What car do you drive?

[Wail]

We've had another thread about this a short while ago; in which I've posted my ride ...



I've since seriously considered a more sporty alternative, something with a lot more pedigree and is bread for racing .. they cost as much as £800,000 ... so I figured a Bentley or an Aston Martin would be more practical :shrug:

For now, it's the camel and the Lexus RX350

 

[Flash In The Pan]

Rear-wheel drive cars are funny in the snow...lol

The roads round here are littered with abandoned "Ultimate Driving Machines" today

 

[Tirpitz]

The roads round here are littered with abandoned "Ultimate Driving Machines" today

too true

they are good in the dry
but even just a bit of rain means you have to rein them in a bit & as we live in the UK it might not be too apt a title

maybe they need to add an asterisk & some small print like *ultimate driving machine status only applicable on dry road under direct sunlight

my daily driver comes from another part of Germany

Audi S8

wanted one ever since i saw the film Ronin. owned it about 6 years now & its been outstanding

funnily enough the day i took this last week i was the first person to arrive at work

 

[tdcist]

did u slide that sideways to park it lol!! certainly looks like it lol

 

[hevinha]

you all have such great cars, im too embarassed to post what i drive now

 

[Tirpitz]

did u slide that sideways to park it lol!! certainly looks like it lol

ha ha
they are my tracks but i just pulled around & backed in

the 4wd does make for some mega slides on the snow but at nearly 2 tons & over 5 metres long it takes a fair bit of getting back once its gone

 

[onomatopoeia]

Rear-wheel drive cars are funny in the snow...lol

My Imp (well Chamois, but same thing) is fine...

 

[Critical I]

My amazing Skud Roomster, part van, part car, part minibus - and I can hire it to the Pope when he visits.

I love the fact that it's fugly and quirky because no-one quite expects it to go and handle quite as well as it does. People in fancy kit get a bit worried when I keep up with them on the twisties. Certainly way better than my mk4 Golf. With a little remap these things make 295 ft lb and have quite amusing mid-range acceleration.

But cruising at the legal French limit with 3 adults, their luggage, 4 extra wedding outfits and all my photogear on a recent trip across Brittany I averaged 56mpg - despite the aerodynamics.

The only car you'll ever need? In my case, yes.

 

[Flash In The Pan]

My Imp (well Chamois, but same thing) is fine...

Possibly because the weight is over the driven wheels?

 

[mj4456]

I have a Honda S2000, a Ford Fiesta and a Peugeot partner van, 06 reg and only 164k miles.

 

[seriousrikk]

funnily enough the day i took this last week i was the first person to arrive at work

I was also the first to arrive at work the first day the office opened - in my 'ultimate driving machine'

Yes, my BMW actually works in the snow. But then again I know how to drive rwd in slippy conditions and I bought the right tyres.

 

[killwilly]

Not very good in this weather, but I'll post it anyway.



IMG_1583 by killwilly, on Flickr
________
HERBAL VAPORIZER

 

[Davec223]

Honda Civic new shape CTDi. Love it,great desiel engine, Honda build quality, great to drive enthusiastically

I have the 1.8, and cannot wait to get rid of it, it has been the biggest pile of steaming poo that I have ever driven, and the most unreliable to boot, To the point that I will never have another Honda again.
Just ordered my new company car Renault Grand Scenic tom tom privilage, this is my second one for work plus the wife has a scenic, best car for our needs by far, and very economical and very very comfy.

 

[Tirpitz]

I was also the first to arrive at work the first day the office opened - in my 'ultimate driving machine'

Yes, my BMW actually works in the snow. But then again I know how to drive rwd in slippy conditions and I bought the right tyres.

well played that man the right tyres make all the difference

apparently you guys got it pretty bad up there?

 

[martyp]

2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee, every option available and currently has 46k. With the 4.7ltr V8 and the little extras I've treated it too it certainly hauls but sucks gas even faster - 13MPG highway, 8MPG city. But for no real reason I still treat it to BP ultimate every fill up.

It's got a two coats of Zymol Vintage on it (if there are any detailers here) and also pin stripping down the two doors on either sides - thanks unknown strangers!!
So I'm going to get those four doors and all the plasic trim pieces resprayed (bumpers, handles etc.) in 2012 whilst I decide where to go next with the engine.

Here she is (point n shoot, post detail shoots so don't crit ):

 

[andybod]

well after around 55 cars in 20 years of driving i have now seemed to have found something i'm happy with i have owned my mk4 golf gti for nearly 2 years now which is the longest i have ever kept a car i does have a few tweek's and is running around 225bhp which makes it a fun thing to drive it does get used in anger on a few trackdays the picture below was taken at bedford autodrome feb this year and the driver was a mate attempting to show me how to drive it

and this is a little project i currently have on the go in the garage it is registered but i wouldnt want to ever drive it on the road with the top of the windscreen being 38 inches from the floor ,it's a noble 23 kit car based on a lotus 23 .

which is now this colour

sorry about the poor picture there it was taken on my mobile the colour is dodge viper blue and looks great

 

[Lbm]

My runaround is a wonderful 1998 Astra 1.7 Tdi.

An incredible car with nearly 200,000 miles covered and always 50mpg no matter how hard you jump on the loud pedal.

And let's be honest; they come with a kind of Klingon cloaking device- It's so bland no-one will notice it/attack it.

I've had the Supe now for approx 11 years. She's pretty quick, but I haven't driven her in the last week or so due to the snow/ice etc...

 

[gman]

the most unreliable

I will never have another Honda again.

Just ordered my new company car Renault Grand Scenic

It's not often you see all that in the same paragraph! Very surprised at Honda being unreliable, they are usually fairly bullet proof compared to other cars, especially their engines. Although they are still just a machine and there's always the chance of a lemon :shrug:

 

[Davec223]

It's not often you see all that in the same paragraph! Very surprised at Honda being unreliable, they are usually fairly bullet proof compared to other cars, especially their engines. Although they are still just a machine and there's always the chance of a lemon :shrug:

Unfortunately not just me, 3 of us at work have got them and we have all said never again. All I can say is I am pleased I do not have to pay the service and upkeep costs of it. To give you an idea, in the last 2 years it has had the following ( I hasten to add serviced at normal intervals and only done 55k in that time)


3 batteries
3 sets of disks plus several more sets of pads
3 full sets of tyres plus an extra pair on the fronts
Faulty alarm sensor

Plus I have had back ache ever since I have had it.

Personal dislikes
I love the dash but the reflections off it on the windscreen at night makes it a mare, I turn the illumination down to minimum at night.
Massive A pillars, Big enough to loose an entire car behind.
Its so bloody wide yet interior seems so small.
Cramped in the back.
Constantly having to change gear to be able to any pull.
Bloody silly little fuel tank.


As for the Renault I had 130k in 3.5 years
Only problems I had
Dash had a fault at approx 90k needed to be replaced and 1 key needed reprogramming. Iirc only had 3 sets of discs in all the time I had it plus most importantly is was really comfortable and I never had backache.

All this is just how I have found the Civic and scenic plus I am in them for 4 to 6 hours a day on average so different things are important to me now than before this job.

 

[gman]

I had an Accord for a number of years and despite some hard driving it was a cracking car with no problems other than general consumables. Maybe the new Civics aren't built like the Accords?

French cars are well known for their comfy seats but I find them too soft for long journeys. Renault are well known for being probably the most unreliable car which is why your comments are surprising.

I must admit, I hate the bloody variable timing (VTEC) as you've got b****r all power until about 4,500 rpm (with the Accord) and when I was looking for a new car recently I avoided this with other makes like the plague! lol Now have a TD with 330Nm of torque at 1,800 rpm (I think) and it's great having so much pulling power at low revs!

 

[Davec223]

I had an Accord for a number of years and despite some hard driving it was a cracking car with no problems other than general consumables. Maybe the new Civics aren't built like the Accords?

French cars are well known for their comfy seats but I find them too soft for long journeys. Renault are well known for being probably the most unreliable car which is why your comments are surprising.

I must admit, I hate the bloody variable timing (VTEC) as you've got b****r all power until about 4,500 rpm (with the Accord) and when I was looking for a new car recently I avoided this with other makes like the plague! lol Now have a TD with 330Nm of torque at 1,800 rpm (I think) and it's great having so much pulling power at low revs!

Funny enough about 6 years ago, I had a Rover 600, built on the accord chassis and with the same engine and never had a problem with that, The Civics are certainly not built aswell.
I know Renault get a slating for reliability, but we have had one if not 2 in the house for the last 6 years and none of them have had any real problems, as I said the biggest problem I had in the Scenic was the dashboard packing up, which although a PITA was dealt with within 24hrs by the garage.

Like everything you can only say how you find things and cars, like everything else are a personal choice, personally I would never have a ford, but I know plenty of people who swear by them.

 

[tdcist]

I've had the Supe now for approx 11 years. She's pretty quick, but I haven't driven her in the last week or so due to the snow/ice etc...

i'd love a supra, theyre wicked!!

 

[Smoot]

When I was 21 I bought myself an MR2

Toyota MR2 Turbo MK2 Rev2 GT-S Tbar... to give it all the little letters

Black, T-bar roof, 17's and a BIG twin exit exhaust system. I'd always wanted this car and I found this one at a ridiculously cheap price, the previous owner had done almost everything imaginable to it, Turbo had been uprated, Intercooler, Dump valve, turbo timer and launch system, the works!

Anyone who has ever driven one of these cars will know what im’ talking about, .. Go-kart, it drives like a go kart!

It was mid engined, BIG 2 Litre turbo over the back wheels, when in the decent revs you could slide it round a corner with only the modest of feathering the pedal; it has so much bloody torque that you could turn right out of a road end and do a 270 degree slide to go left with ease! It was unbelievably loud, driving past any modern car with its alarm activated would kick it off with the exhaust resonance!

The car was a piece of work alright, the previous owner had it dyno'd at over 290Bhp... on an 18 year old car, it was a 1992 with mostly modern parts. It was savage to drive, lowered all the way with Tein coilovers, there was no roll whatsoever - you were going forwards or sideways, nothing else.

On a cool crisp morning it was possible to lift the front wheels off the ground with launch control!

I've always had contempt for those idiots who drive around in Novas (and other hatchbacks) with the loud exhausts and the dodgy bodykits - I took great pleasure in having a cheeky drag with some of them on the way home from school in Sheffield last year.

20Mpg on a VERY good day, 15 on a bad!

Being an import it needed the 99RON V-power stuff to really fly, boy did it cost an arm and a leg to run

The snow? oh lord! When school was shut last year, I took it out to the tescos car park and slid it around with ease, RWD is such a laugh - I actually have some videos of it on my phone from the drivers seat. After a little practise i could do about full laps of the roundabout with the back end hanging all the way round before i would get close to a kerb or end up backwards - It's a shame it doesn’t snow more often

For a car that was 18 years old, it never broke down ONCE! It was just super expensive to run!


After all that glory – it’s now sitting in a garage at home in Ireland because I can’t afford to keep 2 cars, and I drive a silly economical diesel focus.

Someday – I’ll get my MR2 back, someday!


Rich

 

[nilagin]

Like everything you can only say how you find things and cars, like everything else are a personal choice, personally I would never have a ford, but I know plenty of people who swear by them.

Your loss, our gain.

 

[wack61]

Been there, done that and wasted a fortune!

Me too, If I see something that looks like a bargain I buy it run it for a bit then flog it for roughly what I paid for it.

My XK8 was bought with a blown gearbox for £2,500, the land rover cost the same and the Megane is a 2007 with 15k on the clock for £3,500

3 cars for 50% of the cost of a new focus which will probably still be worth the same next year as they are now.

I tried to convince a friend who buys a new car every 3 years to do the same, his reply was he doesn't run cars without warranty because they're expensive to repair when they break :bonk:

We'll just ignore the £300 a month he's shelling out then :rules:

I know which I'd rather have...

I'm guessing the Defender given the username

It's a bit better now it has a new steering box and back axle, the shunt is down by 60% because the diff doesn't have 1/3 turn play in it anymore, the steering was worse, you could turn the wheel 1/3 of a turn in either direction and still drive in a straight line

 

[tdcist]

Your loss, our gain.

i agree, i've had fords and never had any issues, my dad had has fords all his life and no issues... however my neighbour had 2 focuses, and had nothing but trouble with both of them!

 

[gman]

I have to admit, I would never touch Ford and always preferred Vauxhalls before going with Mazda (before Ford really got involved) and then Honda.

But I think Ford have really upped their game, especially around 2000 onwards. More recently they appear to be valued as good, if not better, than many German rivals. I'm very impressed not only with how nice the Mondeo is to drive but also how solid and well put together it seems to be. I've no regrets with changing to Ford but time will tell! lol

The MD at work has a fairly new S-Class and apart from the monthly work being done on it including a whole new front seat, the engine is clanking away like a tractor. Pile of stinking poo if you ask me! Their afterservice is shocking as well.

There's a few here who have the BMW 320D ED and although they are definitely built cheaper than the standard BMW 3 series (to save weight), their engines really are outstanding. 0-60mph in less than 8 seconds but can also return almost 70mpg! Now that is good!

 

[onomatopoeia]

I must admit, I hate the bloody variable timing (VTEC) as you've got b****r all power until about 4,500 rpm

You get almost the normal amount of power for that capacity until the cam timing changes, then you get "extra" power without sacrificing driveablity. Consequently it feels like it's low on power at low revs, but without the variable cam timing it just carries on with "low" power as the revs climb, so it feels normal. There is a little bit of a sacrifice inherent in the VTEC system but it's not huge.

It is possible to design it so the power comes in without a big step, my car has "variocam" - the same principle of varying the camshaft timing basially, different manufacturer and different method of operation - and does this. My race car doesn't, that has a very lumpy camshaft and it's like someone's lit an afterburner when it gets to 5000rpm, it just takes off and flies to 9500 (and past, if I'm not alert. The valves bounce at 10200).

 

[tdcist]

My race car doesn't, that has a very lumpy camshaft and it's like someone's lit an afterburner when it gets to 5000rpm, it just takes off and flies to 9500 (and past, if I'm not alert. The valves bounce at 10200).

And there is my diesel car red lined at 4500

 

[puggie]

You get almost the normal amount of power for that capacity until the cam timing changes, then you get "extra" power without sacrificing driveablity. Consequently it feels like it's low on power at low revs, but without the variable cam timing it just carries on with "low" power as the revs climb, so it feels normal. There is a little bit of a sacrifice inherent in the VTEC system but it's not huge.

It is possible to design it so the power comes in without a big step, my car has "variocam" - the same principle of varying the camshaft timing basially, different manufacturer and different method of operation - and does this. My race car doesn't, that has a very lumpy camshaft and it's like someone's lit an afterburner when it gets to 5000rpm, it just takes off and flies to 9500 (and past, if I'm not alert. The valves bounce at 10200).

If you set the VTEC point right it is seamless, on my integra with vtec changing at 6k rpm its very noticable with a real kick, but lower it to 4700rpm and the power delivery is seamless, you just notice the exhaust note change and it keeps pulling.

 

[onomatopoeia]

And there is my diesel car red lined at 4500

The race car uses a 40 year old Hillman Imp engine which in turn was designed in the 1950s. So 10,000 revs is 'fine'. Don't make them like they used to!

When your diesel is red lined mine's not even on cam .

 

[tdcist]

lol! and its still going?? i'm impressed!!

hehe not even on cam! thats stupid lol! and to be fair i usually change at 3500 to keep in the power band!!

 

[onomatopoeia]

lol! and its still going?? i'm impressed!!

hehe not even on cam! thats stupid lol! and to be fair i usually change at 3500 to keep in the power band!!

It's been rebuit a few times . To get more power always involves making the engine work at higher revs, as power is a multiple of torque and revs, so you move the torque up the rev range through better gas flow, longer camshaft openings and so on. All of this compromises low rpm driveability as the gas flow is then too slow to work properly, which is why things like VTEC came along to give the best of both worlds.

Without the incredibly aggressive camshaft and cylinder head design I'm using I wouldn't get 130bhp from a naturally aspirated one litre engine . It fair sings (or howls) on full chat though , when it works!

 

[tdcist]

Thats one limiting factor of my engine design... Even after god knows how many mods, i wouldnt get over 150bhp... because the head doesnt flow very well... after all it is a 20+ yr old design!! lol

a simple remap on mine takes it from 115 to 146, with 350nm of torque... but even with a decat, hybrid turbo, bigger injectors etc, i'd struggle getting over that 150 without being the first to try porting a 1.8TDCi head! lol

 

[nilagin]

Thats one limiting factor of my engine design... Even after god knows how many mods, i wouldnt get over 150bhp... because the head doesnt flow very well... after all it is a 20+ yr old design!! lol

a simple remap on mine takes it from 115 to 146, with 350nm of torque... but even with a decat, hybrid turbo, bigger injectors etc, i'd struggle getting over that 150 without being the first to try porting a 1.8TDCi head! lol

I reckon if you fit a decat, straight through exhaust, larger intercooler and even a not too extreme remap you could manage 150bhp. You'll probably get more to the gallon too if you can resist leaning on the loud pedal all the time.
I'm hoping for around 190-200bhp from my ST TDCi just waiting for this darned weather to improve so I can make a start on it.
Also need to decide on whether to go full blown straight through stainless steel exhaust, a bigger bore stainless exhaust but retain the back box or just have the back box cut off my existing exhaust and have a larger bore stainless tailpipe added instead.

 

[mj4456]

I remember a Hillman Imp used as a "hot rod" at our local stock car track, it went superbly, steel innards in an alloy block/head? my Honda S2k has a vtec point of about 6k and revs to 9.2k, after driving the peugeot diesel all week a drive in this is just what I need to clear the head, best with the top down.

 

[onomatopoeia]

I remember a Hillman Imp used as a "hot rod" at our local stock car track, it went superbly, steel innards in an alloy block/head?

Yep, all alloy block and head. The innards were cast rather than machined from billet as standard, as is my race engine, as EN40B billet cranks are over £3000 so I don't have one! Even the standard engine was safe for 8000rpm without modification, lightening, balancing and a block strengthening plate takes you to 9500 without needing steel internals.

I'm a bit of an Imp nerd

 

[H2O]

Another Celica driver here although i have the older Gen 6 version.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj41/harry_02D/Celica GT/GT54.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj41/harry_02D/Celica GT/GT52.jpg

It's the best car i've ever had. 14 years old and never gives me any trouble.

 

[AJQS]

Another Celica driver here although i have the older Gen 6 version.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj41/harry_02D/Celica GT/GT54.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj41/harry_02D/Celica GT/GT52.jpg

It's the best car i've ever had. 14 years old and never gives me any trouble.

And another, Although Gen 5 for me!

I've had 3 of them, although I've now got a Honda Civic and am attempting to sell the last of my Celicas as it's 20 years old and has been nothing but trouble since I bought it - didnt stop me spendng afortune on it and loved every minute of driving it.

Celica 1:

Celica 2:

Celica 3:

And the current Civic:

I'm still a member of Celica Club UK, and have got the brown one in Next years club calendar!

 

[TCR4x4]

I'm guessing the Defender given the username

It's a bit better now it has a new steering box and back axle, the shunt is down by 60% because the diff doesn't have 1/3 turn play in it anymore, the steering was worse, you could turn the wheel 1/3 of a turn in either direction and still drive in a straight line

All part of the charm! When I bought my 109, I drove it out of the guys house and came up to a roundabout where a car was coming round. I pressed the brake pedal, and nothing... Not even a hint of slowing down.

Poor grandad in the car coming round almost had a heart attack as 2 ton of army landrover came hurtling towards him. Thankfully I managed to avoid a major collision!.

Managed to get home (50 mile drive :nono and adgusted the brake drums about 5 full turns before they actually had any effect. And it supposedly passed an MOT the day before I bought it. :bonk: