Support NeoGAF

[NecrosaroIII]

I saw this post in another thread

I own a Prius Prime - which has around 30-35 miles of electric range. On normal warm days, I can commute using only electric..
I had the car for 4 years now, and I don't think I have fueled the car more than 15 times so far.
It would run 5-600 miles with charge + full gas tank, so it's good to know that I won't be stranded even if the charge runs out or nor have to worry too much about the charge all the time.

Also I get a great discount crossing George Washington Bridge during commute being EV/Low Emission.
So as long as the discount is there and I have to drive to NYC every day... I don't see myself getting an ICE car.

Except.. it's a really really boring car. I would love to drive something little more fun - so I've been looking into buying a MX-5 for running around locally... but it's just been a dream. I probably won't get one till I retire in 20 years or so.

I also own a prius and it seems okay to me. My past cars were a honda civic and two toyota camries. All automatics. I've never driven stick shift.

While the prius is in Eco mode, it's a bit slow to accelerate, but otherwise all of these cars don't really offer too different of an experience. So what types of cars are "fun". What makes it "fun" to drive them?

 

[Somebody_Important]

Until you drive a powerful car that just jumps ahead when you lower your foot, you may not be able to understand how driving can be fun.
You should try driving a V8 and see how different it is to your car and past cars.
Night and day.

 

[Taxexemption]

Manual vehicles are more fun if you are competent at operating them. You can change gears faster than an automatic would, and the feeling of doing it gives you a sense of control that you don't get with an automatic. The "BRRRR" of changing gears, the feeling of the vehicle, honestly it is something special that you are missing out on. However, that doesn't mean it's worth the money to get a manual vehicle just for this experience unless you have tons of cash just lying around and nothing to do. I had a manual at one point, and now I only have one vehicle and it's an automatic, but the manual was fun in a way that my automatic isn't. Other than that I would just say handling. If the vehicle is in good condition and handles well, if it accelerates quickly, if it sounds healthy when you are driving, all of those things make it more fun.

 

[lachesis]

I think it comes down to the combination of acceleration, handling & cornering - as well as how involved you become in driving itself, especially with manual transmission.

As a vehicle in very practical sense - I love my Prius Prime. It does its job spectacularly of getting me from point A to B, no problem - at bare minimum of expenses.

But certain corners and all, I just don't have much confidence that it will take though. That's me coming from a BMW 3 series, and was quite impressed how the car handled, and gave me much more confidence taking in sharp corners, at a little bit faster than normal. It felt quite "grounded" and "planted" unlike my current Prius... that I feel like the tire is going to give out & understeer.

So for me, I have to really give a bit more thought on going into a corner, or passing someone, or re-entering into a fast moving highway, not to become a road hazard myself.... even though I'm flooring the pedal with the Prius. It's little floaty but also provides pretty smooth and comfy ride overall - so I have little issue as a commuter car - but at the same time it doesn't really excites me to drive it.

And sometimes, just sometimes when the weather is really nice and all - I wish I could be driving a go-cart like car with top down, enjoying the wind and sunshine... like MX-5.

 

[Phunkydiabetic]

For me it's RWD and manual.

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

I think it comes down to the combination of acceleration, handling & cornering - as well as how involved you become in driving itself, especially with manual transmission.

Solid first part to the answer. There are of course other types of vehicles and experiences -

4wd, the fun to be had is different to just acceleration etc. Drive up a river with a 4x4 full of your mates or family on a camping trip and you'll be having fun alright. The places a 4wd can go are more varied and therefore fun to me than say a fast car.

I suppose it depends on the definition of driving a car. If we are talking about driving in general then more applies.

 

[12Goblins]

Does it feel like a go kart ?

 

[Batiman]

Nothing really for me. I have more fun driving go carts and bumper cars then my car tbh. I personally hate driving

 

[Lupingosei]

Does it feel like a go kart ?

Good point, I have an Aygo with a bigger engine, and is so much fun to drive here in Switzerland.

That is probably why the original Top Gear guys including the Stig always liked it.

 

[Mobilemofo]

I'm on my first car, after doing 15 years on the bus, I've paid my dues to the environment. Fiat 500. 1.2.i really like it..quite nippy, easy to maintain, comfortable to drive, good on petrol. Love the look of it. I want to upgrade to the punchier electric version.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

Im not much of a car person, but my current vw tiguan has such seemless and quick acceleration that i love just gunning it sometimes.

thats all i got for fun from a car

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Smooth, fast and powerful.

For those of you who wonder why people with higher end cars are speeding like asses, sometimes they are asses.

But also, when you drive a good car, you don't realize how fast you are going because it's quiet and smooth. You look at the speedometer and holy shit, didn't know I going that fast.

But when you drive a Honda Civic (I had one way back), the second the car hits highway speed the car gets super loud. Get to 130 km/hr and it shakes like the integrity of the car is falling apart.

 

[Soltype]

Tactile feedback and driver connection.Cars have been stripping away the connection between the driver and the car for years in favor of "safety" and QoS. I think cars need to have some danger to them, cars are far too forgiving today and people lose respect for the vehicle and the damage their presence can bring. A lot of cars today do not feel good to drive, it feels like auto makers just follow check boxes and send cars out.I drove the new Supra recently and it was quick, but was muted. You can tell there's a great car there, but it's saddled with so many things to make it palatable to the average customer. I'm not saying the average man shouldn't have fun driving, but you shouldn't be able to utilize a sports car at any real level without real engagement.I bought my first new car in 2018, a WRX STI. I had been on a 2000 Accord forever, and I went car shopping.I could not believe how off most cars feel to drive, it was culture shock. If you enjoy driving , look into old cars, most new cars aren't going to give enough to bite into it.

 

[kingwingin]

I'm on my second civic and going manual is a night and day difference in enjoyment.

 

[NinjaMouse]

Having owned a couple of now-older V8 Mustangs, fun (for me) is definitely a manual transmission, with a cable clutch on a higher torque noisy V8. I don’t need to do 130mph, but I wanna get from 0 to 60 quickly while making a racket.

 

[Woffls]

manual transmission - changing gear is just fun

 

[Goro Majima]

Generally what makes a car fun to me is the responsiveness of the steering, the grip in the corners, stiff suspension and low height that gives that "planted" feeling on the ground where you can get a great sense of the road, and great acceleration and throttle responsiveness.

My wife's Ford Edge by comparison had "loose" steering that wasn't very responsive, felt like it had way too much lateral movement being off the ground like it was, and didn't accelerate well. That was a car where the numb suspension and height off the ground didn't give me a lot of confidence to drive it like I stole it.

She has a new F-150 now that her work gave her and I get zero enjoyment out of driving a truck.

Does it feel like a go kart ?

That's how my wife describes my Golf R so she hates driving it but that's why I love it! Funny enough that she made me get the DSG instead of the stick because she wanted to make sure she could drive it in an emergency. I thought I would miss the stick but that double clutch transmission shifts faster than a regular stick and doesn't feel like an automatic at all despite not rowing my own gears.

 

[GHG]

G forces, tactile feedback (through steering and changing gears) and sound.

If a car successfully taps into multiple senses all at once then it can be intoxicating to drive.

 

[GeekyDad]

Had a manual when I was young, and it was fun. But as an old-timer, if stuff works as it should, smoothly and is comfortable, that makes things a lot more enjoyable for me. Fun, though? Meh...fun seems like work to me. I'll take enjoyable.

 

[Paasei]

The idea of being in control in combination with a sense of freedom makes it very fun.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

It's interesting being in control of the ride. Sledding, riding a bike, swaying on a swing, surfing, driving a car, etc.

You should make every mundane task as "fun" as you can, for what it's worth.

 

[xrnzaaas]

RWD, manual, reasonably light, with mechanical feel instead of artifical one, easy to throw around corners and have fun (without the need to have to drive too fast), a nice exhaust (but not a very loud one) is also nice. My dream car that's not very expensive is one of the generations of the Mazda MX-5. Maybe one day I'll get it as a weekend car.

 

[danowat]

EV's are some of the most fun cars to drive, instant torque and power that's seemless from standing still to max speed, almost point and squirt like a sports bike.

 

[Birdo]

If it makes you happy.

 

[quickwhips]

I saw this post in another thread



I also own a prius and it seems okay to me. My past cars were a honda civic and two toyota camries. All automatics. I've never driven stick shift.

While the prius is in Eco mode, it's a bit slow to accelerate, but otherwise all of these cars don't really offer too different of an experience. So what types of cars are "fun". What makes it "fun" to drive them?

Being fast or being able to take curves fast is amazing. Even just having a fast launching car with a low top end is fun. 0-60 matters.

 

[Great Hair]

Spoiler: Power Steering

Spoiler: ... barely any Body Roll

Spoiler: Good brakes and somewhat good acceleration

Spoiler: good airbags

Spoiler: Good fuel economy

 

[EverydayBeast]

Cars are about transportation first, yes you need to have fun and the Prius and most EV cars are clearly not about fun and that's not the point.

 

[A Elbereth Gilthoniel]

The fantasy that I could veer-off after a few people.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Owning a performance car turns your driving from something that needs to be done to an event. I have an M340 now, and honestly it is too much car for the road but god damn does it put a smile on my face. It is the little things like the engine growl, the fact that the car has far more balls than I do in cornering, and I can accelerate instantly from any speed if I want to.

 

[Elektro Demon]

The girl on the passenger seat.

 

[Pumpkin Seeds]

Enough power and some feel to the car when you drive it.

 

[Duellist]

Torque, exhaust(sound) and steering/handling

 

[V4skunk]

It's all to do with the steering feel and how you feel everything through your arse.
All to do with steering rack, suspension / bushings (polyurethane must have upgrade).
Acceleration is also nice but it doesn't beat a car that feels nice through a corner.

 

[DESTROYA]

Cars are about transportation first, yes you need to have fun and the Prius and most EV cars are clearly not about fun and that's not the point.

What is your point? Every post of your is about points but I never see any?

Go rent a car car with a big engine or sports car for a day and you’ll find out OP.

 

[thefool]

Manual, rwd, nice handling, that's really it. That's why Miatas are so much fun.
Muscle cars I dislike. Performance cars are extremely fun...on a track.

 

[Mistake]

Cars that are closer to the road with good handling and kick. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Hachiroku ハチロク comes to mind

 

[T8SC]

Simple answer:

 

[Relativ9]

Cars dont even have to be all that fast, light, agile and "nippy" cars are also a blast to drive. The Ford Fiesta comes to mind.

 

[Cattlyst]

I gather a lot of Americans drive automatic vehicles? I can imagine that makes driving pretty tedious. Driving a 6 speed manual is fun as hell. Nothing beats a perfect gear change or a downshift 2 gears to get the revs up and instantly shoot past a slower vehicle. Pure joy.

 

[The Hamburglar]

Staring at that ass of the leggy woman wearing wetlook leggings, while you drive off into the sunset.

That’s what makes driving fun to me.

 

[TrainedRage]

Not many cars are "fun" to drive IMO. Zippy manuals are fun, I can see where driving a Tesla could be fun. Some older cars like the 70's Caprice Classic are fun in the snow.

But if we are talking fun to drive its motorcycles over cars any day for me.

 

[n0razi]

Just get a motorcycle... cheaper and 'funner' than any car.

 

[Tesseract]

don't really have much fun driving cars, maybe because i've done crazier things in simulators and rode cycles a few times

i'll prolly buy a moto at some point, try to maintain it as my sole vehicle and learn the deeper components of automotive mechanics

 

[daveonezero]

I grew up and learned to drive a Subaru 2.5rs on 2 lane and gravel roads. That is fun to drive. Then my family had a WRX shortly after that. Also fun to drive.

I drive a 6.7 power stroke and to me that is Fun to drive.

Also I've driven a Suzuki Vstrom across country. That is just fun no matter what.

 

[Mohonky]

Alot of people are equating power to fun. Its really not, it's inertia.

You can drive a complete shitbox that's actually fun because of the way the car wallows in a corner; balancing it on that point getting the suspension to settle and manipulating the way the cars weight shifts around and getting to dance from corner to corner is more fun than driving stamping your foot down on some stupidly overpowered car in a straight line.


That's why you talk about cars with 'character' and not cars that are just 'fast'. Its that feeling that the car is telling you something that requires a response or a way of manipulating it to do what you want it to do.

Tbh the better a car handles and the faster it is the less interesting it becomes on the road from my point of view. Sure on a track its different, but these days most cars are so fast and have so much traction you'll never really get anything out of them on the road. Their limits are just so far beyond what you could do on the road without being entirely reckless that its almost pointless.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Go test drive a Porsche and report back with your findings.

 

[Zero7]

MX-5's are just fun as fuck cars. Nice balance between power and handling, driving it down some country roads with the roof down on a nice day is just something else.

 

[juliushandle]

I added some Eibach lowering springs to my Acura and it instantly made it more fun because it got rid of the body roll in turns and nose dive during breaking. the car was already smooth and comfortable before but now, the fun was added with the springs. the drop is modest too as the front bumper can still clear parking blocks.

 

[Arkam]

What makes a car fun? The driver! /thread

 

[Dural]

It means different things to different people; my brother has a lifted jeep wrangler that I had to drive last month because he need to use my SUV and I thought it was horrible to drive while he loves it. I have a Mazda RX-8 and that is, IMO, the definition of a fun car to drive; it's light, balanced, and revs to the heavens. Do I wish it had a bit more power? Of course, but it's still extremely fun to drive.