Ever get to drive a car you were excited about, only to be disappointed?

[Ross1013]

Camaro SS

My biggest letdown:
-The lack of a sense of speed/acceleration.

OK, I'm glad I'm not the only one. I reviewed a 6-speed SS 'vert last year and it was really boring and felt pretty slow. Cameraman said the same.

It's not as slow as it feels, but...it doesn't make a lot of power down low, and needs to be revved. Only problem is, it revs too slowly to feel fast.

I thought the same about the interior. Much 'nicer' and more European than the Mustang, for example.

Coming from a GTI, I expected it to be alot more sportier... instead a lot more "softer".

Amen!

I didn't like the MS3 at all, but more because of the ridiculous torque steer and the stupid power delivery.

What's perhaps worse is the way people jock the car for having 263hp and costing $25k, as if that alone makes it the perfect car. It's so far from that it's not even funny.

Other big disappointments:

2011 Hyundai Equus: Worst. Driver's. Seat. Ever!!
2011 Mazda RX-8: Where's the power?
2012 Porsche Cayman R: Where's the excitement?
2011 Porsche Cayenne S: $100k for this?
2011 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 R-Spec: You call this a transmission?
2012 Kia Rio: This is supposedly better than a Civic?
2007 BMW 650i: YAWN, and where is the luxury?
2011 Kia Optima EX: This doesn't [/I]feel[/I] like 200hp...

[dwagner88]

Coming from a GTI, I expected it to be alot more sportier... instead a lot more "softer".

Strange. I've admittedly never driven a second gen (my gag reflex isn't that powerful) but I owned 2 first gens and "soft" is the last word I'd use to describe it. Especially compared to my GTI.

[AKADriver]

Nissan 350Z: I drove one soon after they were released, an Enthusiast model. It just felt... chunky. I was hoping for the great Z-car revival that Nissan was touting... I had never driven a 240Z back then, of course, but the 350Z came off way more muscle car than lithe sports car. Ironically I think they could've done better with it if they gave it the lighter control effort settings of the G35. It would've lost some feedback but gained a feeling of lightness and tossability.

[S0RRY]

40th Anniversary Mustang:

Automatic, convertible (not off to a good start)...I thought it'd be faster. The interior felt like I was sitting in a school bus, and the sound was a bit of a let down. I remember being excited to get back into my 4cyl/5spd accord afterwards.

[wh1te09gti]

EVO X
was excited when i bought it the first 3 miles when i left dealership realized that is slower then my chipped mazdaspeed 3 was, handled way better but awfully slow, quiet and felt cheap as **** (with exeption of recaros )

cheap interior
didn't feel like something special at all
sounded stock like regular lancer


fixed all above few months later putting healthy 320whp but interior remained cheap so got rid of it.

[Lolasaurus_Rex]

08 R32

After driving an 04 R32 I had big expectations for the 08. I knew the DSG transmission would be a different experience, but I didn't know it would be a huge let down. Don't get me wrong, its a fun car to drive through the turns, but how often do you really get to do that? VW should have stayed with a manual gearbox. It was bad enough that that the interior wasn't as unique as the 04 was. Other than the transmission, its a good car. Id rather be manually shifting through the gears in traffic, than have it in D the whole time. Isn't it supposed to be an enhusiast car?

The worst part, I actually own the car. Hah. Maybe a manual swap will change my perspective.

[FACTORYBOOST]

The V10 M6 with the SMG trans......

Enough said.

I was disappointed when I got my Jetta (I know VW's are the pinnacle of automobiles)
Granted the Jetta had problems, and it was a step up from my 96 Civic but it just wasn't as big a difference as I expected...
The shifter felt a little clumsy, didn't like to engage gears quickly, and the turbo just lost all steam after 4500rpm...
Yes the down low torque is nice, but it breaks the tires loose in 1st (I need new tires soonish) and then I just look like a jackass.
And a lot of these things will be fixed when I buy better parts to replace the ones that are causing issues; the gears are much better after a lightened flywheel and VR6 clutch + PP.

[AKADriver]

I just thought of another one:

2004 WRX STi: Another car that I loved on paper (and still do, really) but that disappointed me by substituting control weight in the absence of control feedback. Instead of steering that "loads up" when you corner, the steering is just heavy at turn in, heavy at track out, heavy everywhere. Wooden response from the huge Brembo brakes (probably the fault of street pads more than anything; the Evo VIII was the same way). It was work to drive fast. The Evo by contrast made you feel like a hero with the best steering feedback and chassis response I've ever felt in a four-door car (even including the RX-8 here, IMO of course). It just sticks and goes like a four-door Miata with double the power.

The 2005s had revised steering and chassis geometry and I think that car hit it right on. The 2008+ models took it too far and no longer feel like a $35k performance flagship car.

At the time, in 2004, I found the standard WRX to also be a more fun street car. It didn't have any better feedback but again, like the 350Z/G35 comparison above, just having lighter effort to everything made it less work to toss around at road-legal speeds.

[rammalammadingdong]

Coming from a GTI, I expected it to be alot more sportier... instead a lot more "softer".

I came from 2007 GTI chipped/lowered/with a few other bells and whistles on it.

the Speed3 is a hoot to drive. AND faster for less $. Way less $.

back on topic...

I drove a 996 that was fun... but thought it would have been far more powerful than it was.

[ordpetegti]

An in-laws e 36. He said it was a supercharged m3. See the car, it is just a 325. Pop the hood and it has a the m3 engine with the supercharger. In law says he had the drive train swapped in from an m3. it was supposed to be making 350 HP, felt like 200 HP. Plus it was a slushbox. The car was an absolute pig. At the end of the drive, he said..... Now wasn't that the fastest car you ever drove. Nope.

[gsprobe]

boxster, boxster s, evo, wrx (but not the sti.. odd), most older camaros and mustangs, 80's bmw 325 series... flame on

[Hokie GTI]

996 Carrera. First time driving any kind of Porsche. Exhaust note didn't sound that great and didn't really feel fast when gunning it. It was only a brief drive and mostly on the interstate, but it didn't leave a memorable experience that I thought any kind of Porsche would do.

[Type_RS_59]

OP, you're sure that rental wasn't a V6 Camaro RS, right?

I drove a brand new 2012 Mustang V6 Convertible from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West and back and I was actually really impressed by it. Not worth the same coin as a GTI IMO but fun for a weekend of top down cruising on spring break.

The only car I've ever had really high expectations of that let me down was the BMW E30 M3.

It was lightly prepped for STX class auto-x with good shocks and GC coil overs but it just felt really soft to me compared to my Integra, which was only on Tokico Illuminas and H&R Sports at the time. Nothing too special or particularly stiff.

All my life I had been reading the hype about the ultimate "Ultimate Driving Machine" and I got out of it thinking, "Meh." My lowly base model, non-VTEC Integra was faster and more fun to drive on the auto-x course that day. Maybe it would have been a different story out on the open road but I never got that chance.

[Ross1013]

OP, you're sure that rental wasn't a V6 Camaro RS, right?

I drove a brand new 2012 Mustang V6 Convertible from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West and back and I was actually really impressed by it. Not worth the same coin as a GTI IMO but fun for a weekend of top down cruising on spring break.

The only car I've ever had really high expectations of that let me down was the BMW E30 M3.

It was lightly prepped for STX class auto-x with good shocks and GC coil overs but it just felt really soft to me compared to my Integra, which was only on Tokico Illuminas and H&R Sports at the time. Nothing too special or particularly stiff.

All my life I had been reading the hype about the ultimate "Ultimate Driving Machine" and I got out of it thinking, "Meh." My lowly base model, non-VTEC Integra was faster and more fun to drive on the auto-x course that day. Maybe it would have been a different story out on the open road but I never got that chance.

Nah you're not totally crazy. My first drive in an E30M definitely left me feeling a little let down.

[greyvdub]

I drove the new coyote 5.0 GT and felt bland, steering was dull, and honestly, wasnt that impressed with the acceleration. I think a lot of this is b/c i usually drive an S52 MCoupe -- that while isnt the fastest car in the world, it does keep the driver "in touch" with the car.

[Sporin]

Jetta TDI Wagon. Totally blah driving experience and awfully cramped inside IMO.

TCL led me to believe this was Zeus's Chariot.

[Ross1013]

Oh!!

I forgot the CTS-V.

Impressive, but not really fun.

[helement2003]

OP, you're sure that rental wasn't a V6 Camaro RS, right?

I drove a brand new 2012 Mustang V6 Convertible from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West and back and I was actually really impressed by it. Not worth the same coin as a GTI IMO but fun for a weekend of top down cruising on spring break.

This was for sure a 400hp V8 SS...and man did the stock exhaust sound great. The photo I took of the steering wheel:



Like I said, it was fast without question...but it just didn't FEEL fast.

[dmonday]

1998 Subaru 2.5RS (Yeah, it was quite a few years ago...)

I was just getting my license and my dad took me to test drive one. I still remember thinking "That's it?". It was pretty torquey down low and then it was done.

[mike minnillo]

Thought it would be a fun, sporty drive. Slow, boring drive. Cramped interior. At 6'3", the only thing that allowed me to fit was to open the sunroof so I had a recess for my head to go into. I still think its a cool looking car. Just would never want to own one.

[Pool Runner]

Here is another one for me. 1st gen Acura TSX auto, looked at these used at one point and overall really liked the car to be honest. The design is timeless and still looks good, the size is perfect for a mid-sized sedan, the interior was just right for the most part. I was thinking the car was going to be a little faster than it was. If I closed my eyes while accelerating I would have thought I was driving a '97 era Accord sedan LX Automatic.

I mean the aggressive nose, rear and stock dual exhaust makes you think your getting into a four-door Type R Integra. Again I would totally buy one for DD usage, but it's missing the thrust when you are trying to cut.

This Gen X-Terra Supercharged...

Test drove one of these when they were new, even drove the N/A version back to back. Honestly I couldn't tell the Supercharger had made a difference, powe still dropped offf a cliff after 3500 RPM. I was driving a 3.4 V6 Tacoma Crew Cab PreRunner and actually felt like it had more power than the S/C X-Terra.

[zaYG]

1998 Subaru 2.5RS (Yeah, it was quite a few years ago...)

I was just getting my license and my dad took me to test drive one. I still remember thinking "That's it?". It was pretty torquey down low and then it was done.

This is a perfect example.

I have a buddy with a WRX swapped one though. Those really perfect the car and make it what it should be.

[TheDarkEnergist]

Mk3 GTI VR6. Totally thought I'd be blown away. Totally disappointed by the lack of...everything.

[FACTORYBOOST]

08 R32

After driving an 04 R32 I had big expectations for the 08. I knew the DSG transmission would be a different experience, but I didn't know it would be a huge let down. Don't get me wrong, its a fun car to drive through the turns, but how often do you really get to do that? VW should have stayed with a manual gearbox. It was bad enough that that the interior wasn't as unique as the 04 was. Other than the transmission, its a good car. Id rather be manually shifting through the gears in traffic, than have it in D the whole time. Isn't it supposed to be an enhusiast car?

The worst part, I actually own the car. Hah. Maybe a manual swap will change my perspective.

Exactly, I was sorely disappoint when I heard they were only going to be DSG, and don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic gearbox, I just get bored without rowing my own gears.

[TurboWraith]

I was so excited to drive one of these. Everyone raves about them, but after owning a 3rd gen for a while, I was really disappointed with the feeling of extra weight. Of which is has a significant amount over the Spyder. And really, aside from the turbo-lag induced rush of power, it really didn't feel any quicker in a straight line either.


Sure are pretty though.

[Numbersix]

Panamera S.

I've stated my reasons elsewhere, but in brief: It feels huge, and the poor visibility means it's challenging to drive quickly on narrow roads. The engine is fantastic, but the auto start/stop + DCT gearbox make for occasionally awkward step off from a stop, or backing up a slight incline. Mostly, though, the ride over expansion joints on the freeway was unlike anything I've encountered in a Porsche previously--it felt very unsettled, as if it had massive wheels/tires mounted and the suspension couldn't control the unsprung weight.

[Klim18]

I came from 2007 GTI chipped/lowered/with a few other bells and whistles on it.

the Speed3 is a hoot to drive. AND faster for less $. Way less $.

Speed3 feels soft, the power delivery sucks, and so does the springy clutch that seems soft but then gets very stiff by the end... it would make more sense if it was stiff the through out the whole travel but it just feels weird. Steering is not responsive at all, shifter felt very plasticity and not "pop in and out" like my GTI. Idk just a disappointing car that looks like a minivan.

[Dan92SLC]

-mkIV GTI 1.8t 180hp when it was new. rubber band power delivery, soggy suspension.
-my E36 325is was pretty dull in stock form.
-the 04 or so GTO. I liked Cobalt SS better. The GTO wallowed, felt too big.

[Bonanza]

I was ready to take a bath on my current truck because I loved this color so much. I found one of the only remaining 6 speed sahara tans in the country, and I thought "how bad can the 3.8 be?" Oh man. I actually was laughing hysterically on the test drive. On the freeway, with the hammer down, I felt like I was losing speed. It was the most woefully underpowered thing I had ever driven. The salesperson tried pathetically to remind me jeeps aren't built for speed, but that was truly pathetic. I hear the 3.6 fixed this problem, but man oh man I drove back the 50 miles back home glad to be back in a truck with torque and HP.

I still am in love with this color, though.

[stealthmk1]

I guess that's why I refuse to drive a 993 Turbo.

Do it, it's wonderful.

[2.0_Mazda]

1.8T Jetta

Will probably be bashed for this one, but coming from a Protege, I was expecting more than just raw power. Didn't like the clutch feel, steering feel, gas pedal response, turbo lag, and felt that the interior wasn't as impressive as said my friends with VW's.

[jrmcm]

I'm most certainly gonna get blasted for this, but...




Admittedly, my distaste for it was in large part due to the SMG.

But years ago I was car shopping, and the E46 M3 was absolutely on my short list. I spent some time looking around for the combo I wanted, found it, and went to drive it. I was giddy the whole way there. Got in it to drive, and basically made a "bleh" face the entire time. Just nothing about it interested me. Way too much hype.

[Rugrat Anklebiter]

Jetta TDI Wagon. Totally blah driving experience and awfully cramped inside IMO.

TCL led me to believe this was Zeus's Chariot.

Say it ain't so bro!? This is at the very top of my list to purchase before Christmas!

[Waarp]

91-92 MR2 turbo. Drove two new. Turbo lag, turbo whistle, motor sounded like a dentist's drill, driveline snatch, crap shifter, heavy feel and low on personality. I wish people would stop calling this thing a "baby Ferrari". The first one was a much better car.

[jrmcm]

I'll add one more, though to a MUCH lesser degree



Really the only disappointment I had came from some expectation I had built up in my head that it was going to be just an absolutely ridiculous rocket ship. This was years ago, before 500hp sedans grew on trees, so 450 at the time seemed like an unimaginable number for a car like that.
I still enjoyed the car, it was more just a sense of reality setting in.