"It's quite nippy"
Discussion
Somewhatfoolish said:
Have you ever heard this phrase used an about a car that was, in fact, anything other than slow?
(Japanese doesn't count)
Yes when we test drove the original Ford Ka. My wife had a gutless astra 1.3 and we wanted something better for her commute. (Japanese doesn't count)
The dealer said we would find it nippy in comparison to the astra. It felt even slower!
Nippy cars to me are small non sporty cars, that are fun to drive when pushed. Not quick, but feel better than they should.
It's down to defining what someone considers slow and fast I guess.
I'd consider my Twingo 133 to be nippy, being a small, light, fun handling little car. I'd say my mums Audi A1 is a bit nippy with it's 1.4 turbo engine. I'd consider my CLS63 to be a fast car, well to me a very fast car but there's plenty that are way faster.
But if someone drives a 500bhp car day to day, they'd consider my Saab 9-3 with 280bhp to be nippy as it's not a patch on a car like that but it's far from slow.
I'd consider my Twingo 133 to be nippy, being a small, light, fun handling little car. I'd say my mums Audi A1 is a bit nippy with it's 1.4 turbo engine. I'd consider my CLS63 to be a fast car, well to me a very fast car but there's plenty that are way faster.
But if someone drives a 500bhp car day to day, they'd consider my Saab 9-3 with 280bhp to be nippy as it's not a patch on a car like that but it's far from slow.
When I had just passed my test anything this side of a 850 mini was nippy so a 1.3 Astra or escort would have been nippy whereas the mini was slow, next stage up was quick and an xr2 or similar hot hatch was definitely regarded as quick and anything with a turbo was s
t of a shovel or effin quick, cosworth was in a different league altogether. Yes I was a Ford man back in the day!
t of a shovel or effin quick, cosworth was in a different league altogether. Yes I was a Ford man back in the day! 
Glenn63 said:
J4CKO said:
SAS Tom said:
No, it’s usually someone who’s not got the sporty version of something but they try and convince you it’s as good.
Like a 1.0 fiesta instead of an ST.
lol, weirdly we have both…Like a 1.0 fiesta instead of an ST.
My 300 odd bhp highly modified ST, and the wife has her trusty 1.0 Ecoboost.
The ST is pretty rapid, as a Range Rover Sport (SVR) owner found out yesterday when he couldn't pull away.
But the Ecoboost still feels pretty “nippy”, it’s 140 bhp and weighs 1100 odd kilos so its power to weight is warm hatch. When you think back, most superminis were in the 50 to 80 bhp range.
But yes, “nippy”, usually means you haven’t driven anything faster.
Also, a lot of folk don’t “drive” a car, they aim it, can go fast in straight line, but have never leant on one in the corners, it’s amazing how capable modern cars are, a racing driver will likely lap quicker in an Aygo than the average punter in a performance car.
As a side, I find ‘nippy’ more about handling, throttle response etc more than out right speed. Mrs Astra vxr was in for some work and she got a fiesta as a courtesy car, no idea what engine, it was slow, but that was ‘nippy’, eager to get going like it wanted to rev, quick steering, light, agile, handled well ‘up on its toes’, actually quite fun!
Neil1323bolts said:
When I had just passed my test anything this side of a 850 mini was nippy so a 1.3 Astra or escort would have been nippy whereas the mini was slow, next stage up was quick and an xr2 or similar hot hatch was definitely regarded as quick and anything with a turbo was st of a shovel or effin quick, cosworth was in a different league altogether. Yes I was a Ford man back in the day!
Yeah it's all very relative... I remember the first time I properly floored my 1.6 diesel Alfa MiTo (120hp, 9.9s to 60)- I felt like I'd just lit the afterburners on an SR-71. At that point it was by far the quickest thing I'd ever driven, so was quite an experience.t of a shovel or effin quick, cosworth was in a different league altogether. Yes I was a Ford man back in the day! Nowadays I drive cars with similar or better performance and practically nod off between gear changes. Something like an M340i feels quick, but even then not outrageously so...
To me, a "nippy" car is a small car that's reasonably agile, lightweight and has a drivetrain that punts it around quite happily at town speeds.
To this degree I describe something like an Aygo as nippy, as they fit the bill. Nippy to me does not mean fast, however. But "nippy" is a positive attribute for a town car, as it's suited to dealing with start-stop traffic, narrow streets and the urban jungle without needing to perform at high speed.
To this degree I describe something like an Aygo as nippy, as they fit the bill. Nippy to me does not mean fast, however. But "nippy" is a positive attribute for a town car, as it's suited to dealing with start-stop traffic, narrow streets and the urban jungle without needing to perform at high speed.
SAS Tom said:
Like a 1.0 fiesta instead of an ST.
Funny you say that, I had a courtesy car that was indeed a 1 litre Mk5 Fiesta. Hustling down country lanes, it did indeed feel "quite nippy". Dreadful at accelerating off the lights, of course, but maintaining speed round a corner and keeping it pointing in the right direction, I'd describe it as "quite nippy". Interestingly, it was also the automatic version!I owned an 3.2 MV6 omega for a few years. 218 bhp as standard. Not lots of power compared to lots of cars today, but the most I've ever owned. It wasn't nippy. It was quick once you got it moving, like a train.
Also thrashing it down a B road required concentration, as it handled like a train. It was very much point and squirt.
I replaced it with my current car 140 bhp astra GTC. (Auto). Lotus helped with the suspension apparently.
It is "nippy". Brings out the hoodlum in me. You can get it off the line quicker than the omega, but where it comes into its own is on a B Road, or just taking liberties on Roundabouts. You can brake mid bend and it still goes where you aimed it. You can take those bends faster, and if you have line of sight, barrel into a roundabout without slowing. On my commute I've experimented in.the dry, seeing how fast you can take every roundabout. If there is nothing to give way to, there's a few that you can keep cruise control on.
Also thrashing it down a B road required concentration, as it handled like a train. It was very much point and squirt.
I replaced it with my current car 140 bhp astra GTC. (Auto). Lotus helped with the suspension apparently.
It is "nippy". Brings out the hoodlum in me. You can get it off the line quicker than the omega, but where it comes into its own is on a B Road, or just taking liberties on Roundabouts. You can brake mid bend and it still goes where you aimed it. You can take those bends faster, and if you have line of sight, barrel into a roundabout without slowing. On my commute I've experimented in.the dry, seeing how fast you can take every roundabout. If there is nothing to give way to, there's a few that you can keep cruise control on.
Muddle238 said:
To me, a "nippy" car is a small car that's reasonably agile, lightweight and has a drivetrain that punts it around quite happily at town speeds.
To this degree I describe something like an Aygo as nippy, as they fit the bill. Nippy to me does not mean fast, however. But "nippy" is a positive attribute for a town car, as it's suited to dealing with start-stop traffic, narrow streets and the urban jungle without needing to perform at high speed.
I think this is a good definition. I had. Polo 1.2tsi around 110hp and fitted that description. Currently have a Ibiza FR sport.. nippy, not going to set the road alight but suspension not as soft as the Polo. Fun and chuckable. Both 6 speed box so happily be on motorway too.To this degree I describe something like an Aygo as nippy, as they fit the bill. Nippy to me does not mean fast, however. But "nippy" is a positive attribute for a town car, as it's suited to dealing with start-stop traffic, narrow streets and the urban jungle without needing to perform at high speed.
Edited by languagetimothy on Thursday 23 May 22:35
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