Cars that you have owned, and had high hopes for but moved on because you didn't like or get on with, for a particular reason?

[350cls]

As title, cars that you had high hopes for but didn't really do it for you, and moved on.

 

[ChrisHGTV]

I had a Vauxhall Signum once. On paper and actually in the flesh it looked great - it was a fully loaded Elite version with aircon seats, fridge etc. Really nice metallic pearl blue. But the 2.2 petrol engine was truly awful and the handling just wallowy. And Vauxhalls definitely have a certain feel about them inside - the design was very American-y. One of the few cars i actually lost a bit of money on as it was new-ish and i didn't keep it long. I sold it and bought my first Alfa GTV so quite a change! I then also bought a Mondeo Titanium X to complement it and that combo worked well. The current combo is better though with a different GTV and the S212 replacing the Mondy.

 

[ernie]

I had high hopes that a Volvo 440 would have been a suitable replacement for a VW Passat Hatchback...after all, it was a Volvo! I gave up on the number of faults in the first year, but included electrical failures, 2 gearbox failures and even the switched connections for the heated front seats were reversed so that the driver's switch operated the passenger's heater! The only good thing about it was that the seats were comfortable on long runs and the hatch easily took everything we needed for the family at the time. We sold it while still in the used car warranty and went back to a VW Passat which adequately filled the bill for us.

Ernie

 

[slade1]

Many decades ago, Mini. Noisy, uncomfortable and no suspension, sold it after a few weeks.

 

[350cls]

Should of included SUV and 4x4 in the title.

One that I couldn't live with in the end was a E53 BMW X5 4.8is. purchased from a dealers in Oxfordshire, part ex my BMW Alpina for. On the test drive the car drove fantastic it seemed. It wasn't until I got back to my home of about 130 miles away did the problems begin to start.

The amazing exterior colour of carbon black had a blue like tint to it on certain bright weather days. And the champagne colour interior was delightful also. The car was in really good condition interior and exterior wise.

The first thing that come up was 4x4 inactive or something along them lines. Rang dealer car back to them. Into a Bmw dealers in Hunstanton. Car back after 2 weeks. All good for half hour driving. Same fault on dash. Along with this, the gearbox decided to do all sorts of wierd stuff. And I discovered, the valve stems seals would need replacing. Spent a tone of money trying to get the car in some sort of decent functioning state but what ever I would throw at it. I never got to enjoy a vehicle I had such high hopes.

Still haunts me to this day. The relief I felt getting rid of that car. I nearly had a couple of John Cleese moments with it. Put me off the X5 forever I think. I still really like the look of the E53 model.

 

[T5R+]

Have a love/hate relationaship with an ML (suspect many of us do!) BUT without a doubt the worst car, a couple of decades ago, was a Renault Leguna 2.2 Diesel Estate..........

......sold a Volvo V70 and it was due collection at the weekend, so off I went to BCA on the Friday in order to buy myself a stop-gap (the Leguna was 2 years old and fully loaded), on the drive home my thoughts were "it has been stood for a while and just needs an Italian tune-up"..........absolutely hated it, sure a bin lorry is faster, sold it within a fortnight.......even put a tank of fuel in it and delivered it to new owner, thankful that broke even BUT supect would have been happy to sell at loss, to get shut of it.

 

[grumpytosser]

Lexus ls430 conned my self that 30mpg was possible (it wasn't) sub 20at best often single figures made going to work at 70 miles per day really really expensive.

Oh and no parking sensors made me scared to try and put it in a car park so yeah that didn't last

 

[Delderek]

Had an Audi A4 diesel for a couple of years which was very nice, until they updated the cheat software. Was never the same car afterwards.
Sold it for my C Class Petrol.

 

[6500RPM]

(In reply to the LS430 as quote didnt work). I thought the sensors and the reversing camera were standard in those. I just got rid of mine last month as it was going to be due some huge bills. One of the nicest cars I have driven...but then I only live about 7 miles from work.

 

[DGAMG63S]

As title, cars that you had high hopes for but didn't really do it for you, and moved on.

Non Mercedes, a brand new Volvo 480ES (89 G plate). Don’t ask - they took it back eventually!

Mercedes, a brand new 2017 E43 4Matic.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Should of included SUV and 4x4 in the title.

One that I couldn't live with in the end was a E53 BMW X5 4.8is. purchased from a dealers in Oxfordshire, part ex my BMW Alpina for. On the test drive the car drove fantastic it seemed. It wasn't until I got back to my home of about 130 miles away did the problems begin to start.

The amazing exterior colour of carbon black had a blue like tint to it on certain bright weather days. And the champagne colour interior was delightful also. The car was in really good condition interior and exterior wise.

The first thing that come up was 4x4 inactive or something along them lines. Rang dealer car back to them. Into a Bmw dealers in Hunstanton. Car back after 2 weeks. All good for half hour driving. Same fault on dash. Along with this, the gearbox decided to do all sorts of wierd stuff. And I discovered, the valve stems seals would need replacing. Spent a tone of money trying to get the car in some sort of decent functioning state but what ever I would throw at it. I never got to enjoy a vehicle I had such high hopes.

Still haunts me to this day. The relief I felt getting rid of that car. I nearly had a couple of John Cleese moments with it. Put me off the X5 forever I think. I still really like the look of the E53 model.

That’s a shame, I’ve never driven one, but back in the day the 4.8 was well regarded.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Non Mercedes, a brand new Volvo 480ES (89 G plate). Don’t ask - they took it back eventually!

Back in the day I thought they looked fantastic, and I still do!

 

[DGAMG63S]

Non Mercedes, a brand new Volvo 480ES (89 G plate). Don’t ask - they took it back eventually!

Mercedes, a brand new 2017 E43 4Matic.

I should also have said that I had a 911 Carrera 4 (996) that ran the others close for missing the mark and it only lasted four months. Did better with a 997.

 

[grumpytosser]

(In reply to the LS430 as quote didnt work). I thought the sensors and the reversing camera were standard in those. I just got rid of mine last month as it was going to be due some huge bills. One of the nicest cars I have driven...but then I only live about 7 miles from work.

Mine was the year before they became std annoyingly only noticed on the way back trying to park in McDonald's carpark

 

[DGAMG63S]

Back in the day I thought they looked fantastic, and I still do!

Nothing wrong looks-wise, just a Friday car. It happens. My wife ran a 480 Turbo a few years later as a new company car and it was great.

 

[Darrell]

I should also have said that I had a 911 Carrera 4 (996) that ran the others close for missing the mark and it only lasted four months. Did better with a 997.

I’ve got a C4 996.
What was up with yours?

 

[Ted]

Non Mercedes, a brand new Volvo 480ES (89 G plate). Don’t ask - they took it back

I had one! I had looked forward to having one for months.
Probably the worst car I ever had with so many faults and poor service from Volvo.
Got rid after 16 months and got a Corrado - one of the best cars I’ve ever owned.
Put me off Volvo ever since and I’ve never had another.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I don’t really do regrets, so a tricky one to answer, but the 250 GTO wasn’t quite what I thought it would be, it was my own fault for buying unseen.

It’s not that it wasn’t a good car, it was fantastic on track, I just enjoyed driving the 250 SWB I had before that even more, it was a better car for the road.

The SWB had much greater fluency on uneven Tarmac, and it was so much easier to drive on the limit, as it was much more predictable - the GTO was a bit snappy.

I ended up losing out as I had part-exchanged the SWB, so with the GTO and then the second SWB I ended up “losing” the dealer’s margin three times.

It wasn’t all bad though because when I switched to the GTO my insurance premium came down by £42, and it never went back up with the second SWB.

Strange though as the GTO was worth more - if I had a pound each time I was confused about car insurance premiums then I’d be a rich man.

 

[DGAMG63S]

I’ve got a C4 996.
What was up with yours?

Nothing fundamental. Bullet proof build (although I didn’t think the interior wasn’t great in terms of materials etc, just my opinion) and the handling and performance were fine but I couldn’t settle with it for some reason. I have no idea why, it just missed the mark and I couldn’t quantify it, even now. Sometimes it happens. Took immediately to the 997 I had that came later (also a 4) and loved it.

 

[AMGeed]

Back when I bought sensible cars, a 3 year old Vauxhall Cavalier SRi
Made a big mistake not having a long test drive. Before I'd even driven the 30 miles home I knew I'd made a mistake. The seats were rock hard and I couldn't live with the car. Sold within 3 months and went back to silly cars. A Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 2wheel drive.