Are you have happy switching to a crossover/SUV/PickUp over a sedan/sports car?

Dim Sim said:
Have you ever been in a mid 70’s Celica with a mid 90’s Supra twin turbo heart transplant? My mate had one. It was precision terrifying and could break traction in 5th gear. I only had one ride in it and refused his offer to have a drive.
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Well, no, that's very specific. With the suspension those Celicas had, it must have been a wild ride.
 
tonylg said:
Partner had a Cooper S many years and after testing the Countryman we nicknamed it the FUS (Fat Ugly Sister).

Crosstrek (XV) is just an Impreza on stilts. Impreza already has the engine mounted too far forward to handle well and the XV is worse. Grip and handling are not the same thing.

Again, I'm not saying any are bad cars .. but they come with massive compromises and they only handle well in the absense of knowing what good handling really is.
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FUS, ahaha, love it!
"Hey, what's the FUS?"
Honestly, try the hybrid one too, if you get a chance. With extra torque of electro motor and weight of batteries in the back, it feels really balanced.

Yes, Impreza is better then Crosstrek, of course, one would expect that from the lower car. It was one of the most fun cars I've driven over the last few years.
The grip is a big part of handling, for sure?

Anyhow, I think that you are a bit too harsh on these cars. You use the Cayman as the reference point. Very few cars would stand to it...

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
 
BlueB said:
FUS, ahaha, love it!
"Hey, what's the FUS?"
Honestly, try the hybrid one too, if you get a chance. With extra torque of electro motor and weight of batteries in the back, it feels really balanced.

Yes, Impreza is better then Crosstrek, of course, one would expect that from the lower car. It was one of the most fun cars I've driven over the last few years.
The grip is a big part of handling, for sure?

Anyhow, I think that you are a bit too harsh on these cars. You use the Cayman as the reference point. Very few cars would stand to it...

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
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Yes, the dealer didn't know what we meant when we said we now knew what the fuss was about.

Nope, cars can have great grip but terrible handling. A Subaru WRX has immense grip but average handling. A BRZ has immense handling and average grip.

On that note, I also have a Toyota 86 with 500hp Coyoda turbo system, Tremec Magnum gearbox, proper plated LSD, 4 way adjustable external reservoir suspension and some added aero .. hence I just laugh when someone says my Kia handles well.
 
The fact is that nearly all cars "handle" pretty well these days, vastly better than they did several decades ago, and certainly well enough for American roads which tend to be wider and less winding than some other parts of the world. Lower profile tires, multilink suspensions, active suspensions, have proliferated in daily use cars, more precise rack and pinion steering has largely replaced older recirculating ball or worm and roller steering mechanisms, nearly all cars now come with alloy rather than steel wheels so unsprung weight is lower which allows suspensions to function better, and engineers have become quite adept at making suspensions firmer but still compliant. I recall a column written by David E. Davis (publisher of Car and Driver, founding publisher of Automobile Magazine) some years ago in which he, very much a performance car guy, complained the pendulum had swung too far and that cars were being fitted with such low profile tires that the comfort/handling balance had skewed too far from comfort, particularly for parts of the country with roads savaged by winter. Cars in general have improved in so many ways, be it safety, electronics, and certainly in handling
 
ollinger said:
The fact is that nearly all cars "handle" pretty well these days, vastly better than they did several decades ago, and certainly well enough for American roads which tend to be wider and less winding than some other parts of the world. Lower profile tires, multilink suspensions, active suspensions, have proliferated in daily use cars, more precise rack and pinion steering has largely replaced older recirculating ball or worm and roller steering mechanisms, nearly all cars now come with alloy rather than steel wheels so unsprung weight is lower which allows suspensions to function better, and engineers have become quite adept at making suspensions firmer but still compliant. I recall a column written by David E. Davis (publisher of Car and Driver, founding publisher of Automobile Magazine) some years ago in which he, very much a performance car guy, complained the pendulum had swung too far and that cars were being fitted with such low profile tires that the comfort/handling balance had skewed too far from comfort, particularly for parts of the country with roads savaged by winter. Cars in general have improved in so many ways, be it safety, electronics, and certainly in handling
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You can always replace the low-profile tires with touring tires for more comfort.
 
ollinger said:
The fact is that nearly all cars "handle" pretty well these days, vastly better than they did several decades ago, and certainly well enough for American roads which tend to be wider and less winding than some other parts of the world. Lower profile tires, multilink suspensions, active suspensions, have proliferated in daily use cars, more precise rack and pinion steering has largely replaced older recirculating ball or worm and roller steering mechanisms, nearly all cars now come with alloy rather than steel wheels so unsprung weight is lower which allows suspensions to function better, and engineers have become quite adept at making suspensions firmer but still compliant. I recall a column written by David E. Davis (publisher of Car and Driver, founding publisher of Automobile Magazine) some years ago in which he, very much a performance car guy, complained the pendulum had swung too far and that cars were being fitted with such low profile tires that the comfort/handling balance had skewed too far from comfort, particularly for parts of the country with roads savaged by winter. Cars in general have improved in so many ways, be it safety, electronics, and certainly in handling
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This is very true. I remember buying a 2016 Toyota Rav 4 SE with the upgraded sport suspension as my daily driver. It out-handled my 1996 Mustang Cobra with stock suspension, aside from a beefier rear sway bar. The Mustang became the "soft" car in my stable at the time.

Kids these days certainly have a better selection of starter cars compared to when I was young. I learned to be a very good mechanic simply because my car was always needing something done back then. :)
 
movdqa said:
You can always replace the low-profile tires with touring tires for more comfort
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We recently bought a 2020 Avalon which is a fine car (saw recent eval in Consumer Reports, they gave it a 93 rating), I insisted on the 17 inch (55 ratio) tires rather than the 19 inch, handles very well, flat and secure, very comfy ride, will slap 4 Blizzaks on it come winter.
 
ollinger said:
We recently bought a 2020 Avalon which is a fine car (saw recent eval in Consumer Reports, they gave it a 93 rating), I insisted on the 17 inch (55 ratio) tires rather than the 19 inch, handles very well, flat and secure, very comfy ride, will slap 4 Blizzaks on it come winter.
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We had a 2000 Avalon. Put 250K miles on it. Very low maintenance costs and the car was fine after 250K miles. Got about $6K to $7K for it. The newer ones are a lot sportier. I like the line.
 
Just switched from suv (Mercury Mariner) to a sedan (Honda Accord). I do miss the better driving height and visibility from the suv.
 
Mr.Lob said:
Just switched from suv (Mercury Mariner) to a sedan (Honda Accord). I do miss the better driving height and visibility from the suv.
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I’ve never driven anything but cars, but I’d like to have perhaps a minivan or small SUV, maybe about the size of a Jeep Patriot, for the visibility factor. Being able to have an expansive view of the road is something that really appeals to me. But I’m not very tall and the idea of driving same does scare me a bit. Right now I have a 2008 Honda Accord and love it.
 
ollinger said:
If you don't have an expansive view of the road, you're too close to the guy in front of you.......or the guy in front of you is driving a large truck or bus, in which case your SUV won't help the view.
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Keyword: Truck!
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These monstrosities can barely fit inside parking spot lines, so either they downsize the cars or upsize the parking spots.
 
Slowtwitcher said:
Didn't know you get a handicap sticker for having a small penis.
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From the number of monster trucks on the road, somethings are growing smaller everyday. My bro-in-law was warned after 5 accidents the first two years he drove. One day one of these trucks will roll over the hood of his car.
 
Bartelby said:
These monstrosities can barely fit inside parking spot lines, so either they downsize the cars or upsize the parking spots.
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There are places in the city were my Rav4 is a bit squeezed for parking. Owning a monster truck would be incredibly irritating, not to mention completely pointless for me. I'd much rather go smaller than bigger as far as my vehicle.

And, except for the virus, I'd prefer public transit to a big truck. Of course, there is minimal public transit were I actually live, but I use it when I'm in the city quite happily.
 
Crazy Finn said:
There are places in the city were my Rav4 is a bit squeezed for parking. Owning a monster truck would be incredibly irritating, not to mention completely pointless for me. I'd much rather go smaller than bigger as far as my vehicle.

And, except for the virus, I'd prefer public transit to a big truck. Of course, there is minimal public transit were I actually live, but I use it when I'm in the city quite happily.
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Cut bus service on the weekends locally. Not sure how some folks get to work..............................seriously, even with the virus.
 
A Rav4 is on the small size for such a vehicle as well, although I preferred the original even smaller version.

Crazy Finn said:
There are places in the city were my Rav4 is a bit squeezed for parking. Owning a monster truck would be incredibly irritating, not to mention completely pointless for me. I'd much rather go smaller than bigger as far as my vehicle.

And, except for the virus, I'd prefer public transit to a big truck. Of course, there is minimal public transit were I actually live, but I use it when I'm in the city quite happily.
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I've had both types. As a car guy, I prefer sports cars. There is something about engines, exhaust notes and the control of a sports car.
Of course, an SUV is great in snow and for carrying plywood, etc.
 
Jeep Wrangler would be an excellent choice if you only could have one vehicle, it's a convertible, manual tranny, 4-doors, can go anywhere--and, you can take a nap in it with the rear seats down between matches at tournaments. FCA is finally coming out with a hemi with about 450 hp--a little underpowered pulling all that weight and big tires--600 hp or the Hellcat engine with 707hp would be better. Soccer moms should not be allowed behind the wheel unless they know how to check tire inflations :


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For a practical sports car the Porsche Boxster Spyder is a good choice, it's the lightest production car Porsche makes. It's reliable for long trips AND has two trunks to hold a lot of stuff for touring--one for her and two for her. It's so precision that it's a bit boring at lower speeds, but there's a sticker on the carbon fiber convertible top header that states "Do not drive with top up over 126 mph."--the top is a true "rag".

Google Search

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Ronaldo said:
Mini Moke a street-worthy/legal golf cart?
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Yup! A relative of the original Mini's, used as golf carts on occasion and the only vehicle you could rent on Catalina Island. Originally commissioned by the British military to be their Jeep, but failed badly at that due to being two-wheel drive only, 10" wheels and lightweight they blew off decks of aircraft carriers. Instead of wheeling over obstacles, four soldiers would carry them over boulders and logs. Became popular as beach buggies and production shifted to Australia. A ton of fun at under a ton like their cousin the original Mini's, utilizing the same running gear. Many celebs had them including Bridgett Bardot to haul her critters around in.
 
Rafa.the.Magnificent said:
I’ve never driven anything but cars, but I’d like to have perhaps a minivan or small SUV, maybe about the size of a Jeep Patriot, for the visibility factor. Being able to have an expansive view of the road is something that really appeals to me. But I’m not very tall and the idea of driving same does scare me a bit. Right now I have a 2008 Honda Accord and love it.
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My brother has had a Jeep Patriot for about 11 years. He bought at a time either Chrysler or the dealership was offering a full lifetime warranty. Reliability not the greatest. So the warranty has been used a lot.

A minivan? You have kids? They're generally not very good on gas.

I've had my Accord for about 3 months. Yep. Great cars.
 
Bartelby said:
A Rav4 is on the small size for such a vehicle as well, although I preferred the original even smaller version.
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Hmmm. I think the newer model Rav4's are smaller...at least height wise. I liked the styling of the earlier models. The model year where the spare tire is encased on the rear hatch is fairly sharp.
 
Biggest full size SUV are safer in a crash, roomier, can drive off-road and usually funner to drive in! Much more functional too.
 
Last edited:
tonylg said:
Yes, the dealer didn't know what we meant when we said we now knew what the fuss was about.

Nope, cars can have great grip but terrible handling. A Subaru WRX has immense grip but average handling. A BRZ has immense handling and average grip.

On that note, I also have a Toyota 86 with 500hp Coyoda turbo system, Tremec Magnum gearbox, proper plated LSD, 4 way adjustable external reservoir suspension and some added aero .. hence I just laugh when someone says my Kia handles well.
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I'm actually looking at the BRZ. Got a quote on a new 2020, but I may hold off and wait for the update. I'm also still working from home with the covid situation, so getting a new car doesn't make as much sense at the moment.
 
Mr.Lob said:
Hmmm. I think the newer model Rav4's are smaller...at least height wise. I liked the styling of the earlier models. The model year where the spare tire is encased on the rear hatch is fairly sharp.
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I had that version too. (Then they went and made it fatter in the next refresh.) Mine was a 2004. Hands down, bar none, the best snow vehicle I ever owned. AWD with full snow tires on all four wheels.... it was a tank in the snow. There were times I was pushing snow with the bumper on unplowed roads and it just kept moving forward. Safety nannies kicked in often, no way to reduce or turn them off, but a couple of times at speed the safety stuff kicked on and stopped a skid before I could even react.
 
Turbo-87 said:
I would be interested in the BRZ if it came with the same drivetrain as the WRX. The styling of the BRZ is a lot nicer than the WRX, in my opinion.
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You get the BRZ to get that feeling of having the back slip and you need to get it back with throttle and steering action. You get the WRX for the feeling of cornering on rails under any grip condition (with the right tires).
 
Have always been a car guy. Have had quite a few cars (EU & Jap spec of many sorts) since the early 90’s. Even went through a phase of wasting money on modify cars/attend car shows etc.
now that I am much older and have a family (with two kids) - the wife and really enjoys Getting around in7 seater SUV these days

however, I have reminded the wife many times that one day, I’d like to be able reatore a mid 1970’s Porsche 911 as my retirement project. (We will see about that.... so she says... lol)
 
Slowtwitcher said:
You get the BRZ to get that feeling of having the back slip and you need to get it back with throttle and steering action. You get the WRX for the feeling of cornering on rails under any grip condition (with the right tires).
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Exactly. I've got an Audi now, and it absolutely corners flat on rails. Lot of fun. Quick and a nice ride too. However, I've got the itch for a rear wheel drive V-8 with a manual. Wanna break the back end loose, burn outs... stupid stuff. Think I've got to check out one of the new Camaros, but I want to drive a Toyota 86 and a Supra too.
 
Mongolmike said:
Exactly. I've got an Audi now, and it absolutely corners flat on rails. Lot of fun. Quick and a nice ride too. However, I've got the itch for a rear wheel drive V-8 with a manual. Wanna break the back end loose, burn outs... stupid stuff. Think I've got to check out one of the new Camaros, but I want to drive a Toyota 86 and a Supra too.
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Camaro is just a huge engine with zero handling. If I had a death wish like you seem to have, I'd go with heroin, not a Camaro :cool:
 
Mongolmike said:
Exactly. I've got an Audi now, and it absolutely corners flat on rails. Lot of fun. Quick and a nice ride too. However, I've got the itch for a rear wheel drive V-8 with a manual. Wanna break the back end loose, burn outs... stupid stuff. Think I've got to check out one of the new Camaros, but I want to drive a Toyota 86 and a Supra too.
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Hear those Camaros early in the morning racing down the road three blocks away.
 
Most American sports cars are just sedans shortened to coupes and stuffed with a big engine. They're designed to be loud, maybe go fast, mostly in a general straight line. There are exceptions, but...

I prefer handling. My college car - 1988 Prelude was great, the 92 was pretty good, too.

I drove some friend's GM "sport" sedan, once. He raved about the "power." I thought that it sure sounded like it was going somewhere, and eventually might get there....
 
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