What has been the "best" car you owned?

[Don Barzini]

What has been your "best" car and why?

Been driving for over 20 years now and between me and my wife, we've owned a fair few different cars. But my personal best has been a Toyota Avensis estate.

Bought it when it was 10 years old and had over 80,000 miles on the clock. Cost me just over 2 grand to buy and was originally meant to be a short term thing. Ended up keeping it for a few years and put another 70,000 miles on it. Apart from replacing a few wear items along the way e.g. tyres, brakes etc I hardly had to spend any money on it. It never gave me a moment of trouble. It was still running as smoothly when I got rid of it as it did the day I bought it. I only got rid of it because I felt it was time for a change and I regretted it afterwards.

I've owned cars before and since then that have cost me far more to buy and run. None of them have come close to the reliability my 10 year old, 2 grand Avensis gave me!

I've never been much of a petrol head. I've spent lots of money on cars in the past and have found spending more doesn't guarantee fewer hassles from them! A car is always a depreciating asset and I'm at the point that I resent spending a lot on them! So for me, "best" means the one that gave me fewest hassles in terms of finance and reliability.

Obviously though, a "best" car will mean different things to different people. Curious to hear from others on what represents "best" for them.

 

[PJ87]

What has been your "best" car and why?

Been driving for over 20 years now and between me and my wife, we've owned a fair few different cars. But my personal best has been a Toyota Avensis estate.

Bought it when it was 10 years old and had over 80,000 miles on the clock. Cost me just over 2 grand to buy and was originally meant to be a short term thing. Ended up keeping it for a few years and put another 70,000 miles on it. Apart from replacing a few wear items along the way e.g. tyres, brakes etc I hardly had to spend any money on it. It never gave me a moment of trouble. It was still running as smoothly when I got rid of it as it did the day I bought it. I only got rid of it because I felt it was time for a change and I regretted it afterwards.

I've owned cars before and since then that have cost me far more to buy and run. None of them have come close to the reliability my 10 year old, 2 grand Avensis gave me!

I've never been much of a petrol head. I've spent lots of money on cars in the past and have found spending more doesn't guarantee fewer hassles from them! A car is always a depreciating asset and I'm at the point that I resent spending a lot on them! So for me, "best" means the one that gave me fewest hassles in terms of finance and reliability.

Obviously though, a "best" car will mean different things to different people. Curious to hear from others on what represents "best" for them.

One of my favs was the 320d I had 06 plate back in 2009, that was lovely to drive

My alhambra I love to bits. It's just so practical. Massive , 7 seats. 3 kids in car seats just perfect in that sense

Love my electric Corsa ATM to drive. Great for work and less than £1 a day to run for 50 miles

 

[Imurg]

Favourite was a 1985 Toyota Corolla GT
Little 3 door hatchback with all the skirts and spoilers.
More than enough performance, wide tyres, exhaust the size of a grapefruit and the associated noise.
Loved it.

 

[jim8flog]

Vauxhall Cavalier MK 1 2l Auto.

Bought S/H and served me well for years. Lots of stop start motoring in my job and only sold when I moved to a much hillier location and the MPG jumped to around 15-18 as a result.

 

[Jensen]

Without doubt my C Class Mercedes. It was a 250TD automatic sport. Fantastic drive, so smooth with the auto gearbox. Great all round vision and very comfortable.
Everything about it put a smile on my face in addition to the pointed star on the bonnet.

 

[chrisd]

A titanium coloured Lotus Elise. Difficult to get in and out of but great fun to drive. Bought it secondhand, had it about 3 years, and got back pretty much what we paid for it .

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Mini with a vtec engine in.

Great fun, fast, good handling, just enough room in the back for the children, noisy, bouncy, looked fairly standard on the outside but a wolf in sheep clothing, like driving a go kart. Many a smile provided.

 

[SteveW86]

tough choice for me, so its between two:

mk1 vw golf, which had been played with a little bit. Took the engine from a mk3 golf gti (2l 16v) and put this in with some individual throttle bodies, full engine management system and a rather tasty exhaust. Interior was stripped, so it was super light and a bit of an animal to drive.

or

BMW E91 335d Estate. This car did pretty much everything I think I would ever want a car to do, super comfortable and a really nice drive along with enough grunt to surprise quite a lot of people. It also looked really nice sat lowered on coilovers and a set of CSL alloys.

 

[SatchFan]

BMW E38 740i in Royal Red. Had it for 15 years and absolutely loved it. Eventually replaced it with a BMW 335i which is really nice given the spec but never felt quite the same about it.

 

[cliveb]

The naughtiest car I ever owned was a TVR Taimar. A work colleague lived in the next street and told me when he heard it start up in the morning he knew it was time to get up.

The best handling was a Celica GT4. Only 4WD I ever had, and it just went exactly where you pointed it.

But ergonomically, with the best driving position and exactly the right amount of wind-in-the-hair, was (don't laugh) a TR7 convertible. Only drop-top I ever had that was comfortable with the windows down. It was slow and had pretty horrible handling, but there was something about it that felt just right when the sun was out.

Never had a Lotus. Always lusted after a series 1 Elise (sex on wheels), but now at my current age doubt if I could even get in & out of one.

Now I have a Skoda

 

[Mandofred]

Just not a fair question. Best.....or favourite? Favourite.....early 70's mini Clubman.....piece of crap really.....but I liked it. Best...probably a 2011 Subaru Forester.

 

[Stegsie]

Probably my XR2i when I was 18! Bloody loved that car!!!

In all honesty, it probably has to be my current BMW. F10 520 M Sport. Been driving BMW's for best part of 20 years and this is 100% the best I've had. Super comfortable, quick when it has to be and a dream to drive.

 

[Piece]

I had a few cars. Decent ones were my tuned BMW 535d Touring and Mini Cooper S. The BMW was very fast mid range but dull to drive, and the Mini was great fun but a harsh, hard ride.

My top three though, reverse order:

3. Previous car, Audi A6 Avant diesel, Black Edition. Faultless and a really nice drive.

2. Subaru Impreza UK, circa 1997. Superb handling car and my first performance motor. Written off by a drunk driver (not me). Replaced it with a more powerful STi variant but just didn't handle the same.

1. My current car, Audi RS6. Twin turbo V8. Quattro performance. Nice toys. Dynamic mode when you want beans and comfort when you want to chill and cruise. Just love everything about it (except maybe the mpg...).

 

[Deleted member 17920]

For pure comfort easily the obscure Renault Vel Satis 3.0d Initiale.

Top spec as well.

 

[2blue]

Have been driving for about 55 years but have only owned just over a doz different cars the 2 best, being......
a 1966 MG Midget, bought 2nd hand & owned for some 15 years or so. Loved doing the DIY mechanics on it.... still have the Dwell-meter in the garage.. haha
Then several 'family' cars until....
2002 Celica 190bhp bought 2nd hand & re-sold after 5 years for the same money..... fastest & best handling car I ever owned. Never ceases to amaze me that in those 5 years I never got a speeding ticket.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Mk5 Golf gti

I work in a small market town about 15 miles from home. So the country roads are perfect for the golf to enjoy itself.

 

[MegaSteve]

This is another question that falls into the category of "ask me another time and you'll get a different response"...

But, for what ever reason, I am currently yearning after my Mk2 Cortina Savage...

 

[Sats]

Mk5 Golf gti

I work in a small market town about 15 miles from home. So the country roads are perfect for the golf to enjoy itself.

I had a mk5 Gti and it was fantastic.

 

[backwoodsman]

Been owning cars for 40 years - but only had 6. My best was my Sierra 2iS . The wife bought it at huge discount from her company - was 2yr old and only 3k on the clock. Looked as staid as heck, but shifted pretty smartly. Nicest is current Skoda. Comfy, comfy and lots of buttons - which is all I really want in a car.

 

[DanFST]

Favourite was a 1985 Toyota Corolla GT
Little 3 door hatchback with all the skirts and spoilers.
More than enough performance, wide tyres, exhaust the size of a grapefruit and the associated noise.
Loved it.

I'm very jealous, they are worth ALOT now.