[shancz]

Excellent topic, voted for any car.

My own memorable experiences are with the 800/Matiz/Mustang V6/316i/Jetta/Golf/Octavia. Currently driving a WagonR(2016) and cannot express the fun I am having with the K10B and the narrow body in the city
Drove a friend's '98 M800 recently, it was fun.

Cannot compare one car to the other, all are different kinds of fun.

[TheVegabond]

I am a person who would rather drive than being on the passenger seat. So the poll was a no-brainer - I love to drive and that does not mean only cars. Following are some of the experiences when I had real fun:

1. Alto in the hills - It's one thing to drive an SUV in the hills and altogether a different experience to drive an Alto. It feels as if you are flying.
2. Drove a tractor once in a rural area (no other vehicle was available) and it was some fun. Sure, can't consider driving a tractor normally but still it was fun.
3. Yamaha RX100 - again not a luxurious vehicle but a 100KM trip in a RX100 was more fun than any car.
4. Jaipur to Delhi in a Honda Civic in 4 hours with 2 CNG breaks. Yes, despite the CNG, Civic drove like a rocket.

The bottom-line is to have fun while driving. Long drives do need some level of comfort. But a sedate drive sometimes is as much fun as a fast cruise in any luxury car.

[venkyhere]

let me go against the grain, and say that "fun to drive" means a fast car that corners well, OR a proper offroader that can traverse the toughest obstacles

The essential element in "fun to DRIVE" (not fun to travel in) is the sensation of a machine responding to every twich of your finger or feet, whilst moving forward. Things like bodyroll or jerkiness or bounciness sully the purity of that sensation, by constantly shifting the position of the spatial reference point that the driver has (the bum or torso of the driver) w.r.t the wheels that are in contact with the road. Such things just make the driver's sensations only as good as the sensations felt by the passengers in the car.

While so many different vehicles (comfortable limousines, convertibles, big spacious vans, mobile homes) are "fun" to travel in , it's only the good handlers or good offroaders that provide a purity to the sense of control felt by the driver - and that's what makes it fun to drive.

[drsnt]

I believe that every car can be enjoyed in different way. Presently I enjoy driving my Yaris CVT on long drives for its relaxed and comfortable drive. I have driven my S-cross on a extended drive of 2700kms from east to west to pick up kid from Kota just before lockdown. I enjoyed it driving to Nepal. But today I would take my Yaris instead. For a young, driving may be only enjoyed as fast but I believe that as age catches, the speed takes a back seat.

[UP!!!!]

I cannot vote for the obvious reasons.

I enjoy driving any kind of car. I don't really need a car which churns out 200+ bhp and 0-100 in 4-5 seconds.

Living in a country where maximum speed limit is 120 and rules are followed rigorously, my BMW 318i with 136 bhp and 0-100 in 9.1 sec, does the job brilliantly.

[Annibaddh]

Oh anything that has four wheels and moves. I love bikes too and have made incredible memories on my humble little Ambition and a friend's Discover!

I guess it's about the purpose. A Ford C-Max we had was such a godsend when I had to lug five and their luggage for a 20 day holiday across Europe! The VW Touran was such a breeze to drive in Eastern Europe, offering acres of space for the 4 of us allowing us to take our kitchen for the 3 vegetarians!

Even the humble Omni ferried a very young family from Jaipur all the way across southern Maharashtra and back across 30 days when I was all of 14! We'd strip off the back seats and put mattresses in the back! And travel sleeping while the little thing would hum along at 45-50 kmph all day. Different era of course and not entirely safe but roads and traffic was hardly what it was today.

And what to speak of the the Amby!

Cars are just such a joy. A personal space that'll take you most anywhere. Memory makers.

[vb-saan]

I think some cars really hit that sweet spot – it need to incredibly fast or super-tight handler. I still fondly remember the humble Ford Fusion I had in my California trip last year. Nothing fancy, but that was a brilliant machine to take through the Pacific coast – super spacious and airy, the right amount of feel and handing to enjoy the coast-hugging twisties, and still enjoy the beautiful scenery. A super-fast car would have been better to enjoy the road, but would have traded off on the views and relaxation that came along.

[landcruiser123]

There is a certain adrenaline rush that you can get with high speeds, especially round a corner.

However, you can have fun in any car as long as you accept the car for what it is.
1. Instead of driving an Innova at 120km/h on the highway around corners, a calm cruise at 90-110 km/h will be more fun.
2. (Unlike a Honda City-) Don't try revving the Ciaz to 6000 rpm at every opportunity, enjoy the crisp low end response and the comfort the car offers.
3. Honda Jazz CVT? You're not going to any faster by keeping the pedal to the metal. Try building up speed in a relaxed manner or occasionally use the S mode for tight overtakes.

[Turbohead]

Personally, I enjoying driving cars having an engine which complements it's handling.

For me, it's all about the feel or thrill of driving and the sense of control that makes me love driving. I hate cars which don't communicate.

Personally, when I drive, I put my heart and soul into it and rarely do I relax. Thus I really don't enjoy driving all cars.

A good example I can think of is the Honda Brio. Not fast but it connects with you completely.

[SS8939]

Honestly, I just love driving anything.

I've had incredible fun pushing my GT and Q3 on the highway.

I loved rowing through the gears on my petrol Figo (Mk1). The thing was incredibly slow, with only 65 horses, but I consider it to be the best car I've ever driven.

I had great fun pushing my friend's gen 1 Verna too. The car had already done 1,80,000 Kms at that point, but I was in sync and it felt like the car and I were in a dance or something.

Point I'm trying to make is, any car can speak to your soul if you're willing to listen. We're petrol heads, you and I. We don't need the fastest or loudest car to have a smile plastered on our faces.

[Mik]

The poll seems to be a bit polarising.
Many who love 'steering feedback', '0-100' will have a gala of a time in a dune bashing session on any true-blue SUV.
I think it is horses for courses. When it comes to ghats and highways, I would hate to be in a first gen Hyundai i20. In the city, I might just appreciate the one finger turning.
I loved my first gen Figo to bits. But once on jalori pass, it struggled badly in the snow and I cursed myself for not getting the duster!

[supremeBaleno]

Q : Do you enjoy driving any car ?
A : Ofcourse, yes.

Q : Between two given cars, which would you prefer ?
A : Without a doubt, the FTD car, as in whichever is quicker off the block (max top speed doesn't matter) and which handles well.

Which makes it kind of tough to choose between one of the 2 poll options.

I started driving 35yrs ago in our M800 and even today when I drive one, I enjoy the drive.
But if asked to choose between that and an AltoK10, the latter would be the obvious choice.

[Rahul Rao]

I enjoy driving, any car is fine, and I find different cars good for different situations.
A powerful low slung car is good for a quick Pune to Mumbai run or vice versa not more they just get tiring. Of the two cars I currently own max I drove the Ecosport AT was to Akola and the return was next day, the drive was not tiring inspite of the bad roads. In my other car the Terrano I have done multiple 650 km trips Pune to Athni (Belgaum dist) and back, and the last 150 km or so are extremely tiring, but when I drove a co-contractors car on same route I found them far more comfortable. Now most co-contractors have either Innova followed by Xylo, Hexa and Endeavor. All were extremely comfortable, and I was fresh on return. Give me a RWD with upright seating and I can drive all day.

Note that the most common car with people who travel heavily for business is Innova, a very few Hexa's and Endavour are also seen.

Rahul

[Renjith Rajan]

Fun-to-drive is not used with its literal meaning. It is associated with a car that handles really well which can be thrown around with surety and allow you to use it power band.

Eg. A T-jet is fun-to-drive as it gives you the confidence to corner/flick/throw and rev hard. I enjoy driving a Thar and love the experience, but it is not fun to drive. That is the difference.

Lastly we connect to cars for different reasons and enjoy it differently. Sometimes it's the fun to drive aspect, sometimes its the look or the character, usage, etc..

[Bibendum90949]

I wish the first option to be "prefer cars that are fast and really good handlers" than "only cars that are fast and really good handlers". Why I say so because I'm in for both options though I voted for the first. The fun part in the fun-to-drive for me is certainly a car that handles and communicate well, not necessarily to be a fast car. It's all about the mindset. When I switch cars let's say from a powerful 2.0 litre diesel to a humble 800 cc Omni the mind and expectations are oriented accordingly and I adapt. From then on, I enjoy thoroughly what's best with that particular car.

Having said that I don't enjoy driving every car, especially a car that has poor steering and dynamics, the first gen Creta if I were to quote an example. I would happily give the driving duties to someone in such cases.

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

Our 2016 Maruti Omni. This was purchased to do various sorts of rough duties. Everything about it looks and feels mundane, but if you are used to driving conventional automobiles, then you are likely to have a truck load of fun while driving the Omni. Everything is so basic and archaic in this car, everything is manual. The fact that it does not have a bonnet makes it very nimble. The pure, mechanical nature makes it very enjoyable. It is almost like a go-kart.

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

This is one vehicle I always want to drive even in it's barebone form. Steering is indeed the icing on the cake, with such direct feel and feedback. Another thing is it's ability to squeeze through the tiniest of spaces. Parking was always a breeze. Driving/steering position is what I like the most in an Omni, a truck/bus like driving posture which is a different feel altogether compared to other conventional cars.



With a good set of rubbers, it can be pushed around corners but one should know where to draw the line. Still the thrills it provide is of a different kind. I long cherished a dream of criss crossing the whole country in an Omni, never borne fruit though.

Just cross posting my love affair with Omni from another thread.