[rakesh_r]

Small cars are fun to drive, as long as they have the "right engine". Apart from the Scross, we also have an Alto k10. It sure is zippy and pretty much easy to drive inside crowded cities/towns.

[SJQIL87]

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[satrikon_454]

To be honest, this thread made me miss this beast a little more. I wish I still had it. The 1.6-liter mill under the hood of the Ikon was a hoot-and-a-half to drive. The car had just 47,000 kms on the do before we parted ways with it. The usage had gone down to under 1,500 kms in the last two years and that was the only reason we decided to sell it before it was due for a fitness test. This pic was clicked when the car was 14.5 years old. Looked great, drove great.

[JojyKerala]

My Santro Xing Automatic 2006 was a fun city car and a great looker (Passion Red colour). Of course, the auto gear box was only average but the car was a breeze to drive in Mumbai's hectic traffic.

The only thing that dampened the quality of ride for me was the low mileage. I used to get around 6 to 8 kmpl in city limits. To resolve this, I opted for a CNG kit and this about brought my car's downfall. As soon as I installed the kit, the car's performance took a nosedive. It lost its pickup and identity. Also, the mileage returned was below average by CNG car standards.

I finally sold it to a handicapped gentleman. He later called and told me the car was sold to him without the CNG plate. I insisted that the CNG plate was affixed to the car when I sold it to him. Anyway, I later opted for a factory-fitted Wagon R CNG that provided a trouble-free ownership experience.

[samee_arian]

I remember watching a top gear episode where they were discussing best ever sports car and the Miata was ranked best trumping all other more expensive and legendary models.

[viXit]

Originally Posted by Samba

My favorite topic!

Whenever I hunt for a new car or bike the first thing I check is how much fun to drive it is!

For me the Fun to drive factor depends on the overall factor. It has to be a combination of a good engine, handling and braking.

The Alto K10 I owned was fast, but it had it's own shortcomings. It had undersized tyres, the speed masking capability was poor and had poor brakes. So it was a bit risky to extract the full potential of the car.
.

Really amazing pictures!!
Does the alto not come with disc brakes in the front at least?


I have driven the Safari, city2016 and grand i10AT quite a number of times .
But my grandfathers good old Maruti 800 is the most fun of the lot. The responsive petrol and the sound of the engine puts a smile on your face even at speeds as low as 20 to 40 kmph

[saur95]

Originally Posted by satrikon_454

To be honest, this thread made me miss this beast a little more. I wish I still had it. The 1.6-liter mill under the hood of the Ikon was a hoot-and-a-half to drive.

I can imagine! Looks pristine! Brings back memories of my grandpa's 1.6 ZXi which was in a beautiful shade of green. Definitely changed the way he drove and I remember seeing (and hearing!) the redline (Funnily enough, the tachometer doesn't have any indication of one) on every single long distance run on Kerala's winding roads. Also remember feeling sick in the back seat and automatically getting promoted to shotgun .

While I've only heard legends of the steering, I do remember how beautifully progressive the clutch was because I was allowed to start and park it inside/outside the garage (I was 16 back then and driving on public roads was definitely off the cards).

I think this thread has made all of us a little misty eyed!

[megazoid]

When one gets to drive a small VW GTI on a curvy section, its pure joy! The ability to change direction and quick darting ability is worth every penny you pay.

https://youtu.be/9l4I9GkehEo

[landcruiser123]

Small cars are always more fun as one has to push the limits to extract performance. The larger cars are pretty limited unless you have access to race tracks or no speed limits on the highways.

The Swift is more fun than the Ciaz, City more fun than a Corolla etc. One of the most famous battles is the Toyota 86 v most Muscle cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33nBjHZOtkU

[Striker]

Ford Figo Diesel = Most fun I have had driving small cars. Remember taking my friends Figo out for a short spin many years back and I ended up keeping it with me for the weekend. I couldn't honestly take my hands off the steering and had a big chucking into city corners or on a short burst highway sprint.

[Storm2.0]

Originally Posted by 1100D

What a completely relevant thread!

Of all the cars in our family, this one was the most fun! The Verna behind (and another diesel Swift) belonging to the extended family driven by my cousins would give up keeping up with this small wonder on the way down from Musoorie to Dehradun.

I completely agree with you. What a lovely car Matiz was. I had a base ( non AC non power steering ) variant. I truly loved the raw feel of the car. My car had a weak silencer and thus with the windows open I loved to hear the somewhat sports car sound even driving between 50 to 60kmph on ring roads.

[lightning535]

No doubt, small cars can be fun with their nimble handling and weight/power ratio. But, in Indian road conditions//context, the fun also comes from from the fact that you drive that small car worry free. You are not that worried about potholes, speed breakers, scratches etc. compared to when you are driving your more pricey ride.

e.g. if I am in a beemer or merc, I would watch every pothole, speed hump, oncoming traffic, bikers going with me on the side etc. etc. But, when I am, say in an Alto, I am financially liberated too. May be that also helps in 'feeling' the ride more fun.

Your mind free = you more happy = more fun.

[Voodooblaster]

Don't forget the Hyundai Getz. I used beg my friend to let me drive Getz back in 2012. Driving it after our WagonR was always a treat. It had a great AC, greater engine, and there was way less traffic on the roads.

[Ranjith812]

What makes a car fun to drive is going to be different for different people. I personally like fast acceleration and being able to take turns with precision.

My drive is Etios 1.5 petrol, for me Etios is one fun to drive car. The good amount of torque and slick gear shifts makes this car more comfortable and easy to drive.

As mentioned in the thread when comparing to a Yaris or Corolla I think a segment lower Etios has very enjoyable dynamics!

[rajushank84]

Originally Posted by ChiragM

We are mostly under the impression that to buy a fun-to-drive car, one has to spend a lot of money. Actually, that's not always true.

I may be in an unpopular minority, but this has always been kinda obvious. The above statement, instead of saying it is not always true, I would say it is rarely true. I guess it depends on your perception of what "fun" is, so there is an element of taste involved.

To me, a barge is hardly ever fun. This came up when I was going through a BMW-obsession phase. My friend was trying to persuade me to buy a 5 series, I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot-pole for what was going on in my mind then. I wanted a 1 series, which is a million times more fun than a 5 series, but finally ended up getting a 3 series coupe which isn't far off. That friend got a 5 series for himself, and I love being a passenger in it.

Maybe to some extent it is the motorcyclist in me talking, but it comes down to physics. Smaller is usually "more chuckable". One of the most fun-to-drive cars I had is my Maruti 800, just because of how small and raw it felt. You can't argue with physics, since size and weight are the first factors that influence the overall feel. Making a huge and heavy vehicle and then throwing horsepower at it, along with a lot of leather and wood, is simply never going to be the same thing. There is a reason go-karts are small, to some extent it is about the ratio of wheelbase to width that gives the feel they have. A bigger car is never going to match a small chuckable car for sheer fun, and adding horsepower doesn't make it. In fact, usually adding horsepower makes it more front-heavy. So when people start talking numbers in a discussion about this, I usually smile and walk away, as I realize I am talking with people who don't understand fun in a non-comparative way, they don't understand that enjoyment is not in specs but in experience.

Yes there are factors other than size, but downsizing is the easiest way to increase the fun factor. My father had the privilege of driving a lot of cars, but he always said he liked the Dolphin and the Zen the best, and I can totally relate. The Dolphin was the cheapest car he ever bought (Rs.20K in early 90s if I recall right), and though he appreciated other cars like Jeeps and Gypsies, he would always pick the Dolphin given a choice. Well a small rear-wheel-drive hatchback with a fiber-glass body, I would pick it today too!

My next car will likely be a first-gen Figo, which I have owned before. It is one of the best-feeling cars I've had the pleasure of driving. For some reason it doesn't work out then maybe a first-gen K10. These are choices made based on how these cars feel, not primarily based on budgetary constraints.

Fun is not a matter of making things expensive.