The most underestimated shite of all times

[Bear]

"Dealership Find" - I can see this spawning a new disease on Ebay.

 

Rover P4 - OK, I always figured they are good, but all my expectations were exceeded, when I drove FPB7's example. This was the first time for me and I was surprised how capable these cars still are.

 

 

Oh god, no. Wait, isn't that the Doctor's spiel?

 

FPB7's offered to let me try the P4 sometime. I declined because CX, but... I must admit, I haven't driven anything like that in years. Once drove an A40 Somerset (or was it Devon, I used to know which was which - four doors, smallish engine) that showed up at the car yard sans paint or coolant, but remarkably solid otherwise - and was surprised by how modern it felt really. Particularly when I'd tried a Moggy thou and thought it terrifying.

 

Carina reminds me of the car everyone TOLD me was underrated, but still remains off my radar.

 

P10 Primera. Particularly the GT-whatsit one.

[gordonbennet]

Another vote for Renner 21 Savanna, i had the 2068cc NA Diesel, which went well enough and was bloody good on fuel, ultra reliable, but what really shocked was despite its soft suspension and armchair comfy seats you could throw the thing round corners at a terrifying rate and it just wouldn't budge, i bet the Quadra turbo thingy must have been bloody terrifying to be a passenger in.

 

First Avensis was a good car too, they've largely disappeared without a trace.

[xtriple]

Skoda 120/Rapid/130 etc. Great cars apart from the indicator switches!

 

Yugo 45/55 same as above apart from passengers could do the braking if they panicked and pushed hard on the floor!  

[needforspeed]

For me it has to be the beetle, had 1 for a week while my mate was on holiday,What a horrible piece of tinny, rattly slow shite! Never again

[dollywobbler]

For me it has to be the beetle, had 1 for a week while my mate was on holiday,What a horrible piece of tinny, rattly slow shite! Never again

This thread. UR DOIN IT RONG!

[dugong]

Nissan Note. Basic small car. DOES EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED. COPACETIC. B+.

[scruff]

Rover 220SDi. Stonking engine, nice to pilot, massively frugal, made at Longbridge. 

 

[Cavcraft]

[dugong]

Rover 220SDi. Stonking engine, nice to pilot, massively frugal, made at Longbridge. 

 

Never understood the 'it's British so it can be excused a multitude of sins \ be allowed into classic car shows even though its from the late 'Nineties' mentality.

 

Why would being made at Longbridge make a car better?

[MarvinsMom]

older nissans, k10 and k11 micra, the p10? primera and the older versions of the almera, the ones that do not use any renner bits.

 

proper old style jap cars (built in sunderland) that run for ever if you can keep the rust at bay!

 

ok so with the exception of the primera, they aren't that great to drive, but they just keep on going and going and going (before dropping to bits)

 

they are surely the definition of autoshite.

[needforspeed]

This thread. UR DOIN IT RONG!

Haha so i am, wrong thread lol

[HH-R]

I thought even my seen better days K11 Micra was GR8 to drive, though I'm not sure if that says more about my standards than the merits of the car itself. They have a rep for being driven annoyingly slowly but bowl along OK really.

[flat4alfa]

+1 on the ultimate* Longbridge Honda: Rover R8

 

Had them as company hacks, then later in life had three of them in succession.  Was treated like dirt on the road but I didn't mind.

 

 

 

+1 on Nissan Primera P10 too.

 

My Dad's skinny tyred 2.0 SLX auto used to run rings around the Alfa 155 2.0 TS I had at the time.  Saddened me especially as the Sunderland's finest was stock and the Alfa had fresh dampers, arms, pricey tyres and was supposed to have 20bhp more

[stormee]

VAG haters skip this, please!

After 3 years in a very comfy Passat GLS (32B 1981) as my first car, 11 years in a Scirocco GTS 1,8 (mk2 1984), a period in an Audi Coupé GT 5S, a 7 years span with a Passat 2,2 (5E) i got behind the wheel of a 520i E34 which I bought as a temporary daily. Temporary meant 3,5 years eventually and I was quite pleased with that barge as it was comfy and rediculously cheap to keep on the road.

I couldn't believe how glad I was to have it replaced by a 70hp Golf 2. Golf 2, the dullest hatch on the road since the Golf.

That Golf almost provides almost that fun I had in the Scirocco and shows me what I have missed all these years. For all of you who never tried a good example of these, get a ride! It's really quick for what it is, you have the typical old VW quite heavy but very precise steer together with a crisp suspension and that typical carb-only throttle response, it just loves to be revved and being a 1,6 it is quite torquey. It feels like it weighs a feather and you feel everything very close, engine, shift, steering.

The Passats really were OK but they were Audis underneath and not that light and nippy VW as Golfs and Sciroccos are. Old VWs are somehow a bit rattly but they are the cars you just don't want to leave or even get rid of after very little time. The Golf really grew on me instantly, that's what no BMW ever will achieve, no matter how well build and fast they are.

Just an opinion, but no matter what car, you must want to like it in the first place, then you overlook those little flaws every car has.

[Bear]

I wouldn't say underrated on the Golf - I know a lot of people are tired of the saturation of Golfs, but for a long time I believed the best compromise of car you could get was a Mk 2 Digifant pre-cat 5 door Golf GTi. Why? Because it has just enough room, just enough strength, just enough power, just enough kit (sunroof and PAS pretty much, and a radio) to do everything a family might reasonably expect of a car, in a very small and efficient package, with excellent fuel economy (better than most modern diesels), easy maintenance and so forth.

 

As for the Sciroccos, my 1.8 GT-S (Mk 2) was quicker point to point than the 924S on twisty Border roads. I was more aggressive with it, but it suited it and responded well. Sadly it suffered the clutch cable bulkhead disaster, and when I had it repaired interfering with the steering bits left the car feeling slack and baggy. Plus the apprentice mechanic had taken it for a thrash, starved it of oil and killed it. When I got it back the oil light was on, it was rattling like a bastard, and they wouldn't accept responsibility.

[twosmoke300]

Not the mechanics fault it was taken in with bugger all oil in it was it ?

[Bear]

Not the mechanics fault it was taken in with bugger all oil in it was it ?

 

Should have clarified - you think I'd have a car with no oil in?! He'd yumped it and let the pickup draw in air. He was seen caning it around town.

[stormee]

Should have clarified - you think I'd have a car with no oil in?! He'd yumped it and let the pickup draw in air. He was seen caning it around town.

Oil is an important point with VWs, taking in air once and for a very little amount may be OK, but under normal conditions you will have oil pressure all the time anyway. Thrashing a car is a different story, I never thrash a car and when I want to have fun I always wait for descent oil temp. Never killed an engine and they all were old and experienced.

[stormee]

I really loved my Scirocco and want one again!