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The worst car you've ever driven


MrRegieRitmo

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My answer would be 'anything with a 1.2 engine or smaller'.

Wouldn't agree with that, my old Suzuki Whizzkids were a real hoot to drive with less than 1000cc. Years ago my girlfriend of the time had a Polo 1050cc with 4 speed box and that used to sing its little heart out on the motorway, but it would hold between 85 and 90mph down the M5, M50, A40 and some of the M4. Its honesty made you like it.About 15 years ago I took a test drive in a Corolla coupe, one of those AE86 drift things that go for 5 grand nowadays. The handling was so hopeless compared to the Alfasud Sprint I had at the time I couldn't run away fast enough. Was it a knackered example or was I expecting too much?I borrowed a 1970s Skoda for a week and I thought it was terrible at first, unsteering horribly at 15mph around a bend I could normally take at 35. A few minutes with a footpump cured the worst of it, and eventually I quite liked its charms.
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Stuno -tell me about the Bellett- as mine finally lands here mid June.

One of the cars I had for only a few weeks as it was bought for a niece to use. They were a very good car with a good reputation here, they had a very nice 1600 engine and good performance for a small car, let down a bit by the swing axle rear end, well finished inside for the times and seat upholstery was "ambla" here, a very high quality vinyl which lasted forever. I remember the body steel as being much heavier gauge than the usual jappo.In short a little delight to drive so long as you never brake halfway through a corner! You should like it, my niece kept it quite a while. Rare now but one was a daily driver here until recently, driven by a gent who smoked one of those huge sherlock holmes pipes, but haven't seen either for a while.
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brand new land rover defender at millbrook proving ground in bedford last yeari honestly thought i was going to die---then i drove a prius hybrid which was almost as bad as there was no "feel" to accel/braking, very strange to drive

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Stuno -thanks for both. Appreciate the feedback .I've always felt good about the southern hemisphere cars I've brought up-but the sellers reticence to provide info on the Bellett made me suspicious. Time will prove me right/wrong.'Trade me' is interesting -but us 'northerners' cant register to bid. That Bellett is a little cheaper than mine -but with no brakes and a shot headgasket -I couldnt bid. It needs to be a driver to ro-ro it -containerisation makes its uneconomic.Cheers though- always watching these things as I've an Isuzu Florian awaiting collection too -and there are NO spares (that I an find) up here!

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what made it a kick in the teeth is that it replaced a 406, which was somehow a considerably nicer car all round.

But on the minus side, a bit dull, a bit dated & barring the coupe, very anonymous! Just our opinion of course!
I don't think the 406 has dated much given that it's such an inoffensive and 'right' design, I think the 407 will date very quickly though.
Ours was a facelift like this, I think they're a genuinely attractive car and wouldn't say they've dated at all to be honest:

 

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Probably the last design of Peugeot I liked - decent proportions count for a lot and none of the current range seem to have them.

There's nothing really 'wrong' with the 406, it just didn't move on much from the 405 / 605 look. Car design since the Millennium has been much bolder & braver. The 406 harks back to when cars wanted to just be a mode of transport without making a statement or getting you noticed for better or worse. Most cars of the late 90s had this philosophy of not shouting 'look at me'! Take the 5 Series of the late 90s....E39 was it? I forget....but compare that to the current 5 series which shouts much louder at you! Same with the 90s Megane, compare it to the current version which challenges you to either like it or loathe it!
Is this the record for a quote within a quote within a quote within a quote?
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what made it a kick in the teeth is that it replaced a 406, which was somehow a considerably nicer car all round.

But on the minus side, a bit dull, a bit dated & barring the coupe, very anonymous! Just our opinion of course!
I don't think the 406 has dated much given that it's such an inoffensive and 'right' design, I think the 407 will date very quickly though.
Ours was a facelift like this, I think they're a genuinely attractive car and wouldn't say they've dated at all to be honest:

 

Posted Image

 

 

 

Probably the last design of Peugeot I liked - decent proportions count for a lot and none of the current range seem to have them.

There's nothing really 'wrong' with the 406, it just didn't move on much from the 405 / 605 look. Car design since the Millennium has been much bolder & braver. The 406 harks back to when cars wanted to just be a mode of transport without making a statement or getting you noticed for better or worse. Most cars of the late 90s had this philosophy of not shouting 'look at me'! Take the 5 Series of the late 90s....E39 was it? I forget....but compare that to the current 5 series which shouts much louder at you! Same with the 90s Megane, compare it to the current version which challenges you to either like it or loathe it!
Is this the record for a quote within a quote within a quote within a quote?
Not yet - but it might be soon! (yes, I'm bored too)
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what made it a kick in the teeth is that it replaced a 406, which was somehow a considerably nicer car all round.

But on the minus side, a bit dull, a bit dated & barring the coupe, very anonymous! Just our opinion of course!
I don't think the 406 has dated much given that it's such an inoffensive and 'right' design, I think the 407 will date very quickly though.
Ours was a facelift like this, I think they're a genuinely attractive car and wouldn't say they've dated at all to be honest:

 

Posted Image

 

 

 

Probably the last design of Peugeot I liked - decent proportions count for a lot and none of the current range seem to have them.

There's nothing really 'wrong' with the 406, it just didn't move on much from the 405 / 605 look. Car design since the Millennium has been much bolder & braver. The 406 harks back to when cars wanted to just be a mode of transport without making a statement or getting you noticed for better or worse. Most cars of the late 90s had this philosophy of not shouting 'look at me'! Take the 5 Series of the late 90s....E39 was it? I forget....but compare that to the current 5 series which shouts much louder at you! Same with the 90s Megane, compare it to the current version which challenges you to either like it or loathe it!
Is this the record for a quote within a quote within a quote within a quote?
Not yet - but it might be soon! (yes, I'm bored too)
Maybe it is now?
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Guest greenvanman

My answer would be 'anything with a 1.2 engine or smaller'.

Wouldn't agree with that, my old Suzuki Whizzkids were a real hoot to drive with less than 1000cc.
Me neither, that 600cc Daihatsu Domino was never less than great fun.
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I think it's all about the power to weight ratio, stuff like Corsas must weight a fair bit more than a little Domino! I like lightweight, small engine cars a lot - a heavy one must be a real nightmare.

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Guest greenvanman

I think it's all about the power to weight ratio, stuff like Corsas must weight a fair bit more than a little Domino! I like lightweight, small engine cars a lot - a heavy one must be a real nightmare.

I think you've nailed it there, Hirst. That Domino was the flimsiest thing on four wheels that I'd ever seen, but it felt like you were riding a rocket-propelled rollerskate. The handling was great and you could rev the nuts off that little twin, part of the fun was of course doing 50mph and it feeling like about 120 :D
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what made it a kick in the teeth is that it replaced a 406, which was somehow a considerably nicer car all round.

But on the minus side, a bit dull, a bit dated & barring the coupe, very anonymous! Just our opinion of course!
I don't think the 406 has dated much given that it's such an inoffensive and 'right' design, I think the 407 will date very quickly though.
Ours was a facelift like this, I think they're a genuinely attractive car and wouldn't say they've dated at all to be honest:

 

Posted Image

 

 

 

Probably the last design of Peugeot I liked - decent proportions count for a lot and none of the current range seem to have them.

There's nothing really 'wrong' with the 406, it just didn't move on much from the 405 / 605 look. Car design since the Millennium has been much bolder & braver. The 406 harks back to when cars wanted to just be a mode of transport without making a statement or getting you noticed for better or worse. Most cars of the late 90s had this philosophy of not shouting 'look at me'! Take the 5 Series of the late 90s....E39 was it? I forget....but compare that to the current 5 series which shouts much louder at you! Same with the 90s Megane, compare it to the current version which challenges you to either like it or loathe it!
Is this the record for a quote within a quote within a quote within a quote?
Not yet - but it might be soon! (yes, I'm bored too)
Maybe it is now?
The Peugeot is saying "I've been framed..." (in French).
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what made it a kick in the teeth is that it replaced a 406, which was somehow a considerably nicer car all round.

 

But on the minus side, a bit dull, a bit dated & barring the coupe, very anonymous! Just our opinion of course!

 

I don't think the 406 has dated much given that it's such an inoffensive and 'right' design, I think the 407 will date very quickly though.

Ours was a facelift like this, I think they're a genuinely attractive car and wouldn't say they've dated at all to be honest:

 

Posted Image

 

 

 

Probably the last design of Peugeot I liked - decent proportions count for a lot and none of the current range seem to have them.

 

There's nothing really 'wrong' with the 406, it just didn't move on much from the 405 / 605 look. Car design since the Millennium has been much bolder & braver. The 406 harks back to when cars wanted to just be a mode of transport without making a statement or getting you noticed for better or worse. Most cars of the late 90s had this philosophy of not shouting 'look at me'! Take the 5 Series of the late 90s....E39 was it? I forget....but compare that to the current 5 series which shouts much louder at you! Same with the 90s Megane, compare it to the current version which challenges you to either like it or loathe it!

 

Is this the record for a quote within a quote within a quote within a quote?

 

Not yet - but it might be soon! (yes, I'm bored too)

 

Maybe it is now?

 

The Peugeot is saying "I've been framed..." (in French).

 

Pretty good eh? 8)8)8)8)

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A QUORTEX?

 

Anyway, about small engines. Fine in a historic vehicle or just for going round town, but don't you think that the way motorways are today you HAVE to have a bit of power to get anywhere other than stuck for the next five counties behind some horrible swaying lorry?

 

Then there are all those people (mostly old giffers) who seem to think that the national speed limit is 40 - you have to have a bit of oomph to get past them. I know that you don't need to aim at the speed on the sign, but do believe that cars & roads are for getting from place to place as painlessly as possible.

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I agree with >1.2L engines but only for modern stuff, even the smallest of which generally weighs well over a ton anyhow. <1.2L is fine for earlier lightweight stuff as others have commented, certainly a 1.1 Citroen AX seemed like a rocket to me back in the day.

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I used to have an old 1.1 Fiesta for commuting from london to Brighton, was plenty quick enough for what I needed.My worst car was a 1 litre Metro. I liked driving it when it was working, but it used to break down on a weekly basis.

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