"The worst car you have ever driven" Thread

Kaiser D · 23-07-2014 9:41pm

krissovo wrote: »

Worst car an old Aleggro 1.2, complete crapbox even had a square steering wheel. Actually now as I type a Diahatsu Grand Move was probably the lowest point of my car ownership and I almost lost the will to live, I feel ill just thinking about it......

A square steering wheel :eek:

Worth a few quid now!

sunnysoutheast · 23-07-2014 9:46pm

Drove my uncle's Nissan 200SX in the mid 90s. Terrible turbo lag, eventual rocket boost and consequent oversteer in all conditions. Virtually impossible to drive in the wet at anything above walking pace. Looked the business though!

Brand new, even the dealer said it was shockingly bad and took it back for what was paid for it as a replacement wasn't available. My uncle had sold a Schnitzer BMW to pay for it too

I have driven worse, but that was the biggest disappointemnt.

chicorytip · 23-07-2014 10:25pm

Re: 1st. generation Almera.
I completely agree. Great car.

black_ray · 23-07-2014 10:25pm

Early 80's fiat 131 and ford escort, auto choke on the fiat, manual choke on the ford. Both required footwork worthy of a Wurlitzer just to get them to start and run when cold.
06 Holden Commodore - atrocious axle tramp.

JohnBoy26 · 23-07-2014 10:27pm

TheNog wrote: »

The Almera I had was a good car, not a brilliant one but I reckon definitely better handling than the i30 Tourer. The Tourer is far too skittish for my liking

The i30 is miles ahead in the driving dynamics department, those almeras didn't handle great at all.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime · 24-07-2014 8:15am

Nissan micra..... so many wrongs with them and they have the same shoite smell !

They can't even handle 120kmh well....

Or the recent mitsubishi colt. Such a pile of muck build for really old people with bad backs.

The old one was much better.

jimgoose · 24-07-2014 8:24am

Technically the worst steering I ever encountered was on a 1965 Mustang, but most people who are serious about those things fit some sort of rack-and-pinion conversion to civilise them. The worst excuse for a car I ever encountered would probably have to be a 2008 1.2l Nissan Note. Dreadful, dreadful, joyless bloody thing. Utterly wretched. No engine, horrible el-cheapo interior, and cornered like a Land Rover Disco II without any of the upsides.

jimgoose · 24-07-2014 8:53am

annascott wrote: »

8 year old Volkswagen Passat. I borrowed it from a friend once. Everything had to be pushed and pressed with force (brakes etc) and there was a horrible dusty smell from the AC. Horrible journey. Never want to drive such an old car again..

You should drive my fifteen-year-old Jaguar. It would shame most "modern" yokes. :cool:

Quin_Dub · 24-07-2014 11:15am

Jesus. wrote: »

That is interesting. How the Yanks manage to make a 3L, 6 pot gutless is anyone's guess.

Would you have taken the Micra over it? :P

Think the Mustangs problem was more to do with the god-awful auto box it had.. every time you put your foot down there was a long delay whilst it made up it's mind as to what gear you should be in..

Even in steady motorway driving it would be changing gears up and down all the time , revs all over the place...horrid, horrid thing to drive..

.....I might actually have taken the Micra over it if the option was given...it was S**t , but at least it was consistent S**t...

Cleveland Hot Pocket · 24-07-2014 11:26am

Jesus. wrote: »

That is interesting. How the Yanks manage to make a 3L, 6 pot gutless is anyone's guess.

Would you have taken the Micra over it? :P

For the weight of the car, the power probably wasnt enough!

I've driven a big block 7.4 litre yank tank with only 180 odd bhp in a 3 ton car, for instance!

Cleveland Hot Pocket · 24-07-2014 11:28am

Quin_Dub wrote: »

Think the Mustangs problem was more to do with the god-awful auto box it had.. every time you put your foot down there was a long delay whilst it made up it's mind as to what gear you should be in..

Even in steady motorway driving it would be changing gears up and down all the time , revs all over the place...horrid, horrid thing to drive..

.....I might actually have taken the Micra over it if the option was given...it was S**t , but at least it was consistent S**t...

Interesting, because the 04-09 model mustang was heralded as the first model in about 20 years that was considered "worthy of the name" or equal to the 60's and 70's cars. I've not driven one but I've heard from a number of enthusiasts that the 'box is much better in the v8 models from that era.

CptMackey · 24-07-2014 11:30am

A Hyundai getz 1l what a pile of rubbish. Thankfully only had to drive it for a few days. A 200kg man who has one lung and smokes 1000 cigs a day would out accelerate it.

Mc Love · 24-07-2014 11:33am

Hyundai Accent Second generation
Citroen C3 2002-2009
Ford B-MAX
VW Polo

Quin_Dub · 24-07-2014 12:03pm

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

Interesting, because the 04-09 model mustang was heralded as the first model in about 20 years that was considered "worthy of the name" or equal to the 60's and 70's cars. I've not driven one but I've heard from a number of enthusiasts that the 'box is much better in the v8 models from that era.

If that's true then I shudder to think how bad the previous models were....

It's possible of course that I had a "Rental dog" but given that the car was virtually new not sure if you can blame the rental life on the state of the gear box..

I've driven a lot of rentals in the US and the Mustang definitely had the worst gear-box..

Worst suspension - from the point of view that it felt like I was driving a bouncy castle was a Mercury Grand Marquis.. Big barge of a yoke and very comfortable, but Christ did it wallow around the place...

Stallingrad · 24-07-2014 12:48pm

Ignoring the Nissan Serena which I would not even classify as a car it was so bad:

2008 Ford Cmax 1.6 petrol, dull, gutless, coma on wheels.

H3llR4iser · 24-07-2014 2:21pm

Without a doubt, a friend's red Seat Marbella many many moons ago. They guy had had one (or five) too many and we convinced him to hand over the keys; Boy was I in for a treat:

- The headlights didn't work. At all. Zero, nothing. I eventually discovered that the left hand side one did not even have a lightbulb inside. And it was 4am;
- Indicators only on the right side; If you had do turn left,you could very conveniently extend your hand out of the window (it was left hand drive);
- Third gear would not engage, you needed to bring the revs really high up (a process which took more or less the length of an airport runway) in second and then go to fourth;
- The brakes pedal would go all the way to the floor and only then, you could feel a gentle resistance beeing applied to the car's motion;

In hindsight, how we did survive that night still baffles me!

Jesus. · 24-07-2014 2:44pm

Quin_Dub wrote: »

I've driven a lot of rentals in the US and the Mustang definitely had the worst gear-box..Worst suspension - from the point of view that it felt like I was driving a bouncy castle was a Mercury Grand Marquis.. Big barge of a yoke and very comfortable, but Christ did it wallow around the place...

Dub, you're experienced in driving in America.

How do you compare the big powerful yokes they (generally) drive over there to the compact, small-engined motors we (generally) drive here?

Tea 1000 · 24-07-2014 2:47pm

Jesus. wrote: »

Dub, you're experienced in driving in America.

How do you compare the big powerful yokes they (generally) drive over there to the compact, small-engined motors we (generally) drive here?

I've driven in the US a few times and in general, the Euro stuff or Jap stuff designed for the Euro market is much better than the American stuff for the home market. 3 litre engines that don't feel fast, not massive in interior space considering the massive exterior, simple and wallowey suspension means they're not designed to thrill on a twisty road, although it's hard to find them anyway.
The good American stuff is very good though, like the C7 Corvette.

Jesus. · 24-07-2014 2:47pm

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

For the weight of the car, the power probably wasnt enough! I've driven a big block 7.4 litre yank tank with only 180 odd bhp in a 3 ton car, for instance!

That's true Cleve. A lot of their Motors are two tonne plus. Having said that though, the Mustang would still be considered to be a relatively small car over there.

What on earth was the yoke you drove? Must've been from the 60's (or worse still, the 80's :eek:) or something!!!

Twas Not · 24-07-2014 2:49pm

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Without a doubt, a friend's red Seat Marbella many many moons ago. They guy had had one (or five) too many and we convinced him to hand over the keys; Boy was I in for a treat:

- The headlights didn't work. At all. Zero, nothing. I eventually discovered that the left hand side one did not even have a lightbulb inside. And it was 4am;
- Indicators only on the right side; If you had do turn left,you could very conveniently extend your hand out of the window (it was left hand drive);
- Third gear would not engage, you needed to bring the revs really high up (a process which took more or less the length of an airport runway) in second and then go to fourth;
- The brakes pedal would go all the way to the floor and only then, you could feel a gentle resistance beeing applied to the car's motion;

In hindsight, how we did survive that night still baffles me!

Sounds more like lack of maintenance by a lazy alcoholic owner was more the issue tbh.

Flesh Gorden · 24-07-2014 2:51pm

The worst cars I've driven have something in common, in that they suffered from bad modifications and/or really bad repairs.

Worst by a long shot had to be a 1ltr 97' Corsa B

It had the habit of popping out of 3rd gear which in a 50bhp 1 litre had to be the most terrifying thing I've experienced as a driver.

Add to that it was fitted with 15" Wolfrace alloys from another Corsa that had been crashed, which I reckon were buckled,
brakes that would decide to pull you to the left, a ride height that made it feel like toppling over at every bend, but most surprisingly a fresh NCT.

A close 2nd:

While a friend was on holiday I had a loan of his 97' 1.3 Fiesta that had been bought from one of the many dodgy 2nd hand dealerships here in Cork that had been sold with a slipping clutch.

Clutch was replaced after solicitors got involved, but even with the "new" clutch it didn't feel right. It's the only car I've seen lose speed going up hill in 2nd gear and close to 4k revs,

The other memory was that any Ford Tibbe key could open the doors, but I think that was unique to this car.

V.W.L 11 · 24-07-2014 2:56pm

Flesh Gorden wrote: »

The worst cars I've driven have something in common, in that they suffered from bad modifications and/or really bad repairs.

Worst by a long shot had to be a 1ltr 97' Corsa B

It had the habit of popping out of 3rd gear which in a 50bhp 1 litre had to be the most terrifying thing I've experienced as a driver.

Add to that it was fitted with 15" Wolfrace alloys from another Corsa that had been crashed, which I reckon were buckled,
brakes that would decide to pull you to the left, a ride height that made it feel like toppling over at every bend, but most surprisingly a fresh NCT.

A close 2nd:

While a friend was on holiday I had a loan of his 97' 1.3 Fiesta that had been bought from one of the many dodgy 2nd hand dealerships here in Cork that had been sold with a slipping clutch.

Clutch was replaced after solicitors got involved, but even with the "new" clutch it didn't feel right. It's the only car I've seen lose speed going up hill in 2nd gear and close to 4k revs,

The other memory was that any Ford Tibbe key could open the doors, but I think that was unique to this car.

I had a 1983 Fiesta one time,the key of my front door was able to open the drivers door,never tried the passenger side,but stories like these are rare but good to hear,happy days

Cleveland Hot Pocket · 24-07-2014 3:08pm

Jesus. wrote: »

That's true Cleve. A lot of their Motors are two tonne plus. Having said that though, the Mustang would still be considered to be a relatively small car over there.

What on earth was the yoke you drove? Must've been from the 60's (or worse still, the 80's :eek:) or something!!!

It was a ford f350 super duty, the first one with a non turbo 455ci diesel.

On the 2 tonne plus, I was looking at a cadillac there and it was close to 3 metric tonnes in weight :eek:. Although it had a 500ci (8.0) litre v8 powering it!

Jesus. · 24-07-2014 3:10pm

Love it! Only in America

Quin_Dub · 24-07-2014 3:16pm

Jesus. wrote: »

Dub, you're experienced in driving in America.

How do you compare the big powerful yokes they (generally) drive over there to the compact, small-engined motors we (generally) drive here?

Tea 1000 wrote: »

I've driven in the US a few times and in general, the Euro stuff or Jap stuff designed for the Euro market is much better than the American stuff for the home market. 3 litre engines that don't feel fast, not massive in interior space considering the massive exterior, simple and wallowey suspension means they're not designed to thrill on a twisty road, although it's hard to find them anyway.
The good American stuff is very good though, like the C7 Corvette.

I'd break it into 3 categories..

US Brands for the American Market :-

Generally big (huge!) vehicles with soft suspension and long gear ratios.. typically 3-4L engines delivering less than 200bhp and very slow auto-boxes.. Tooling down the highways they are very comfy places to be , but certainly not to be driven on an Irish style N or R class road.. Very wallowy/floaty feel when driving and engine response is very slow.. When you have the road to wind them up some can be pretty fast top end. Also they are typically a bit "cheap" feeling..very plasticky and don't feel like they're built for the long haul , certainly in terms of interiors..

European Brands for US Market :-

Generally not massively different to what you get here - A US Passat or A4 is basically the same as here, albeit you'll only get them in Petrol and above 2L.. Suspensions are definitely set-up softer than at home but still decent..
(I've not driven a "Sporty" European car over there - TT, A5 or a high Power BMW for example but assume that they have stiffer suspensions etc.)

Japanese/Korean Cars for US Market :-

These are kinda somewhere in between the other two... Definitely much better then the US stuff in terms of interior build quality.. Suspension tends to be a bit stiffer and engines/gearboxes are a better combo.. The last few times I've been over I've been driving a Hyundai Sonata (a bigger version of the i40 that's sold here).. Generally not a bad car , decent power , nice interior (albeit a lower spec rental job) and handling isn't too bad.. Still way softer than anything you'd get here but night and day ahead of the US brands..

For Forks Sake · 24-07-2014 4:20pm

Spike Witwicky wrote: »

I had forgotten about that. Probably intentionally. Jesus that was a slow pos

Somewhere in the region of 24 seconds to do 0-60 if I remember right.

Have had plenty of my own cars, company cars and rentals over the years but the one that was head and shoulders the worst of the bunch was a Chevrolet Aveo I was presented with by a hire company in Malta.

Bad and all that it was a rebadged Daewoo, it had a 1.2l engine that wouldn't have pulled you from the bed in the morning, the weight distribution was all over the place, the suspension appeared to have been carved from wood (it certainly didn't add any comfort and the merest hint of a corner scared the daylights out of it), and not a creature comfort to be found inside either.

Oh. And no air-con. In a country where temps easily hit 35.

Anyway, long story short, I wrote the piece of crap off when it went sideways (unsurprisingly) off a corner on a wet road after a thunderstorm. Had enough insurance that it cost me nothing and walked away unharmed. I think I did the world of motoring a favour.

2004%20Chevrolet%20Aveo%204dr%20Sedan_314.jpg

hoodie6029 · 24-07-2014 5:48pm

Citreon c3 hire car in Gran Canaria. Had to shift down to 3rd to maintain speed on the motorway when I hit a hill!

Jesus. · 24-07-2014 5:52pm

Would you agree though Dub that for many reasons, the type of car required Stateside is very different to the type of car suited to here?

Last time I was over there I rented a Dodge Stratus 3L V6. Okay for cruising along the Freeway in a straight line but it wasn't a very nice car to "drive". A bit barge-like, although as US cars go, it wasn't that large.

Never drove an actual Yank-Tank. I always found this Clarkson clip funny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjzpx_jUUA0

dr.fuzzenstein · 24-07-2014 7:13pm

GF had one of those, awful yoke, hateful in every aspect.

Ford Escort bread van, so much flex in the chassis that the door would jam if your front wheel was up on a curb. This flexing body meant that it could lose control without any warning whatsoever. Genuinely dangerous as well as a rustbucket and all round piece of sh*t.

And there is simply nothing positive I can say about this POS, except that I would have preferred the Corsa.

chicorytip · 25-07-2014 12:06am

Opel Insignia"Ecoflex" . Noisy,lack of torque in low gear, ridiculous electronic
parking brake. Complete minger !

"The worst car you have ever driven" Thread

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