Worst car you've ever driven

I havent driven that many cars, and tbh I haven't hated any of them. If I have to choose then it'd be my first car which was a 1989 fiesta. I loved it I suppose because it was my first car not for its driving merits :p
 
BMW 118d. Everything else that I've driven that was bad (and I've driven some truly atrocious stuff) had a half-decent excuse - old, cheap, beaten to all hell, combination of the three. What excuse does BMW have for building such a pile of ****? Not comfortable, not quick, not well-spec'ed, not even close to cheap and blessed with the worst tyres I've ever known - and this includes ~7in wide Goodyear Polyglas ditchfinders.

I've always been a big proponent of the theory that a second class drive is better than a first class bus ride. The BMW 1-series tests that one to the very extreme. If I had to pick a car for the rest of my life, and the choices were a BMW 118d and an AMC Pacer I'd pick the AMC. And the Pacer is bad by American standards.
 
JRS said:
BMW 118d. Everything else that I've driven that was bad (and I've driven some truly atrocious stuff) had a half-decent excuse - old, cheap, beaten to all hell, combination of the three. What excuse does BMW have for building such a pile of ****? Not comfortable, not quick, not well-spec'ed, not even close to cheap and blessed with the worst tyres I've ever known - and this includes ~7in wide Goodyear Polyglas ditchfinders.
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The 118d, whilst initially dire, has now become a pretty good car by all accounts. It's quicker than anything you've ever owned, at least :p

What other hatchbacks do 0-60 in 8.9 seconds yet return 62mpg on the combined cycle?
 
Flukester said:
2cv, like sitting in a mechano car, actually felt like it was gonna fall to bits... and the handling, probably unique suspension setup in motoring world, and you can see why

hitler had the things built ?, design slightly dated
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I think you may be mixing up a French 2CV with a German VW Beetle in your last comment there. :)
 
[TW]Fox;14975944 said:
What other hatchbacks do 0-60 in 8.9 seconds yet return 62mpg on the combined cycle?
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Yes, because 0-60 and mpg is everything.

Have you forgotten about interior plastics?!!!!!! :eek::p
 
Probably one of these:
newzealand_01.jpg

Guess I've probably driven a few different cars to most on here.
It's a Hillman Avenger and really was a POS. Dog slow, fell out of 3rd gear if you were going down hill using the engine for breaking. The handling was like being in a lifeboat during a north sea swell. 60s interior (think vinyl melting onto your legs during summer when you're wearing shorts) and I don't remember the brakes being effective, and that's when compared to the other rubbish I was driving back then.

Having said all of that, it's not the most HATEFUL car I've ever driven. That award easily goes to a mk3 Astra. Utterly competent, i.e. did everything a car should do. But's as though it was designed by an accountant, with no sense of humour. It did absolutely nothing more than the basic requirements. Just had zero nice touches, feel good bits or character. Just yuch!
 
[TW]Fox;14975944 said:
The 118d, whilst initially dire, has now become a pretty good car by all accounts. It's quicker than anything you've ever owned, at least :p
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The question was "driven" not "owned". And I'll freely admit that my daily driver is a slow, tiny, comically handling car :) But at least it was cheap to buy and has been cheap to run for nine years.

[TW]Fox;14975944 said:
What other hatchbacks do 0-60 in 8.9 seconds yet return 62mpg on the combined cycle?
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And if all that was everything that mattered then great. But for the kind of money BMW want for one new......I dunno, I was just expecting something a bit better in all departments. Like I said, most of the crap I've driven has stuff that excuses its crapiness. What excuse does the 1-series have for being an uncomfortable, overpriced, cheaply built, ugly heap of toss?
 
JRS said:
And if all that was everything that mattered then great. But for the kind of money BMW want for one new......I dunno, I was just expecting something a bit better in all departments. Like I said, most of the crap I've driven has stuff that excuses its crapiness. What excuse does the 1-series have for being an uncomfortable, overpriced, cheaply built, ugly heap of toss?
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Very harsh words about a car which is immeasurably better than anything you chose to own. I think you are being unfair - the 118d is, truthfully, not a car designed to offer Mr and Mrs Private Purchaser a stonkingly good deal. It's aimed squarely at the leasing and company car market where it does very well and where its reasonable residuals mean the monthly lease rates are low and the company car tax is even lower.

These people want a posh badge, a reasonable spec, super low company car tax, good mpgz, a reasonable turn of speed and the 118d now offers them this.

I agree it is not built as well as the rest of the BMW range but neither does it cost as much - and its better built than Focus et al.

There is no excuse for its uglyness though. Only its mother could love it for that.
 
[TW]Fox;14976116 said:
It's an indication of the performance/economy mix the car offers. It's pretty good at what its designed to be.
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I generally agree, but 0-60 is a bit misleading for comparing, some cars need 3rd to reach 60 where a slower car could win by achieving 60 in 2nd.

0-100mph would be better.
 
No question what car is the worst I've ever driven. Still remember how terrible it was, even though it was 7 years ago. I present to you, the Daewoo Matiz.

matiz.jpg
 
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Late 1960s 2CV, terrifying handling and brakes. could have sworn it was about to tip on it side around the slightest bend and the gear change omg, nightmare.
 
1.2 Corsa as a hire car in sardinia, the car well and truly met its match with those hills. No grunt whatsoever and ended stuck in 1st gear struggling to get up the hills.
 
this is a relative answer, as it was ridiculous bad considering my expectations, before anyone jumps on me and says it's far from a bad car:

53 plate Merc E320 CDI elegance estate.

where to start? Such an awful car! Absolutely awful engine and gearbox (auto), it got worse economy than my 330i sport despite driving it easier, it REALLY didn't like corners i think the steering wheel was put there for ornamental purposes only, the seats were awful and unsupportive and the ride wasnt even that great, it was that wafty that after a bump it took too long to settle back down.

Worst bit is? Apparantly thats how mercs are meant to feel, but imo it wasnt even relaxing, i felt sea sick on anything but the smoothest, straightest road. Ill reserve judgement against all mercs until ive driven a known good example as this couldve been a nail i suppose. It had only coverd 55k miles though :\
 
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