Sure this has been asked before, but anyway.

[lancashireclamper]

As the decade draws to a close, the same old question comes back to haunt me; in a world of ever increasing technology when even 12 year old cars have super complicated gizmos, what car makes the perfect shiteie, can handle a daily commute of say 30 miles reliably, comfortably yet stands out in a sea of silver modern trash and gives the owner a sense of individuality without looking like a total knob?? (I currently drive an 8 year old Rover 25 base model so the not looking like a total knob can probably be disregarded)

[FredTransit]

Gotta be a Mk2 transit for me, you never loose it in a car park!

[Mr Lobster]

Lots of possible answers I suppose, but I'd be tempted with Mk2 Golf or E30 BMW I think.

[Stixy]

Got to be a Sierra

[Rusty Pelican]

HC Viva or MK4/5 Cortina , both on my wish list

[ashmicro]

Nowt wrong with 8 year old Rover 25s. I have one, and I'd have been fucked without it this week.

[dollywobbler]

Saab 900? Citroen BX? Citroen 2CV? I've got all three and they're all capable.

[seth]

A 30 mile commuite? Roughly, anything designed after about 1955 (and many cars before that date) should manage fine if maintained appropriately.

[HillmanImp]

I almost rather predictably said Hillman Imp there but then reread it and it said 30m commute...... If i had a choice i think i would go for a 205gti as a commuter. Not sure if all the squeaks from the plastic would drive me mad over 30 miles though. And before i get lambasted, i know Imps can do normally 30m a day no problem, just not the ones i thrash to death.

[lancashireclamper]

Thanks, a lot of thought provoking answers there, would happily pilot anything mentioned thus far,Was wondering about a merc 190d the other day, though good ones seem to be getting rare, take your point about the Rover ash, mine has coped fine with the snow and ice, whereas my ladyfriends new toyota.....well, lets just say its a bit of a sore point at the moment and riding passenger in my "giving deathtraps a bad name" street machine has brought on bouts of silence not seen since Brookside was taken off the air!!

[dollywobbler]

Merc 190s or W124s are pretty bullet proof. Not the quickest machines around though, 'specially the lower spec dizzels.

[Barry Cade]

Merc 190d. I do 15,000 miles a year in comfort,46MPG and 100% reliablility.Plus I got a star on the bonnet!!

[CIH]

Anything made before 1999 should do it ?

[VWPowered]

Montego Countryman TD, roll like a king

[Milford Cubicle]

Austin Ruby?If you're looking for something simple, have you considered an older diesel with a mechanical injection pump? There's bugger all to go wrong with them, particularly on the electrical side of things. Tiff's suggestion of a 190D is a good one, as long as you aren't after sparkling performance.

[Pete-M]

Merc 190s or W124s are pretty bullet proof. Not the quickest machines around though, 'specially the lower spec dizzels.

I have to say that the 190E I owned was the least enjoyable and quite probably least reliable of the 200+ cars I've owned. I did like the W124 260E but it needed more poke to justify the fuel consumption.

 

This was the 190E

 

 

I was more than slightly pleased when the nutter who bought it told me he was going to take the immaculate leather trim out and pretty much bin the rest.

 

It was a proper piece of shit, a FMBSH low mileage piece of shit, but a piece of shit nevertheless. In less than three months of using it the water pump failed (without giving any warning), a load of suspension bushes failed, the exhaust back box died, the auto transmission was getting lumpier by the day and it was awful.

[oldford]

Got to be a Sierra

I couldn't agree more. Nice to see you on here Stixy.

[Station]

I think every car has been listed so far, but I'd go for a Honda/Rover 80's collaboration model. They're not as common and will never break down. The Honda engines in some of them are sublime.

 

 

If you're after a hack, you can't go far wrong, other than the obvious BMW /Toyota etc.

[whitevanman]

Mk3-5 Cortina, Sierra, Granada, Dizzler Orion/Escort from the 80's, Mk2 Transit with a DI in it.........easy to fix, cheap on parts...quality

[binhoker668]

Montego Countryman TD, roll like a king

Absolutely. My first car (well, legal one) was an incredibly rusty exec-spec Montego. Was a feckin pleasure to drive.WANT!

[Mr Lobster]

I've no need at all for another car but I really wish I needed something else as I'd really like to try one of these. They look pretty good and are suprisingly good looking.

 

Never thought I'd be saying that about an Austin Rover product.

[Pete-M]

Those Rovdas go remarkably well in 2.0 (petrol) form.

[Milford Cubicle]

I'd prefer a 220 or 420 with the Rover T-series engine, much more guts than the Honda D16 and more economical. Just as reliable too if you don't mind a bit of oil dripping on your drive.edit: snap^

[aled]

any late 70s or 80s or 90s toyotas or hondas or or pre 2000 nissani quite like the mistro montego era early accords were reliable but rusted like buggery.anyone know of a 1977 1.5 civic for sale. were very rare in their day must be non existant by now, i used to piss off rs2000 owners with mine on a regular basis, when asked wot size the engine was i would flip the bonnet show them this tiny 1500 honda engine and say 1100.

[Volksy]

I almost rather predictably said Hillman Imp there but then reread it and it said 30m commute...... If i had a choice i think i would go for a 205gti as a commuter. Not sure if all the squeaks from the plastic would drive me mad over 30 miles though. And before i get lambasted, i know Imps can do normally 30m a day no problem, just not the ones i thrash to death.

205, Yes.. But an early Diesel. Mine was on 205,000 and still managed a 100 mile round trip commute everyday for a couple of years. Comfy, economical, civilised etc.Again please.

[garethj]

A good example of almost anything made from the mid 1980s to mid 1990s. It should be fairly easy to drive with servo brakes, have things you need like heated rear window and good demisting.

 

See Pete's story of the Merc if you don't get a good example

 

My current chariot is a 1987 Polo 1.3 which is more than adequate and dirt cheap to run.

[Guest]

Either a Honda Quintet or a Mazda Montrose.

[Lukas]

It´s not surprising nobody mentioned the second generation Toyota Camry, but I´ll do!

 

 

It´s a phantastic car, very refined, quiet and comfortable. Reliability is a matter of course. It has all the coll 80s-gadgets but it feels like a more modern car to drive, it´s economical and you´ve got the choice of 3 different engines. A 2.5 V6, a 2.0 4-banger and a Turbo-Diesel.

 

L

[Cavcraft]

I don't know about standing out but for reliability, incredibly easy maintenance, simple to find parts and 'unbreakability' for me it would HAVE to be a Mk3 Astra 8V, no question at all. Might not light many fires but it'll last forever with basic maintanance, shed loads of abuse and not much fuel and will easily be capable of daily use on any type of road.For something that'll stand out slightly more (because numbers are decreasing) it'd have to be a Mk3 Cavalier, ideally an 8V SRi.

[Milford Cubicle]

stand out in a sea of silver modern trash and gives the owner a sense of individuality

Mk3 Astra fail.