Chevrolet hell!

[Ian Hunt]

Just dropped my W210 at the bodyshop for them to sort out the bubbling wheel arches. My courtesy car? A Daewoo, sorry Chevrolet (!) Matiz. I've driven a few crap cars in my time but..... this has to be the worst car ever!
They might be cheap but I can't believe that anyone would buy such an awful vehicle.

Don't laugh but I'm going to have to drive it from the Peak District to Kent and back - nearly a 500mile round trip. I did it yesterday in the E and it was a long day. I can't imagine how awful it's going to be in this thing.

Ok, my question - if you had £6-8k to spend on a motor what would you get? (a pre-loved Merc doesn't count, got to be new!)

 

[st4]

At £6-£8k I wouldn't buy a brand new car. But if I had too, it would be a Suzuki swift if my £8k would go that far.

 

[wemorgan]

Hyundai i10, Fiat Panda, Toyota Aygo, VW Fox would be on my test drive list.

 

[Spinal]

I was unlucky enough to rent one a while back... I had to get from Stanstead to Heathrow...

Leaving aside that it's top speed was about 55mph (3 people + suitcases), we stopped at a service station on the M25... Once we got off the sliproad, pedal to the metal... I'm not kidding, it must have taken at least 2 minutes to get up to 50mph... and between 50 and 55 it was just making more noise and vibrating more... but the speed change was minimal (and took a good 5 minutes or so to reach)!

How much is a new Fiat500? They are quite cute... or even a micra... still better than the matiz!

M.

 

[Ian Hunt]

At £6-£8k I wouldn't buy a brand new car. But if I had too, it would be a Suzuki swift if my £8k would go that far.

Nor would I but I now know it wouldn't be a Chevvy! Thought a Fiesta might cover it but just checked & they don't fit into that price bracket anymore, however Polos just do. My first car was a Polo (cost me £100!), a long time ago......

 

[Ian Hunt]

Hyundai i10, Fiat Panda, Toyota Aygo, VW Fox would be on my test drive list.

I'd forgotten the Fox & Panda.

How much is a new Fiat500? They are quite cute... or even a micra... still better than the matiz!

M.

I suspect they fall outside the bracket..


Who says they don't make bad cars these days!

 

[Meldrew2]

I bought my daughter a Kia Rio a few months back... £7k with a decent level of kit.

It's one size up from the Piccanto (Kia's equivalent to the Matiz) and is a pretty decent car to drive - the controls feel like they are connected properly, it's responsive and a comfortable ride.

It might not be a Merc, but it's a pretty competent small car.

Decent warranty, decent dealership, no complaints so far.




.

 

[johnsco]

Chevvies are not what they used to be.
I ran a 1974 Chev 350 cid V8 for 7 years during the 1980s.
Wonderful car ... Weighed 2.1/2 tons ... Lots of chrome ... and some serious poke.

These far-east-manufactured Mickey-Mouse cars are an insult to the Chevvy badge.

Johnsco

 

[corned]

You're all knocking the fake 'Chevies' as being a pile of steaming manure, which they of course are, but you are forgetting that 'real' Chevvies are just as crap.

Have you driven a recent American Chevrolet? Or any other recent American car? They are bad. We regularly go over to the States and take a rental from the airport. Last time we got a Chrysler 300, which I thought was a bit of a result, as that was just about all the rental desk had left by the time we got there. However, it didn't take a journey length across the car park to realise that this was going to be a nightmare. Everything about that car was cheap. No wonder they depreciate like fresh fruit.

These Far Eastern cars are shoddy, but for proper shoddiness, look West...

 

[johnsco]

That's sad, because it didn't used to be the case.
The big "full-size" sedans of the 70s were quite something !!

A friend of mine , who is an American car specialist, recent had a 1996 Cadillac Seville in for service.
A pretty good car when it was running OK, but a diagnostics nightmare when anything went wrong.
Something like 7 ECUs.

Cheers
Johnsco

 

[grober]

Fiat Panda

 

[EDZ649]

Just dropped my W210 at the bodyshop for them to sort out the bubbling wheel arches. My courtesy car? A Daewoo, sorry Chevrolet (!) Matiz. I've driven a few crap cars in my time but..... this has to be the worst car ever!
They might be cheap but I can't believe that anyone would buy such an awful vehicle.

Don't laugh but I'm going to have to drive it from the Peak District to Kent and back - nearly a 500mile round trip. I did it yesterday in the E and it was a long day. I can't imagine how awful it's going to be in this thing.

Ok, my question - if you had £6-8k to spend on a motor what would you get? (a pre-loved Merc doesn't count, got to be new!)

I sypathise with you Ian, I had the exact same model as a courtesy car when my E55 went in to the MB bodyshop, pitiful little cars!

 

[neilrr]

Didn't GRAV888 buy a C300 not so long ago?

How did that work out, anybody know?

 

[bpsorrel]

If the budget would strectch, or the deal could be done, I'd probably get a Fiat Grande Punto. Rented one once and it was a nice car all round, no where near as cruddy as the previous generation Punto!

Saab dealer leant me a Vauxhall Corsa once and I reckon there's not much between that and a Deawoo Chevy!! Crud or what!

Speaking of Chevys, the one I would buy, given more room on my drive is a 1998 C5 Corvette! Now THAT'S a Chevy, even if it's not badged as one anymore! £15K worth of supercar - I'd LOVE one! (If my wife's reading, can I get that hun????) LOL!!

 

[Frank O' Phile]

Just after the name change Daewoo\Chevy I spotted a nasty Daewoo with 'Chevrolet' in large letters down each side. That kept me laughing for a while.

While in USa some years back, I had a loan of a '78 Chevy Malibu. Enormous great thing it was. Good job gas was cheap as the best it managed was 8mpg. ( I know that US gallons are smaller but still.)

As for the budget car, I'd put the rest to a new Fiat 500. Great looking car.

 

[stevesey]

Last time we got a Chrysler 300, which I thought was a bit of a result, as that was just about all the rental desk had left by the time we got there. However, it didn't take a journey length across the car park to realise that this was going to be a nightmare. Everything about that car was cheap. No wonder they depreciate like fresh fruit.

300s are supposed to be 50% merc (w210 based), must have been the bean counters 50% they picked.

 

[Sp!ke]

It regularly surprises me when I drive new hire cars and stuff how much worse they are to drive than my virtually worthless 20 year old W124.

I simply dont understand why people spend upwards of £15k on a new or newish car regardless how bad it is, just as long as it is new.

That comparison link on the honda site was rather enlightening in that it would provide overall cost estimates on various cars over a three year life span.

Car Comparator

Apparently the cost of running the most basic Chevrolet Matiz over 3 years is £11,795 (a fiat 500 costs nearly a grand less)

When I compare that to the total running costs of my coupe since 2001 it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Who buys these cars and why?

 

[corned]

When my dad first emigrated to the States in the mid-80s, he was given a 1978 Lincoln Continental by his firm. I think it was something they did as a ritual to the newbies!!

Anyway, I have driven it quite extensively, along with his Chevrolet Caprice classic, and they were both hilarious - especially the Lincoln. It had a 460CI V8 in it (that equates to about 7.5 to 8 litres) and it had about 120 bhp gross output. Mind you, it had what seemed like 12,000 lb/ft of torque, and could just about turn the rear tyres on the rims if you put your mind to it. The suspension was, well, I don't quite know how to finish that sentence. The handling was best described as 'nautical'. A 3-tonne blancmange - lovely!! The best part of the car was the aircon. After getting caught in a squal and being soaked through literally to the skin, it dried out 3 people, including clothing, in a 25 minute drive home.

 

[corned]

300s are supposed to be 50% merc (w210 based), must have been the bean counters 50% they picked.

Platform-sharing probably. Then cover/fill it with ***t.

 

[timskemp]

6-8k on a new or near new? My list would include:

Smart, Aygo, i20, Fabibizapolo, Yaris. All should be able to fit into budget under 1 yr old, new with some heavy discounts.