1962 Ford Galaxie 500 2 door hardtop. 390/300 with a Cruise-O-Matic. I also enjoyed driving a 1992 Eagle Talon TSi that I test drove.
2001 Ford F-250 2WD with the Triton V-10. This truck handled 45 MPH curves at 70 MPH with absolutely no muss or fuss as if it was a Porsche. It also handled bumps and such as if it was a big old Lincoln that just soaks it up. Toss in the roominess of the extended cab, plenty of luxury amenties and an engine which behaved as it it was a 460 from back in the day.
Out of 2000+ vehicles driven, this one gets my top mark.
Rick
I've valeted an Aston Martin DB9 and a '57 Chevy. Both would be right up there.
Best car I've driven at least a few hundred miles? I really enjoyed the last generation Fusions. I also dearly miss the Jeep Wrangler I had in high school.
I'd have to say a 91 Plymouth Acclaim V-6 my wife's dad (Chrysler executive) leased new for a year then my wife bought it. We drove it for 12 or so years and 200,000+ miles. Everything still worked. Even the upholstery looked good with not holes. The trans was having issues and the valve stem seals were needing replaced. Time for a donation to be made.
My other best and probably the all time best was a 1995 Dodge 2500 Van with the 360 and towing package. It started life as did the Plymouth, father-in-law's lease vehicle for a little more than a year. It would haul anything at highway speeds. I got almost 18 mpg with air on & running 75. It ran great for 15 years and 200,000+ miles and even after my daughter drove it for a year. In the end it still only used 1qt of oil in 3000 miles, still got almost 18mpg on the highway, AC stopped working the last two years but upholstery still good. One of the power locks did not lock. The only reason we got rid of it was the water pump went out and I did feel like spending the time under the hood fixing it plus the State of Texas would give my daughter $3000 (low income deal) to trade it in on a year old car with better mpg.
Probably my current daily driver, a 2004 Acura TL (six-speed manual). I bought it new in August 2004 and I still love driving it, especially on long trips.
I really liked the right-hand-drive VW Passat turbodiesel (five-speed manual) I had as a rental in Scotland in April 2006, but since I was only over there for a weekend trip I don't feel I drove it enough to be able to compare it to cars I've driven regularly.
Quote from: corco on November 24, 2014, 09:51:28 PM
Best car I've driven at least a few hundred miles? I really enjoyed the last generation Fusions.
I second this. I drove a fusion this summer to South Dakota, and it handled very well.
iPhone
My 2001 Honda Prelude project car. Got it running about a month ago. 5-speed, much torquier engine than the stock one, and about 150 pounds lighter than stock (and counting). A lot faster than it used to be ;)
(https://fbcdn-photos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-0/10686696_10204765448157298_430829661075417738_n.jpg?oh=20c19ffad6db5aa819a45263130296ea&oe=54BAA1FB&__gda__=1421611435_bc12a1701b8a0afd88037a1e4776e489)
I love my 2013 Hyundai Elantra, as long as I don't have to drive on a snowy surface. That's the best one I have owned so far. The absolute best vehicle I drove, however, was the Jeep (don't specifically remember what kind it was) I had as a rental in 2001 when I went to DC, and also went to Baltimore and Shenandoah NP.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=510932
Pictured are my favorite rides. First, next to the depot, is my 1983 Pontiac Grand Prix. I purchased it in November 1994 (still have it 20 years later) as my 2nd car I had ever owned in college. I have driven it all over this country and it is a very comfortable ride. However right now, it sits in my yard in desparate need of a transmission.
The other rides I love in the picture are also products of General Motors: GP40 #57 and GP11 #55. They are 3000 and 1850 HP (respectively) and can pull almost any amount of freight we can couple to. I did my locomotive certification at the throttle of these two motors, but are now no longer used by us. 57 (and sister #56) were sent to the DeQueen & Eastern RR in DeQueen, AR and the 55 just sits in our shop.
Quote from: cjk374 on November 26, 2014, 06:57:06 AM
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=510932
Pictured are my favorite rides. First, next to the depot, is my 1983 Pontiac Grand Prix. I purchased it in November 1994 (still have it 20 years later) as my 2nd car I had ever owned in college. I have driven it all over this country and it is a very comfortable ride. However right now, it sits in my yard in desperate need of a transmission.
THM 200?
V6 or V8?
Quote from: bugo on November 26, 2014, 09:29:24 AM
Quote from: cjk374 on November 26, 2014, 06:57:06 AM
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=510932
Pictured are my favorite rides. First, next to the depot, is my 1983 Pontiac Grand Prix. I purchased it in November 1994 (still have it 20 years later) as my 2nd car I had ever owned in college. I have driven it all over this country and it is a very comfortable ride. However right now, it sits in my yard in desperate need of a transmission.
THM 200?
V6 or V8?
Chevy 350.
Quote from: cjk374 on November 26, 2014, 07:59:10 PM
Quote from: bugo on November 26, 2014, 09:29:24 AM
Quote from: cjk374 on November 26, 2014, 06:57:06 AM
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=510932
Pictured are my favorite rides. First, next to the depot, is my 1983 Pontiac Grand Prix. I purchased it in November 1994 (still have it 20 years later) as my 2nd car I had ever owned in college. I have driven it all over this country and it is a very comfortable ride. However right now, it sits in my yard in desperate need of a transmission.
THM 200?
V6 or V8?
Chevy 350.
Dunno, what I'm seeing looks more like an EMD 567 V16 diesel, 9,072 cu in (148.66 L) displacement. ;D
I'm a big fan of Nissan V8s. I've driven plenty being a valet at a Marriott hotel, and all have fantastic acceleration and awesome sounding engines. Outside of the larger Nissans, I really like the Altima's acceleration. The gear changes are so awkward I'm pretty sure I'm driving a CVT. Personally, that's not a compliment. But it's fast so I'll give it a pass.
As far as economical cars go, the current-gen Elantras are really easy to drive. Acceleration is surprisingly quick and I can fly around corners well over the posted speed limits.
Best overall car that I would own? I drove a brand new Audi A8 that was specced to the gills. It was quiet, refined, had great interior materials, great technology, but best of all, handled like nothing I've ever driven and had acceleration to match. It was easily the best car I've ever driven...
...though, I have to give an honorable mention to the S4. I drove a brand new S4 with a six-speed manual and it had so much power, hill starts were just hilariously easy. And it handled excellently. But for day to day driving, it's just too mental.
My sister has had two Audi A4's, which are probably the best vehicles that I have ever driven. Of the two she's owned, I think I prefer the older generation.
One of my favourite cars that I've ever owned was an inherited '95 Buick Riviera. It was nicknamed the "land-yacht" and was like taking your couch on a roadtrip. It was great.
I drove an Audi A8 and an R8 once (back when I worked for Audi), so they're right at the top of my list. Nothing quite like an aluminum-bodied car. Problem is, they wear out quickly, and get quite expensive to keep up. Interior/exterior fit-and-finish sometimes appears like a 20-year-old car when they're just a few years old. They're wonderful examples of cars that are great to lease, since their automotive half-lives are on the weaker side, from my experiences in their service departments.
Best car I've ever driven was my brother's Volvo 740 sedan. When traveling on business years ago, he used to fly out of Logan Airport in Boston. He'd leave his car at my house, and I'd often ferry it back to his house outside of Providence, RI.
My dad's 2010 Ford F-350 sure is fun to drive.
rental? the Mazda 3 is super fun - I once set cruise control to 79mph in Castaic on I-5 (exit 175 or so, north of LA), and did not take it off until Mira Mesa (exit 28, almost to San Diego). about the only car I've ever driven that could take the East LA Interchange southbound 35mph advisory curve at 79.
that said, I'm currently digging my '86 CRX because, hey, over 40mpg. I got 50 a few weeks ago on a tank of gas, albeit that was all above 6000 feet and a lot of it was above 8000.
a friend of mine has a '63 Corvette Stingray. I've gotta drive that sometime!
My current daily driver (2001 Ford F250 pickup) is still great, still after 350,000+ miles.
Cars? I really enjoyed driving an early 1990's VW Golf GT rental in Sweden. Lots of power, good handling and easy on fuel in a place where prices for same are anywhere from 3 to 5 times more expensive than in the U.S.
For me it a BMW 5 series sedan. BMW used to do a "drive a BMW for Breast Cancer promotion" years ago. You could pick from several models and got to drive them once on a prescribed course. I drove both the automatic and manual transmission models. Both handled exceptionally well and the manual shift was one the easiest shifting cars that I ever driven
Not a day goes by that I don't miss my '88 Calais; not only was it my first car, but I had lots of great memories in it.
1995 Ford Taurus SHO 3.2L Automatic with all the options available in 1995.
Yes i know the automatic kind of kills the fun factor with this vehicle, but it was still a blast to get down the interstate in ND. Hearing that Yamaha V6 sing through the factory dual exhaust was amazing. This vehicle had 4 new struts put on it as well as new bushings for the anti-roll bar, so i was driving a vehicle that for the most part was factory fresh in the handling department, just a little rough on the interior (seats were worn, as was the steering wheel)
Would i ever own one of my own...answer is YES i would love one, even with the automatic. it is still a fun car to drive no matter what.
I'd only own a 1994/1995 SHO for two reasons. 1: it uses R134A vs R-12 Freon in the HVAC system. i had a 1992 sable with a R-12 system, good luck trying to get that thing converted in 2011.... 2: Bigger brakes on the 1994/1995.