I always thought about doing a 20b conversion.
What is the best car you've ever owned and a brief reason why?
- Thread starter Gunni Parker
- Start date
Soldato
Dunno about the best, but the one I miss the most because I had so much fun and memories: My Modified Rover Metro GTi.
1.8VVC conversion running around 190bhp, lowered & stiffened & weighing in at less than 900kg. It was a little missile on rails. Had a 1.1S badge on the back for S&Gs
Went to a lot of modifed car meets and shows, gained a lot of lifetime friends, had a few 'bumper biter' girlfriends.
1.8VVC conversion running around 190bhp, lowered & stiffened & weighing in at less than 900kg. It was a little missile on rails. Had a 1.1S badge on the back for S&Gs
Went to a lot of modifed car meets and shows, gained a lot of lifetime friends, had a few 'bumper biter' girlfriends.
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My old 2006 E46 330ci 6 speed manual. Bought for a whopping 4k! in 2012 it was my first "decent" car and I had a lot of fun with it as well as starting my DIY journey.
It looked and sounded decent, reasonably quick for the era and very easy to learn DIY on, with plenty guides online. I did everything from brakes to control arms in addition to the usual complete replacement of cooling system and brittle gaskets, all the way up to a vanos rebuild. Parts were cheap and easily available and whilst labour intensive it was quite cheap to maintain (in stark contrast to my current S4). Never broke down in the 30-40k miles I had it, travelled across Europe multiple times (I'll call out Brussels to Berlin in a day easily sat in on cruise control @120mph most of the trip with 4 up and a full boot).
It looked and sounded decent, reasonably quick for the era and very easy to learn DIY on, with plenty guides online. I did everything from brakes to control arms in addition to the usual complete replacement of cooling system and brittle gaskets, all the way up to a vanos rebuild. Parts were cheap and easily available and whilst labour intensive it was quite cheap to maintain (in stark contrast to my current S4). Never broke down in the 30-40k miles I had it, travelled across Europe multiple times (I'll call out Brussels to Berlin in a day easily sat in on cruise control @120mph most of the trip with 4 up and a full boot).
I'm sorely tempted by one of these as a second car. The problem is that the petrol is very uneconomical so I would have to get diesel. Early diesel is not ULEZ compliant and I live right on the edge of the zone. Later compliant diesels are still quite expensive and push it out of the cheap second car banganomics range. But if the right deal came up on an early or late model I would be very tempted indeed. They just seem a great all round tool.
Soldato
The one that gave me the most fun... my 205GTi Mi16... the best car i.e. for the purposes of; transport, reliability, looks, comfort etc... Mazda Xedos 6 V6... sold on 197k and it never cost me a penny, phenomenal car!
Objectively it has to be the Q7 TFSIe. It's an amazing car - wafts around town on electric, can sit on the autobahn at 130mph for hours on end in extreme comfort having your back massaged, but can also mess around off road (depending on your definition of off road), tow a boat and carry enough luggage for an arctic expedition.
Smiles per mile, Caterham without a doubt. It all comes down to how you define "best"...
Smiles per mile, Caterham without a doubt. It all comes down to how you define "best"...
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Easy.
Honda s2000.
Had it for 7 years. 2001 model.
From 40k miles to over 100k miles.
Never had an issue. Not one. And that's not an exaggeration. Apart from a lust for consuming rear tyres!
Written off in an accident that could've killed me.
Probably never have such a fun machine again.
Honda s2000.
Had it for 7 years. 2001 model.
From 40k miles to over 100k miles.
Never had an issue. Not one. And that's not an exaggeration. Apart from a lust for consuming rear tyres!
Written off in an accident that could've killed me.
Probably never have such a fun machine again.
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Soldato
Triumph spitfire 1500. 1st car after passing test. Represented freedom and growing up.
Caterham 7. Ford 1700 x-flow. Built myself, so so much fun. Coincided with a great period in my life.
Caterham 7. Ford 1700 x-flow. Built myself, so so much fun. Coincided with a great period in my life.
Associate
Toyota Camry Vienta Ultima 3.0 V6 is probably mine, just for the fun me and the misses had in that car.
We sold our first house in 2003 during the price boom, our house price went crazy so we thought stuff it. At ages 19 and 20, me and my partner went travelling around Australia's gold coast for a year with the profits. Needed transport so decided to go car hunting rather then hire as and when, and found the Toyota Camry to be the best of what was available at the time. Can still remember the phone call back home to my dad when telling him i'd got a 3.0 V6 ha ha, he didn't realise you couldn't get a 1.3 Ford Escort in Aus.
Anyway thousands of miles later when we decided to return home, we took it to a massive turn up and sell your car event. Basically people turned up with their vehicle, which was then placed into areas according to price bracket and you sat and waited for members of the public to walk round and view/purchase your car. There was an area to test the car within a safe compound and then an inspector would view the car and give his opinion to the buyer. Make the deal and the rest is history, bloke paid the deposit and collected the car the next day. Was pretty good setup.
All in all, for a years travelling and using the car as a workhorse mainly it only cost us £700 difference from our purchase price to what we sold it for.
We sold our first house in 2003 during the price boom, our house price went crazy so we thought stuff it. At ages 19 and 20, me and my partner went travelling around Australia's gold coast for a year with the profits. Needed transport so decided to go car hunting rather then hire as and when, and found the Toyota Camry to be the best of what was available at the time. Can still remember the phone call back home to my dad when telling him i'd got a 3.0 V6 ha ha, he didn't realise you couldn't get a 1.3 Ford Escort in Aus.
Anyway thousands of miles later when we decided to return home, we took it to a massive turn up and sell your car event. Basically people turned up with their vehicle, which was then placed into areas according to price bracket and you sat and waited for members of the public to walk round and view/purchase your car. There was an area to test the car within a safe compound and then an inspector would view the car and give his opinion to the buyer. Make the deal and the rest is history, bloke paid the deposit and collected the car the next day. Was pretty good setup.
All in all, for a years travelling and using the car as a workhorse mainly it only cost us £700 difference from our purchase price to what we sold it for.
Soldato
Current car. X3 M40i.
Fits loads of gear in it, bikes, camping stuff, scuba gear, flatpack furniture. Is very, very quick when you push it. Blows most cars away at the lights, sounds good and wakes up the neighbours in the morning, intuitive and excellent entertainment system, very frugal on fuel compared to all the cars I've had in last 20 years as they've all been V8s baring a diesel RR Sport (better fuel economy on the motorway than the RR), its quicker than most of them too. By every measurable metric other than off road it is easily the best one I have owned. Doesn't make it into my top 5 favourites though.
Fits loads of gear in it, bikes, camping stuff, scuba gear, flatpack furniture. Is very, very quick when you push it. Blows most cars away at the lights, sounds good and wakes up the neighbours in the morning, intuitive and excellent entertainment system, very frugal on fuel compared to all the cars I've had in last 20 years as they've all been V8s baring a diesel RR Sport (better fuel economy on the motorway than the RR), its quicker than most of them too. By every measurable metric other than off road it is easily the best one I have owned. Doesn't make it into my top 5 favourites though.
Soldato
My 2014 Honda CR-V.
Comfy, quiet, frugal and cavernous with the back seats folded away.
Never missed a beat in 3 years of local trips, holidays in France and multiple uni digs moves of both daughters.
Comfy, quiet, frugal and cavernous with the back seats folded away.
Never missed a beat in 3 years of local trips, holidays in France and multiple uni digs moves of both daughters.
Current Curpra Leon Estate...
- 306bhp and the driving modes make sense (comfort is actually comfortable)
- Plenty of room in the first and second rows
- Boot is comically big for such a small car
In short: fits my family, the dog and associated paraphernalia in comfort, whilst going like absolute stink.
- 306bhp and the driving modes make sense (comfort is actually comfortable)
- Plenty of room in the first and second rows
- Boot is comically big for such a small car
In short: fits my family, the dog and associated paraphernalia in comfort, whilst going like absolute stink.
Soldato
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- 16 Aug 2009
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Vovlo 360 2ltr engine went like stonk. It looked like what everyone else drove one of the puny 340/343 with a renault engines noisy slow things but this had the volvo engine and you'd surprise people by putting the foot down and it just seethed ahead effortlessly. Was written off by the bloody British Gas van that ploughed into the side of me. Was thirsty but lovely to drive.
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Soldato
You've just prompted me to look at these as I'm currently looking to downsize from a Kodiaq. I'd been looking at the Octavia and Scala and never considered the Yeti as I didn't think they ever made a Euro 6 diesel but they do!
Best car for me would have to be my 2005 E350 petrol estate, it was well kitted out, super comfy seats and ride plus I could fit 7 people in it.
Edit/ blimey the Yeti has held it's value well, looking at £13-15k for a 2016/7
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Soldato
The best I used to own, Mazda 6, loved it.
Now own a cx30 auto which is loverly tbh.
Now own a cx30 auto which is loverly tbh.
Associate
Xr2i back in my 20's brilliant time of my life and had some good times in that car until a drink driver wrote it off while it was parked outside my house 
Classic Mini, 1986 plate, was just a bog standard one too (sprite auto). Wild to think surviving examples are now going for 15K!
Fantastic little run about.
For actual "best value car" would be our Toyota Aygo, we ran that thing into the ground. 180K miles when we gave it away to a friends daughter to use who had just past her test and she kept it another a couple of years. Think it was 6K second hand with 5K miles on the clock. Back when cars were sensibly priced and actually reliable as they weren't filled with nonsense tech.
Fantastic little run about.
For actual "best value car" would be our Toyota Aygo, we ran that thing into the ground. 180K miles when we gave it away to a friends daughter to use who had just past her test and she kept it another a couple of years. Think it was 6K second hand with 5K miles on the clock. Back when cars were sensibly priced and actually reliable as they weren't filled with nonsense tech.