After leaving Otopark in 2017, I continued driving interesting cars in different countries. Especially during the 2020-2022 period—when I returned to Turkey, launched Steerr, and unfortunately coincided with Covid—I had the chance to meet hundreds of my followers through Steerr and experience their cars. I also filmed standout ones for Steerr Türkiye’s YouTube channel and shared my experiences with you.

Today, besides those featured in those videos, I’ll talk about some other models that I have mentioned occasionally in live broadcasts but never documented in writing. These were all short experiences, far from the in-depth, limit-pushing tests and hundreds of kilometers of driving I conducted for magazines or Otopark.com—so please, don’t take them too seriously.

2015 Alfa Romeo MiTo QV

I drove it on a winding section of an under-construction highway in İzmir, which was closed to traffic at the time. As much as I could tolerate it, it tolerated me just as much—about 15 minutes before the transmission failed and left me stranded. As you know, the shortened version of the Linea is called the Grande Punto, and its dressed-up version is the MiTo. My experience fully reflected these family ties: every part of the car felt disjointed, rigidity was at '80s levels, the steering had nothing to do with the front wheels, and the odd driving position made it impossible to feel in control. Just like the Giulietta, this was another modern Alfa disappointment.

2011 Audi A1

I've always considered premium brands entering lower segments a big risk. The Polo platform, cheeky design, and Audi badge may have initially made good money for the Germans, but the driving experience was far below brand standards. Granted, expecting a company that struggles to properly absorb potholes even in an A6 to master it in a B-segment car would be wishful thinking—but even so, the stiffness was excessive. With its decent cabin quality and above-average engine-transmission options, the A1 somewhat redeems itself, but at the end of the day, it fails in the most critical job for a car like this: making its owner happy.

2007 BMW 120d

This is essentially a compressed E90: the same macho character, cannonball-like but instinctive steering, stiff but controlled suspension, and by far the tightest interior space in its segment. Despite the tractor-like engine, it’s a pure fun machine—but it demands many sacrifices in terms of practicality. Still, if you find a clean manual example at a reasonable price, it could be worth considering.

1997 BMW 318is

Despite being in love with almost every BMW from these years, I could never warm up to the E36, largely due to the steering. Oddly, it lacks the organic feedback I expected, and since the column has no depth adjustment, I could never find a comfortable driving position. M3 variants are undoubtedly a different experience, but considering the absurd prices these command in our country, I generally recommend skipping standard E36s.

2003 BMW 320d

The E46 is essentially a more compact and lightweight E39—so for someone like me, who occasionally complains about the 2000 M5’s bulk, the formula is a dream. In a clean example—which is becoming increasingly impossible to find—you get the same quality, class, and, of course, an organic driving experience. From the first few hundred meters, the car becomes an extension of your body, and even when parked, exploring its details is satisfying. In its stock form, it may be the best representation of BMW’s "Ultimate Driving Machine" motto—but if possible, go for the petrol versions.

2004 BMW 530i

Driven via Steerr, this belonged to my valued follower Tolgahan. I couldn't believe how a car that visually departed so much from its predecessor, the E39, still felt like an improved and modernized version of it. Like all of BMW’s naturally aspirated straight-sixes, it had an excellent engine, complemented by a road presence and "civilized tank" feel we no longer see outside the F-segment. However, the steering’s total lack of connection with the front wheels ruined the whole package.

2017 BMW 530i

Compared to the other BMWs mentioned here, most modern BMWs are no longer the ones you "love" but rather the ones you "respect"—they are digital rather than analog, and you have to accept them for what they are. After all, ZF no longer makes hydraulic steering racks, and almost everyone (except for a few extreme exceptions like McLaren) is forced to use their electric setups. With an exceptional interior and a smooth engine-transmission combination, the G30 is objectively difficult to fault—but subjectively, it makes me miss the E39 even more. Still, it's a handsome executive sedan (which is becoming increasingly rare for BMWs).

2001 BMW 540i

If asked, "What is the best car of all time?" I usually hesitate to give a definitive answer, but every time, the first word that pops into my head is E39. That might not surprise you, but what probably will is that the first model that comes to mind isn’t the M5 but an automatic 540i. The M5’s main flaw was its loose, character-mismatched manual transmission. Even though the 540i’s automatic was only a 5-speed, it suited the car better—and unless you’re pushing the limits, it delivers 90% of the M5 experience.

2014 BMW i3

Imagine you have a revolutionary idea, bring it to life with great effort, but soon lose motivation and abandon it. That’s exactly what the i3 and i8 were for BMW. This car could have been a milestone in the brand’s history, but instead, the Germans chose to produce screen-filled, tank-sized, mediocre-range EV appliances like everyone else. The i3’s driving experience is far from perfect, but if you imagine yourself in a futuristic pod designed to navigate Jurassic Park in 2050, it makes much more sense. Even after 10 years, this car still symbolizes mobility futurism.

2012 Chery Tiggo 3

Experienced during a half-hour Uber ride in Colombia. Originally launched in 2005 and facelifted in 2011, the one I rode in was the facelifted version. Despite being a 10-year-old car, it felt 30 years old, exuding the crude primitiveness of '90s Korean cars. With a suspension travel measured in millimeters, it crashed over every road imperfection, rattled violently when the AC was on, and was essentially a four-wheeled plastic tub.

2005 Chevrolet Corvette

If Americans tried to build a V8-powered S2000... When the C6 first came out, we all mocked its miserable interior and fiberglass fenders. But the moment you finish ripping through the first three gears in one with a catless aftermarket exhaust, you forget all that and just laugh uncontrollably. With its raw chassis, notchy manual transmission, and an LS2 that makes power through displacement rather than stress, this car delivers one of the purest and most transparent driving experiences you can find at this power level. It’s not easy to tame, but wrestling with its heavy steering leaves a lasting impression.

2016 Ferrari California T

There are clichés about what makes Ferrari so alluring, but ultimately, it’s simple: these cars are unlike anything else. Their brand DNA seeps into you, taking you back to childhood, making you as happy as when you first got a remote-controlled toy car. The California T does what modern Ferraris do—it offers a transparent chassis, progressive handling beyond the limit, and constant feedback through the seat. But the engine, sound, and character fall well short of Luca di Montezemolo-era standards, making it feel more like an expensive toy than a true Ferrari. The owner sold it the following year for a C63 AMG Cabriolet.

2009 Fiat Linea

During my time at Auto Motor & Sport, this was the first test car I received—not just to drive around the office but to take home and bring back to work the next day. I was incredibly excited and happy; my dream of becoming a test editor was finally coming true... However, it didn’t take long to realize that this was more of a punishment than a reward: turbo lag and sudden power surges reminiscent of an F40, front tires spinning helplessly, and a body as wobbly as pudding. Neither its cheap parts nor its low fuel consumption can justify the popularity of this car.

2018 Ford Fiesta

The manual 1.1-liter naturally aspirated Fiesta delivered the same satisfaction that almost all modern B-segment cars do. The gear shifts were crisp and smooth, the steering response—while not as eager as the previous generation—was still engaging, and the adjustable chassis continued to make the eighth-gen Fiesta a driver’s choice. The Titanium X trim’s extra features and the cabin’s significantly improved quality compared to its predecessor compensated for the engine's lack of torque.

2011 Honda Accord

Excluding the most recent few models, Honda has a very specific car archetype that it excels at, and traditional models like the Civic or Jazz embody this perfectly, aligning well with segment expectations. However, as you move up the classes, Honda’s signature drawbacks—low material quality and craftsmanship, stiff suspension, poor insulation, and an overall unrefined feel—start to stand out more. This generation of the Accord is largely an oversized Civic, and apart from its reliability, I struggle to find a reason to recommend it over countless other Japanese cars.

2000 Honda CR-V

Everything I wrote about the Accord applies here as well; just replace "D-segment sedan" with "C-SUV" and double the mismatch between expectations and reality. The first-gen CR-V lacked even the smallest trace of comfort, refinement, or technology, transmitting every outside noise directly into the cabin and crashing over even mildly uneven roads. Like most Hondas from that era, it only made sense if you pushed it hard—thanks to its mechanical resilience. But honestly, who would want to drive an SUV like that?

2017 Lamborghini Huracán Spyder

On a Sunday morning, I had the chance to experience this toy first on Germany’s twisty countryside roads and then briefly from the passenger seat on the Autobahn, where the owner truly pushed it to its limits. When you get close to a supercar like this, you can’t believe how small and low it is, or how it manages to pack hundreds of horsepower into such a compact body.

You’ve probably read it in reviews: Huracán’s seats are often called "torture chairs," and that description is quite accurate. The cushions are incredibly thin and firm, making you feel every vertical and lateral movement of the car. The engine and transmission are as epic as expected, but the real surprise is how the power is delivered: we set off on a damp day, and as we gently applied throttle while merging onto the Autobahn, the nose darted toward the barrier in milliseconds. I never expected a modern AWD Lamborghini to snap its rear end out like that—it was far more thrilling than I anticipated.

2005 Mazda3

The Mazda3 of this era offers a very similar experience to contemporary Hondas but stands apart due to its shared platform with the Focus (and S40). The example I drove was quite high-mileage and tired, yet I could still feel the Ford influence on its driving dynamics and structural durability. However, its outdated automatic transmission and torque-starved engine completely erased any potential for dynamism.

2017 Mercedes GLC 43 AMG

Another car I experienced in Germany, driving it at a spirited pace all the way to Denmark for my sister’s wedding. This was the car I spent the most time with on this list, yet I have the least to say about it—which tells you a lot about modern SUVs. It was fast, practical, comfortable for its performance level, handled well for its size, and had a cold but high-quality W205-based interior. The twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 and 9G-Tronic did their best to mask the car’s lack of character, but you constantly find yourself thinking, "This would be so much more fun if it weren’t so tall and heavy."

2013 Mercedes SLK 55 AMG

A car that made for some dangerous fun on the streets of Hamburg—a solid "8/10" machine. You know those cars that satisfy you immensely up until you reach their limits, only to disappoint massively? This is one of them. Fortunately, those limits are quite high, and until you reach them, you can enjoy one of Mercedes’ finest (and naturally aspirated!) engines, with the wind in your hair. However, as with all AMGs from that era, the transmission constantly disrupts the experience, and the interior feels too generic for the car’s character. If you don’t take sports cars—or your own driving—too seriously, this machine can make you surprisingly happy.

2015 Nissan Rogue

The Rogue, known as the X-Trail in Europe, was a model I got to know well over an extended period in the U.S., across different conditions. Unlike the configurations sold in my region, it had a very different pairing: a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated engine plus a CVT. Some cars, no matter how much time you spend with them, simply don't have much worth talking about—and this is one of them. It meets basic transportation needs, gets you from A to B without fuss, and surprises in neither handling nor ride quality, nor anything else. A "decent" vehicle. I suppose this is exactly what the American buyer wanted, given that it sold like crazy for years.

2020 Opel Corsa

I think today's B-segment models have made significant progress compared to previous generations; in fact, in many other classes, we often see regressions rather than advancements. The Corsa/208 duo is a great example of this: especially in higher trims, the cabin offers an unusual level of quality, and the driving experience has a surprising level of refinement. On top of that, it comes with one of the best transmissions in mainstream cars today, the EAT8. However, the pedal area is excessively cramped, and due to the wheel well intrusion, you have to bend your left leg while driving. Since you can't extend your leg, this becomes seriously uncomfortable after a while.

2016 Peugeot 301

A budget car that speaks the same language as the Fiat Linea, where costs were cut at every opportunity, and which moves more by floating than gripping the road. If anything, the best thing the Fiat Egea did for the public was to liberate budget-conscious buyers from being forced into dangerously bad cars like this one.

2020 Peugeot 508

Another Steerr drive I took on the Anadolu Feneri road. Given how stubborn Peugeot Turkey (or rather, the agency they worked with) was about not providing this car when we wanted to feature it in a pilot episode of an automotive program I was filming for TRT at the time, my expectations were quite low. The car has very stylish and distinctive details inside and out, with a high sense of quality—it definitely looks like it's "trying hard." The rear is cramped, and its dimensions lean more towards a C-segment sedan rather than a D-segment. There's not much in the way of steering feel, but thanks to the small steering wheel and short front end, it responds eagerly to quick direction changes. The transmission is smooth, but the diesel engine leaves you wanting more—so much so that the owner sold it a few months later and bought the 225-hp PureTech version.

2007 Porsche Cayman S

As I've often said when reviewing other Caymans I've driven, this car, with its chassis, stiffness, handling limits, and of course, engine-transmission configuration, is a "junior supercar." To truly enjoy it, you at least need to go for the "S" versions. Even if you're a novice driver, the power of the standard model, which might initially excite you, will soon feel inadequate once you begin to explore the chassis' capabilities. The example I drove was a great illustration of this: despite having the 5-speed torque converter "Tiptronic" transmission—something I always recommend against in favor of the PDK—it still put a huge smile on my face and fully showcased the car's abilities.

2012 Renault Megane Coupe

The Megane 3 Coupe, which I first tested at Auto Motor & Sport and later revisited through Steerr, stands out in my memory mainly for its trim noises: the first unit I drove, despite being nearly brand new, produced creaks and rattles from the rear cross-section over rough surfaces. Though widely praised for its reliable 1.5 dCi engine and generous equipment, I always found this car a bit underwhelming. That said, it shares its underpinnings with one of the most enjoyable cars I've ever driven—the Megane RS Trophy—and when pushed, it reveals a playful agility that hints at the era’s best hot hatches.

2017 Seat Ibiza

The buzzing and slight vibrations of a three-cylinder engine might bother some, but it's now the standard in most cars in this class—and personally, I love it. The example I drove had a manual transmission, paired with LED headlights, a large screen, and 16" wheels on top of the Style package, making the Ibiza a "basic" yet very enjoyable and ideal transportation tool. The cheap-feeling interior of the previous generation has been replaced with a much more acceptable, modern environment—at around 600,000 lira, it should be one of the top choices.

2015 Skoda Octavia RS

The third-generation Octavia, much like its Leon counterpart, was a product of extreme cost-cutting on the MQB platform, making serious compromises in crucial areas like mechanical grip, suspension travel, and insulation. However, just as Cupra transformed the standard Leon into a fantastic driver's car by addressing most of its flaws, Skoda did a similar—though not quite as thorough—job with the RS version of the Octavia. This isn't a car that will have you laughing from corner to corner, but as a fast, high-quality, mature, and spacious family car, it's a solid 10/10.

2006 Toyota Sienna

Until the last decade, Toyota—like other Japanese manufacturers—mostly sold machines that moved on four wheels and did so for hundreds of thousands of kilometers without breaking down. Not only did they sell them, but they also set records in reliability. Toyota has always been great at capitalizing on the dissatisfaction of customers who had bad experiences with other brands, and this 7-seater followed the same formula—my brother's made it to nearly 400,000 km before finally being scrapped. Despite having a 3.3L V6 under the hood, every aspect of this car, from throttle response to gear shifts, steering feel to sliding doors, operates with the exhaustion of someone on their deathbed. A true antidote to automotive enthusiasm.

1999 Volvo C70

Anyone who has driven '90s German D-segment or larger cars will find the driving and ownership experience of this car very familiar: a tank-like ride, excessive fuel consumption, turbo lag that lasts for days, stubborn understeer when pushed hard, and a constant eagerness to break down—Swedish or not, the genes are shared. However, this Passat-like driving experience is at odds with its stunning design, which was unique to that era. Chief designer Peter Horbury once said about this car, "I wanted to create a car that people would desire, not just one they needed." Considering I still browse its listings from time to time, knowing full well it will fall apart, I'd say mission accomplished.