Your current car - v - the others you've had

DarthBalls · Your current car - v - the others you've had

The MX5 that me and Mrs DB bought last year is the best car I've been registered keeper of by far, although there are only another 2! I'd actually go as far as saying that our MX5 is the third most fun car I've ever driven with a Honda NSX being in first place, closely followed by a Mk1 Elise.

My first car was a Seicento Sporting bought about 2 weeks after I passed my test in October 2002. I replaced this with a Smart FoFo after a BMW 118d driver tailgated my Fiat to death. The FoFo was a great car but nowhere near as much fun as the 'Cento. I never really 'bonded' with it in the same way as the other 2.

The MX5 and our Fabia are definitely keepers and we plan to keep them till they fall apart. As a result I don't really covet any other car (for now).

Twelfth Monkey

I went like this (a car history I believe only bettered for brevity (young whipper-snappers notwithstanding) by the good Mr Wonder/Dr Hruffhurrererrererr):

Renault 5 1.1
Rover 100 1.1
Rover 620GSi
Passat V5.
A3 3.2.
The Beast.

Barring economy, and the Passat's excellent integrated kid-seats, I miss nowt.

M.

Fiat Uno 60s
Fiat Punto 55s
Fiat Punto Sporting
BMW X5 3.0d Sport
Land Rover Discovery3 TDV6
Alfa Romeo 156
BMW 325ti

I love driving my current car more than any of them but I miss the Discovery and Punto Sporting most of all.

Eff One

Renault 5 GTS
Fiat Cinq Sporting
Fiat Barchetta
Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo
Fiat Punto 75SX
Vauxhall VX220 Turbo
Mazda MX-5 1.8i Sport
and the GTA.

The GTA is the best car I've owned. It's the best road-trip car, has the best engine (by far), the best interior (by far) and the best brakes of the lot. Its steering is bettered by the VXT and MX-5, its absolute pace by the Coupe and VXT, and its economy by all of them.

I miss all of them to some extent, but the Barchetta and VXT pull the most.

Guitar Zero

Volvo is the best overall package by quite a margin.

But I miss the looks, interior and buttery six of the 5 series

Parm

'95 BMW 318is Coupe
'51 BMW 330ci Sport - Best All Rounder
'53 Honda Accord i-CTDi
'05 Boxster 2.7 (987) - Most Fun
'56 Lexus IS250SE

scamper

I can see myself too getting very attached to our poverty spec Fabia and refusing to let Laura sell it. It knocks socks off a 4 week old Corsa diesel i'm driving around in presently.

Too early to see if i bond with my Girls Car. However, i can see it being a keeper too, and thus i wish i has spent a few hundred quid more and got one in mint condition with 30k less on the clock.

I'd not miss my Touring and i don't know why. The other week a drove a saloon 320d ES and it felt better in every way and i can't put a finger on it. It just felt a lot stiffer (possibley helped by no FG panaramic sunroof), less rattles and smoother engine and ride. All this gave a better feel good factor than all the FG on my Touring.

By far the best car i've owned was a white 1993 1.8 Clio 16v. The Williams must have been something very special.

Gurney

As I have only had my ‘current car’ 24 hours this is a bit of a tough one.

The ‘best’ car I ever owned was probably a Honda CRX 1.6i. Brilliant little car, quick, economical, reliable and for me practical too.

Most ‘enjoyable’ has to be my Alfa Spider 1750, it cost £18k to restore, had a Westune engine (around 160bhp) and was very much a car made to ‘my’ specification. It never broke down and had truly scary RWD handling – the grunty engine was NOT one of my better decisions – but I loved it, sorry to use the dreaded word but it had ‘character’ whereas the CRX did not.

Unless the GTA turns out to be the Alfa everyone else warned me about I think it will easily eclipse these two, so far so smitten.

Turbonutter

Rodge

Best car (build/performance/fit for purpose) is probably my current one.
Most enjoyable, the Focus 2.0 zetec that preceded it.
Most practical, the Mondeo 1.8 LX that preceded that.
Cheapest, the Fiesta 1.0 that preceded them all.

.

Pkh72

Can't remember the years of all of them but,

First car was an old A reg Mark 1 Fiesta 1.1 popular plus - i miss the thrashability of that car and it's foot operated pump for the screen wash.

D reg Vauxhall Belmont 1.6L - don't miss anything about this apart from the interior room for my teenage humping years.

F reg Pug 205 1.4GR - great chuckable little car but got a little smokey towards the end, and the brakes were never the same after they had seized on once.

J reg Vauxhall Astra 2.0 SRI - this was by far the worst shed i've ever had, virtually everything went wrong with it at some point, a true Friday afternoon car, it ended up with a recon engine after a valve stem snapped, which i still have in a drawer at home, sold it after that.

S reg Fiesta 1.25 Zetec - this was a little cracker, brilliant chassis and a fizzbanger of an engine.

51 plate focus 1.6 zetec - this was a really good car that served me well, after fitting a set of Eibach springs it was like a go cart and the ride wasn't too bad either.

56 plate Octavia TDi Vrs - this was okay but i never really 100% gelled with it, was cracking on the old daily grind up and down the M1 until it's turbo blew, i never trusted it again after that especially after it started seeping oil again, my only brand new car.

My current ST is by far the best and fastest car i've had, i'd say the Mk1 focus i had trumped it for handling though, the fuel consumption, contrary to popular reports is fine on my personal commute etc at 30mpg so i can cope with that.

Jasper

I know it's hard to believe but the Vectra was, by far, the best built and most practical vehicle I've owned, apart from that the Puma is probably the best as it goes, steers and stops better than any of the others.

A special mention to my MX5. On a sunny day with the hood down and in no particular hurry, the feel good factor wasmassive.

Matt

Only miss the engine of the E36 really. I haven't got the money to piss away on Dartmoor treks, so the better balance of it is not something I'll notice on my commute.

Dr. Hfuhruhurr

As Twelfth has already hinted, this is mine:

Ford Escort Mk 2 1.3
Vauxhall Nova 1.2
BMW M3 E46
Porsche 997 GT3

I occasionally miss the M3's combination of performance and practicality (and its nicer sounding engine), but not much else ...

Matt

Whilst I'm a bit surprised by you thinking the M3 sounded better, the full-on crack and pop when the GT3 was wrung out was rather special in itself.

Dr. Hfuhruhurr

The GT3 is louder and more purposeful, but the M3 at high revs has a more cultured scream. Not that I'm complaining, of course ...

Matt

No, it'd be churlish to bemoan that type of angry noise.

I'm beginning to like the sound of mine, which is worrying.

Nice Guy Eddie

it must have been quite an amusing scene when you went to trade your Nova in for the M3

1986 Golf GL 1.8
followed by a forgetable number of company cars
1996 Golf Gti
2001 Honda Civic Type R
2008 VW Golf Gti

If I could retain the fun and feeling of freedom I got from my Mk2 golf, my first car, the screaming engine form the Civic and the great all round package of my new Golf, it would be a perfect car.

Dr. Hfuhruhurr

There was a substantial gap between them!

SpecB

I like the Legacy the most of all the cars I've had.

The Volvo was a great cruising car but twisty roads left much wanting and 200bhp through the front wheels even though it was an auto was just not dealt with well. The reliability was poo as well.

I also quite liked the Cherokee I had for three months after the Volvo. It was a 4.0 with LPG conversion. It was a bit of a shed and so I didn't mind thrashing it and powersliding around wet roundabouts was good fun.

Roadrunner

Needless to say the Jaguar (4.0 V8 Sovereign) stands head and shoulders above anything else I have owned, apart from the feel-good factor I get when wafting around in the Royce. The MG is good for economy and load space. Welcome to family life...

Apex clipper · Current car verses....

Would like to find a Opel Manta in good order, had three of these and everyone of them had character. I lov um.

Astra GTE's

Swift.
Astra SRI (mk 3) Now that thing was seriously quick!
How do any of these compare to the blue focus? They don't, in purely performance and handling terms that's for sure.

But......The RS will wear you down on a long run whereas the car before this ..a Astra (Mk3) GSI would have you bounding out..no worries, feeling non the worse...great car..still miss it.

Racing

Ex cars include:

1995 Rover 115SD 5dr
1991 VW Golf 1.8 GL (Mk2)
1993 VW Golf 2.0 GTI (Mk3)
1992 VW Golf 1.8 GLi (Mk2)
1991 VW Golf 2.0 GTI 16v (Mk2)
1990 VW Golf 1.8 GTI 16v (Mk2)
1992 VW Golf 1.8 GTI 16v (Mk2)
2001 Audi A3 1.8T quattro Sport
2002 Audi S3 quattro
1985 VW Golf 1.8 GTI (Mk2)
1991 VW Scirocco GTII
1993 Saab 9000 CSE 2.3

Current:

1991 BMW Z1
2005 Alfa 156GTA
1992 Mercedes E500

Taking emotion out of the equation (in which case the Z1 wins hands down), I'd say, whisper it, the best all-rounder was the A3. It was the facelifted version which got the 6-spd box rather the 5spd job of the pre-facelift car. It was good-looking in a super-subtle way (far more so than the S3 which succeeded it), quick, handled pretty well, well-equipped, comfortable, acceptably economical, very reliable, a useful size without being too big, great in all weathers, and totally painless to own over 2 years and 20k miles. Even kept its value well.

The Alfa is also really good all round and much more charismatic and entertaining than the Audi. But it's not such a good all-round tool nor as reassuringly dependable.

Here is the little Audi in question:

PR

Former steeds are:

Fiat Seicento Sporting
Ford Fiesta 1.25 Zetec
Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec
RenaultSport Megane 225
BMW 325ti Sport Compact x 2

The BMW has the silkiest engine and the most attractive interior (although the current one has a less satisfactory driving position than the first thanks to its heated seats being mounted marginally higher.) It also has a quite special feel to it. I obviously like it or I wouldn'y have bought a second one!

The Renault was fastest and most exciting in a slightly bonkers way. Dropping a cog and nailing it always put a smile on my face. It was a fantastic long-distance car, supremely comfortable and refined, but lacking chassis finesse and plagued by glitches.

I loved my Focus. It had the most responsive chassis and consistent steering of any of my cars. At three and a half years, I owned it longer than any of my others.

The Fiesta had the most alive steering and was fantastically chuckable.

I didn't really like the Fiat.

Colin

I'm sure we've done this sort of thing a few times before. Anyway, here's my car history:

Montego 1.6L x 2
Rover 414 Si (the R8 model)
Alfa 164 2.0TS
Alfa GTV 2.0TS
Alfa 156 2.5V6
Volvo C70 T5 GT
Audi S4 2.7 twin turbo (the B5 model)
Audi S4 V8 (the B7 model)
and now for one whole week, Audi S6

With the exception of the Volvo, which was frankly rather dull (and I only had it for 5 months), I've enjoyed all of them (yes, even the Montegos........ the excitement of your first car and the fact it was brand new, and it was actually a better car than reputation suggests!).

Of course, the S6 is the "best" in so many ways. And so it ought to be, given its cost relative to the others.

It is well documented here that I still have a very soft spot for the Alfa 164. I had that the longest (4 years) and drove the most miles in it (160,000!) and yet was still really sorry to hand it back to the Leasing Co. It drove well, sounded great and looked stunning.

franki68

ford orion 1.3
austin montego (the worst car in the entire universe ever)
ford 1.6l capri
ford xr3i
Toyota supra 3.0
BMW 535 sport
Porsche 968
Bmw m3
BMW m5
Porsche 996 turbo
Mercedes amg sl55
POrsche 997 2s
Subaru forestor
BMW m6
Nissan Pathfinder
Porsche 997 turbo
Volvo xc90
Audi R8

I couldn't honestly pick a favourite ,

PR

Not even the Montego?!

Racing

My mother had two Montego estates. They were pretty ropey.

PG

Here we go -
Cortina MkII 1600
Rover 2200
Rover 3500
Ford Orion 1.6 Ghia (my "Montego")
BMW 318 (nearly forgot it - it was that memorable)
Rover 216 Vitesse
Granada Scorpio
Calibra 16v
Range Rover x 2
Freelander V6 (how could I be so stupid, I hated it within one day of buying it)
Audi A3
Defender
Jag 3.0 X Type

For driving enjoyment the Jag.
Day to day honesty - got to be the Defender.
I miss my last Range Rover (3.9 SE Classic) which I wish I'd kept in the garage to do up instead of trading it when the air suspension went west..... resulting in my "Freelander phase".

Jasper

I would put money on the Freelander using more fuel than your 3.9 as well.

Clunes

Well - here is my, not very, inspiring car history

Ford Fiesta Popular Plus (heated rear screen and wash wipe)
Nissan Sunny 1.4
Renault Laguna 2.2 D!
Toyota MR2 MK1
BMW 530iA Sport
Mondeo ST220 Estate

I loved the Fiesta - it was my first car and I didn't have to pay for it :)

The Sunny was surprisingly capable - a gutsy engine and did me stirling work for years carrying kit to and from Uni

The Renault was comfy - but so dull and slooooow- the most memorable feature was the steering wheel mounted radio controls...which remain the best I've used -Zzzz

I then started paying for my cars purely out of my own funds and had freedom of choice.

The Toyota was great - ok it leaked and rusted but was so much fun. Great handling, fantastic steering - feel good factor etc - I miss it and wish I'd bought one of the few Supercharged Special Editions in the UK

BMW - Seriously good car - did everything so well - interior, engine, handling, looks etc

ST220 - fits the dog in the back - with lots of room for him to slide around! Feels much lighter on its feet than the BMW, engine is a good-un, a good blend of pace, space and confort/toys - arguably a better all rounder than the BMW

franki68

M.

Didn't you have a AM V8 briefly, Franki?

DaveGibson

Cars marked * were personally owned (all bought new except where indicated), others company cars:

*1971-72: Mini Clubman (1969) (YRC 21H) (colour: Aqua) – written off after I rolled it.
*1972-74: Mini Clubman (MRC 677K) (Teal Blue) – sold to my mother.
*1974-75: Mini 1275 GT (XRC 159M) (Aconite) – worst car ever, new engine at 6000 miles but, such was inflation then, I sold it to a dealer for more than I paid for it.
*1975-77: Triumph Dolomite 1850 (HCH 611N) (French Blue) – sold to brother-in law.
1976-78: Triumph Dolomite Sprint (NOF 526R) (Russett Brown – not my choice I would add)
1978-79: Austin Princess 2200HLS auto (WVP 354T) (Brooklands Green)
1979-80: Rover 3500 manual (JKV 494V) (Black)
1980-81: Triumph TR7 DHC (MRW 697V) (Persian Aqua)
1981: Triumph TR7 DHC (HOX 621W) (Silver)
1981-82: Triumph TR7 DHC (HAB 410X) (Carnelian Red)
1982-83: Triumph TR7 DHC (YWK 758X) (Cashmere Gold)
1983-85: Rover 3500 auto (A363 XWP) (Moonraker Blue)
1985-86: Rover 216 Vitesse (B251 LUY) (Targa Red)
1986-87: Austin Montego 2.0 VdP (C681 TAB) (Azure Blue) – bought off company by other brother in law
1987-88: MG Montego 2.0 efi (D875 OOH) (Silver)
1988-89: Rover 216 VdP (E728 UOM) (Atlantic Blue)
1989-90: MG Maestro 2.0 efi (F322 AOP) (BRG)
1990-92: MG Maestro 2.0 efi (G581 HDA) (Vermillion) – stolen from Plymouth hotel in 1992
*1991-: Triumph TR7V8 DHC (1981) (W reg.) (Nautilus Blue) – built for me using a re-imported California shell
1992-94: Rover 420 GSi (K601 CDU) (BRG)
1994-96: Rover 220 SLi (M227 JWP) (Caribbean Blue)
*1996-00: Rover 620 Si (N170 YOE) (Nightfire Red) – originally my company car; bought at 14 months old for half new price
*2000-06: Rover 75 Club SE 2.5 V6 (W577 KUY) (Copperleaf Red) – bought at 30% discount after BMW dropped Rover
*2006-: Lexus IS250 SE auto (55 reg.) (Canterbury Blue)

Over such a range of time (approaching 40 years) and spread of vehicle types, it's difficult to say which one was best. Obviously, in absolute terms the later cars were technically more advanced than the earlier ones but when assessed against the standards of the time you could argue that the Rover 3500 was better than anything later.

The Montego VdP was the most reliable along with the Rover 600, both visiting the dealer only for servicing.

Of the more recent cars, it's actually very difficult to separate the Rover 75 and the Lexus. To me they are equally comfortable though the Rover had the better ride. As far as noise is concerned there is very little between them. Though the Lexus is quieter at higher revs, the Rover could not be described as noisy.

gonnabuildabuggy

We've done this a few times before.

The list as it stands today:

Chevette 1.3
Escort 1.6 MK2
Cortina Mk4 1.6
Cavalier Mk2 SRI
Golf 1.8 GL
Golf GTi MK2
Cavalier 2.0GLI- start of company car phase
Peugeot 405GTX
Omega 2.0
BMW 316
BMW 318 Touring
Vectra Estate
Passat 2.0
Peugeot 406
Volvo V40
Volvo S60 - start of private cars again
Saab 93 Cab
Ford Mondeo 2.0
BMW 328

I loved all my early stuff as it slowly got faster and all were good handlers, the cortina was a bit of a beater for college but fun in it's own way.

The best all round was probably the Saab cabriolet, mainly for being a soft top and I didn't own it long enough for it to fall apart.

The 328 is probably the best all rounder despite being 10 years older than many of the list.

The S60 was the most comfy, and best cruiser.

Dave - I do like your list - the 1275GT and Dolly Sprint were cars I lusted after in my youth.

cbeaks1

Were the MG Maestros awful or quite engaging? I have had an odd itch for one as they were pretty desirable back when my dad used to work for Rover. I like red seat belts and velour too.

I suppose most of them have disintegrated anyway.

DaveGibson

When the Maestro came out, I said I'd never be seen dead in one. By the time I got my first, the availability range on our car scheme had been drastically curtailed. The 2.0 efi wasn't that bad and after a Rover 216, which was not the last word in suspension sophistication, the cornering was amazing. I'd got so used to the 216 understeering that I often found myself unwinding the steering in the MG to avoid hitting the kerb on left handers. Where the Rover was distinctly uncomfortable at much over 60mph on the curves around M5 J1, the MG would take them at 90.

franki68

Star69

Here we go...

83 Mazda 323 1.3 saloon
84 Ford Fiesta 950cc
86 Mazda 323 1.3
83 Ford Sierra 1.6 GL
86 Skoda Rapid
88 Ford Fiesta 1.1 Ghia CVT
1989 Fiesta 1.1 Ghia (new shape!)
1995 Fiat Punto 55S
1997 Fiat Punto Sporting 1.6
1998 Fiat Punto Sporting 1.25
1999 Skoda Felicia GL
1999 Fiat Punto 1.2 ELX
2001 Fiat Punto ELX JTD
2000 Renault Scenic Privilege DCi
2001 Renault Megane 1.4 Expression
2004 Ford SportKa SE
+ 3 vans!

I hate to think how much I've spent (and lost) on that lot!

Best and the one I'd love to own again would be the Punto 1.25 Sporting - a cracking car to drive, looked good and went well. Only downside was the low gearing which made motorway driving hard work. Oh - and it was a light blue metallic that nobody seemed to be able to see - it was hit twice and repaired 3 times (the first repair had to be done again!).

Second would be my 86 Mazda 323 as it was the first 'proper' car I owned after passing my test, the other 323 was a hand-me-down and the fiesta was a wreck.

Worst was the Scenic - after breaking down 3 times in as many months it had to go - and I took a hit on the value as well.

The SportKa is a keeper for the time being at least. Only downsides are the high revs at mway speeds and it's a bit thirsty for the size of car!

Martin

My mum had an MG Montego and I loved it. She let me and a mate borrow it for a trip to the Alps when I was 18, fantastic fun.

My car history:

87 Astra 1.3L
89 Cavalier 1.6L
94 405 1.9d LX Estate (first company car)
97 406 1.9td LX Estate (my first brand new car)
98 Rover 420 GSI (3 months)
96 Rover 414i (2 months)
99 Bora 1.6 SE (loved this car, first free choice I had)
00 806 2.0 LX (onlt for 6 months and not my choice, best forgotten!)
00 Passat 1.9 TDI 115 SE Saloon
02 Passat 1.9 TDI 130 SE Estate
06 Passat 2.0TDI Sport Saloon

I have great memories of a few of these cars, and barring the 414 and 806, I loved them all at the time. But the best car by any criteria is my current Passat.

I would be incredibly disappointed if a new car wasn't better than the last one(s), I have no desire to go backwards.

In addition to the above, we have also owned the following since Mrs Martin and I got together

97 306 1.4 XL
99 A160 Elegance
03 Megane 1.6 Privilege Hatch
06 130i M Sport

No bonus points for guessing my favourite!

woof woof

My current MX5 is ok but I wish I'd kept the MK1 I had. The Elise I had was a pain because every time I took it out something else broke or fell off and I just got sick of it. When it worked it was maybe the best drivers car I've had or driven and I'll never forget some of the drives I had in it. The Élan SE was quick and fun but spoilt by poor build and an apathetic dealer. The Boxster was fun but maybe not as much fun as it should've been and it was a hate magnet. The SLK was disappointing and suffered from poor quality. The old MG's were good but a bit too old for me. The Jag S was a massive surprise and a very capable car. The Mini's were wonderful at the time but I don't think I'd go back to one.

All in all I think that an MX5 in any guise is a pretty good thing to have. The appeal for me is that it's a soft top with neutral handling and the challenge is to maintain speed. If anyone has never driven one they should. This is my third and if I ever sell this one chances are I'll have another.

SpecB

Looking at your car history, Alan I am surprised that you have never tried a Honda S2000.

I have always had a hankering for one of these or a Boxter and if I didn't need an estate then I would have got one by now.

woof woof

SB, I tried and failed.

The Honda S2000 is the only car I've ever failed to get a test drive in. When I had an SLK I set up a test drive and they sent a youngster from Darlington or somewhere with the car to a local garage. Being a youngster he didn't have the authority to let me drive the car and I think he expected me to just buy it after sitting in it. So, I went home and ordered the Boxster and within an hour the Honda dealer was on the phone knocking £k's to tempt me.

So, I almost certainly would've bought an S2000 if they'd let me drive it.

SpecB

That is a ludicrous way to try and sell a car. I think I would have gone elsewhere as well.

Blarno

Here we go...

1983 Escort 1.3L. (1997-1998)
1988 Citroen AX 1.1. (1998)
1988 Belmont 1.3L. (1998-2000)
1988 Cavalier 2.0i GL. (1999-2000)
1980 Escort Mk2 1.3L. (1999-2000)
1983 Fiesta 1.1 Popular. (1999-2000)
1988 205 GTi 1.9. Modified. (2000-2002)
1986 Astra 2.0 GTE 8v. (2000)
1990 405 Mi16x4. Modified. (2000-2002)
1989 Cavalier 1.6L. (2001)
2000 Fiesta 1.25 Zetec. Modified (2002-2003)
1988 309 GTi. Modified (2002-2003)
1991 Civic 1.6i-16. (2002-2004)
1992 Subaru Legacy Turbo. Modified. (2003-2005)
1994 Renault Extra. (2003-2004)
1987 Astra 2.0 GTE 8v. Modified. (2004)
2001 Vectra 2.0 DTi. (2004-2005)
1998 Escort GTi. Modified. (2005-2007)
2003 Clio RS172 Cup. Modified. (2007-Present)
1997 Vectra 2.5 SRi. RIP. (2007-2008)

Out of all of them, the Clio is by far the best. It's so much like my old 205, but without the scary bits. The Legacy was by far the most rapid and the Fiesta gets special mention for being able to punch way above it's weight, despite only having 75 Bhp.

PR

Blarno

I've still not experienced steering like it in a small car since. Even the Clio can't quite match the crispness. It's not far off, but not nearly as good as the Fiesta.

Now, a Fiesta Zetec with a Clio 172 engine, that would be a fine beast...

TimR

I had 2 MG Maestros - both the 2.0 EFi - and loved them both.

The 1st one did over 50k miles with me and even when I sold it at 105k it didn't use any oil and would happily redline in the first 3 gears (aerodynamics stopped it getting anywhere near the redline in 4th and 5th).

Stuntman

My current car is lovely, and it will take something rather special to tempt me away from it (or a facelifted, sharpened version of the same) unless my priorities change significantly.

If they make a special, limited-run version that suits me, I will buy it and keep it for years.

The only short-term temptresses will be the forthcoming M3 CSL, and perhaps the next RS4 or RS5. But otherwise, I'll stick with the Cayman chassis and hopefully add another car in the fullness of time.

PG

Gooner

May have been low on power but my 106 Key Largo (1.4 diesel) was easily the best cornering car I've ever had, including the Civic. It just seemed to go round on rails at any speed - not that I could build up much of that!

Frank Bullitt

1988 Peugeot 205 1.4 GR
1999 Fiat Punto 60S
2002 Fiat Punto JTD ELX
2005 Audi A2 1.4TDI 75 SE

The Pug had the finest handling and ride of the lot (and probably of pretty much any car I've driven since), a tractible engine, excellent driving position and decent space. If it hadn't been so badly looked after before I bought it then it would have stayed a bit longer.

The best is the A2, without a doubt. Originally bought to be kept four years (an acheivement as 2 1/2 years is the previous maximum) it will not be going anywhere for a long, long time, if at all. Still get a buzz from driving and owning it.

If you include Marie's cars...

2002 smart city coupe pure
2006 smart fortwo passion

Both excellent, and a real joy to own. Depending upon the future, the most recent one is a 'keeper' too.

TimR

1984 Toyota Corolla Liftback 1.3 (still interred in my parents' large shed)
1986 Montego 2.0
1988 MG Maestro 2.0EFi
1990 Montego GTI
1986 MG Maestro 2.0EFi
1994 Fiat Punto 75SX
2000 Fiat Punto HGT
2003 Fiat Stilo Multiwagon JTD
1999 Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo
1992 Mitsubishi Shogun TD
2006 Alfa Romeo GT V6
2001 BMW M5

I'm sure the M5 is the best out of that list by far but I really miss both the Punto HGT and the Stilo.

The Punto was the perfect car for a flat out backroad thrash - 130BHP meant you didn't get the speeds too high but could drive it 100% plus it had uprated brakes which overcame it's only slight weakness.

The Stilo was a big friendly workhorse which gave good economy (just a distant memory now), plenty of comfort, lots of toys, a decent turn of pace and good handling.

SambaFi

1980 Renault 5 GTL
1983 Talbot Samba LE
1984 Nissan Sunny 1.3 DL
1972 Volkswagen Transporter Camper
1984 Bedford Astra 1.6 L
1981 Saab 99 GL
1988 Austin Maestro 500
1980 Renault 12 TL
1988 Citroen 10E
1994 Lada Riva 1.5 E
1999 Vauxhall Corsa 1.0 Envoy
2003 Daewoo Kalos 1.4 SX

Best, probably Astra van as it was fast, quick and obviously had a big boot for my bicycle and was big enough to sleep in. Unfortunately it had Stomil tyres which were non stick.

Worst was the VW camper as it was a rusty wreck only held together by the roof.

DarthBalls

I thought the Samba would have been your favourite

Martin

My mum had a Talbot Samba for a short while, what a car.....

SambaFi

The best thing I can say about the Samba is that is was memorable, hence using it in my non de plume. There was always something wrong with it from breaking two rocker arms to front seats which were difficult to anchor after letting in rear passengers. ( the entire seat pivoted as they did not recline).

Big TC

My driving history is one of the longest on here, seeing as I'm pushing 51 (eek) and passed my test in 1975, so here goes....

1965 Vauxhall Victor FC (leather bench seat in the front - 3-speed column gearchange)
1969 Ford Cortina 1.6 MkII (lowered suspension, fat wheels & tyres)
1971 Humber Sceptre (overdrive gearbox, vinyl roof, mmmmmmmmm)
1971 Hillman Super Minx (a stop-gap after the Sceptre died)
1971 Hillman Hunter Estate
1971 Vauxhall Viva Estate (written off by a drunk driver whilst parked....)
1973 Ford Cortina 1.6 MkIII
Then a series of company cars:
Talbot Sunbeam, Vauxhall Nova 1.0, Vauxhall Cavalier 1.3, and then another one, and yet another one, Talbot Samba, Ford Escort MkIII, Honda Accord 2.0, Mazda 929 Estate, then back to owning for a while:
1988 Seat Ibiza
1992 Nissan Primera 2.0
1994 Fiat Cinquecento (really the wife's...)
back to company cars: Mazda 323 (written off against a Red Deer), Mazda 626, then another 626, Citroen C5 HDi Exclusive, before owning:
1997 Nissan Primera 2.0
currently:
2006 Citroen C1 HDi
1993 Peugeot 605 SVdt

oh, and a J-reg VW Passat Estate weekend toy (Autocross) car.

marcg

1990 205 1.1 style
1991 Clio 1.2 (dawn's)
1995 306 XSi
1998 Saxo VTR (dawn's)
1993 mx5 1.6
1999 Audi 1.9 TDi
2003 BMW 320d SE

The 205 and the mx5 fight for most sentimental value. The 205 in particular I lived with for 10 years - mum's then mine - and took me and Dawn all round France twice and me on countless other big trips. It taught me loads about the basics of car maintenance - cooling systems in particular! I still have a big hole in my life for another 205 (Gti/XS/TurboD?)

The mx5 I only had for about a year as we had to get rid of it when Dawn got pregnant (lowered sports suspension meant she felt in danger of miscarrying) and, TBH I wasn't using it anyway as I was walking to work. But I loved that car! Convertible, RWD, lightweight, pop-up headlamps - what's not to love? Another one of those will happen someday too.

The mx5 was the best drive but the E46 is the best car - if only because I can't really fault it. Someone else said it was the automotive equivalent of a bosch powertool and somehow that seems apt. If money allows (ie I could afford a 2 year old 530d) I think I might try a 159SW next.

Maybe all the E46 needs is a long holiday (France again!) for me to feel more for it? It certainly sets the standards from now on though.

kraftwerk

I won't be buying another 'modern' unless my circumstances (ie salary) change for the much better, which is not going to happen as I'm disinclined to apply myself more than I already do.

The Avantime is the ideal car for me, especially as I drive it about once-a-month. I'm looking forward still to be caring for it in my dotage.

I'd much rather sink any spare cash in to the long list of classics I want one day to own. Citroen SM, of course - but that'll be a keeper. If I'd some spare cash swilling around, it'd be nice to buy the odd thing for six months at a time, and most of my dreams (bar the outlandish like the 959) are fairly inexpensive VWs, Citroens, Fiats, Renaults, NSUs, Tatras and various motorcycles.

garry

I've not owned that many cars. Here's a list. Some forgotten I think:-

Mini 1000 (r reg - 1977?)
Fiesta 1100
MX5 (x2 a mk 1 and a mk2)
bmw 528i
bmw 330i
Porsche 996
Porsche 997
Vauxhall vectra (!)
Merdedes e class (various models)

Soft spot for the mx5 mk 2 - very easy to drive at full whack. Makes you feel like a great driver.

Both BMWas were very capable, although I never felt warmth for them.

Current combo of E class and 911 is perfect. Last week I did a day trip to oxford in the merc (hard to beat as a m/way mile muncher) followed the next day by a cross country trip to newcastle in the porsche (Up the M6, turn right - what roads!). My only dislike with the combo is one of image.

Your current car - v - the others you've had

Current car verses....