What was your best built car....?

[Angelus666]

As per title really, would be interested to know about the best car you've ever owned. To my mind I think the Z4 has a pretty average build quality, every single one of them I've been in has some form of dashboard rattle....the new 3lt I bought in 2004 had it's dash replaced 3 times, but still didn't fix the problem. I think the chassis is too stiff for the cabin fixings, it jolts things loose eventually...

For me, the E46 CSL and especially the E39 530 I owned were by far away the best built cars I've had, nothing went wrong over the 3 years I had them, not a single squeak or rattle.

 

[PerryGunn]

As per title really, would be interested to know about the best car you've ever owned. To my mind I think the Z4 has a pretty average build quality, every single one of them I've been in has some form of dashboard rattle....the new 3lt I bought in 2004 had it's dash replaced 3 times, but still didn't fix the problem. I think the chassis is too stiff for the cabin fixings, it jolts things loose eventually...

For me, the E46 CSL and especially the E39 530 I owned were by far away the best built cars I've had, nothing went wrong over the 3 years I had them, not a single squeak or rattle.

Definitely my old E39 535i V8 - felt as though it was carved from a single piece of granite...

 

[z4pilot]

Not one I owned personally, but it was my dad's car - Saab 9000. Mid 90's saloon that was the best product of a tie up between Saab, Fiat and Alfa. (Fiat Croma anyone? :roll: ) He had it as a company car for 3 years and took it from 0 to around 75000 miles. Felt as tight the day it went back as when it arrived and had a properly solid build quality.

 

[SeanConnor]

My old SW20 Turbo. The later SW20s were farmed out to Mitsubishi by Toyota and almost hand built. Everything was properly bolted and screwed together. Still sweet as a nut when I sold it with 150K on the clock.

Worst ever ? I once had the dubious honour of owning a Cavalier GSI ... absolute sh*te build quality.

 

[cj10jeeper]

Not one I owned personally, but it was my dad's car - Saab 9000. Mid 90's saloon that was the best product of a tie up between Saab, Fiat and Alfa. (Fiat Croma anyone? :roll: ) He had it as a company car for 3 years and took it from 0 to around 75000 miles. Felt as tight the day it went back as when it arrived and had a properly solid build quality.

Strange - that is exactly the car I was going to post from a pure build perspective.

Had a 9000 CS and it was carved from granite. Not a rattle or squeak from the day I had it.
Had all the big makes since and nothing as good, although my early X5 was faultless fro 100k and 1o years of ownership.

 

[85genius]

When I read the thread title before I even opened it I was thinking of my old E39 so not surprised to see them in the first 2 posts. Built like a tank! I was actually looking on ebay yesterday at the possibility of picking up an old V8 just for the laugh really

 

[Angelus666]

Ha, I was also looking at them as well....amazing car for the money really! I do keep thinking shall I get an E39 M5 as it must be a decent buy and place to put £10k....hmmmm

 

[GuidoK]

Volvo V70/xc70 with 5cyl diesel.
Pretty much indestructible.

 

[85genius]

Ha, I was also looking at them as well....amazing car for the money really! I do keep thinking shall I get an E39 M5 as it must be a decent buy and place to put £10k....hmmmm

Haha Yeah I did exactly the same thing, was looking at the 535 (cheap as chips) then was wondering what I could get a 540 for... bit more expensive but still a stupid amount of car for the money... Next thing I know I'm half way through convincing myself this is a good investment

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-M5-5-0-2001-/252505623334?hash=item3aca820b26:g:23cAAOSw6n5Xtsrf

 

[pvr]

My 740 was the best car I ever had. Seems telling that all the best cars are roughly from the same era ...

 

[d3matt]

I would agree with the E39. I had an 520 estate.
But also up there was my 1989 Audi Coupe 2.2e, like this one

And my early Mercedes E-class estate. Like the E39, the W124 was the last Merc that seemed to have quality before cost.

 

[maxman]

My best built car up to now was a Japanese built 2.0 GLI Toyota Carina.I sold it with 78k on the clock to a friend ,who owned it for 15 yrs,and in all that time other than servicing plus tyres all that was needed was a battery.
He sold it with 180k on the clock.

 

[Marlon]

My Audi A4 2.0 T FSI S-Line was as solid as a rock during my 3 years of ownership

 

[pvr]

To be fair, my Audi A3 is as boring as hell solid as a rock as well

 

[Marlon]

To be fair, my Audi A3 is as boring as hell solid as a rock as well

I sort of miss it though - its 220 horses really kicked in when you planted the right foot and it was a great motorway cruiser. In an perfect world I'd have both

 

[pvr]

The Audi is in for its MOT today, and it is in the only car that I am not wearing nappies for on whether it passes or not or just in principle, the dealer having it. Helps of course having a warranty and MOT guarantee from Audi on it (up to £750 worth of fixes).

 

[philip27]

I had a 1996 Gen 6 Celica that was easily the best built car I have owned everything just seemed bolted together so well.

Probably the only car I havde ever regreted selling if im honest.

 

[Angelus666]

Ha, I was also looking at them as well....amazing car for the money really! I do keep thinking shall I get an E39 M5 as it must be a decent buy and place to put £10k....hmmmm

Haha Yeah I did exactly the same thing, was looking at the 535 (cheap as chips) then was wondering what I could get a 540 for... bit more expensive but still a stupid amount of car for the money... Next thing I know I'm half way through convincing myself this is a good investment

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-M5-5-0-2001-/252505623334?hash=item3aca820b26:g:23cAAOSw6n5Xtsrf

That's a lovely thing...I'm pretty sure it's just a quick, easy and cheap job to service the vanos unit :roll:

Big engine, manual gearbox cars just seem cool...

 

[d3matt]

On reflection, I'd have to say my Land Rover Discovery 3 was the best built car I've ever owned. I did everything in it over the 30,000 miles of ownership - mountains, rivers, mud, snow and it never failed and nothing went wrong. Not many cars would withstand that abuse. My other Land Rovers, Defenders, SII & SIIIs wouldn't - something broke every time you drove those!
These a pics of just one of my play weekends away. The most that broke, was the number plate came off!

 

[MACK]

My Audi A4 2.0 T FSI S-Line was as solid as a rock during my 3 years of ownership

You probably wouldn't be saying that Marlon if it was the newer shape Audi A4 with the newer cam chain 2.0 TFSI engine in. My wife's 09 Scirroco has so far had a new sump, timing chain tensioner, inlet manifold (before we had it that one) caused by the carboning up of the inlet ports/valves and will probably have its camshaft bearing bridge replaced as a precaution! All of these are very common failures on the newer engines and hers hasn't even hit 65k yet! In fact to stop it carboning up for a third time I've fitted a fancy forge PCV Valve/catch tank setup to it 2 years ago. Told her she should have bought a Z4! :wink:

Forgot to add that's before you get onto the variant of the newer engine thats in the A4/5 etc and their chocolate piston rings!