What's The Most Disappointing Car You've Owned/Driven?

[Oilydad]

VAUXHALLS.

I've had 2.....and one would have been enough.

I managed to blow up the engines on both, just with normal, sensible driving.

Never done that on any other make. My opinion of their engines is that are just a complete disaster.

Quite fancied an Omega some years ago.....but their engines definitely put me off.

[Moosejaw]

A Rover 600ti. The 200bhp turbo one.
Convinced myself it was a BMW 3 series/Audi A4 competitor when in reality it was a Morris Marina successor with an engine that totally overpowered the chassis.

Cheap and nasty interior fittings that had stupid bits of 'wood-u-like' stuck onto the huge expanse of plastic dashboard, the most tinny sounding 'clang' when you shut the doors and boot that I've ever heard on any car, poor ergonomics and uncomfortable seats made for a very poor ambience. It did have a good stereo though.

Despite me knowing all the pitfalls and buying a really nice one with low mileage and FSH, it still managed to perform the usual Rover trick of blowing its HG and it was with no sadness whatsoever that I drove it hissing and bubbling to the nearest crusher. It's probably part of a Chinese power station by now and they're welcome to it.

No car has disappointed me more, or failed to live up to what I thought were fairly reasonable expectations of it. No wonder Rover went to the wall, for as a Honda Accord these cars were OK in a bland uninspiring sort of way, but it was all the Rover bits that broke and annoyed me so much.

[ovlov25]

Owned: MK4 Golf Gti

Driven: Saab 93 Aero convertible

[Paffel]

Fiat Grande Punto Sporting Multijet.

Had it for a year, and for each letter of the alphabet, I think a part wen't wrong. After about 12 trips to/from garage (and after being keyed TWICE, once with a message) I had enough and got an Audi S4 instead.

[stephend]

A Talbot Solara. It was cheap(ish) - but I had the sense to walk away.

A close second was an Austin Montego 1.3. Big, heavy, slow, boring.

For different reasons, a particular Mondeo that I was looking at secondhand in a dealer. They had to jump-start it for me to test-drive it. Three miles up the road, I stalled it - and it was dead. Like, totally dead. I had to hitch a lift back to the garage, then go back out with them in another vehicle to rescue it. They still tried to sell it to me!!

[ahal]

VW Vento

I always thought that Volkswagen was a poor man's Mercedes, until I got my first car - a 1.4 Vento. The good bits? - nice heavy metal, liked the 'jumbo' look, interior black as a coal - bunker but very high quality plastics. The bad bits? - well, it would run about 100 miles before suddenly dying. It would even attempt to die at 70 m.p.h.! Every time a mechanic would arrive it would spring to life, no problems. I think they thought I was having them on for a finish.

This was a car with 70k. miles and fsh when I bought it. VW dealers chose to take the p***/ try to sell me a new car instead of fixing it. I spent £2000 on 'repairs' with the only 'benefit' being a huge workshop dent in the bodywork / change missing out of the ashtray. One of the dealerships is now a garden centre. All cars can go wrong, but with 'service' like this - I'd never touch them again. It eventually went on fire while I was driving it, thank God.

I've since had loads of people tell me they're the best car ever: "I replaced the engine twice, 10 clutches, 4 gearboxes but it's still going ... what a car!" I got so hacked off I wrote to VW in Wolfsburg several times. They just passed my letters back to the dozy gits in Dublin, who concluded "We sold a lot of Beetles, so we must be doing something right!"


2007 Opel Corsa (Vauxhall Nova) - loan car

Couldn't wait to give this back. A nice looking car, great space but zero power (which for a 1.2 sort of figures) I continually found myself looking for a sixth gear. The most amazing thing about this car was the windscreen projection. There was a silver line around the centre console which reflected on to the windscreen at all times. I had to try and focus my eyes on the road past this silver 'V' in the middle of the glass. How it ever got out of testing with such a dangerous 'feature' is beyond me.


2008 Toyota Avensis - loan car

Very comfortable, in a sitting on a high stool kind of way. Entire front invisible from inside, which I don't like. Corners like ... it's hard to describe. When turning the wheel it's like a message is sent to frightened refugees under the dashboard, who hurried start fumbling about and pulling strings in order to move the wheels. It felt drunk on corners. Perky enough engine, wallowy ride, felt if I was sitting any higher either a bib or umpire uniform would be required.

[lewfry]

I was dissapointed with the Mazda RX-8. Just didn't enjoy driving it, I didn't think much of the performance either. Wouldn't buy one.

[lyron]

rover sdi. v8 great car if you could stop the rust and manage to keep bits from falling off, shocking build quality, but oh my did that v8 sound nice.

[gmain1967]

Originally Posted by lyron

rover sdi. v8 great car if you could stop the rust and manage to keep bits from falling off, shocking build quality, but oh my did that v8 sound nice.

I had two and loved them - great fun car to drive if you get my "drift"....! Yes they did fall apart but only issues I had were the master cylinder for the clutch going, and the speedo popping out the instrument panel. Given that the whole thing lifted off the dash, easy to fix, and the dash bulbs were a damn site easier to get to and replace than an S40!!!!!.

Check this out for the V8......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK8bg...eature=related

[Moosejaw]

Originally Posted by lyron

rover sdi. v8 great car if you could stop the rust and manage to keep bits from falling off...

Great cars, proper Rovers!
As for rusting and bits falling off them....that just makes them lighter, hence faster. Problem?