Car that was your best ownership experience?
Discussion
As a counter to...
Cars that you regret buying
...what's the car that gave you the best ownership experience, perhaps unexpectedly?
Let's stick to cars we've run for a decent while, so it's based on proper ownership experience.
I wrote / ranted about the Audi A3 3.2 Quattro that I hated on the other thread. I traded this in for a MINI Cooper 1.6 (R56). I was planning to get a Cooper S, but this ex-demo tempted me.
It's been fab, and I've ended up running it 4.5 years, much longer than I expected.
It's actually got enough go to be fun, without incriminating (there's definitely such a thing as 'too much power' on public roads), and I love how chuckable the handling is. I get lots of admiring comments about the car, which adds to the feel good factor, and it's just an overall pleasure to run.
The dealer (Cambridge) has been excellent, and although it had the ECU problem (when 4 years old) I'm still really happy with the overall ownership experience.
I know the MINI brand gets some stick these days, and I understand why, but there's still a fun car to be had if you can get past that.
What's been your best ownership experience?
Cars that you regret buying
...what's the car that gave you the best ownership experience, perhaps unexpectedly?
Let's stick to cars we've run for a decent while, so it's based on proper ownership experience.
I wrote / ranted about the Audi A3 3.2 Quattro that I hated on the other thread. I traded this in for a MINI Cooper 1.6 (R56). I was planning to get a Cooper S, but this ex-demo tempted me.
It's been fab, and I've ended up running it 4.5 years, much longer than I expected.
It's actually got enough go to be fun, without incriminating (there's definitely such a thing as 'too much power' on public roads), and I love how chuckable the handling is. I get lots of admiring comments about the car, which adds to the feel good factor, and it's just an overall pleasure to run.
The dealer (Cambridge) has been excellent, and although it had the ECU problem (when 4 years old) I'm still really happy with the overall ownership experience.
I know the MINI brand gets some stick these days, and I understand why, but there's still a fun car to be had if you can get past that.
What's been your best ownership experience?
Bought a shed of a pug 306 cabriolet 3 years ago purely for the hack to and from work to protect my main car from the high mileage I do.
It has been a real surprise how good its been. In 3 years and 50000 miles it hasn't missed a beat, everything works including the electric hood.
The only things needed doing to it under my ownership were routine service items such as cam belt, tyres and brake pads.
I sold it yesterday as my wife and I fancied a convertible with a little more grunt and I'm actually quite gutted it's gone. Every other car I've ever owned has been an ongoing battle (some more than others) to maintain and troubleshoot various problems with them.
The piece of rubbish, non fun to drive shed of a French cabriolet will long live in my memory for just how bullet proof in terms of reliability it was. Must've been made on a Friday.
It has been a real surprise how good its been. In 3 years and 50000 miles it hasn't missed a beat, everything works including the electric hood.
The only things needed doing to it under my ownership were routine service items such as cam belt, tyres and brake pads.
I sold it yesterday as my wife and I fancied a convertible with a little more grunt and I'm actually quite gutted it's gone. Every other car I've ever owned has been an ongoing battle (some more than others) to maintain and troubleshoot various problems with them.
The piece of rubbish, non fun to drive shed of a French cabriolet will long live in my memory for just how bullet proof in terms of reliability it was. Must've been made on a Friday.
XR4i when I was 21, loved that car, for a Henry it was very futuristic - drove like s
t
Mazda 626 in 1992 great motorway tool, for a company car it had almost everything I needed.
Mitsubishi VR4 in 2000 - loved its understated boringness but Christ was it competent, not much it wouldn't leave on a cornery A road.
CLS55 in 2007 - first SC motor and I kept this for ages as there wasn't much to swap it for, love the whine, the swoopy look and the interior.
Now my SL55 for the engine again, it was a classic engine the Benz 5.5 sc everyone should experience it.
tMazda 626 in 1992 great motorway tool, for a company car it had almost everything I needed.
Mitsubishi VR4 in 2000 - loved its understated boringness but Christ was it competent, not much it wouldn't leave on a cornery A road.
CLS55 in 2007 - first SC motor and I kept this for ages as there wasn't much to swap it for, love the whine, the swoopy look and the interior.
Now my SL55 for the engine again, it was a classic engine the Benz 5.5 sc everyone should experience it.
Between 2 for this one:-
2000 x reg octavia 110tdi. Bought to do the job of reliable big miles car and did just that, without fault for 100k until some tw@ wrote it off! (sadly, the tw@ was the owner
)
1991 land rover defender. Still got it. It's the opposite to my daily driver, and an antidote to the usual driving week on motorways. Every time I drie it, it makes me smile, with the added fun of being able to off road it and feel smug in the snow. I can even forgive it the fact that it spends a lot of the time broken
2000 x reg octavia 110tdi. Bought to do the job of reliable big miles car and did just that, without fault for 100k until some tw@ wrote it off! (sadly, the tw@ was the owner
)1991 land rover defender. Still got it. It's the opposite to my daily driver, and an antidote to the usual driving week on motorways. Every time I drie it, it makes me smile, with the added fun of being able to off road it and feel smug in the snow. I can even forgive it the fact that it spends a lot of the time broken
Current W211 E500. For a family bus it's a great all rounder
The only thing I can think of replacing it with is another E Class.
Would love to follow DS Liverpool's advice and run one with the s/c 5.5 lump in it.
Failing that one of the n/a 400bhp 5.5's.
Or if the worst came to the worst a soot chucker with Brabus chip.
The only thing I can think of replacing it with is another E Class.
Would love to follow DS Liverpool's advice and run one with the s/c 5.5 lump in it.
Failing that one of the n/a 400bhp 5.5's.
Or if the worst came to the worst a soot chucker with Brabus chip.
Mk2 Golf Gti 16v.. reasonably built, quick enough to be fun, forgiving and predictable handling, cheapish to run and appreciated by many different types of people.
Special mention must go to my old Mk1 Fiesta 1.1L - a proper grandma spec 1980 model in Cosmos (light metallic) blue and with lots of original chrome. The 1100 engine was gutless but revvy and willing, running through a low-geared 4 speed 'box. Cost me £75, sod all to run had a lot of retro character and was fun for what it was.
Special mention must go to my old Mk1 Fiesta 1.1L - a proper grandma spec 1980 model in Cosmos (light metallic) blue and with lots of original chrome. The 1100 engine was gutless but revvy and willing, running through a low-geared 4 speed 'box. Cost me £75, sod all to run had a lot of retro character and was fun for what it was.
E36 316i I had was fantastic, as was the compact that followed it. But special mention must go to my current steed, an X reg Accord. I give it loads of abuse, it gets used for everything, hardly has a bath and apart from a pesky EML being on (O2 sensor) it gives me no trouble at all. So good in fact that I am tempted to replace it with the type R version.
i loved my 2 year old red Renaukt 5Gt Turbo when i bought it in 1990, the thing was mad out of plastic and even though it was relatively new when i got it, it was hardly reliable but man it was fun, my 2005 M3 was great too but in a different league. i had a carrera 4 for 2 years but then the kids came and i had to sell up
Oddly enough....despite all the odd cars I have and have had over the years, the most reliable, comfortable and all round enjoyable was a Ford Sierra 3.0iRS. It was a South African edition with a Lucas F-injection system that really worked well with the Essex motor, it had a high lift hydraulic cam, high comp pistons and power wasn't that great but almost linear in delivery. I should have kept it, they are worth a few quid now. At that stage I was working for ford SA and also had an XR8 Sierra but for ease of use the 3.0 won hands down.
My current E46 M3. I bought it 12 months ago for £12k with 25k on the clock. Its almost like a new car (even though its a 53 plate). Ridiculous value for money. Nothing has gone wrong(touch wood), apart from needing 2 new rear springs. Yes, its not cheap to keep on the road, as i've just bought 4 new tyres, brake pads and discs and paid for an inspection 2 but it's worth every single penny - it's simply a brilliant car! 
TameRacingDriver said:
Integra Type-R for me.
Owned nearly 3 years. Bought with 80,000 miles on the clock, that was taken up to about 120K (ish) and the only thing it needed was tyres and a brake caliper.
Superb car.
Another vote for the Integra Type R for me. Had mine for 2 years now and has been faultless......though my old Clio V6 might also be on a par. Had that for 5 years, depreciated very little despite taking it from 9k miles to 38k miles and hardly missed a beat.....plus I've never owned a car that had so much attention.Owned nearly 3 years. Bought with 80,000 miles on the clock, that was taken up to about 120K (ish) and the only thing it needed was tyres and a brake caliper.
Superb car.
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