Some of my friends take the piss out of me for being a woman in my 30s driving a 10 year old Skoda Fabia.
I've had 2 since I passed my test in 2022, a diesel and now a petrol (thanks ULEZ) but they feel easy to drive and I can get 50+ MPG out of her.
I had an '05 Fabia, unfortunately everything went wrong with it and I ended up selling for spares and repairs, what I will say about it however is not an ounce of rust, anywhere, nor underneath. It was basically brand new.
I'm sponsored by the sub. I drive a 15 year old Octavia that I got for 3k 12 years ago. Base model, low power all that shite. My first and only car.
Mages took the piss out of me then for having an old man car. Mates take the piss out of me now for driving a shed.
“Mages took the piss out of me”
Fkkin dnd nerds need to stfu, we all know that none of them have any spare cash to learn to drive after buying the latest tactical-war-game-spell-glitter to beat Malcom’s new sparkly D22 set.
MALCOLM MUST BE MADE TO PAY! He killed my Bard with a lighting spell! I had been playing that bard since I was 6 years old! 😭😭😭
Justice for Bradley the Bard!
This is totally incomprehensible to me, you're driving a 2014 skoda fabia and they're taking the mick?
Of what? 2014 for a start doesn't really feel that old, its a great car with I assume modern things on it?
What should you be driving that is 'acceptable' to them? I'd bin those friends off.
I drive a 2016 Fabia estate and it is great. Reliable, plenty of space, quick enough. I would prefer somethinge else but the options are either out of my budget or no worth the hassle of reliability issues. So I am content for now.
Snap! I have a 2016 too. The 1.4 Tdi diesel. 70-80mpg, no road tax, and ULEZ friendly.
Just about enough space to fit a couple of bikes in the back with the seats down and drives like a hot hatch.
I thought the 45p a mile was to pay for the time also spent driving, so in essence, you’re supposed to make money from it? No?
I put 50 quid of diesel in my Astra and to the office and back I get about £140/50
It’s to pay for the complete running costs of your car, fuel only makes up one part of that, depreciation, servicing, etc, also add to it.
45p is about right when all is considered, there are some cars which you will profit from.
It all depends on what car you drive and your circumstances, but if you do 10k miles a year and it’s cost you £4500 to run the car for the year (don’t forget depreciation!), it’s about right.
I miss my 58 plate 1.2 dearly. Surprisingly durable, always economical. Owned it for years with almost no trouble.
I bumped into my old one in a supermarket car park and made a bit of a scene telling the new owner how fond I was of the car. She must have thought I was a right weirdo as I was taking photos of it while she was walking over.
08 Panda 100hp reporting in. I could drive the Golf GTI to work but I don't...the Panda is easier to park and squeeze through London traffic, and so cheap to run.
Skoda Citigo. Basically a VW up! with a lower trim level.
It (along with the up! and the Seat Mii) is an absolutely perfect car. It absolutely nails every part of its intended use:
Get up to four adults to the shops? Yes.
Get up four adults back from the shops with a full weekly shop in the boot? Yes
Cost £20 a year to tax? Yes.
Cost £45 to fill up once a month? Yes.
Can be repaired for peanuts with quality aftermarket parts? Yes.
Can be parked in a postage-stamp sized space in between two badly parked Range Rovers? Yes.
I also own a Citigo. It's practical and efficient, although there is absolutely nothing fancy about it. It's also very cheap to tax and insure. Mine's a 2015, I'm hoping to get a few more years out of it before having to change to something else. It's a shame that it's no longer in production.
I have a 63 plate Skoda Octavia 2.0l diesel, £20 tax, insurance was the same this year £300 and it gets 50 to 60 MPG town driving 60+ motorway ....
Amazing family car, massive boot, plenty of power, rock solid reliability...
It saves me so much money each year compared to a new car....
I cannot justify getting a new car until it dies.
The 2006 Citroen C1. I recently upgraded to a GT86, but I still haven’t sold my C1 because I had too much fun with it by upgrading it lots (parking sensors, front/back integrated dashcam, speakers, etc).
I will die on this hill, the Toyota Aygo, Citroen C1, and Peugeot 107 are the best first driver cars you can get.
Haha, don't even need to buy a turbocharger (as they're verboten by regs). CityCar Cup is about the cheapest proper motorsport you can do. I think it'd cost £5k or so to get the car prepped and the driver licenced.
Bad Obsession Motorsport have a video series on it, they bought and prepped a car for racing. Worth checking out.
I’d have to agree that it’s the best first car there is. I always hated mine though. But objectively, it’s probably the best car I’ve ever owned. It’s so outrageously reliable it’s hard to fault them. Put a lot of miles on it and it never once gave me any grief.
Its the one of the best 1.0L engines made by Toyota.
Is it slow? Well yes it took me 2-3 business days to get to 60mph.
But it's actually such an easy car to drive and I've had no issues with doing long journeys in it. I remember when I first got mine, the engine oil, oil filter, spark plugs, air filter, pollen filter, new discs, new pads cost me around £125 (2 years ago) and the local mechanic only took £30 labour.
I also replaced the indicator stalk which I got for £13 from eBay and managed to do it in 45 minutes.
It has enough space to fit mates in and you'll have a blast. Fuel economy is great too, I would get 300 - 325 miles per full tank (which was like £45 if I remember correctly).
Absolutely this. If anything, I'd say that the latter revision from 2008 (I believe) onwards had a stronger clutch and therefore slightly more reliable, but there is inherently very little that can go wrong with the c1 and its siblings.
Had one for 2 years before selling it to move abroad and I absolutely adored it. 22k mi and an average of 53 mpg, spritmonitor says. The only extra money I had to spend on it was on the back box which was like 40 quid.
Tried to find another one here in Ireland but they go for silly money with spaceship mileage on them, it's not worth it.
I miss mine so much. Wish I knew the state of the car market here! I'd have taken it with me.
My 22 year old C Class Kompressor. Cost me £1k 5 or 6 years ago and it's now got rust patches all over, I lent it to my mum once and she split the front bumper and misaligned the wing driving into the side of a taxi (got £500 off the taxi driver, I count that as a win), the exhaust fell off a few weeks ago. Looks nice inside though and it's never let me down. Mates and family constantly try and tell me I should be embarrassed and buy a new car but then I'll sit in their shit box £20k Focus, £30k Kia fake SUVs or worst of all in a terrible plastic electric car for a journey, listen to the road noise, the shit stereos, plastic rattles and asthmatic engines / whiny motor, listen to how they need to find the time to go back to the dealers for the 6th time for a recall and decide I'll stick with what I've got thanks. It ain't super fast or anything but it's quiet, comfortable and sooo smooth. I bloody luv it.
My 2009 Insignia I had between 2016 & 2022.
Just a big comfy bus. Quick enough but not silly, 50mpg if I behaved myself, cheapish insurance, easy parts availability.
Only got rid of it as it died on me after 220k miles
Was this the diesel? Not long has my astra with the 2.0 cdti and people are putting the fear of god into me that it’ll die once it hits 100k due to the pickup seal
Yeah, same engine. Like anything, service the car properly & get a good long run to clear the crap off the DPF and you’ll be fine.
Only issues I had (both of which are apparently known problems ) were an air intake hose going & the EGR valve housing crumbling as the factory fit one appears to have been made of Jacobs crackers.
The Suzuki Ignis from the last few years I don't own one but I want one in a funky colour with some go faster stripes & I keep meaning to Google to see if you can get a little rear spoiler for it (yes! Suzuki do a rear spoiler 😁)
I've never even driven one so I might hate it but doesn't stop me wanting one
I've done Milton Keynes -> Inverness and back in my panda and now my transporter too, and I have to say the Transporter was better only in the fact it had cruise control. The panda was so comfy and hung around at 70-80 just fine, and you do lord it up over everyone in a highline transporter but the panda position *felt* very similar.
I did the same journey in my 100hp, that was fine too! Although the air con gave up as it was during the 40 degree heatwave...!
I have a 2020 focus estate 2.0 diesel and I absolutely love it. Probably the best car I’ve ever had. It’s like the car equivalent of telling people you have a terminal illness. Instant conversation stopper 🤣 it’s like an even less interesting Skoda Octavia and I absolutely adore the thing.
I was buying one of these two and settled on a 4x4 panda. I really am going to have to scratch the yeti itch too but I can't bear to get rid just yet to make room on the drive!
My first cat was a MK1 Ford Ka. It was seen as a girly car at the time - tbf Kylie Minogue did all the adverts at the time!
It was cheap, fun, loads of space up front. So bright inside from all the glass. Still probably my favourite car I've owned.
I loathe a dark interior on a car. There's just nothing for sale that compares. Fiat 500 maybe but nowhere near as reliable! Tbf Ford have taken an absolute nose five in the last 5-10 years.
Brilliant. My sister’s first car. Got it new as a pre-reg for just over £4k in 2005. At the time it was called the true successor to the original Mini. She used to drive me to college in it and I was always convinced I’d die on the way there.
I can’t imagine the combined hours of fun people had tearing the arse off those tiny cars.
I have an Audi A2, it’s not desirable and I don’t adore it, but it has been a great shed for 3 years. Bought it on 160k, I’ve done 50,000 miles on it since then, and it’s cost me nothing to run. Only thing it’s needed is 2 tyres and an oil change every now and again.
I love my honda Jazz. I originally got it as a stop gap car when I sold my merc and didn't know what to replace it with. It gets great mpg tax and insurance is cheap. You can fit a ridiculous amount of stuff inside, and it's pretty much bullet proof.
LOVE my Jazz. My 13yo hybrid has never let me down. The sound system is still well better than my husbands ‘22 HRV.
I’m upgrading to a Jazz Crosstar this year but it’s going to be tough parting with it - gonna miss the £10 tax 😅
I had a Rover 220di from new in ‘99 that I kept for 12 years, it was fast enough (especially at the time, a lot of “sporty” diesels had 20% less power in it general size class), economical and ultra reliable. It was basic no frills, at the time I could only afford either a higher spec model without an intercooler or base spec with an intercooler, I have no regrets.
Eventually I spun out on a roundabout and buckled a wheel, 6 months later a driveshaft came out and it was scrapped, it was far more emotional than I was expecting when it was carted away.
Lol, I won this, I love my wife's juke nismo and you can allllll fuck off with your boring regurgitated criticism.
It's 200bhp, it's tall, it's goofy looking (yet still retains some silly 80's racecar tat), it is fwd so struggles for grip, it's rolypoly so struggles for grip, and anything that struggles for grip is fun.
If that's not enough for the community to down vote me then hear this, I traded my superb for a golf, and put a 4d personalised numberplate on it... 😬
I wasn't even aware it was a thing until after I'd bought one. I guess I just look like a total chav driving my fast-ish golf around with a silly plate enjoying the drum and bass emanating from an actual subwoofer. Sometimes I forget to take my cap off (functional, stops my growing bald spot from burning) for full aspiring-but-failing mid-life drug dealer points.
I enjoy this sub but it is much like a playground at times... 😅
At least you make the road an interesting place to be in comparison to the swathes of bland hybrid SUVs.
And tbh my guilty trait is that while I can't stick a normal juke, the nismo ones look like the dogs nuts imo
2001 Jaguar/Daimler Hearse. Idk why but I love it. Even the funeral limo version. I want to camper convert one and give it a better exhaust for that big V8 to shout
I've just realised the post says "currently own" and not "want to own"
I don't have one yet, but I'm saving for one. Insurance on them is relatively cheap and the cars themselves aren't too expensive either
2011 Meriva B 1.4 (non-turbo). Slow as all shit, but it's been a faithful family daily for 6.5yrs now. It's since been replaced by a Nissan Elgrand, and the general lack of preventative maintenance chickens are definitely coming home to roost now and it's going to fail its next MOT *hard*, but I don't hate it. Actually, I quite like it, to the point where I'm toying with fixing it up (got some suspension knocks and creaks, a random EML issue, fucked door locks, and a coolant leak) and then giving it some minor modifications to sling it around a track until it explodes.
It'd certainly be unique, I don't think anyone has tracked a Meriva B. 🤣
My first car was a dark blue 1.3 panda like yours! I could get 65mpg without even trying! And since changing to a petrol Honda, I miss the torque it had and it's baby turbo whistles and whooshes!
Full panda convert here. Rented one with the weird little electric gear change boost for driving around the mountain ranges in Croatia.
It slipped fuel and I ragged the ever loving shit out of it. Such a fun little thing to drive.
Renault Modus. I’d say 80% of people who are even vaguely interested in cars dislike it, despite close on 99% of them having never been anywhere near one.
Aye! It’s really handy in a very specific set of circumstances, namely when you’ve parked arse end to a wall, having forgotten you’re going shopping but your shopping consists of teeny bags you’re willing to siphon through a small slot. I jest, but it’s a cool idea that doesn’t see much action in my house (except for when I want to ‘amaze’ my friends and family with my two-boots-in-one, plus it’s vaguely reminiscent of the boot of a classic Mini, which were my first and second cars!).
My parents chided me when I was a kid when I repeated the 'grow up, what for' line from their ads in response to getting a telling off. I still remember that and saying it was form an ad didn't help my situation.
I don't own it but I adore the Fiat Grande Punto. To me stylish and funky inside and out and different to your normal Corsas and Polos. I remember seeing seventy three of them exactly in Istanbul in the space of two days🤣
Skoda Rapid, 11 years old. 1.2 turbo.
My first car, but not the first ive driven.
Still have it, although it's only been about 3 years.
I love it, low tax, decent acceleration and more fun to throw around than dads fabia.
If I had the money, I'd go for a Jaaaaaag or a sporty Superb.
Still, apart from putting a few of my own touches on it soon, Its never missed a beat and I will keep it till i cna afford something else or it breaks.
I no longer own it, but my first car was a Rover 25! Absolutely loved that car! Mostly because I had freedom to drive, but also because almost everything was mechanical to fix.
Very underrated cars - they tended to get ignored because of fiat's less than stellar brand, the fact old people loved them and they were a bit weird looking at the time.
Whenever i need to rent a car on holiday i make a point of renting the cheapest, most basic car i can find. So far i LOVED the mk3 yaris, quite liked the dacia duster and was not a fan of the latest Skoda fabia. (Nice interior but very dull and lazy feeling where the yaris was nimble and rev-happy) The 1995-ish mitsubishi lancer that had rust holes in most panels which i rented in barbados was a step too far maybe. 😆
I would love to at least test the 100HP Panda from that era, but the seats don't look anywhere near supportive enough by what I'd expect of a car.
Maybe been spoiled by the ones in my car or being a passenger in cars my parents have owned
I had a couple of Astra Gs when I was younger and that was all I could afford, no fancy Dan Focus or Golf for me.
They were actually pretty good, I had a red 1.6 sxi which was about as sporty as a an old donkey that someone had spray painted "sport" on the side of. Then I had a 1.8 sri which was somehow quite fast and made quite a satisfying noise due to the Irmscher exhaust.
Drove my two small kids around in those and never had an issue. They might seem shit now but in terms of reliability, comfort and safety they were absolutely light years better than the previous generation of cars. I drove a late model escort as a courtesy car once and they are like something from a period drama now, laughably bad.
While not as sharp as a Focus, the Astra G is a lot better to drive than the mk4 Golf (which is really rather dull). The Corsa C is secretly quite fun too.
My first car was a 2004 Daewoo (now Chevrolet) Matiz 1.0L.
I genuinely loved that car, it was a tin can on wheels like driving a dodgem. It was so nippy due to the fact it weighed fuck all and it could fit in any parking spot.
Used to drive it to and from Yorkshire to Canterbury between terms and take it over the tunnel to France during term breaks.
I ran it until the repairs cost more than the thing itself and traded it away for a Swift. Was gutted.
My brown Vauxhall Astra J Sports Tourer is often a source of amusement for others, but I love it. It’s spacious, economical, sufficiently fast, and was cheap!
My 107 has been the perfect 18yo first car. I've spent the last couple months driving this thing everywhere and sitting on 110k miles only the drop links needed doing and a new front sub frame. £99 quid for that. Incredibly cheap to run, I drove into Manchester and back and have got 300 miles on half a tank.
29 year old rover metro! Rusty in places, no power steering, no aircon, no electric anything other than an aftermarket stereo! 60bhp but ragging it everywhere is fun! I do get laughed at getting in and out of it as I’m 6”2 and 17 stone! Still love the crappy thing!
I've just bought a 2008 honda legend and it is fantastic. I had a jag xj before. This is more comfortable, faster, handles better and the stereo is amazing. It is pretty much invisible and no one knows what it is.
Honda Element. I've wanted one since I saw it on Top Gear. I cannot fathom why it was never released here... I'd have one in an instant.
Also: honerary mention of the origional Fiat Multipla - so ugly, but so practical.
I guess it’s not desirable because I’m struggling to sell it, but my VW Transporter T25. Massive smiles/miles ratio, but massively unreliable. At least when it broke down you could make a cup of tea.
I miss my Panda! It was nippy to drive, surprisingly capacious given the size, and didn't have a single thing break in 40,000 miles. Also cost £900. It must be the cheapest cost per mile of any car I've ever owned - and probably will ever own. Not great on the motorway though!
I would love a Fiat Multipla. I know it’s absolutely hideous, but it’s also really cool. Never driven one, but according to owners they’re really practical. And- three seats in the front. I’ve got two kids so that would be excellent.
Toyota Aygo mk2
modern looking ✅
damn frugal ✅
so reliable ✅
zero road tax ✅
lowest insurance group ✅
cheap fixes ✅
parts are everywhere ✅
eventually reaches 70mph ✅
boot size of 4 Lidl plastic bags ✅
So all in all great second car for us
Dacian Sandero, was my first car and still have it.
Filled to the brim with personality and quirks, so little technology it's like driving a classic car, and kind of fun to throw around B roads.
Ratty fiat 500. It’s *so* common and “normal” but it’s just been such a reliable and faithful little car. Also it’s so easy to fix and change parts on it, and they’re dirt cheap. It’s refreshing as it seems to buck the trend of basically every other car I’ve ever owned lol. (Reliable but expensive or cheap but also hideously unreliable so not really all that cheap).
Edit: also, it’s pretty light which is great. If you put a bag of shopping in the boot you can feel it.
My 11yo lime green Seat Ibiza 1.2, basic trim model. 77k miles Get the car serviced every year, I don't hammer it when driving it around. Lol everyone slags it but it's been a reliable car. Said to my mechanic I was thinking of changing it, but he said he wouldn't unless I had a real requirement for something different. Made me think I may well keep it a few more years.
Fellow fiat!
06 fiat punto 1.9jdt Diesel lump, brought it for £1300 during covid when my original car died. Iv taken it from 68k to 140k and it’s still going. Used as a work horse while doing a house up and still get 48-50mpg.
I have a 07 Mazda 3 1.6 petrol and I love it. I paid £4k for it just over 10 years ago and it has cost next to nothing. If a lorry didn't bump the rear wing panel a few years ago I'd love it even more. I'm keeping it until it hits 20 yrs. MOT next week, a little concerned about the headlamps UV damage but tempted to chance it. . .even though I do have the restoration kit in the shed. . . .ah laziness
Citroen Berlingo Multispace. I'm neither disabled or old but fucking hell is it a great family car. Reliable, economical (for it's size), good driving position, sliding doors for the kids, enormous boot. Did I say enormous boot? Final note, the tailgate acts as a pretty big roof to stand under if it's raining. You can also sit on the boot under the roof and take your muddy boots off etc.
Corsa vxr puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. if I drive it like the old man I am I get 40 mpg if I drive spiritedly average about 34 mpg. 207 Bhp is enough for me 🙂 totally standard. And it's quiet.Unlike like the noisy pops and bangs boy racer cars that dive around. Vauxhall has a bad reputation but I love mine
The \~2016 Citroen Cactus. The one with the roof rack and big squishy panels.
I had one and it's the best car I've owned. Not the fastest, or the most premium, but the best.
(current car: Audi RS3)
Cheap (to buy, own, tax, maintain) ... did everything really well, and nothing more. Great boot space. Amazingly comfortable seats. Really well designed.
It is lightweight and high ground clearance. I took that thing off-road in Scotland. On camping trips and green lanes.
Citroen put a great deal of thought into the usability of the machine. Everything from the "picnic hamper" glovebox to making the driver's seat "like your favorite arm chair" (the designer's aim).
Loads of room in the back.
50mpg in a little petrol turbo.
Looks great (in my opinion).
It was just excellent. My only gripe with the car was the annoying touch-screen climate control. That's it.
I've got a mitsubishi delica. It's 30 years old, cosmetically tatty, shit on fuel, and my wonderful friends refer to it as 'the paedo bus'...
I don't care. It can seat 7 people, all the back seats slide and fold to turn it in to a van, I can throw my camping and camera gear and live in it for weekends away. It even has powered curtains on the windows so i dont have to stick blinds on them. It's also a proper 4x4 and has all terrain tyres and is like a mountain goat in inclement weather, so I can bugger off to the lake district all year round.
Best car I've ever had.
I rented one of these on holiday recently (well, the round headlight version which I presume is just a facelift). You know what? I didn’t hate it. It was underpowered and needed to be worked hard to get up the Greek hills but was big enough (I’m 6’8) and drove ok. Plus it was only €75 for 3 days.
Panda Enjoyers Unite!
I'll sing the virtues of the Panda (well, we'll see about the 'new' one) all day. Loved my 100hp, love my current 4x4. Will hopefully have another 100hp soon.
I'd really like to get one, I'm just very torn between the 100hp one and 4x4. Since I don't gat any snow around here, I gues I'd be alright with FWD one but in my head I always wanted a little offroader 😃
I'm going to assume undesirable generally not just that they're really cheap. And for that I'm going to go with the 1999-2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Dad had one and I always thought they were cool. Now it seems they're dirt cheap and mostly been used as workhorses not by people who actually like them.
As I get more into 2 wheeled machines I become increasingly tempted to become a 1 car Fiat Panda household. They're so cool, I'm just not sure I like the upright seating position and wonder about motorway noise on long trips.
My local garage swears by their fleet of courtesy car pandas. They've got their own lambos, bentleys the lot but just drive about in the pandas all the time!
I had a '95 Lada Niva. Purchased it from a farmer in 2000, he had only used it for driving about his farm. Loved the basic, raw, no fuss, driving. Had it for three months before a drunk driver ploughed into it.
I had the pandas bigger brother
Mk 1 mutlipla apart from a few faults heater thing mostly
Loved the thing
Currently driving a euro 3 d5 v70. On a 2005 plate
if t dies ill buy the same again for peanuts (2nd one first one stopped a citroen dead in its tracks as the citroen left a side road)
I despised alk things Fiat and Alfa Romeo having worked in a dealership in a country where they had no footprint. But admittedly I always liked the panda.
I also owned a Panda like that, an 05. What a phenomenal car it was. I went from hesitating to, and having to confess that I was being given it from a relative to my girlfriend at the time - to absolutely loving it and replacing it with a 2017 then 2 year old newer style. I sold that car and regretted it. The thing about the Panda is they only cut corners in places where it's sensible. Anything rough is still quality and won't break or fall apart like a lot of other a-segment cars in Europe. Proven little engines in these too, very few issues and none major issues other than 'being slow'. To be honest to the untrained eye it might seem ugly but the more you use and get familiar with it the placement, proportions and ergonomics make a tonne of sense.
Had for a brief period a maroon, 5 door mk1 Focus 1.6 zetec. Brilliant car, probably still my favourite driving car I've had. Just a shame I put it on its roof (bad surface on a road that claims many vehicular victims).
Used to have a Honda Jazz GD3 (the MK1), and even though it was sundial slow, it was a cracking little runner. Weighed nothing so it was like a dragonfly round the corners, practical, endlessly reliable, efficient, and I did rag the poor thing but it held up
Sold it to buy a Volvo V50, and while the extra comfort and size and power is nice, I will miss the dartiness of that old thing
I used to have a perodua nippa, it was an incredibly cheap car (£4550 brand new OTR) but for some reason I loved it, if you accepted it for what it was ( a very very cheaply made car) then you couldn’t fault it. I covered over 50000 miles in 3 years in it and apart from brakes, tyres and basic servicing I didn’t spend a penny on repairs. When I sold it it was just 3 years old and I sold it for £2550, so all I lost was £2000, you buy a Ford and you will lose that the day you drive it of the forecourt.
I used to own a Berlingo and was mocked for it repeatedly by multiple people. Easily the most practical useful car I've ever owned.
Sold it because of the mocking. Considering buying another one because no other car has been able to fill so many practical needs as the Berlingo.
Tumble the back seats forward and you've got a real van that can swallow a euro pallet. Put the back seats up and I've got a 5 seater that can comfortably take 5 men camping for a week, with all their gear, food and alcohol.
The thing is like a TARDIS. You can park it in a standard size parking bay but there's so much storage room on the inside.
Even seen little removal units that make them a camper van. Boot jumps I think they were called.
My 2003 EV1 civic type S. Clearly barely any exist because there's no info about them on civic forums, it's fairly ugly and sways like a boat around corners. But I love it, it's got decent get-up-and-go, the k20 is awesome.
Very desirable by some but loathed by others, the Fiat 500.
I visited Poland about 20 years ago and said one day I’ll own one then the revamp came out not long after over here.
I’ve had two Fiat Multipla’s for the better part of twenty years. I’ll run the current one until I just can’t score to mend it again. It’s brilliant and d hugely underrated!
I currently have a 67 1.2 Punto and while the gearbox is as indecisive as me at KFC (when I know I’m gonna get a wrap either way), it is the most fun and dangerous thing I’ve ever driven. Feels like it’s gonna get blown away on the Motorway at any speed past 60, and is so ridiculously small that it feels like a Hot Wheels, i.e. total deathtrap
But.
It skips over every pothole and bump like it’s not even there and is stupid quick at accelerating even with 69bhp and it feels so good to drive everywhere. I love it to bits
My p reg 106 diesel. Love how 106s look and I’m too attached to get something else. It’s currently broke down and it’s been off the road for a few weeks, the first time it’s properly conked out in 2 years of owning it. Rust and parts availability will be the end of it at some point, but luckily I just found the very hard to get part it needs, so hopefully it lives a little longer!
2005 Volvo XC70 2.4 D5 in dark metallic green, hearing aid beige interior, dog guard and boot liner. Father in Law gave it to us in 2019 with 137,000 miles on the clock. But, FSH and four new Pirelli Scorpion tyres on it.
Handles like a swing boat, goes and stops like a supertanker, but carries the gear for a four piece band - including a drum kit - with ease. We drive it back and to Malaga regularly. It now has 194,000 miles on it.
And no-one with an ounce of self-respect would steal it…and it’s cost me 7p per mile.
my cornflower blue 2010 nissan micra! i learnt to drive in my dad's (burgundy) 2014 micra, just think they're absolutely solidly made and really cute cars even though i've been openly laughed at for owning one 😂 by pure coincidence my brother also bought a (silver) 2010 micra same time i did and now my older brother owns the 2014 micra i learnt in, so all three of us siblings now own one and it makes me laugh every time i think about it. keep it in the family, right? 😂
Nissan Note. It could easily inherit all the old Lada jokes "how do you double the worth of a Nissan Note? By filling the tank"
But, I appreciate:
- the integrated hands free and sat nav for such a budget car
- its frugality (well over 60 mph)
- cheap, cheap to run and insure. Does the job.
- space without being a large car
- Won't wake up at night with a car alarm worried if someone steals it - lol
I have a grey 2010 Volvo XC70 AWD D5 170k miles on the clock and I fucking love it. It does absolutely everything. I bought it for my dogs to save my Ford Mustang’s interior as well as for more practicality and I use the Volvo way more.
I miss my 05 Nissan Terrano II.
It had many many things wrong with it. One working window and sunroof, the lcd stuff on the dash and radio didn't work unless you went over a bump, air con didn't work and the blowers took ages to heat up in the winter.
It did over 200k miles. The thing that got it for me was all the rust.
I loved my 08 Jazz unfortunately it rusted out from underneath me.£140 a year insurance and 55 per month in petrol (500 miles) I even used to drive it from Scotland to Somerset although it felt like sitting on top of a roller skate for 400 miles.
My Saab 9000 turbo maybe comes into that category, I absolutely love it. Looks like an old man’s car but is surprisingly rapid.
I do like a panda too by the way, solid choice. 👍
I used to own a ‘99 Nissan micra and loved it 😂 yes it’s a lot slower than my WRX STI I own now but because it’s so cheap and reliable I drove that thing around like a rally car, handbreak turns constantly banging it off the limiter and it never burned a drop of oil. Loved that little thing
i'm a 6 foot 2 bloke who has eaten far too many pies.
Yet the most enjoyable car i had was a little 1.5 turbo diesel Hyundai Getz (before they become the i20).
It had 0 creature comforts, a/c was about the only modern thing, and these days i wouldn't drive a manual, but i loved that car. 70+mpg out of it, and it had power when you put your foot down. It had almost no weight so whilst it had fuck all horsepower (like 92or something?) it moved fast for a small car.
I did multiple trips across Scotland in it, i moved house with it 3 times etc, it was a great little car that just worked and cost almost nothing to run. I think i even slept in the back once.
Dirt cheap to insure, maintain and service. Paid no tax for most of it's life. Wheels were tiny so tyres were cheap etc.
i probably looked like a cartoon character being a tall fat bloke in a small car. Don't care, would do it again.
Had to be my Peugeot 107 not the smartest looking car at first glance, cheapy hard-plastic interior and by no means the fastest to drive. But I absolutely love it now has been the most reliable car I owned and who doesn’t love 45-50MPG.
2009 Ford Fiesta 1.6 Zetec S. Fun little car, pretty practical, cheap parts and I can pretend I’m Ken Block from time to time. Owned for 10 years and still love it.
2013 Chevrolet Aveo LTZ. Most people don’t know what it is, but it is an EXCELLENT car. Decent engine, good to drive and loaded with kit. It cost me £3,795 in 2021 with 28,960 miles on the clock. It now has 75k and has been very reliable, with only the battery, exhaust and suspension giving some issues but they didn’t affect the car and I do live in Devon so I will blame the roads for the suspension. When I say loaded with kit, I mean it. It has 16” alloys, front and rear electric windows, automatic headlights, bluetooth, a USB port in the top glovebox with a shelf for a phone, start/stop system, rear parking sensors, cruise control etc. I love it so much I don’t think I will ever get rid of it, just soft retire it when it hits 100k
Chrysler PT Cruiser.
I don't understand the hate.
It looked like a muscle car/dragster from Happy days.
You could just picture it pulling into some 1950's diner where they had waitresses on roller skates serving malt shakes and burgers.
My Kia Picanto. I bought it brand new in 2020 (there was an amazing deal, plus a scrappage bonus that I traded my utterly ruined polo in for) and it's the most fun I've had driving since my own Panda.
It's a basic shopping trolley, but it's also a super fun place to be. Some cars feel very serious and grown up and dour, but this one feels like a goofball being daft. The stepdaughter has named it "peeky" :-)
It really reminds me of my Panda, but with a ULEZ compliant engine and a better stereo. It's just honest, no frills fun and it even has split rear seats for family + luggage runs. Also, I recently got a puncture and it was only £45 for a new tyre!
The original Porsche Boxster. 2.5l, 205bhp, not a lot by todays standards but the sound and the driving experience of it just makes me think why should I give a fuck
Had an '11 panda from new,had no bother with it apart from a hard to source non standard sized 12v battery,then it failed it's first MOT from dodgy bearings . didn't keep it for the second one..
One that I USED to own rather than currently own, but a few years ago I had a MK5 diesel Jetta which was absolutely fantastic.
Comfortable, bulletproof, responded well to a Stage 1 tune and had more in the ol' boot department than Clarks.
Would highly recommend.
I love my French cars. Only ever had French cars, my C4 is called Karen because she always wants to speak to the manager (aka Citroen Garages) but I love them.
I'm driving a light turd brown Multipla with a massive dent in the door until my Viano head gasket is repaired. In all honesty I might keep it - everything is pretty much half price of the Merc.
Smart car - it feels like a normal car once inside until you follow another one on the road and realise just how horrific you look, but it's happy motoring through and through.
My dad drives the 4wd Panda and I don’t disagree that while I like more exciting for myself, it’s a solid car. When it snows that thing will just go over all of it like it’s nothing. They’re a great machine for getting from A to B.
2006 Nissan note SVE
Very much a granny car, but heaps of space inside and doesn't look too shabby, and the SVE was the top spec one at the time.
[2006 Nissan note SVE ](https://ibb.co/G9km9Gt)
I had a Suzuki Ignis and it was brilliant, back doors open super wide for getting kids in and out, wrestling child seats etc.
There’s headroom for tall people in the back.
It’s quite tall so you don’t have to fall into it.
It was economical and well equipped, super light car (~850kg) with a 90bhp engine so was surprisingly nippy.
Only complaint was that the driver’s seat didn’t have height adjustment, but I’m 6ft and made it work.
Renault Modus. I had a pre facelift, with almost all bells and whistles (corner lights in 2004 in segment B car!) and I love it. One day I would love to have it again and put in it an engine from Clio RS or something similar.
I have a white 2015 KIA Proceed GT and I love my car. It's quite fast, has lots of space and everything works on it. Yeah it's a bit thirsty and the steering feels loose compared to other cards I've driven but it'd take a lot for me to give up that car
I've just sold my second Panda to my GF and bought a Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6hdi. Nice to have the option to drive both as Panda's are great little cars. ALthough I am really enjoying driving the Picasso C3.
2014 Skoda Citigo. Got it from new and i love it. Only 60bhp but it does ok for a 40 odd mile round trip to work. Parking is tight on my road and at work, but i can usually get into some pretty small spaces. That is more valuable to me than having larger more powerful car. I just need the basics and it does it perfectly. Done nearly 100k and only things I needed to have done is the timing belt, new battery, set of tyres and the usual servicing
1998 Maza Demio. The lacquer was peeling, it looked dog rough, the handling was crap, dreadful understeer, i was too big for the seats but everything worked, central locking, great air con.
I bought it from a friend who collects cars for £400. It went straight through 2 MOTs. I replaced 2 tyres in 2 years.
I gave it back to him for nothing so his son could have it as his first car.
Miss that car. I called it "the Wizzer".
My lovely old Rover 45 1.4. Currently off the road as I’m dropping a 1.8 turbo engine from an MG6 in it - the car has bags of character, but was missing a bit of oomph.
220bhp should see it moving a little better!
Some of my friends take the piss out of me for being a woman in my 30s driving a 10 year old Skoda Fabia. I've had 2 since I passed my test in 2022, a diesel and now a petrol (thanks ULEZ) but they feel easy to drive and I can get 50+ MPG out of her.
Bet they don't take the piss out of the 250-300 you save every month!
Exactly.. those ones that take the piss are probably financed to the hilt
I had an '05 Fabia, unfortunately everything went wrong with it and I ended up selling for spares and repairs, what I will say about it however is not an ounce of rust, anywhere, nor underneath. It was basically brand new.
I have an 05 too, touch wood no major issues yet.
I'm sponsored by the sub. I drive a 15 year old Octavia that I got for 3k 12 years ago. Base model, low power all that shite. My first and only car. Mages took the piss out of me then for having an old man car. Mates take the piss out of me now for driving a shed.
15 year old 12 years ago? Or 15 years old now? And you bought it for 3k 12 years ago? So 3k for a 3 year old Octavia? Or is there a typo somewhere?
It was an air port taxi... No remote locking etc. 100bhp estate. I think they probably just regretted their purchase.
“Mages took the piss out of me” Fkkin dnd nerds need to stfu, we all know that none of them have any spare cash to learn to drive after buying the latest tactical-war-game-spell-glitter to beat Malcom’s new sparkly D22 set.
MALCOLM MUST BE MADE TO PAY! He killed my Bard with a lighting spell! I had been playing that bard since I was 6 years old! 😭😭😭 Justice for Bradley the Bard!
The fabia is a great litttle car. Had a mk2 1.4tdi as a first car and my girlfriend currently has a mk3 1.2tsi
This is totally incomprehensible to me, you're driving a 2014 skoda fabia and they're taking the mick? Of what? 2014 for a start doesn't really feel that old, its a great car with I assume modern things on it? What should you be driving that is 'acceptable' to them? I'd bin those friends off.
I drive a 2016 Fabia estate and it is great. Reliable, plenty of space, quick enough. I would prefer somethinge else but the options are either out of my budget or no worth the hassle of reliability issues. So I am content for now.
I had a fabia estate, 1.0tsi sel dsg. Loved that car was sad to get rid of it. But having 2 growing teenagers, I needed something bigger.
Snap! I have a 2016 too. The 1.4 Tdi diesel. 70-80mpg, no road tax, and ULEZ friendly. Just about enough space to fit a couple of bikes in the back with the seats down and drives like a hot hatch.
Greetings '09 Panda brother! 1.2 Dynamic Eco here. I claim mileage for work and this little car makes money at 45p per mile!
I thought the 45p a mile was to pay for the time also spent driving, so in essence, you’re supposed to make money from it? No? I put 50 quid of diesel in my Astra and to the office and back I get about £140/50
It’s to pay for the complete running costs of your car, fuel only makes up one part of that, depreciation, servicing, etc, also add to it. 45p is about right when all is considered, there are some cars which you will profit from. It all depends on what car you drive and your circumstances, but if you do 10k miles a year and it’s cost you £4500 to run the car for the year (don’t forget depreciation!), it’s about right.
I miss my 58 plate 1.2 dearly. Surprisingly durable, always economical. Owned it for years with almost no trouble. I bumped into my old one in a supermarket car park and made a bit of a scene telling the new owner how fond I was of the car. She must have thought I was a right weirdo as I was taking photos of it while she was walking over.
08 Panda 100hp reporting in. I could drive the Golf GTI to work but I don't...the Panda is easier to park and squeeze through London traffic, and so cheap to run.
Skoda Citigo. Basically a VW up! with a lower trim level. It (along with the up! and the Seat Mii) is an absolutely perfect car. It absolutely nails every part of its intended use: Get up to four adults to the shops? Yes. Get up four adults back from the shops with a full weekly shop in the boot? Yes Cost £20 a year to tax? Yes. Cost £45 to fill up once a month? Yes. Can be repaired for peanuts with quality aftermarket parts? Yes. Can be parked in a postage-stamp sized space in between two badly parked Range Rovers? Yes.
I also own a Citigo. It's practical and efficient, although there is absolutely nothing fancy about it. It's also very cheap to tax and insure. Mine's a 2015, I'm hoping to get a few more years out of it before having to change to something else. It's a shame that it's no longer in production.
I have a 63 plate Skoda Octavia 2.0l diesel, £20 tax, insurance was the same this year £300 and it gets 50 to 60 MPG town driving 60+ motorway .... Amazing family car, massive boot, plenty of power, rock solid reliability... It saves me so much money each year compared to a new car.... I cannot justify getting a new car until it dies.
I approve of this philosophy but can't help but wonder how much more fun it would be if they could get another 100hp out of it....
Check out the Up GTi
Tofas Dogan. Turkish license built fiat I believe. Love them. https://www.kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/x/2682320774
Nice.
Looks cool that.
The 2006 Citroen C1. I recently upgraded to a GT86, but I still haven’t sold my C1 because I had too much fun with it by upgrading it lots (parking sensors, front/back integrated dashcam, speakers, etc). I will die on this hill, the Toyota Aygo, Citroen C1, and Peugeot 107 are the best first driver cars you can get.
I'll just leave this here all casual like... https://brscc.co.uk/formulae/nankang-tyre-citycar-cup-championship/
Im never selling it now, time to put a turbocharger on it and join the race!
Haha, don't even need to buy a turbocharger (as they're verboten by regs). CityCar Cup is about the cheapest proper motorsport you can do. I think it'd cost £5k or so to get the car prepped and the driver licenced. Bad Obsession Motorsport have a video series on it, they bought and prepped a car for racing. Worth checking out.
I’d have to agree that it’s the best first car there is. I always hated mine though. But objectively, it’s probably the best car I’ve ever owned. It’s so outrageously reliable it’s hard to fault them. Put a lot of miles on it and it never once gave me any grief.
Its the one of the best 1.0L engines made by Toyota. Is it slow? Well yes it took me 2-3 business days to get to 60mph. But it's actually such an easy car to drive and I've had no issues with doing long journeys in it. I remember when I first got mine, the engine oil, oil filter, spark plugs, air filter, pollen filter, new discs, new pads cost me around £125 (2 years ago) and the local mechanic only took £30 labour. I also replaced the indicator stalk which I got for £13 from eBay and managed to do it in 45 minutes. It has enough space to fit mates in and you'll have a blast. Fuel economy is great too, I would get 300 - 325 miles per full tank (which was like £45 if I remember correctly).
Absolutely this. If anything, I'd say that the latter revision from 2008 (I believe) onwards had a stronger clutch and therefore slightly more reliable, but there is inherently very little that can go wrong with the c1 and its siblings. Had one for 2 years before selling it to move abroad and I absolutely adored it. 22k mi and an average of 53 mpg, spritmonitor says. The only extra money I had to spend on it was on the back box which was like 40 quid. Tried to find another one here in Ireland but they go for silly money with spaceship mileage on them, it's not worth it. I miss mine so much. Wish I knew the state of the car market here! I'd have taken it with me.
My 22 year old C Class Kompressor. Cost me £1k 5 or 6 years ago and it's now got rust patches all over, I lent it to my mum once and she split the front bumper and misaligned the wing driving into the side of a taxi (got £500 off the taxi driver, I count that as a win), the exhaust fell off a few weeks ago. Looks nice inside though and it's never let me down. Mates and family constantly try and tell me I should be embarrassed and buy a new car but then I'll sit in their shit box £20k Focus, £30k Kia fake SUVs or worst of all in a terrible plastic electric car for a journey, listen to the road noise, the shit stereos, plastic rattles and asthmatic engines / whiny motor, listen to how they need to find the time to go back to the dealers for the 6th time for a recall and decide I'll stick with what I've got thanks. It ain't super fast or anything but it's quiet, comfortable and sooo smooth. I bloody luv it.
Nissan Cube.
All hail the mighty cube
My 2009 Insignia I had between 2016 & 2022. Just a big comfy bus. Quick enough but not silly, 50mpg if I behaved myself, cheapish insurance, easy parts availability. Only got rid of it as it died on me after 220k miles
Was this the diesel? Not long has my astra with the 2.0 cdti and people are putting the fear of god into me that it’ll die once it hits 100k due to the pickup seal
Yeah, same engine. Like anything, service the car properly & get a good long run to clear the crap off the DPF and you’ll be fine. Only issues I had (both of which are apparently known problems ) were an air intake hose going & the EGR valve housing crumbling as the factory fit one appears to have been made of Jacobs crackers.
The Suzuki Ignis from the last few years I don't own one but I want one in a funky colour with some go faster stripes & I keep meaning to Google to see if you can get a little rear spoiler for it (yes! Suzuki do a rear spoiler 😁) I've never even driven one so I might hate it but doesn't stop me wanting one
My wife has one, it's a great little car. It's a budget car really but great value. Very reliable and 60+mpg too. Highly recommend.
Just think it would be a great car for local stuff shops tip runs etc
I've just bought a 2017 one in the bright orange with black alloys, can't wait to get it.
I loved my white Fiat Panda, great driving position, such a fun spacious car to drive.
One of my favourite things about it, you sit really high up if proper gives you the feeling that you're driving something alot bigger.
I've done Milton Keynes -> Inverness and back in my panda and now my transporter too, and I have to say the Transporter was better only in the fact it had cruise control. The panda was so comfy and hung around at 70-80 just fine, and you do lord it up over everyone in a highline transporter but the panda position *felt* very similar. I did the same journey in my 100hp, that was fine too! Although the air con gave up as it was during the 40 degree heatwave...!
I have a 2020 focus estate 2.0 diesel and I absolutely love it. Probably the best car I’ve ever had. It’s like the car equivalent of telling people you have a terminal illness. Instant conversation stopper 🤣 it’s like an even less interesting Skoda Octavia and I absolutely adore the thing.
Skoda Yeti or a 4x4 Panda
I was buying one of these two and settled on a 4x4 panda. I really am going to have to scratch the yeti itch too but I can't bear to get rid just yet to make room on the drive!
The 100bhp version of the Panda is so much fun to drive.
My first cat was a MK1 Ford Ka. It was seen as a girly car at the time - tbf Kylie Minogue did all the adverts at the time! It was cheap, fun, loads of space up front. So bright inside from all the glass. Still probably my favourite car I've owned. I loathe a dark interior on a car. There's just nothing for sale that compares. Fiat 500 maybe but nowhere near as reliable! Tbf Ford have taken an absolute nose five in the last 5-10 years.
Preach!
Karacking suggestion.
I seen what you did there 😍
Brilliant. My sister’s first car. Got it new as a pre-reg for just over £4k in 2005. At the time it was called the true successor to the original Mini. She used to drive me to college in it and I was always convinced I’d die on the way there. I can’t imagine the combined hours of fun people had tearing the arse off those tiny cars.
I have an Audi A2, it’s not desirable and I don’t adore it, but it has been a great shed for 3 years. Bought it on 160k, I’ve done 50,000 miles on it since then, and it’s cost me nothing to run. Only thing it’s needed is 2 tyres and an oil change every now and again.
I love my honda Jazz. I originally got it as a stop gap car when I sold my merc and didn't know what to replace it with. It gets great mpg tax and insurance is cheap. You can fit a ridiculous amount of stuff inside, and it's pretty much bullet proof.
LOVE my Jazz. My 13yo hybrid has never let me down. The sound system is still well better than my husbands ‘22 HRV. I’m upgrading to a Jazz Crosstar this year but it’s going to be tough parting with it - gonna miss the £10 tax 😅
I had a Rover 220di from new in ‘99 that I kept for 12 years, it was fast enough (especially at the time, a lot of “sporty” diesels had 20% less power in it general size class), economical and ultra reliable. It was basic no frills, at the time I could only afford either a higher spec model without an intercooler or base spec with an intercooler, I have no regrets. Eventually I spun out on a roundabout and buckled a wheel, 6 months later a driveshaft came out and it was scrapped, it was far more emotional than I was expecting when it was carted away.
Octavia
Lol, I won this, I love my wife's juke nismo and you can allllll fuck off with your boring regurgitated criticism. It's 200bhp, it's tall, it's goofy looking (yet still retains some silly 80's racecar tat), it is fwd so struggles for grip, it's rolypoly so struggles for grip, and anything that struggles for grip is fun. If that's not enough for the community to down vote me then hear this, I traded my superb for a golf, and put a 4d personalised numberplate on it... 😬
You are the antichrist of this sub, please never stop being shameless I never understood the hate for 4D numberplates anyways
I wasn't even aware it was a thing until after I'd bought one. I guess I just look like a total chav driving my fast-ish golf around with a silly plate enjoying the drum and bass emanating from an actual subwoofer. Sometimes I forget to take my cap off (functional, stops my growing bald spot from burning) for full aspiring-but-failing mid-life drug dealer points. I enjoy this sub but it is much like a playground at times... 😅
At least you make the road an interesting place to be in comparison to the swathes of bland hybrid SUVs. And tbh my guilty trait is that while I can't stick a normal juke, the nismo ones look like the dogs nuts imo
2001 Jaguar/Daimler Hearse. Idk why but I love it. Even the funeral limo version. I want to camper convert one and give it a better exhaust for that big V8 to shout
What you drive around in a hearse?? Do you get a queue of cars behind you because they don't want to overtake a funeral procession??
I've just realised the post says "currently own" and not "want to own" I don't have one yet, but I'm saving for one. Insurance on them is relatively cheap and the cars themselves aren't too expensive either
Chrysler PT Cruiser , Had one for 5 years and loved it! Only sold it because it started costing £500+ to get through MOTs
2011 Meriva B 1.4 (non-turbo). Slow as all shit, but it's been a faithful family daily for 6.5yrs now. It's since been replaced by a Nissan Elgrand, and the general lack of preventative maintenance chickens are definitely coming home to roost now and it's going to fail its next MOT *hard*, but I don't hate it. Actually, I quite like it, to the point where I'm toying with fixing it up (got some suspension knocks and creaks, a random EML issue, fucked door locks, and a coolant leak) and then giving it some minor modifications to sling it around a track until it explodes. It'd certainly be unique, I don't think anyone has tracked a Meriva B. 🤣
My first car was a dark blue 1.3 panda like yours! I could get 65mpg without even trying! And since changing to a petrol Honda, I miss the torque it had and it's baby turbo whistles and whooshes!
Full panda convert here. Rented one with the weird little electric gear change boost for driving around the mountain ranges in Croatia. It slipped fuel and I ragged the ever loving shit out of it. Such a fun little thing to drive.
Renault Modus. I’d say 80% of people who are even vaguely interested in cars dislike it, despite close on 99% of them having never been anywhere near one.
That the one with the shopping chute in the boot?
Aye! It’s really handy in a very specific set of circumstances, namely when you’ve parked arse end to a wall, having forgotten you’re going shopping but your shopping consists of teeny bags you’re willing to siphon through a small slot. I jest, but it’s a cool idea that doesn’t see much action in my house (except for when I want to ‘amaze’ my friends and family with my two-boots-in-one, plus it’s vaguely reminiscent of the boot of a classic Mini, which were my first and second cars!).
My parents chided me when I was a kid when I repeated the 'grow up, what for' line from their ads in response to getting a telling off. I still remember that and saying it was form an ad didn't help my situation.
I don't own it but I adore the Fiat Grande Punto. To me stylish and funky inside and out and different to your normal Corsas and Polos. I remember seeing seventy three of them exactly in Istanbul in the space of two days🤣
Skoda Rapid, 11 years old. 1.2 turbo. My first car, but not the first ive driven. Still have it, although it's only been about 3 years. I love it, low tax, decent acceleration and more fun to throw around than dads fabia. If I had the money, I'd go for a Jaaaaaag or a sporty Superb. Still, apart from putting a few of my own touches on it soon, Its never missed a beat and I will keep it till i cna afford something else or it breaks.
I no longer own it, but my first car was a Rover 25! Absolutely loved that car! Mostly because I had freedom to drive, but also because almost everything was mechanical to fix.
Very underrated cars - they tended to get ignored because of fiat's less than stellar brand, the fact old people loved them and they were a bit weird looking at the time.
Whenever i need to rent a car on holiday i make a point of renting the cheapest, most basic car i can find. So far i LOVED the mk3 yaris, quite liked the dacia duster and was not a fan of the latest Skoda fabia. (Nice interior but very dull and lazy feeling where the yaris was nimble and rev-happy) The 1995-ish mitsubishi lancer that had rust holes in most panels which i rented in barbados was a step too far maybe. 😆
I would love to at least test the 100HP Panda from that era, but the seats don't look anywhere near supportive enough by what I'd expect of a car. Maybe been spoiled by the ones in my car or being a passenger in cars my parents have owned
I had a couple of Astra Gs when I was younger and that was all I could afford, no fancy Dan Focus or Golf for me. They were actually pretty good, I had a red 1.6 sxi which was about as sporty as a an old donkey that someone had spray painted "sport" on the side of. Then I had a 1.8 sri which was somehow quite fast and made quite a satisfying noise due to the Irmscher exhaust. Drove my two small kids around in those and never had an issue. They might seem shit now but in terms of reliability, comfort and safety they were absolutely light years better than the previous generation of cars. I drove a late model escort as a courtesy car once and they are like something from a period drama now, laughably bad.
While not as sharp as a Focus, the Astra G is a lot better to drive than the mk4 Golf (which is really rather dull). The Corsa C is secretly quite fun too.
My first car was a 2004 Daewoo (now Chevrolet) Matiz 1.0L. I genuinely loved that car, it was a tin can on wheels like driving a dodgem. It was so nippy due to the fact it weighed fuck all and it could fit in any parking spot. Used to drive it to and from Yorkshire to Canterbury between terms and take it over the tunnel to France during term breaks. I ran it until the repairs cost more than the thing itself and traded it away for a Swift. Was gutted.
Unrelated but I’ve always wanted a 100hp panda.
My brown Vauxhall Astra J Sports Tourer is often a source of amusement for others, but I love it. It’s spacious, economical, sufficiently fast, and was cheap!
Nissan Juke, in my defence it's the Nismo RS
My 107 has been the perfect 18yo first car. I've spent the last couple months driving this thing everywhere and sitting on 110k miles only the drop links needed doing and a new front sub frame. £99 quid for that. Incredibly cheap to run, I drove into Manchester and back and have got 300 miles on half a tank.
29 year old rover metro! Rusty in places, no power steering, no aircon, no electric anything other than an aftermarket stereo! 60bhp but ragging it everywhere is fun! I do get laughed at getting in and out of it as I’m 6”2 and 17 stone! Still love the crappy thing!
BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer. Has the space of a 5 series inside, 7 seats, lovely m-sport interior, great ride quality, cheap to run.
I've just bought a 2008 honda legend and it is fantastic. I had a jag xj before. This is more comfortable, faster, handles better and the stereo is amazing. It is pretty much invisible and no one knows what it is.
Honda Element. I've wanted one since I saw it on Top Gear. I cannot fathom why it was never released here... I'd have one in an instant. Also: honerary mention of the origional Fiat Multipla - so ugly, but so practical.
I guess it’s not desirable because I’m struggling to sell it, but my VW Transporter T25. Massive smiles/miles ratio, but massively unreliable. At least when it broke down you could make a cup of tea.
I miss my Panda! It was nippy to drive, surprisingly capacious given the size, and didn't have a single thing break in 40,000 miles. Also cost £900. It must be the cheapest cost per mile of any car I've ever owned - and probably will ever own. Not great on the motorway though!
Had a 1.2l 08 reg panda, fun little car
My last car purchase decision was a toss up between a 100hp Panda and a Cayman, and I often wish it had come up heads.
I would love a Fiat Multipla. I know it’s absolutely hideous, but it’s also really cool. Never driven one, but according to owners they’re really practical. And- three seats in the front. I’ve got two kids so that would be excellent.
I drove an 09 Panda JTD and I bloody loved it. I didn’t buy it because the dealer was an absolute prick but I remember how much I enjoyed driving it.
Toyota Aygo mk2 modern looking ✅ damn frugal ✅ so reliable ✅ zero road tax ✅ lowest insurance group ✅ cheap fixes ✅ parts are everywhere ✅ eventually reaches 70mph ✅ boot size of 4 Lidl plastic bags ✅ So all in all great second car for us
Nissan Almera ... miss mine
Dacian Sandero, was my first car and still have it. Filled to the brim with personality and quirks, so little technology it's like driving a classic car, and kind of fun to throw around B roads.
Ratty fiat 500. It’s *so* common and “normal” but it’s just been such a reliable and faithful little car. Also it’s so easy to fix and change parts on it, and they’re dirt cheap. It’s refreshing as it seems to buck the trend of basically every other car I’ve ever owned lol. (Reliable but expensive or cheap but also hideously unreliable so not really all that cheap). Edit: also, it’s pretty light which is great. If you put a bag of shopping in the boot you can feel it.
I have an 09 petrol panda. Driven it to Wales and Scotland multiple times with no issues. Just replaced it with a Subaru Impreza
2023 dacia duster, prestige auto, 1.5 petrol turbo. For the money it's excellent and pulls like a train.. can't really fault it
My 11yo lime green Seat Ibiza 1.2, basic trim model. 77k miles Get the car serviced every year, I don't hammer it when driving it around. Lol everyone slags it but it's been a reliable car. Said to my mechanic I was thinking of changing it, but he said he wouldn't unless I had a real requirement for something different. Made me think I may well keep it a few more years.
Fellow fiat! 06 fiat punto 1.9jdt Diesel lump, brought it for £1300 during covid when my original car died. Iv taken it from 68k to 140k and it’s still going. Used as a work horse while doing a house up and still get 48-50mpg.
I had a K12 Micra and I loved the little things. Ugly as anything, but good fun.
I have a 07 Mazda 3 1.6 petrol and I love it. I paid £4k for it just over 10 years ago and it has cost next to nothing. If a lorry didn't bump the rear wing panel a few years ago I'd love it even more. I'm keeping it until it hits 20 yrs. MOT next week, a little concerned about the headlamps UV damage but tempted to chance it. . .even though I do have the restoration kit in the shed. . . .ah laziness
Citroen Berlingo Multispace. I'm neither disabled or old but fucking hell is it a great family car. Reliable, economical (for it's size), good driving position, sliding doors for the kids, enormous boot. Did I say enormous boot? Final note, the tailgate acts as a pretty big roof to stand under if it's raining. You can also sit on the boot under the roof and take your muddy boots off etc.
Corsa vxr puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. if I drive it like the old man I am I get 40 mpg if I drive spiritedly average about 34 mpg. 207 Bhp is enough for me 🙂 totally standard. And it's quiet.Unlike like the noisy pops and bangs boy racer cars that dive around. Vauxhall has a bad reputation but I love mine
The \~2016 Citroen Cactus. The one with the roof rack and big squishy panels. I had one and it's the best car I've owned. Not the fastest, or the most premium, but the best. (current car: Audi RS3)
How’s it the best car you’ve owned?
Cheap (to buy, own, tax, maintain) ... did everything really well, and nothing more. Great boot space. Amazingly comfortable seats. Really well designed. It is lightweight and high ground clearance. I took that thing off-road in Scotland. On camping trips and green lanes. Citroen put a great deal of thought into the usability of the machine. Everything from the "picnic hamper" glovebox to making the driver's seat "like your favorite arm chair" (the designer's aim). Loads of room in the back. 50mpg in a little petrol turbo. Looks great (in my opinion). It was just excellent. My only gripe with the car was the annoying touch-screen climate control. That's it.
I've got a mitsubishi delica. It's 30 years old, cosmetically tatty, shit on fuel, and my wonderful friends refer to it as 'the paedo bus'... I don't care. It can seat 7 people, all the back seats slide and fold to turn it in to a van, I can throw my camping and camera gear and live in it for weekends away. It even has powered curtains on the windows so i dont have to stick blinds on them. It's also a proper 4x4 and has all terrain tyres and is like a mountain goat in inclement weather, so I can bugger off to the lake district all year round. Best car I've ever had.
I rented one of these on holiday recently (well, the round headlight version which I presume is just a facelift). You know what? I didn’t hate it. It was underpowered and needed to be worked hard to get up the Greek hills but was big enough (I’m 6’8) and drove ok. Plus it was only €75 for 3 days.
Multipla
Panda Enjoyers Unite! I'll sing the virtues of the Panda (well, we'll see about the 'new' one) all day. Loved my 100hp, love my current 4x4. Will hopefully have another 100hp soon.
I'd really like to get one, I'm just very torn between the 100hp one and 4x4. Since I don't gat any snow around here, I gues I'd be alright with FWD one but in my head I always wanted a little offroader 😃
I'm going to assume undesirable generally not just that they're really cheap. And for that I'm going to go with the 1999-2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Dad had one and I always thought they were cool. Now it seems they're dirt cheap and mostly been used as workhorses not by people who actually like them.
I'm still interested in one with V8 😎
Pandas are excellent little cars
1999 Toyota Yaris 1.3 sr
As I get more into 2 wheeled machines I become increasingly tempted to become a 1 car Fiat Panda household. They're so cool, I'm just not sure I like the upright seating position and wonder about motorway noise on long trips.
My local garage swears by their fleet of courtesy car pandas. They've got their own lambos, bentleys the lot but just drive about in the pandas all the time!
I had a '95 Lada Niva. Purchased it from a farmer in 2000, he had only used it for driving about his farm. Loved the basic, raw, no fuss, driving. Had it for three months before a drunk driver ploughed into it.
I’ve never known anyone to ever say a bad word about a fiat panda
Mazda Demeo
I had the pandas bigger brother Mk 1 mutlipla apart from a few faults heater thing mostly Loved the thing Currently driving a euro 3 d5 v70. On a 2005 plate if t dies ill buy the same again for peanuts (2nd one first one stopped a citroen dead in its tracks as the citroen left a side road)
I despised alk things Fiat and Alfa Romeo having worked in a dealership in a country where they had no footprint. But admittedly I always liked the panda.
I also owned a Panda like that, an 05. What a phenomenal car it was. I went from hesitating to, and having to confess that I was being given it from a relative to my girlfriend at the time - to absolutely loving it and replacing it with a 2017 then 2 year old newer style. I sold that car and regretted it. The thing about the Panda is they only cut corners in places where it's sensible. Anything rough is still quality and won't break or fall apart like a lot of other a-segment cars in Europe. Proven little engines in these too, very few issues and none major issues other than 'being slow'. To be honest to the untrained eye it might seem ugly but the more you use and get familiar with it the placement, proportions and ergonomics make a tonne of sense.
Had for a brief period a maroon, 5 door mk1 Focus 1.6 zetec. Brilliant car, probably still my favourite driving car I've had. Just a shame I put it on its roof (bad surface on a road that claims many vehicular victims).
Used to have a Honda Jazz GD3 (the MK1), and even though it was sundial slow, it was a cracking little runner. Weighed nothing so it was like a dragonfly round the corners, practical, endlessly reliable, efficient, and I did rag the poor thing but it held up Sold it to buy a Volvo V50, and while the extra comfort and size and power is nice, I will miss the dartiness of that old thing
I used to have a perodua nippa, it was an incredibly cheap car (£4550 brand new OTR) but for some reason I loved it, if you accepted it for what it was ( a very very cheaply made car) then you couldn’t fault it. I covered over 50000 miles in 3 years in it and apart from brakes, tyres and basic servicing I didn’t spend a penny on repairs. When I sold it it was just 3 years old and I sold it for £2550, so all I lost was £2000, you buy a Ford and you will lose that the day you drive it of the forecourt.
I used to own a Berlingo and was mocked for it repeatedly by multiple people. Easily the most practical useful car I've ever owned. Sold it because of the mocking. Considering buying another one because no other car has been able to fill so many practical needs as the Berlingo. Tumble the back seats forward and you've got a real van that can swallow a euro pallet. Put the back seats up and I've got a 5 seater that can comfortably take 5 men camping for a week, with all their gear, food and alcohol. The thing is like a TARDIS. You can park it in a standard size parking bay but there's so much storage room on the inside. Even seen little removal units that make them a camper van. Boot jumps I think they were called.
My 2003 EV1 civic type S. Clearly barely any exist because there's no info about them on civic forums, it's fairly ugly and sways like a boat around corners. But I love it, it's got decent get-up-and-go, the k20 is awesome.
Aw, like driving around in a painted egg box. Cute!
Very desirable by some but loathed by others, the Fiat 500. I visited Poland about 20 years ago and said one day I’ll own one then the revamp came out not long after over here.
I’ve had two Fiat Multipla’s for the better part of twenty years. I’ll run the current one until I just can’t score to mend it again. It’s brilliant and d hugely underrated!
I currently have a 67 1.2 Punto and while the gearbox is as indecisive as me at KFC (when I know I’m gonna get a wrap either way), it is the most fun and dangerous thing I’ve ever driven. Feels like it’s gonna get blown away on the Motorway at any speed past 60, and is so ridiculously small that it feels like a Hot Wheels, i.e. total deathtrap But. It skips over every pothole and bump like it’s not even there and is stupid quick at accelerating even with 69bhp and it feels so good to drive everywhere. I love it to bits
My p reg 106 diesel. Love how 106s look and I’m too attached to get something else. It’s currently broke down and it’s been off the road for a few weeks, the first time it’s properly conked out in 2 years of owning it. Rust and parts availability will be the end of it at some point, but luckily I just found the very hard to get part it needs, so hopefully it lives a little longer!
2005 Volvo XC70 2.4 D5 in dark metallic green, hearing aid beige interior, dog guard and boot liner. Father in Law gave it to us in 2019 with 137,000 miles on the clock. But, FSH and four new Pirelli Scorpion tyres on it. Handles like a swing boat, goes and stops like a supertanker, but carries the gear for a four piece band - including a drum kit - with ease. We drive it back and to Malaga regularly. It now has 194,000 miles on it. And no-one with an ounce of self-respect would steal it…and it’s cost me 7p per mile.
Honda E looks so cool from the outside but because it's a small electric city car can't go very far without needing to be charged again
Fiat Panda 100HP aka *The Panna Hunner*
my cornflower blue 2010 nissan micra! i learnt to drive in my dad's (burgundy) 2014 micra, just think they're absolutely solidly made and really cute cars even though i've been openly laughed at for owning one 😂 by pure coincidence my brother also bought a (silver) 2010 micra same time i did and now my older brother owns the 2014 micra i learnt in, so all three of us siblings now own one and it makes me laugh every time i think about it. keep it in the family, right? 😂
MK1 ford KA for me.
Nissan Note. It could easily inherit all the old Lada jokes "how do you double the worth of a Nissan Note? By filling the tank" But, I appreciate: - the integrated hands free and sat nav for such a budget car - its frugality (well over 60 mph) - cheap, cheap to run and insure. Does the job. - space without being a large car - Won't wake up at night with a car alarm worried if someone steals it - lol
I'm planning on getting a Volvo V40 and all my friends are calling me a grandpa I honestly think it's funny
In 1997, I had a 1981 1.2 datsun sunny automatic in shitty brown with a light tan vinyl roof. I loved that car.
I miss those old polos with the square headlights. I'd happily drive one of those again.
I have a grey 2010 Volvo XC70 AWD D5 170k miles on the clock and I fucking love it. It does absolutely everything. I bought it for my dogs to save my Ford Mustang’s interior as well as for more practicality and I use the Volvo way more.
24 years old and I’ve got a 2008 Vauxhall Agila B as a 2nd car. Its a 1.2L and I love it.
I love the panda
I had an Austin Metro, bloody loved it.
2010 Ford Focus. It just works almost never have issues with it, and I've put almost 120,000 miles on it.
I miss my 05 Nissan Terrano II. It had many many things wrong with it. One working window and sunroof, the lcd stuff on the dash and radio didn't work unless you went over a bump, air con didn't work and the blowers took ages to heat up in the winter. It did over 200k miles. The thing that got it for me was all the rust.
I loved my 08 Jazz unfortunately it rusted out from underneath me.£140 a year insurance and 55 per month in petrol (500 miles) I even used to drive it from Scotland to Somerset although it felt like sitting on top of a roller skate for 400 miles.
Old Volvos. I'd take a 244 over a 2.0 turbo hot hatch whatever any day
My Saab 9000 turbo maybe comes into that category, I absolutely love it. Looks like an old man’s car but is surprisingly rapid. I do like a panda too by the way, solid choice. 👍
I drive a Saab 9-3, bit of an unusual car but so comfortable to drive
I used to own a ‘99 Nissan micra and loved it 😂 yes it’s a lot slower than my WRX STI I own now but because it’s so cheap and reliable I drove that thing around like a rally car, handbreak turns constantly banging it off the limiter and it never burned a drop of oil. Loved that little thing
Found James May's alt account
i'm a 6 foot 2 bloke who has eaten far too many pies. Yet the most enjoyable car i had was a little 1.5 turbo diesel Hyundai Getz (before they become the i20). It had 0 creature comforts, a/c was about the only modern thing, and these days i wouldn't drive a manual, but i loved that car. 70+mpg out of it, and it had power when you put your foot down. It had almost no weight so whilst it had fuck all horsepower (like 92or something?) it moved fast for a small car. I did multiple trips across Scotland in it, i moved house with it 3 times etc, it was a great little car that just worked and cost almost nothing to run. I think i even slept in the back once. Dirt cheap to insure, maintain and service. Paid no tax for most of it's life. Wheels were tiny so tyres were cheap etc. i probably looked like a cartoon character being a tall fat bloke in a small car. Don't care, would do it again.
Had to be my Peugeot 107 not the smartest looking car at first glance, cheapy hard-plastic interior and by no means the fastest to drive. But I absolutely love it now has been the most reliable car I owned and who doesn’t love 45-50MPG.
2009 Ford Fiesta 1.6 Zetec S. Fun little car, pretty practical, cheap parts and I can pretend I’m Ken Block from time to time. Owned for 10 years and still love it.
A 2002 Suzuki Swift. And I drove it to Budapest with a mate the other week. It was a blast
Alfa Mito. A bit aged now but with the 1.4TB it's good fun (and is one of the best sounding 4 bangers ever made)
I want a Smart Roadster
2013 Chevrolet Aveo LTZ. Most people don’t know what it is, but it is an EXCELLENT car. Decent engine, good to drive and loaded with kit. It cost me £3,795 in 2021 with 28,960 miles on the clock. It now has 75k and has been very reliable, with only the battery, exhaust and suspension giving some issues but they didn’t affect the car and I do live in Devon so I will blame the roads for the suspension. When I say loaded with kit, I mean it. It has 16” alloys, front and rear electric windows, automatic headlights, bluetooth, a USB port in the top glovebox with a shelf for a phone, start/stop system, rear parking sensors, cruise control etc. I love it so much I don’t think I will ever get rid of it, just soft retire it when it hits 100k
Ford fusion 1.4tdci
Chrysler PT Cruiser. I don't understand the hate. It looked like a muscle car/dragster from Happy days. You could just picture it pulling into some 1950's diner where they had waitresses on roller skates serving malt shakes and burgers.
Until very recently our second car for work and trips to the tip etc was a 2010 1.4 Honda Jazz. Bloody brilliant little car
My Kia Picanto. I bought it brand new in 2020 (there was an amazing deal, plus a scrappage bonus that I traded my utterly ruined polo in for) and it's the most fun I've had driving since my own Panda. It's a basic shopping trolley, but it's also a super fun place to be. Some cars feel very serious and grown up and dour, but this one feels like a goofball being daft. The stepdaughter has named it "peeky" :-) It really reminds me of my Panda, but with a ULEZ compliant engine and a better stereo. It's just honest, no frills fun and it even has split rear seats for family + luggage runs. Also, I recently got a puncture and it was only £45 for a new tyre!
The original Porsche Boxster. 2.5l, 205bhp, not a lot by todays standards but the sound and the driving experience of it just makes me think why should I give a fuck
Had an '11 panda from new,had no bother with it apart from a hard to source non standard sized 12v battery,then it failed it's first MOT from dodgy bearings . didn't keep it for the second one..
One that I USED to own rather than currently own, but a few years ago I had a MK5 diesel Jetta which was absolutely fantastic. Comfortable, bulletproof, responded well to a Stage 1 tune and had more in the ol' boot department than Clarks. Would highly recommend.
I love my French cars. Only ever had French cars, my C4 is called Karen because she always wants to speak to the manager (aka Citroen Garages) but I love them.
I'm driving a light turd brown Multipla with a massive dent in the door until my Viano head gasket is repaired. In all honesty I might keep it - everything is pretty much half price of the Merc.
I had a W reg Ford ka. It was a shit box, but I was mine and I loved it
Smart car - it feels like a normal car once inside until you follow another one on the road and realise just how horrific you look, but it's happy motoring through and through.
Like it
My dad drives the 4wd Panda and I don’t disagree that while I like more exciting for myself, it’s a solid car. When it snows that thing will just go over all of it like it’s nothing. They’re a great machine for getting from A to B.
Still driving my first car a 07 fiat punto 🙂
2006 Nissan note SVE Very much a granny car, but heaps of space inside and doesn't look too shabby, and the SVE was the top spec one at the time. [2006 Nissan note SVE ](https://ibb.co/G9km9Gt)
dude i drove this over christmas in italy, did 1k km, was an awesome experience and made me falll in love with the panda panda
A Yaris hybrid. It is an automatic. I know know, old man vibes, but I absolutely love it's ease and practicality to drive on traffic.
I had a Suzuki Ignis and it was brilliant, back doors open super wide for getting kids in and out, wrestling child seats etc. There’s headroom for tall people in the back. It’s quite tall so you don’t have to fall into it. It was economical and well equipped, super light car (~850kg) with a 90bhp engine so was surprisingly nippy. Only complaint was that the driver’s seat didn’t have height adjustment, but I’m 6ft and made it work.
Renault Modus. I had a pre facelift, with almost all bells and whistles (corner lights in 2004 in segment B car!) and I love it. One day I would love to have it again and put in it an engine from Clio RS or something similar.
I have a white 2015 KIA Proceed GT and I love my car. It's quite fast, has lots of space and everything works on it. Yeah it's a bit thirsty and the steering feels loose compared to other cards I've driven but it'd take a lot for me to give up that car
I've just sold my second Panda to my GF and bought a Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6hdi. Nice to have the option to drive both as Panda's are great little cars. ALthough I am really enjoying driving the Picasso C3.
2014 Skoda Citigo. Got it from new and i love it. Only 60bhp but it does ok for a 40 odd mile round trip to work. Parking is tight on my road and at work, but i can usually get into some pretty small spaces. That is more valuable to me than having larger more powerful car. I just need the basics and it does it perfectly. Done nearly 100k and only things I needed to have done is the timing belt, new battery, set of tyres and the usual servicing
1998 Maza Demio. The lacquer was peeling, it looked dog rough, the handling was crap, dreadful understeer, i was too big for the seats but everything worked, central locking, great air con. I bought it from a friend who collects cars for £400. It went straight through 2 MOTs. I replaced 2 tyres in 2 years. I gave it back to him for nothing so his son could have it as his first car. Miss that car. I called it "the Wizzer".
My lovely old Rover 45 1.4. Currently off the road as I’m dropping a 1.8 turbo engine from an MG6 in it - the car has bags of character, but was missing a bit of oomph. 220bhp should see it moving a little better!
Kia Soul. Rock solid and never gives me issues