Best and Worst Cars You’ve Ever Owned

[KaiserEFC]

My first cars thread was a laugh and folk need a laugh right now. What’s the best and worst cars you’ve ever owned and why?



My best is my current car the Hyundai I30 N Performance. I always thought Top Gear going on about bonding with a car and seeing it as more than a vehicular device was an absolute load of gushing nonsense until I got this. It’s absolutely rapid, very noisy and angry and has bags of character. People take the piss because “it’s a Hyundai” (clearly nobody watches the World Rally Championship anymore) right up until I put my foot down in it. It’s a hot hatch that brings back the spirit of the ones from the 80’s and 90’s. Also the 5 year warranty covers the track which is an indicator of the build quality.




The Peugeot 206 an absolute hunk of French scrap. You’re supposed to love your first car but I didn’t. The day after I bought it some kind of tiny cog in the gearbox broke meaning the Speedo stopped working. The bloke who fixed it didn’t put the box back together properly and changing gear was never right again, he did give me the money back for the car though! It overheated on any kind of hill if it wasn’t raining and you had to put the heater on full blast to vent it which was fun in the summer. And finally my ex girlfriends sister put one through quite an ordinary fence and came out with a busted femur and wrist. I’ll never buy French again.

Over to you...

 

[Methuselah]

Best: Citroen Pallas 2.4 GTi. Fabulous car to drive, very comfortable and smooth on long hauls. Way before its time with all its fancy (and useful) gadgets. (late 1970's)

Worst: Marina - enough said.

(Both company cars - never bought a car until I retired and would never buy crap.)

PS The only problem with the Citroen was the bodywork. I had it for 4 years and it had a few patches of rust when it went back.

 

[Ivo]

Best is probably my current 330d GT M Sport. Enough space to cart the kids around and has a bit of poke when needed. Leon Cupra was decent too but I never owned it as it was leased.

Most fun was my Nissan 200sx S14a. Probably because I was relatively young when I had it.

Worst was a 3.0 Jag x-type. Literally kept it a month before I part exchanged it. Bought it private, took it to jag for a service which revealed it needed thousands spending on it...

 

[Eggs]

…not owned, but before I retired I’d get hire cars delivered to my house if I had to travel to meetings. Once they delivered a bright yellow Fiat Multipla. Drivers in other cars looked in astonishment on the Motorway & the bloke in the Leeds car park was laughing his head off. Embarrassing.

In the ‘80s I owned a few XR2s, always liked those little cars.

 

[ForestBlue]

Best is probably my current Focus Focus .. just keeps on going and costs peanuts to run!

Worst was a Hillman Avenger about 35 years ago

It's big problem was it kept on breaking down and after many puzzled AA mechanics my neighbour finally worked out what it was. Someone in their wisdom had decided to coat the inside of the petrol tank with something that subsequently started to peel off (i kid you not) Result being blockages in the fuel line, carb etc. Scary stuff at times!

One time when broken down on the ring road and waiting for help the abuse was off the scale. My breakdown ws picked up by the traffic report on the local radio ( i was also listening) and got absolute pelters from everyone who crawled by in a 30min+ jam. The traffic report was every half hour for about 3 hours before the AA arrived.

Another time it happened the abuse was no better so I got out and went and stood by a bus stop and pretended I was waiting for a bus. I was even sympathetic to drivers who were crawling by and said I'd seen the driver run off haha

Not mine but same colour and model

 

[WA Toffee]

Given that my entire ownership history is 2 corollas, a mazda 3 and an impreza, I probably don't have a great deal to add to this thread

 

[Nymzee]

Only ever had 2 cars: BMW 1-series and now my Ford Fiesta ST-3. Both beauts in their own way.

 

[larbert toffee]

Best - Current car Nissan x trail, I've had it for 14 years done 170k, has been a great workhorse and owes me noting.
Worst- Vauxhall Chevette in the early 80's absolute rust bucket.

 

[KaiserEFC]

Best is probably my current Focus Focus .. just keeps on going and costs peanuts to run!

Worst was a Hillman Avenger about 35 years ago

It's big problem was it kept on breaking down and after many puzzled AA mechanics my neighbour finally worked out what it was. Someone in their wisdom had decided to coat the inside of the petrol tank with something that subsequently started to peel off (i kid you not) Result being blockages in the fuel line, carb etc. Scary stuff at times!

One time when broken down on the ring road and waiting for help the abuse was off the scale. My breakdown ws picked up by the traffic report on the local radio ( i was also listening) and got absolute pelters from everyone who crawled by in a 30min+ jam. The traffic report was every half hour for about 3 hours before the AA arrived.

Another time it happened the abuse was no better so I got out and went and stood by a bus stop and pretended I was waiting for a bus. I was even sympathetic to drivers who were crawling by and said I'd seen the driver run off haha

Not mine but same colour and model

View attachment 130970

Why did people used to do mad stuff like that to cars back then? lol It’s definitely off the advice of someone’s dar giving it “that’s what we always used to do to stop it rusting son”

 

[KaiserEFC]

Best - Current car Nissan x trail, I've had it for 14 years done 170k, has been a great workhorse and owes me noting.
Worst- Vauxhall Chevette in the early 80's absolute rust bucket.

I’m still waiting for a test drive of an x-trail from a Nissan dealership. It should be anytime now seeing as I booked it in 2003.

 

[hirons11]

Best - my current car Jaguar F-Pace
worst - Astra Mk 2, another c-rap rust bucket

 

[chrismpw]

Best - my 1969 MG midget bought in 1992 and still have - easy to work on cheap as chips to run, responsive, fast, light, small, grippy - like driving a roller skate.

Worst - Ford Granada (the one that looked like a sierra) - parts were pricey, it drank fuel for fun and was ponderous and sluggish for its engine size. Although it wasn't a bad car and I enjoyed it, it would be the bottom of a good list. I've had no regrets with cars.

 

[ArtetaMoney]

Best - My current 4 Series Gran Coupe M Sport.

Worst - Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback, I had it for an hour and got a speeding ticket, then within 3 weeks someone had broken in to my home, took the keys and the car. It ended up being used in a jewellery shop robbery, then burnt out afterwards. I think it might have been cursed.

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

Fiat tippo.
More leeks than a Welsh valley.

 

[COYBL25]

Worst - Alfa Romeo GTV. Looked beautiful, sounded beautiful, drove like a dream, but the electrics and the alarm had a mind of their own.


Best, my Golf Gti Mk 2 Gti 16v.

It just puts a smile on your face every time you get into it. Now on a classic car insurance / limited mileage and just gets used for days out.