Cars you hated and hope not to see again

[AMCrebel]

I learned in an HC Viva - the gearchange and most other stuff was awkward compared to the Mk1 Escort my Ma had at the time and after I passed my test I bought a MK1 Escort Van. I didn't feel the need to find out if the driving school Vivas were just fucked as the Fords were cheap and plentiful and reasonable to drive.

[AMCrebel]

I mean, it surely can't be difficult can it? Building a moderately mundane small hatchback? Chevettes, Sunbeams, Metros, early Fezzas, 205s, Mk1/2 Polos, Starlets, R5s....Not the object of desire exactly but fun to a 17 year old, affordable, fixable and still of some use to those who didn't aspire to anything else.

This is where modern cars fall down to me - the lack of simplicity and ergonomics, visibility, responsive handling etc...Surely all attributes needed more than ever in today's traffic?

I haven't driven an electric car yet, but i have some hope for them in this respect - the drivetrain is less complex and there isn't any need for all the very complex engine strangling weight adding devices to curb emissions (EGR, Cat, DPF, AdBlue etc etc).
They still need the stuff like airbags, ESP and Tyre pressure monitoring that over Lords and Masters insist we need, but they don't add as much size or weight.
We just need some lighter battery technology now.

[SiC]

Corsa always used to be popular first cars as they were what you learnt in with the driving instructor. So became the logical first car to own as it was familiar.

I learned in a Fiesta 1.6TDCI, thank fuck.

If I'd learned in a Corsa I would have been put off driving for life. I am bit biased against Vauxhalls though. I can't put my finger on anything specific, they just make me physically cringe whenever I sit in one.

I think I'm a tad older than you. My instructor had a Fiesta MK4.5 in 1.8d spec. Part of the learning route is on the A34 dual carriageway. This is notorious as you have a couple of car lengths before you get to merge onto a 70mph road. Always remembered him saying "It needs a good squirt of accelerator" to get on to here.

Sure damnit did.

No wonder he used to smoke heavily.

[SubPar]

Corsa always used to be popular first cars as they were what you learnt in with the driving instructor. So became the logical first car to own as it was familiar.

I learned in a Fiesta 1.6TDCI, thank fuck.

If I'd learned in a Corsa I would have been put off driving for life. I am bit biased against Vauxhalls though. I can't put my finger on anything specific, they just make me physically cringe whenever I sit in one.

I think I'm a tad older than you. My instructor had a Fiesta MK4.5 in 1.8d spec. Part of the learning route is on the A34 dual carriageway. This is notorious as you have a couple of car lengths before you get to merge onto a 70mph road. Always remembered him saying "It needs a good squirt of accelerator" to get on to here.

Sure damnit did.

No wonder he used to smoke heavily.

Aye, I learned in 2005.

I remember joining the A96 Kintore bypass and my instructor just told me to floor it.
I asked "really?"
"Yep, floor it. You need to be up to as close to 70 as you can get so you can join the road without annoying folk. Get your foot down!"

He was a great instructor. Taught me to drive assertively but not aggressively and always to be as close to the speed limit as reasonable, so as not to hold up traffic. Drummed any kind of dawdling right out of me by the 2nd or 3rd lesson.

[SiC]

The Fiesta was up to 30mph by the end of the slip-road

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[AutoshiteBoy]

Volvo 340.

I couldn't initially think of any car I've hated driving, I find pleasure in them all. Then you said Volvo 340 and I thought 'fuck yeah'. Awful things with horrendous handling. Then there were 240s, 740s, I hated them all. Loved the 400-series however.

The other things I hated were Nissan Sunny. Especially without PAS. Otherwise, I've found pleasure in every car, van and bus I've driven.

Can I add Porsche Boxster?

[SiC]

Can I add Porsche Boxster?

No

[Hooli]

Volvo 340.

I couldn't initially think of any car I've hated driving, I find pleasure in them all. Then you said Volvo 340 and I thought 'fuck yeah'. Awful things with horrendous handling. Then there were 240s, 740s, I hated them all. Loved the 400-series however.

The other things I hated were Nissan Sunny. Especially without PAS. Otherwise, I've found pleasure in every car, van and bus I've driven.

Can I add Porsche Boxster?

I liked the 200 series bricks, especially the GLT. 700s were ok but not as good. The only thing that stopped the 400s being the worst thing Volvo made was the 300s.

[LynehamHerc]

This is likely to be pretty controversial I guess.

SAAB 900Turbo 16s.

I never had the chance to drive it apart from in Stevenage but it was a complete nightmare with no power then all 175 horses suddenly kick in at once. Not ideal for a town made up of roundabouts.

Given it was the Finance Directors car and it was his baby, he was a SAAB nut, may have influenced things though.

[Bazfr69]

I’d like a normal 900.

Ffs I’ll have to amend the other list again.