What do you like in a car?
 

What is the big thing you look for in cars? Are you all about power? Luxury? Economy? Cool looks? Safety? What things when you hear a car has (or doesn't have) when you're looking at one make you go YUCK!

For me, I like a good combination. I was watching MotorWeek and they were reviewing all these UVs and stuff with 166 hp and 173 hp and it just made me ill. So little horsepower and all that weight has got to be so terribly slow and their gas mileage still isn't that good. I really don't see who buys cars with so low of horsepower where you have to give them a lot of gas to take off. Cars that if you stomp them from a dead stop they just slowly take off and don't squeal at all. I don't need pure power but at least squealing power and snappiness.

I also enjoy luxury. I really dislike cheap and crappy cars (Focuses, Older Civics, Lots of the Jap cars are REALLY plain inside, Most Fords, etc.). I don't need lots of gadgets or anything, something like a Crown Vic I consider a bit luxurious. Nice ride, fair power, and a quiet and well running, spacious vehicle.

I consider my Riviera one of the best combinations of these I've seen. Good ride, nice power (I can light the tires up if I wanted without that lame brake torquing crap), luxurious and comfy, and it gets around 22-24 mpg. Most of the things I've seen would cause me to lose one of these characteristics but gain in the others which I don't care for (IE I like Camaros so I'd get a huge boost in the power area but I'd drop right out of luxury and economy).

The Focus hass one of the best built interiors in it's class/price range, at least the UK spec one does. It's a little...dull though. Lots of dark grey and very little of anything else. However, I think it's important to point out that luxury doesn't mean tonnes of fake leather and shiny plastic wood.

I like lots of room inside. I'm a tall person and i can't stand to be cramped up in these tiny little cars there making. I don't like cheap cars either, i like a car that can actually be driven hard without feeling like there ready to fall apart. I'm not into top speed though, to me i don't care if your car can go 200mph, i like acceleration. It doesn't have to go extremely fast, but i want something that will throw you back in your seat when you stomp on it.

I don't like the styling of alot of newer cars. They are all way to rounded and they all look the same.

My car is considered a full size luxury car, what some people would say its a "old person car" but it still has speed and awesome acceleration, and is extremely nice to drive. Alot of people are surprised at what those big cars can do, starting out from a dead stop it can beat alot of the newer performance cars.

Well, for a SUV its more about torque. But the SUVs they make anymore do suck i agree. Even the Jeeps are not real off road vehicles anymore.

We have two old AMC's that are like that. They have the 258ci IL6 in them, those motors will last forever and have great torque, but with only 120hp in a 4000+ pound car your not going anywhere too fast....

I didn't vote as the poll didn't include my current favourites, character and comfort. Character adds some fun to driving, and driving something horribly uncomfortable like a Corolla around simply hurts. Power is good, but I'm perfectly fine currently driving around a vanified and engine-tuned 1,9 diesel BX Break with some 60+ hp, as long as it can beat a reasonable big amount of the cars around from the lights it is powerful enough, although I prefer some more for safer overtaking and added fun, which is why my own car is a 1,9 GTi and currently in the process of getting a 2,0L turbo engine...

A decent economy is a must since I'm a student, and reliability isn't bad as I obviously don't want my car to break down on me (still, it being an old French car I have a fairly comprehensive set of tools in the trunk), but I don't worship the Toyota God as so many of my compatriots seem do.

I don't care that much about luxury as in e.g. the quality of the interior, but a decent setup of basic electric gadgets is desirable, and having a lot of grey plastics certainly isn't a plus... Cool looks are actually quite important to me, I wouldn't want to drive e.g. a Toyota Yaris Verso (but unfortunately I have to at work, can you imagine the pain (mostly physical, the seats are apparently made of concrete)?)...

As for safety, well, I don't feel comfortable in the worst old city cars and super-minis out there (e.g. Nissan Micra), but other than checking that my vehicle is quite safe for its time I don't feel an urge for airbags etc or driving a bus.

As you might already have noticed, good examples of cars that don't appeal to me are much of the Toyota range, but not excluding some other terrible creations as Nissan Sunny and Micra... Also extremely environmentally unfriendly cars as Hummers have good positions on my hate-list.

GJ reinforcing the stereotype of American cars, you forgot handling

if i had the money to care about my interior it would be a little important, gas mileage isnt to important as long as its above 20mpg, styling is sorta important cause id just rather not drive than get stuck with something like a Tempo or a 80's Camry
power is whats most important to me, as long as i can have a good bit of fun in my car than the rest is fine with me, my car right now isnt terribly fast at all but it handles good and has decent power compared to other cars ive driven, like how it outruns my moms Focus

but i also like trucks and Jeeps (mainly CJs), i just like mudding and stuff, and ive been driving my dads Ranger around for almost a month now since my sister is borowing my car, its really nice for when you go to the drive in, gets some blanket and stuff and lay in the back of the truck, and when im with my girl we can go out in a field out away form town with blankets and stuff and sit in the bakc and look at the stars, sometimes just go to sleep (or not;))

How is handling important when driving on roads? You're not going to have to slalom through traffic or take a hairpin turn at 80 mph to get somewhere. Handling is important if you're going to a race track, but on public roads it doesn't matter too much unless it is just unresponsive.

well a good handling car makes it more fun to drive

example: which one would you rather drive, a toyota Corolla or a Lotus Exige, they both use the same engine, but somehow i think the Exige would be more fun to drive

anyway reasonable acceleration and power is important to me, the more the better of course, but it at least has to start moving sometime soon after i hit the gas. I still remember the corolla i drove during driver training, it felt like the accelerator had to be at least halfway down to get it to move at all. its low end power was absolutely worthless. i cant even imagine trying to get on the freeway in a car like that.

styling is good too, as long as looking at it doesnt make me want to fall asleep or puke then im alright with it

lol you dont drive like that were there is traffic, thats how you kill people
thats why you go out into the county and drive on service roads were theres no people or police and very few blinds corners
like the farm roads that loop around hwy231, the speed limit is 55, but i can do about 80 before i get any tire squeel around corners, thats mostly cause the corners are conviniently banked, and dont worry, i stay on my side of the road, its alot harder to do when you keep it to one lane, i suspect i could do 90 if i took up the other lane and set up a proper turn, but every once in a while i do see another car, so i dont take the chance, it likes to understeer alot though, but it does good most of the time

i would race in auto-x but to compete in SCCA i have to have parent permision (im under 18) and my dad laughed at me when i asked him if i could compete and goes, "thats how you tear your car up"

I am extremely tempted to say that I like seats and a steering wheel in a car.

*Rich19 exits the Garage.

Haven't heard of that, what is it?

Sports Car Club of America

its a amature racing organization, they hold several different styles of racing, autocross (auto-x) is a time trial, there is a course made out of cones placed in usualy in a parking lot, but sometimes in places like abondond or temporaily closed runways and stuff
you can pretty much bring whatever car you use as a daily drive and race it unmodified if it pases saftey spec, trucks and SUVs must have a roll cage though and there is a maximum height, then there are profional classes that alow modifcations and im not sure about auto-x but in rally-x there is a class that is pretty much unlimited in power and suspension modifacations, but most will tell you power has little to do with being good in rally-x

I had a Toyota Camry with the 2.0L that was like that in the low end, but with that, it didn't seem to start making any power until you got the rpms up.

It was slow starting out, but out on the highway once you got the rpms up it was actually pretty quick.

I put power down but its power and style I would rather have a Good looking good performing car (Mustang GT) then a beast that just plain ugly. (Bugatti Vayron).

A Veyron is ugly and crap and a Junkstang is good looking and well made? Wow, talk about backwards. The Veyron may not be the best looking but Bugattis, Koenigseggs, Ferraris, Lamborginis, Paganis, they all look much better (And are certainly way better built) than anything we can ever hope to make. IIRC, if you have a problem with your Veyron, there are only like 50-100 people in the world who can work on them. They will fly someone to you and repair it for you. This might be Enzo I am thinking of, it's some kind of rare car though. In any case, our closest to a euro supercar is probably the Saleen S7 and it's just fast, not particularly good looking.

mmh quite difficult, i look for power but if its an old crash car that has lots of power but no luxury of safety, then srry .

I chose luxury, a car thats looks very nice and has luxury then im satisfied.

hey check it out, I found a pic of Shintsu and his Riviera!

Stop with zee fighting plez. Kai tank u.

...

No really - Please stop fighting and swearing every second word of your sentences. It's very unbecoming and it turns your argument into a flame war.

Cease and desist please.

I won't lock this, because I believe it can still be salvaged.

Shintsu, please be nice.

Ok, no problem. Sorry but I get sick of Jack coming into every thread of mine and because I don't praise the Mustang saying I'm just bad talking them and thats the whole reason for my thread.

Oh and Strelok, I think I found a picture of your Mustang:

hmm thats the first convertable ive seen with bronco running gear in it, I wonder if the convertable subframe pieces gave them problems

(its actually not a hard conversion to do, or un-do, you can use either bronco or truck running gear)


and as it applies to this thread, apparently that guy likes power, off road ability, and good looks;)

Wheels, Tires, an Engine, Corroborator, Transmission, Seats, Steering Wheel, Fuel Tank, Various Pedals for Controlling it, a radio.

The basics.

Err, I believe you might have misunderstood the idea of this thread slightly... ;)

BTW, what is a 'corroborator'? :confused:


Back to topic, I can't believe I forgot handling from my previous post. Of course handling is important, but not enough to sacrifice comfort or everyday practicality, I just don't want something that suddenly is going to throw me off the road when I don't want it to.
Taking curves at way too high speeds and some other slightly irresponsible road behaviour is occasionally fun, if the car allows that without risking lives that is, so when it looses grip it should do that smoothly with all tyres, not just loose control of the rear end. Fortunately both the cars I've had have met the criteria without any silly wide tyres or other expenses.

I'd also like to add to the power aspect, also I really want my car to be able to at least squeal its tyres a little when floored on takeoff, I don't find that too much to ask when I'm able to do this in a reasonably sized (as in big enough to effortlessly bring a fridge) stationwagon with an ancient normally aspirated 1,9L diesel engine...

im pretty sure that you dont want your car slidding on all fours, in that case you have no control at all of direction, when the rear kicks out (oversteer) you can control it with the throttle and keep the car in a general direction

Ford has crappy interiors?

Maybe thats why Ford just won a award for overall quality over Nissan and Toyota

If you think the Mustang's interior is crap dont get me started on GM's recycled plasticized Goat feces interiors.

But on topic...

IMHO handling can be considered part of the performance. I like good handling and power but with good fuel economy. Maybe thats why I have always liked 4cyl turbo cars and smallish cars.

I like a balanced vehicle. Best car to date i have ever owned and the one I still miss the most was my 1993 Mercury Capri XR2.

1.6L DOHC, EFI, turbocharged, intercooled, FWD, 5 speed transaxle, 4 wheel disc brakes, P195/50-ZR15 tires. After tune-up, wash and wax, alignment, and properly inflated tires best mileage ever was 42mpg coming back from my Dads in Ft.Myers Florida.

The Capri XR2 was also a convertible (I love convertibles) and was the car that convinced me FWD cars could handle well.

Car was involved in wreck 2 months after I bought it but other guys insurance paid for it.

Drove car for five years with only thing going wrong being alternator went out.

I got rid of car when turbo blew a seal and caused damage to motor and I was still going to get it repaired but then passenger rear wheel bearing went out and destroyed spindle. Problem was I could not find another spindle at the time to for love or money. I sold car for $500 with it not being driveable. The turbo went out 2 weeks after I paid off car.

yeah my car can get desent mileage as well, about 27mpg on average (60%highway, 40%in town) and tops at 33mpg all highway, but if ive been having fun all day, i can get as low as 8mpg, it really sucks it down when youve got it running WOT for a few miles
i really wish i had a manual, im tired of going through a corner in 4th and waiting for it to downshift, usuing the brakes to much, even if im not driving hard i always compression brake my sisters Jetta when im driving it, it makes my dad mad though, it handles much better than my car
the handling cant touch my uncles Miata though, even though i outpower it i still cant beat it cause its so light

Indeed, it seems that autos require you to brake everywhere, I don't brake much in a manual BX other than when I start gaining at something in front too fast, or the lights turn red just in front of me (and there isn't any potentially dangerous cars right behind me), but in the automatic Yaris I have to brake at almost every single corner, although part of it is due to seriously worse handling, more unfastened load and no time to put on the seatbelt.
I suppose I wasn't quite awake when I wrote that, obviously I don't want it to slid on all fours, I really just want to stay in control and on the road. :sleep:

I guess it's a matter of taste, but I rather want to know where my car is going, so I prefer neutralish handling over lift-off oversteer or horrible understeer. In this the BX suits my idea of good handling pretty well, and if I bothered to exchange comfort for better handling by getting harder spheres it should be excellent for an ordinary car of its size, supposedly the harder 16 Valves make pretty good track cars with handling to match seemingly much sportier cars.

There's a lot of things that make a good car for me.. I'm very picky..

- it's gotta be rare
- parts should not be that hard to find and buy
- it's gotta have passion (not your regular VW golf)
- design, gotta have sex AND agression
- sound, wether it's a gurgling V8, a rev happy V6 or a singin' V12..
- power, doesn't have to be 400hp, but I like to know I can beat most of the other cars.

The butchery of the word "Carburetor," commonly occurs when the speller is half-asleep.

I dont think my Mustang convertible looks that good with the top up but when I put top down I just fall in love with it every time I look at it.

I dont feel that I need a massive amount of horsepower, but I do like enough power to get out of my own way and scoot a little bit. I would like to get I6 into my convertible and turbocharge it but truth is Id probably still be happy having normally aspirated 200 hp I6 with 5 speed and 3.73 rear.

im more into the jap tuner style cars, so i like more Acceleration rather than top end speed and looks aswell.

Hot girls!

I didnt see that vote option. ;)

hey! what happened to hapilly maried new father?!

I'm after a decently-priced, decent condition Ford Cougar at the moment. So far as the UK goes, that's about the best compromise between power, handling, looks, practically and cost in a relatively recent package that you're likely to get. At my price level, anyway. Plus I like it. At the moment I have a 54 reg Fiesta, which handles superbly and costs pennies but doesn't have much power at all.

As with all things in life, I think a healthy balance is in order. Unless you can afford to keep multiple cars - one for drag-racing, one for navigating B-roads, one for going to work - you're going to need all of the mentioned qualities at some point. A car without power is boring and unsafe, a car with bad looks isn't going to help you when you're out on the pull, and a car with a crappy, uncomfortable interior isn't going to inspire you with excitement and pride or keep your bum very comfy on long-haul trips. And a car without handling may as well be a train...

Really though, what I look for in a car are Aston Martin DB9 badges. I was overtaken by one on the motorway a couple of days ago. I was doing 95mph, and it just shot by me as though I wasn't even moving. I was never happier to be overtaken so thoroughly...

That's not something to be bragging about, you know...

Cougars are sweet, theyre still a little expensive for me.. but they're considered the 3rd generation Ford Probe. I love it's looks and the 2.5l Duratec V6 won't let you down ;) If it's that close to a Probe, you'll indeed have the perfect balance between power, comfort, practicality, looks and cost.

Good luck on the search Matt, I'm really excited, hope you find a nice one!

Just recently saw a Cougar, probably for the first time ever, and I must say it looked rather amazing with the minor tuning that was done to it.
If I had that kind of money I'd still rather stretch a few grand and get a Peugeot 406 Coupé, the 3,0L V6s have better performance than the 2,5L in the Cougar, they possibly look even better and what is more important; they are French. :p

It'll also incur a much heavier car tax bill, have more weight to pull around (thus negating the negligible power increase, incidentally), to say nothing of the jelly suspension for which they are famed, explosive electronics and increased maintenance and insurance costs. Plus they're French. :p

That's sums it up pretty good I'd say..

The big power difference is indeed not fully visible in performance, but why would the 406 Coupé give you a heavier tax bill? Taxes based on engine displacement? :confused:
BTW, I assume you would get a heart attack if I suggested you to buy a Citroën XM, now that has something you might call jelly suspension, explosive electronics (infamous for engine fires) and high insurance and maintenance costs. :D

Yes, when you probably thought a BX was over the top, I went further down, so I'm putting together an XM (rust damaged undercarriage, currently replacing both the front and rear parts with restored ones) even though I not long ago was a bit too scared by their apparent complexity and unreliability to seriously consider owning one. :p

You have to like French cars in the first place.. It won't work Huf ;) Taxes are based on weight of the car in Holland, and I assume in the UK aswell.. That's why I can't afford a 1600kg Mustang.. Among other reasons.

Higher engine displacement, higher CO2 emissions (one number up on the Euro Emissions Standard) and (indirectly, but with 80%+ VAT on fuel still relevant) lower MPG.

To say nothing of it being in a higher insurance group as well.

All of this for a car I don't like!

Go for the cougar Matt!

I am probably gonna need a Probe replacement soon as mine is getting rather long in the tooth (Otherday noth lower door panels fell off the door when I opened it and rear hatch is rusting through along back underside)

The Cougar is a viable option and having daily driven a Probe for 5 years I have no reservations getting another Prone or better yet a Cougar.

BTW a old Mustang mag took a Contour SVT and dropped a Windstar 3.0L V6 shortblock under the SVT's heads for about a 30 cubic inch increase and about 40hp. IIRC the Cougar and Contour both use the same engine.

For last year of Cougar Mercury had intended to do a limited edition supercharged V6 Cougar Eliminator package but it seems it was black flagged by Ford uppers since it would have been as fast as a Mustang and the Mustang Division fiercely opposes anything that rivals the Mustangs performance.

could be possible with the cougars Duratec, I don't know.. but that's not what Matt is interested in methinks.. It's the Ford Cougar over here btw.. Mercury for you fella's across the pond :)

aww that blows, a new Eliminator woulda been sweet, the original Eliminator was available with the same engines as the Mustang and nobody cared

I've never had a lot of money to spend on cars, but I sart from the top and work down to squeeze in as much as I can. I start with Economy (40-minute drive to school every day), then throw in looks/power, then luxury. Cars are really only as safe as the driver so I prefer safe driving habbits to a reinforced seatbelt or what have you.

I'm currently drivin a Saab 900 Turbo 16 Valve. It's a 4cyl. 5 speed Manual. It has wonderful economy and once I get the turbo workin up to par, it'll have power as well (enough for me anyway). On top of the former, it aint to bad lookin either, for somethin out of Europe.

I have thoroughly disagree with you there.

Its pathetically stupid to think that the driver dictates how safe they are their passengers are going to be. The tool that's drunk, or the fool that's sleepy behind the wheel will decide that for you.

indeed, most of the times it's not even your own fault.. There are more idiots on the road then you might think..

yeah, its either a kid that still hasnt learned to drive right, or a drunk
sleepers sometimes, but they usualy just run off the road by themselves

Fate's a dangerous game, but I've seen oversafe vehicles destroyed all to many times to be bothered by safety enough to make me worry. As long as it has a functioning seat-belt and a fair set of breaks, there's nothing you can do, but drive well and hope for the best. Air-bags are a nice thing to have, but even they won't save you if you get in a head on collision and youe engine goes through your cab. We can only ensure safety to such a point where it doesn't matter any more. My best example is that of George Lucas's crash in his Fiat. When the moment's up, it's all up to fate.

I should've died or at least been seriously injured when I totaled my Honda.


Edit:
lol I know of the number.. I live in Phoenix Arizona.. I know people from around the country and around the world and most of them who've driven here have stated that this is the worst place int he world to drive.

Oversafe vehicles? Dear god.

Let me highlight the function and importance of modern-day safety features:

• ABS: Prevents locking up of the wheels under heavy braking, consequently allowing the car to be controllably manourvered under evasive action. Can prevent a crash in the first place.
• EBD: Loads braking most effectively through all wheels - reduces stopping distance. Can prevent a crash in the first place.
• TC: Controls power-down situations. Can prevent a crash in the first place.
• ESP: Provides individual braking to each wheel to correct under/oversteer. Keeps the driver in control. Can prevent a crash in the first place.

Then you have airbags, controlled crumple zones and no-intrusion areas.

Here we have EuroNCAP tests. Cars are sent into a wall at 64km/h, or 40 mph.

Brilliance BS6, 1 star:
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.au...iancecrash.jpg
Renault Laguna II, 5 stars:
http://irishcar.com/ICOimages/encaprenlagun.jpg


Jiangling Landwind, no stars:
http://img470.imageshack.us/img470/5883/landwindan4.jpg
http://img459.imageshack.us/img459/4...ndwind1lo3.jpg

Volkswagen Touareg, 5 stars:
http://img459.imageshack.us/img459/6681/touxo0.jpg

http://landwind.bootnetworks.com/chi...g-crash-03.jpg



All your driving skills are not going to save you in a shitty little unsafe car. You can see what happens in an "oversafe" car. I know which one I'd like to be in.

Please, don't give me any more of your idiocy.

And neither of the 5-star cars have engines intruding the cabin.