Cars u test drove b4 buying ur current

[Simon172]

I wrote this yesterday but just before id finished writing a review on each test drive my computer crashed before i could post it! gol dang it!

Anyway, I test drove a load of different cars prior to buying mine.


Proton Gti - nice looking but horrible/cheap interior, good handling but very slow and unresponsive/gutless.
Peugeot 106 gti - very nice looking (red), lovely handling and impressive 1.6 engine/pulling power really liked it, kept doing 2nd gear wheelspins!
Peugeot 206 gti - engine felt nice and torquey, not too sure on looks, didnt really test the handling, brother didnt like the pedal layout.
Peugeot 306 gti-6 - (not an arranged test drive, a customers car at work i took for a test toast) lovely seating position, seemed to rev forever 1st gear! really nice looking (still love them), torquey engine, hated steering lock no chance of 3-point turns! exceptional handling, impressive.
Impreza turbo prodrive pack 240bhp - very nice acceleration surge pulled and pulled, handling fantastic and seating position/seats were lovely.
Oettinger-bodykitted-Bora V5- very nice looking car with 18inch rims, sounded nice and didnt test the handling. Cant really remember it, seemed a bit bora-ing...
Honda Prelude 2.2 VTEC L-reg 93 - very nice looking in dark green, lovely digitally-imposed-analogue dials, nice low seating position, cars engine note was great. Didnt test handling, but the steering felt precise.
Honda CRX 1.6 SiR VTEC 91 - good condition import 158 bhp with knock sensor, lovely engine note especially at 8000 rpm, revs to 8500 rpm. Handling was a bit boaty - perhaps warn shocks at front? no low end torque, but lovely car despite this.
Rover BRM - test drove this and loved it, nice handling, cool looks, nice power etc. heritage/exclusivity etc etc. My bro bought it.
Toyota MR2 Turbo 95 M-reg - 242 bhp and very nice looking, did NOT like the driving experience, the front end felt like it was floating and would be dangerous in a fast chicane-type environment. Nice engine noises coming from behind you tho.
Thats about all i can remember so far. In the end chose the Clio as it was offered at a good deal with warranty etc and i liked the looks/speed/handling etc. Also insurance isnt too much of a nightmare either like it would be with the japanese exotics.

Your turn!

 

[Bryan]

206 2.0 HDi - didnt buy it because the salesman was far too pushy

Punto Sporting - didnt buy it because it was yellow (picky i know), but as a 1.2 16ver they are something different, they handle beautifully (for a 1.2) and the engines seem to have so much power (for a 1.2)

Fiesta 1.25 Zetec - didnt but it coz its a ford

 

[Viv172]

Saxo VTS ...liked it but far to common

Saxo VTR... poor second after driving the VTS!!!

Fiesta 1.6 Zetec sport.... Already had 8 Fiestas and fancied a change (my mum bought it!!)

Fiesta RS Turbo ... loads of fun but wanted something newer

MGZR.. Looked good but bounced all over the road!!!!(my hubby bought an MGZS180 whilst I was test driving it!!)

Pug 106 GTI.... Nice car, but wanted at bit more (my sister bought one!)

After sorting my whole family with cars!!! finnaly test drove a 172 mk1 and instantly fell in love with it!!!!! Shopped around and found my Mk2 just before christmas

 

[ReNWiLL]

172: Was ok but pig ugly, looked like the rest of the new clios. Blase, blase.

Valver: Was good, fairly rare but had to rev it to get anywhere.....pondered for a few....then decided to test the Willy.

Willy: over priced but damn sexy. Loved the attention, felt quicker than both of the above, loved the exclusivity, handling, interior etc.

Nissan Sunny GTI-R: Mental, sheer and utter x rated fun. Was way faster than all of the above but the fact of 14mpg on a run and 400 sovs for a new clutch plate, supply only ! and the ugliness made me choose the Willy.

Never regretted it since.

Bill

 

[tumbleweed]

Williams are old and tired now dont you think?

 

[matt_arundale]

lol, far far far far far far faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar from it! timeless in my opinion!!! did i mention they were far from old and tired?

Matt

 

[desmondo]

WIlliams are deffinately not old and tired - have you seen them go? Feck.

CTR - it was OK but felt too big - like it had enough room for 5 peops + sleeping accomadation. Had the test drive whilst it was pissing it down so didnt really get a feel for the car. It felt more torquey low down than what people give it credit for - not as peaky as everyone makes out. And the gear shift was fecking excellent - took a bit of getting used to but after 5 mins felt very natural.

Alfa 147 - NIce car. The interior was gorgeous. Selespeed was fun to use - especially the blip of revs on down changes - but I thought the novalty would wear off after a while - the suspension bottomed out on a couple of occasions on the test drive - too heavy for 150 bhp.

306 GTi 6 - loved everything about this car - all except the interior - didnt like the look of it. It was 18 months old and only 7K on the clock - prime example aswell. Put down a deposit but backed out at the last minute.

Tried to get a test drive in an Ibiza Cupra 1.8 T - Arsole dealer let me down twice and just didnt seem interested in selling me a car - mailto:tw@t">tw@t.

Clio 172 - bought one!

Rich

 

[matt_arundale]

ryan on here was looking at gettin himself ibiza cupra, rare as f@ck at the mo to buy, cos they have stopped making them, nearest one to us, near heathrow, was in bournemouth i think, i wanted him to test drive it so i could pop into k tech, lol

Matt

 

[Nick Read]

Some old Scooby WRX from 1994. The standard brakes were frighteningly bad considering how quick you can get up to speed in a Scooby.

 

[FunkyASFunk]

Civic Type R - felt like i should change my name to ashmal patel tho!

Saxo VTS - No comment..

 

[Twit]

Elise S1, great car just not practical enough in the job I do...

Elise S2, better than an S1 but again not practical enough

TVR Chimeara 5.0, prcatical enough, easily affordable but running a 5 litre engine everyday round town would not a huge laugh!

Alfa 147, if the GTA had been launched I would have bought it but it wasnt. Standard 147 is nice but not sporty (naff word) enough!

Golf V6 4motion, did everything well but not as good as the Cup. I had a chance to buy a R32 but could not test it and didn want to risk it!

I tested the Cup basically to persuade me that I should buy either the R32 or the TVR, I didnt expect much!! But I was bowled over and the price!!! Ill have two...

Twit

 

[FunkyASFunk]

oh and i drove the elise too...but found that i was sholder to sholder with my g/f in the passenger seat! gettin in and out without lookin like a right dick was hard too!!

 

[towser]

NONE!

 

[telford_mike]

Civic Type R - test drove it 3 times - drove the salesman crazy. Good engine, weird gearbox, too big, poorly equipped and I think the one I tried had no suspension and 4 flat tyres. Couldnt possibly have lived with it 7 days a week.

 

[Craggy]

clio cup,

bought vts

 

[GR7]

Craggy

How is the VTS going?

 

[KDF]

Quote: Originally posted by tumbleweed on 17 January 2003

Williams are old and tired now dont you think?

I got slated for saying that in another post, but I have to agree, they look boxy and dated, the interior looks cheap too.

But as for engine and performance abilities, they are brill.

Its like the 205 GTi I used to own, what a brill car, but interior was sooo dated, and the 205 GTis looks are getting really old, you need to spend a lot of money on the 205 GTi to update the looks..

 

[Craggy]

the cars great GR, have been a bit pissed off with the lack of traction on the greasy roads, particularly roundabouts, still love driving it though, oh and its got the rattles and squeaks as standard!, am dying to mod it but money and keeping the warranty intact are fighting me off!

craggy

 

[Ben H]

Each to their own, but I love the 16v/Williams bodywork - and I think many other people do. Every car goes through a phase of ageing, but I think the 16v/Willy is doing very well compared to all the other hot hatches of the era...

I just wanted to start a new sentence, so that I wouldnt have to mention the name of those illustrious cars in the same sentence as Corsa GSi and Ford Fiesta.

When was the last time a major manufacturer released a homologated hot hatch, with wide arches and a bonnet bulge/vent?

 

[Dafydd]

Corsa gsi- nice car to drive i thought,but then my gfriend bought one....ive said all i need to

Peugot 106 rallye s2- fast very fast but stripped out so no creature comforts at all, i couldnt be without central locking

 

[Colin_S]

I think the 16v/Willy is one of the best looking cars on the road. I have loved them since I was 14, turned 17 and bought a 1400 RT, wrote it off, bought another RT, sold it 1 1/2 years ago and got my 16v. They only other car I have test drove thinking about buying was another black 16v before I got mine but it had had a crash and the respray on the near wing was not so good.

 

[viceroy]

I didnt test drive anything, just went out and bought it.

I did have a 1.4 16V before this so I knew I liked the car. Before that however I test drove a ford ikon (sedan version of a fiesta) and hated it

 

[OutKa5t]

Before my first 16v I test drove a Ford Puma Black

 

[RobFenn]

I think its a bit far saying a 16v or williams is one of the best looking cars on the road. Hatchbacks are hardly ever good looking, they can look quite muscular but thats about the limit. At the end of the day a really good looking car is going to be a coupe. These cars have aged, they are boxy, but still look good but the only time ive never thought wow when looking at one unless theyre spotless with nice wheels.

I bought my new clio on looks alone, didnt even sit in it!

 

[cyue005]

true agree with u rob

lately i test drove a MG ZS. quite good handling but nah built is pretty shockin

TT quattro. cool coupe. to damn small

ahha loan car today 1.8T Beetle yipee. back to the yipee days i wasnt even born !! but yeh nice swift if u r not demanding alot then its pretty damn good really. gay lookin though haha not for me

S4. oh no i fell in love with this bad boy! the quattro system they make travel much more stable. i think i m lovin that 400nm torque at 1800 rpm.. or chip it 500nm n 220kw... ..... n those recaro leather seats oh baby!...handling its not very entertainin. light wheel . actually the TT has the heaviest wheel for some reason bloody strange. S4 doenst have much turbo lag. makes cruisin excellent....... not much wind noise untill 210kms n. then up to 230-240 it sounds like u r in a roadster with the top down for some reason the wind gush gets into the seams between the roof n ur front screen.