The most forgiving cars?

[JohneeBoy]

Having scanned through the "Widowmakers?" thread I wondered what we believe might be the most forgiving of cars out there? For example, my E350 has so much grip, big powerful brakes and so many driver aids that I need to be doing something monumentally stupid to lose control. That said, I actually find it a nervy drive because I feel like too much of my safety is wrapped up in the electronics and there isn't a huge amount of feel/feedback from the chassis itself; compared to my Mk1 MX5 anyway.

[Codswallop]

Would probably be something like an Audi A3 1.9 Diesel Quattro. Modern enough to come with every acronym, diesel enough to be slow, 4wd for extra foll-proofness, and it's an Audi so it's had every ounce of driving pleasure turned into safe and predictable understeer.

[Dave Hedgehog]

just about anything 4wd

there's a thread on here somewhere of members stuffed cars

the vast majority are high powered rwd, the kind jurnos love to powwwaaaahhhhhh slide in on track

there was 3 quattro's in the thread (i think), one was stolen and joyridden to death and one was driven by a lady

if you look at the biturbo RS4 from 2002-2005 it drops from 527 to 508 and that includes those destroyed / stolen and shipped abroad

http://howmanyleft.co.uk/vehicle/audi_rs4_quattro

[J4CKO]

A 1.2 Polo with ESP, you will crash it on purpose to alleviate the boredom though.

[Dave Hedgehog]

J4CKO said:

A 1.2 Polo with ESP, you will crash it on purpose to alleviate the boredom though.

i second that, a hateful car ..

[CraigyMc]

Late model A Class?

Pretty sure that as long as the stability control is working, you won't be able to roll it.

Pretty sure.

[Rovinghawk]

JohneeBoy said:

For example, my E350 has so much grip, big powerful brakes and so many driver aids that I need to be doing something monumentally stupid to lose control.

I wish you luck when it snows- I've seen a fair few crashed Mercs, regardless of gizmos.

RH

[davepoth]

That Volvo that brakes and steers for you?

[Olf]

I've heard the 1958 Plymouth Fury's can be quite unforgiving if that helps narrow it down?

[jason s4]

davepoth said:

That Volvo that brakes and steers for you?

You mean this one?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNi17YLnZpg

Not really a car but im not sure id trust this either

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSQSueFrxzI&fea...

Edited by jason s4 on Thursday 15th December 23:34

[New POD]

2.0 8V 4x4 Cavalier Mk3 - Mechanically similar to the 210 BHP Turbo LET 16V - rare but, with just 115 bhp. (early precat ones had 130

and Sooooooooo rare. I've only ever seen one.

[sleep envy]

Codswallop said:

Would probably be something like an Audi A3 1.9 Diesel Quattro. Modern enough to come with every acronym, diesel enough to be slow, 4wd for extra foll-proofness, and it's an Audi so it's had every ounce of driving pleasure turned into safe and predictable understeer.

Borrowed a 2.0 version when mine was at the dealer.

You can hussle them although they're a tad heavy for the donkey. Oh, and you can get into an awful lot of trouble if you really want to on a greasy corner.

Most predictable for me was my dad's volvo 240 - you could leave that on the lockstops all day

[gaz1234]

Anything slow and softly sprung

[j44esd]

sleep envy said:

Most predictable for me was my dad's volvo 240 - you could leave that on the lockstops all day

gaz1234 said:

Anything slow and softly sprung

[warch]

Yeah, you can knock anything 4x4 off that list in snow and ice though, the extra traction just means you'll be going much faster when you ineveitably understeer off the road, all the stability control in the world won't stop that happening.

I always found old Mini's and strangely their modern namesake to allow a fair amount of cackhandedness before you ended up in the scenery, lack of power and a decent chassis being the common factor between the two cars.

[TOENHEEL]

I would say a Porsche Boxster/ Cayman Due to the balance you can do anything with them on the road and be fine very flattering car for a driver. I found my two exige S's piss easy to drive quick as well and due to running sticky tyres gave you bags of grip should you need to lift off mid bend in the dry unexpectedly!!!

[GravelBen]

warch said:

Yeah, you can knock anything 4x4 off that list in snow and ice though, the extra traction just means you'll be going much faster when you ineveitably understeer off the road, all the stability control in the world won't stop that happening.

I'm sorry, but if you genuinely think 4x4 is a hindrance or less forgiving on slippery surfaces then you are probably in need of a brain transplant.

And in answer to the OP, most Subarus are about the most forgiving and idiot-proof cars I've sampled.

[XJSJohn]

GravelBen said:

And in answer to the OP, most Subarus are about the most forgiving and idiot-proof cars I've sampled.

subaru Imprezza 1.6, 4 wheel drive, asthmatically underpowered but with a cracking chassis! even trying to throw one in a ditch is hard .... although i still see people out here who manage somehow!!

[warch]

GravelBen said:

warch said:

Yeah, you can knock anything 4x4 off that list in snow and ice though, the extra traction just means you'll be going much faster when you ineveitably understeer off the road, all the stability control in the world won't stop that happening.

I'm sorry, but if you genuinely think 4x4 is a hindrance or less forgiving on slippery surfaces then you are probably in need of a brain transplant.

And in answer to the OP, most Subarus are about the most forgiving and idiot-proof cars I've sampled.

If you lived and worked in the countryside where I live, you'd regularly see the fallout from loads of idiots who went out and bought a 4x4 and assumed it'd be foolproof on snow and ice, I often see them parked in ditches or upside in fields usually because although the traction is better, cornering and braking is often not so, plus when you lose grip you'll be going much faster. I owned a 4x4 car for seven years and a Land Rover for nearly twenty years so I'm not criticising them per se, just suggesting they can be a handful in certain conditions.

[GravelBen]

warch said:

If you lived and worked in the countryside where I live

Obviously no idea where I live then...


They are less of a handful in slippery conditions than 2wd cars, the fact that idiots still manage to crash them doesn't change that.