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Three to be honest. Triumph 1500 Saloon, complete with walnut veneer and that centralised warning dial....but a bit limited when "parking by the lake not another car in sight "..F.Mk4 Cortina1600 GLX...thereafter most Escort Mks but the last one, bought 98, sadly parted 2013 was the best..never, ever, let me down. Now on my second Focus, again, lovely cars.
Best and favourite has to be my current Jaguar XF. Faultless to date, better built than the many Mercedes I have hired and enjoyed and looks good. Will be replaced by something else from JLR when the time comes.
My father had one of those. It was where I did my 'real world' miles prior to taking my test.
Only failed once (father in charge). Would not start. The dashpot had dried out. Required AA, but simple fix when you know how. Add a teaspoon or two of oil, almost any oil. A few years later, I was able to get another motorist moving with that small bit of knowledge.
There is something to be said for a car that you couldn’t care less about of course.
I’ve had the odd cheap banger that’s turned out to be a really reliable car and if you have to plant it into a hedge or a gateway on a country lane to pass someone but you don’t care if it gets scratched by brambles and covered in cow excrement there’s some very relaxing driving to be had there.
Not caring about the resale value is also relaxing.
I have a 56 plate Peugeot 107, £30 to tax, £55 for a full tank of fuel even at current prices, easy 50-60mpg, reliable, cheap to repair and about as basic as it gets so very little to go wrong. Can't fault it, I'm not a very materialistic person so I'm more than happy with the 107, it'll be a sad day when it goes and if I can find another I'll seriously consider it.
Well yes. And it was too, the bodywork was sound and I put a reconditioned engine in it. Ran like a dream.
The only things that weren’t quite right were the fuel gauge only moved in a range one quarter to three quarters, and the heating was stuck permanently on. (The heating was a heat exchanger on the engine operated by a lever next to the handbrake, with two outlets under the front edge of the back seat)
Well yes. And it was too, the bodywork was sound and I put a reconditioned engine in it. Ran like a dream.
The only things that weren’t quite right were the fuel gauge only moved in a range one quarter to three quarters, and the heating was stuck permanently on. (The heating was a heat exchanger on the engine operated by a lever next to the handbrake, with two outlets under the front edge of the back seat)
I remember on my old Bay Window T2 I ended up wiring the heat exchangers permanently open because the levers were useless. I loved that old van and owned it for 8 years in the end.
Here’s a fuzzy photo of it having been driven by a long haired me up a mountain in Scotland (a very long way from Devon!) in 1993:
Not caring about the resale value is also relaxing.
I have a 56 plate Peugeot 107, £30 to tax, £55 for a full tank of fuel even at current prices, easy 50-60mpg, reliable, cheap to repair and about as basic as it gets so very little to go wrong. Can't fault it, I'm not a very materialistic person so I'm more than happy with the 107, it'll be a sad day when it goes and if I can find another I'll seriously consider it.
I remember on my old Bay Window T2 I ended up wiring the heat exchangers permanently open because the levers were useless. I loved that old van and owned it for 8 years in the end.
Here’s a fuzzy photo of it having been driven by a long haired me up a mountain in Scotland (a very long way from Devon!) in 1993:
It’s 30 years since I sold my Beetle and I can still remember vividly exactly how it sounded, how it felt, how it handled. Nowadays I have another VW and yes, it has all mod cons but it isn’t in the same league.
And nothing cured a hangover like driving to work with the quarterlight window open directing a blast of outside air into my face!
We've done 'worst car you've ever owned' so how about 'best car'?
Mine would be the Ford Focus I traded the problematic Renault mentioned in the other thread in for.
Three years old, previously owned by an old guy who probably used it once a week to go shopping. Cost me £4000 plus the Megane, no expenses other than servicing, MOT and tyres, got £4000 back when I traded it in for my brand new Mazda 3 thirteen years later.
Best for me has to be my present wheels, a 2015 Golf SV 1.6 TDI DSG
Like a Golf but more headroom.
Had it since it’s third mot with 22k, now has 55k on the clock.
Peach to drive, I feel the same doing nearly 300 miles to Cornwall as I do doing 2 miles to the local supermarket.
Never thrash it, it sits at 70 on the motorway & does around 60mpg.
20 quid for road fund license too.
It’s a long termer which I don’t expect to replace until 200,000 miles +.
I have the oil & filter changed every 10k as 20k is way too long for oil imho.
Seems easy on tyres too for a heavy ish car
24,000 on the current set.
Last mot they were 6mm on the back & 5 on the front.
Before I had a Vauxhall Meriva 1.6
Very boring car but did everything I asked of it.
Did 40mpg on a long run though & when it needed parts they were cheap,
Had that for 8 yrs before part chopping it for the Golf SV
Both bought from the same garage at Carlton in Nottingham.
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Mk2 Astras were pretty decent cars... my dad had an estate with only a 1.3 engine, which somehow managed to pull a 14' touring caravan around the Yorkshire Dales!
I bought an Astra estate 1.3 merit when our dog outgrew the pug 309 our neighbour had given us.
It was a quick motor for a 1300.
When we finally got rid the back seat across the top was half eaten (dog didn’t like the boot, preferring the back seat)
Best car or most enjoyable car could be the question I suppose? Best Car is my present one, Volvo V60 R-Design, it has almost everything and a pleasure to drive too. Most enjoyable car being 2003 2 seater MG 'TF' (1800cc), initially a silver-grey one for two years from 2004. So enjoyable I now also have another 2003 MG 'TF' (1800cc) in Cool Blue colour - nothing better in driving in countryside, sun is out and roof down.
My best car is probably the one I have now, a 2020 Kia Niro HEV - great fuel consumption, excellent build quality and well equipped; favourite was a 2005 Skoda Fabia vRS bought at six months old and 5k miles, did over 70k in three years, in gear acceleration could put many far more expensive cars to shame, stupidly traded it in for a mark 2 Fabia Sport because it was due a cam belt change - however we ended up doing over 150k in the Sport before it was written off whilst parked outside the house.
For me it is my old but gold (silver actually) 2007 BMW X3 3.0D
We had an old BMW 323 petrol we bought for 500 quid as a runaround nearly a decade ago and it refused to fail mot's when it eventually died decided to go down the same path, the X3 isn't huge but it's unoffensively large enough (better compromise than an X5) to tow my 7.25" model locos and a caravan, it fits into a parking bay, has the reverse sensors etc so you can put it literally anywhere you want, you've good visibility/ride height and it's got a sneaky tune on it so it's got loads of power.
Only downside is its auto, but i've warmed to it. The whole car oozes comfort, ease and laziness with tonnes of practicality just no fuel economy lol - which might sound like a deal killer but I don't actually do many miles, due to WFH when I do it's generally towing.
Best for me has to be my present wheels, a 2015 Golf SV 1.6 TDI DSG
Like a Golf but more headroom.
Had it since it’s third mot with 22k, now has 55k on the clock.
Peach to drive, I feel the same doing nearly 300 miles to Cornwall as I do doing 2 miles to the local supermarket.
Never thrash it, it sits at 70 on the motorway & does around 60mpg.
Keep your fingers crossed for the DSG gearbox to last 200,000 miles, VW lost a major class action in the USA due to too many expensive premature failures of the DSG.
Keep your fingers crossed for the DSG gearbox to last 200,000 miles, VW lost a major class action in the USA due to too many expensive premature failures of the DSG.
I had a Mk8 Fiesta ST for a while. Amazing fun to drive - 200hp out of a 1.5 litre 3-cylinder engine, and you could go from 10 to 55mph in second gear in about 4 seconds. A nice soundtrack to accompany that, too!
I managed to take it over to Germany to stretch its legs on the Autobahn. Bombing along at 140mph, yet still being tailgated by a BMW in my rear view mirror, is an experience I certainly shan't forget!
I'm not sure if it's the best car I've ever owned or simply my favourite, but I'm going with my Focus RS bought new in 2017. I've had no issues with it, but it leads an easy life only coming out on sunny weekends, and although I drive it "enthusiastically" when there's an opportunity to do so, it's far too quick to thrash for any length of time on the road.
I had a Mk8 Fiesta ST for a while. Amazing fun to drive - 200hp out of a 1.5 litre 3-cylinder engine, and you could go from 10 to 55mph in second gear in about 4 seconds. A nice soundtrack to accompany that, too!
I managed to take it over to Germany to stretch its legs on the Autobahn. Bombing along at 140mph, yet still being tailgated by a BMW in my rear view mirror, is an experience I certainly shan't forget!
They're great cars, here's my current daily "runaround":
I have a MK8.5 incoming to replace it as it's nearly three years old, that will be my third following the Performance Edition above and a MK7 MP215 (that was another great car, it could really shift to the point that I think the quoted figures were rather conservative). My Mrs drives an ST200 as well!
Hyundai i30N, my current car that I use as a daily. Not the fastest off the line but will keep up with most things on a B road. Plus the supposed 155mph limiter does not exist. Excellent soundtrack too and fast enough for me. Not the best on fuel but if I wanted something for economy I would have bought something boring.
@DustyBin I like the wheels on your Fiesta - are they stock?
My last car was a VW Golf DSG and my I loved it. I’d driven cars with a manual gearbox all my life and this was my first.
I’ve now got an Audi A1 DSG in the s-line model with the 1.5 engine. I like this car even better. As I’m mostly in the car on my own the Audi A1 is proving to be quite big enough for me and is really quick with the DSG gearbox. I’m not really a boy racer type now at 65.
Alfa 75 2.5 V6, great to drive, amazing sounding engine and could get 30mpg with ease on motorway. Worst part, I sold it, one of the biggest regrets I have.
Hyundai i30N, my current car that I use as a daily. Not the fastest off the line but will keep up with most things on a B road. Plus the supposed 155mph limiter does not exist. Excellent soundtrack too and fast enough for me. Not the best on fuel but if I wanted something for economy I would have bought something boring.
Nice, the i30N is a very good car by all accounts.
Yes those wheels are stock, they’re actually flow formed believe it or not and are very light. It has adjustable coilovers all round too, again stock. I’ll be sad to see it go to be honest!
Best car was a BMW 535d, 313 horses, paddle shift, unassuming in a Black Carbon (which looked dark blue in sunlight) but could pass for a humble 520d so thieves left it alone, which was great. Foolishly sold it for a Mercedes R Class minivan due to expanding family... the awkward seating could give Greater Anglia's Class 720s a run for their money
No idea - I think a lot is the because its British made it must be bad. Plus reliability issues seem more Land Rover related. Volvo owners seem to have most trouble anecdotally
My favourite car was my Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. 3.2 V6 Automatic. For a big heavy car it could really move, lovely engine sound, big enough for me (6'9) to be comfortable in. And it could handle itself off road or in poor road conditions.
I only had it for a year, was very much an impulse buy and I will always look back on it fondly. The problem was it only got around 23mpg, maybe 250 miles a tank and I have a 60mile daily round trip to work. Even back in 2017 I could see that wouldn't be sustainable, so I traded it for my current car which I would describe as the "best" car I've owned...
2017 Skoda Octavia Scout. I've had it 4 and a half years now, just hit 90,000 miles and it's never put a foot wrong. Spacious in the drivers seat, massive boot, can get 650 miles to a tank if I drive conservatively. It's driven to Eastern Hungary and back 4 or 5 times and is incredibly comfortable.
It's not as fun as the jeep, definitely don't get the same buzz driving it, but it's a workhorse and reliable. Even after 4 years I have no desire to change.
It would have been one if two.:
The maroon 1972 Ford Cortina 2000 GXL that I had from 1999 to 2002.. he was what they call condition 1. But I didn't use him that much because I was worried about scratching him. I sold him to a friend in 2002, who didn't keep him for long. I believe he survives.
Or the evergreen 1973 Ford Cortina 2000 GXL I had from 1999 to 2003. He was an automatic and my everyday car. During my ownership I had him resprayed and re-engined. He waa the only car I ever took out of England, as he took me to Ireland via Pembroke for a week in 2003. On his 30th birthday I treated him to a professional valet.
Despite his age, he was a great everyday car.. Should have kept him. I understand he ended up being exported to South Korea.
No idea - I think a lot is the because its British made it must be bad. Plus reliability issues seem more Land Rover related. Volvo owners seem to have most trouble anecdotally
Do we? I have had six Volvo's including present one since 2007, never had any issues with any of them (Diesel or Petrol) so I must be extremely lucky? Then again my dealer has always given me excellent customer service and looked after my cars.
Do we? I have had six Volvo's including present one since 2007, never had any issues with any of them (Diesel or Petrol) so I must be extremely lucky? Then again my dealer has always given me excellent customer service and looked after my cars.
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