[Abhi_abarth]

I have voted for 'Reliability' over 'Driving pleasure'. If the same question popped up couple of years ago I would have gone for the latter. I use the car mainly if I had to travel with my family i.e. my wife, 2 1/2 years old daughter and aging parents. Reliability is a key factor for me and peace of mind being the main criteria of a car ownership.

[King_pin09]

In my opinion, the socio-economic status of an individual is the elementary factor that influences/ decides on which attributes would be placed on heavier side (against the others), when it comes to Car buying.

Given a hypothetical market circumstance where all cars are available for free of cost (purchase + ownership) and all are equally reliable, it is no brainer that most car buyers would end up taking away the Fun To Drive machines, use them as long as they are usable and then go for the next ones. In essence, the Fun To Drive machines are always preferred. However, when the factor of varied reliability comes into the frame, along with it also comes in the factor of varied costs and potential risks/ hazard. At this stage, compromises set in and the equations change substantially.

In my case, albeit I want to enjoy the pleasures of driving my own car, at the same time I cannot afford spending huge monies towards ownership costs be it for fuel, maintenance or repairs, I can save it up for using in other meaningful purposes. My family accompanies me on all journeys and hence I do not want to get stranded in the mid of nowhere and risk the safety of my family, as well. In essence, I can afford compromising on “Air In The Hair “experience, but cannot take the risk of a potential breakdown.

Living on this day, when reliability does not essentially mean basic engineered tin box on 4 wheels, with a bone jarring ride. Various cars of this day such as City, Verna, Ciaz, Innova, Baleno, Elantra, I20, Corolla etc., have been designed to provide plush ride quality, better interiors and creature comforts whilst retaining the core DNA of reliability i.e., in other words, reliability also comes with comfort.

Considering the totality of the circumstances, my vote goes to the ‘Reliable Cars Party’ without a second thought.

P.N: Safety is my first priority on any day. Since this discussion essentially pertains to reliability v/s Fun to Drive, aspects only, therefore I have refrained from bringing in the safety aspect into the discussion (and keeping my post relevant).

[jalajprakash]

Voted for Driving pleasure over absolute reliability. But I personally think that driving pleasure and reliability are best kept separate. You can enhance the driving pleasure by making modifications but it will for sure take away from the car's reliability. Therefore my formula is to have one new, under warranty, known to be reliable and safe, car as a daily driver. And then have one used, known to be fun, car that I can modify and enjoy at the track or with friends.

Personally I'm not at that level of wealth just yet where I can fulfill my formula (but soon hopefully) but if I could have just one car I'd rather it be a driver's car because otherwise I would just end up never driving myself and take a taxi or carpool.

[pankajthere]

Reliability any day! Would prefer a used tough built car than a new tin can with driving pleasure. For me driving pleasure is already there when I know I'm driving a reliable one. And I hate visiting the service centres more than once a year. Wastage of time, energy and money is not what I want for driving pleasure.

[Durango Dude]

I've probably the best of both worlds: Honda City CVT which dishes out pleasure and reliability (also comfort, fuel efficiency). I've voted for reliability. It's the best 1.5L petrol engine available in India, by far, improved over a period of time to it's present form.

[Aaron:)]

Voted for Reliability.

Yes I'm an enthusiast who likes driving. But having to tolerate 5 days of trouble just for the 2 days of spirited driving is not my cup of tea. I'd rather have a car that gets me from point A to B, and does that day after day without any fuss. Yes, it's a Corolla over an Octavia for me.

The economics are in favour of reliability too - an unreliable car will cost more to own, and will fetch a lower price when it's time to sell.

The cars in my garage are a testament to that. I have a '09 Honda City and a '14 Hyundai Grand i10. Both of them have been extremely dependable. Moreover, the City adds a dash of fun too, thanks to that i-VTEC.

Having said that, the lines are getting blurred by the day. Cars in 2017 are better than they have ever been, and it's hard to pinpoint a car that has serious failings. Today, we have plenty of cars that blend driving pleasure and reliability, even if they might come at a slight premium (eg S-Cross 1.6, Swift, City i-VTEC, Baleno RS, EcoSport, Figo/Aspire S).

[Nav-i-gator]

Considering this question is about cars which are all reliable as well as pleasure to drive, but some more of the latter while some more of the former. I am not viewing this as a choice between a metal box with wheels which drives like a feather in the wind & drop down when the wind stops, and a plastic box with wheels which refuse to degrade a bit in a million years but drive like a roller coaster!

Reliability is a must, but not at the cost of driving pleasure. I can "waste" 2 more days per year on a "less-reliable" but pleasure to drive car. I am not going to ride a donkey over a horse, just because it is more reliable.

Plus, driver is more connected to better driving cars than long lasting but boring ones, and hence take more care of such cars. Reliability over driving pleasure is , sorry if anyone feel offended by this, plain laziness (or, in case of average joes out there, non-committal relationship of driver/owner with their cars).

We invest so much time, money and efforts to finalize on buying a car. We need to first align our priorities right. I have seen numerous people who mostly drive solo, have a family of 3 or 4 but buy a Innova crysta because "It would still be running when I would be on a wheelchair" (what's the point, really?!)

[petrolhead_chn]

I vote for 'Driving pleasure'!

Now most of the cars come with certain amount of reliability. But when we fail to understand the extent of car's reliability (amount to which it can be abused/used beyond specifications) it fails.

But driving pleasure is something that cannot be found in every car. It either depends on the driver or the manufacturer or both. You just have to 'realize' it.

The moment I sat in a Baleno '06 at MTV, my eyes gleamed and my wife noticed a wide smile on my face. I immediately wanted a test drive after which I bought it. Every time I took the baleno out I would only want to drive it endlessly for the sheer driving pleasure it offers continuously.

[madmaxvistian]

I've voted for the driving pleasure over the bullet-proof reliability as there is no other option for a mix of both of them. It doesn't hurt to have a bit of reliability.

Honestly there is no point of owning the car just for the sake of reliability if there is no driving pleasure at all. Eg. While I would love to drive the Honda 1.5 petrol which is actually the blend of both these factors in consideration, I would still not averse to choose a Fiat 1.4 T-Jet for the sheer performance & pleasure of driving in spite of all the sales & service issues.

[NFS2024]

I voted for absolute reliability over driving pleasure. Having owned both cars (A Maruti Swift vs. a Fiat Punto), I would anyday vote for a no nonsense, absolutely reliable car.

While my Fiat Punto has not let me down even one bit in the last 60k kms, I would still prefer a reliable car from a Japanese, Korean or a Toyota.

[naveen.raju]

Well, I am not voting now since it's a mix of both.

1) If it was reliability then Swift -> Ecosport -> Creta seems weird.
2) If it was driving pleasure then Swift -> Ecosport -> Creta seems weird again.

I basically go with "MY" driving pleasure and that's the reason why I do not discuss my car purchase anywhere except with my wife.

To answer this thread, it's more towards the driving pleasure since I basically feel how the car is to drive and not worry about reliability/FE etc.

[shibujp]

I haven't voted for the simple fact that I don't believe that it should necessarily be an either or situation. Automobile engineering has advanced to a stage where there are reliable cars that are an absolute hoot to drive. Just look at the European hot hatch scenario. Or perhaps the Japanese performance cars that keep coming out. The driving pleasure v/s reliability debate in India has been started by the marketing division of companies who do not want to do much work in understanding the market and tuning their approach to customers and the eco system accordingly. I believe their cars are capable of delivering.

To me an automobile has to be reliable in the conditions in which it is designed for, whether or not it delivers driving pleasure.

Drive on,
Shibu.

[aaggoswami]

Voted for Reliability.

To me reliability is peace of mind factor too. One car in garage or more than one, for me it has to be reliable. Its not matter of a car high on driving pleasure spending more time at service center in an year than a reliable machine. Real concern is having a car delivering driving pleasure and having a high probability of breaking down in middle of the road. That takes away peace plus trust factor and for guys like me, there is always an air of mistrust if a car dies on me amidst nowhere.

If I can get some driving pleasure from a reliable machine, I can compromise on some parameters, but not reliability which goes down as paramount in my book.

To sum up : I want a car that gives immense driving pleasure, but need a car that is reliable.

[viper_711]

Voted for driving pleasure - it's just me as my choices over the years have demonstrated: Kinetic Honda, Suzuki Shogun, Fiat Palio 1.6 and Ford Fiesta 1.6 to name a few. Strangely, none of these have ever left me stranded. A niggle here or there but nothing which made the decision regretful.

[Vik0728]

My vote for Driving Pleasure every day of the year

Reliability is something I heavily rely on, but when it comes to that Smile Behind the Wheel feeling, the former is forgotten in a jiffy