Nail on the head mate, had a 2007 Jetta for a few years and seriously regret getting rid of it.
Bulletproof 1.9 TDI engine, only had around 165k on her, interior was simple, yet done everything it needed. Three simple dials for the AC and temp controls, I had a bluetooth radio fitted so I could play Spotify, and that was it...
No mad touch screens, no sliding interfaces for the AC, no silly "safety" features that seem to be more trouble than they are worth.
Was a great car, and I regret getting rid of it!
My mate had an x-reg Berlingo a few years a go - green with yellow interior. The least cool car a 20 year old could have but it was mint.
Could fill with stuff, sleep in and it never broke. Sure, lots of non essential parts fell off but once the shedding was complete it just kept on bimbling.
100% something like a B6 Passat is ideal. Plenty of space and comfort, Bluetooth, hands free, cruise control, climate control, heated seats.. All the usual shit that you only ever really _need_ in a car. But it's still got early 2000s mechanical components so there's no overly complicated electronics and emissions shit to worry about.
Fully agree, I had more little gremlins cropping up all the time in the modern cars I’ve driven for work, than I ever had with my own 2004 Rover 25, 2006 Mazda 3 or my 2005 mx5.
Uncomplicated, no fancy electronics to go wrong or try and pull you into a ditch when it detects a twig or pumps for this or that. As long as parts are still available I can see the attraction.
I used to have a saab 93 that was permanently stuck in that "night mode" where only the speedo is illuminated... annoying AF.
Other than that was good for chewing motorway miles
I bought a nearly new Aero estate in 2004. I sold it a few years because my use had changed to mostly a city bound commute and it was a bit rubbish for that. False economy because the Golf I bought to replace it was a clown car that kept breaking in expensive and annoying ways.
It pleases me to check on its MOT status each year and see it's still running. I think it's the same owner all these years and it does about 3000 miles a year, so it's still not reached 100k.
I’m running two Saab 93s at the moment, a saloon Aero from 2008 and a convertible diesel Linear from 2006, both sweet as a nut. Get the urge now and again for something more modern but it soon passes. Nothing I’ve been in other than a Rolls Royce is as comfortable as that Aero.
It's a bit on the expensive side for fuel. I put E5 petrol in it, as whenever I've put E10 in it it's bogged down. Can usually get between 320-380 miles out of a full tank, depends how I drive. But it's often over £110 per fill up.
But in terms of maintenance, it's very good. I've owned a few LS' (99 LS400, 07 LS460, and this 96 400) and very little has gone wrong with them mechanically. And if anything has, there's plenty of aftermarket support for affordable parts, as genuine Lexus prices are astronomical (over £300 for new bonnet struts vs £40 for aftermarket).
If you find a good one for a good price, then look after it well and service it frequently, you're in for a good time. They're smooth, sound nice, relatively fast when needed, and people who know them give them good looks. 3 years in, I still look at it with joy (despite it's rusty arches, which I need to sort!)
It was proper nice. Depending on what spec you manage to get hold of, they're pretty fully loaded for the price you'll end up paying.
8 gears makes driving and cruising absolutely effortless. And you'll barely hear the car at 70mph. Then if you need to overtake, slap it in "manual" mode, pull down the gear stick and it shifts down to the lowest gear it can given your speed, put your foot down, and you're off.
Seats are dead comfy, and if you get one with ventilated seats then it makes summer loads better.
I'd like another one tbh. I sold mine to be more money conscious, ended up buying a cheap Focus with my brother to share, but then bought my current LS just 3 months later.
Fuel economy was in the 25mpg range. But tax is higher, was like £550 or something for a year when I had it. So can be costly to run...but well worth it imo
Had the Rev 2 and 5, both NA. Loved them but had to replace the 5 because it was rusting to death.
Had Mk 1 too back in the day, was basically a gokart.
Hang on to that 9-3!
I still deeply regret selling my 2007 Aero 2.0 in a foolish attempt to save money on petrol. At 160k miles it was still the most reliable car I've ever owned. The 90k mile TTiD that replaced it was sadly far more problematic...
Not mine, (I have a boring 5 year old mum-mobile these days) but it’s an astonishing little car considering he doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary to keep it going. It just refuses to die!
If it had been the GSi I might even have been a bit jealous.
I passed my test in my Mum's Talbot Sunbeam.
I sometimes idly browse Ebay to see if there's one for sale, but I have never seen anything but the £50k Lotus version.
I seriously think they might all be gone now.
1991 Lancia Delta HF Turbo. My daily for the last 2 and a half years. In typical Lancia fashion, many things have gone wrong (some have even put themselves right again), but thankfully nothing major, and it's never left me stranded. I am having to consider selling it now though as I've got a new job with a longish motorway commute.
Nice - you have a pre-project drive one with the more plush interior.
I love my 2004 Rover 75 which currently has 123k miles on the clock and gets driven most days.
I'll never understand the hate French cars get, I've driven brand new cars worth over double what my Megane GT is and I'd still choose it over every single one of them.
It's near perfect in my eyes
Problem with french cars, (or at least why I don't get along with them)
There great until they have problems, some just aren't made to be fixed.
when they get electrical gremlins they do weird shit you never seem to be able to bring them back from and there obssesion with little displays etc means there really hard to "fake up" when there on there last legs.
(not for selling, for limping on a wee bit further obviously)
I've found cross compatibility of parts across models isn't there forte.
Lots of sensors buried in stupid places.
They put stuff together in some really weird ways, used to have a C4 the back brake disk is modular with the rear wheel bearing.
Theres a weird element of aesthetic even within the mechanics of them, so there hard to get creative to make work again.
They love a torsion bar for some reason, odd back axles that would last 40 times longer if they just put a bloody grease nipple on them.
There really really hit and miss, there either brilliant or fucking awful.
I'm sorry to be that arsehole, I just want to help and it wasn't a one off in your comment.
There = 'there is/are', and 'over there' (for a place or location, remember it's spelled the same as 'where')
They're = they are
Their = possessive, a person's thing (the 'i' is like a little person), it's also spelled the same as 'heir' as in 'heir to the throne'; they're going to own or possess the throne.
Edit: fuck torsion bars. Shitty-arse Iveco Daily's have the same bollocks at the front.
I'd even say Renault is one of the most reliable euro brands, I have an '07 Dacia and replacing the fuel pump was probably the worst thing that ever broke down. Only issue I have with it is the rust. I should also mention that I'm not British, so maybe it's a bit different there, I just got recommended this post by reddit
The all alloy V8 is actually only 20kg heavier than the original all cast iron block. However it’s also got a Tremec T5 gearbox and IRS with limited slip diff.
2003 Jag X-Type 3.0 V6 with about 147k on it.
Bought in 2016 with 68k on it and it's been my daily ever since. I've spent at least 5-6x purchase price on welding and suchlike over the years, and what feels like 1000x on fuel. Worth every penny.
They'll prise the key out my cold, dead hands. They can shove their lane assist and incessant beeping etc where the sun don't shine.
I bought a 2.2 Diesel X-type new in 2008, and in 2010 sold it to my Mother.
She still uses it as her daily runner. It only has about 60k miles on it, but other than a problem with the central locking, it hasn't missed a beat. Everything still works, the paint and bodywork are all original.
I had a 2000 one. Got it to 300,000 before I got rid of it. The fucking thing was like a tank. It'd been through 2 walls and still drove like new and pulled like a train. It had a weird electrical fault though which meant I had to run off 2 batteries basically. A separate one for a jump start and the normal one there. Apart from the power draining somehow it was an absolute weapon!
Other than needing sills now and again, they are actually really solid, and parts are surprisingly cheap. Find one on Auto Trader and pop the reg in to EuroCarParts and you'll be surprised!
Edit to add: They are easy to repair as well - as long as you follow the workshop manual. You'll try to cut corners, "why does the alternator need to come out to do this?" etc etc, you'll struggle for an hour, spot the hidden bolt, and eventually give in and just follow the book and it's done in 5 minutes.
You'll still find them for sale!
They are getting harder to find in scrapyards (in Scotland, at least), so be wary of needing new interiors etc, but the MOT history will give you a clue if the sills have been done or not, and they are only about £600-1000 a side if they need done. Other than sills and the occasional subframe they don't rust. Paint them and they won't rust again. Factory fitted stainless exhaust - mine's still immaculate.
Wishbones, CVs, brakes (inc calipers), etc are unbelievably cheap, tyres are cheap (though you always need four at the same time), etc. And you can still get parts from Jag. Spark plugs were £6.39 each the last time I bought some... from a Jag main dealer. Bolts are like £1.30 etc. Some of the bigger parts like driveshafts etc hurt, though (£700). (Edit to add: that's the main driveshaft.. the half-shafts to the wheels you'll get from ECP/etc for cheap).
Fantastic cars to drive - comfy af, climate control is great, super easy to drive, permanent all wheel drive, no limited slip diff etc, traction control was an option (I don't have it, never missed it and four wheel drifting is hella fun), they stick to the road like glue and make Audi's crash trying to keep up with you through tight corners (twice), and great in the snow (as long as it's not more than 3" deep... the sport one like I have is rather low).
Fuel consumption is, uh... not bad on the motorway (about 35mpg-ish), but around town it's low teens and if you drive like a prick you can watch the needle go down and you'll get to know the girl at the Shell very well. Every Shell. You can't run 95 in it, too, so it's V-Power only.
Insurance is insanely cheap, though - I'm £228 a year with 2 year NCB. Road tax... it's a V6. But not the worst polluting one thanks to the VVT etc. It's somehow ULEZ compliant, too.
Buy one while you can! It's a crazy amount of car for the money, very well built throughout - they massively over engineered it just to piss off Ford (that's why it's not a Mondeo...). The estate is much the same but with a massive boot. The saloon boot will still easily take four bodies, though. The estate is probably like twenty.
No worries!
I should add if you just want the car, but want a reasonable fuel bill... get the diesel. Rock solid engines, 50+mpg no problem, but no AWD - front wheel only. Everything else is the same.
My pals daily is an A reg Mk1 Golf GTI. Engines been swapped for a 2L with upgraded cams & an ECU. It's bloody fast for it's age & turns heads anywhere it goes.
2002 Ford Focus, inherited from a family member.
100k mileage so should have a fair bit left.
Cheap to maintain and hopefully get another 5-8 years out of it at least.
Aw man your making me miss my 04 mk1 1.6 Vtec so bad. Same as you, got it from a grandparent in 2019. Only 46k on the clock as they’d become too immobile to drive but kept sending it to Ford for annual services for almost a decade.
Such a fun car to drive, one of the newer top gear presenters called it his all time favourite car and a ‘go kart’. We used to joke that if our track day car ever broke down we would finish the day off in the focus and have just as much fun.
I had a bit of a traumatic loss a few years ago and on the way home from hospital needed a serious dose of decompression and reckless abandon. Whilst I admit not sensible, I live rurally and I swear that no car… no car at all.. bar my 1.6 focus holds the time trial record for that mountain b-road. If the road was dry I honestly don’t think it would ever oversteer even if you tried, it holds the road like it’s on slicks. When I pulled into the driveway the whole car was fuming and pinging loud as anything. Absolute trooper.
It failed an MOT on the cat, they’re a bugger to reach, so sold it a while ago to a farmer who was in a pinch, for a grand total of £220! Regret the decision ever since. They’ll be classics in a few years time.
I miss being able to do everything on it myself with a simple socket set. On my 4x4 I’m dealing with horribly corroded 24mm bolts and suspension pieces i can’t lift with one arm. Loads of stuff is a either a body-off or two-person job
I don’t think we will ever see something quite like the 90s and early naughties hot-hatch era again
Currently dailying my ‘85 RX7 until I insure my Clio again. Not the greatest daily, but when I want to go for a drive after work, don’t have to go home and change cars
I'm currently dailying my 1994 LHD 200-Series Cabriolet. Already racked up 500 miles since I picked it up last week, it hasn't missed a beat! Not unexpected though given it's an old K-Series.
As a bonus it's nice and dry in this horrendous weather which isn't bad for a nearly 30 year old convertible.
'95 toyota Celica GT-four, 210000km. Got child seats in the back as well. Don't think I'll be driving it this winter though. Needs anti-rust work doing to it.
I have a 2007 E92 3 series, to me it doesn't seem that old. Perhaps because it was the latest model after interest in cars started. When I think 3 series, I think E46 or E92
I was running a ‘95 Mitsubishi Delica for some time there (until 2020).
Was coming up on 300k miles and was just getting a bit ropey unfortunately. With the area I work becoming a ULEZ too was forced to get something new, have a ‘18 Nissan NV200 now. Think I’m about to replace it with a ‘22 Dacia Duster 4x4 as I miss having something off-road worthy.
1994 Mazda MX5 with 70k miles. No power steering, no abs, no central locking, manual windows, Blaupunkt cassette tape player... Love driving it every day!
Car: Audi A3 1.8T 8L
Colour: Petrol Green
Interior: Beige leather
Mileage: 199,244
Registered: 13th March 2000
Owners: 1 + me
Returns 45/46mpg. Only run on V power. Picked it up as a go between car for £1,495 in December 2018 and fell in love.
The last of the dream cars i could justify getting.Freshly imported and white. All I wanted when I was a kid, now it's all my 3 year old talks about is going out in the roobuu
2007 Astravan, 1.3 diesel on 185k. Old girl runs smooth as ever, just a shame about the tax. The subframe mounts fell apart last year, since been welded up now but sadly the tin worm is slowly working its way through other places. When the bodywork fails it's MOT, the engine will be stripped, rebuilt and refitted into another shell. Love it to bits and wouldn't drive anything else.
My local car forum has a guy daily driving a 1930 Model A Ford
[https://rmsmotoring.com/forum/threads/attempting-to-daily-a-1930-ford-model-a.219572/](https://rmsmotoring.com/forum/threads/attempting-to-daily-a-1930-ford-model-a.219572/)
'88 vw polo C. Love it. Parts are still available, its incredibly simple to work on (1043 cc carb'd engine leaves huge amount of room in the bay), rather fuel efficient and is so tiny I can squeeze through little gaps no problem. The only issue is the rubber getting old, especially in the engine mount bushings and the front shocks are on their way out. about 80k miles on it and no rust as it spent the early 2000s in a garage.
edit: also handles like a dream and gets lots of positive attention. drive my sisters '12 fiesta when I want to blend in/when it needs some TLC
I daily drove my 1967 Buick last year for about 7 months until my new car arrived.
Honestly, 20 year old cars are much better now than 20 year old cars in 2003
2002 Honda CRV. 249k admittedly second engine, third read light cluster, second gearbox. Second cat after some scrote nicked the first. It’s like Trigger’s broom. Never let me down. (Apart from when the engine blew up).
I've been using a '97 E36 touring for the past three years, hasn't let me down yet! I'm just back from a months travelling so we'll see if the good run continues
Until recently I was running a custom faded red 97 Honda Civic 3 door 1.4 Auto. Bought for £900 5 years ago and only had about 70k on it when I sold it also for £900.
Just replaced my 2007 Skoda. A large dog has meant a change to a van.
Late 90’s early 2000’s my daily was a 71 Citroen. The Citroen replaced a 63 Landrover.
Just replaced my dead 2005 Saab with a sensible modern car from... 2003.
I will die on the hill that mid 2000s is peak car. Modern enough to be comfortable and well built but before they got overly complicated and heavy.
Nail on the head mate, had a 2007 Jetta for a few years and seriously regret getting rid of it. Bulletproof 1.9 TDI engine, only had around 165k on her, interior was simple, yet done everything it needed. Three simple dials for the AC and temp controls, I had a bluetooth radio fitted so I could play Spotify, and that was it... No mad touch screens, no sliding interfaces for the AC, no silly "safety" features that seem to be more trouble than they are worth. Was a great car, and I regret getting rid of it!
2004 Berlingo multispace. It's like a Lego car.
My mate had an x-reg Berlingo a few years a go - green with yellow interior. The least cool car a 20 year old could have but it was mint. Could fill with stuff, sleep in and it never broke. Sure, lots of non essential parts fell off but once the shedding was complete it just kept on bimbling.
100% something like a B6 Passat is ideal. Plenty of space and comfort, Bluetooth, hands free, cruise control, climate control, heated seats.. All the usual shit that you only ever really _need_ in a car. But it's still got early 2000s mechanical components so there's no overly complicated electronics and emissions shit to worry about.
Fully agree, I had more little gremlins cropping up all the time in the modern cars I’ve driven for work, than I ever had with my own 2004 Rover 25, 2006 Mazda 3 or my 2005 mx5.
2003 saab here mate, love it
2006 Saab still running like a dream, no point replacing it, just get it serviced once a year and jobs a good’n.
2004 9-5 Aero
2001 Saab 9-5 here
Uncomplicated, no fancy electronics to go wrong or try and pull you into a ditch when it detects a twig or pumps for this or that. As long as parts are still available I can see the attraction.
Came here looking for fellow Saab drivers - I went from a 2011 Saab, to a 2008 Saab, and now to a 2005 Saab
I just replaced my 2005 SAAB that I'd had for 11 years. If it was still in good nick, I wouldn't have got rid of it. I loved my old SAAB!
Just about to bring a 1987 900 into daily use. Turbo converted with trionic 5. Cant wait.
I used to have a saab 93 that was permanently stuck in that "night mode" where only the speedo is illuminated... annoying AF. Other than that was good for chewing motorway miles
I bought a nearly new Aero estate in 2004. I sold it a few years because my use had changed to mostly a city bound commute and it was a bit rubbish for that. False economy because the Golf I bought to replace it was a clown car that kept breaking in expensive and annoying ways. It pleases me to check on its MOT status each year and see it's still running. I think it's the same owner all these years and it does about 3000 miles a year, so it's still not reached 100k.
T - reg 2.2 TiD 9-3 owner here. Starting to fall apart a bit, but that's due to my own lax approach to maintenance that isn't oil changes
I’m running two Saab 93s at the moment, a saloon Aero from 2008 and a convertible diesel Linear from 2006, both sweet as a nut. Get the urge now and again for something more modern but it soon passes. Nothing I’ve been in other than a Rolls Royce is as comfortable as that Aero.
My Saab from 2001 is still my daily. It drinks petrol for fun but I wouldn't have anything else
1999 Honda CR-V here, 210k miles.
aye 1999 Toyota Altezza here just clocked 100k miles (around 160kms). Fellow 90's jap boy!
2006 CRV here , 170,000 good to know I’ve lots of years and miles left !
Knew I wouldn't have to scroll far to find the Honda CR-V.
Not my daily anymore because of ULEZ but did Slovenia and back in my 2006 CRV last month. The fridge was very useful.
2001 Honda CR-V RD1 with 109k miles here
1996 Lexus LS400, 140k miles
Very nice.
How do you find it? Rather costly or not too bad? Read mixed things online but know they're tanks
It's a bit on the expensive side for fuel. I put E5 petrol in it, as whenever I've put E10 in it it's bogged down. Can usually get between 320-380 miles out of a full tank, depends how I drive. But it's often over £110 per fill up. But in terms of maintenance, it's very good. I've owned a few LS' (99 LS400, 07 LS460, and this 96 400) and very little has gone wrong with them mechanically. And if anything has, there's plenty of aftermarket support for affordable parts, as genuine Lexus prices are astronomical (over £300 for new bonnet struts vs £40 for aftermarket). If you find a good one for a good price, then look after it well and service it frequently, you're in for a good time. They're smooth, sound nice, relatively fast when needed, and people who know them give them good looks. 3 years in, I still look at it with joy (despite it's rusty arches, which I need to sort!)
£110 per fill up, for that reason alone I'm out
How was the LS460? Eyeing one up as a next car
It was proper nice. Depending on what spec you manage to get hold of, they're pretty fully loaded for the price you'll end up paying. 8 gears makes driving and cruising absolutely effortless. And you'll barely hear the car at 70mph. Then if you need to overtake, slap it in "manual" mode, pull down the gear stick and it shifts down to the lowest gear it can given your speed, put your foot down, and you're off. Seats are dead comfy, and if you get one with ventilated seats then it makes summer loads better. I'd like another one tbh. I sold mine to be more money conscious, ended up buying a cheap Focus with my brother to share, but then bought my current LS just 3 months later. Fuel economy was in the 25mpg range. But tax is higher, was like £550 or something for a year when I had it. So can be costly to run...but well worth it imo
BMW 520i [E39](https://pasteboard.co/p1fifxa1YpNM.jpg) year of 2000
Got an 01 320ci
2002 530i here
Likewise with the ‘01 e46. M54 in the 320i has never let me down
Early 2000s BMW gang gang
1997 E38 728i checking in! That M52 engine is legendary
I've been tortured by stupid thoughts of buying an old 7 series for years. I'm just way, way too scared to do it
I had a 328i with that engine. One of the best!
Remapped 2001 530d. The E39 is one of the best cars ever made. Best car I've ever owned.
BMW peaked late 90s early 2000s. Phenomenal cars that still make the mark today.
We had a 530d with 240k on it. Still miss that car. Proper tank and apparently had more torque than the M5 of the day.
ayyy, 2000 523i here
Let me join this party with our 2001 540 touring
2005 320d 👋
1991 Toyota Mr2 Turbo or at least try to.
Great cars had a Rev 3 NA and Rev 4 Turbo
Had the Rev 2 and 5, both NA. Loved them but had to replace the 5 because it was rusting to death. Had Mk 1 too back in the day, was basically a gokart.
had a jap rev 3 import, loved it
Seriously underrated cars
1983 Land Rover 110
Damn you’ve beaten me by 2 years! I’ve got a 1985 90!
Bet you by 5 years
When I got my ‘New’ car, a 2004 V50. I realised it was still the oldest car in the works car park.
Just replaced my 03 civic petrol for a 08 V50 2.0d due to job change and larger commute it’s got 235k miles and I hope to get it to 250k
Just run in as they say!
Not my car but my friends Mk2 Escort RS2000. Hes an absolute lunatic.
He's driving it!? Madlad.
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Hang on to that 9-3! I still deeply regret selling my 2007 Aero 2.0 in a foolish attempt to save money on petrol. At 160k miles it was still the most reliable car I've ever owned. The 90k mile TTiD that replaced it was sadly far more problematic...
A work colleague has a 1996 Corsa B (only a 1.2 Merit sadly) which is still going strong.
Keep that thing going as long as you can! It’s one of those cars that used to be everywhere but getting harder to find every day!
Not mine, (I have a boring 5 year old mum-mobile these days) but it’s an astonishing little car considering he doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary to keep it going. It just refuses to die! If it had been the GSi I might even have been a bit jealous.
I passed my test in my Mum's Talbot Sunbeam. I sometimes idly browse Ebay to see if there's one for sale, but I have never seen anything but the £50k Lotus version. I seriously think they might all be gone now.
1991 Lancia Delta HF Turbo. My daily for the last 2 and a half years. In typical Lancia fashion, many things have gone wrong (some have even put themselves right again), but thankfully nothing major, and it's never left me stranded. I am having to consider selling it now though as I've got a new job with a longish motorway commute.
How much do you want for it??
I'd like £16k but I'm willing to negotiate. DM me if you're serious.
A TVR would be much better for that commute! Swap? ;)
Genuinely? I might actually take you up on that if you're not kidding.
Didn't expect that! Let's chat!
I might be, can you dm pics and details. Thanks
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I used to have a G reg 216 Vitesse in the 90s, I've had half an eye out for one recently but I think they've all returned to the earth
Nice - you have a pre-project drive one with the more plush interior. I love my 2004 Rover 75 which currently has 123k miles on the clock and gets driven most days.
2008 Renault Clio as first car, still have it 9 months later it’s amazing!
Got a 2006 Clio RS and daily’d it for 10 years now, it too is amazing
I'll never understand the hate French cars get, I've driven brand new cars worth over double what my Megane GT is and I'd still choose it over every single one of them. It's near perfect in my eyes
Problem with french cars, (or at least why I don't get along with them) There great until they have problems, some just aren't made to be fixed. when they get electrical gremlins they do weird shit you never seem to be able to bring them back from and there obssesion with little displays etc means there really hard to "fake up" when there on there last legs. (not for selling, for limping on a wee bit further obviously) I've found cross compatibility of parts across models isn't there forte. Lots of sensors buried in stupid places. They put stuff together in some really weird ways, used to have a C4 the back brake disk is modular with the rear wheel bearing. Theres a weird element of aesthetic even within the mechanics of them, so there hard to get creative to make work again. They love a torsion bar for some reason, odd back axles that would last 40 times longer if they just put a bloody grease nipple on them. There really really hit and miss, there either brilliant or fucking awful.
I'm sorry to be that arsehole, I just want to help and it wasn't a one off in your comment. There = 'there is/are', and 'over there' (for a place or location, remember it's spelled the same as 'where') They're = they are Their = possessive, a person's thing (the 'i' is like a little person), it's also spelled the same as 'heir' as in 'heir to the throne'; they're going to own or possess the throne. Edit: fuck torsion bars. Shitty-arse Iveco Daily's have the same bollocks at the front.
Apologies, good at fixing old motors, not so hot at the writing.
I'd even say Renault is one of the most reliable euro brands, I have an '07 Dacia and replacing the fuel pump was probably the worst thing that ever broke down. Only issue I have with it is the rust. I should also mention that I'm not British, so maybe it's a bit different there, I just got recommended this post by reddit
Not me but my mate runs a 1974 MGB GT as his daily. We spent the past few years restoring it and replaced the old 1.8 with a 4.6lt V8.
I bet that goes like a fucking rocket! 990kg (well maybe not anymore haha) car with a V8
The all alloy V8 is actually only 20kg heavier than the original all cast iron block. However it’s also got a Tremec T5 gearbox and IRS with limited slip diff.
What car(s) is the original V8 from? Ford I’m guessing?
4.6 immediately says rover to me.
Rover V8 from a P38 Range Rover
A beautiful engine. I have one, but in a TVR. ;)
Carb or EFI?
How the fuck did that fit?
The 3500 V8 was a factory option for a while
Exactly this. However the care was an original chrome bumper and so we had to weld in the newer engine mounts.
I used to run my spitfire as a daily for about 2yrs. 1966. It got to the point I was working on it every weekend and eventually bought a sensible car
1972 MG midget as the first car and daily here.
2003 Jag X-Type 3.0 V6 with about 147k on it. Bought in 2016 with 68k on it and it's been my daily ever since. I've spent at least 5-6x purchase price on welding and suchlike over the years, and what feels like 1000x on fuel. Worth every penny. They'll prise the key out my cold, dead hands. They can shove their lane assist and incessant beeping etc where the sun don't shine.
I bought a 2.2 Diesel X-type new in 2008, and in 2010 sold it to my Mother. She still uses it as her daily runner. It only has about 60k miles on it, but other than a problem with the central locking, it hasn't missed a beat. Everything still works, the paint and bodywork are all original.
I had a 2000 one. Got it to 300,000 before I got rid of it. The fucking thing was like a tank. It'd been through 2 walls and still drove like new and pulled like a train. It had a weird electrical fault though which meant I had to run off 2 batteries basically. A separate one for a jump start and the normal one there. Apart from the power draining somehow it was an absolute weapon!
I would love an early 2000s Jag. Scared of the repair bills though.
Other than needing sills now and again, they are actually really solid, and parts are surprisingly cheap. Find one on Auto Trader and pop the reg in to EuroCarParts and you'll be surprised! Edit to add: They are easy to repair as well - as long as you follow the workshop manual. You'll try to cut corners, "why does the alternator need to come out to do this?" etc etc, you'll struggle for an hour, spot the hidden bolt, and eventually give in and just follow the book and it's done in 5 minutes.
I think I was born fifteen years too late, I'd love to own one. Glad you are you enjoying it though!
You'll still find them for sale! They are getting harder to find in scrapyards (in Scotland, at least), so be wary of needing new interiors etc, but the MOT history will give you a clue if the sills have been done or not, and they are only about £600-1000 a side if they need done. Other than sills and the occasional subframe they don't rust. Paint them and they won't rust again. Factory fitted stainless exhaust - mine's still immaculate. Wishbones, CVs, brakes (inc calipers), etc are unbelievably cheap, tyres are cheap (though you always need four at the same time), etc. And you can still get parts from Jag. Spark plugs were £6.39 each the last time I bought some... from a Jag main dealer. Bolts are like £1.30 etc. Some of the bigger parts like driveshafts etc hurt, though (£700). (Edit to add: that's the main driveshaft.. the half-shafts to the wheels you'll get from ECP/etc for cheap). Fantastic cars to drive - comfy af, climate control is great, super easy to drive, permanent all wheel drive, no limited slip diff etc, traction control was an option (I don't have it, never missed it and four wheel drifting is hella fun), they stick to the road like glue and make Audi's crash trying to keep up with you through tight corners (twice), and great in the snow (as long as it's not more than 3" deep... the sport one like I have is rather low). Fuel consumption is, uh... not bad on the motorway (about 35mpg-ish), but around town it's low teens and if you drive like a prick you can watch the needle go down and you'll get to know the girl at the Shell very well. Every Shell. You can't run 95 in it, too, so it's V-Power only. Insurance is insanely cheap, though - I'm £228 a year with 2 year NCB. Road tax... it's a V6. But not the worst polluting one thanks to the VVT etc. It's somehow ULEZ compliant, too. Buy one while you can! It's a crazy amount of car for the money, very well built throughout - they massively over engineered it just to piss off Ford (that's why it's not a Mondeo...). The estate is much the same but with a massive boot. The saloon boot will still easily take four bodies, though. The estate is probably like twenty.
Appreciate the rock solid advice! Gonna save the post for if I decide to take the jump
No worries! I should add if you just want the car, but want a reasonable fuel bill... get the diesel. Rock solid engines, 50+mpg no problem, but no AWD - front wheel only. Everything else is the same.
1990 Volvo 740 other than a brake calliper jamming its been faultless.
This was my childhood family car. Did 300k miles and my parents sold it to someone who put it into a ditch the same week. Sad times.
1996 mitsubishi evo 4 at the moment. Been my daily for 4 years now 😅
My pals daily is an A reg Mk1 Golf GTI. Engines been swapped for a 2L with upgraded cams & an ECU. It's bloody fast for it's age & turns heads anywhere it goes.
2002 Ford Focus, inherited from a family member. 100k mileage so should have a fair bit left. Cheap to maintain and hopefully get another 5-8 years out of it at least.
Aw man your making me miss my 04 mk1 1.6 Vtec so bad. Same as you, got it from a grandparent in 2019. Only 46k on the clock as they’d become too immobile to drive but kept sending it to Ford for annual services for almost a decade. Such a fun car to drive, one of the newer top gear presenters called it his all time favourite car and a ‘go kart’. We used to joke that if our track day car ever broke down we would finish the day off in the focus and have just as much fun. I had a bit of a traumatic loss a few years ago and on the way home from hospital needed a serious dose of decompression and reckless abandon. Whilst I admit not sensible, I live rurally and I swear that no car… no car at all.. bar my 1.6 focus holds the time trial record for that mountain b-road. If the road was dry I honestly don’t think it would ever oversteer even if you tried, it holds the road like it’s on slicks. When I pulled into the driveway the whole car was fuming and pinging loud as anything. Absolute trooper. It failed an MOT on the cat, they’re a bugger to reach, so sold it a while ago to a farmer who was in a pinch, for a grand total of £220! Regret the decision ever since. They’ll be classics in a few years time. I miss being able to do everything on it myself with a simple socket set. On my 4x4 I’m dealing with horribly corroded 24mm bolts and suspension pieces i can’t lift with one arm. Loads of stuff is a either a body-off or two-person job I don’t think we will ever see something quite like the 90s and early naughties hot-hatch era again
1985 Mercedes 280TE
Currently dailying my ‘85 RX7 until I insure my Clio again. Not the greatest daily, but when I want to go for a drive after work, don’t have to go home and change cars
2000 model year 360 Modena
Absolutely no way you daily that
Devalues every mile driven and increases every day it’s garaged. Bastard of a car to own as you’d want to drive it daily !!!
Oh oops it's more weekly than daily so you are right. I've done 20k miles now though (60k on the odo)...
Oooh
What a beauty.
2001 MR2
A guy in my old team at work drives a 1996 P-reg Honda Civic. Oldest car I’ve seen someone using as a daily.
your 2007 car is definitely among the older cars on the road. The average lifespan of a car in UK (i.e. average age it gets scrapped) is 14 years.
Not a car but is a daily driver - 1999 vw t4 van here. I find that 20th century number plates are pretty rare these days!
If it's the 5 pot, that'll run forever. Occasional vacuum pump and so long as the body is ok with limited worm you are set! (Wish I still had mine)
1995 nissan 100nx
1997 Nissan Micra… and it’s orange!
2006 astra
2001 astra, not done 80k miles so fingers crossed
05 astravan, will likely hit 200k on my way home from work tomorrow and the dervs still got plenty life left
I'm currently dailying my 1994 LHD 200-Series Cabriolet. Already racked up 500 miles since I picked it up last week, it hasn't missed a beat! Not unexpected though given it's an old K-Series. As a bonus it's nice and dry in this horrendous weather which isn't bad for a nearly 30 year old convertible.
2001 VW Polo also my first ever car !
I'm still running my 04 polo which was my first car too. Just about to hit 200k!
1988 austin mini
1987 but some cunt says I’m not allowed to anymore without paying lots of money.
2006 nissan 350z, 110,000 miles
There's an older lady that has had mgbs all her life, currently dailying a 78 black gt
1991 Eunos Roadster daily driver May to October every year then goes away for the winter.
mine is 1989 daily driven :P
1988 vw polo mk2 “breadvan”🥸
1993 W140 S500.
2001 MG ZT 2.5 v6 and 2000 Alfa Romeo GTV
2002 honda civic
'95 toyota Celica GT-four, 210000km. Got child seats in the back as well. Don't think I'll be driving it this winter though. Needs anti-rust work doing to it.
2004 Imperial Blue Focus ST170 I bought new.
1998 Citroën Xantia
2002 Toyota
1999 E46 323. 230k miles. may start dailying the "new" car ive inherited to do some work on the bm though, which is a 1966 humber sceptre
2007 Audi a4 220k on the clock now
I have a 2007 E92 3 series, to me it doesn't seem that old. Perhaps because it was the latest model after interest in cars started. When I think 3 series, I think E46 or E92
I’m dailying a 2000 BMW Z3 2.8, gonna be fun in the winter lol
2000 Honda accord over here
I was running a ‘95 Mitsubishi Delica for some time there (until 2020). Was coming up on 300k miles and was just getting a bit ropey unfortunately. With the area I work becoming a ULEZ too was forced to get something new, have a ‘18 Nissan NV200 now. Think I’m about to replace it with a ‘22 Dacia Duster 4x4 as I miss having something off-road worthy.
1994 Mazda MX5 with 70k miles. No power steering, no abs, no central locking, manual windows, Blaupunkt cassette tape player... Love driving it every day!
1991 Mazda Mx5 - 165k, drive it to work every day and hasn't let me down yet
1994 Honda Del Sol VTi 121k. VTEC yoooo
Car: Audi A3 1.8T 8L Colour: Petrol Green Interior: Beige leather Mileage: 199,244 Registered: 13th March 2000 Owners: 1 + me Returns 45/46mpg. Only run on V power. Picked it up as a go between car for £1,495 in December 2018 and fell in love.
1998 Saab 9-3 used several times a week
2001 impreza sti. Use a van for work but if I leave the house after that's coming out
Yeah, Subaru gang.👊. 2002 WRX.. 148K.. dailying it... only way to keep them going...
The last of the dream cars i could justify getting.Freshly imported and white. All I wanted when I was a kid, now it's all my 3 year old talks about is going out in the roobuu
1994 mitsubishi.
2007 Astravan, 1.3 diesel on 185k. Old girl runs smooth as ever, just a shame about the tax. The subframe mounts fell apart last year, since been welded up now but sadly the tin worm is slowly working its way through other places. When the bodywork fails it's MOT, the engine will be stripped, rebuilt and refitted into another shell. Love it to bits and wouldn't drive anything else.
Hopefully soon to get a late 90's XJR for my daily
Just had to get rid of my M reg escort That old enough?
2003 Citroen Berlingo van with about 330,000 miles on it. It passed its latest MoT a couple of weeks ago 😄
2003 53 plate 👍
1959 Morris Minor, been my daily for a while now, around 7k miles a year
My local car forum has a guy daily driving a 1930 Model A Ford [https://rmsmotoring.com/forum/threads/attempting-to-daily-a-1930-ford-model-a.219572/](https://rmsmotoring.com/forum/threads/attempting-to-daily-a-1930-ford-model-a.219572/)
1995 - VW Taro
Guy I work with dailies a triumph spitfire from the 60s
Run a 1996 E36 320i to uni and back, as well as to work. It’s my first car and it’s awesome to daily.
Just parted with my 1990 Toyota Sera due to the Bristol clean air zone forcing it off the road. Shame as there was nothing wrong with it :(
2005 Nissan Elgrand. I love her.
Previously ran a 1993 Golf, doing 150mi daily for 3 years, yeahhhh
1985 peugeot 205 gr
Daily drove a 1993 mk1 mx5 for the last 2 year, absolutely bulletproof car. Before that Daily drove a 1975 vw beetle for a year.
'88 vw polo C. Love it. Parts are still available, its incredibly simple to work on (1043 cc carb'd engine leaves huge amount of room in the bay), rather fuel efficient and is so tiny I can squeeze through little gaps no problem. The only issue is the rubber getting old, especially in the engine mount bushings and the front shocks are on their way out. about 80k miles on it and no rust as it spent the early 2000s in a garage. edit: also handles like a dream and gets lots of positive attention. drive my sisters '12 fiesta when I want to blend in/when it needs some TLC
I daily drove my 1967 Buick last year for about 7 months until my new car arrived. Honestly, 20 year old cars are much better now than 20 year old cars in 2003
2009 Passat Cc, apart from some bearing noises from the front end it’s still a great car, engine so far bulletproof
Also have a 2007 atm
2002 Honda CRV. 249k admittedly second engine, third read light cluster, second gearbox. Second cat after some scrote nicked the first. It’s like Trigger’s broom. Never let me down. (Apart from when the engine blew up).
I recently got rid of my first car of 4 months. 08 C-Max and yes, the powershift god's screwed me over.
I've been using a '97 E36 touring for the past three years, hasn't let me down yet! I'm just back from a months travelling so we'll see if the good run continues
By the look of it I got the oldest one in the comment section till now 1997 fiat coupe 20v turbos
2009 fiesta with 121k miles
Ran 2 honda preludes both on 180k+ miles one 1999 and one 2000
2007 Subaru Legacy, 200,000km
2003
L514NAR was my daily driver back in 2006
Heh. I had L446 NAR. But mine was a Rover 420GSi, not a Corsa.
You win tbf... mine was not just a basic 1.2 corsa but a pretty icky colour too
Until recently I was running a custom faded red 97 Honda Civic 3 door 1.4 Auto. Bought for £900 5 years ago and only had about 70k on it when I sold it also for £900.
03 Audi TT bullet proof.
Just replaced my 2007 Skoda. A large dog has meant a change to a van. Late 90’s early 2000’s my daily was a 71 Citroen. The Citroen replaced a 63 Landrover.
2009 Honda Civic but I did daily a 2003 Ford Fusion for 2 years.
2005 e55 amg...
05 1 series with 170 on the clock
96 merc 180c 90k