If you could only have one car, would you go ICE or EV?

[cerb4.5lee]

With the rise of EVs nowadays, it got me thinking which way would you go if you were restricted to only having one car. I'd still stick with an ICE...because I love engines and exhaust noises, but which way would you go and why?

[The Selfish Gene]

ICE obviously for a million reasons - mostly because they're so much better for the environment

[Hoofy]

An igloo... I mean an ICE shed. Can't beat it for cheap if you buy right. Add a sports exhaust for aural fun.

[VeeReihenmotor6]

ICE.

Don't have anything against EVs as a choice of vehicle for those they suit and would happily own one for running about it alongside an ICE car.

[cerb4.5lee]

Hoofy said:

An igloo... I mean an ICE shed. Can't beat it for cheap if you buy right. Add a sports exhaust for aural fun.

Folk will be mentioning "In Car Entertainment" next as well I reckon!

[jonathan_roberts]

EV. Have run EV only for 4 years now. 2 of those one car only (model y). Just got a new model 3 highland to add to the fleet as my wife is doing more miles now. Have never once regretted the decision.

[Hoofy]

cerb4.5lee said:

Hoofy said:

An igloo... I mean an ICE shed. Can't beat it for cheap if you buy right. Add a sports exhaust for aural fun.

Folk will be mentioning "In Car Entertainment" next as well I reckon!

A decent In Car Entertainment system is good for drowning out the Tesla rattles.

[Nomme de Plum]

I have one that does all the functions I need.

It's an EV for sound economic and engineering reasons as the diesel Mercedes engine I had before did not suit the usage profile I now have. Mainly short journeys.

If I was doing longer runs I'd have another Taycan.

[Nomme de Plum]

cerb4.5lee said:

With the rise of EVs nowadays, it got me thinking which way would you go if you were restricted to only having one car. I'd still stick with an ICE...because I love engines and exhaust noises, but which way would you go and why?

As a car enthusiast how often do you get your hands greasy. What have you built / modified?

[andy43]

Preheating an EV for ten minutes on a cold icy morning, then getting into it and flooring it with zero worries is a good feeling. The silence in traffic can be good. The initial EV get up and go is awesome.
Range anxiety is a minus but long term theoretically that’ll improve as charging becomes easier, or so we’re told - I’m not convinced. Spontaneous trips of any distance can be virtually impossible, and the preplanning of those 1 in 100 longer trips is an utter PITA.
The lack of emotion, driver involvement and the lack of the feeling of successfully operating a machine smoothly and well are major negatives too, imho. Fart noises, an individual design or clever screens don’t give a car enough character, not like an engine can anyway.
Four EVs over nine years here, but never as an only car - we’ve always had ICE as backup.
If it wasn’t for the EV tax breaks we’d have stuck with ICE.
One car only, it’d have to be ICE. You can drive as far as you want, when you want, and feel like you’re involved with the car. Ideally a V8 petrol because I’ve found they are the most rewarding (for me anyway) to own.

[cerb4.5lee]

Nomme de Plum said:

cerb4.5lee said:

With the rise of EVs nowadays, it got me thinking which way would you go if you were restricted to only having one car. I'd still stick with an ICE...because I love engines and exhaust noises, but which way would you go and why?

As a car enthusiast how often do you get your hands greasy. What have you built / modified?

Not this again?!

I ought to embrace EVs really...because of my lack of spannering skills to be fair. I'm not interested in getting my hands greasy, and I'd rather pay someone else to work on my cars instead. But I do still class myself as a car enthusiast(well an ICE car enthusiast anyway) regardless though.

[Evolved]

ICE. Close thread.

Noise, feel, interaction, smell, feedback.

[cerb4.5lee]

andy43 said:

One car only, it’d have to be ICE. You can drive as far as you want, when you want, and feel like you’re involved with the car. Ideally a V8 petrol because I’ve found they are the most rewarding (for me anyway) to own.

I really enjoyed owning a V8 petrol too.

With hindsight now, I wished that I'd gone for a V8 for my occasional car really.

[Roger Irrelevant]

ICE for now, and tbh probably for a while yet, but as soon as an EV and the associated infrastructure can do the job(s) that I'd want a single ICE car to do I'll have one like a shot.

[Nomme de Plum]

cerb4.5lee said:

Nomme de Plum said:

cerb4.5lee said:

With the rise of EVs nowadays, it got me thinking which way would you go if you were restricted to only having one car. I'd still stick with an ICE...because I love engines and exhaust noises, but which way would you go and why?

As a car enthusiast how often do you get your hands greasy. What have you built / modified?

Not this again?!

I ought to embrace EVs really...because of my lack of spannering skills to be fair. I'm not interested in getting my hands greasy, and I'd rather pay someone else to work on my cars instead. But I do still class myself as a car enthusiast(well an ICE car enthusiast anyway) regardless though.

Of course we can pay to do stuff. I've not got the facility to bore out an engine or to take bigger liners but was rebuilding engines/boxes in my teens. That's enthusiasm but I'm no F1 engineer or racing driver.

I think you have a Caterham and you don't even know how to set it up or have taken it on a track? Get some proper track driving lessons, and track it. It really doesn't matter how good or bad you are the only one you're competing with is you.

[Seasonal Hero]

EV here. After 37 years of ICE it's a nice new world to learn about and I Iike the way they drive.

[andy43]

cerb4.5lee said:

Not this again?!

I ought to embrace EVs really...because of my lack of spannering skills to be fair. I'm not interested in getting my hands greasy, and I'd rather pay someone else to work on my cars instead. But I do still class myself as a car enthusiast(well an ICE car enthusiast anyway) regardless though.

You don’t need oily fingernails to be an enthusiast. You can be an EV owner and still be a car enthusiast - you can clean it, change the wheels and tyres, buy interesting boot mats and wiper blades for it, join a forum and talk about chargers and range and stuff, but the EV part is a bit limiting and an EV forum does seem to attract some odd people.
Current Honda E could be lowered, have the sills painted body colour, stick some different wheels on it… pretty much the same as a newish ICE bar a fancy air filter or exhaust… but it’s just not the same as owning something with an engine that makes you feel like it lives and breathes.

[Nomme de Plum]

andy43 said:

cerb4.5lee said:

Not this again?!

I ought to embrace EVs really...because of my lack of spannering skills to be fair. I'm not interested in getting my hands greasy, and I'd rather pay someone else to work on my cars instead. But I do still class myself as a car enthusiast(well an ICE car enthusiast anyway) regardless though.

You don’t need oily fingernails to be an enthusiast. You can be an EV owner and still be a car enthusiast - you can clean it, change the wheels and tyres, buy interesting boot mats and wiper blades for it, join a forum and talk about chargers and range and stuff, but the EV part is a bit limiting and an EV forum does seem to attract some odd people.
Current Honda E could be lowered, have the sills painted body colour, stick some different wheels on it… pretty much the same as a newish ICE bar a fancy air filter or exhaust… but it’s just not the same as owning something with an engine that makes you feel like it lives and breathes.

So you don't change springs, damper settings on any of your cars? How about differing tyres. Surely you try different rubber? How can any car enthusiast own a car and not want it to handle better and maybe squeeze a bit more performance. Doesn't sound very PH to me.

[jhonn]

Internal combustion without a doubt, preferably petrol, or old-school non-common rail diesel.

Needing a car that can tow heavy trailers, work off-road and function in a Scottish winter pretty much rules out an EV for me.

Besides, the wife can barely keep our current cars in fuel, the chance of her coming home and bothering/remembering to 'plug the car in' are slim to nil.

[andy43]

Nomme de Plum said:

andy43 said:

cerb4.5lee said:

Not this again?!

I ought to embrace EVs really...because of my lack of spannering skills to be fair. I'm not interested in getting my hands greasy, and I'd rather pay someone else to work on my cars instead. But I do still class myself as a car enthusiast(well an ICE car enthusiast anyway) regardless though.

You don’t need oily fingernails to be an enthusiast. You can be an EV owner and still be a car enthusiast - you can clean it, change the wheels and tyres, buy interesting boot mats and wiper blades for it, join a forum and talk about chargers and range and stuff, but the EV part is a bit limiting and an EV forum does seem to attract some odd people.
Current Honda E could be lowered, have the sills painted body colour, stick some different wheels on it… pretty much the same as a newish ICE bar a fancy air filter or exhaust… but it’s just not the same as owning something with an engine that makes you feel like it lives and breathes.

So you don't change springs, damper settings on any of your cars? How about differing tyres. Surely you try different rubber? How can any car enthusiast own a car and not want it to handle better and maybe squeeze a bit more performance. Doesn't sound very PH to me.

Current cars - other than tyres and geo, no. But you don’t have to in order to be enthusiastic about cars, to be a PH-er who gets excited over daft lumps of metal.
I’d bet those who’ve done suspension, tuning, that sort of thing are actually a minority on here.