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

[Pete-M]

Where the Sierras really badly fell down was the claustrophobic interior and over-use of plastics. They call it progress, I'm told...

 

Claustrophobic? I always thought they were a bit too light and airy. I like dark interiors.

 

The one thing about Sierras that I don't like is that all the good spec ones had glass sunroofs. I cannot abide glass sunroofs and will only tolerate them if they have a decent quality blind that doesn't rattle. Hateful things.

 

Don't like grey interiors much either. Bleurghh.

[MK5 Escort]

I never had a problem with the Sierra, either. We had one in our family for 18 months and loved it to pieces - H532 JJL. It never missed a beat, went much better than expected, swallowed all the luggage thrown at it and was generally a comfortable cruiser. The Azura was a run-out model which was generally very fancy on the outside, but pretty Spartan on the inside. Wheezy 1.6 effort under the bonnet too. Avoid...

 

I have to agree with the Vauxhall Insignia though. That is an ugly looking thing with woeful visibility and the rear seat space designed for people without heads. Like a lot of modern cars, I find the seats too hard for my liking too. It seems whatever Vauxhall's get decent press I generally loathe and those with average or poor reviews I think are decent, thoroughly underrated motors. It's exactly the same story with most Ford’s over the last 20 years.

 

The worst 'modern' vehicle I've driven would probably have to be a 2004 Ford Ranger Thunder. They look pleasant enough but by god is it awful to drive. Stupidly positioned handbrake, about the worst 'arm twirrling' on the steering wheel of any vehicle I've ever driven (is it connected to the front wheels?), lots of jarring lateral bounce in the suspension over just about any rut in the road, rubbery vague gearchanges and thinly padded seats which give you lower backache after barely more than ten minutes.

 

Did I mention the engine? It is as smooth and pleasurable as being beaten around the face with an empty wine bottle. It rattles, it smokes, it breaks down.

 

(Nods head...) Yes, this sounds like most Ford TDCi's I've experienced over the last six/seven years. Some worse than others and I've known three 2.0 115bhp efforts at my old works (at our depot alone...) to go through whole sets of injectors with less than 100k on the clock.

[CreepingJesus]

1.6D Astramax. No power, no power steering, 4 speed 'box. Vinyl seats which would burn your arse off, if left unattended on a summer's day. Just plain awful.

I tend to find the positives in driving anything, and I learned well enough long ago to ignore pretty much every opinion profferred on a car in the mainstream press. Most motoring journalists will give a minger a good review if the launch party/trip is suitably expensive.

Having said that, I don't fancy much of what's new in the dealers at the mo'.

[trigger]

I used to love my old Sierra, It was only a 1600 GL but it went alright, I had great fun in it and i certainly wouldn't call it claustrophobic, I still pine for one now.

 

My old Ford Sierra 1.6 GL by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

I think the coat hanger aerial was the best bit and the RS alloys of my old Escort looked a treat on it.

 

Ford Sierra 1.6 GL by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr