
Alfa Romeo 145 Cloverleaf - my first "performance" car. I loved it! Unfortunately written off after two years of ownership and I feel our time was cut short.
Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon - awesome machine; practical and fast. Had to sell reluctantly when emigrating. Have been in it since (new owner gave me a ride after he'd had it remapped) and I'd buy it back tomorrow.
Wouldn't:
Alfa Romeo 147 Selespeed - lovely interior. No more fun than the 145. Plagued with Selespeed problems. Engine blew up (no oil, my fault)!
Alfa Romeo 145 Cloverleaf - my first "performance" car. I loved it! Unfortunately written off after two years of ownership and I feel our time was cut short.
Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon - awesome machine; practical and fast. Had to sell reluctantly when emigrating. Have been in it since (new owner gave me a ride after he'd had it remapped) and I'd buy it back tomorrow.
Wouldn't:
Alfa Romeo 147 Selespeed - lovely interior. No more fun than the 145. Plagued with Selespeed problems. Engine blew up (no oil, my fault)!
From 'My Garage' here on PH...
BMW E39 M5 - Oh yes, in fact thinking about picking up another, stripping out all the weight for fun hooning and track work.
Morgan V8 - No. Beautiful car, lovely engine (if a little under powered for a V8) but just a bit too much hard work.
Land Rover Lightweight Army Drop SWB - Yep, you bet.
Land Rover SWB Mk 2 Crew cab - Yes but only if I needed a crew cab, if not I'd go for the fixed full head.
Porsche 996 Turbo - No. Great car but I should have just got a Carrera 2 which is much more useable. Still a terrific car though.
Volkswagen Golf mk 2 GTI 16v - Always. Timeless classic I still miss every day.
Saab 93 Coupe S - A massive NO. The worst car I've ever owned and pitiful compared to my earlier Saab 900i. Makes me want to stab myself just thinking about it.
Saab 900 Turbo 16v Turbo S - Of course, great car, great engine, fabulous build quality. All round masterpiece.
BMW E36 Touring 318tds - Nope, they didn't call it the Tedious (TDS, get it?) for nothing. 90bhp in an E36 touring body just aint enough.
BMW E39 530i M Sport - No. Great car but not better than the 528.
BMW E39 528i SE - YES. Probably the best all rounder I ever owned.
Mercedes 420 SEL - Yes. Bought off eBay unseen for £422. Did 5000 miles in it in a few months and sold it for £600. Wish I'd kept it, beautiful balanced Merc V8 with chocalatey brown leather interior. Yum.
BMW E39 M5 - Oh yes, in fact thinking about picking up another, stripping out all the weight for fun hooning and track work.
Morgan V8 - No. Beautiful car, lovely engine (if a little under powered for a V8) but just a bit too much hard work.
Land Rover Lightweight Army Drop SWB - Yep, you bet.
Land Rover SWB Mk 2 Crew cab - Yes but only if I needed a crew cab, if not I'd go for the fixed full head.
Porsche 996 Turbo - No. Great car but I should have just got a Carrera 2 which is much more useable. Still a terrific car though.
Volkswagen Golf mk 2 GTI 16v - Always. Timeless classic I still miss every day.
Saab 93 Coupe S - A massive NO. The worst car I've ever owned and pitiful compared to my earlier Saab 900i. Makes me want to stab myself just thinking about it.
Saab 900 Turbo 16v Turbo S - Of course, great car, great engine, fabulous build quality. All round masterpiece.
BMW E36 Touring 318tds - Nope, they didn't call it the Tedious (TDS, get it?) for nothing. 90bhp in an E36 touring body just aint enough.
BMW E39 530i M Sport - No. Great car but not better than the 528.
BMW E39 528i SE - YES. Probably the best all rounder I ever owned.
Mercedes 420 SEL - Yes. Bought off eBay unseen for £422. Did 5000 miles in it in a few months and sold it for £600. Wish I'd kept it, beautiful balanced Merc V8 with chocalatey brown leather interior. Yum.
F reg Astra - No
307 HDi 90 - No, I had seven indicator stalks in the time I had it, which says it all.
mk1 Focus Estate - Yes, as a utility car, though I hope to keep the utility cars slightly more interesting in future.
mk2 Golf 8v - No, not fast enough to be my fun car.
mk2 Golf 16v - No, not fast enough to be my fun car.
mk2 Golf with BAM engine - Not in FWD mode, but perhaps something running Syncro or Haldex.
8L Audi S3 - Yes, but probably only a facelift, as mine was. I owned this car for 4.5 years and it was brilliantly reliable, practical and fairly quick once remapped.
E36 M3 Evo - Yes, as I had to sell mine prematurely in order to replace our boiler, just after having replaced much of the suspension.
Nissan Pulsar GTi-R - I have one currently, but would not get another as I'd rather try other cars and R32 GTRs have come down in price a lot lately, as have classic Impreza Type-RAs.
307 HDi 90 - No, I had seven indicator stalks in the time I had it, which says it all.
mk1 Focus Estate - Yes, as a utility car, though I hope to keep the utility cars slightly more interesting in future.
mk2 Golf 8v - No, not fast enough to be my fun car.
mk2 Golf 16v - No, not fast enough to be my fun car.
mk2 Golf with BAM engine - Not in FWD mode, but perhaps something running Syncro or Haldex.
8L Audi S3 - Yes, but probably only a facelift, as mine was. I owned this car for 4.5 years and it was brilliantly reliable, practical and fairly quick once remapped.
E36 M3 Evo - Yes, as I had to sell mine prematurely in order to replace our boiler, just after having replaced much of the suspension.
Nissan Pulsar GTi-R - I have one currently, but would not get another as I'd rather try other cars and R32 GTRs have come down in price a lot lately, as have classic Impreza Type-RAs.
Would Own again:
Triumph Dolomite 1500HL (Owned 2004-2006) . Loved it, got it looking mint condition with Sprint Alloys and front Sprint spoiler, immaculate interior and bodywork . Only sold it for peanuts due to impending birth of daughter and being skint, to a non-enthusiast and his MGB Chrome-Bumper 'Fanboy' Brother, who appear to have scrapped it (DVLA Unlicensed). Huge regret.
Wouldn't own again:
Sabb 900 Carb, Poverty Spec model - Used to put £60 a week petrol in it, and could literally watch the fuel gauge going down with each journey. Got a poxy 90-100 miles from £60. Sold it after nothing could clear the problem, it clearly had issues!
Have just got a Vauxhall Zafira 2001 model for the family jaunts, and once the finance is paid off, will probably flog it straight away too. It was a rushed purchase sadly, and I'm Actually shocked by how thirsty it is on longer motorway journeys for a 1.8 Automatic. Doing 60-70mph at 2500-3000 RPM is that normal? My Alfa 156 2.4 JTD does 60-70mph at about 1300 RPM max..
Triumph Dolomite 1500HL (Owned 2004-2006) . Loved it, got it looking mint condition with Sprint Alloys and front Sprint spoiler, immaculate interior and bodywork . Only sold it for peanuts due to impending birth of daughter and being skint, to a non-enthusiast and his MGB Chrome-Bumper 'Fanboy' Brother, who appear to have scrapped it (DVLA Unlicensed). Huge regret.
Wouldn't own again:
Sabb 900 Carb, Poverty Spec model - Used to put £60 a week petrol in it, and could literally watch the fuel gauge going down with each journey. Got a poxy 90-100 miles from £60. Sold it after nothing could clear the problem, it clearly had issues!
Have just got a Vauxhall Zafira 2001 model for the family jaunts, and once the finance is paid off, will probably flog it straight away too. It was a rushed purchase sadly, and I'm Actually shocked by how thirsty it is on longer motorway journeys for a 1.8 Automatic. Doing 60-70mph at 2500-3000 RPM is that normal? My Alfa 156 2.4 JTD does 60-70mph at about 1300 RPM max..
Edited by Treacle81 on Wednesday 17th August 13:07
Edited by Treacle81 on Wednesday 17th August 13:08
1998 Rover 214 - No (good as a first car, but too slow. Eventually fell out with a tree and lost)
1996 Vectra 1.6 - No (far too dull)
2002 Vectra 2.2 SRi - Yes (only because it was my first fast'ish car and it snapped it's chain just after I'd finished getting it the way I wanted)
1991 Toyota MR2 - Yes (always wanted one, just I shame when I bought mine I was impatient and it was a heap of crap)
Currently got a BMW 328i and an MGB GT, both very good cars.
1996 Vectra 1.6 - No (far too dull)
2002 Vectra 2.2 SRi - Yes (only because it was my first fast'ish car and it snapped it's chain just after I'd finished getting it the way I wanted)
1991 Toyota MR2 - Yes (always wanted one, just I shame when I bought mine I was impatient and it was a heap of crap)
Currently got a BMW 328i and an MGB GT, both very good cars.
Would love my R56 Cooper S again. Incredibly satisfying to own, quick, lovely down a b-road but plenty refined enough for a motorway trip. Well built, excellent plans for servicing and stuff to remove a headache, cheap to tax and really good economy.
As an all-round ownership proposition I still think it's stunning, don't reckon that anything in its class stands up to it overall.
As an all-round ownership proposition I still think it's stunning, don't reckon that anything in its class stands up to it overall.
Yes, my Dolly Sprint.
Yes my DB4, hardly a day goes by that I don't regret selling that one!
Yes, my couple of Scooby Turbos, before they killed off the original body style.
Yes, my Cooper S.
Yes, a XR4Ti, not that it was a great car but because of the great time had in it!
No, several 1970's/80's Fiats that I got through.
No, not in a million years my Mk4 Cortina.
No, a dog of a Ginetta G26.
Yes my DB4, hardly a day goes by that I don't regret selling that one!
Yes, my couple of Scooby Turbos, before they killed off the original body style.
Yes, my Cooper S.
Yes, a XR4Ti, not that it was a great car but because of the great time had in it!
No, several 1970's/80's Fiats that I got through.
No, not in a million years my Mk4 Cortina.
No, a dog of a Ginetta G26.
As others have said, I sold my previous cars for a reason and don't regret that. I also like to try new cars. However, there are three exceptions:
Toyota MR2 mk1. Wish I'd never sold it and would love another back in my life.
BMW E90 320d (present car). It's just so damm perfect for what it's intended for that if it broke tomorrow, I'd replace it with another in an instant.
Lotus Elise S2 111S (present car). As above. If it broke tomorrow I would replace it with another nearly new S2 111S, but given that's probably impossible to find in the market, I'd have an SC instead, which having driven the entire current Lotus Elise range (minus 2-11, Europa and Evora) I view as the next best thing.
Toyota MR2 mk1. Wish I'd never sold it and would love another back in my life.
BMW E90 320d (present car). It's just so damm perfect for what it's intended for that if it broke tomorrow, I'd replace it with another in an instant.
Lotus Elise S2 111S (present car). As above. If it broke tomorrow I would replace it with another nearly new S2 111S, but given that's probably impossible to find in the market, I'd have an SC instead, which having driven the entire current Lotus Elise range (minus 2-11, Europa and Evora) I view as the next best thing.
I'd love another Z3M Coupé, although I think I'd prefer an S54 one this time. That thing was brutal and exciting.
I'd never have another FIAT Coupé. When I was in my early 20s I had a 3 year old one and at the time in my naivety it was the best car in the world. I wrote it off after nearly 4 years, had a few other cars in the mean time and did go back. Only then did I realise just how sloppy the whole car was. Great if you want that torque-swell kick in the back to make you think you're engaging warp drive, terrible if you're actually interested in driving. Unfortunately now they're available for less than £1500 they seem to have attracted the attentions of many undesirables too.
I'd never have another FIAT Coupé. When I was in my early 20s I had a 3 year old one and at the time in my naivety it was the best car in the world. I wrote it off after nearly 4 years, had a few other cars in the mean time and did go back. Only then did I realise just how sloppy the whole car was. Great if you want that torque-swell kick in the back to make you think you're engaging warp drive, terrible if you're actually interested in driving. Unfortunately now they're available for less than £1500 they seem to have attracted the attentions of many undesirables too.
Would -
E36 BMW. Owed me nothing, withstood lots of abuse, cheap to run, reliable, decent ergonomics and nice to drive. If I bought another, I'd have a 325/328, preferably a sport coupe but maybe a touring.
Mazda Mx5. Lovely little things! I've owned a UK car and a Eunos. I'd have to buy a supercharged one this time though.
Fiat 500. Only owned 5 months but it's been a pleasure so far. Wouldn't mind trying a TwinAir, but ultimately I'd like an Abarth SS. Terrific little cars that I can't help but like.
Wouldn't -
E39 BMW. Just far too expensive to run and far too much to go wrong. Love the mammoth presence, comfort, power, but couldn't justify another.
Celica. Never could get along with the seats. Or the gearbox. Or the lack of poke from the engine. Good handling though.
Saxo VTR. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiite. A hateful little POS that put me off French cars for life. Dog turd.
E36 BMW. Owed me nothing, withstood lots of abuse, cheap to run, reliable, decent ergonomics and nice to drive. If I bought another, I'd have a 325/328, preferably a sport coupe but maybe a touring.
Mazda Mx5. Lovely little things! I've owned a UK car and a Eunos. I'd have to buy a supercharged one this time though.
Fiat 500. Only owned 5 months but it's been a pleasure so far. Wouldn't mind trying a TwinAir, but ultimately I'd like an Abarth SS. Terrific little cars that I can't help but like.
Wouldn't -
E39 BMW. Just far too expensive to run and far too much to go wrong. Love the mammoth presence, comfort, power, but couldn't justify another.
Celica. Never could get along with the seats. Or the gearbox. Or the lack of poke from the engine. Good handling though.
Saxo VTR. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiite. A hateful little POS that put me off French cars for life. Dog turd.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff