Cars that exceeded or didn't meet your expectations ?

[colly]

Occy ?

 

[Andy_R]

Occy ?

Octavia

 

[MarkF]

I had loads of nice cars from 21 as company provided ones so they don't really hold any appeal for me now.

But.........I bought a Ford Focus 2002 4 years ago after crashing both our cars on the same morning, I thought I'd move it on after a few week....4 years later it's still here and not cost a penny other than servicing and MOT's. I crashed it the other week and damaged the wing, it must be worth about £250 now but I read about people doing wacky car rallies to Barcelona in cars that must cost less than £500 and think "What a load of bollocks" because I'd wager good money my Focus would make it around the world.

A few years ago I also bought a 1988 Volvo 740GL Auto late at night on Ebay whilst "In drink", I'd always wanted one, "They're boxy but they're good" (Dudley Moore) it cost £120 and was in Sleaford. I had no idea where Sleaford was but had a nice train journey down, handed over £120 and drove it home, I loved that car, it was like driving a sofa. The kids, Mrs F and the neighbours pressured me into selling it. If they made them now, I'd buy one.

 

[colly]

Mrs Colly bought a new Daewoo Kalos some 15 years ago. Unfashionable but quite a good looking car. Missed not a beat in 15 years and 100,000miles.
The only problems were things that actually were worn out. Even then it was stuff you would expect.

Sold it for £600 and it still looked good.

 

[gavroche]

I had a phone call from the Renault dealer in Chester, where I bought my Captur from, brand new in 2015. They are asking me to buy another brand new one at cost price. I told them I am very happy with my present one, it is very reliable, very economical and comfortable and intend to keep it a bit longer still. The worst cars I have ever had were: Hillman Imp which I resold after two weeks as it was burning more oil than petrol and a Vauxhall 101 when the gearbox let me down whilst driving in the middle of Paris on way back from holiday. Never had a Vauxhall since, won't buy Fords or German cars and stick to Renaults or Citroens with the occasional Peugeot.

 

[Nigeyy]

Well, an American one way over delivered for me:

I had a 1995 Saturn* SW1 automatic. While it was dog slow (at least compared to all other cars on the road -I'm not sure it could have got to 0-60 in under 12 seconds) but I was fine with it. In 170K miles and over 12 years of ownership, I think I only had to replace the alternator, battery, exhaust and fan belt tensioner, besides the occasional light bulb and brake and tyres. Fantastic car -it wasn't great in terms of style, comfort, speed or features... but it was reliable and gave me about 42mpg for a petrol car (which for the States is amazing).

I got rid of it when it when I had to replace the exhaust system again, and it would have been around 600 quid and I was coming up to needing all new tyres. I just wasn't sure I should have been putting that much money into a car that old with that many miles. I wish I had now

*Saturn were an autonomous offshoot of General Motors and did things all their way. Then GM thought they were doing such a good job they'd better get involved and that was the end of Saturn https://www.forbes.com/2010/03/08/saturn-gm-innovation-leadership-managing-failure.html#98891446ee38.

 

[biggs682]

Please do not start me on this thread

 

[NorthernDave]

We've got a 16 year old Honda Civic, and I'm getting fed up with its unreliability. We had to have a rear disc changed last week! Yes, really. I mean....I ask you, have you ever heard anything like that? They just don't make cars like they used to.

I know, modern cars, eh. My 12 year old Occy had to have a suspension bush changed last month. 140,000 miles, bloody useless!

We had a Citroen C3 1.4HDi 8v for 10 years and 163k and in all that time all it had apart from routine servicing and consumables was an air-con pipe replaced (at around 5 years) and a new exhaust (at 9 years). Sold on with everything else original, even the battery (and still on the road 5 years later at 185k)

As for cars that didn't live up to expectations...
Cars I've owned - I had a couple of Nissans with a series of minor but apparently almost impossible for the main dealer to fix niggles (both got rid of before the warranty expired), and VW with a persistent water leak that would have defeated a small Dutch boy.

Cars I've driven - mid 80's Porsche 911 Turbo - truly underwhelming and not even nice to drive. The more modern ones are hugely better, as you might expect.
Lamborghini Muira - looked awesome from outside. However it was cramped, difficult to see out of, noisy and very hot inside and I was soon glad I was only taking it a short distance
Any BMW - I just don't get it and besides that no-one will let you out at junctions - ultimate driving machine my backside.

 

[Threevok]

Vauxhall Zafira 1.8i 16v Petrol

EGR valve
Lambda sensor
Coil pack
wiring loom
ECU

all within the space of a year

got shot of the last time it broke down

 

[screenman]

Renault 4 great little car used it as a builders can when I renovated my first house 40 years ago.

 

[Levo-Lon]

I had some terrible cars in my younger days, that have been real money pits....... Triumph TR7, Rover 820i, Land Rover series 2A petrol, 73 VW Bay Camper and probably more lemons that i've erased from my mind.
Mostly owned Fords and they've all been good and reliable, as is my current Focus Estate.

TR7 i started to fear the worst
I struggled to finish reading that after Rover 820i They were a bit naughty.

Though i bought a Fiat Strada...wow

 

[ozboz]

I bought in 1986 a Nissan Navara 4x4 Dual cab Ute as it was called in Australia, put one clutch in in it , had Pedders shocks put in and had the steering bushes upgraded, I sold it and there was 350,000 miles on it , a 2.4 ltr Z engine. What a vehicle , only reason I sold it was as a family we grew out of it .

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Honda S2000. Wanted to like it. Didn't. 3 months and it was gone.

Fiat Sedici. Thought it might be quite useful. Utterly brilliant.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Vauxhall Zafira 1.8i 16v Petrol

EGR valve
Lambda sensor
Coil pack
wiring loom
ECU

all within the space of a year

got shot of the last time it broke down

Shocking

 

[Drago]

I bought in 1986 a Nissan Navara 4x4 Dual cab Ute as it was called in Australia, put one clutch in in it , had Pedders shocks put in and had the steering bushes upgraded, I sold it and there was 350,000 miles on it , a 2.4 ltr Z engine. What a vehicle , only reason I sold it was as a family we grew out of it .

In the UK, where it rains occasionally, the later Navara had a nasty habit of actually snapping in half. Nice.