27-10-2015, 12:15 AM
(26-10-2015, 01:56 PM)powerandtorque Wrote: I've never owned any truly bad cars, but here's a few that must be in for a shout that I've had the misfortune of driving over the years...
Vauxhall Vectra B DTi (the late 90's - early 00's shape one).
A hire car I was lumbered with at work when they decided that staff shouldn't use their own cars for business use. I remember this piece of junk for three reasons. Firstly, that I was surprised at the time that they were still offering turboless diesel engines. Only it transpired that they weren't and it was turbo'd apparently, although the evidence was sorely lacking as it just felt gutless and off-boost through the rev range. The handling was... lacking, which I discovered with cronic plough-on understeer on Fish Hill at a worryingly sedate pace, not that you'd have any idea if it wasn't for the scenery growing ever-larger such was the complete lack of feel through anything. The icing on the cake was the door trim falling off in my hand as I opened the door at my destination. It was all but brand new with just a few hundred miles on the clock.
Vauxhall Corsa B 1.5D (the late 90's shape one).
A Corsa B is a bad car at the best of times, but a base spec one with a turboless diesel was just vile with no redeeming features. I learnt to drive in one, so it's amazing that I didn't give up there and then thinking that suffering was what driving had to offer. The 1.2 8v variant wasn't a whole lot better - I remember the Ford dealer in Reading having one as a discourtesy car that was already smoking badly at less than 2 years old, although how much of that was due to having had a hard life and how much because it was just s**t is open to debate. The Fiesta of the same era highlighted just how bad the Corsa actually was.
Oldsmobile Cutlass Ceira (early 80's vintage)
If you were to stereotype and caricature an 80's American car, this would be what you'd come up with. It was woefully underpowered (something like 90hp from 2.5 litres), lacking any form of style and the interior was undeniably American done on a shoestring. However, what marks it out for mention was the suspension - imagine strapping a sofa onto a bouncy castle aboard a cross channel ferry in a force 9 gale and you'll get the idea of what this was like. Sea-sickness on four wheels. It was FWD too, so you couldn't even live out your American car chase fantasies. Apparently someone stole it a couple of years later, only to abandon it a few miles down the road - even thieves aren't that desperate as to drive that it would seem.
Fiat Punto 1.2 (early 00's shape)
This was another discourtesy car, but a short lived one - within 24 hours of having it I snapped a driveshaft accelerating hard (that is a relative term given the complete lack of power) off a roundabout. When the AA finally arrived to recover me, they proceeded to tow me on a hard bar some 20 miles back despite me questioning how sensible that course of action was. 20 miles of banging, crashing and violent shaking, just to further my already bad day. I received a phone call a few days later asking how on earth I had managed to cause so much damage to the drivetrain and suspension to a then almost new car. What did I get for managing to break that Punto? Yep, another Punto. The b**tards. That one failed to die though sadly, so some other poor sap had to suffer the misfortune. As an aside, why does a small car with already over-assisted and devoid of feel power steering possibly need a "city" button to add extra assistance?
In a way I miss having new and/or company cars, as I don't get to drive such dirge anymore to make me appreciate just how good everything else actually is.
(26-10-2015, 11:05 PM)toseland Wrote: 1,2 Ltd edition corsa.. front seat removed, sitting on the rear seat for poodle!
actually i will rethink my suggestion for my worst car
1.2 Corsa C, 16valve... as a courtesy car after someone ran into the side of my car whilst i was waiting at a roundabout.
blew it up 4 days after having it delivered, literally ragging the tits off it everywhere, limiter gear changes, clutchless gear changes (regardless of whether it crunched or not)
Embarrassing actual lol out the back garden on decking! Pensioner neighbours! Lololol