Scottish Elises

As title, what's the worst car you've driven. No vans or tractors etc, must be a car.

I'll start the ball rolling with the Peugeot 307 hdi. It was horrendous. Sloppy gearshift, no power, awful brakes, no grip whatsoever esp in the wet, sharp clutch. And it wasn't even economical as it was so gutless you had to gun it to keep pace with traffic.

Redeeming features are - nice remote control for the stereo and lots of space.

My old Pug 309 1.4 (cost £130) was a better drive.

Another of "note" is an 02 reg 1litre Vauxhall Corsa which had the lightest, worst steering I've ever experienced coupled with a gutless engine. It was at least economical and the 3 cylinder engine sounded ok in a semi-911 way.

Who's next?

Probably a P reg 1.0 Vauxhall corsa I had a few years back as a courtesy car when some daft bint crashed into the back of my old Mini Cooper.

Apart from being hopelessly slow, it shuddered violently across bumps while still managing to almost roll over ever time you turned a corner.

That's easy a 1974 Skoda. I can't remember the model but is was awful in every aspect and had weird shapped wings. My Dad has never had good taste in cars but that one took the biscuit. I started to drive in 1977 when I passed my test. It was not long before I bought a Mark II Escort to go up in the world

Renault Megane Scenic or Modus - often get them as hire cars for work - the first one's like driving a big bowl of porridge, and you look like Postman Pat in the second.

Suzuki Alto courtesy car from MMC! 500 miles on the clock, felt like 500,000 miles! It rolled to about 45 degrees round corners and made a bad sounding clunk on left turns. It was a new car but the interior looked like it was from the early 80s, was slow, ugly and had the indicator stalk on the right so every junction meant switching the wipers on

Austin Ambassador 1.7... my Dads car when I passed my test. Awful.

Daimler DS420. Utterly awfull to drive:

http://www.littles.co.uk/sightseeing.htm

Slow (despite straight six twin carb jag motor), and the worst steering and brakes. Steering redefined vague, at 60 mph you can turn the steering a quarter lock in either direction and nothing happens... the car stays dead straight. Then, when holding the steering dead straight, the car will change lanes, all by itself! Truly scary

You need written permission from the brakes to bring the thing to a hault. And all the suspension feels like it has been replaced with tubs of treacle.

The driving position is fixed, and therefore is fine if you are 5 foot tall, which I'm not! The front seats are about twice the width of normal seats, but not as deep, and have no lateral support, so cornering becomes an entirely new experience.

It is a must drive of anyone... makes you appreciate every other car so much more.

my car at donington on saturday


Turns out both the rear nitrons are leaking, so are both going back under warranty for investigation.

[quote="tuscan_thunder"]As title, what's the worst car you've driven. No vans or tractors etc, must be a car.

I'll start the ball rolling with the Peugeot 307 hdi. It was horrendous. Sloppy gearshift, no power, awful brakes, no grip whatsoever esp in the wet, sharp clutch. And it wasn't even economical as it was so gutless you had to gun it to keep pace with traffic.

quote]

Interesting you say that - my other half Helen has a 307 hdi company car, and it is indeed completely sh*t. It is almost as if they tried to engineer out anything which might appeal to anyone remotely interested in driving - overservoed brakes, vague steering, rubbery gearchange, and the thing I hate most, terrible 3/4 front visibility due to ridiculously thick A pillars. It is really inexplicable from a manufactuer which has made some great drivers cars in the past (106, 205, 306 etc).

Most disappointing car I have driven in the past year was a BMW Z4 - crap driving position, zero steering feel, and the worst ride quality by far of any car I have ever driven.

But the worst ever? - no question, a belt driven Volvo 340 - truly dire in every respect

Mark

Yes but there is a point where the sheer badness of the car makes it entertaining

Agree on the old Astras - live in the memory as particulary nasty.

Close would be the Europcar Kia Cerato Zapp (sic!) that I had last weekend - roll angles on roundabouts at modest speed were remarkable

tuts

gorrie wrote:Austin Ambassador 1.7... my Dads car when I passed my test. Awful.

We had the 2.0ltr That rolly polly suspension

Fiat Seicento (the one thats smaller than the Cinquecento)

1. Could hardly move the gearlever to select ANY gear.
2. Stereo front panel missing = no tunes.
3. Incredibley SLOW
4. Rolled about like a whale
5. Everyone bullied me on the road 'cause they must have thought I was gay or soft.
6. Looked embarrassing when parked in my drive where the BM normally sat.

It was a "courtousy" car when the BM was getting fixed due to another daft bint driving into me when stationary.

I had it 24 hours - was HELL ON EARTH.

Walking was better.

MacK wrote:

gorrie wrote:Austin Ambassador 1.7... my Dads car when I passed my test. Awful.

We had the 2.0ltr That rolly polly suspension

He had an Autin Princess before it... DOH! you would have thought he'd learn.