I'm paying $4.99 a gallon for premium. I'm not looking for sympathy (though feel free). After all, we're living in a new golden age of the automobile. Chatting with an autojourno friend I found myself saying, "435 horsepower? That's it?" Which is ridiculous. But now that gas is now horridly expensive, things are apt to slow down. And by apt I mean they will. Lots. We're already starting to see the cracks. Audi's next S4 will have six cylinders instead of eight. Which means that the RS4 might (gulp) only have a V6. Some of you no doubt remember how much I enjoyed the RS4. Which got me thinking: is Audi's four-door supercar the best vehicle I've ever driven? I get to drive an awful lot of fancy metal. The RS4 is better (if not much better) than most. But the best? No. You're going to have to wait a couple of days for my actual answer (review pending). Until then, how about you?
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In a lot of ways, my friends M roadster. I hated the way it looked but it was such a blast to drive. Like a modern, German, 289 Cobra. I’ve driven cooler cars but I can’t think of one as fun. I still think it looks like Ace and Gary’s car though.
handling with day-to-day livability: RX-8
cheap thrills go-kart: MR2
testosterone: GTO
i have to actually make the payments and haul stuff but still want to have fun: GTI
chick magnet: pontiac grand am
snow donuts: legacy GT
rental car autocross: neon
NICKNICK: chick magnet: pontiac grand am
Seriously? I don’t know any ‘chicks’ that would give the owner of that car the time of day.
I really like my Camry Hybrid, but for the overall driving experience I would have to say it was being behind the wheel of a mid 80s Rolls Royce sedan when I was 16.
A Dodge Viper (1994 edition) was the most fun (and dangerously fast) car that I’ve ever driven.
A Mazda Miata is the most fun car in the summer to flog hard and grin the entire time (while actually touching it’s limits.)
Any snow day, my 2007 Subaru Legacy 2.5i is a blast to run around everything else on the road!
Gotta go with a 1995 Audi S6 with an MTM Stage 2 chip. Amazingly tossable for a gigantic car, and it’s easily the most comfortable long distance vehicle I’ve ever driven.
Best, as experience and sheer joy, my silver, hardtop XKE. Some good years and memories.
198-something Porsche 944 Turbo. This puppy was chipped and running a claimed 300+ HP with the most dramatic Turbo lag I’ve ever experienced. It was like a Hyundai accent below 3000rpm, then an explosion of thrust up to redline. It went scary fast before you even knew what hit you.
Second to that, a 2001 Audi S4, also chipped (I really like turbo’s!), but delivered a smoother punch in the face as it clawed a the ground and pressed you into the seat.
I really like the e39 m5, although the early 80s 911s are some of my favorites.
It must be the old family car, a Mercedes 240D, W123 model, that I inherited as a teenager. Built like a tank, went like clockwork. It was not fast, but it was built to last. I have never ever since felt that omni-prescent mechanical tour de force that a german built and over-engineered car can give. It was the best car I have ever had, and the best car I have ever driven. They don’t make them like that anymore, not anywhere.
My WRX STi is the best I’ve driven, but I haven’t driven much. The problem is I haven’t driven much….my crotch rocket 600cc is so much faster it’s not even funny. I’ve had it a couple years and I can’t see myself needing anything faster, even when I see zx-14’s marked down from $12-$13k to $8300….it’s simply too much for me.
The subaru is REALLY fun in the snow. I have dedicated winter tires & it’s a blast.
@lth:
Yep, that E39 M5 is unbelievable. One of the best cars ever made.
NSX is still my favorite though.
Chick magnet: my Geo Prism, it repels.
Fun drive now: MR2 Spyder.
Most fun to drive: ’76 VW Rabbit when it was still young. It was my first car that handled well, in comparison to the GM pigs I used to drive. It was a combination of youth, a high revving engine and testosterone that I still remember fondly. Once it started using more oil than gas it lost its appeal.
Citroen DS
Best in terms of what?….
All around practical daily use with high fun factor: 2005 WRX Sti. From blowing away Porsches and Vettes, to shuttling kids to school, to getting to deer hunting camp over shitty back roads, nothing comes close (especially for the price).
Ultimate gear-head hard-on factor: 2006 Ford GT. Only got to drive it about 10 miles, but it was the most “orgasmiic” 10 miles I’ve ever driven.
Track car/daily driver: 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe. Track ready outta the box. Also commute ready outta the box. Built like a proverbial Panzer and does every well with poise, except reward stupidity.
Most Darwinian: See previous entry.
2002 Corvette Z06
1971 AMC Javelin SST…..
Just kidding.
BMW 5 series
Driven a number of vehicles, but my grandparent’s
2002 540i 6-speed Sport is probably the most enjoyable all-around vehicle.
Otherwise I really enjoy driving my new 1984 760 Turbo. And the Mazda 3 wagon is an excellent daily driver and all-around compact vehicle.
i can’t say…
haven’t driven a car worthy to be titled ‘best’
though – i did get to take a 335x out for a spin… – that was kinda fun – but so is riding my steel bianchi…
Two bests.
Best fun: 1993 Mazda RX-7 five-speed (belonged to me)
Best everything else: 1989 Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible (did not belong to me)
That award goes to my ’91 Galant VR-4. In a word: sleeper. Or at least it was until people started making the connection with it and the Lancer Evolution. It surprised a lot of people, domestic and import, at the track, and the best part is that I never had idiots try to race me on the street. I couldn’t say that about my Eclipse, where I had every Tom, Dick, and Harry in a Civic, Mustang, and GTI tempt me into a suspended license.
1987 Dodge Conquest TSI. 2.6L turbo charged and intercooled. It was a blast to drive. Insurance companies hated them. Unfortunately, the cast iron block with aluminum head and turbo charger was not a good combination. They suffered from cracked heads. I do miss the turbo whine.
Even though I’m working on middle-age, I like to believe that my best car is yet to come…
I’ll check back in about 20-30 years, ask me then.
The best car I’ve driven is……..
The Jaguar X-Type.
The ride quality was sublime, the fit and finish was brilliant and the AWD made the handling exceptional.
I really don’t know what everyone’s problem is with the X-Type. When you take everything into account, not just performance and reliability, but I mean everything, the X-Type is a sensational car.
A tough call but it would have to come down to these five: Porsche Boxter S, Mazda Miata, E36 328is, E46 330ci and Audi S8.
Best drive: My old 1992 BMW 325i convertible.
Most fun: A beat up 1963 beetle with so-so brakes in Rome.
Best rental autocross: A double-cab Mitsubishi pickup in Bonaire’s Washington Slagbaai National Park.
Back in the day I had two friends who owned Jaguar E-Types, one was a well-to-do young woman whose Dad was a producer of the Sid Caesar show and left her a ’63 3.8 Roadster when he died.
The other was an airline mechanic whose second Jag was a ’67 E-Type 4.2 coupe. I had occasion to drive both cars briefly. Wanna guess which was more enjoyable to drive?
That ’67 E-Type with the all-synchro gearbox and the triple carb (265HP) motor had everything: power, handling, ride, fabulous looks and racing heritage.
I doubt I’ll ever drive anything nicer with four wheels.
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1981 Mazda Rx-7 – really. It was light, reasonably powerful (100hp) and bullet proof reliable. Plus a heck of a lot of fun. With a rack and pinion conversion and maybe 20 more hp it would have been close to perfect. I’ve owned more expensive cars, more fun cars (Triumph Spitfire was a hoot) but it was the best all rounder.
The 1991 Benz 300E 4-Matic sedan (W124) that a friend in law school loaned me to drive home for Thanksgiving.
It was built like a vault yet it had fantastic handling and grip.
I drove it across the Adirondack mountains during near blizzard conditions without ever once doubting the cars ability to get me home safely.
If I remember right it had stickered for something like $61,000 in 1990, which is like $100,000 today.
Best car, well of course its my current car: 1999 BMW M3.
Some other favorites are the BMW 335i, Miata, Boxster, and the F-350 dually 8′ bed turbo diesel for the ability to part traffic 40 feet ahead without so much as a horn (well I’m not entirely sure what noise the tires make while barreling down the highway).
Driving Cars:
NSX – I cannot think of any other car that can be so fast with so little power. Nevermind it’s reliability or ease for daily driver – it was the best car I’ve ever driven (and this is compared to a z06, 911 gt3, RS4, etc.).
Porsche 944S2 – 3.0 16v inline 4 cylinder with 210 hp and best of all 50/50 (front engine / rear tranny – which now Vettes copy) making it easy to handle at the limit (versus the very forgiving e36 M3 until you go over that limit and find it near impossible to recover). No turbo lag from the 951 (944 Turbo) and seamless powerband make it the Porsche track junkies favorite car.
C5 Corvette – I’ve never liked Corvettes as they always followed the “glorified muscle car” – rear spring suspension, big iron ohv v8 up front – fast on straights but slow in corners. C5 – GM did it right and showed us that 1960’s ohv technology could still surprise people.
BMW M Coupe – or M Shoe for accurate description. This car is an absolute blast to drive and for some reason doesn’t suffer the E36 M3 handling faults at the limit. Though one of the most homely looking performance cars out there it more than makes up for it in handling and silky smooth power.
Mazda Miata or S2000 – Fun, cheap and reliable. Though the early S2000s known for tricky handling at the limit – fixed with a small change in rear suspension.
Ferrari / Lambo / Exotics (forget them as only a select few rich people can really get to afford or even be allowed to drive them).
Lexus SC400. Lexus really got this car right; it was rear wheel drive, V8, lovely interior, excellent dynamics. The car was just as at home on a long drive (LA to ABQ) as it was at carving corners and street hoonage.
@carguy:
Yeah, the Audi S8 really is quite an impressive car. I got handed the keys for a few minutes last year, and it took me by surprise just how agile it was for such a huge car. From behind the wheel, it didn’t feel any bigger than my A3.
It was also an incredible high speed cruiser. After winding it up, I backed off to what felt like a comfortable sane speed, and realized I was still doing 200km/h.
Sadly, a little out of my price range though.
My current ride, a 91 eagle talon TSi with upgrades. Light weight, big turbo, coil overs, and all wheel drive. Snow drifts anyone?
Lexus IS200.
I had the chance to drive one (a sedan with a manual), once, in Europe and it was a wonderful little car. Fun enough to drive, luxurious enough to feel good, economic enough to be easy to own, likely reliable enough to drive for years. I don’t think they offered a manual-transmission version of the wagon, sadly.
In every way, except perhaps brand cachet, this car was better than a contemporary equivalent 3-Series. Ultimately, you could buy a better 3-Series, but pound-for-pound I’d choose the IS. It saddened me greatly to see the new IS softened up to such a degree.
I haven’t had the car experiences most of you have, but:
Late 80’s Mazda Rx7. I owned it for all of 6 months before the engine blew, but it was a really fun six months. Not nearly as smooth accelerating as my current Mazda6s or as stable, but it was sure fun driving the backroads at 9+/10s. It’s also the fastest I’ve ever driven a car, a pedestrian 120 mph.
2004 Mazda6s for being an all around fun and practical car that still puts a smile on my face after 3 1/2 years of ownership.
Mazda Rx8. Great handling and love those high rpms.
My favorite “car” for sentimental reasons is my ’58 Chevy Apache Fleetside that I got from my grandfather when he died. The memories of fun times out camping in the “Old Buckin’ Bronco” surpass, by far, any measurable driving pleasure.
My wife has a more interesting assortment to choose from, so I’ll pass this along to her, but I’m betting she would say the 1969 911T she bought in 1996 shortly after we started dating.
Citroen DS21 Pallas five speed on the column with leather interior and headrests that were like pillows.
Most fun to drive: BMW 2002. You don’t need a lot of power to connect to the road.
Best for long-distance cruising: Mercedes 300D (1985). Agree with other W123 comments above. First runner-up: Mercedes 300E 4-Matic (W124) more versatile, handles better but not quite as comfortable. Feels like it was milled from a single block of steel.
I have several, depending on where I was in life and my needs at the time.
Our current Subaru Legacy GT.
My ’91 Alfa Spider in college and after.
And I still to this day miss the ’81 Merc 300D I got in perfect condition for a song. Smoothest tank I have ever driven with 260,000 miles on the odo.
1967 Alfa Romeo GTV
WOW!!!
Early 90s Mercedes Benz 600 SEL. Endless and effortless power.
1994 Subaru Impreza wagon. That little car was my first introduction to the wonders of the boxer engine and the manual transmission – the low center of gravity and resultant snappy handling were a delight, and there’s nothing like shifting for yourself. I basically lived out of it for a summer, forever endearing wagons to my heart and the AWD handled WI and MN winters with aplomb. I’m not big on fancy luxury cars but put me behind the wheel of a tight little econo-wagon (I suppose the Mazda3 is the closest thing they make today) and I’m a happy guy.
Well; best is tough, for excitement handling and acceleration had to be a homebuilt go-kart with disc brakes, 1 inche off the ground and a 4 cylinder honda 750cc Motorcycle engine. At 14 years old you don’t forget that for your first ride. On to more recent rides I would like back, 1987 Audi Quatro Turbo 5 speed, and 1994 Jaguar VandenPlus. I have a buddy with a tricked out 911, but, you can’t live on the edge all of the time, or my best ride would be my last ride.
I forgot to mention two as I was reading through all the posts…
1) 1996 Volvo 850 Turbo Sedan Platinum Ed.
This was my mothers car when I was in high school… but I always begged to take it out. Loved the turbo kick and sound, great boxy style inside and out, and the special 3-coat paint that changed color in the shade.
2) 1995 Lexus LS400
This was the ultimate serenity car. Hear not. Feel not. But the thing had great power and could really grip the road… as long as you weren’t looking for it’s limit. Begged Dad for the keys to this for my Sunday morning jaunts to dunkin’ donuts.
Ahh… those were the days… :)
This is hard for me…
2004 WRX Sti: (w/ ECU flash and intake & Exhaust) I was smiling from ear to ear, laughing drove like an economy car bolted to a racer.
2001 Honda S2000: Driven in anger, the whole car feels alive, screaming all the way to 9000 rpm!
1995 Miata: (w/ FM2 turbo kit and coilovers) 2400 lbs. of turbo RWD fun, even had a ricer Momo shifter!
2006 911 (997) C4S Cab.: Unsupervised test drive of a demo car. Yes please. The sound, the feel… Wow! But not $ 120K worth…
2004 SRT-4: Underrated from the factory, stock did not include mufflers or power winds for the back seats. Tons of turbo torque, 150 mph neon w/ red brake calipers. It was under $20K and did 0-60 in under 6 sec. The kids loved it. I sold it for $19K after 10 months of front tire use. The kids really loved it.
2006 Infiniti G35 Sedan 6-MT: Looks like a yuppie sled drives like a 350Z w/ four-doors.
I would love to say my friends 996 twin turbo, but honestly it scared me. Very fast, very fun and a great wedding getaway car, but I felt like it was trying to kill me.
My favorite would have to be my Mazdaspeed Miata. Great car, great looks, great handling and enough power to have loads of fun. Sadly though, no room for wife AND baby, so it left the stable. My Mazdaspeed 3 is great, but it’s no Miata.
Caterham 7 with Lotus twin cam – such a very light car to get 12mpg from!
hmmm
1982 Ferrari 308GTSi was fun. Not very fast but so genuine… gated dogleg shifter was very accurate, great clutch, no power steering but you didn’t need it, and punching it in second getting on the highway made good progress and even better sound. It was just such an event to drive!
2001 VW GTI 1.8, Revo Stage II about 230whp… with a stock turbo and water/methanol injection this car spun the tires from a roll in second gear. Hilariously fun, love these cars.
2004 Dodge SRT-4 with 18g turbo, 6-puck carbon race clutch, all solid poly motor mounts, some HKS computer thinger, bunch of other goodies… oh my god this car was more fun that i have words for. I’ll try: wheelspin and torque steer at 60 miles an hour, downhill in 3rd gear. Retardedly fast.
2006 Infiniti M45 – dad’s current car. It’s something of an isolation chamber and you’d never notice how fast or potent it was, but when you plant your foot it positively slams you in your seat. Hard. Very comfortable, handles GREAT for a large car… great, just lacking character. But that Nissan VH45DE is a winner of an engine.
2007 Infini G35S – loaner from Infiniti. Perhaps even better than the M45. It is a true rocketship; i can’t believe how powerful that engine is for a mass-produced non-turbo V6. WAY better to drive than a 350Z (and I’ve driven a few.)
2001 BMW (E46) 325i sedan – my friend’s car – extremely modified (AAW chip, K&N short ram, full Borla exhaust with resonators removed, E46 325iA rear diff with shorter final drive and E36 LSD component, E39 M5 clutch and AAW 11.5lb flywheel, B&M short shifter, Koni Cup Kit and H&R adjustable front and rear sway bars, probably some other things I’m forgetting) – this car is a bit short on power despite the mods but it can cover a curvy road at a truly alarming pace. A stock WRX wouldn’t know which way it went on a curvy road. Review on my website here: http://www.tehcarblogz.com/road-test/bimmers-theyre-not-just-for-bankers-bmw-325i-road-test/
AW11 Toyota MR2 with some bolt-ons: go-kart with a license plate.
Porsche 914/4 2.0 with 2.5L stroker motor, twin Del’Orto carbs – holy crap fun
honorable mentions – 2007 Civic Si sedan is a fantastic all-around daily driver, 2008 Caliber SRT-4 sheerly for entertainment value, MazdaSpeed3 for the same reasons, Mazdaspeed Miata for being a really fast gokart with a plate… so many
I guess it’s harder to ask me what’s the worst car I’ve driven
oh wait, no it’s not! 2006 Toyota Camry 4-cylinder automatic! God what a turd.
I don’t know that I’ve ever driven a car that would make anybody’s “best” list for any reason, so it’s all relative…
So, try not to laugh… a borrowed Fiat 131, back in 1978 or so. I’d driven nothing but Detroit iron (mostly on bias-ply, of course) up to that moment and the handling, which seemed laserlike by comparison, was just a joy to experience. And it had a 5-speed stick, which was much fun compared to the two-speed PowerGlides of yore.
Runner-up – again, try not to laugh… Our ’82 Cavalier wagon, which was the first American car I drove that reminded me of (but did not equal) the Fiat for handling. And this one, we owned, so I got to keep enjoying it.
1/ What’s a “best car”? I’ve driven a lot of what Jonny calls “fancy metal” but none of it wins “best” in any category. In fact, I usually find that the further up the automotive prestige chain you go, the more compromised cars become.
The best car overall I’ve driven is the Maserati Quattroporte Executive Sport. But I’ve never felt more intimate with the road than in a Triumph Spitfire or Fiat 2000 Spyder. Modern Corvettes always feel like “best cars” when I’m in them, because they have roomy cabins for sports cars, in-the-asphalt handling, loping high-speed transport character, dynamic immediacy and aural rewards. The best starship executive express I’ve driven was a 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC. Specifically the LSC. That Ford large coupe platform was strong, sophisticated and capable, in which the InTech 32 valver just hummed around the century mark. Its long wheelbase subdued freeway. Its NCC-1701 interior was beautiful and would still feel like it’s borrowed from the future.
2/ Gasoline isn’t horridly expensive, just more expensive than it was. It’s still easily the least expensive volume liquid you use, other than tap water. And unlike tap water, gasoline will have price troughs during which it will again be cheaper in real terms.
Phil
I had a good weekend in vegas about 5 years ago and rented a 2001 (I think) Viper. That thing was a blast, but I definitely wouldn’t want it as a daily driver. My left leg would be twice as big as my right one because the clutch was so heavy.
It was a blast being able to break the rear end loose off the line at stop lights, though.
Got lucky once and drove my employer’s slantnose Turbo from Atlanta to Los Angeles. I’ve never driven any car remotely similar. Put 2300 miles on it and hated to get to L.A. So much fun.
It’s not easy to define “best”. In terms of reliability I suppose it was my 1962 VW Beetle that took any graveled road we threw at it for 5 years, ploughed through snow on summer tires in bitter Alberta winters, and never let me down even once. But for sheer competence, it has to be a Mercedes, probably the 1968 250SE sedan that I drove every day from early 1968 through mid 1971. There was nothing on the road to even come close in North America in those days. No other car has ever given that “hewn from a single block” feeling. It handled well, rode superbly, had amazing seats, provided excellent visibility, and exuded quality in a rock solid kind of way that is probably not available anywhere nowadays below $100,000, not that I’d know from experience. I’ve never felt so on top of the world while driving in any other car; of course, I was in my mid to late 20s then so it was a heady experience indeed. My current car, a M-B E500 4-Matic is also an amazingly competent car and may well be better than the one I had 40 years ago on some absolute scale but I don’t get quite the same feeling of delight when I drive this one as I remember from the 250SE back in 1968.
Max
It all depends upon my mood, but for sheer grin making fun it is hard to beat the Fiat Go-Kart, AKA X1/9.
’87 Nissan Pathfinder
Every time there was a serious (Canadian) midnight blizzard outside, I’d look out, (barely) see it in the driveway, and hear it calling to me.
“C’mon…let’s go for a drive. It’ll be fun.”
I gave in more then once. What can I say? I have a perverse love for horrible weather.
2007 Lotus Elise. Through a friend, I had the opportunity to flog one in a semi-private drive in a closed airfield with the runways converted into a handling track. I still get an evil grin on the old face when I think of that day! I barely was able to get into that car (I push 6 feet and a few lbs over 200) but once inside, it wasn’t bad at all.
I also had a great time with a mid-90’s Esprit – it was the turbo-4 and not the V8. I still miss that car.
But the best car I’ve ever driven (and owned) on a daily basis was my literally first off of the boat 2002 Acura RSX Type-S. It had the perfect mix of power, handling, fun, economy, safety, and looks to make it close to the perfect car to my needs. I no longer have it but I still miss it.
There was also the smartcar I toiled around Rome in – in a city made for people and not cars, the smart was just a blast on those tight and hilly cobbled streets.
There are still so many good cars to own but the car fund is building towards the Elise to own.
To Rick – totally agree with the Viper. I used to valet more than a few of those and those were brutal clutches.
But…to anyone who has ever driven the early to mid-90’s Corvette ZR-1, that was A BRUTAL clutch! I wonder how many middle-aged owners pulled calf muscles in the first 100 miles!
NICKNICK pretty much called it.
I’d like to add the Jeep Cherokee XJ.
Reasonable fuel efficent (for an SUV of its era) easy to live with and quite capable off road in stock form.
It is still pretty much the standard that all midsize SUVs attain to.
My parents’ neighbor’s F430. Next!
’94 Mazda Miata, SCCA CSP trim (coilovers, race tires, weight reduction)
Well, not the best for daily driving, it was noisy and harsh =)
My Aunt’s Aston Martin DB9 Volante. Wow, made it hard to get into my Prius for the trip home.
Ford GT.
Rick :
June 16th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I had a good weekend in vegas about 5 years ago and rented a 2001 (I think) Viper. That thing was a blast, but I definitely wouldn’t want it as a daily driver. My left leg would be twice as big as my right one because the clutch was so heavy.
It was a blast being able to break the rear end loose off the line at stop lights, though.
I had two surprises the first time my wife let me drive her baby, a 95 Mustang Cobra. 1)The stiffness of the clutch and 2) breaking loose in second gear. I expected to burn some rubber in first, but second (shifting at 10 mph) caught me by surprise.
Lotus Exige, on a track. A sublime experience.
But not if I had to drive it every day. my mk4 GTI wins there: easy, comfortable, and fun.
However, the real winner is probably my 2000 M Coupe, which has a little bit of both plus something all its own
A Delorean. I got that baby up to 88 miles an hour and ended up in the Year 2012. Can’t buy a Volt yet, but gas was $…hey! get outta here with that gun! Hey! no, Biff don’t shoot…I have to let…them…know….arrrrrgh……..
I’ve been lucky to drive some amazing machinery. Here are some random thoughts about the best of the best:
2008 Porsche Cayman S
The best HANDLING car ever. A real joy to drive. Not the fastest thing ever, but more than fast enough, especially within the realm of public road driving. Handles like a dream. Sounds wonderful. The interior is a bit quirky, but comfortable. Reasonable luggage room. Good visibility. Did I mention this car handles? Oh my does it handle!
1957 Mercedes-Benz 300sl
This is the roadster, not the “gullwing” coupe, and to be honest the open car is the better of the two. More comfortable and a better performer. The best build quality of any car ever built. It cost over 10 grand in the 1950s and it was worth every penny. It all went into the fit, finish, and truly the best craftsmanship ever directed at the construction of an automobile. I’ve driven one over 1000 miles and every moment of it was a treasure. This car is a comfortable and stylish boulevard cruiser, right up to 4000 rpm, where it instantly transforms into a snarling race car, capable of easy triple-digit speeds. Some time behind the wheel of one of these will explain that big grin on Stirling Moss’ face.
E-type Jaguar (Series 1, 4.2L)
Honestly the brief moment in time where the graph of “supercar performance” touched the line labeled “affordable price.” This car looks better than any car before or since. It goes about as good as any car ever. It sounds even better than it looks. It handles better than any car until the very recent past. A real driver’s car. Just enough oversteer to literally do all the driving with your right foot and one hand on the wheel. Small car, big motor. The late Series 1 cars had comfortable interiors, unlike the early ones, while retaining the performance that was strangled out of the later Series 2 cars. While the Series 3 machines with their turbine-like V12 were interesting, they were so large and heavy that they lost all the “sport” in sports car. The late Series 1 (65-67) are the machines to have. The legendary XK motor, a big-bore, long-stroke, triple-carbed, hemi-headed, symphony of wonder has more torque than a Diesel and can be driven from 10 to 150 MPH in 4th gear. Passing on a 2-lane road is an absolute joy, with astounding pull with just a touch of the throttle. 60 to 90 MPH happens in a flash. The car comes alive on twisty mountain roads. The finest crumpet collector known to man.
–chuck
http://chuck.goolsbee.org
If I consider the context of the circumstances and expectations I held at the time, it’d have to be my first drive in a 1994 Acura Legend LS Coupe. I was a hardcore Hondaphile and the car exceeded all my expectations.
Only one other car exceeded that experience and it was one of those ‘ephiphany’ moments where you feel like you’ve been let in on some great cosmic secret- a 2003 BMW 540i. The sound still keeps me warm at night. =)
Best car I have ever driven?
1978 Mercedes Benz 450 SEL 6.9.
Only had a 3 speed auto. Did just under 70mph in first, 110 mph in second, and what ever you wanted in high. It was imperious.
Could not believe the difference from a Detroit V8. No roaring noises, no howling wheel spin, just a friendly chortle as the engine wound out through each gear. No wheel tugging, no bad manners, great brakes and especially great steering. And about the fastest thing around in those emission crippled days of the early ’80s.
It was worth about 5 times my salary at that time, and I’ll always thank my friend for letting me see what a real car was like on empty two lane roads for a glorious afternoon.
I’ve driven an Audi A8. Not the same thing, not even close, and I’m an all wheel drive kind of guy.
I see Wikipedia even has a page on this velvet 6.9 brute, and there was more technology in that thing than I even remember as a gearhead.
In those days, as so many have stated above, a Benz was simply superior from start to finish.
Present: my ’99 Miata followed by my ’93 Ford Probe GT 5-speed. Set them up correctly, power, comfort, handling–it’s all there.
No longer with us: my ’84 RX-7 GSL-SE, ’72 Opel 1900 Manta Rallye
’67 Pontiac GTO
’66 Mustang
My favorite long distance cruiser was my ’87 Cutlass Supreme Brougham, I drove that car from Florida to Michigan and back and never once felt fatigued. It was a seriously smooth and luxurious car.
1989 Toyota Cressida. My mom’s at-the-time boss had one and let me drive it on occasion, even though I barely had my license. Incredibly smooth, couldn’t feel or hear the engine when it was running, and it was rather quick.
Oddly enough, the best handling cars I have ever driven were Fords. When I was sixteen I had a friend that had bought a then new 1991 Thunderbird. We took off for the day and she let me drive. We decided to head to the beach at Crystal River, FL. It’s a nine mile ride from town to the beach on a very curvy road. As we were cruising along,I noticed that the car remained flat throughout the curves. I was shocked when I looked down and saw that we were doing ninety!!! Seriously, the car was that smooth in the curves! Over the years I got to experience the Cougar and Mark VIII platform mates, and those cars just blew me away.
My Contour V6’s were to me, the front drive version of a poor man’s BMW. I loved to take them through the mountains of Tennessee, the Virginias and Pennsylvania and just flog them hard in the twisties. They never let me down in my quest for fun.
Ford may have had it’s issues in the nineties, but they sure had some some top notch suspension engineers…
The best car I ever owned was a 1996 Buick Riviera Supercharged. There was nothing like pulling up to some dumbass kid’s rice burner (who’s only real mod was a big ass exhaust) and blowing him off the line. Look forward to owning a Lacrosse Super one day and reliving those days.
1999 BMW M Coupe. Never had so much fun going sideways around corners. I could only imagine what the S54 motor version is like.
1997 Integra Type R. The automotive equivalent of Godzilla.
A 1988 Mitsubishi Galant, in 1988. A car that I could not have at the time, and wanted oh so badly.
Notice how many times the word..”MIATA” comes up in these posts…
Notice how many times the word..”MIATA” comes up in these posts…
Mine turned 14 years old last month and I am the original owner. It is my daily driver to this day. I plan to be driving it on my last commute to work 15 years from now. I know damn well it will last at least that long if I keep it between the ditches. There has never been a more enjoyable, more carefree long-term runabout for people who love to drive a “slow” car hard. Never.
Most enjoyable drive? 2002 MiniCooper (in 2002) through the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. The tires were squeeling, and the switchbacks were switching back and forth so fast my passenger was screaming as she got tossed around inside the cabin (in spite of seat-belt). Priceless. Have driven fancier, more expensive cars, but that was the best.
My exposure has been limited, never got to drive an STI, M3 or anything else cut from that cloth.
But my fathers 2000 2.7T Audi A6 is an amazing car. As I recall, 2000 – 2001 was a great year for German Sports Sedans. But the 2.7 A6 was excellent for the price range. As fast as the V8, better mileage and the body design was the understated kind of classy you don’t really see anymore.
Hes got 68000 kilometers on it, I offered him 4 grand more than market value for it and he will not part with it. Even the dealership could not tempt him with a new A8.
2006 Jaguar S-type R, for the overall performance.
2005 Audi A6Q V8 – for fit, finish and ergonomics.
Dodge Charger RT AWD, fun in any weather, a v-8 muscle car with all-wheel-drive, they won’t be making any more cars like that. The Taurus SHO was a blast too.
1972 MBZ 280SEL 4.5 (W108.068) that I owned for 30 years. In the late 1972 model year Mercedes completely redid the S series (W116) and while it was a “better” driver’s car the build quality was completely different and IMO the styling less elegant. The 280SEL I had went 30 years with intact paint, intact chrome and intact interior trim. The leather and carpeting was thick and heavy. It was stable at autobahn speeds and lept forward when the accelerator was stepped on. I didn’t want to spend the money needed to continue maintaining it properly or feed it gas (12-14 mpg)and sold it. Went to a collector who tells me he uses it as a daily driver.
Best car I’ve ever rode in was my friend’s mom’s 1980 Jaguar Series II(?) XJ. Smoothest, quietest car ever. The leather was to die for. ‘Course, I was 15 at the time, but I still remember.
Fun : 1978 RS 2000 – cart springs, live axle and no weight over the back so tail happy all the time even with just 100hp. Run close second by a 205GTi – the 1.6 version – every corner made you feel like Jean Alesi going through Eau Rouge.
Fast : Bently Continental GT my boss had for a test. Everyone in the office had a go and got faster and faster, one topping out at 130+. Soundtrack was amazing and the rest of the world moved in slow motion. He took it back well and truly ragged and bought an Aston DB9 instead.
Best All Rounder : BMW 335d – mountain of torque. Having a track go in one inspired me to get my Fab VRS chipped so it can beat a 330d but not close enough to a 335 – I need a new clutch for that.
Fun and noisy – a 1954 Jag XK120 which was prepped for SCCA racing and then (barely) returned to streetable condition. The sound of the 12.5:1 3.8 liter Jag six inhaling through three huge SU’s was absolute music and, whether or not it was fast by current standards, the stripped XK felt very fast for 1972. It had the normal downside of British cars, the puddle of oil on the garage floor along with incessant fiddling to keep it running, but when it went, it was a glorious ride.
Fun – 1st gen Miata with power nothing, ’67 Lotus Elan (an incredible chassis in search of bodywork which did not self destruct), Mazda Rx4 with 1st gen 13B rotary, Honda S2000.
Swiss Army Knife: BMW 325 wagon; speedy enough, superb handling, easy to park, carries four and will haul a reasonable load for a tiny car.
I am biased, but I love the 2006 Pontiac GTO. Very fast car (0-60 in 5 seconds), sleeper looks, decent gas mileage (23 mpg at 70mph), comfortable ride, seats 4 comfortably, handles decent, and there are not many on the road.
Best handling car is the current Mazda RX-8
I’ve test driven a C5 ‘Vette, a Toyota MR2 and an Audi R8 before but I’ll take a 1966 Chrysler over any of them. Massive, roomy, beautiful looks, an excellent ride, and a big-block V8. Sign me up, I’ll take two! Actually, I do own two, and I’d own a third if I could hide it from my wife.
The convertible is a great cruiser, especially bombing down country roads on a sunny weekend afternoon. My wife even enjoys driving the ‘vert, and her daily driver is a 2001 Honda Civic! Mine has a factory AM/FM radio and a bench seat with flip-down armrest in the front, which is perfect for going to the drive-in.
My two-door hardtop is very non-stock under the hood. It’s a blast to launch with 500ftlb of torque on tap, but still comfortable and reliable enough to drive for 7+ hours steady. The front disc brakes help there too. (They were optional in ’66, but I transplanted a system from a ’73 Chrysler.) It would be cool if mine had a 4-speed stick (which was available but rarely ordered) but the Torqueflite 3-speed auto is as reliable as a brick.
While cornering isn’t the strong suit of any large car, the ride isn’t soft and bouncy like most enthusiasts associate with fullsize cars. This is thanks in part to the torsion bar front suspension. I’m sure that some would say that the power steering is “overboosted and numb”, but I’m not interested in building my arm muscles when navigating a parking lot. Having driven a ’65 Polara that was not equipped with power steering, I’m thankful.
Finally, although it’s technically not “driving”, getting chauffeured around in the back of my brother’s ’66 New Yorker Town sedan makes one feel like royalty, or perhaps a mobster if you’re wearing a fedora. Lookin’ for Jimmy Hoffa? He’s in my trunk.
My C43.
I love my TSX to death, but it simply pales in comparison to the ’04 M3 I drove.
I worked at a country club for a few years, and valet parked several very expensive cars, so technically I drove them, but I didn’t really drive them for more than like 200 feet. These included (not sure on years and such, it was like 13 years ago when I was 16-17)…a Rolls, Several large Benz (s500?), 3 different 911’s, many of the old M3 and M5s, a Lotus Elise…and a few other things that escape my memory in between jockeying some HTML and powerpoint here.
The best thing I’ve driven since I had an appreciation for the art of an auto, has to be that ’04 M3. Just amazing feel, power, and refinement in one little package.
One day, when I’m making 6 figures, I will own an early 2000’s M3, just for weekends or whatnot.
From a reliability standpoint, my 1997 Toyota Tercel. 5 speed, 4 cylinder…relatively light. It’s entertaining, in a simplistic A to B kind of way. 175k and everything works flawlessly…right down to the frigid AC and the great stereo upgrades. From an emotional standpoint, the 1974 BMW 2002 I owned in the mid 90’s. I grew up in Germany hopelessly in love with those old, squared-off boxes from Bavaria. When I was finally in a position to buy one, I did. Automotive nirvana for me…actually cried when I sold it (stupid…stupid…stupid).
Come to Vancouver to pay more. Just filled up my car this morning and it cost more than $4.99 a gallon. We got plenty of taxes to go around!
Porsche 944 turbo. I think the 944 is probably the most enjoyable coupe to drive, great seating position, completely tossable, and tactile trans/clutch, when they were new.
Lotus Europa. just a blast when cornering, cant wait to drive an Elise.
Currently loving a 3.2 S1 Audi TT, not great everywhere but an amazing experience nonetheless.
Porsche Cayman
/end thread
E30 BMW M3. One day I will buy one.