Daily user or not?

[Jochen744 10]

Having recently brought my first corrado, I was wondering how many people use them as there daily drive or not?

I have a A4 as my daily driver, but after using the corrado I am so tempted to sell the Audi and use the Corrado as my daily driver but don't want to ruin it e.t.c :scratch:

[mad-dog 10]

do what feels good bud i have a mk4 golf thats sposed to be my daily but i come out of the house in the morning look at the golf then look at the raddo .......no contest lol :)

[Wullie 1]

Mine is, and has been a daily since I got it. My point of view is that cars are made to be driven and short of driving into things or stupidly abusing it is better for the car. Consider for a moment what you have to do to lay up a car for six months compared to putting petrol in it and driving it.

[emu 0]

I've used corrado as a daily for almost 6 years all year round and can't say anything wrong about it. I'm using now different car as a daily as it's more comfortable and use less fuel (diesel).

 

Winters were always the worst when was a lot of snow but if you buy winter tyres and won't lower it a lot you will be fine.

 

---------- Post added at 9:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 9:11 PM ----------

 

Consider for a moment what you have to do to lay up a car for six months compared to putting petrol in it and driving it.

 

I disagree with you. My last corrado in the past 2 years was drive for 6 months and stood for 18 and I never did anything when I parked it. Longest time it stood was 8 months on the street outside my flat. All I've done after that time was charging battery and firing it up. No problems at all. Brakes bit sized but 50 miles journey and few hard braking sorted everything out.

[Wullie 1]

Indeed you have every right to disagree. I was considering recent threads about laying up a car and the steps that were recommended and used that as a comparison. It is entirely the owners choice, mollycoddle or abandon. There are also the number of post starting "My car has been off the road and now...wont start, running rough etc

 

My choice is daily use. Others may have what are virtually show cars only that would disagree with me. Such is life and is what makes it interesting.

Edited December 30, 2012 by Wullie

[jamiehamy 0]

The worst thing for ANY car is to be parked up for long periods I drove my 1969 Land Rover more or less every day or 5 years and it rarely, if ever, missed a beat. Same for my Scimitar.

[Portent 0]

I don't use mine as a daily but equally I don't lay it up over winter and try to take it out every week or fortnight (although I really haven't used it much recently due to wanting to keep it off salty roads). But I think that nowadays modern cars are so much more comfortable and easy to drive that I wouldn't want the Corrado to be my daily. I'm sure I'd be constantly worried about something failing and only using it occasionally means that it's a real event and a pleasure when I do take it out.

 

So mine is a regular driver even through winter, but not my regular daily.

 

My other car is now a mk6 GTI and I managed to get 45mpg on the way up from Surrey to Norfolk this weekend, which would be impossible in the Corrado.

[Billzeebub 1]

Good ones are still perfectly capable and reliable daily cars, as long as the maintenance schedule has been observed and things haven't been ignored because of lack of funds/mechanical sympathy. It's a good idea to have another vehicle to use too, I always run at least 2 cars, but it's not essential. I also,agree it is better for cars to be used regularly than left laid up unused for long periods.

 

I have never had a breakdown with any of the 5 Corrados I have owned! I always buy the best car I can afford and prefer to put the funds in at purchase rather than a constant stream of expenditure chasing faults round a car!

[martinb 0]

I use my G60 daily and (*touch wood*) its never let me down yet. I sometime wish I didnt have too, especially at this time of year when I find a new stone chip etc. Probably the worst part of using it daily is having to leave it in a public car park during the day when I'm at work, as most of the people that seem to use these near my workplace are morons who cannot drive and think nothing of hitting your car and driving off!!

[tony_ack 0]

Another daily driver, it's absolutely fine as a daily car. It can get on your nerves a bit in the winter when everything in the cabin is rattling and all the windows are steamed up, but when the sun comes out you forget all that. I think driving it on winter roads does no favours for the underside of the car, though I don't think mine will ever be show quality and it's got lunar mileage so I'm just going to enjoy it while it lasts. I've noticed that when I do lay it up, even for a month or so, it develops little niggles, which all disappear again after a week of driving.

 

It's not very practical, but not really an issue for me as it's just me in it most of the time, It's not great on fuel, but if you're not so bothered about that, when you weigh up looks/handling/performance you probably couldn't get a better daily for the same money.

 

Oh, I also used to have a MK1 A4 TDI as a daily driver but it bored the hell out of me so I swapped it for a MK2 Golf and put the Corrado back on the road.

[Jochen744 10]

Thanks for all the replies..... I think as I only do short journeys to work and back then it may become a daily driver, I have been using it for the last few days and every time I drive it I smile a little, my A4 is very comfortable and easy to drive, but also boring.

[Rustynuts 0]

The truth is that modern stuff goes wrong, I can give you a horrendous list of costly repairs done on the T5 and Alfa, they are 8 and 5 years old respectivily. The Corrado has had money spent in the past (previous owners) and thus is now a very reliable and cheap car to run. Parts are in the main pretty cheap and it is damn easy to work. Always starts first time (the Alfa doesn't!) and mine does not rattle really so actually still feels quite modern. I don't use mine daily, but it does get used in spates when it comes in as the back up car for the other 2.

 

I think it makes a sensible daily, especially if you can maintain it yourself and repair/replace as required.

[bully 10]

its my daily comute to work.. :)

[davidwort 0]

The truth is that modern stuff goes wrong,....

Doesn't it just, my neighbours Volvo saloon is 6 years old and has just needed a diesel particulate filter, steering lock and switch and abs/skid control unit, over a grand plus labour and then a clutch, 1500 quid fitted!

[Jim Bowen 1]

Mine is again. Used it daily for 3-4yrs. Took it off the road and spent 18months replacing most parts. Cleaning everything up underneath. Getting all the running gear spotless. Now its back to being a daily and getting filthy again. May as well gets my moneys worth.

[OllieVR6 0]

Mines not but only because financially I haven't been able to. Had it 3 years and driven it less than 500 miles, on the longest journey I've done in it, it came home on the back of an AA van haha!

 

However, that's all set to change in the next month or two and literally can't wait to use it as a daily. Got most of the mechanical issues and small 'quality of life' mods done so I'll drive it as much as possible for a few months and see what happens. Maybe I'll want to throw cash at it, maybe I'll drive it until it dies but ultimately I'm of the opinion that cars are for driving so get in it and gogogo!

[Stonejag 10]

Mine's a daily and I commute 20 miles each way in it. I have fairly hefty fuel bills but it's a lot of fun!

 

I'm using it to learn about mechanical stuff so there's always something to tweak but fingers crossed it's not too unreliable. Most of my current issues are things that previous owners haven't sorted out, and the ever-present rust... It's only just coming up to its first 100,000 miles so hopefully it'll still be going for a while. Going to get it resprayed this year at which point I might get a bit more touchy about damaging it! They're built to be used though, and there aren't a lot of cars I'd rather be driving. If I was to get a regular car it'd probably be a Lupo GTi, always wanted to put an R32 in one though :-D

 

Stone

[Wendy 0]

Mine is a daily too and has been for the past 11 years. I find it a very reliable car, but they do need looking after properly - same with anything mind.

 

Let me down yesterday, first time in years, due to my leaving the headlights on all day I had a flat battery !!! Doh !!!

[Critical_Mass 10]

I'll just echo what those above have said. Using a corrado as a daily is generally fine as long as the maintenance is kept on top of. I will say one thing though using mine as a daily for 6 years has taken its toll on the paint work - stop chips, bits of rust, scratches etc :(

[Jim 1]

I do keep debating putting mine back into daily duty soon.. because of a change of circumstances with my cars, if I don't, it means I *will* have to sell it if I don't start using it every day. It's a tough call.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Im possibly going to be in that position in the next couple of weeks - having to get rid of one the 2 cars. Do i put the corrado back on the road as daily or keep the passat PD130 1.9tdi estate and sell the rado on. Head says keep the passat, heart is telling me differently...

 

Tough choice

[g0ldf1ng3r 13]

I have used both of the rado's ive owned as daily's & to be honest i dont even like the thought of driving a different car as a daily

 

Plus i see & work on many many different classic cars & VW's of all shapes/conditions/ages & the amount of seized parts etc that result from lack of use can end up being drastic but with that said its often about how they are stored & looked after during storage

[Critical_Mass 10]

I have used both of the rado's ive owned as daily's & to be honest i dont even like the thought of driving a different car as a daily

 

Plus i see & work on many many different classic cars & VW's of all shapes/conditions/ages & the amount of seized parts etc that result from lack of use can end up being drastic but with that said its often about how they are stored & looked after during storage

 

and thats another issue. Mine sat outside in the elements. Ive no garage to put it in.

[twin45 1]

i use mine as a daily never let me down not bad on juice either but its only a 1.8 16v

but i have my project one tucked up in the garage

[Riley 0]

For the past 8/9 years used as a general daily taking the kids places, and also as a company car making 3-4 trips a day, 6 days a week to the P.O.

 

Although I've taken it off the road a few times to do various jobs...So many damn water pumps and heater matrix's lol.

Edited January 12, 2013 by Riley