"The best car you have ever driven" Thread

Kaiser D

Considering we've now got a "worst car you have ever driven" thread, we might as well have this :P

For me, of all of the small hatchbacks I've driven, I have to say my 1995 ph1 Peugeot 106. She was a 1.1 XN that I saved from the scrapyard for €100.
It was a damn nippy thing to drive, and handled like a go kart. Many a night spent where I enjoyed throwing it into corners on back roads.
It was absolutely no equipment at all. No cigarette lighter, rev counter, temp gauge etc - not even a clock! "Weight reduction" I used to say to myself :pac:
Seriously though, I think you woud struggle to find a 90s hatch in the same league that drives better than on of these.



Well?

Dangel4x4

Daysul Avensis. Savage yoke.

Or a Carina II Lean Burn

bear1

Alfa Romeo 156 2.4 JTD.
Way too many things I loved about that car.
The looks, the comfort, the economy, the power, handled like a dream.
It had such sentimental value to me. Still have it's number plates in a cupboard.
Nearly shed a tear the day it was scrapped.

Immanuel

Vauxhall Cavalier 2.0 16v 4x4 6 speed Turbocharged. Stuck to the road like absolute glue. Fantastic handling car.

In the so called 'good old days' I seen them out run every single make and model cop car on the back roads bar none.*

Cops I knew hated and admired those Cavaliers in equal measure.

They made average drivers look like WRC champions.

* not to be condoned in any shape or form ever. Speed will kill you, but worse than that other people.

Kaiser D

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Was that the 106 with a the 4 speed box?

No, the early 1.0 and some 1.1s had 4 speed boxes, this was one of the first to have a 5 speed box and 1100cc engine in base spec :cool:

Blazer

Does trials count?
If so a 335i that I mulled over for a few days before deciding on a E60 525D Msport.
Now to be changed for a 530 SE Touring

Sobanek

I had a pleasure of driving an E39 M5 for 15 miles.

Best drive ever.

Although the 2009 4.2 TDI A8 wasn't bad either

Zcott

2.4 JTD Brera. Not mine :-(

Maximus Alexander

Drove a Lamborghini Diablo in the UK, so definitely that. But if we're talking cars we've owned then it would be my second FTO. I miss that car.

dgt

Daily car: red 406 hands down, what a silly car to go yet still retained its French comfort despite receiving a mild dose of felting

Test driving: tough one that, going to say the Nissan Cefiro in Manila. It was purpose built for drifting. What else can I say :cool:

Tea 1000

Honda NSX. By far my favourite car I've driven. Why I just didn't get a loan and buy it still bugs me today.

veetwin

Drove my cousin's brand new Dodge Charger 5.7L V8 Hemi recently in Florida. It was very nice and much better that the 3.6L Challenger I had previously rented there.

GvidoR

I've never driven anything over-the-top exciting really. Cheap cars mostly.

The best car I have owned so far is 1.6 VW Bora.
The best car I have ever driven... hmmm, that's a tough one, probably the Bora as well since anything over 1.6 that I have driven has been either automatic, diesel or both. Except a Rover 75 V6, which I did not enjoy very much tbh.

Yakuza

I've had the privilege to have driven an M6 for a few km on a country road (in Spain) - what a blast! I drove a friend's 911 (2006, a 997) around Dublin but it was all in traffic so couldnt put it through its paces.
Best driving car I've owned, can't decide between ST182 Celica or E46 320i.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

Dangel4x4 wrote: »

Daysul Avensis. Savage yoke.

Or a Carina II Lean Burn

Yes!!! +1


I think it is a toss up between my current 300ZX, my old 535d, or a 335d that I test drove around the same time.

Should be a thread for worst car I ever drove... I've got a few of those!

GvidoR

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

Should be a thread for worst car I ever drove... I've got a few of those!

There already is one.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057254943

Dartz

The Fiesta 1.2 3-door I learned to drive in has to rate highly. It was just such a simple, easy and intuitive thing to operate. It was also reasonably nippy and revvy for such a small engine.

I have fond memories of that '02 Renault Laguna the house used to own. 1.8, Automatic and as comfortable as a sofa. It was also almost impeccably reliable until someone decided to see if it floated on a flooded road, and let water into the gearbox wiring loom. Even crippled, it never failed to get home. It made it's final journey to the dealer to be sold without hiccup or fault, and was passed off as 'running without fault' to the salesman.

The dealership went bankrupt a few weeks later. I like to think it contributed.

The Rx-8 I own, was the first car I ever paid for with my own money. That,above all else, makes it special. It's also butter-on-tits smooth to drive and was the first car to ever demonstrate what driving feel and feedback was. It'll even get better fuel economy at a cruise than the old Laguna.... oddly.

JC01

Hands down my old TypeR DC2, one of the very best cars ever built. Iv driven cars with literally 3x the power of the teg but still nowhere near as much crac as that thing on a good twisty road.

Paddy@CIRL

Either an Audi S3 Saloon or a Ferrari California. Probably the latter.

Slattsy

Nothing too fancy like a Ferrari or a Porsch but a mate had an RX8 and sweet Mary was it fun to drive.

ianobrien

Citroen AX GT Sportif, a 1360cc of raw power, which may have had a 1.6 BX carb on it. It weighed feck all from the factory (plastic boot lid for example) and when I was finished it weighted 790kg for the NCT. It was a total rad rod (8 shades of white paint, rust, ill fitting panels, no carpet, no sound deadening, etc) and it sulked the odd time (coil failure at 2am) but it was great fun. I learned quickly about lift off oversteer and it could spin the wheels in third in the wet. As long as you didn't think about lifting 1mm off the throttle it would go around any bend. If you even throught about lifting off the throttle for half a second it was stepping out. Once you got the hang of it it was great fun on slippy back road....

It blew a crank oil seal which sprayed oil on the clutch. I had to stop every 20 miles or so to wash the oil off with Coke through the inspection hole in the bell-housing. I drove it from Killarney to Cork that way, flat out as usual. I parked it at home and left it for 6 months. It started first time, but the clutch was well stuck. I sold it that way and regretted it ever since. I've spent 4 years looking for another one......

There were some typical French touches, like a heater in the carb to stop it iceing up in winter, and a manual choke (that was well hidden on the dash). It had a removable sunroof that did it's own thing, electric windows that worked with a fist banging on the motors and a four foot long water hose that went from the back of the engine to the rad via the north pole.

bear1

Jaysus i forgot to give a shout out to my old 90 carina 2.0d. Car didnt even need to be preheated, pure tank. Ran on fumes but i looked like such a cultchie farmer :-D

krissovo

ianobrien wrote: »

Citroen AX GT Sportif, a 1360cc of raw power

I had a AX GT, made of tissue paper but savage fun! My old MG ZR 160 was the most fun you could have on 4 wheels with a tight budget. Handles like its on rails and would push most cars in a sprint up the motorway hill leaving cork. Shame the steering wheel and pedals didn't line up so was an awkward driving position.

My last car which was a Toyota FJ Cruiser was a great car, fun, powerful and go anywhere do anything car.

toastedpickles

Cars we owned? My old astra, that car brought me around the entire country and didn't complain once, It'l rise again one day too

Drove a 350bhp impreza rally car too, that was mental fun, doing about 17 things in about two seconds isn't as easy as they make it look :pac:

68 lost souls

Only owned two the Golf and the the Ram. To drive It's the golf hands down the ram was a pig and the steering was awful.

The best car I've driven though was the ford Taurus SHO what a fantastic car with lots and lots of extras. Had 2 days of fun with it in Rural California.

Daveysil15

Toyota Celica.

CrinkElite

90's Nissan Micra. edit / 88 if I'm not mistaken.



95 mph down the hills.
Nice bit of power at low speeds though.

wendell borton

All the pug x06 cars were great to drive while still being smooth and comfortable.

thecomedian

I test drove an E39 M5, loved it!

Wedgie

I still have a soft spot for my old Alfa 164, loved that car.

The wife's Land Cruiser is a joy to drive. 4litre v6, all the toys, such comfort. It's not too bad on petrol either.

I had a '94 106 in work quite a few years ago, that was a blast to drive.

Tail Docker

I've a 200hp fto, a 520, an mr,a few celicas, a skyline,a good few tweaked civics, but for pure, nutty fun, there's a 1.8T 4wd Mitsi GSR on the drive, belonging to my eldest lad, which is a nutter, pure and simple. It looks great, it goes like a feckin train, it makes noises that are laugh out loud mental, from the turbo whoosh to the blow-off and it accelerates like a b4stard and grips like an alien. I love that car, tbh.

Foxhole Norman

For me it was probably the E39 520i M-Sport I test drove!

_Kaiser_

I'd have to say my current 3L TDI Quattro A6 (2005) is the best I've owned by far to date.. Power, comfort, toys and I've always loved the looks.

Had a Merc E320 (2006) for a day that was a very nice machine though but I'm probably about 10 years from that sort of bus though!

Friend of mine has an SL500 which isn't half bad, but I just prefer my big saloons

MuppetCheck

The car I enjoyed most was probably a Ferrari California in Maranello.

Most entertaining was a Ford Puma (basic 1.6) on a stretch of road I know well.

JohnBoy26

the pedals being too close together and off centre took away massively from the drive of those 106's the gearbox wasn't great either in them. Fun little yokes though.

Old diesel

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

the pedals being too close together and off centre took away massively from the drive of those 106's the gearbox wasn't great either in them. Fun little yokes though.

Citroen Saxo might have been in with a shout for best car ive ever driven if it weren't for said pedal issues.

Otherwise - steering was very nice - and it felt very solid for its size.

The best car ive ever driven - that's easy - 1990 Mitsubishi Galant 2.0 GLSi - it just felt like a VERY well thought out car in all respects.

Yes a Corolla diesel is more durable and reliable (while still been perfectly okay to drive.

The Saxo felt a bit nicer steering wise, a Rover Metro rode well (and a surprisingly nice all around drive).

a Daihatsu Fourtrack has more character.

but the Galant just felt like a car designed around pleasant driving

Stallingrad

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

For me it was probably the E39 520i M-Sport I test drove!

Been lucky enough to drive a 560SEL, 911 Turbo, Ferrari 360, but the E39 I drove many years ago felt so right, a few years old but felt like new, so solid and smooth. Still regret not having owned one but could never justify the tax now.

txpjl

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Honda NSX. By far my favourite car I've driven. Why I just didn't get a loan and buy it still bugs me today.

Probably pick it up now for a lot less. Very nice car.

h3000

The best I've owned was my gen 5 Prelude

The best I've ever driven was Porsche 911 (997) GT3 followed quite closely by a Subaru Legacy 3.0r spec B.


...Oh I had a Porsche 911 3.0SC for my wedding too, that was great fun.

Old diesel

txpjl wrote: »

Probably pick it up now for a lot less. Very nice car.

Haven't priced up an NSX - but I would be of the view that its an iconic car for anyone with the cop on to look beyond the Honda badge - so I would suspect values for a DECENT one will have held up well

Maximus Alexander

txpjl wrote: »

Probably pick it up now for a lot less. Very nice car.

You reckon? I thought these were rising in value these days? I remember seeing 90s ones on sale for a lot less a few years back.

h3000

txpjl wrote: »

Probably pick it up now for a lot less. Very nice car.

I wouldn't be too sure about that, I think most of those are starting to increase in value at this stage.

Edit: Snap

Old diesel

Probably should have qualified the Galant comments by mentioning that ive never driven a Legacy - many of the comments ive read on some of those (Legacys) especially in the press* seem to suggest a decent Legacy would make the Galant look a tad wanting.

*What car long term test around - 01 to 02 - 2.0 Legacy Estate - car seemed the hardest working on the fleet - but its user/tester gave it a rave review on its farewell report at 12 months old and 26,000 miles

joe316

Drove a delimited e60 m5 with Eisenmann exhausts, without doubt the best car I've even sat in.

renofan

I've driven a good lot of cars by now and have to say the Lotus Elise 111r has to be the best fun one can have with their clothes on. It may only have 190bhp but it weighs around 770 kg.

The Fiat 500 abarth is fun too but far too stiff on bad roads. I've also driven a '03 Focus RS hard but it's only when your well into licencing losing territory that it's fun. Before that it's just like my Wife's 1.4 Focus to drive.

jimgoose

A 1976 1.3l Toyota Corolla K30 in shíte grey with plenty of rust. It ran on barman's farts, weighed little more, went like diarrhoea off a cipín, indestructible little engine and flick-flacked like an RS200. Or so it seemed at the time, it is possible that this is being somewhat coloured by nostalgia. Still, I loved that stupid thing. :pac::pac::pac:

Honourable mention must go to my mother's 2009 1.25l Feshty, a great example of what it is. And also, the brother's 2010 520d takes some baytin' - economical, surprising amounts of shove and less body-roll than a Caterpillar D10. I mean that in the positive sense.

Mick55

1996 Subaru Impreza STi, lots of work done to it. Was 310BHP, absolute joy to drive. The rumble of it was something else.

Reliability-wise I had a 1995 Nissan Pulsar 1.5L 16v for a few years that I just could not kill, thing was bullet proof. Parts were a hoor to get though, and I worked in Nissan at the time!

Maphisto

Best car was my Dad's Triumph Herald. That thing could really shift in town.

Driving down King Street Hammersmith one evening I was cut up by two big lads in a Jag. These days I just shrug, but being a bit of a feckless youth , I overtook them and gave them the finger.

They chased me for about an hour, Acton, Shepherds Bush, Chiswick. I'd be knackered on a long straight but the Herald would always make it on the cornering. My poor Dad's tyres squealing. Eventually they got bored and turned off.

Foolish youth

txpjl

Old diesel wrote: »

Haven't priced up an NSX - but I would be of the view that its an iconic car for anyone with the cop on to look beyond the Honda badge - so I would suspect values for a DECENT one will have held up well

www.pistonheads.com has a few £26.5K (Stirling) and up. Let me know if you are buying one, I can really help you spend your money .

T

Tea 1000

txpjl wrote: »

Probably pick it up now for a lot less. Very nice car.

Nope. Gone way up in value since, and the stuff that's out there aren't a patch on the one I should have bought. They are more in sterling for rougher examples and no VRT than the one I drove was in Euro at the time!
Ah well, sometimes in life you just miss out on a gem.

Idbatterim

E46 m3, then again, its the only performance car I have ever driven, one hell of a machine though!