JRS's "Cars That Are Fun To Drive" thread
- Thread starter JRS
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JRS said:Fox - Ah, with you
NickXX - yes, I have. I only drove it about 50 miles, most of that was on country lanes that I'd had fun on with the Fiat. The 330 just felt flat. I could tell exactly what it was doing, the feel was fine. And I was doing some serious speed (OMG won't someone please think of the children!!!!!). But it just didn't excite me at all.
Fair enough then.
Personally, I love the way it can eat any corner at nutty speeds. I love the you can flick its tail on a wet roundabout. I love its superb handling. I love the way it effortlessly does motorway miles. I love the insane amounts of torque. I love the way you can turn off DSC and let hell break loose. I love the fact that it can pull off crazy overtaking manouvers without any fuss. I love the way the sport leather seats look/smell/feel. I love the way I can drive it lazily after a long day at work. I love the climate controlled environment. I love the 500 miles I can get on a tank of fuel. I love the way it looks. I love the presence it has. Do I love the fact that you say it's boring?
Yup
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Soldato
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As they should.JRS said:Indeed. It seems that all roads lead to the BMW 330 tonight
But seriously, it will be mentioned as it's a very good car (and yes that includes fun to drive) and theres no escaping that fact.
GSXRMovistar said:As they should.
But seriously, it will be mentioned as it's a very good car (and yes that includes fun to drive) and theres no escaping that fact.
Fun to drive in your opinion, not in everyones. This is a prime example of what grates with me just slightly, people saying that because a car is good that automatically makes it fun. And that goes the other way as well, people saying that because a car is older and less well-sorted that it's automatically fun.
Yes, the 330 is a great car. No, I didn't have as much fun in it as I would in other cars. And yes, I do seem to be repeating myself in this thread an awful lot.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
JRS said:Yes, the 330 is a great car. No, I didn't have as much fun in it as I would in other cars. And yes, I do seem to be repeating myself in this thread an awful lot.
Me too becuase yet again I'm going to point out the whole arguement only started when Penski made the vastly OTT comment that it was one of the most dull cars on the planet, something which will never be the case as long as cars like the Toyota Camry exist.
JRS said:Fun to drive in your opinion, not in everyones. This is a prime example of what grates with me just slightly, people saying that because a car is good that automatically makes it fun. And that goes the other way as well, people saying that because a car is older and less well-sorted that it's automatically fun.
Yes, the 330 is a great car. No, I didn't have as much fun in it as I would in other cars. And yes, I do seem to be repeating myself in this thread an awful lot.
Ok then, tell us - what's fun about your car?
[TW]Fox said:
You had to mention the Camry didn't you....
My GOD what a dull car.....
I managed to sleep through a 200 mile journey along roads up in the Rockies, it was that dull inside and that removed from the world outside....I'm just glad I never had to drive the damn thing, it would probably have killed me.
***edit***
NickXX - which one?
The Fiat is fun because even going flat out, you're not likely to be going so fast that the laws of physics grab hold of you and fling you through a hedge. I can feel everything that the car is doing and know exactly when the grip is starting to fade away. Alright, so it's all out of ideas regarding top speed well before most cars (I've seen 106mph on the M6 toll with the wind behind me and that took about 20 minutes to get to) and it corners on it's doorhandles thanks to the lack of any anti-roll bars, but I really do enjoy hurling it around.
The Olds is fun because its big. Very big indeed. And oddly enough, BMW drivers seem to shrink away from it....
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Every one has there own idea for a fun car.
And the camry isnt a bad car at all.
It can be made fun if you thrash it hard enough but it was designed to be a smooth car which doesnt show much character because its a family car and its better to have a smooth car that doesnt have much noise or "Attitude" so babys can get to sleep
And the camry isnt a bad car at all.
It can be made fun if you thrash it hard enough but it was designed to be a smooth car which doesnt show much character because its a family car and its better to have a smooth car that doesnt have much noise or "Attitude" so babys can get to sleep
JRS said:Fox, look over there. You see that point? It's all the way over there because you missed it.
You find cars like the BMW 330 fun. Great. I'm happy for you. But does everyone find them fun? Does everyone wake up in the morning and think "I know, I'll buy a BMW 330 because I find it more fun than any of the other alternatives"?
Quoted for truth
JRS,
I understand where you're coming from. Most cars nowadays have become incredibly "competent", i.e. good at doing a lot of different things, e.g. cruising, long distances, economy, safety, and doing them very well, leaving the driver nicely ensconced, relaxed and comfortable.
However, the issue is that driving a motorised armchair really isn't that great at firing up the synapses and giving us an adrenelin rush.
Quite clearly the 330 and even the Camry are "better" cars than the Seicento at cruising and travelling quickly. So for the 95% of the population who don't want stimulation in a car, they're perfect.
For the other 5% who actually enjoy the challenge of driving (regardless of the actual car), being in something that requires grabbing by the scruff of the kneck and coaxing, kicking and screaming to do what you want can be very exhilerating.
For example, I tried a Mitsubishi GTO a few years ago. Looks great, stonking performance both in a straightline and around corners. Hard to fault in many ways, but was just so competent, that it required no real skill to drive well. Some other cars that I've driven required real skill to keep up even normal cars like say a Mondeo, but they certainly were smile a minute whilst you're doing it.
I understand where you're coming from. Most cars nowadays have become incredibly "competent", i.e. good at doing a lot of different things, e.g. cruising, long distances, economy, safety, and doing them very well, leaving the driver nicely ensconced, relaxed and comfortable.
However, the issue is that driving a motorised armchair really isn't that great at firing up the synapses and giving us an adrenelin rush.
Quite clearly the 330 and even the Camry are "better" cars than the Seicento at cruising and travelling quickly. So for the 95% of the population who don't want stimulation in a car, they're perfect.
For the other 5% who actually enjoy the challenge of driving (regardless of the actual car), being in something that requires grabbing by the scruff of the kneck and coaxing, kicking and screaming to do what you want can be very exhilerating.
For example, I tried a Mitsubishi GTO a few years ago. Looks great, stonking performance both in a straightline and around corners. Hard to fault in many ways, but was just so competent, that it required no real skill to drive well. Some other cars that I've driven required real skill to keep up even normal cars like say a Mondeo, but they certainly were smile a minute whilst you're doing it.
My choices would be the Honda Civic Type-R and the Lotus Elise 111R but that's a pretty biased opinion I guess.
Other, less powerful cars that I've had fun in would be
* Volvo 340 - just add a damp roundabout and I'm in heaven
* Fiesta XR2 - enough power to be fun without requiring silly speeds
* Mazda MX5 - if you haven't driven on, go out and try it to see what I mean
* Ford Puma - another example of how some FWD cars really do handle well
* Mk2 Astra 1.3 - an oddball choice considering that the handling is nothing short of scary but that's what makes it fun, keeps you on your toes.
Other, less powerful cars that I've had fun in would be
* Volvo 340 - just add a damp roundabout and I'm in heaven
* Fiesta XR2 - enough power to be fun without requiring silly speeds
* Mazda MX5 - if you haven't driven on, go out and try it to see what I mean
* Ford Puma - another example of how some FWD cars really do handle well
* Mk2 Astra 1.3 - an oddball choice considering that the handling is nothing short of scary but that's what makes it fun, keeps you on your toes.