What are the best "feel good" cars?
Discussion
We tend to focus a little on the negative here on PH and we recently had 13 pages of discussion on the most dismal cars
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
but what about the opposite? Those cars that just feel "special" and make you feel good even if you've had a terrible day. They don't have to be expensive, fast or even good but just brighten up your day for having driven or even passengered in them. Not had a lot of wheel time in any of these cars but what I have experienced has been really positive.
Range Rover - not so much the P38 and I haven't experienced a classic but the L322/L405 just have beautiful interiors, so comfortable, spacious, great visibility and relaxing to be in whilst being able to make brisk but smooth progress. I'm a bit scared of the running costs but you can pick up L322s pretty cheap and I totally understand why you would.
Aston Martin - the V8V is the one that I have spent the most time in but equally DB9/DBS. Just beautiful to look at, sound amazing, great to sit in, cocooned in.
Porsche 911 - perhaps a bit plain compared to an Aston but exudes quality (well maybe not the 996) but everything feels engineered "just so" and just such a complete overall package (only been in water-cooled 911s).
Jaguar XJ - I'm talking the classic silhouette. So low and sleek compared to the boxy German executive cars and the light leather and wood interiors felt so luxurious compared to the rather austere German idea of luxury. Fast, refined and smooth too.
Mercedes SL (R129/R230) - certainly the R129s felt like the best engineered Mercedes ever but I loved the more contemporary style, folding metal roof and driving dynamics of the R230. Probably the cheapest, most expensive feeling car you can buy. Even an SL280/SL350 feels expensive.
Of the cars that I have owned/driven more extensively.
My "Blobeye" Impreza WRX Wagon - I just always enjoyed driving this car, slow, fast, whatever. Cheap interior but all the touch points (steering, pedals, seats) felt quality, perfect driving position, easy to get into a rhythm with, felt like an extension of my body etc and the hood scoop, massive front fog lights and whooshy turbo noises always made me giggle. A really well-judged package for fast road driving.
MINI Cooper - unlike most "cheap" small cars, these don't feel cheap or boring and unlike the Fiat 500, which does look interesting, the drive lives up to the looks too. It perhaps didn't reach the heights of my 205 GTi when driven hard but more composed and relaxed at more sedate speeds and feels completely unique to sit in.
Golf GTI - only had a mk5 briefly as a company car but felt like a step up from the already brilliant mk5 Golf TDI that I had before it. Just a really nice, complete package that was comfortable and refined but fast and accomplished enough to be entertaining when you were in the mood. Felt like a quality product and loved the retro touches like the tartan seats and "golf ball" gearknob. Later owned a mk7 Golf GT, which is probably the best all-round car that I have owned, so a mk7 Golf GTI is still very much a car that I aspire to.
Mercedes C/E-Class - Not so much the newer ones, as they have lost their simple elegance and the latest interiors look a bit chintzy but I loved these when they still had the 3-pointed star at the end of the bonnet. Good comfort, ergonomics and quality and a nice RWD balance but more oriented towards comfort than a BMW. I love a good BMW but have driven more disappointing BMWs than Mercedes, as I was always expecting the "Ultimate Driving Machine" and a 318i/320d/520d just isn't. The powertrain in a Mercedes is less important to me, as long as it has sufficient power and is comfortable, refined and well-built, then it delivers what I expect from a Mercedes.
So what are your top "feel good" cars?
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
but what about the opposite? Those cars that just feel "special" and make you feel good even if you've had a terrible day. They don't have to be expensive, fast or even good but just brighten up your day for having driven or even passengered in them. Not had a lot of wheel time in any of these cars but what I have experienced has been really positive.
Range Rover - not so much the P38 and I haven't experienced a classic but the L322/L405 just have beautiful interiors, so comfortable, spacious, great visibility and relaxing to be in whilst being able to make brisk but smooth progress. I'm a bit scared of the running costs but you can pick up L322s pretty cheap and I totally understand why you would.
Aston Martin - the V8V is the one that I have spent the most time in but equally DB9/DBS. Just beautiful to look at, sound amazing, great to sit in, cocooned in.
Porsche 911 - perhaps a bit plain compared to an Aston but exudes quality (well maybe not the 996) but everything feels engineered "just so" and just such a complete overall package (only been in water-cooled 911s).
Jaguar XJ - I'm talking the classic silhouette. So low and sleek compared to the boxy German executive cars and the light leather and wood interiors felt so luxurious compared to the rather austere German idea of luxury. Fast, refined and smooth too.
Mercedes SL (R129/R230) - certainly the R129s felt like the best engineered Mercedes ever but I loved the more contemporary style, folding metal roof and driving dynamics of the R230. Probably the cheapest, most expensive feeling car you can buy. Even an SL280/SL350 feels expensive.
Of the cars that I have owned/driven more extensively.
My "Blobeye" Impreza WRX Wagon - I just always enjoyed driving this car, slow, fast, whatever. Cheap interior but all the touch points (steering, pedals, seats) felt quality, perfect driving position, easy to get into a rhythm with, felt like an extension of my body etc and the hood scoop, massive front fog lights and whooshy turbo noises always made me giggle. A really well-judged package for fast road driving.
MINI Cooper - unlike most "cheap" small cars, these don't feel cheap or boring and unlike the Fiat 500, which does look interesting, the drive lives up to the looks too. It perhaps didn't reach the heights of my 205 GTi when driven hard but more composed and relaxed at more sedate speeds and feels completely unique to sit in.
Golf GTI - only had a mk5 briefly as a company car but felt like a step up from the already brilliant mk5 Golf TDI that I had before it. Just a really nice, complete package that was comfortable and refined but fast and accomplished enough to be entertaining when you were in the mood. Felt like a quality product and loved the retro touches like the tartan seats and "golf ball" gearknob. Later owned a mk7 Golf GT, which is probably the best all-round car that I have owned, so a mk7 Golf GTI is still very much a car that I aspire to.
Mercedes C/E-Class - Not so much the newer ones, as they have lost their simple elegance and the latest interiors look a bit chintzy but I loved these when they still had the 3-pointed star at the end of the bonnet. Good comfort, ergonomics and quality and a nice RWD balance but more oriented towards comfort than a BMW. I love a good BMW but have driven more disappointing BMWs than Mercedes, as I was always expecting the "Ultimate Driving Machine" and a 318i/320d/520d just isn't. The powertrain in a Mercedes is less important to me, as long as it has sufficient power and is comfortable, refined and well-built, then it delivers what I expect from a Mercedes.
So what are your top "feel good" cars?
Edited by white_goodman on Thursday 26th January 06:01
Edited by white_goodman on Thursday 26th January 06:02
Years ago I had a lightly modified Lupo Gti and it's the closest thing to a road legal go-kart I've ever driven. Properly fun, happy little car that had just the right amount of power to be on it all the time without getting you into bother. Always looked forward to jumping in it for any journey and really do miss it, owned a fair few cars since and nothing has had quite the same feel as that thing....
As a passenger my mate used to own a montana green mk2 golf running a cammed 2.9 VR6 engine with a very un-restrictive stainless exhaust that sounded insane and pulled like an absolute train. Obviously not that quick by today's standards but even as a passenger you just sat grinning ear to ear all the time you were in it.
As a passenger my mate used to own a montana green mk2 golf running a cammed 2.9 VR6 engine with a very un-restrictive stainless exhaust that sounded insane and pulled like an absolute train. Obviously not that quick by today's standards but even as a passenger you just sat grinning ear to ear all the time you were in it.
Edited by bobbo89 on Thursday 26th January 07:25
Portofino said:
pablo said:
So basically all the cars you have owned or currently own? 
Yes..…It’s another one of those threads unfortunately.
+1 for the Panda too. Simple. Honest. Practical. Fun.
The winner for me just has to be the Morgan 3-Wheeler. There isn’t a stressful situation that I have encountered in which a run out in the 3-Wheeler wasn’t the perfect tonic. No car I have experienced first hand has ever done “feel good” better - so much so that even other road users and pedestrians feel good for seeing one too.
bobbo89 said:
Years ago I had a lightly modified Lupo Gti and it's the closest thing to a road legal go-kart I've ever driven. Properly fun, happy little car that had just the right amount of power to be on it all the time without getting you into bother. Always looked forward to jumping in it for any journey and really do miss it, owned a fair few cars since and nothing has had quite the same feel as that thing....
Only driven a standard model but it's not a bad shout - as you say, the way you can drive the car at near maximum-commitment and not really get in to any trouble with the fine, upstanding members of The Law has to make it in with a shout. Edited by bobbo89 on Thursday 26th January 07:25
I like a shed for feel good motoring.
I had an old 3.2 XJ8 that I bought for about £400 that I used as a pub car and general run around and I really liked it. Wafty but very unserious.
People look at you funny when you drive a car with tape wheel arches, but it stopped the dog eating the rust.
Sadly mega serious chassis rust took it to the great scrapyard in the sky. I got £350 from the scrap man who collected it though.
I had an old 3.2 XJ8 that I bought for about £400 that I used as a pub car and general run around and I really liked it. Wafty but very unserious.
People look at you funny when you drive a car with tape wheel arches, but it stopped the dog eating the rust.
Sadly mega serious chassis rust took it to the great scrapyard in the sky. I got £350 from the scrap man who collected it though.
Classic mini. Not a cheap option now, and all the obvious disadvantages, but a hosted up 998cc (in brown) when I was 19-20 was great fun.
Basically, flat out everywhere. Brown, loud, not worried about where I parked it, brown, black roof, Revolution alloys, hi-los, Spax dampers, maniflow, cam, headwords, brown
Basically, flat out everywhere. Brown, loud, not worried about where I parked it, brown, black roof, Revolution alloys, hi-los, Spax dampers, maniflow, cam, headwords, brown
Scrump said:
Despite what the OP thinks, my 996 puts a smile on my face every time I drive it even after owning it for over a decade.
Loved mine as well.But to use a PH stereotype, NA MX5's do it for me every time. Roof down, summer night, pop up lights filling the view and wood rimmed Nardi wheel in your hands. Always enjoyed it. Classic car feel without the headaches. Less feel good when you poke a finger through the sill but no cars are perfect.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff