This must be a horrible thing to drive....

[boobydoo]

New cars are DEFINATELY relatively cheaper now than they have been. Ever.

 

Example...Citroen C3 1.4 VTR £500 down £127 a month for 2 years. Jeez, some people spend that a month on fags.

 

Assuming that is 0% interest, which I doubt, that would pay off just over £3500. "RRP" on that model is £13,400, and if you are not buying cash I can't see you being to haggle much... so where has the other ten grand gone?

 

You just hand it back and start again. Why own something that just loses money?

[Pete-M]

Yeah, just because we're into old and slightly rubbish cars here doesn't mean we can't admire the really great cars of today... even diesels! BMW's twin-turbo straight-six (in both petrol and diesel form) is one of the all-time great engines. It doesn't even have turbo lag - none at all.

 

It's a decent engine, but in diesel form it's not an all-time great. It's just one of the better diesels. I've not tried a 535d lately, but the last one I drove definately had some turbo lag. The 530d suffers quite badly from it in my experience.

 

I'm one of the few in 'ere who likes modern stuff, I'm a fan of OBD systems and the like and often defend them. I'm no luddite.

 

Having said that, I don't like diesels at all. I admire their fuel efficiency but that is it, and I do between 750 to 1000 miles a week in various new diesel cars, this is why when I'm not working I drive V8s or at the moment, my old supercharged Jag.

 

ANyway, this is unimportant..

[Guest]

 

re wat's comment,not strictly true,vauxhall have a lifetime warranty now.

 

As stated, it's not a lifetime warranty at all. 7 years and 100,000 miles would not cover the lifetime of any of the cars I've owned previously. 'Long term warranty' would be a better description.

 

And I'm not trying to have a go at you FD, but a manufacturer's warranty is worth precisely fuck all if something breaks on the car early into its life and the dealer \ manufacturer decide it's not covered by the warranty and you have to pay for it. Sort of makes a mockery of the whole thing really, especially if, (contrary to what the fucking brain donors on service say) you haven't thrashed the car and driven it normally.

 

Why have a manufacturer's warranty if you haven't got some kind of comprehensive cover in the first one or two years? If I've just laid out 14 large for a car, and somethings breaks pointlessly because the manufacturer couldn't be arsed building a decent tolerance into the componentry, how is that my fault? Citroen paid for precisely jack shit of the things that went wrong on their half arsed design of a car in the first six months I owned it, and flat out refused to take the car back when I lost my temper with it. It's now going to get run into the ground, because I'm sure as hell not baring my arse for a new finance agreement or buying something older to spare the colossal amount of horseshit and mither this would cause with family.

 

But, hey, fuck it, it's alright, we've got your money now, we couldn't give a rat's arse what you think.

[Richard]

You just hand it back and start again. Why own something that just loses money?

 

Better that not owning something and still losing money surely?

[Guest EccentricRichard]

Yeah, just because we're into old and slightly rubbish cars here doesn't mean we can't admire the really great cars of today... even diesels! BMW's twin-turbo straight-six (in both petrol and diesel form) is one of the all-time great engines. It doesn't even have turbo lag - none at all.

 

It's a decent engine, but in diesel form it's not an all-time great. It's just one of the better diesels. I've not tried a 535d lately, but the last one I drove definitely had some turbo lag. The 530d suffers quite badly from it in my experience.

 

I'm one of the few in 'ere who likes modern stuff, I'm a fan of OBD systems and the like and often defend them. I'm no luddite.

 

Having said that, I don't like diesels at all. I admire their fuel efficiency but that is it, and I do between 750 to 1000 miles a week in various new diesel cars, this is why when I'm not working I drive V8s or at the moment, my old supercharged Jag.

 

ANyway, this is unimportant..

 

530d isn't the twin-turbo lump, it's only got one turbo. The 335d/535d/740d/X5 xdrive40d/X6 xdrive40d lump is much better... and there are tuners around who'll take it up to about 350bhp and 500 ft lbs while also improving the linearity of its power delivery...

[Guest EccentricRichard]

 

re wat's comment,not strictly true,vauxhall have a lifetime warranty now.

 

As stated, it's not a lifetime warranty at all. 7 years and 100,000 miles would not cover the lifetime of any of the cars I've owned previously. 'Long term warranty' would be a better description.

 

And I'm not trying to have a go at you FD, but a manufacturer's warranty is worth precisely fuck all if something breaks on the car early into its life and the dealer \ manufacturer decide it's not covered by the warranty and you have to pay for it. Sort of makes a mockery of the whole thing really, especially if, (contrary to what the fucking brain donors on service say) you haven't thrashed the car and driven it normally.

 

Why have a manufacturer's warranty if you haven't got some kind of comprehensive cover in the first one or two years? If I've just laid out 14 large for a car, and somethings breaks pointlessly because the manufacturer couldn't be arsed building a decent tolerance into the componentry, how is that my fault? Citroen paid for precisely jack shit of the things that went wrong on their half arsed design of a car in the first six months I owned it, and flat out refused to take the car back when I lost my temper with it. It's now going to get run into the ground, because I'm sure as hell not baring my arse for a new finance agreement or buying something older to spare the colossal amount of horseshit and mither this would cause with family.

 

But, hey, fuck it, it's alright, we've got your money now, we couldn't give a rat's arse what you think.

 

What Citroen have you had such trouble with?

[Cavcraft]

You just hand it back and start again. Why own something that just loses money?

 

Better that not owning something and still losing money surely?

 

That's what I thought, you might as well just rent a car instead. I don't dislike modern cars, there's stacks I'd love to own, but I bet the deposit combined with a couple of years payments would buy a cracking reliable second hand car that you would actually own.

[pogweasel]

Bored now.

 

This must be a horrible thing to drive...

[Albert Ross]

They're not.... Bloody awesome in heavy traffic. Lane changes are easy. Just ignore the tooting noises and the subsequent sound of metal being crushed. (That's the gearchange)

[morris_ital_lover]

I can still emember one appearing out of nowhere when I was going to school at the age of 12, they are mucking fassive! Instant GTFOOMW points.

 

m0rris

[Pete-M]

This is a horrible thing to drive. (It's complete now..)

 

 

A 1954 Tatra 805 ex-military fire engine.

 

It's amusing, capable of some ridiculous feats, there's an aircooled 2.5 V8 between the seats providing a great soundtrack and the ride quality is quite good with the suspension being a nutty long travel torsion bar setup, but to drive the thing, it's truly truly awful. The seating position is very close to the wheel and pedals. The pedals are floor mounted and long travel, the steering column is pretty much between the throttle and brake, the gearlever is close to your shoulder, the steering wheel is close to horizontal and sprouts from between your knees and almost everything is in precisely the least comfortable position. There's no heater and bugger all soundproofing, no synchromesh or power assistance for anything and it's hard work. The V8 only produces around 85 bhp and there are massive amounts of power and torque lost in the transmission.

 

Goes well up to about 50 mph if you row it along with the gears though, quicker and smoother riding than an old Land Rover for example, but stopping the thing is a truly scary experience. It's got huge drum brakes all round, but operating them is a mission. The trick, once you've lifted off the throttle, moved your foot around the steering column and onto the brake pedal is to press as hard as humanly possible, this tends to involve almost standing up in the seat and trying to force the seat backrest through the back window. It will stop, it just takes effort. Too much effort and it'll lock up all four wheels, and then you've got to be able to steer it whilst looking between your knees as you'll have ended up in that position trying to stop the bloody thing.

 

I had a share in a '56 ex-military radio job. As soon as it was up and running, and I'd driven it, I sold my share.

 

[Akron]

 

These are bloody horrible to drive, Filipino Jeepney, based on a WW2 American truck chassis and used as a bus. No leg room for a driver over 4'9" tall no PAS, no synchro on any gears no silencers and no assistance on the brakes.

[fiatdaft]

vauxhall lifetime warranty only 7 years?

 

bollocks.

[Akron]

http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/owners_services/warranty_assistance/vauxhall_lifetime_warranty.html All the info is here if you are really interested.

[pogweasel]

Thats what it said in the fine print of one of their billboard ads... though their website says it is time-unlimted... but still capped at 100k which is still hardly 'lifetime'

 

Anyway, I digress.

This must be a horrible thing to drive...

[trigger]

I drove one of these once.

 

Rusty Fiat Regatta by Scrawb, on Flickr

 

It was one of the most horrible things I'd ever driven, The brakes didn't work, the wipers didn't work (it was raining) and the clutch was knackered and it make things worse, it was a local garage's courtesy car.

[fiatdaft]

chevrolet spark.

 

that is all.

[Mr Lobster]

Worst thing I've ever driven? This -

 

 

Genuinely bad. Not in an Autoshite so bad its good but actually really unpleasant.

Only slightly better than this -

 

[Pete-M]

Ye Gads, a Pious. Those things really are terrible.

[worldofceri]

These are a horrible thing to drive:

 

 

They do about 12 mph, I think, so if you're on a road you've probably got someone driving about 6 inches behind you. Wouldn't normally worry me except if you get cramp in your right foot from holding the pedal to the metal you can forget about lifting off even slightly because the damn thing will stop dead. And they don't have brake lights. But you do need to slow down for speed bumps or you'll be pitched head first into a lamp post. And the horribleness factor increases exponentially if it starts to rain.

[eddyramrod]

Worst thing I've ever driven? This -

 

 

Genuinely bad. Not in an Autoshite so bad its good but actually really unpleasant.

 

Couldn't agree less, although to be fair I never got my hands on one of the Caro versions with the Peugeot diesel in it, all my experience is with the earlier Polonez. Worst thing I ever drove, with "no probable possible shadow of doubt/ no possible doubt whatever" (The Gondoliers, 1889) has to be a 2004 BMW 530d. Close second, 1983 Mercedes 307D. Two experiences I never want to repeat as long as I live; also as long as my grandchildren live!

[Mr Lobster]

I worked at an FSO dealership for a short while when the Caro was new. The Peugeot diesel engined ones were very slow but that was ok, it was the gearbox that obviously didn't want to be a gearbox more just a mass of solid metal objects that made progress difficult, the steering which only seemed to have a vague relatioship with which way the front wheels pointed irrespective of how much you twirled the wheel, the comedy squeaking from every last piece of interior trim and uncomfortable seats that made me hate it.

 

Just rubbish. In trying to modernise it from a Polonez and make it seem to be a modern car, able to compete with everything else, they made it many, many times worse.

[AnthonyG]

Nissan Serena Diesel.

 

Hateful things.

[boobydoo]

I worked at an FSO dealership for a short while when the Caro was new.

 

If ever there was an ultimate job for an Autoshite Curricilum Vitae that is it. I can't think of anything more appropriate.........no.......I can't!

 

One question though.....what the hell did you do all day???

[Mr Lobster]

One question though.....what the hell did you do all day???

 

Very little.

 

It was 1993 or maybe 94, tbh I can't remember. The Renault garage I worked at decided they wanted to expand, so rented a showroom in Darwen and took on a Practical Car Rental franchise and FSO Cars franchise. There were two staff. Me and a salesman. I did the rental stuff he was supposed to sell stuff.

 

The rental fleet itself was pretty shit too. 'A' plate Renault 18, couple of ageing Metros, an Escort that must only have been a couple of years old but was painted three or four different shades of red, H plate Renault Traffic, elderly Mk3 Transit and a Ford Fiesta Courier that was ex some parcel company and hence utterly shagged.

 

It was very quiet. Me and salesman painted the outside of the showroom and spent the day reading the paper. After a few months he left and the powers that be decided to promote me to sales as well as rental. I remember spending a few Saturdays arranging and rearranging the pitch, moving cars in the showroom and doing anything just to pass the time. Fortunately after a few weeks of that they went bust.

 

In the time they had the franchise they sold ONE new Caro. I seem to recall the local paper came to take a photo. No really, they did.

[RedSparrow]

So was Caro the company that made Polonezzzss in the 90s after it was privatsed?

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

Caro's just the model name. I think FSO is still on the go, building GM/Daewoo tat.

[Angrydicky]

In the time they had the franchise they sold ONE new Caro. I seem to recall the local paper came to take a photo. No really, they did.

 

[Guest EccentricRichard]

Worst thing I ever drove, with "no probable possible shadow of doubt/ no possible doubt whatever" (The Gondoliers, 1889) has to be a 2004 BMW 530d. Close second, 1983 Mercedes 307D. Two experiences I never want to repeat as long as I live; also as long as my grandchildren live!

 

So, let me get this straight - you think an FSO Polonez is worse than an early-80s Merc and a straight-six BMW?! What planet do you live on?!

[Mr Lobster]

Perhaps one where he can actually drive and thus have opinions of his own and not those of Autocar / What Car / Pistonheads......