I'm going to have to say that i think some toyota's are underrated. I happen to think most of their cars are good at pretty much everything but not exceptional in 1 area like some cars.
Very well rounded, solid and reliable. I think this about the recently released Auris, tends to fall behind key runners like Golf and Focus but the car itself is 10x better than its replacement to drive and own and that in itself was the best selling car worldwide.
Its easy to criticize a car manufacturer that is doing so well, you expect them to release the best cars in their class every time. Almost a bias on reviews straight away.
1) Mondeo ST220 - The Mondeo is common, but the ST220 is not & it's a great car. If it wore a BMW badge, it would top group tests & be on every street corner.
2) Vauxhall Signum - totally pointless, but that is part of the beauty of it. Lot's of space & practically, comfortable & fully loaded (Elite) or great looking (Design).
Good call Bamford! They are rare as hens teeth over here. Saw one a couple of weeks back, was making some serious progress on some backroads near my house!
For £14K in immaculate condition, you can get a good handling saloon, 260 very easy to reach bhp, soaked in luxury and of course, it's the cheapest route to a big V8 anywhere. They are the answer to my earlier question about the S60R i guess!
Audi A2 was / is ace IMO. AeroD but still big inside and good view of road. 900kg sprightly, plus better cornering (for a tall car) & braking. No rust, great detail design, ace glass roof. Not many sold tho, I specced one on the website with nice bits, ended up at £25k. Hmmmm. Still, cheap now.
Originally posted by thebenster: Audi A2 was / is ace IMO. AeroD but still big inside and good view of road. 900kg sprightly, plus better cornering (for a tall car) & braking. No rust, great detail design, ace glass roof. Not many sold tho, I specced one on the website with nice bits, ended up at £25k. Hmmmm. Still, cheap now.
Have to say being a previous owner, it was one of the sadest days in my (car) life. The A4 never came close. It was almost as if Alsace had produced it. Had rthe quirkyness of the French and the quality of the Germans. Great car, and good reliability, econmy andd performance.
Getting back to the topic, Most recent standard VAG products. I was in a colleagues A3 the other day. Truly awful. Hell's cavern for an interior and ride and handling that would make a skateboard look soft. Why does anyone spend so much on one? Its just a leon/Octavia underneath. In fact the old Leon used to have the A3 dash moulding!
After me( and others I know well) have owned several VAG group cars, I really do not understand the high esteem that these cars are put under.
On the other saide, virtually every Subaru is seriously good. Not a big fan of Jap products, but these really work for me, and yet they don't have the prestige or praise of the motoring press...why?
Finally, Prius, does anyone else think that these are no better than a Corolla (sorry,, Aurus) 1.4 and yet you pay nearly £23k for one! Madness....( I should know, it was offered on teh fleet list to me, but really thought an Alfa was a better bet....)
1) Skoda Octavia. After years of trying to turn their image around, Skoda have deservedly succeeded. This is an Audi A4 but a lot cheaper and better built.
2) Almost any modern Ford. For a mainstream, volume manufacturer to provide what they do is amazing IMHO. I haven't owned a Ford in 25 years, but what I've seen of the recent crop has amazed me. Far cheaper than anything that can match them on handling, and far more refined than anything that can match them on price. I have great hopes that the new Mondeo will eventually come with a decent automatic gearbox/diesel engine combo. I wouldn't mind swapping such a motor for the overrated Bavarian barge that I drive at the moment!
---------------------------------------------------- "mad-g" is the display name of "mad-git"
Can't agree that Toyota's are underrated. The pressure on profitability is more evident than ever. Some of the plastics in the RAV4 cabin a far too flimsy for a £24K car.
Subaru's could be called 'underrated' if the running costs were more bearable. The cars are priced competitively yet the parts and servicing are often more than prestige brands.
Honda Accord - now that's an underrated car, especially with the amazing ADAS system. Better to drive than an A4, better built than a C-Class and less brash than a BMW.
Good call Bamford! They are rare as hens teeth over here. Saw one a couple of weeks back, was making some serious progress on some backroads near my house!
The Ford V8 on full song sounded GREAT
my mum and dad own one and its fast! but i must point out really unreliable, its only a few years old and its been in the garage 6 times for major problems, it spilled oil all over the drive 2 times, had 2 faulty manifolds, engine light keeps coming on ect...
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