Best/Worst car you have ever driven?

[McLaren]

So what you're saying is that your cars are slow as hell.

Gotcha.

Please point to where I said they weren't. Oh, you can't? Then, stop acting all butt hurt.

I know my cars are slow. Not LT1 Camaro slow, but still slow. I have never said otherwise.

 

[Grayfox]

I would say my mum's Ford Focus 2010 is worst.

Steering feels weird, seats feel hard, when you are sitting in it you feel like you are in an SUV(being high), the auto transmission is utter crap. first 2 gears are short last 2 are wide so you get a large RPM drop in city driving which make it hard for you to use the right gear when in Sequential mode.

When in sequential mode, you do not really get to pick the gear you want when you want, you need to wait till a pre-defined speed.

Fuel economy from it is horrid 11.3L/100KM and that was with careful driving(my old 87 accord got better than that and it was same displacement).

Lastly brakes a very light tap makes it is like you are slamming on the brakes.

If my mum want's me to drive that car I hate every second of it.

Most fun would have to be my cousins S15 Turbo.
I felt what a turbo feels like and it was nice.

 

[NLxAROSA]

Best: Porsche 911 GT3 race car on track.
Worst: 1995 Chrysler Neon, every stereotype about US cars was true in that car.

 

[Pearltsx]

So I am an auto mechanic in a rich area so I get to drive so very cool stuff, but also some very crappy car cause some of these rich people are very cheap. Best 2010 cayman s that was twin turbo(not factory) and 06 Bentley continental
Worst. 1984 Toyota camry wagon that was completely rotted out

 

[Joey D]

Worst: 1995 Chrysler Neon, every stereotype about US cars was true in that car.

I don't know what they did to the Neon to sell it in Europe, but over here they were pretty good cars when they were new and they still are pretty decent today. They also tend to be a good choice for autox.

As far as the topic goes...

I've driven some pretty awful cars, but I think the one that takes the cake is the 2011 Chevy Camaro V6. It was slow, it felt heavy, the suspension felt like mashed potatoes, I couldn't see out of it at all, the mirrors sucked, the front end is way to long and the interior managed to be ugly and uncomfortable. Compared to the 2011 Mustang V6 I drove, the Camaro was a complete joke. It was like driving a boat without all the fun a boat provides.

Other then that I think the 1st gen convertible MINI with a CVT and the new Countryman non-S both rank up there, along with the Chevy Cobalt, the last generation of the Impreza and a convertible Chrysler Sebring. Oh the Nissan Versa was pretty horrid too.

As for the best it's a toss up between the Volvo S60R and a GMC Typhoon, both were beyond enjoyable to drive even though they weren't the fastest, had the best handling or even sounded the best, but they both had a character about them. The Volvo was like driving a BMW 3-series that was a little heavier and a bit slower. The Typhoon was just nuts to drive, it was faster than I thought and I was expecting it to be rather quick, plus being one of those dream cars I just was super excited to drive one.

 

[Doog]

Now, I'm not quite old enough to actually drive cars legally, but I still have my favorites and least favorites based off of time in the passenger seat.

Best : I'd have to say the best car I've ever ridden in is my dad's '02 LS430. Yeah, sure, it leans too much in even the slowest of corners, and well, actually, it doesn't really handle to begin with, and it does look a little bit like a Mercedes-Benz, but there's just so many things it does right. Take the ride, for example, it's just what I like in something used for day to day driving. It's just so nice and cushy; it's like riding on a comfy mattress. Even on road imperfections, the car just wafts over it, with only a little bit of vibrations. And the seats, like the ride, are among the best, being adjustable in nearly every way, and being damn comfy to begin with. Then there's the gadgets; yeah, it's a 10 year old car, but it's actually still pretty high tech. There's a navigation system, though we've never used it, it's still cool to see the little map. Then there's also the radar cruise control, where it'll actually brake for you if you're getting too close to the guy in front. And the stereo, a Mark Levinson unit, just sounds great. 👍 And then there's all the other nice stuff, like heated and cooled seats, which I use a lot, and the sunroof, and just the atmosphere of the interior is just so nice. This car is fantastic. 👍

Worst : The car that takes the unholy grail for the worst car has to be a Jeep Commander my family rented on a trip to Vancouver Island several years ago. I can still remember that thing pretty clearly; it was just so bad. First off, the seats were a joke, with cheapy fabric in depressing greyish black, and the seats themselves were hard as a rock. The middle seat was a torture chamber of hardness. The car didn't ride well, either, it vibrated like hell through Vancouver's highways. Plus, the car had relatively inefficient packaging; the outside was awkwardly big, while the inside was nothing special. Plus, the engine was bad. It was one of Chrysler's soggy old V6 motors, and it sounded like crap; you had a quiet series of drones and grunts for slow speeds, a mild drone for high speeds, and wheezing for accelaration. Plus, it was a gas guzzler, which was especially bad, because Vancouver's gas prices were ridiculous when we went there. No wonder there were so many Smarts and Minis over there. I suppose the only thing I liked about the Jeep was that it did look neat from the outside, but that was about it. Couldn't wait to get out of that car after the trip ended.

 

[homeforsummer]

I don't know what they did to the Neon to sell it in Europe, but over here they were pretty good cars when they were new and they still are pretty decent today. They also tend to be a good choice for autox.

They made them vastly more expensive than they were in the U.S, that's what they did to them here...

I don't actually think they did much physically though. I know R/T Neons were supposed to be pretty good but you'd be shocked how utterly average a Neon was/is next to virtually every other car sold in that class in Europe around that time. We never got anything as interesting as an SRT4 over here either.

 

[YSSMAN]

Well, I have thoughts all over the board, and depending on the qualifications, I could give a wide variety of answers...

WORST: 2009 Nissan Versa S
As I understand it, people really like the Versa. It has a good bit of space in the boot, there is plenty of shoulder room front and back, and if you're complaining of headroom you must be a distant relative of the Jolly Green Giant. But in the end you're suck with a car that lacks any sense of emotion. Sure... On the one hand it was electric blue, and had fancy stitching on the seats that made it stand out. Racy! But with the droaning CVT, seats that were as flat as an IKEA bench set, a stereo that played "music" and the constant feeling that the car was about to tip over... No. No way. That, and the fact that the dash appeared to be assembled from mis-matched Rubbermaid lids didn't help either.

The car was absolute rubbish. Off with it's head.


BEST: 1996 Mazda MX-5 1.8
I had to think about this one for a little while. Sure, I've driven a vintage air-cooled Porsche, a top-trip Escalade, a wide variety of modern hatchbacks and family sedans, pickup trucks and sports coupes. It would have been too easy to put the Porsche on here, that kind of performance is pretty much expected regardless of the trim. I could have put the Chevrolet Sonic on here, a car that exceeds every expectation with the perfect execution of every function. But in the end, I'm going with the Mazda.

Simply put, its the best car I've ever driven. Not once did I not have a smile on my face. Sure, my head poked out a little from the top of the roof. My hair got a little messy. The seat wasn't all that comfortable, and the radio "worked," but you could hardly tell. No, in the end, it is just that simple ability of being... simple... that makes it the absolute best. People who've had them know what I'm on about. I don't think you can easily explain it to someone who doesn't know.

 

[francis195]

Worst : Honda insight
Best : Honda accord 06

 

[NLxAROSA]

I don't know what they did to the Neon to sell it in Europe, but over here they were pretty good cars when they were new and they still are pretty decent today. They also tend to be a good choice for autox.

Mine was absolutely rubbish. It was 7 years old at the time. And judging from the Neon users forum, the problems I had with it (weak head gasket amongst others) were quite common and recurring. Apparently not just the Neon either, the Voyager suffered from pretty much the same issues. Over here, fixing the effects of a leaking head gasket is a rather expensive business. Totally unacceptable because, like hfs already mentioned, it was really below the standard set by other cars at the same time. There's a reason US cars are very unpopular here (even though most of the complaints no longer hold today).

It was a fun car when it did work though.

 

[eight6er]

Best, I dunno.. Worst, possibly this, springs cut two rounds, 320k km on the car with 60 hp in 1982, bent frame rail, etc. Oddly enjoyable though

Nothing odd about enjoying that to me.

Best car was my '89 Toyota corolla 1.3 GL saloon, I bought it for 400euro as a second car for going to work. I owned it for 2 years, I did nothing but abuse it the whole time and it never gave trouble, besides coughing a bit when I drove it into the sea at a beach party (the waves came over the bonnet). I loved the handling, it was great to go sideways. I ramped that car so hard it hurt when I landed and left marks on the road. I could go on, but I'd probably get locked up.

Worst car was a MK3 VW Golf my sister had, the worst car I have ever been in. Absolutely horrible driving experience from the sloppy gears to the vague steering and slowest 1.4 I have ever driven. There was knocking from the suspension and you really felt it had problems when driving. There wasn't one redeeming feature on that car.

 

[Alex.]

Worst: Kia Carens

Best: Mitsubushi Lancer Evo IV. 350BHP, several improvements. Awesome.

Not bad for age 19.

 

[Schwartz]

Best: Mitsubushi Lancer Evo IV. 350BHP, several improvements. Awesome.

Not bad for age 19.

Is it your Evo? If it is, then I'm jelly.

 

[Kylehnat]

BEST: Nissan 370Z (yes, I'm biased...) Granted, I've only driven a handful of cars in this performance bracket, but the Z is still the best I've driven. It goes like stink, and everything feels like it is actually connected to something. It also looks fast when it's standing still . My only criticism is that you have to put some money into it to make it sound like a sports car. The stock exhaust is a very poor effort from Nissan.

WORST: Chrysler PT Cruiser. Of the many cars I've been subjected to in Rental Car Hell, this one takes the cake. It was ugly, it was slow, it was uncomfortable, and carving corners in it was like trying to do brain surgery with a chainsaw. It is the epitome of why the American auto industry went into the toilet. Absolute crap.

 

[Bottoz]

Best = Ariel Atom. Minimalistic, no abs, no traction control, no stability control... just you, four wheels and the pavement by your side.

Worst = Audi 90 S. Horrid. It was my Girlfriends car. Anytime I did any maintenance on it, something else would break.

 

[GTMail]

Pics or it didn't happen

I knew someone was going to say that. Unfortunately the car is long gone. He sold it in 2004. I'll try to get a pic though.

 

[Alex.]

Is it your Evo? If it is, then I'm jelly.

No it was a friend's car. He's only 21 though.👍

 

[Schwartz]

No it was a friend's car. He's only 21 though.👍

How was he able to get an Evo at 21? Is he Mark Zuckerberg?

 

[Grayfox]

WORST: Chrysler PT Cruiser. Of the many cars I've been subjected to in Rental Car Hell, this one takes the cake. It was ugly, it was slow, it was uncomfortable, and carving corners in it was like trying to do brain surgery with a chainsaw. It is the epitome of why the American auto industry went into the toilet. Absolute crap.

When my car was being serviced under warranty for a defective digital speedometer, I was given an old Hyundai Getz(03 model I think), and it was loud and had a 3 speed auto with O/D switch, it was loud but was fun to drive as it was a crap box.

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Please point to where I said they weren't. Oh, you can't? Then, stop acting all butt hurt.

You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.

I know my cars are slow. Not LT1 Camaro slow, but still slow. I have never said otherwise.

LOL WAT.

Off the top of my head I can think of your TL and Si (though the Si is gone isn't it?)... Si is slower than the LT1 Camaro by a good margin, TL would be about even. Unless, of course, that LT1 car you drove was incredibly broken, which given the usual state of any Camaro ever that isn't special (and most that are) would not surprise me. You do seem to have missed that I'm not really defending the car, I agree with pretty much everything else you said.


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I think Erik would've won if it wasn't for that deader than dead Mustang I drove. His car at least has enough power remaining to be fun in winter.

 

[Gil]

I've driven a ton of cars in my life.
The worst was a 1953 Chevy Work Truck. Three-speed manual on the column, that often got stuck in neutral on the 1-2 shift, causing the need to pull over to unjam the shift levers under the hood. It was so rusted out you could see the ground rushing by as you drove.

My Mom has a 1974 Mercedes 280 sedan that was one of the best cars I've ever driven. There was also a 1962 Ford Thunderbird that was my first car. It was great in a straight line. Had a blast with a '92 Ford Escort GT.
Hell, I've even driven a Zamboni.
They all have a warm, fuzzy spot in my high octane heart.

 

[Anna+Reece]

I've driven a ton of cars in my life.
The worst was a 1953 Chevy Work Truck. Three-speed manual on the column, that often got stuck in neutral on the 1-2 shift, causing the need to pull over to unjam the shift levers under the hood. It was so rusted out you could see the ground rushing by as you drove.

My Mom has a 1974 Mercedes 280 sedan that was one of the best cars I've ever driven. There was also a 1962 Ford Thunderbird that was my first car. It was great in a straight line. Had a blast with a '92 Ford Escort GT.
Hell, I've even driven a Zamboni.
They all have a warm, fuzzy spot in my high octane heart.

Your first car was a '62 Thunderbird!? DANG! I love T-Birds! You're a lucky guy!

 

[McLaren]

LOL WAT.

Off the top of my head I can think of your TL and Si (though the Si is gone isn't it?)... Si is slower than the LT1 Camaro by a good margin, TL would be about even. Unless, of course, that LT1 car you drove was incredibly broken, which given the usual state of any Camaro ever that isn't special (and most that are) would not surprise me. You do seem to have missed that I'm not really defending the car, I agree with pretty much everything else you said.

My TL is low 14, high 13 QTR mile. LT1s are mid & up stock. They are not fast & again, I have never proclaimed my own cars to be either; they are slow as well. But unlike the LT1, they make good luxury dailies. That's why I have them.

So, I haven't missed a thing except you seeming to take offense at me calling the LT1 Camaro a slow turd. Else, you wouldn't have decided to bring in my vehicles that I never made out to be otherwise than slow.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Best? BMW E36 sedan.. Worst? Well, couple Lada's and ancient Mercedes Benz 200d are having a tight competition about that spot, and fora good measure, let's throw in old 2.0 OHC Ford Sierra sedan..

 

[Gil]

Your first car was a '62 Thunderbird!? DANG! I love T-Birds! You're a lucky guy!

My Dad bought the car for my mother brand new as a wedding present.
When I was born, my dad drove me and mom home from the hospital in it.
When I was 3, My dad and I were riding around San Francisco, and I asked him to keep it for me.
I drove it all thru high school, and left my wedding in it.

"You can keep your Eldorados.
Son you must take my word.
If there's a God in Heaven
He drives a silver Thunderbird"---Marc Cohn

In reallity....It had horrible brakes, only AM radio, mediocre handling....and I've never loved another car like I loved that one.

 

[niky]

Worst car? I win.

230cc, solid rear axle, starts to overheat at 50 mph, no airconditioning, no brakes, no suspension, no steering. Makes a Reliant Robin look like a Rolls Royce.

Then again, it has a sunroof.

Close second would be a Chinese Suzuki Carry micro-truck clone... Which took nearly a half mile to hit 60 mph from a standing start, and third would be that van that tried to kill me back in 2010... as apparently Chinese car makers don't understand what brake proportioning valves are used for.

 

[Clark]

Best: Corsa VXR Nurburgring Edition

Worst: 2002 Mazda 1l
Car I learnt to drive in, horrible.

 

[savage388]

My TL is low 14, high 13 QTR mile. LT1s are mid & up stock. They are not fast & again, I have never proclaimed my own cars to be either; they are slow as well. But unlike the LT1, they make good luxury dailies. That's why I have them.

So, I haven't missed a thing except you seeming to take offense at me calling the LT1 Camaro a slow turd. Else, you wouldn't have decided to bring in my vehicles that I never made out to be otherwise than slow.

You must be terribly spoiled vehicle wise to call a v8 150 mph car "a slow turd". I mean have you ever driven a normal car? I drive crappy 4cyl that are actually slow, and would kill to do low 14's in the quarter( I will when I get my iroc z ). The lt1s also made good torque by anyone's standards and I can't see your tl having more low rpm pull than one, even an automatic.

 

[Crispy]

Best: Mazda MX-5 (NB) Limited Edition. Great steering, responsive, comfortable when you want, but then nice and sporty when you want it to be. Wherever you point, it goes, and it goes well. Equipped with a nicer body kit, a LSD, and a tighter suspension all from the factory all makes it the best car I've ever driven!

Worst: Mazda MX-5 (NB) Limited Edition. Great steering, responsive, comfortable when you want, but then nice and sporty when you want it to be. Wherever you point, it goes, and it goes well. Equipped with a nicer body kit, a LSD, and a tighter suspension all from the factory all makes it the worst car I've ever driven!

Yup! Only driven one car. Hey, I'm fourteen though, so it's not that bad. How many 14 Year olds can say they've driven a Miata?

 

[Vegard]

Best: A 250 whp Mazda 323 GTR. Proper rally style on snow. It would pull lazy 80-90 mph four wheel drifts, feeling totally controllable and adjustable. Anybody could drive that car fast.

Worst: A 240 whp Mazda 323 GTX. Group A rally car, on BF Goodrich tyres, in the wet.
The combination of poor tyres, gravel set-up, and massive turbo lag made this thing deadly to drive. It would oversteer / understeer randomly. quite scary.

Also, i've driven lots of Volvo 240s, nuff said.