Cars that didn't live up to expectations

Stevepage

So cars you've dreamed of owning or even driving that really disappointed you.

For me, Lamborghini Gallardo. The interior was built by dwarves for dwarves. My knees kept bashing the steering wheel, the steering itself was heavy and had tiny windows so you couldn't tell how wide the car was. The sound from the exhaust was great though.

iseverynamegone

E - Type for the same reason.

My dad had one and I couldnt get my knees under the steering wheel. 

ICBM

When I was younger I admired my dad's Mercedes 300SL. Now I'm older I have to say it's the most uncomfortable, impractical car I've ever been in - just sitting in it as a passenger gives me back-ache, let alone driving it - and has proved less reliable than any of the French cars I've owned. To be fair it's thirty years old now, but I thought the whole point of an old Merc was that it was supposed to go on forever. It now needs thousands of pounds worth of work doing on it just to make it worth what one of that age should be worth…

I just hope he gets it fixed and sells it before I inherit the damned thing.

holnrew

I had to return a Bentley Continental because the grain on the walnut dash wasn't to my taste.

Sporky

911 - a C4S about 10 years ago. Awful ergonomics, horrible over-heavy, crunchy gear shift, no heated seats and almost undriveable in the snow. I was very happy to get my Fabia back.

holnrew

But how were the headrests?

Axe_meister

Deloreon no time travel and slow as hell

richardhomer

I hated my Zonda - really noisy, hard ride, too wide to park at Sainsbury's - my Focus is a revelation by comparison.

It's everything the Zonda wasn't....

monquixote

The cup holders in my McLaren F1 were too small for a super size maccies cup so I had it crushed.

guitarfishbay

Peugeot 207, feels like it is made by dwarves, for dwarves. And it was slow.

In fact, true story, my ex bought one. We went for a drive the very next day through a hilly area. When climbing a steep hill she started going 'oh no somethings wrong!' and genuinely getting upset and almost starting to panick. So I ask what's wrong, and she tells me she thinks the engine is dying. 'Dying? You just bought it, have you tried dropping a gear?' Funnily enough the engine was not dying... Just my soul. 

Sporky

holnrew said:

But how were the headrests?

Fine.

Actually, the seats were fantastic.

Except that the controls were on the side, so you had to open the door to adjust them.

But really comfy seats.

rlw

Sporky said:

911 - a C4S about 10 years ago. Awful ergonomics, horrible over-heavy, crunchy gear shift, no heated seats and almost undriveable in the snow. I was very happy to get my Fabia back.

A 993C4S?   I had a beautiful example, one owner - my client - and perfect in every way.  It was the most boring car I've ever owned.  So competent it was almost like driving white goods.  

I sold a 964 widebody to move "up" to that and have regretted it every day.

Sporky

rlw said:

A 993C4S?   I had a beautiful example, one owner - my client - and perfect in every way.  It was the most boring car I've ever owned.  So competent it was almost like driving white goods.  

Not sure on the exact model number (though definitely a C4S), but it was this:

http://www.monkeyfx.co.uk/pictures/bananacar.jpg

I only had a 24-hour test drive (which seemed to be down to a weird admin error at the local dealer), and it snowed, which didn't help, but I had a little run around the night before when it was clear, and it didn't do much for me. A few years afterwards I tired a Lotus Europa SE and that was much more what I expected a sports car to be like. The Lotus felt much quicker and more in touch with the road.

Also that gear shift really was awful - my arm ached by the time I returned it. So heavy and so crunchy.

I do concede that 24 hours (actually, I returned it early) isn't long enough to really get to know a car, but I was really disappointed in it. I actually thought the Macan I tried a couple of years ago was more fun to drive and much better ergonomically.

rlw

Ah - a 997.  Much more flash but worth a quarter what the (sold)  993C4S is now (grrrr).

All the 4wd Porsches are a bit shit in snow I've found.  Worse, once you get going you find stopping even more difficult..........

Sporky

Google suggests 2004/5 for the 997, which sounds about the right year. I didn't edit out the numberplate, that's just the flash...

rlw

great colour though

Evilmags

I thought my M· was utterly horrible, nasty and evil in the snow. Then I got a cheap set of alloys and stuck winter tires on it. Night and day difference. If your car is running 18 inch wheels, get a set of 16s, put winter tires on it (about 20 to 30 millimeters thinner as well). Cost me about 600 quid and I got 6 years use out of them (Switched back to proper wheels in March every year).

Hard sprung real wheel drive cars with very low profile tires and lots of BHP are never nice in snow and rain unless they have serious traction control or your a nutter (Sporky is not a nutter). The right wheels and tires make a huge difference (as does air suspension that you can soften).

Afterall high performance road tires are hardly designed with snow in mind.    

mudslide73

My 82 Trans Am wasn't able to pick me up from the pub or jump over anything. My 69 Dogde Charger R/T had very impractical welded up doors which made doing the shopping a bloody nightmare.

My 2.0 Mondeo wasn't very quick for a 2.0. 

Nunogilberto

Not me but I remember reading in a Ford mag about a guy who had a 2.8i Capri and wanted something less thirsty as a student, so he flipped it in favour of a 2.0 Laser. In his words: "Unfortunately, not only was it nowhere near as fast, it was just as thirsty..."

Sporky

Evilmags said:

(Sporky is not a nutter)   

Thank you! I know snow is not a C4S's natural habitat.

Also agreed on the tyres. My Yeti was slightly better in the snow than the other cars I've had (though my dear old mum's MGF was very funny), but with winter tyres it was like driving in the wet. Astounding difference.

I wouldn't turn down another go in a 911, mind. But the Lotus was a lot more immediate. Harder to get in and out of though...

rlw

Sporky said:

Evilmags said:

(Sporky is not a nutter)   

Thank you! I know snow is not a C4S's natural habitat.

Also agreed on the tyres. My Yeti was slightly better in the snow than the other cars I've had (though my dear old mum's MGF was very funny), but with winter tyres it was like driving in the wet. Astounding difference.

I wouldn't turn down another go in a 911, mind. But the Lotus was a lot more immediate. Harder to get in and out of though...

I would turn down another opportunity to get into a very very very long four wheel drift in one inch of fresh snow on the A1 at some speed..................