What's the most 'soothing' car you've had..?
Discussion
Any top level Passat - it is a proper Grandad car - cosy slippers, cardigan, comfy armchair, peace and quiet.
It is the most boringly comfortable reassuringly competent place to be on 4 wheels bar none - it is the most competent all rounder ever made. I am a convert. I get what the cult like fuss amongst other owners is all about.
It is the most boringly comfortable reassuringly competent place to be on 4 wheels bar none - it is the most competent all rounder ever made. I am a convert. I get what the cult like fuss amongst other owners is all about.
Any top level Passat - it is a proper Grandad car - cosy slippers, cardigan, comfy armchair, peace and quiet.
It is the most boringly comfortable reassuringly competent place to be on 4 wheels bar none - it is the most competent all rounder ever made. I am a convert. I get what the cult like fuss amongst other owners is all about. And those seats - my back issues are a thing of the past. I once drove 7 hours non-stop, it was like I'd only gone up the road.
When we went to Le Mans for the motorbike 24 hrs, everyone in my car decided to buy one afterwards.
It is the most boringly comfortable reassuringly competent place to be on 4 wheels bar none - it is the most competent all rounder ever made. I am a convert. I get what the cult like fuss amongst other owners is all about. And those seats - my back issues are a thing of the past. I once drove 7 hours non-stop, it was like I'd only gone up the road.
When we went to Le Mans for the motorbike 24 hrs, everyone in my car decided to buy one afterwards.
Inspectorclueso said:
Jaguar, my old man had a 4.2 series 2 sovereign and we used to do Scotland trips and it was awesome, fits the bill nicely, so I do wonder if a more modern version of the same would ace this. I shall investigate ! I have looked at XJ supercharged, but quite rare used, so limited choice....
I don't know how they compare to the classic Jaguars but the modern ones still have it compared to their contemporaries. There might be exceptions but as a general rule a modern Jaguar will have a ride quality that their equivalent BMW, Audi or Merc just can't match.I took an XE, on the standard, passive suspension (not the upgrade with adjustable dampers) to France a couple of years back. 4 hours in the car without a break and I've never been fresher after a long trip in anything, yet when you get to the twisties still manages to put in a lively, involving performance. The question is whether you can put up with the rest of a modern Jaguar. Personally I could, thought that was a great car, but I've heard a lot of complaints about the seats, the interior look and quality, the infotainment system, and of course if you go too new you don't have a decent range of engines...
But for ride quality and ride / handling compromise, they're still king of the hill IMO. With the XE, at least, to me it felt like they'd spent 90% of the whole budget on the suspension. Nothing ever unsettled it, nor made the ride / handling feel cheap.
Edited by kiseca on Friday 30th April 12:01
I've had loads of barges, the single most soothing was probably a 1995 Jaguar XJ12; any of the XJs up to the X350 has that nailed but the X300s rode better and felt like they wrapped around you in a very comforting way. Low NVH, plenty of easily accessible power, magic carpet ride 
My current S-Class is good, and it's a far better car than any of the Jaguars, but it's not as relaxing.
Anything less than a full sized barge is too cramped and too noisy to be really soothing, for example my Volvo V70 had great seats but was noisy as hell compared to a real barge. It also takes a really nice car to be soothing for rear seat passengers too; these Saabs, Volvos, 5 series etc are too cramped in the back and the seats don't have any adjustment.
My current S-Class is good, and it's a far better car than any of the Jaguars, but it's not as relaxing.
Anything less than a full sized barge is too cramped and too noisy to be really soothing, for example my Volvo V70 had great seats but was noisy as hell compared to a real barge. It also takes a really nice car to be soothing for rear seat passengers too; these Saabs, Volvos, 5 series etc are too cramped in the back and the seats don't have any adjustment.
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 30th April 12:09
[quote=Arnie Cunningham]I like that fact that many of the responses are for older, high mileage stuff.
Yes, that was one of my thoughts, which makes me think maybe the modern trend to be harsh, big wheeled 'dynamic' is ironically just what most people don't actually need given modern motoring but are persuaded that they 'want' these characteristics....
I like the reference to old a few old Lexus on here. Given the general consensus on reliability I may well investigate particularly as a car to take the hit through next winter.
Yes, that was one of my thoughts, which makes me think maybe the modern trend to be harsh, big wheeled 'dynamic' is ironically just what most people don't actually need given modern motoring but are persuaded that they 'want' these characteristics....
I like the reference to old a few old Lexus on here. Given the general consensus on reliability I may well investigate particularly as a car to take the hit through next winter.
Andy665 said:
My old Jaguar S Type R was incredibly relaxing to drive.
I had a late model S-Type and it did a really good job of distilling the XJ into a somewhat smaller car. The diesel engine was toss, but the car had a really excellent ride/handling setup. Shame it was so f
king ugly 
Going for older cars that are still attainable for me (so no multi-million pound Bugattis and Bentleys), I'd be interested to do a roadtrip in a mint condition Vauxhall Royale Coupe (after seeing the Hubnut video about a less than mint one) or possibly it's GM predecessor, the Opel Diplomat B with the 327ci V8. Soooo much velour. Or a Rover P5B... That's an itch I've always wanted to scratch.
But, I bet those are all serenely relaxing cars to drive. If you can confirm, please do. If you can confirm the reality is different, please don't spoil my fantasy
But, I bet those are all serenely relaxing cars to drive. If you can confirm, please do. If you can confirm the reality is different, please don't spoil my fantasy
Another vote for the Rover 75,preferably in V6 top spec form.I've had 3 for everyday/leave anywhere wafting, and done over 200k miles in them for that very reason.My first one that I did 100K miles in,a 2001 car purchased in 2009 with 28k miles for 2 grand) had better levels of NVH compared with any car I've been in or owned since.
Nannying gadgets/bongs and low profile tyres do not a soothing car make.
Nannying gadgets/bongs and low profile tyres do not a soothing car make.
stickleback123 said:
I've had loads of barges, the single most soothing was probably a 1995 Jaguar XJ12; any of the XJs up to the X350 has that nailed but the X300s rode better and felt like they wrapped around you in a very comforting way. Low NVH, plenty of easily accessible power, magic carpet ride
My current S-Class is good, and it's a far better car than any of the Jaguars, but it's not as relaxing.
Anything less than a full sized barge is too cramped and too noisy to be really soothing, for example my Volvo V70 had great seats but was noisy as hell compared to a real barge. It also takes a really nice car to be soothing for rear seat passengers too; these Saabs, Volvos, 5 series etc are too cramped in the back and the seats don't have any adjustment.
Not saying that Saab’s and Volvo’s are the best thing ever will not go down well on this site. My current S-Class is good, and it's a far better car than any of the Jaguars, but it's not as relaxing.
Anything less than a full sized barge is too cramped and too noisy to be really soothing, for example my Volvo V70 had great seats but was noisy as hell compared to a real barge. It also takes a really nice car to be soothing for rear seat passengers too; these Saabs, Volvos, 5 series etc are too cramped in the back and the seats don't have any adjustment.
Edited by stickleback123 on Friday 30th April 12:09
MitchT said:
Not mine but my best mate's dad had a Ford Cortina 2.3 Ghia back when they were new and my cousin, more recently, had a first gen Lexus IS200. Both cars rode like I was having a long hot soak in the bath.
The 2.3 Ghia Cortina is just a great car. I regret to this day in 1990 I didn’t close the deal on one I was looking at. Would have been a great car for a 17 year old. Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff