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View Poll Results: What does fun-to-drive mean to you?
Only cars that are fast or really good handlers 175 26.16%
I enjoy driving any kind of car 494 73.84%
Voters: 669. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 5th January 2021, 14:41   #16
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Re: Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!

Voted "I enjoy driving any kind of car". One and half years ago, I was the kind of guy who would swear that 4 wheels move the body and 2 wheels move the soul.

Even though I still find it to be somewhat applicable, I think I've made more memories in my humble Tiago BS6 AMT than my drop down a gear and disappear Dominar 2018. Part of it is to do with being able to talk to my significant other and not having to tear up my throat shouting and part of it is being able to go for a drive without much concerns, whether it's night or rain.

I recently got my first bike re-tested, a Pulsar 2005 that I acquired from a relative in 2013 during my college time. I had doubts on plonking 18k on a bike that was nowhere as free-revving or mile munching as my Dominar, but a drive from my native place to my place last Sunday took care of that. Even though I wasn't driving at 70+, it was the most fun I had in a while. The lightweight body couldn't be any different from the 190kg behemoth that is the Dominar and I couldn't get enough of chucking it.

Then there's the Tiago, with it's AMT that many thinks is inferior to the ones from the Hyundai family. But it's adequately sufficient for the purpose it's meant to serve, to get me from point A to B reliably. And my significant other says the happiest she sees me is when I switch to manual and drop down a gear for quick overtakes (I wish she could see my face when I do the same on the Dom ).

Long rant made short, I think every one of these vehicles has a special place in my heart, for what they bring to the table, and how they do it.

PS: The most powerful car I've driven and most fun I had in a car was test driving the XUV300 Diesel. Have always wanted to drive a BMW which is lauded for it's fun to drive factor. But since I don't have the budget to buy one anytime soon, haven't even done a test drive because it feels kinda cheating to me to be asking for a test drive without an honest intention to buy one. So I'll reserve my thoughts on the powerful engines until I'm able to drive one of those.
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Old 5th January 2021, 14:53   #17
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Re: Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!

Its interesting that a few days ago, I was arguing with my parents since I had the next day off- why dont we go for a longish drive (in current parlance, thats 1-1.5 hrs tops for my parents).
They were like " Dont you have anything better to do ?" I guess they (and even my wife until recently) are still unable to reconcile with the fact that someone "just loves to drive" and has driven a range of cars from the Pontiac Bonneville V6 to Ford Econoline to the Nano and a LOT in between, almost exclusively as a hobby.
Apparently there is nothing creative or tangible coming out of the activity other than carbon compounds. In a nutshell, car drivers (for drivings sake) are an unrecognized minority.

Last edited by fhdowntheline : 5th January 2021 at 14:59.
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Old 5th January 2021, 15:32   #18
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Re: Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!

Many people, especially the old people in my extended family, love my driving style out on the highway. Provided that the roads are good, you can place a glass of water on the dashboard and I'll not spill it. I can cruise all day in top gear without revving too much and I do not brake if I can anticipate situations in advance. Put me in my 69 BHP A-Star AT, in a Tata Manza Quadrajet, in a Vento 1.6 MPI or in a lumbering 350 BHP Ford Expedition, this remains my style. Cruising is what I love. The car matters only a bit for its ergonomics and for its top gear's ratio.
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Old 5th January 2021, 16:21   #19
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Re: Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!

This is a tricky one. I do believe I enjoy a range of automobiles as long as they connect with me - even those that are not fast. My Manual Swift, Automatic Civic and 3 GT all had very different characteristics - yet I have enjoyed driving every one of them.

The slight nuance here is fast vs tight handling. I can drive cars that are not FAST and still enjoy them. But fundamentally I am biased towards cars that have great or at least good handling. I could certainly enjoy a Thar even on tarmac just because of the character it possesses - despite it not being a great handling car. But these are the kind of exceptions I would make for very special vehicles. On the whole I hate cars that come with vague steering feel, poor feedback or just bad handling. To me driving is a visceral experience and when a steering does not give you proper feedback or the car doesnt handle well, in most cases it directly impacts how much I enjoy driving it.

At the risk of being a stickler for words - I do not enjoy driving ANY kind of car. But I do enjoy driving many different types of cars and they do not need to be FAST for me to enjoy them and in some cases need not be the best handlers either.

Last edited by Axe77 : 5th January 2021 at 16:24.
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Old 5th January 2021, 16:23   #20
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Re: Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!

No such requirement for me. Like most others here, give me four wheels, a steering and a gearbox with a driver's seat thrown in, and I am happy. Obviously, a surge of power from a powerful and torquey engine has its own countless merits, but bucketloads of fun can be had with humbler cars even more so when there is a well paved and scenic road at hand. With age getting into late thirties , I much prefer a calm and relaxed cruising style and mile-munching - way more than dashing from one point to the other with my heart in my mouth (which I probably did enjoy in my twenties)!

Hence, a car with decent amount of pulling power and decent dynamics is enough and more for me. That does in no way mean that I would not upgrade to better and more powerful cars in the future, but just that average-powered cars do provide their own share of fun. I will anyways hardly use the power and torque of most cars to their limit, so the max power and torque figures are fairly academic in my case, being little more than numbers on a spec sheet.

Last edited by arindambasu13 : 5th January 2021 at 16:45.
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Old 5th January 2021, 16:29   #21
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Re: Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!

I enjoy driving everything and it need not be a powerful, high tech automobile. All the cars, MS Zen, MS Wagon R, Honda City, Honda Jazz we have owned till now are never termed or seen as a fun to drive card. But love driving them for the peace of mind.

As a matter of fact, the three wheeled contraption called Auto Rickshaw is the most fun to drive vehicle I have ever driven followed by a Mahindra Fergusion tractor towing a water tanker.

Last edited by saisree : 5th January 2021 at 16:32.
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Old 5th January 2021, 16:55   #22
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Re: Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!

There should be another option in the voting, "Depends on Situation". The same reason why there is no easy definition for a fun car as situation wise the capabilities of a car to excel needs to differ.

For a difficult / no road condition we may need 4x4 capability.
For highways the same can be a car with good straight line stability and ability to handle bad roads better in high speeds and good cornering ability like that of low slung sedans.
For packed city traffic with tight parking a small car with loads of low end torque and good turning radius for fitting and parking in corners easily.

All in all that matters to qualify for fun is, car being a machine, means capability to give efficiency for a task as compared to not using it, must give a feeling of superiority over other people driving different cars in the same situation.
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Old 5th January 2021, 17:33   #23
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The car I love to drive.. no matter how the road ahead is..

Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!-xylo1.jpg

I enjoy driving my Xylo E8. Period.

It takes me anywhere, everywhere (except off roading). No matter whether the road is full of traffic jam or not.. Xylo just moves with ease. In tight lanes, people make way when they see a Xylo coming in the opposite direction.

I enjoy the high seating, stress-free engine, great space (only rivaled by Hexa) and better ergonomics for passengers. I do not mind the quirky styling, or the tall "climb-up-and-walk-in" ingress. It comfortably cruises on highways throughout the day.

It does make me a bit tired at the end of the day, but that is expected.
It does goes bouncy on un-even roads, and yes it is built on a ladder. So that is expected too.
It does not have sunroof, but hey it has big windows.
It does not have a performance engine... not even a mHawk (just the good old mEagle), but it still has enough power to keep your occasional pedal-to-metal wishes satisfied.
It does not have any state-of-the-art electronic Gizmos, but I never missed any.

Yes, my car is fun to drive - in the other way around.
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Old 5th January 2021, 17:39   #24
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Re: Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!

Voted "I enjoy driving any kind of car". However I just wanted to add that the car should have decent gear shift quality (If it is MT) and bearable ride quality. I do drive a 2007 WagonR along with 2019 Ertiga currently. And I no longer enjoy the wagon R just for 2 reasons - The gear shift quality became from bad to worst over the years and the bad ride quality. During the initial years I really enjoyed it, especially when the roads were much better. So for me outright power or handling is not a big concern and Ride quality, Gear Shift quality and smoot engine are the primary factors.
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Old 5th January 2021, 17:40   #25
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Re: Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!

Super thread! When I sold off my 4 year old Polo GT last year to get a Hexa XTA, a lot of eyes rolled in my extended family and friend circle. Most asked me "why"?? The only answer I had was " you gotta run it on the highway and you'll know why"!!

Since July of 2020 I have driven the Hexa across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karantaka and Tamil Nadu for a total of ~ 6500 kms. There is nothing that comes close to the ride, NVH and autobox of the Hexa. The views one gets from those huge windows and seating position are phenomenal. I can drive all day and walk out of the car as fresh as a daisy and it's a hoot to drive. I drove from Ooty to Pune non-stop (~17hours) with my wife and mother-in-law. None of them could believe we had driven for 17hours straight. Try doing that in any sedan or hatch. I am pretty sure you won't walk straight for a couple of a days.

Most of my friends/family bought tin cans when the Hexa was available and now they regret it. Too bad I say!
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Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!-hexa.jpg  

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Old 5th January 2021, 17:51   #26
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Re: Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!

Voted for any car, my first post on Team Bhp in which I introduced myself, I mentioned that I can have the time of my life riding a TVS Pep+ at 60km/h. I agree that "fun cars" is a very relative term, but when you look beyond the spec sheets and focus on the real world scenario, you can have fun within any price bracket and without emptying your wallet.
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Old 5th January 2021, 17:53   #27
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Re: Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!

Feel like these 2 are the best examples of the thread topic!

Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!-amby.jpg

Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!-800.jpg
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Old 5th January 2021, 18:20   #28
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Re: Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!

I voted for No.

I enjoy driving any kind of car. My Manual Hyundai Santro Xing, Tata Manza, Maruti 800, Hyundai Accent CRDi, Hyundai Verna, Polo GT TSI, 4th gen-Honda City and now the Honda Brio all had very different characteristics - yet I have enjoyed driving every one of them.

I remember enjoying the plush spacious interiors of the Tata Manza while driving to Goa cruising at 100km/h. However, with regards to cars that don't handle well, I can enjoy them for what they offer, but only in the city, I dare not take it on the highway.

Last edited by RJ2285 : 5th January 2021 at 18:21.
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Old 5th January 2021, 18:29   #29
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Re: Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!

Every car has a soul of its own. Each car has a story to say with the family it ends up with.

I try out different self-drive cars, just to understand how each one feels. Most of these are during trips and even if the car is not a great fit (had to do some off-roading in a 1.3 Baleno once to get to a remote location), it leaves some wonderful memories.

Voted for 'Driving any car is fun', but I would only own one that feels tight yet light on its feet – I am sure most would agree.
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Old 5th January 2021, 18:32   #30
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Re: Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!

Voted for 'I enjoy driving any car'.
Some of my most memorable road trips were in the humble Eon. Even today, when friends and I talk about fun in a car, most of my stories are in the blue little Hyundai. The hot hatch came later, which is too much fun, but that doesn't mean I do not cherish the simpler moments in the non-enthusiast's car.
Also, before the car ownership era, Scorpios from Zoomcar presented the most "fun on four wheels" moments. It's the farthest thing from a tight corner carver, but one can have fun in it as long as you don't expect sharp handling. I still remember going to Ooty via the more fun route in the Scorpio, and I do not remember a moment when a grin wasn't plastered on my face.
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