Worst car you've ever driven?

"E. Julius" (soonerfrommi) 12/14/2014 at 10:15 • Filed to: None

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Mine has to be my parents' Hyundai Santa Fe, pictured here next to a local Ferrari. My dad bought it as a spare car to replace our aging Ford Explorer, which was on its third radiator and wasn't looked upon kindly in the days of $4 gas. It works fine for whats it's used for (light towing, Home Depot runs, junky car for mountain biking, etc.), but it is a piece of CRAP.

The ABS kicks on for seemingly no reason, the interior materials feel on–par with a Little Tykes Cozy Coupe, and I've driven 30 foot pontoon boats that feel more agile and communicative.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 10:21

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Me?

Kia Rio. Nuff Said.

djmt1 > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 10:22

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Out of the 8 different cars I have driven I wouldn't call any of them bad but without doubt the least enjoyable was when I Auto-crossed an MX5. After being surrounded by Jalopnik's Miata cult I was expecting a revelation but nope. I have never been more miserable driving in my life. Firstly the pedals were awful, my foot kept getting caught underneath the clutch and the brake pedal wasn't exactly inspiring confidence. Then there is the suspension, boy that car likes to lean and lastly and most damning it just didn't feel fast. Plus it didn't help that I drove it in between a 306 GTI and an Atom which were indeed revelations.

Mr. FiSTer of Team FiST Fetish > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 10:23

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Maybe it isn't actually that bad but I don't remember ever being as let down by a car, the CVT sucked, it had no power, and the interior just wasn't what I wanted it to be.

A close second would probably be my friends Doge Avenger with the 4-cylinder and the 4-speed auto.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 10:24

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2000 cavalier. It was perfectly horrible. It was very good at being shitty. It was like it was in a class on how to be a horrible car and it got an A+. It was an honor student in the school of shitty driving experiences.

E. Julius > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 12/14/2014 at 10:29

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I've never driven one, but I have ridden in a couple. Shittiness corroborated.

E. Julius > Mr. FiSTer of Team FiST Fetish 12/14/2014 at 10:31

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My cousin and her husband have one of these and love it. I'm sure it's because it's their first new car, but it's funny to see somebody complain about after only hearing good things. I imagine you're probably right, and I've always thought they were pretty ugly on top of that.

E. Julius > djmt1 12/14/2014 at 10:32

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I'm surprised! The first time I drove a Miata I had a great time, but that was just cruising around some backroads, not really pushing it or anything. I'm sure after driving an Atom though it would feel pretty pointless.

Dusty Ventures > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 10:33

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2011 Nissan Versa. I rented it for a weekend road trip and regretted every second of it. The throttle was unresponsive, the interior was cheap, it droned like hell cruising on the highway, and even with 90% of the trip being highway it only returned about 28 mpg.

djmt1 > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 10:37

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But the 306 GTI didn't. In fact I almost bought one afterwards it was that good. The reason why I held back saying it was a bad car though was that the MX5 was a base 1.8 with no mods and was probably really out of it's comfort zone in comparison to the 306 GTI which was built to do the exact thing I was doing.

ViperGuy21 > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 10:41

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Beat to crap drivers' ed Nissan Versa. Pulled hard right, wipers didn't really do anything useful, and headlights were more like small candles. It was the first time I had ever driven that car, first time I had ever driven in the rain, first time I had ever driven at dusk/dark, and a big truck tried to kill me and the other occupants of the car. Luckily the brakes worked so I am alive. But the car sucked otherwise. Maybe 50hp left in it. And beat to crap!

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 10:41

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Automatic Accent

fhrblig > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 12/14/2014 at 10:44

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Not only is it shitty, it's unkillable. So you're stuck with it FOREVER. When I was a courier I came very close to buying one because I knew it would stay running forever. I should have; the Buick I bought was a disaster.

E. Julius > djmt1 12/14/2014 at 10:47

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Yeah it sounds like you're much more performance focused than the target for the stock MX5.

E. Julius > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 12/14/2014 at 10:48

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That thing just looks rough.

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 10:53

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Jaguar XK120

I know, I know. That's borderline blasphemous but they are goddamn terrible. The pedals are so tiny and close together that if you're wearing anything that could be considered wide, you're screwed and will have to take your shoes off to drive it. Same goes it you just have big feet. The steering at speed is fine, but even the 7-foot in diameter steering wheel that makes it so hard to actually get into the car gracefully doesn't help the steering at low speeds. I've driven trucks, SUVs, and American land yachts without power steering that felt lighter than this car. And with the top up, you cant see shit. Not only can you not see behind you at all, but if you're taller than 5'8" you cant see to either side of you without ducking down. The shifter actually has an awesome feel, and may be my favorite part about driving the car, but the rest is terrible. Nothing is labeled on the dash either. Nothing. If you don't spend 30 minutes learning what every button and switch does and committing it to memory, you'll have no idea what's going on.

That being said, I love them. They're stunningly beautiful and have such a presence. They are great at high speeds with a pair of narrow driving shoes, and I would never turn down the chance to drive one.

But they are awful.

E92M3 > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 11:00

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My old boss had one of those. He spent many hours trying to convince me how it was the best car to choose from, and validate his buying decision. I felt bad. He must not of drove anything else in the class.

Scary__goongala! > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 11:02

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My dad's chevy cobalt. The only time i drive it is when i want to bring my doge somewhere.

Nibby > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 11:07

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Jeep Patriot.

Lexus HS250h

Kailand09 > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 11:12

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2009 v6 camry. The transmission never knows where the fuck to go, when you first start the car and let off the brake it flies forward. The interior is kinda crappy and falls apart easily, especially considering the cash it cost.

Theonly thing going got it is it has decent power, but you feel it fall off quickly at speed.

Oh and all the dash controls are basically out of reach so you have to really lean to hit a few buttons, even though I'm about 6 feet tall. No clue what shorter people do.

Coachrotte33 > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 11:20

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Mid-2000's Ford Fusion. Made Pontiac seem solid in build and soft in materials.

GeorgeyBoy > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 11:32

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Dodge Caliber.

TDogg > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 11:36

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Dodge Caliber. Interior made of rocks and not designed for anyone over 5'6". The engine had no power and the CVT didn't know it was supposed to move the car. The steering was surprisingly precise and the stereo was better than some, though.

E. Julius > E92M3 12/14/2014 at 11:37

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It's a total dog. My dad managed to find one with a single owner, underpriced with no rust (rare in Michigan), so it was a good buy. Just a good buy of a bad product.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 11:37

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First car I ever drove: Camry Hybrid. I hated the 10 minutes I drove it.

E. Julius > Nibby 12/14/2014 at 11:39

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The Jeeps of the Patriot era were just sad.

Vicente Esteve > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 11:40

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This. Renault Scala (Rebadged Archaic Nissan Sentra).

We went to vacations to the deep south of Mexico where there are jungles, waterfalls and a plethora of twisting roads. When we arrived at the Hertz rental car desk they told us no cars were available, even if we had a reservation... Then, this guy from Thrifty comes up and tells us they just had this one available. It was either that, or a bus.

4 Speed Auto, lethargic, IMMENSE turning radius, silver color, horrible interior. Just no.

Goshen, formerly Darkcode > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) 12/14/2014 at 12:00

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I question your dislike of the car since you're implying you'd do it again.

Schaefft > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 12:07

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An old 1990ish Opel Corsa A for 500 Euros. Only took it around the block, I feared for my life when I noticed that it doesn't have power brakes or steering. Why would people buy crap like that if you can get a nice Mazda 626/Xedos6 for the same money?

DoYouEvenShift > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 12:08

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Felt like driving a power wheels on public roads.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 12:09

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NA miata

Jeep TJ

E. Julius > DoYouEvenShift 12/14/2014 at 12:09

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I've always wanted to try one of these.

E. Julius > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/14/2014 at 12:11

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Oooh lots of Miata backlash on here today. What didn't you like about it? I understand they're not perfect but I'd like to see if the complaints some people have about them are relevant to me before I buy one.

sellphones2493 > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 12:17

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I had to drive one of these around for two hours for driver's ed. Not only did it shake at 40mph, have a screwed up pedal (I'm assuming due to adding a passenger-side pedal), but it was absolutely gross inside.

The grossest part (if you don't want to grossed out - don't read ). It had a small blood stain on the driver's seat sort of where your crotch is located. I'll leave you with that...

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 12:22

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To be fair the only miata I ever drove was hammered. The steering was too heavy, it had a vibration, it was more rattle-y and noisy than pissed off infant riding a Harley. It ran well and transmission worked fine, but the clutch was uncommunicative even though it didn't slip at all. Despite the drivetrain working properly I'm pretty sure I could do a quarter mile faster on foot. I hated the seats, the door handles, the interior. I've had cheap cars before, but this one just didn't work for me. My buddy only bought it for $500, running and driving, if that gives you a better idea.

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Goshen, formerly Darkcode 12/14/2014 at 12:28

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I'm not implying it. I'm outright saying it. And I can say with 99% certainty that I will drive one again in the future. I don't dislike the car at all. In fact, I love it.

It just sucks to drive. Like, seriously sucks.

For $150,000 sports roadster, it's crap. But for a $150,000 work of vintage automotive art, it's lovely. And who would say no to driving a work of automotive art? Not me. That's for sure.

E. Julius > sellphones2493 12/14/2014 at 12:32

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Goshen, formerly Darkcode > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) 12/14/2014 at 12:52

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Your description gives the impression you disliked driving it because you were not used to it. I guess if I were to drive such an old car it'd also be awkward to me.

Atomic Buffalo > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 13:00

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Girlfriend's 1980 Chevrolet Chevette. Drove like a land yacht — wallowed with every change of speed or direction, awful turning radius — except more cramped, and the disintegrating door panels rubbed off on your clothes. OTOH, it was built like a tank and couldn't be killed. Much to her consternation and her dad's relief. She eventually traded it in on a 1989 CRX that the previous owner had "tricked out" (suspension, tires/wheels, paint), basically a closed-cabin go-kart. Driving it was like being a superhero's sidekick. Riding in it was like being in a shopping cart on Jackass.

I wonder — how many of the worst-cars-ever-driven belonged to girlfriends/boyfriends?

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Goshen, formerly Darkcode 12/14/2014 at 13:15

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I mean, I'm sort of used to it. I've driven 4 or 5 different XK120s a bunch of times and have no problem hopping in one and driving off, but for a person my high (6'1") you can pretty much only see in front of you or straight down to the road beside you because the soft top comes down so low. I'm sure a smaller individual would have better visibility, but it doesn't make for a pleasant driving experience with the top on. Plus a lot of owners take the side mirrors off for some inexplicable reason. The rearview is so tiny that even with the top down its pretty useless.

Do you see this? This tiny little slit of a window? Pointless. Somehow it's easier to see out of the back of a Countach. All you can really see if you look back is your trunk because of how low the window is, and the rearview mirrors are so tiny that if you adjust it so you can see out of the window and then move your head three inches in any direction, you have to readjust it.

Also, the buttons and knobs aren't the same for every year XK and absolutely nothing is labeled so that's very strange and takes a moment to get used to even if you are used to driving them. Plus I would literally have to take off the shoes I'm wearing now to drive one. I mean, your feet probably have just as much room in a Lotus Elan or Elva Courier, which are much smaller cars. The pedals are on top of each other, and while that makes heel-toe-ing really easy and a lot of fun, its pretty annoying.

And to clarify, these are fun cars with the top down on a windy back road. If you have a chance to have some fun with it, it's a good car and an absolute blast. You'll get thumbs up and big smiles for days and you'll enjoy yourself on those back mountain roads. But around town and on the highway? Absolute nightmare.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > E. Julius 12/14/2014 at 14:42

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2008 Dodge Ram 1500. It's like a small boat in a storm when you turn it. It has almost made me throw up on windy days.

pip bip - choose Corrour > E. Julius 12/15/2014 at 03:48

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T-reg Skoda Felicia diesel hatch in the UK back in 2000.

went round a couple of bends in Scotland , and tried to throw me off the road.

don't miss that shitter 1 bit!

Manuél Ferrari > E. Julius 12/17/2014 at 21:25

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Ferrari F40

The turbo lag was terrible

(just kidding, I've never driven an F40 :D