The most fun FWD cars?
Discussion
TameRacingDriver said:
Head and shoulders above all else for me was my DC2 98 Import ITR. Bloody amazing car regardless of driven wheels.
My FN2 isn't as much of a drivers tool, and although the poster on page 2 didn't seem to gel with his, I think its a great FWD car, still raw but with modern toys, creature comforts, and I think with a few mods could be very nearly as good as my ITR.
Clio 1*2 were good when they worked, preferred the Phase 1 to drive over the 182. Better high speed handling and ride-quality for me.
Puma was a funny car, 120 bhp but kept up easily with my mates 328i over B-roads unless in a straight line, and that was with crap tyres!
Primera GT was amazing on smooth roads but terrible on anything less.
Mk2 Golf GTI was slow but an absolute hoot. I don't think you'll really beat these 80s car for ultimate connection to the road and uncompromising experience, but only the best will do, as there were a lot of fairly poor cars around otherwise, with poor engines and handling. The Golf and 205 were the best of the breed.
The fn2 is good in the sense that it likes revs and you need to work to extract the performance it's just a shame that its more biased to understeer than the ep3 which allows the rear to come into play. They can be made good though and the later ones with lsd and champ white version certainly prove this.My FN2 isn't as much of a drivers tool, and although the poster on page 2 didn't seem to gel with his, I think its a great FWD car, still raw but with modern toys, creature comforts, and I think with a few mods could be very nearly as good as my ITR.
Clio 1*2 were good when they worked, preferred the Phase 1 to drive over the 182. Better high speed handling and ride-quality for me.
Puma was a funny car, 120 bhp but kept up easily with my mates 328i over B-roads unless in a straight line, and that was with crap tyres!
Primera GT was amazing on smooth roads but terrible on anything less.
Mk2 Golf GTI was slow but an absolute hoot. I don't think you'll really beat these 80s car for ultimate connection to the road and uncompromising experience, but only the best will do, as there were a lot of fairly poor cars around otherwise, with poor engines and handling. The Golf and 205 were the best of the breed.
PomBstard said:
I had a 98 Mk1 Sporting from new - put 63,000 reliable miles on it in 28 months - was a hoot to drive. Not saying it was the best out there, and was certainly not rapid outright, but the quick, albeit feel-free, steering and rev-hungry engine meant fun was to be had. The only car in which I've hit the rev limiter in top gear. Twice. Was also roomy enough for four adults, and would stay at an indicated 3 digits all day.
The one I used had a 6 speed box and no chance of hitting the rev limiter in top. In fact 6th was almost dangerous as the engine didn't have the guts to pull it.The engine revved and screamed, but in quite a nasty way, you felt like you were killing it, and it sounded like it.
Steering was indirect, numb, no feel and had the feeling of being attached to the front wheels by a rubber steering column. Also for me the seating position was probably the worst of any car I've ever driven.
It's only redeeming feature was the bright yellow paint work.
300bhp/ton said:
PomBstard said:
I had a 98 Mk1 Sporting from new - put 63,000 reliable miles on it in 28 months - was a hoot to drive. Not saying it was the best out there, and was certainly not rapid outright, but the quick, albeit feel-free, steering and rev-hungry engine meant fun was to be had. The only car in which I've hit the rev limiter in top gear. Twice. Was also roomy enough for four adults, and would stay at an indicated 3 digits all day.
The one I used had a 6 speed box and no chance of hitting the rev limiter in top. In fact 6th was almost dangerous as the engine didn't have the guts to pull it.The engine revved and screamed, but in quite a nasty way, you felt like you were killing it, and it sounded like it.
Steering was indirect, numb, no feel and had the feeling of being attached to the front wheels by a rubber steering column. Also for me the seating position was probably the worst of any car I've ever driven.
It's only redeeming feature was the bright yellow paint work.
steviegunn said:
masermartin said:
steviegunn said:
The ones I've owned or driven that stood out, Peugeot 309 1.9 GTi, Ford Puma 1.7, Nissan Almera GTi.
Did they change the steering weighting/feedback on the Almera GTi over the standard car? I had a non-GTi as a hire car once and it was disgustingly light and devoid of feeling and the car felt so beige.
300bhp/ton said:
Honestly don't know anything about these really. Suspect a Mk2.
Yep its a Mk2. Scary. I had one exactly the same. Funnily enough I embarrassed the hell out of mate in mine. We were going from Sheffield to Calver in the peaks and went down past the Chequers Inn - me in the Punto and him in a CTR. He could barely stay with me down the hill
Agree about the total lack of power.... even with NOS on it it wasn't great.....
lee_erm said:
rb5er said:
Pretty sure that is just the cooking version. The top spec is the RS.
That's just a Zetec, I guess it was the cooking version until the ST and subsequent RS came along though!BMW 320d - Cooking
BMW M3 - Hot
PomBstard said:
I had a 98 Mk1 Sporting from new - put 63,000 reliable miles on it in 28 months - was a hoot to drive. Not saying it was the best out there, and was certainly not rapid outright, but the quick, albeit feel-free, steering and rev-hungry engine meant fun was to be had. The only car in which I've hit the rev limiter in top gear. Twice. Was also roomy enough for four adults, and would stay at an indicated 3 digits all day.
Also, another vote for the original Ka - had a ball in one of these around the mountains of Majorca.
Others I'd include were 205 and ZX. We had base Diesel versions of both and whilst straight line pace was lacking, there was no need to lift off for corners. Part of the fun was seeing how much speed could be carried, and the basic chassis in both was the reason.
Peugeots 306, 309 and 405 were all great fun too.
Mine was the same, a Yellow R reg...Mk1, was great fun, good on fuel if driven slowly and would pull to the limiter in top gear. Loads of lift off oversteer and a very planted front end....Im sure at an indicated 90mph it was revving at 5k....Also, another vote for the original Ka - had a ball in one of these around the mountains of Majorca.
Others I'd include were 205 and ZX. We had base Diesel versions of both and whilst straight line pace was lacking, there was no need to lift off for corners. Part of the fun was seeing how much speed could be carried, and the basic chassis in both was the reason.
Peugeots 306, 309 and 405 were all great fun too.
300bhp/ton said:
Honestly don't know anything about these really. Suspect a Mk2.
Indeed, as Kiwi said, that's a Mk2. Mk1 had a 5-sp box which pulled about 17mph/1000 in top - cut-out was 7000rpm I think, which was noisy and bumpy... I think the Mk2 had electric steering and less power. Neither of which would be helpful. Never had a problem with the driving position, and I'm 6'2". As I said, not great, but was fun.
Mine was yellow too!
Also, the Citroen AX, not just the GT, but also the base versions. Had an 1100 for a few months, and caned it everywhere - really was great fun around B-roads, even if it was made from cellophane and old socks.
Don't have much experience, but my 92 Mk2 CRX 1.6 (124HP) was absolutely amazing on B-roads.
It was ridiculously nimble too, on par with my MX-5. It actually weighed less than my MX-5 (860 kg. for the CRX) and had a 10x more exciting exciting engine than the MX-5 as well (my old MX-5 was a 1.6 with 110 hp methinks, I hated that engine because it always left me wanting more and I never once felt that in the CRX).
Funny thing is that people say RWD is potentially dangerous for an inexperienced driver, however I've driven RWD all my life and to me driving a FWD car fast felt a lot more risky (because in the RWD you can save your ass and in the FWD you're driving right off the corner if you make a big mistake)
It was ridiculously nimble too, on par with my MX-5. It actually weighed less than my MX-5 (860 kg. for the CRX) and had a 10x more exciting exciting engine than the MX-5 as well (my old MX-5 was a 1.6 with 110 hp methinks, I hated that engine because it always left me wanting more and I never once felt that in the CRX).
Funny thing is that people say RWD is potentially dangerous for an inexperienced driver, however I've driven RWD all my life and to me driving a FWD car fast felt a lot more risky (because in the RWD you can save your ass and in the FWD you're driving right off the corner if you make a big mistake)
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