Best brand behind Porsche

[recycledsixtie]

Intriguing thread BiGJake. Being raised in the UK there are several cars that caught my fancy but I trust many I spotted before most of you were borne.

The following I spotted in the 1950's:
Bristol (----?)
Early MG's td, tf etc.
Austin (Supermarine?)
I rode in Austin A30, A35
Sunbeam Talbot
Ford Zephyr, Ford Zodiac
Morris Minor

1960's
Jensen Interceptor - I liked the way it looked and I think it had a big Chrysler engine.
VW bugs.I owned 3
Lotus Super 7. Never had a ride in.
Owned a Triumph TR3 and an MGB
Austin Healy 3000 - test drove a used one but too rusty and too much $$$

I enjoyed looking at or riding in or owning at the time because I was young. I liked all things mechanical but to own any of them now would be a nightmare - rust issues, parts etc.

Happy with the Boxster but would like a newer Cayman with a warranty. Well I can always dream!

[nieuwhzn]

Saab....turbo rush!

[jdlmodelt]

Honda, hands down for my family, Own 5 right now and have owned 4 others as well that were given away and sold and still on the road except for one that was T boned. The next oldest I gave to my sister and her husband, a 95, still on the road, gets over 50mpg since he coasts on his way down the hill...

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by jdlmodelt

Honda, hands down for my family, Own 5 right now and have owned 4 others as well that were given away and sold and still on the road except for one that was T boned. The next oldest I gave to my sister and her husband, a 95, still on the road, gets over 50mpg since he coasts on his way down the hill...

Honda was always my recomendation for quality vehicles at a good price. I'm not sure that is still true. Do you have experience with 2007 & newer?

[BIGJake111]

Originally Posted by BYprodriver

Honda was always my recomendation for quality vehicles at a good price. I'm not sure that is still true. Do you have experience with 2007 & newer?

My mother has owned many hondas, and she had an 08 Accord when they first came out, it grinded the break rotors very shortly after we bought it, tech said its because they went to midsize but didnt change the breaks at all, it was the first of a body style though, between my two sisters they have owned 5 civics just while in high school and collage, one now has a CR-V the other ran off to jeep. but the 07 civic was great, they both had 2010s as well which drove great, the old 97 civic was reliable as could be and my cousin now owns it, my sister has had no problems out of her 2013 CRV either. My mother moved on to Toyota when the pedals were sticking though because she knew she could get one for a steal of a deal and got 36 months no interest. She often says she misses her hondas though and has always liked acuras.

[coreseller]

Originally Posted by BIGJake111

My mother has owned many hondas, and she had an 08 Accord when they first came out, it grinded the break rotors very shortly after we bought it, tech said its because they went to midsize but didnt change the breaks at all, it was the first of a body style though, between my two sisters they have owned 5 civics just while in high school and collage, one now has a CR-V the other ran off to jeep. but the 07 civic was great, they both had 2010s as well which drove great, the old 97 civic was reliable as could be and my cousin now owns it, my sister has had no problems out of her 2013 CRV either. My mother moved on to Toyota when the pedals were sticking though because she knew she could get one for a steal of a deal and got 36 months no interest. She often says she misses her hondas though and has always liked acuras.

For whatever reason, the wife sees cars purely as appliances to be used for a purpose. When we no longer needed a minivan we decided to sell the Honda Odyssey and buy the wifey a new smallish SUV, since we typically keep our vehicles 8 to 10 years I prefer to pay a little more for exactly what we want. I told her to visit the Acura dealer and look at the RDX then to go to Lexus and look at the RX350 and give me her opinion. She did neither, she went straight to the Honda dealership and said "I want a white CRV with tan leather, heated seats and a moonroof, the cars you told me to look at are the same exact thing but more expensive". What the hell do you say to that?

The kids get either Toyota Corollas or Honda Civics (FWIW, from my experience both great cars, Toyotas ride rougher but get better gas mileage, Hondas get ~ 5 mpg less but ride / drive much nicer) as first vehicles, generally 4 to 6 years old with 40 to 60k miles, they are safe, reliable and frugal on gas. They are mine and will be sold to them at a very favorable price after completing college if they want them. If they want something sportier it will be on their dime.

Personally, I have been very fortunate and have owned a plethora of makes / models over the years, the older I get the less I honestly care about a dailey driver. As long as it is relatively comfortable and reliable, I'd get in it, turn the key and get to where I am going. One thing I have come to notice that I've heard from my car elders that I respect and now wholeheartedly agree with.........."it's much more fun to drive a slow car fast than drive a fast car slow".

I'm getting old...............

[BIGJake111]

Originally Posted by nieuwhzn

Saab....turbo rush!

a viggen! really wish spyker did something nice with saab

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by BIGJake111

a viggen! really wish spyker did something nice with saab

2002 viggen I drove has the quickest throttle response of any vehicle I've tested. Also most intriguing suspension. Good thread topic Jake!

[nieuwhzn]

Originally Posted by BYprodriver

2002 viggen I drove has the quickest throttle response of any vehicle I've tested. Also most intriguing suspension. Good thread topic Jake!

My daily driver is a 2002 Viggen. Saab managed to work some real magic with their turbo tune. The Viggen has a pretty standard single high output turbo but the turbo lag is almost non-existent. Hit the accelerator and the car turns into a torque monster immediately. Not a car for everyone, too easy to thrash. I would be surprised if more than half of the original 3000 made are still alive.

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by nieuwhzn

My daily driver is a 2002 Viggen. Saab managed to work some real magic with their turbo tune. The Viggen has a pretty standard single high output turbo but the turbo lag is almost non-existent. Hit the accelerator and the car turns into a torque monster immediately. Not a car for everyone, too easy to thrash. I would be surprised if more than half of the original 3000 made are still alive.

When you drive it over bumps I swear you can feel the control arms going up & down following the bumps without losing contact with the road!