The Worst Car I've driven in heavy rain:

[Zak33]

is the 318 Ci Sport Coupe I have in stock. In the last hour the rain has bucketed down, but wrk must continue and the back brakes had stuck on this week on some cars, so I've been driving them a bit to bed them back in.

This car has no excuses....the tyres are all good and deep tread. OK the road is bumpy...it was bumpy in the dry too.

So WHY on earth is this car SO unsteady, so in-direct in deep water? The suspension must be to blame, AND the width of the tyres and the low prfile of them, but hell on earth it was nigh on impossible to go straight

It's a 2002 52 plater and I've driven it in the dry twice and it's a great car. But I just had to slow down to under 30 in places on a straight, bumpy, water logged road. I was SO concerned I then drove a Merc C180 Komp up the road straight away, with half worn tyres and it was a dream.....totally relaxed, smooth and quick,

Tried this 318 Ci Sport again....all over the darn place. What a HORRIBLE car gutted for the thing to be fair, because I'd never have guessed it would pull me all over the place so badly. It follows ridges anyway, but deep water hooks it sideways really badly.

Would I have one....? No way....it rains a lot in the UK. Deep water should be a doddle for a nice car. Frankly the Citroen AX wedged up my rear eand was getting mad I was going so slowly.

1/10 in deep water. Dire.

[Rave]

Does it have big wide tyres on it? Must be the explanation really. I'm sure it rains in Germany too....

[Lead_Head]

Was it just aquaplaning all over? Stock wheels??

Thats appalling if so!

[5lab]

a mate of mine got an oldish 318i coupe the other week - i was shocked at just how small it is in there! i thought it was just a saloon with only 2 doors, but man, is it small.. his has much more 'normal' wheels and tyres than those late cars though.

[Butuz]

Something wrong there, worn suspension / subframe bushes would make it skittish over bumps and camber changes. Maybe the tyres were ultracheap "ditchfinders" ?

BMW 318's are weak and pathetic, dont even have enough power to spin the rear wheels properly, it shouldnt be anywhere near that bad.

Butuz

[Peekaboo]

If its wandering that badly it might be the thrust arms and bushes starting to go. Had to get them replaced in my old E34 not long ago and the suspension and steering tightened up. It was fine at low speed and in the dry, but anything over 60 and in the wet there was a wretched vibration thru the steering wheel and the car wandered all over the road... All fine now tho

The 318's are generally regarded as poor, but the 4 cylinder valvetronic isnt a bad engine... Better a 318 than a 518

[XTR]

My car was EXACTLY the same... seemed fine in the dry though... crap in the wet... dunno why it changed in only wet conditions...

Turned out to be a knackered rear shocker!

[Zak33]

I'll look under it today...it pulled both ways, lurched big time.

Good as gold in the dry though

[eUphoria]

I'll look under it today...it pulled both ways, lurched big time.

Good as gold in the dry though

Hehe - try an MR2 matey, now thats REALLY interesting in the wet - esp the Turbo version

[Tarffie]

My Dad had a test drive in one earlier this week. Hated it, said he had more fun driving me mums Focus. I think he's getting an M3 or one of those new 3-Series instead.

[Stoo]

I can get wheelspin going from 2nd-3rd in the wet on the mini, I think the cheapo tire on the front is probably to blame, I think I'm going to wait until we decide to replace them, then give it some stick to send them on their way to tire heaven

[xs11ax]

my worst car is rover

[Jaym0nd]

Nissan Micra 1.0L

[5lab]

my worst car is rover

spamity spam, another 15 posts (only taken you 3 days to get 35) and you'll be able to access the fs forums..

[xs11ax]

is it gonna be worth it?

oops was that spamity spam as well?

better add some more bits......

i bought a golf driver many many years ago. the guy seemed a bit too much of a hurry to sell it. i bought it anyway at a knock down price took car home and no probs untill it started to rain.

then i realised the back foot wells were soaked in water.

but it was ok in the end....the plastic sheets inside the doors had been ripped out so i just replaced them.

finish

the end

[xs11ax]

oh by the way i have never ever had a rover in my life!

i hope this doesnt constitute spam