the best driving cars thread....

[roscoe]

ok well i drove my friends mitsu lancer oz rally the other day and i was suprised at how good it drove. i'm in the market for a new car so i was wondering about everyone else's experiences with a car that drives really great. i'm lookin for a 5spd car that would be suitable for daily driving and also serve as my dailey. only mods would be basic bolt ons... anyways post your favorite cars to drive and why

[x Resilience]

E30 M3. Do I need to say more?

/thread

[EJ25RUN]

E30 M3. Do I need to say more?
/thread

I really cant argue with E30 M3. Besides a 911, it is the best there ever was.

But really, what do you like?

[redrumracer]

well a good affordable handling car imo would be a mazdaspeed miata. not the nc bodystyle(not even sure if they make a MS variant) because they look like doo doo on steriods

[man]

911 is the best that i've driven

[roscoe]

well a good affordable handling car imo would be a mazdaspeed miata. not the nc bodystyle(not even sure if they make a MS variant) because they look like doo doo on steriods

affordable ftw!! lol i'm sure a 911 drives great but i'm lookin for something i can actually afford. mind u i'm on a students budget so u guys get the idea

[alpine_aw11]

Surprisingly I'm looking into getting a 1st gen ACR neon. My little brother got one, my dad had no idea what he bought. Great handling little car and they can be had in the low 2k range. Just have to be secure enough with your sexuality to drive a neon.

[Elbow]

^No joke about ACR Neons they are great cars. You will get made fun of at meets for having one, but most people don't know what they are lol, who cares though.

[alpine_aw11]

^No joke about ACR Neons they are great cars. You will get made fun of at meets for having one, but most people don't know what they are lol, who cares though.

I had no fucking clue what they were until there was one in my driveway. My dad didn't either, he just bought it for my brother for 2300 with 86k on it. Far superior to a stock civic imo, and are usually found in pretty good condition for MUCH cheaper. Beat up 92 civic hatch for 3k, or pristine 98-ish ACR neon for around 2k. hmmmmm.......

Plus I want to start getting into autocross when I get my next car, so it's neon or miata for me. Whichever I find a better deal on.

[YoshiFD3S]

Ya know, a WRX is actually a pretty nice car to drive as a daily. It's pretty comfy, and at least it's got the potential for modding, if you want to.

I've had several friends with 2003's, and one with a 2006. I've driven them all. They are comfortable, roomy, and nowadays they are VERY well-priced.

When I have kids, and I need a 4-door...the first 3 cars I'm gonna be looking at are 4-door G35's...4-door Lexus's....and probably a WRX. :P

[Elbow]

I had no fucking clue what they were until there was one in my driveway. My dad didn't either, he just bought it for my brother for 2300 with 86k on it. Far superior to a stock civic imo, and are usually found in pretty good condition for MUCH cheaper. Beat up 92 civic hatch for 3k, or pristine 98-ish ACR neon for around 2k. hmmmmm.......

Plus I want to start getting into autocross when I get my next car, so it's neon or miata for me. Whichever I find a better deal on.

They used to do VERY well in their showroom stock classes, the ACR was like ready to go from the dealer for road racing. They even had a pro series for them for a short time :goodjob:

[Exige4]

Buddy of mine had a Neon R/T 1st gen growing up, with Eibach springs and good tires, it really would corner on rails. WRX are always a good bet, and the IS300 is an awesome car that is very predictable and forgiving. I say go with the ACR if you can find one, CAI, Mopar ECU, struts/springs, bushings, and give em hell

[m3dic8d]

I love the s2000, feels like driving a little race car to me. Handles great, rwd, quick, super high revs... my next car for sure (once the dozen tickets I've gotten in the past two years drop off my record lmao)

[OneSlow5pt0]

i havent driven alot cars....miata,RX-7,celica,SVX,SC400,GTP,and my camaro....and by far my fav to drive is my 3rd gen,it doesnt have the pure handling of miata or RX-7,but it has anough TQ just to use brute force to get it through a turn,and thiers always powersliding,lol

[redrumracer]

i havent driven alot cars....miata,RX-7,celica,SVX,SC400,GTP,and my camaro....and by far my fav to drive is my 3rd gen,it doesnt have the pure handling of miata or RX-7,but it has anough TQ just to use brute force to get it through a turn,and thiers always powersliding,lol
wait till you mod it and
have more tq to power through a curve

[DecoyOctopus]

batmobile

1)chick magnet
2)it runs on...fire? idk but its definetly not gas so dont worry bout that
3)keyless entery
4)leather seating
5)its the fuckin batmobile...
6)eject-o-seats just incase
7) ITS FREAKING BATMANZ CAR...WTF

only bad thing is it only comes in black and its hard to park.

[OneSlow5pt0]

wait till you mod it and
have more tq to power through a curve

yea,that would be nice

[Captain-Obvious™]

batmobile

1)chick magnet
2)it runs on...fire? idk but its definetly not gas so dont worry bout that
3)keyless entery
4)leather seating
5)its the fuckin batmobile...
6)eject-o-seats just incase
7) ITS FREAKING BATMANZ CAR...WTF

only bad thing is it only comes in black and its hard to park.


:lmfao: agreed

[seanrg1116]

batmobile

1)chick magnet
2)it runs on...fire? idk but its definetly not gas so dont worry bout that
3)keyless entery
4)leather seating
5)its the fuckin batmobile...
6)eject-o-seats just incase
7) ITS FREAKING BATMANZ CAR...WTF

only bad thing is it only comes in black and its hard to park.

:lmfao:

[AirMax95]

I am tempted to go test drive a S2K today. I hear from a lot of Auto-x people that they are bad ass.

I love the AWD feel of the Audi's and the nimble feeling of the E36 M3.

[Kaiser]

My vote goes to the Gumpert in Seanrg's sig.


Or my A4.

[Blitanicle99]

E30 M3. Game over.

[One_Bad_SHO]

A Contour SVT is a pretty neat little ride. Sorta sleeperish, good power, reliable, lots of aftermarket... room for groceries...

http://www.woodfam.com/ryan/svt/20020422-svt-02a.jpg

http://www.woodfam.com/ryan/svt/20020422-svt-03a.jpg

[m3dic8d]

A Contour SVT is a pretty neat little ride. Sorta sleeperish, good power, reliable, lots of aftermarket... room for groceries...

I assume it's still fwd though... :sicks:

[seanrg1116]

A Contour SVT is a pretty neat little ride. Sorta sleeperish, good power, reliable, lots of aftermarket... room for groceries...

http://www.woodfam.com/ryan/svt/20020422-svt-02a.jpg

http://www.woodfam.com/ryan/svt/20020422-svt-03a.jpg

you have a good point, put a lil money in suspension and tires but it has lots of torque steer :(

[87 Turbo II]

Mazda Rx-8.

[m3dic8d]

Mazda Rx-8.
s2k > rx8

[x Resilience]

Mazda Rx-8.

:lmao:

Good one.

[Deke]

Mini Cooper S. They are like go karts.

[DrivenMind]

Evo, S2K, 350Z, SRT-4, RX-8

I fucking hate drive by wire, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be in the Z. I rode in a new RX-8 not too long ago, and it was actually faster than I was expecting it to be, and seemed to handle very well.

The Evo felt as nimble, and as light on it's feet as my AE86 when I drove it.

[EJ25RUN]

I assume it's still fwd though... :sicks:

Now wait a minute. Fwd by no means disqualifies a car from being a great driving machine.

Some examples.

1. Original Mini and the New Mini.
2. Peugeot 205
3. Civic Type R and Integra Type R
4. Renault R26
5. Focus SVT
ect...

In capable hands, any of these could be just as fun as a rwd car.

[m3dic8d]

Now wait a minute. Fwd by no means disqualifies a car from being a great driving machine.

Some examples.

1. Original Mini and the New Mini.
2. Peugeot 205
3. Civic Type R and Integra Type R
4. Renault R26
5. Focus SVT
ect...

In capable hands, any of these could be just as fun as a rwd car.
I agree that fwd can be a great driving machine, but disagree that it can compete with rwd and even awd. Put any kind of power to it and it's just to easy to oversteer. Maybe in auto x it can compete, but not 1/4 mile or obvious drifting.

But to each his own I'm not saying you're wrong, I just disagree :)

[EJ25RUN]

I agree that fwd can be a great driving machine, but disagree that it can compete with rwd and even awd. Put any kind of power to it and it's just to easy to oversteer. Maybe in auto x it can compete, but not 1/4 mile or obvious drifting.

But to each his own I'm not saying you're wrong, I just disagree :)

1/4 mile.....I'm assuming you have never seen Peter Hue's hatch/tegi.
Drifting.....Um. I don't see drifting as an example of proper driving.

Ohh......And what do you mean compete with?

[m3dic8d]

1/4 mile.....I'm assuming you have never seen Peter Hue's hatch/tegi.
Drifting.....Um. I don't see drifting as an example of proper driving.

Ohh......And what do you mean compete with?
I'm talking pure personal preference not meaning to argue with you. That's what I meant by compete with is all, in my opinion. I just think for the average driver (like myself) a fwd car won't give near the experience that a rwd or awd car will because the tires will be spinning the whole time you're driving. I loved my Eclipse but being fwd and me not being an excellent driver the wheels would just spin and spin. :shrug:

[EJ25RUN]

I'm talking pure personal preference not meaning to argue with you. That's what I meant by compete with is all, in my opinion. I just think for the average driver (like myself) a fwd car won't give near the experience that a rwd or awd car will because the tires will be spinning the whole time you're driving. I loved my Eclipse but being fwd and me not being an excellent driver the wheels would just spin and spin. :shrug:

I don't argue, i try to discuss. I consider myself the most civil person on this site.

I think that you have perfect grounds to like rwd and awd over fwd but i would suggest to you to go out and experience more cars to see why im making this point.

The thing about the spinning tires. Rwd cars typically have much more power and light up the rear fairly easily and most fwd cars. With the right suspension and tires will not light up at all. An lsd will help that greatly. I'll also add that most modern cars are built to cancel out as much torque steer as possible.

I have had all three. So i feel like i can make this point.

1. A rwd V6
2. A fwd I4
3. A awd B4 turbo.

[87 Turbo II]

I agree that fwd can be a great driving machine, but disagree that it can compete with rwd and even awd. Put any kind of power to it and it's just to easy to oversteer. Maybe in auto x it can compete, but not 1/4 mile or obvious drifting.

But to each his own I'm not saying you're wrong, I just disagree :)
you mean it's too easy to understeer, 1/4 drag pulls have nothing to do with driving wheels, and drifting is very specialized motorsport, it'd be liek saying you hate The Acura NSX cause it can't rock crawl.

[OnURleft]

Wern't you suppose to buy that Sentra Spec-V I have for sale? Affordable, has coil-overs and rims. Drives great. PM me if you still want it i'll cut you a serious deal. Only 47k miles.

[RL...]

I really cant argue with E30 M3. Besides a 911, it is the best there ever was.

Not that I'm disagreeing, why are those 2 cars the "best there ever was." In what way were they better than any other car...?

[OnURleft]

Not that I'm disagreeing, why are those 2 cars the "best there ever was." In what way were they better than any other car...?

Drive one. End.

[EJ25RUN]

Not that I'm disagreeing, why are those 2 cars the "best there ever was." In what way were they better than any other car...?

Those were imo the most purposeful cars ever made. They were made for the fun of driving and nothing else. They don't try to impress women or make you feel rich. They are only after that sensation you get when you nail an apex.

I understand there have been others, put Porsche has fought for 40 years to keep the 911 alive and it was almost shelved in the late 70's. They persited and we still have it today.

Before the M3, there was no other car like it. You couldn't buy a two door coupe that was not a sports car and accomplish all the M3 could. Both the 911 and M3 can be seen as pioneers as well as the yard stick.

[Catnip]

I like how the OP posted no actual dollar amount he wanted to spend; good way to accomplish finding the right car :goodjob:

As far us cars under $5k:
-2g eclipse/talon FWD, very fun car, pretty easy to work on, loads of potential, cheap.
-SN95 mustang (cobra or GT), LOTS of fun to drive, loads of potential, etc.
-92-95 civic hatchback, cheap, easy to work on, very go-kart feeling... need I say more?
-BMW E30, another go kart like car, surprisingly not hard/expensive to work on.

I've had one of every car I mentioned, so it's first hand experience... I wouldn't recommend a car I've never had.

[bimmergirrl]

Okay from my experiance Id say these cars..

1. E30. They are fun and very easy to do anything with in all reality.
2. E30 M3. They are king. End of story.
3. 3rd gen Nissan Maxima. That was the funnest car ive ever drove. Its got a lot of power for a four door "sports" car. lol.

e30 M3 info for that 5th gen max guy or anyone else.
link: http://www.usautoparts.net/bmw/models/m3_e30.htm
Pic:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Grey_e30_m3.jpg/800px-Grey_e30_m3.jpg

[m3dic8d]

I don't argue, i try to discuss. I consider myself the most civil person on this site.

I think that you have perfect grounds to like rwd and awd over fwd but i would suggest to you to go out and experience more cars to see why im making this point.

The thing about the spinning tires. Rwd cars typically have much more power and light up the rear fairly easily and most fwd cars. With the right suspension and tires will not light up at all. An lsd will help that greatly. I'll also add that most modern cars are built to cancel out as much torque steer as possible.

I have had all three. So i feel like i can make this point.

1. A rwd V6
2. A fwd I4
3. A awd B4 turbo.

I'll admit I'm mostly comparing my Eclipse GST to my Mustang GT. They had about the same HP, Mustang obviously more torque but I didn't have near as much a problem with spinning the tires as I did on my Eclipse. Pretty much if I floored it in first gear the tires would spin a lot of the time, I didn't have that problem with the Mustang.

Probably my limited experience, but I like being able to spin the tires when I want rather than every time I floor it lol. Plus, having the back end come out on you is fun... having the front tires spin is not :no:



But I do have limited experience and haven't driven a lot of the fwd cars you're recommending as great overall cars, they very well could change my mind... but I love the feeling of a controlled powerslide more than anything lol

[Joelow30071]

consider getting a 2006 or UP VW GTI 1.8T or 2.0T. They're a 6sp though. One of the best bang for you buck.

[tubby]

yea,that would be nice


i dont get it, u drive one of the worst car in the world. no offense. lol sorry. most unconvertible cars to get in to ever.

[m3dic8d]

i dont get it, u drive one of the worst car in the world. no offense. lol sorry. most unconvertible cars to get in to ever.
:lmfao:

[EJ25RUN]

i dont get it, u drive one of the worst car in the world. no offense. lol sorry. most unconvertible cars to get in to ever.

He can say the same thing about your car and be right. I actually consider the 3 gen Camaro my favorite body style after the first gens; obviously.

[2turbo4u]

Mazda Protege5, Mazda3

[DinanM3atl]

If you want a fun, nimble and quick car that is a blast to drive.

Look for a 1989-1991 325is. You can get a super clean one for 5K or less and mod the hell out of it. Motor swap or turbo or whatever. You will be hard pressed to find a car like it for less... If you spend more you very way may not even have a better car...

[Elbow]

Okay from my experiance Id say these cars..

1. E30. They are fun and very easy to do anything with in all reality.
2. E30 M3. They are king. End of story.
3. 3rd gen Nissan Maxima. That was the funnest car ive ever drove. Its got a lot of power for a four door "sports" car. lol.

e30 M3 info for that 5th gen max guy or anyone else.
link: http://www.usautoparts.net/bmw/models/m3_e30.htm
Pic:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Grey_e30_m3.jpg/800px-Grey_e30_m3.jpg

Saying M3 and Maxima in the same sentence = :no:

And a Maxima is the funnest car you have driven? I will loan you a car to make you change your mind lol.

[TypeRPersonality]

In 1997, Car and Driver named the Prelude SH best handling car under $30,000. I bring it up cause I'm biased on it.

[EJ25RUN]

In 1997, Car and Driver named the Prelude SH best handling car under $30,000. I bring it up cause I'm biased on it.

4WS is a bad thing when it comes to performance driving. It makes the car feel unnatural and causes the driver to lose confidence.

[TypeRPersonality]

4WS is a bad thing when it comes to performance driving. It makes the car feel unnatural and causes the driver to lose confidence.

The 5th generation Prelude SH had Active Torque Transfer System [updated versions can be found in newer Acuras]. Only European models had the option of 4ws.

[81911SC]

See username.