Drivers urged to 'avoid' three popular cars found on UK roads

Drivers urged to 'avoid' three popular cars found on UK roads
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


Drivers have been warned to avoid three popular cars found on UK roads in an urgent warning. Motorists and road users have been implored to try and stay away and steer clear on a trio of popular models which are widely seen on British streets.

Adam Morris and Jim Hull, who run the ReDriven YouTube channel, warned that Peugeot 206 GTI 180s are worth dodging. He explained: "A lot of French car fans are going to hate me on this but this is from experience because I owned one of these and it was rubbish. It's the Peugeot 206 GTI 180.

"The only reason I bought this was because I wanted a Renault Clio RS and there were none available at the time and I thought 'oh, well this is still a small French hot hatch'. It wasn't. The seating position is all wrong, the switch gear feels terrible, ergonomics are shocking, they're not that quick, lift-off oversteer is quite brutal and not a smooth transition. It was just a terrible car, and I owned it for too long."

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Whilst the standard 206 can be a solid choice for a cheap used car, the GTI 180 has heavy steering, he said. The R51 variant of the Mini Cooper, built between 2001 to 2006, is another worth dodging, Jim went on to warn in a viral clip.

He added: "What a terrible car, and the reason being is because I've seen first-hand so many of these engines fail. The bottom ends fall apart, they're horrible to drive, they're rattly. I had the misfortune of driving a John Cooper Works Convertible, and if you've ever heard of the term 'scuttle shake', it was the worst thing. You'd hit a bump and the whole thing would start rattling everywhere. Horrible car."

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The Mazda 3 MPS completed the list. He continued: "Sorry guys, the Mazda 3 MPS. Now, before you yell at me, this isn't the car's fault. If you can find one of the unicorns out there that has a meticulous maintenance history that's been owned by an 85-year-old retired man or woman, that's OK.

"The problem here is that so many on the used market have been absolutely ruined. I would say that the majority to the point that I've nearly bought one of these multiple times and, when I take it to Jim to get a pre-purchase inspection done, you can tell it's been modified and reversed to look stock. They're just not worth the risk."