TOP 6 SURPRISINGLY UNRELIABLE CARS
Check out the HIGH PEAK store: www.highpeakstore.co.uk
If you're interested in getting into the used car industry, check out the website below for more information on my online course. It's only £27 per month with biweekly livestreams! There are nearly 100 videos covering a whole range of topics. Plus you can cancel at any time. Click below.
Visit www.highpeakautosacademy.com or click this link bit.ly/3rNtNhG
Thank you to the channel sponsors:
CarMoney - bit.ly/HighPeakCM - For Car Finance
She's Bad - www.shesbad.co.uk - For women's fashion
I'd be grateful if you could give the video a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe if you're new to the channel.
Today I've made a list of my top 6 surprisingly unreliable cars.
Check out my website: www.highpeakautosltd.co.uk
Follow Me:
Instagram - / highpeakautos
Facebook - / highpeakautos
Twitter - / highpeakautos
#unreliablecars #highpeakautos
There aren’t many car dealer KZhead channels with such honesty and depth of knowledge, every vid is informative and entertaining! Keep up the great work mate.
True said
Wish every car or most of them was sold through him 🤣😜
Honest? He shills every car he buys to sell. Even if a car is shite he makes a 5 minute video on why it is soo good. Ofcourse he will because he needs to sell it.
@@ahmadmohamad6384 what a stupid cynical thing to say. I have done plenty of negative car reviews. I tend to only film with cars I like but there are plenty of examples of cars I don’t. Most of my cars have sold by the time the video goes live anyway.
Informative , honest and to the point. What on earth else do you need? Keep the vids coming . Great content😊
I think your conspiracy theory is right myself. I think at the turn of the century cars were no longer bought to be cherished and owned for many years, but leased and disposed of after 3. Planned obsolescence applies to virtually everything we buy, and the same companies pushing this tat on us have the nerve to talk about how they're committed to "sustainability" and all that bollocks.
Bang on pal 👍
Spot on. The most eco-friendly cars around are the ones built well enough they are still running 15 years later. I reckon they are getting rarer and rarer.
Agree but I think the regulators also have a lot to answer for. Under the excuse of 'green' and 'climate' the car manufacturers are forced to fit useless technology like dpfs, egr valves etc which prematurely destroy engines. I'm sure the manufacturers could achieve equally clean engines with better engineering if left alone.
My thoughts exactly m8 all products including cars these days not fit for purpose to last 3 years then they develop issues. Disposable and if you do keep it longer they fleece you on repairs and replacement parts.
Agreed. I bought a Volvo 940 estate almost 30 years ago. It’s built like a 🧱 💩 🏠 , has done 150,000 miles and just keeps on going. At that time it was quite expensive, but alongside BMW, SAAB, Mercedes, Volvo was building cars to last. It’s been regularly serviced, driven carefully and apart from the usual new exhaust issues and a leaky rear diff has been utterly dependable. In terms of £/mile driven, and being ‘green’ and good for the planet, a well built, long life car like this is so much better than any brand new over engineered high tech wizardry coming off the assembly lines today. Cars today are built like microwaves - the manufacturers assume you’ll want or feel like you’ll ‘need’ a new one in 3 years.
What a great honest video Matt in steering buyers in the right direction. Thank you... You deserve to have a sucessful business. I learnt my lesson many years ago after purchasing a diesel Nissan Navara pick-up truck. The con rod went through the side casing after 28k. Cost a fortune to replace and never went right again. Looked up problems with this model, then discovered many other people had the same issue plus many others and Nissan wriggled out out of replacing this known "Not fit for purpose" issue. Will never buy a Nissan again. Now ALWAYS look up potential issues and problems, typing in exact model make and year of any vehicle I'm thinking about buying. It's amazing how much information is readily available on forums etc saving potential nightmares and huge holes in wallet! Background is agriculture. twenty years ago you could buy a good used JCB forklift for 12k and it would be ultra reliable. Now they cost 80K plus for a large one and you have to buy an insurance package for when they break down because of all the complicated electronics and unreliable parts. Company is run by accountants now and their products are put on the market before design is complete and tested. I know this to be true because a friend was chief designer of JCB Miniscopic and left company because it wasn't fully tested prior to being put on market. He was disgusted at their ethics. Seems this is the norm these days, just like it was when British Leyland were selling junk...
Thankyou for a accurate , informative and detailed episode. You answered questions that I look for in a car show. Keep up the good work 👍
Great vid mate - we need a reliable list next!
Simple Ismail, Lexus Honda Toyota petrols, easy peasy 😁
Just about to say that, wonder if it's Land Rover at the top............🙂
@@Shane-zx4ps which diesels ?
It’ll be a short list!
@@jb6368. Honda I-dtec Diesels are the best
Matt, thanks for your honesty, depth of knowledge and passion . This mix is rare these days. I was thinking of buying a used Mazda 6 diesel and what you said confirmed what I had noticed on some adds concerning the oil pump. As for the programmed obsolescence, that is sadly an epidemy that affects all sort of products, from washing machines to lap tops and cell phones. Even the clothing industry has embraced a very lucrative concept that leaves us with piles of trash, that we bring (more pollution) to third world countries (Chile, Ghana).
Great combo of humor and good advice. Great stuff man 👏🏻
I’m so glad I saw this today. I had a Mini years ago and it fell apart as soon as it was out of warranty, but I must admit, I’ve been tempted to try again. They’re so darned cute! Thanks for the reality check.
Just started watching some of your videos this week. Very honest and accurate opinions, thank you. Definitely more honesty needed in this world, great review. Ive experience of a mazda 2 (08) 1.2 have oil pick up issues and ended up seized and needed a replacement lump.
No hidden agendas, no salesman's commission, simply no B.S. Straight to the point. Awesome content. Thanks for sharing. Bottom line is I think our society became too arrogant and spoilt. Too much money. That made me think; From South Korea there are awesome cars to consider and then from Indie there would be very cheap basic cars (albeit a bit rattling) that might be considered reliable.
UUID’s
Really useful words of Wisdom and experience - almost Bible-like pronouncements !! Thkz !,
Yes! This is why I'm subscribing
Good video. Had the same Honda petrol car for 15 years and it is very reliable and works just fine. Even the paint and upholstery is still good. Wish I was in such good condition.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It could save people a lot of money and hassle. Great video buddy keep them coming 👍
Brilliant vid , exactly what people need . The distilled experience of someone who actually knows the truth through bitter experience . More please !
Nice variety to your normal vids mate! maybe do a surprisingly reliable cars list on the next rainy day.
Thanks Matt, just starting out trading from home and I was going to target buying mini's and fords in particular. Glad I saw your video, I will avoid avoid avoid. I have owned a mini clubman and you are right in what you are saying about opening it, as much I liked the looks I did particularly hate the door handles and the sound it made closing the doors, not to mention the interior layout.
What a likeable chap and no bollox, straight to the point. Appreciate you and subscribed! Oh, and a Mazda 3 fourth gen it is!
If they focused more on the fundamentals of the car rather than these fancy electronics that I never use, maybe they'd have better reputations. I'm convinced most cars built after 2013 are rolling headaches. Well done Matt, love everything you do
Cant argue with your logic.
I second that. Manufacturers these days just try to dazzle you with electronic gizmos, in order to make you think you are getting a great value package. I don't want electrically adjustable seats with a memory that I will forget how to set. Heated seats are ok for winter though. I don't want a cinema screen on my dash, because I usually get out when I stop driving. Just give me a cradle on the dash for my phone, with a charging socket nearby, and a bluetoith connection with steering wheel call controls. I don't need a16 speaker stereo, 4+4 is fine, with maybe a subwoofer. Nor do I need an ultra expensive stereo by Meridian, or Bose, or Harman Kardon, just a standard DAB radio with 50-60 watts per channel will do, i'm not headlining at glastonbury ffs. All I need is instruments to tell me what speed i'm going, warning indicators for when faults occur, or when fuel is low, a temperature gauge, and a rev counter. Oh, and DECENT air con to stop my chocolate melting. Apart from that, a body that won't rust in foggy conditions, an eager reliable engine and gearbox, a comfortable ride tuned for BRITISH roads, and good brakes.
Its mostly the moving parts that breaks not the electronics tbh.
@@hermanmunster3358 And windows you can see out of.
I Would rather buy a Lexus 2004 rather a Mercedes /bmw 2014....
Loving the content! Could we also get a top 6 surprisingly reliable cars video? That would be a very interesting one 🙂
Really useful information Matt. Thank you as always
I had a 2nd user Yaris diesel 04 plate for 10 years until 2021. 150k Miles and never missed a beat. The new owner also still happily running. Reliability is outstanding considering the only thing I did was the usual annual service of oil change and check up. I suppose it all depends on how they were used and looked after. Constant foot to the floor on many diesels causes issues.
They are by no means bad but the Japanesse brands you're far better off with petrol engines they're very good at making them and not so good at diesels. Any modern diesel is unreliable now due to regulations but the old 1.9 SDI and TDI units from VW were the peak for diesel engines in normal cars imo.
i have a mk2 yaris. 1.4 d4d, it has 130.000miles and still runs perfect, just oil and filter changes once every 5000 miles
That was great : short, sharp and to the point. It did exactly what it said on the tin :)
I wonder how many people that use this phrase have ever heard of Sadolin.. I must now check to see if the product still exists.
One of the best reviews so far, love the brutal honesty ! Great stuff.
That was super useful and super hilarious. Being in UK for just a week and actively looking for a used car, it was a lifesaver. Thanks a ton!
Glad it helped!
I’ve been in the motor trade for over 40 years and I couldn’t agree more with what you have said well said
At last , the true voice of reason. Thank you Matt for being so honest and truthful. 6 most reliable next please mate 🙏
Always very informative and well made videos Matt, but I was a bit surprised on this occasion at your comments on 'Ford' diesel engines. Certainly the 2.0 Duratorque with the hopeless Delphi injection system as fitted to the Mk 3 Mondeo was a disaster and failed as you described, but their 1.8 TDCI Lynx as fitted to the Mk 4 Mondeo / Smax and Focus was bomb proof so long as the wet belt and cam belt were changed as per Ford Service requirements. The 2.0 TDCI as fitted to Mk4 and Mk5 Mondeo, SMax etc is a Peugeot unit and can run for over 300K miles with no bother. Smooth and refined. I know other 'Pug' diesels like the 1.6 have issues but I'm not sure your blanket condemnation was justified.
What
Agree. I also want to add a comment about Toyota Diesels. Besides the 2.2 t180 and 2.2 in the Lexus 220d. The 2.0 and 1.4 d4d diesels, are quite bullet proof.
Yeh Ive got 2.0 in smax and I believe Bosch or Siemens injectors and not Delphi thank God and it's been good as gold
I've got a 14 plate 2.0 tdci it's done 103 thousand miles no issues thus far with it. I bought it for the reason it had a French diesel engine in it
@@chucky2316 I think the reason you here the bad is they are one of the most common if not the most common diesel engines. French diesel engines in everything. Including Volvo's and the mini used them. Modern German engines aren't exactly any better the only one that I find to be any good is the 2.2 in the sprinters.
I love this format of video it’s great to hear your experience
Spot on with the Mini. I have a 2010 Clubman S (in the U.S.). Bought it used, and have put 3X the amount I paid for it into repairs. It runs fantastically now that it's all sorted, which also means it's the perfect time to get rid of it. Fun car to drive, though.
I have a 09 mini clubman very reliable had it 5 years
Why do you people buy such junk cars for ? Don't understand you. Buy a second hand Honda, Toyota.... weird
@@zorilaz That'll be my next vehicle. Had I known the Mini was that bad, I would never have bought it.
I love my mini clubman i get it serviced regularly at my local garage and it has only broken down once which for a 14year old car is pretty good I would say .
These are not the minis that have been around for 60yrs. BMW bought the mini brand around the year 2000 so in reality they are BM's! Personally, I'm not a fan. They're too fat now. REAL minis are a totally different animal with very different issues.
I have owned lots of different brands over sixty plus years of motoring. Never owned new, all second hand apart from my latest, now three years old. Skoda Karoq dsg td. That had a new battery at six months. Only one was a pain, a BL Princess with the 1700 O series engine. It never let me down, just spewed oil everywhere. The most comfortable were Citroen’s. Properly maintained they have all been fine. Vauxhall Corsa’? My wife’s is a 2004 1.4 Design automatic. Never missed a beat and starts on the button even after weeks unused. Utterly reliable and everything still works. The secret is regular maintenance and change engine oil at 10,000 miles or less.
Excellent stuff Matt, I really enjoy your channel. It will be great if you could do a top 3 in reliability of ULEZ compliant cars in every class of circa 2013 - 2017. A level of driving fun and comfort is assumed given your past videos. I think a lot of people (like me) are having to ditch their non-ULEZ compliant cars and are not quite ready to move to electric, given the inflated prices, lack of range and limited charging infrastructure.
At the end of the video Matt suggests a petrol Mazda, Honda or Toyota - a Civic or Auris. You cannot go wrong with those. I had a Honda Civic 2.2 diesel 2007, owned it 12 years and solid and reliable. Sold it when I moved to London, and bought a petrol KIA Ceed 2019 which is a fantastic car.
Just love your channel. so refreshingly honest. I can testify to how awful the Mini is. My wife bought it as it seemed to fit in with her mobile accountancy business but its turned out to be an awful nightmare that she regrets to this day. everything that you said about it is true. Just garbage. She is getting rid of it as soon as the extended warranty comes to an end. Keep up the great work. Highlight of youtube as far as I am concerned
Well said, I find your channel informative I’m pretty clued up with cars with over 45years of experience.and if you are clueless where’s buying a cars would be very wise to watch this channel, well done to you 👍
Thanks Matt! Can you please do a video on the 6 most reliable cars, that you’ve come across?
Thanks! that’s some excellent real world advice, hope to see more!
That last footnote had me subbing to this channel. Anybody that honest is worth following.
Good video, very informative! Like your candour!
Totally agree on the planned obsolescence on car parts. I think a lot of manufacturers are up to it.
Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. That's what Bears Grilled (sic) says when the tree surgeon has been busy behind his favourite hotel and he has to go a bit further to get his "I'm so deep in the jungle, surrounded by creeping death!" footage. Apart from that, great video Matt, lots of useful info. Hope the weather improves so you can give the MX-5 a bit of a thrash
Wonderful.... love your straight talking.... Simply refreshing
Excellent advice and much appreciated 👍
Great vid mate! I work on a Mazda dealer at the other end of the world (Chile) and I see very ofter CX5's and Mazda6's diesel starting with lots of problems as soon as the waranty expires (60,000 miles) and usually requires tearing half the engine apart to clean the garbage stuck inside of them or just replace the entire engine. What a load of rubbish that 2.2d engine is.
Thanks for the honest review, I was going to buy a Mini for my wife, will look at other options like a Golf! My last six cars have all been Jags, cant fault any of them except petrol cars, an S Type and old shape XJ were a bit thirsty. My present XJ Portfolio diesel is incredible, style, performance, luxury and economy!
I've never had any issues with Mini, I'd recommend buying one that's approved used from a Mini dealership
Comments about Vauxhall's bites a bit. Back in the day I had a 1.6 cavalier and to build up my competition license I road rallied it several times. It still did 90k in 3 years without a fault. Next company cavalier Sri (!) Had 7 miles on it then after picking it up I drove flat out to get to a meeting in London. Never an issue in 84k in 3 years. Had a diesel 1.9 astra loved it, thrashed it never an issue in 3 years (trust me I did stage rallying so I know how to thrash a car). I think the diesel insignia is a great car - mega mpg, comfortable in Sri trim seats and cheap to buy and run. Just service them !!! I now run a landrover ..... Wish I had a vauxhall...
Vauxhalls. I've had all types of Astras, hatchbacks, estates, 2 door, 4 door, petrol and diesel, manual and auto, from Mark 1 to the current Mark 7. I've covered hundreds of thousands of miles in total and NOT ONE has ever broken down. I regularly service them and generally look after them. The only issues I have ever had was that in the mark 1 the overhead camshaft had not been hardened properly but it was replaced foc. I'n the mark 6 I had to replace the coil pack a couple of times over the 80,000 miles. The most reliable was a diesel estate mark 3, covering over 130,000 miles and only had to replace tyres and wipers. Lucky? Perhaps but I think too many people these days are just get in a drive and pay no attention to the mechanics and electrics.
Me too. Vauxhall’s don’t react well to old oil and zero servicing thats all - get a low milage one and look after it simple
Had a Vectra 1.9 CDTI which was a decent family car - very quick and a nice drive on the motorway, but not the best cornering on winding roads. Got it for a great price with 40k mileage, and drove it for 6 years - only broke down once (alternator gave up). Friend of mine had an old Astra mk 3 TD which he drove for years - replaced it with a modern one and had a lot of problems with it - luck of the draw?
I’ve had seven Vauxhalls, Corsa, 2 astras, Vectra and 3 insignias. Also never had an issue with any of them, Serviced every year no problems.
knew there would be a comment like this, ffs.
@@jasonkilshaw4430 Like what?
Great video! It's clear that some modern "average" cars with complicated diesel engines can be often more troublesome than those that are often ridiculed for unreliability (LR mostly :D). In my experience our regularly serviced old L322 was much more reliable than many much newer cars which were supposed to be reliable (mainly modern VW diesels spring to mind).
Having had a modern 1.6tdi VW engine in a Leon 2017 I agree. It feels like they modified them to pass emissions after the cheat but that the engine wasn't really designed to run that cleanly. Having to do an active regeneration of the filter which heated the exhaust up to 600 degrees and put the under bonnet fans on jet turbine mode if you were to stop somewhere during it concerned me and having an oil leak at 60,000 miles due to two damaged seals confirmed my fears. Seat and Arnold Clark paid most of the bill and even through in a free cambelt swap whilst they were doing it. But still that amount of heat is going to damage parts. The solution used in this engine seems similar to the pyrolytic cleaning in an oven. Heat the exhaust to really high temperatures to burn the soot into ash. With no ad blue or other chemical involved. Wasn't really convinced how environmentally friendly that was too with a distinctive burning smell. Other diesels I've been in don't seem to need to do this regenerating passively during longer runs. This wouldn't regenerate passively apart from up a steep incline as exhaust temp simply too cold.
Your metaphors are slowly reaching Clarkson level of hilariousness.
But Clarkson gets nasty & has lost the plot.
@@chrischadwick3079 Greta Thunberg apologist? 🤔
@@paulsz6194 I think Clarkson's first public comment about Greta, that she should be grateful to the adults who made her mobile 'phone etc., was fair enough. His second one, when he said someone should smack her bottom, was worrying.
Actually is trying when it is every sentence, and not funny.
Given that Matt doesn’t have a scriptwriter m I may suggest that he excels. See my comment - Matt is what he claim to be, he is also enterprising, entertaining and I look forward to watching his videos always waiting for the next amusing aphorism or metaphor as much as the motoring content. I would also recommend buying a car from him.
Really surprised by the quality and interestingness of this channel - so well prepared and presented and lacking in phoney youtuber tricks! Even makes me consider buying a used car. Have not watched Top Gear for decades, makes me queasy - IMO this channel is in another league of quality, practicality and clarity. Like the way you analyse music CDs etc without being creepy... amazing.
My Toyota Celica is 17 years old and has never let me down. It always starts first crank, but it is a petrol car. I am very surprised that you didn't mention Peugeots. I have had 6 and the last 2 were absolute dogs. Thanks for the refreshing honesty.
Uk models are mostly diesels which are perfect.
Its not suprising for pegeot to be unreliable they are French. The shockers on this list are the Japanesse ones that lack reliability excluding the Nissan because its made by Renault now.
You forgot anything made by Landrover, absolute junk.
Nice one and very useful coming from a chap in the trade. More of this "tech info". Too many channels of exotica on here. Nice to see someone tackle the everyday hatch back and family Gary.
This a brilliant way to spend a rainy day, I watch all your videos, and this one provided useful candid honest advice from your experience. To be fair to the Japanese, they hated diesels I reckon, only started making them to appease the European market, bet they regret the day they started - Toyota wisely got out first. Newer cleaner European-made Euro 6 diesels aside (conflict of interest, my wife has a super reliable efficient Audi A3 1.6 tdi), we will probably look back to that era with the same fondness as we do now to coal. Love the Corsa jibes too. Glad I know my chapstick from a dipstick... Great video, quite like this new style forced on you by the NW England climate, you should do more!
Some Honda Accords had a reliable Diesel engine. They fitted Rover's L-Series Diesel which was and still is one of the most reliable and economical ordinary production engines ever made.
@Retired Bore The Parasitic Union of Europe / Brussels clearly did not agree for the best part of two decades. Right up until it hit the Fan and bounced off fully and firmly into the VAG. UK Motoring Media Brainwashing. :~ What the Clarkson disciple wannabees would never advise as it never suited their agenda, was that the Honda Motor Company of Japan before developing their own Oil Burners ( THAT is what they are ), they fitted Rover's very long lived and reliable L-Series Diesel to their Diesel Accords. That Rover L-Series engine so good, I've seen Diesel Accords for sale back in the day with descriptions including "Has Honda's powerful, economical and very reliable Honda Diesel engine"... etc. Under bonnet image clearly shows a Rover L-Series. There's more, I've been an enthusiast for the Rover T-Series Turbos since the early 1990s. Since the day my company stopped covering own car use costs for work travel ( nice little earner ) supplied a hire car for those longer trips instead. Spoil sports. The first car supplied. Rover 420 Petrol Turbo instead of using my MG Montego Turbo ( which In still have ). As ordinary cars go, T-16 Rover Petrol Turbos have since become my main daily driver. First a TomCat 2-Door coupe, then soon after a Rover 620ti as my two sons were fast growing and a two door coupe is not fit for family purposes. I sold my trusty 620ti a couple of years ago. Had it since 2006. When I first started looking for 620ti and the Vitesse 820 petrol Turbos, saw more than a few advertised as having "The very powerful and reliable Honda Turbocharged engine".. That despite the five letters large and proud across the Spark Plug access covers. R O V E R. Soichiro Honda would be turning in his grave at max-Honda revs if any other manufacturer put their name on one of his engines. Arranging to view a Vitesse more than twenty years ago, I told the seller that if his Rover did have the Honda engine, I would not be buying. I could almost here his jaw drop on the phone in surprise. I bought the car .. but the seller insisted. "It must be a Honda, the engine is so powerful and reliable" as I loaded it onto my trailer. Cue more media brainwashing. " The only Rovers worth buying are those with Honda engines." Heard that on a few occasions over the years. People now wonder why we no longer have a UK owned indigenous Motor Manufacturing Industry in the Land of the increasingly and ever wider spread self-inflicted harm. Right enough of all that. I'm off to the shops in my MG. It does not have an MG or Rover engine. It has a Mustang power unit under that bonnet. Greta will be pleased. For longer trips @ closing on £2 per litre. I'll use my MG ZT-T 1.8T with the K-Series 1.8T series turbo power unit. On a long run, 40mpg IS achievable with some restraint but, that turbo boost can be addictive, Funny old game Cars and Folks.
You are so spot on at the end, several car manufacturers no longer have the view that buying a car is no longer to purchase something that will last years and years, but so they will have issues after maybe 3 years, and the customer gets so fed up, they end up just having to buy another one… I’m actually convinced that several laptop manufacturers do a very similar thing as well…they will start to have issues after a few years, in order for the customer to be almost forced into having to buy a new one…
I bought a tablet instead of another laptop for my mother for this exact reason. The bottom of the range laptops only just outlive their warranty, while mobile phone chipsets seem very reliable
My 2009 1.2 petrol fiesta was fantastic, ran so smooth , never put a foot wrong apart from the expansion tank needing replaced.
This format I really like More of these would be great
Informative video, as always, thanks. Logical request is for your thoughts on the most reliable used car to buy. Lets say over 10 years old, which would be good for another 10 years motoring. Cheers.
Your knowledge is impressive and I thank you for it.
All great stuff, many thanks 😊
Hey Matt, I love these types of videos where you tell us data from experience! Did you have any bad experiences with 2 liter diesel F30s (316 - 320d)?
I had a 320d ED F30, the rear light REM module failed causing a £700 repair bill, some fuses kept blowing (minor) HID ballast failed (i fixed it myself), and brake error code kept showing from time to time (they were fine). Engine, gearbox and clutch all worked well without issues.
Great video! My 96 saab 900 2.0T manual has been great for the last 12 years. 335.000 miles. Fast, reliable, fun, practical and gets 28 mpg/hwy. Also easy to work on and modify.
Good to hear. They ain't fast though. They may have been relatively fast 20 years ago but they certainly aren't now.
@@gottliebdee263 The 9-5 Aero from 2006 to 2009 has plenty of power and about the same fuel economy. If it's had the Hirsch engine upgrade from factory then it's even better.
@@gottliebdee263 you're talking stock cars. My 900 had 185hp from the factory and plenty of low end torque. That's still decent comparing to today's cars. They are easy to tune and modify and can take a lot of power reliably. Stock Saab turbo engine block before 1999 can happily live with 400-450 hp. With a bigger turbo, intercooler, exhaust and tune you're looking at 300hp. Newer blocks can take 300hp easily. After that you'd want to build the block. There are lots of 500+ hp Saabs out there... The highest HP one I know of has 1080hp.
This video was very insightful. Thanks a lot!!!!
Thank you for your work sir
Well said 👍 Manufacturers have perfected the art of the disposable car. Once out of warranty, its not their problem, their marketing is all about "new and improved" 🤣😂🤣
Not all! Lexus will add another year of warranty for up to 10 years if you get it serviced.
And these same manufacturers will virtue signal about their commitment to "sustainability".
Yes, planned obsolescence. Back in the day, that was all about rust - now it is about over complication.
A nice change from watching your usual videos, I don't want to buy any of these! Thanks Matt 👍🏼
Can I thank you again for your content, going back to your previous content and answering my question, I bagged myself a beautiful dark blue Mercedes E Class convertible for £12999 I literally was talking to the dealer like you was my inna voice and got a great deal as it was going for a little bit more. It’s content like this that really makes a difference when your not fully clued up! 🙌🏾
Well done. I’m pleased for you. The e class convertible is great
Interesting video and the first of your I have watched for some time. The last one was your one about the Lexus RX which I found very interesting (and spot on) as not long after I bought a RX450h which is a pleasure to own & wish I had known about these a long time ago.
I’ve owned 3 cars from that list, and everything Matt said is 100% accurate! Another great vid 👍
Thanks! 👍
My wife wanted a Zafira. I’m going to say nooooo after hearing your opinion on Vauxhalls
@@RationalCreed they are absolute shite mate don't waste your cash on one
@@alternativeperception6949 yeah had an Astra with 110k kms and the auto box failed on me catastrophically carrying with it a 2k€ bill
@@RationalCreed don't do it
I had a 2007 mini clubman, fantastic to drive, when it actually worked. It cost me nearly £2000 in repairs over 8 months and then the ECU packed up. Never again
Bloody entertaining and informative! 👍
So glad I changed my mind last month and went from looking at Ford Kuga's to plumping for a Honda CRV hybrid!
Great video. I am in agreement that they are designed not too last unless they are looked after 110%. I also believe any leasing deals has encouraged the behaviour of a throwaway nature to cars not working properly.
Good video Matt, would be good have this as a series, covering the different type of cars... Hatchback, saloon, estate, SUV, 4x4s...
Mate, always knowledgeable, thank you for your expertise with these videos. Very helpful for us, poor, Working & uneducated peasants like myself. Very much appreciate your down-to-earth candid reviews thank you, actually they should make your Lord!! you speak so fluently and fluently.
Brilliant metaphors 👏🏾👏🏾 put things into context.
*NOW HERE'S A STORY* - My first Mazda 6 fell victim to the oil pickup. It had been an otherwise brilliant car which had all the extras. I decided to have the engine recon'd; I last saw that car back in 2018 being taken to Paisley, Scotland, on a flatbed truck - that's the last time I saw it. The reconditioners effectively *stole* my car. I liked that car so much I bought a newer Mazda 6 (now having learned about the oil pickup problem), and had it remapped plus DPF cleaned. It's driven perfectly for 3 years now with 80K additional miles without any issues, and I still think it's a great drive.
I damned near bought a Mazda 6 diesel estate, but during my due diligence process I came across an excellent KZhead channel run by a guy who sorts out broken Mazda diesels for a living. I had a quick chat with him and he told me not to touch one, which was nice of him. (I ended up buying a 2019 Skoda Octavia petrol instead, and it's been a delight.)
Same problem on the ford focus...Mazda and ford are bedfellows 🤔
@ The Winged Messenger why didn’t you pay them a visit to see what the story was?
You've just outlined my entire Mini ownership experience, in particular the R56 with the Prince engine. 2 years of pain. Every week it was a different problem but my wife loved it. Thankfully it finally blew all its coolant out in McDonalds car park and that was that. Also, I have to defend Vauxhalls but only up to the Cavalier!
Everyone knows the Prince engine is trash. There are 2 engines you can get. 1. The 1.6 supercharged in the R53. 2. The 2.0 turbo B48. The rest of them are either trash due to reliability or just painfully slow. People expect reliability from Mini. It's a freakin BMW. They are quite fun but don't replace your Suzuki Swift with one.
Excellent synopsis - thank you so much.
Thank you for sharing your experience ❤
No problem 😊
“Dross”. Such a good word that sadly doesn’t get used enough.
Unfortunately for me, I use it all the time 😂
You don’t hear it being used a lot now, though it was used fairrly to mean something useless or unnecessary- therefore carries with it many synonyms and similes. Superfluous extras eg over-decoration, or additional features which have no function. Or it may also be used to politely describe unwanted by products in production - brewing springs to mind, or the unwanted accumulation from wood or metal turning.
Iyour list didn’t overly surprise me, but you certainly put the rationale behind it very well
'Seldom' used
We use that word a lot in Scotland, Douglas Ross leader of the Scottish Tories gets called DRoss :-) He's a bit dim.
Now retired, I used to be "In the Trade". That was a very refreshing experience to watch HIGH PEAK. Thank you for posting. In my view, there are far more unreliable car users than unreliable cars. They are often the car owners/users who are "unlucky" with their cars, whatever they buy. The HIGH PEAK view of Vauxhall / GM / Opel ( Vauxhall have not made a British Design Car for ages ) and those who buy them has some merit. Thanks to Clarkson wannabees and those of that mindset, a huge percentage of UK Car Consumers have been brainwashed by UK Media in all its forms where cars are involved. I could mention many examples of this but, one should suffice. Take my long time friend who always buys German. For ages he always used to castigate me for my "poor" choices of means of getting about. Usually MGs and Rovers both new and used over the decades. He never does that now and for good reason. Actually twelve thousand of them. That's what it was in our English £££££ to repair one of Stuttgart's finest. That was nearly twenty years ago and his son, not him came over and told me the bad news. Sometime later he did tell me the full story and what it cost. I had bought a new MG ZS a couple of years before and he asked how it was going. I told him it had just returned from a family trip ( I stayed home ~ work ) touring the European Mainland where my older son casually let slip he cruised it all day long at over 100 mph! The rascal. Know what my friend said when I told him that. Get this :~ " Well that's Honda engines for you". In fact he is puzzled why my MGs and Rovers are and continue to be so reliable. He sincerely is convinced it is due to having Honda engines. That despite the five letters large and proud across the Engine Coil Pack and Spark Plug covers... R O V E R. The late great Soichiro Honda would be spinning in his grave and at very high Honda revs if he knew any other manufacturer had put their names on one of his power Units. Of course they were and still are MG and Rover engines. Brainwashing of the highest order right there. I told him that Rover's L-Series Diesel was considered suitable to put in their Diesel Honda Accords long before they had developed their own Diesel engines. That ARGroup Honda partnership was not all one way one as many would have us all believe. It worked both ways. You will never hear that from any of the Clarkson wannabees. It does not align with their negative agenda. Our UK Main Stream Media have a lot of FAKE NEWS to answer for. Worse still. it is still ongoing on just about every topic, subject and issue. Please keep telling it like you find it HIGH PEAK AUTOS. Just maybe the messages will get through to the permanently brainwashed.
We had a Ford Bmax a few years ago, which had the well known issue with the Powershift dual clutch. We had it fixed under warranty as they eventually came up with a working modification, it was fine after that. Heated windscreens were also a problem on Fords.
Cheers Matt. I love the way you sit on the fence! 😂
Late nineties/early 2000's was the sweet spot, not enough modules that will cause the whole thing not to proceed.
Agree 100%. A friend who has had a small plumbing business since 1990 agrees. Now he keeps a spare van because he nearly always has one off the road. He's tried pretty well all makes and none are good now.
I agree too. Up until about 2 yrs ago I as still driving a 98 BMW on an R reg. Maybe I notice it more than others, but there still seems to be a lot of R, S and T plate cars knocking around.
Agreed! I had one of the last MK3 Mondeos and it as an absolute peach of a car. I only got rid of it because I'd had it 10 years and fancied a change, and also the new ULE zones target older diesels, however clean they run.
Diesels were great in those years, reliable and fast. My last diesel was a 2006, that already started to have issues due to exhaust emission measures. I've only owned rather boring non-turbo petrol cars after that, boring but utterly reliable.
Darn right, I live in the arse end of Wales, nearest motorway is so 50 plus mile away, which I seldom see these days, so when my car was put down after failing the MOT big time, I bought a 2004 fiesta for a few hundred quid, some 2 years ago, no issues at all, mind you its had little use due to a certain virus. :) it's MOT next Wed so we shall see. :)
Excellent video and I agree with everything you say! Especially Ford - we own a MK1 Focus and it’s been brilliantly reliable. Tried a MK4 Focus loan car and was so disappointed in it. Surprised the ecoboost engine not on your list actually.
I take it that's the 1.0 Ecoboost you're talking about and not the 1.6 or 2.0? The 1 litre 4 cylinder was notorious for overheating problems. Mind you, I've had 2 pistons go in my 1.6 ecoboost which cost me 2 k to sort out !
Had no faults with my boggo focus 1.6 mark 1 either. Not one thing broke. Not one piece of trim fell off. Foolishly traded it in for a mark 2. Nothing broke on that either but it just wasn't anywhere near as much fun to drive. That bit heavier I think and also being a more powerful 1.8 it got electric steering. Could choose comfort, normal or sport all of which were well fairly rubbish to be honest! Lost the agility. If you can keep the rust at bay nothing modern drives as sweetly. Hydraulic steering is just better and now everything has electric steering. I did get most of that joy back when we had a Mazda 3 1st generation. But that was a lot thirstier than the Ford thanks to lower gearing.
A refreshingly honest and straightforward review.
Very concise and accurate info a nice vlog
We bought a 2003 Vauxhall Zafira model A in 2007 and it feels like it's coming to the end of its life, but it's been a dependable workhorse, almost no issues until recently. We were so impressed with it we also bought a two-year old Zafira model B a few years later. That one was plagued with problems and lasted about three years. Maybe we were just lucky with the first one.
Zafira A really was a very reliable car (as was Astra of same model years, forgot the letter) - but Opel/Vauxhall pretty much turned to garbage after those. New ones that are rebadged Peugeots are good again though, I hear :)
We had two Zafira automatics back to back. Both utter trash, constantly in the garage. Swapped them out for an automatic Corolla Verso and that has been rolling with no issues for 7 years now.
Mostly though it's all about how it's been looked after. I have a 13 year old French hatch that's been looked after, it's very reliable and everything still works. I'm in no rush to change it. I can't afford to but that's not the point lol. Great videos as always. Cheers!
PSA cars are in general good except for the annoying plastic bits that break and electronics that can fail. But they do not rust and the engines do not fail (except for turbo and other “special” models - those are a nightmare).
PSA cars are cheap, and are bought by cheap owners who don't want to maintain their car. Gives them a bad rep when really most of the drivers are the problem!
@@Calvi36 Not all PSA owners are, I didn't mean that. A huge majority are though, much like Vauxhall owners. They look at the cheapest cars on sale and the deals around and get them. They then don't want to put any money into services or day to day running costs, buy the cheapest oils, filters and petrol, and often skip services completely! PSA and Vauxhall do so many leasing deals that they rarely sell cars from new, so the first owners abuse those and don't really take care of them. The 3 year warranty doesn't help much either, when a lease can be that length of time.
@@highmm2696 Interestingly enough Dacia owners are the cheapest of them all but they seem to take it really well. I mean no car lives a troublefree live when oilchanges never happen but the old Renault engines are reliable and since they don't have that much extras they can take it. So in my oppinion PSA cars are not bad but if I'd have to choose Renault>PSA just a little tho.
Peugeot Partner Combi Escapade - 04 plate, very few problems, great for 5 large teenage lads, great for building rubble as we gutted and rebuilt current house, still ULEZ compatible, well over 100k miles. Just gave it away serviced with full MoT, new owner delighted. Clutch too heavy for my arthritic feet. Very few electronic features
Hi Matt I'm new to your channel, love your no nonsense delivery, very helpful. I was running a peugeot 205(1995) , diesel for years, recently sold it. Thought " ok , let's go with same idea, economy, workhorse, simple diesel". So I bought 2 ford focus's, one for myself, and my wife. 2010 1.6tdci. They both stutter all over the place, especially on low revs mine more than my wife's. The performance is garbage, I'm very shocked. Do these suffer DPF problems/ Egr problems? I've had a good scanner on mine, its showing a problem with the oxygen sensor. I have heard these cars are known for stuttering. To save a load of lengthy investigation, would you consider a delete of DPF, and blanking off Egr?. I'm stuck with these cars , and would really appreciate any advice, cheers Matt.
Hi just stumbled across you channel, good humour and factual. Would you care to give us a top ten reliable cars Keep up the good work
Thanks Matt....your experience is truly reliable
Love the format Matt, would defo like more of these videos, really informative and enjoyable 👍 Would you believe I put my highpeak stickers in the exact same location on my laptop only last week, they look great 👌 Looking forward to seeing how things go with the R class Merc you picked up the other day
Thanks for the custom!
Good video! You mentioned a VW Tiguan. Best to add that the sunroofs on VWs leak. And if it’s just the seal to replace it’s a £2k job. If the sunroof cassette has cracked it’s a £4K job. Don’t ask how I know….
Thanks for the good advice
My experience with the mini is different. My daughter has had 2 & the only thing required has been windows wiper blades & tail light bulbs.
I hired one on a short visit to the UK for a death in the family and I was upgraded to a Mini Cooper S. I wish I hadnt been. Yes, it was nippy and stuck to the road like glue and was pretty frugal on motion-lotion, but the rest was awful. Horrible clutch, awful gearbox, a centre console the size of Wiltshire that told you what radio channel you were on but no GPS, stupid knobs and buttons everywhere, a cruise control that changed speed in 50mph increments. It was such a frustrating car to drive. Nothing was intuitive. You needed to ingest the 300 page manual to find out how to make anything work. Never again.
@@csjrogerson2377 nonsense, literally the easiest car to drive and an absolute blast. Great manual for driving fun.
@@ln5747 I deal in cars from time to time, I stay the hell away from Mini's, break down incredibly easily, hence why they're all so cheap second hand
@@thewarhammerworkshop not my experience. Family had four all to over 150k without major issue. Albeit they weren't in fantastic shape at that point, but definitely not unreliable or terrible return. One from 2003 now on 205k miles, can't complain with that.
@@ln5747 Same, my dad worked at mini for over 43 years, we never had a problem with a single company car, I have a 2014 Cooper S roadster atm, again no issues at all, gone from 28K to 54K miles in it and I'm getting a 2017 JCW this weekend!
Very useful video, thanks a lot. Regarding Vauxhall, Vauxhall/Opel (in continental Europe) are just brands, the problem is GM. The most recent Vauxhall/Opel are Peugeot with some cosmetic differences, so their reliability is generally OK. Plus the great Peugeot handling.
Ive got a 2004 Vauxhall Combo 1.7Di van.... Its done 450,000 miles. its been a reliable workhorse.
I have owned Fords, Land Rovers and a Civic and no problems. My favourites are French cars and I have owned loads of them with zero problems. I was a community nurse for 20 years. I had a Xara Picasso from new and the first and only work it needed was a clutch after 137,000 miles. It went on to 167,000 before I changed it. My favourites were the mk1 and Mk2 Renault Koleos. I now have a Peugeot 5008 petrol. It's done 41k in two years from new and is the most comfortable car I have ever owned. I always get my cars serviced regularly. There is always a lot of luck involved with cars too.
Agree about petrol Mazdas, very relaible cars. I've owned a 323F and 2 Mazda3s. The 323F had a bulletproof 1.6 petrol engine, but it's rear wheel arches rotted. Both Mazda3s were great, except for the 50kV headlights on the 2.0 Sport. One of the igniters blew and Mazda wanted £250 just for the part! My only bad experience with a Mazda was (surprise, surprise) a 1.6 diesel, whose engine actually came from a Peugeot. It kept cutting out because a little additive bottle under the fuel tank had run out. The dealer wanted more than the car was worth to refill it!
Good one Matt, really interesting insight based on your real life experience. Cheers Dave. Ps what about a video of the flip side your top 6 most reliable or bomb proof buys?
Brilliant and enlightening 👍 was expecting an LR on the list ( I do own one)…You’re the only man I’d buy a 2nd hand car from.
There’s nothing surprising about a LR being unreliable though is there 😂😂
I think he may have a separate video just on JLR failings, I own one as well so I have the rather unpleasant experience.
I bought a Range Rover Sport, thinking they surely can be as unreliable as everyone says-sadly I was wrong
Saw a new defender broken down today on my way back from Oxford.
He tried to put one on the list but it broke down before it got there.
Spot on! My girlfriend really struggles to open the passenger door on my Mini Cooper S. It has weird electronic faults too - occasionally goes into engine safety mode without any reason - turn it off and on again...reversing sensors sometimes work, uses oil at variable rates and clutch overheats. Avoid any tiny bump on the road or you'll need back surgery...Still it's great fun to drive! Oil change every 5k miles hoping will keep it running...
Very informative many thanks