[johy]

Guys, enthusiast cars have little or no place in our country it seems. And because of the the very dearth of them in the market due to the lack of demand, many of us actually don't seem to appreciate what a enthusiast car should be like!

And so we introduce the cars we think are enthusiasts' cars, which are best described as competent rather than enthusiasts cars. Sad.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by searchingheaven

Thank you for replying to my post. My replies.

• If you would have told me 3 years ago about the MT, I would have agreed with you, but today we have to face the harsh fact that MT's are a dying breed. DCT's are the future. If we start knocking off cars with no MT, we would probably miss out on a lot of great cars.
  
• Regarding off-roading, while it is a huge sport among enthusiasts, it doesn't exactly fall into 'high-speed cornering & edge of the seat antics' section. But this is a debatable topic.
  
• Also, I wouldn't put the T-Jet out of contention just because of its rubbery shift. Other than that, it has everything going for it.

Your points are valid. The offroading one is hugely debatable though. But i will leave that alone.

I guess the difference is in how one wants to define an enthusiast's car and then apply the definition. True that today's automatics have come a long way and more often than not, ATs will beat MTs in the quarter mile. But for me, the connection with the car that an MT provides can not be replaced. AT puts a computer between me and the car. And to that extent, yes maybe TJet can not be faulted for a rubbery gearshift. At least it is a manual
For example, i have been lusting after Mazdaspeed3. That car has stiff, almost teeth shattering ride, loads of torque steer and is not exactly a practical car. But to me it is one of the top enthusiast cars. People have reported, and i have experienced, that it's first gear is a bit tricky, making it near impossible to take off from starting line. But that only adds to its charm.

In the end, it all comes down to whether we want to be strict about what we define as an enthusiast's car or we want to be diplomatic. This list is a diplomatic list. No car left behind

But I also appreciate the way discussion is being encouraged on this thread.

I still have an issue with calling it "Best" though. Best can only be one. And that one has to be uncompromising.

[shireeshjacobs]

Originally Posted by arnabchak

Well Well Tushar

Pretty well written stuff but am really surprised with the below inclusions:

4) Thar(Really??)

I beg to differ, call me biased, but have you ever driven a Thar? I own a Polo, i20 and a Thar. The Thar is extremely rev happy, goes like a rocket given its light-weight body (almost no body!). It may not be the most refined or quiet (road noise), but nobody can say the Thar is slow.

If you don't believe me, just head over to the Thar forums and ask around.

[raghav135]

Agree to see Alto K10 in the list. My 1985 Suzuki Dolphin Nose was one of the best enthusiastic cars I have used for that price. Also totally agree to see toyota etios liva sportivo in the list, I have driven it in elevated highway in bangalore in good speeds, and the stability is unbelievable, you have to see the speedometer to believe the speed, absolutely no shake, i have driven cars like new ford fiesta, indigo in lesser speeds, and the results were not impressive.

[shivasuma]

Originally Posted by raghav135

Agree to see Alto K10 in the list. My 1985 Suzuki Dolphin Nose was one of the best enthusiastic cars I have used for that price. Also totally agree to see toyota etios liva sportivo in the list, I have driven it in elevated highway in bangalore in good speeds, and the stability is unbelievable, you have to see the speedometer to believe the speed, absolutely no shake, i have driven cars like new ford fiesta, indigo in lesser speeds, and the results were not impressive.

In my opinion, its not even close between the fiesta and the liva. The liva is so light, it might be fast, but its very floaty at high speeds. The new fiesta is at another level. The suspension at low or high speeds is miles ahead of the liva. But its just my opinion.

[anshuman_v]

Ok, I am about to make a slightly off topic but hopefully good suggestion. Given the recent safety discussions, I think it would make sense to have a thread about the 'safest cars' in India. This can be a touchy topic, but given the T BHP's reputation for being unbiased - this is one of the best forums to host this discussion. I will try to see if we can get this going - welcome any one else to co-author or any other ideas.

[vinit.merchant]

Originally Posted by anshuman_v

Given the recent safety discussions, I think it would make sense to have a thread about the 'safest cars' in India. This can be a touchy topic, but given the T BHP's reputation for being unbiased - this is one of the best forums to host this discussion. I will try to see if we can get this going - welcome any one else to co-author or any other ideas.

Agreed, but then what data can be put in such a thread when hardly a few (or even lesser) of the cars which contribute 80% of the sales volume in India have been crash tested or rated on safety parameters by some independent authority.

Barring a few test results (earlier K10/DatsunGo/maybe a couple more), I have not come across any crash test results for the Indian versions of say WagonR/Alto/Swift/i10/grand i10/i20/etc which make up 80-85% of the monthly sales chart.


PS: We can probably have a list of the best enthusiast cars ever sold in India at affordable prices, even though the cars have been discontinued and it is difficult to now find a decent example of the same.
Whenever I see a thread with the heading "enthusiast cars", I almost always expect the GTX and the old Swift (modified) to be a part of it.

[petrolhead_neel]

Ford Classic 1.6l is still in the list. Good to see it competing with these new feature-loaded cars.
Addition of the Gypsy is surely a nice move. If Thar can make it up there, MG413W is no less, given that you don't run your car too much and is fixated on a diesel.

[Waspune]

Hi everyone. Might be a little off-topic. I know that Ford Classic 1.6 and Linea T-Jet are one of the best Petrol cars sub 10 lakhs as far as their engines, ride, handling and steering feel is concerned. But which car out of the above would give a better mileage? I have heard that Linea manages 11 but Ford isn't able to manage 10 even?
Actually I intend to buy a petrol car that is fun to drive and the above mentioned cars tick all the boxs for me.

[vinit.merchant]

Originally Posted by Waspune

But which car out of the above would give a better mileage? I have heard that Linea manages 11 but Ford isn't able to manage 10 even?
Actually I intend to buy a petrol car that is fun to drive and the above mentioned cars tick all the boxs for me.

The FE for both cars would be identical. Even if there is a difference, the difference will not be significant enough to impact your buying decision. Just pick the one you like out of the two.

[Vitalstatistiks]

This must be the most bashed up thread on Team-BHP. Ever ! Since Team-BHP is nothing but a sum of its members, there must be something to the criticism. May be the title of the post could be changed to - "Great Enthusiast Cars" or "Most Fun to Drive Cars", which, going by subsequent explanations, it really is.

[anshuman_v]

Originally Posted by Biraj

At the expense of sounding stale, I would repeat what I posted for Alto last year - "No offence meant but I would prefer to keep the go-kart restricted to kart circuit. Spiritedly driven Alto K10 on public roads, with its safety features (rather the lack of it) is a threat to occupants (of road as well as the car). Whenever I see someone pushing their under-tyred, structurally weaker car beyond its limits to reflect "enthusiasm" on highways, I let them pass and win the ego-battle. No doubt, it's a very peppy car but the owners/drivers should be wary of its limitations while pushing it to/beyond its limits."

Biraj, I couldnt agree with you more. I am always scared to see such cars being pushed beyond their limit on the highways, and I hope the guardian angels do their job well to keep them safe. In addition to being under-tyred, the other one you have to love is the people who drive these cars with their side mirrors closed!

Although, I haven't yet matured to let them win the battle of the ego. Having read your post - it got me thinking - maybe next time I will let them win!

[ramvenky74]

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[rahulsharma2008]

Background:

I love driving and proudly sport the Live to Drive sticker on my car. Off late the ever increasing traffic and the drive from home to office had become immensely stressful and started taking a toll on my personal life. The immediate solution was to hire a driver, sit back, relax and let the driver do the hardwork. My current ride is the Honda City iDtec VXMT which is the perfect car for me except lack of an Autobox and lack of outright punch. My previous car was the Swift Diesel (punchy midrange) and prior to that was the Santro Automatic (Autobox addiction).

I want to own a performance automatic car to rip on weekends and for outstation trips (Joy rides). Currently I m greatly confused between the Polo GT TSI and the Octavia 1.8TSI for the following reasons:

Polo GT TSI

1. Interiors are cramped especially at the rear
2. Polo is a 5 year old model, resale will take a hit 4 years down the line
3. Fits within the budget and will not have to disturb the current car setup.
4. Head says Polo GT

Octavia 1.8TSI

1. Will stretch my budget but can easily keep it for 7-8 years if it is reliable enough.
2. Might have to sell my 6month old City to buy this.
3. Latest model from VAG Group
4. Too big a sedan.
5. Backseat not as comfortable as the City
6. Will it be too difficult to navigate as compared to the City? (No test drive available around me)
7. Heart says Octavia 1.8 TSI

Experts please advice.

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by rahulsharma2008

I want to own a performance automatic car to rip on weekends and for outstation trips (Joy rides).

For this reason in particular, I'd say take the Octavia.

The key drawback of the Octavia will be its size compared to the Polo in the city. That drawback is a non-issue for your planned usage.

In fact, the boot of the Octavia will help for your weekend jaunts and outstation trips.