The most reliable car you ever had?

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Drago

Drago

Legendary Member
Mrs D used to get a new Peugeot every year. She had a relative worked at their HQ who bought them at cost. After a year Mrs D would sell it and break even, and more often than not make a few hundred quid profit. Self financing motoring.

Of 22 new Peugeot's, 21 were completely faultless. One was a hound and was so bad she rejected it and it was replaced with another, which thankfully continued the series of faultless drives.

She then went Motability and got a new Kia Sportage, which needed a new clutch less than 2 months in due to terrible judder and was riddled with niggles, not all of which the dealer was keen to fix. You'd think a 7 year/100k mile warranty against "faulty materials or workmanship" word be cut and dried, but it seems the reality nears little relation to the advertising.
 

DSK

Senior Member
I have 3 1998-2000 Volvos.

2 x 2000 C70 T5's
1 x S70R

I do 1,000 miles a week and have done so for several years. Outside a radiator at 150,000 miles each, a MAF sensor here or there, and 1 ETM (common failure), none have put a foot wrong and even at 250,00 miles do not use any oil or coolant, still go like a bunch of stabbed rats in luxury. Beats my modern Mercedes CLS and I no longer own any other BMWs which I had alongside.
 

Milkfloat

An Peanut
Location
Midlands
Being the son of a motor dealer I never had a car long enough for it to become unreliable, they were usually sold from under me before I knew anything about it. The exception to that was my first car in 1992 which was a 1966 Ford Anglia 105e, bought as junk in order to teach me how to repair cars. I kept that for a couple of years, but 18 months of that was getting the damn thing roadworthy. The only real long term car I have had was a brand new Golf GTI I bought in 2005. I kept that for 10 years and aside from the door seals falling off about 6 times in the first couple of months, absolutely nothing went wrong with it. Mind you, when I sold it there was only 26k on the clock :smile:
 

Beebo

Firm and Fruity
Location
Hexleybeef
I'm a believer in treat a car with care, the way you drive it.
Too right. One of my friends is always “unlucky” with cars. Ends up having expensive replacements almost every time. The fact he drives like a rally cross is probably the cause.
 
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Gunk

Guru
Location
Oxford
Being the son of a motor dealer I never had a car long enough for it to become unreliable, they were usually sold from under me before I knew anything about it. The exception to that was my first car in 1992 which was a 1966 Ford Anglia 105e, bought as junk in order to teach me how to repair cars. I kept that for a couple of years, but 18 months of that was getting the damn thing roadworthy. The only real long term car I have had was a brand new Golf GTI I bought in 2005. I kept that for 10 years and aside from the door seals falling off about 6 times in the first couple of months, absolutely nothing went wrong with it. Mind you, when I sold it there was only 26k on the clock :smile:

I bought a Mk5 Golf GTi brand new in 2005 and absolutely loved it, so much better than the Mk4 1.8T GTi it replaced.

C2-EA088-C-C26-B-4-DDB-BDA4-C13-CF39875-A1.jpg

I bought another new Golf GTD in 2015 and now done 75,000 trouble free miles, they are are great cars, this one is fully loaded, you want for nothing, Plus it’s quick and delivers 55 mpg on a run.

DC4-C8-D74-9734-4670-86-BB-3-DFDBC42-BB2-C.jpg

We ran BMW 3 series tourings for years as well (Mrs Gunk drove them) they were all disappointing unreliable and hugely expensive when they went wrong.
 
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Justinitus

Warning: May Contain Pie
Location
Wiltshire
@Gunk I had a 2014 Golf GTD that was faultless in the 2yrs I had it, apart from needing a door seal that was faulty from new. Fab all rounder - quick, comfy and economical. I’d have another in a heartbeat!
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Replaced the GTD with a Golf R Wagon. Stupendously quick and surefooted. 3 gearbox repairs in 2yrs (the electronic brains bit) all 3 times it failed in queuing traffic. Needed also a wiper motor, drivers seat frame, electronic handbrake, air con compressor, 2 engine mounts, tailgate lock mechanism and a water pump. This is Rolf being delivered Oct 2016.
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Best “car” I ever had was a 2006 Toyota HiLux double cab pickup. Slow but very comfortable. Did 160,000 miles all over Ireland towing trailers and apart from regular servicing only needed a window winder mechanism in 3yrs. Never changed the clutch either!
497624
 

Gunk

Guru
Location
Oxford
I like the R but 25 mpg and reliability issues have put me off, my colleague has one and his has been very troublesome. My brother in law has the GTE and that has had issues as well, I don’t know what I’ll replace the GTD with, it’s a tough act to follow.

BTW I love Tornado Red, I had a VR6 new back in 1993 in that colour, cracking car!
 
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Stompier

Senior Member
Subaru Impreza Turbo Wagon. Bought 1yo car at 13k miles and over nine years ran it up to 145k with only a split rad hose in that time.
 

rogerzilla

Legendary Member
None of them have been bad, as I buy Japanese cars. I had a BMW E46 for a year and it was not very well made, although it went pretty well.

Best for its age was a Mk1 MX-5, which I would happily drive to the ends of the earth even when it was 15 years old and had an impressive mileage. They don't like road salt, though, and rot at the sills.

Worst was a Toyota Yaris T Sport - flimsy and didn't start one day (2 years old at the time). And I had a Suzuki Jimny with a bad clutch release bearing at 21,000 miles. Probably dry from new, as I don't ride the clutch and rarely drive in towns. New clutch job at a fixed price from the main dealer - you don't take the gearbox off and not do the whole lot, since the parts are only about 25% of the total.
 
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keithmac

Guru
This is what took my Kuga Powershift gearbox out at 60,000 miles (the plastic got ground down and basically trashed the entire gearbox + Mechatronic unit).

£3000+ later and a month of nights it was back on the road. Later style gearbox/ flywheel etc didn't fit but I bloomin made it fit in the end!.

497776
 
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Drago

Drago

Legendary Member
My previous Volvo, a 940 wagon. Never let us down. It would still be with us except a bus drove into it and wrote it off.
Many moons back my Step Mum was in her 940 wagon when she was rear ended by a 7.5 tonne truck. The volvo was badly damaged, but deemed repairable. The truck was written off.
 

Gunk

Guru
Location
Oxford
Never really been into the Volvo thing, always admired them (especially the 850R) but never wanted to own one, however I might make an exception for one of these, utterly bonkers!

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Bazzer

Setting the controls for the heart of the sun.
A Golf.
Had Mk1s - MkVs, including a MK1 GTI which some tw@t nicked and it was never recovered. Currently on my 7th Golf in 38 years. Worst problem was the head needed skimming on my previous one, at 170,000 miles, but it then went on to just under 250,000 before I bought my current one, which cost me £5k with 60,000 miles and now has over 180,000 miles.
A month or so ago I was toying with replacing my current Golf.........




With another Golf. :blush: :laugh:
 
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