In reply to 02Pilot :
Guilty as charged on the 128i recommendation. It does not perfectly fit the target of slow/fast, but...
I went looking for fun manual trans cars in Indianapolis. I found a couple that hit the target and others that only came near the target. I then found the 128i. Yes, it does not fit the target and it's an automatic but I still recommended it because it is probably a fun commuter (and they have caught my attention lately.)
Another vote for the Mazda2. I loved the one I drove. And they do feel slow. Protege5 and Zx-2 also are loads of fun. The Protege5 makes a better daily. I had no idea what the Zx2 was and was blown away by the chassis.
I will add that my Festiva nails this criteria to a T. Slow, so fun, and a good daily because it knocks down 40+ MPGs. Tough to find and old these days, but it’s basically the old version of a 2.
Got to sit in one of these a week ago, I really want one now.
In reply to John Welsh :
As a commuter or general daily driver, they're great. Not a fan of the automatic, but that's no surprise, and if you can live with it you dramatically widen your potential options. With the stock non-sport suspension and all-seasons, it's probably more fun more often than mine with a lowered 1M/Koni/Eibach suspension and stickier tires.
Honda Fit gets my vote. I'm on my second right now. Good gearbox, decent room and handling and 35-40 mpg. I use mine like a pickup truck also.
stan said:
Interesting. I do like driving my Ranger though, so maybe a (slightly) dropped 5-speed mini-truck would do. (The Ranger is 4X4).
I had a 2.3 / 5 speed Ranger that handled like a pig, but it was surprisingly somewhat amusing to drive. You had to hold your foot to the floor and often shift it up or down to keep up with highway traffic, and could feel like you were being a complete maniac without speeding.
The old Ninja 250 is a great example of this attitude applied to sport bikes. With a 14,000 RPM redline and about as much power as a decent riding lawnmower, you could feel like Valentino Rossi just going about a commute.
I loved our old 2000's Focus. We had 4 of them. In new England, too rusty now.
My wife has a 2016 Focus SE Sport. Great car. Quick enough, always mid 30's for mileage, handles quite well
I had a 2012 Fiesta Hatch, absolutely hated it till the day it got hit and totaled. Slow, doesnt handle well (and the Ford Motorsport handling pack made it harsh, bumpy and still not handle it well), Small, I couldnt really fit between the steering weel and door opening getting in the damn thing.
MadScientistMatt said:stan said:
Interesting. I do like driving my Ranger though, so maybe a (slightly) dropped 5-speed mini-truck would do. (The Ranger is 4X4).I had a 2.3 / 5 speed Ranger that handled like a pig, but it was surprisingly somewhat amusing to drive. You had to hold your foot to the floor and often shift it up or down to keep up with highway traffic, and could feel like you were being a complete maniac without speeding.
The old Ninja 250 is a great example of this attitude applied to sport bikes. With a 14,000 RPM redline and about as much power as a decent riding lawnmower, you could feel like Valentino Rossi just going about a commute.
My 2.3/5 speed regular cab ranger is super fun and as practical as any 'beater' truck, I think the handling is great except for the very low steering ratio which is on the to-do list. Lowering springs in the front with hobby stock Mustang II PRO shocks, 8.8 explorer underslung rear with 7/5 PRO sportsman shocks, mounted outboard of the frame rails. I will probably do 3/5 rear shocks when these wear/rust out, the 7/5 was the only valving available at the time and I needed it to be on the road. Other than the overdamped compression in the rear it's great. It rotates nicely with trail braking, understeers slightly otherwise and very predictable. Super fun in the rain and snow. And it's used as a 'real' pickup at least once a week. It's rusty and the bed is all scratched up, but those things don't detract from either the fun or usefulness factors.
Base 2011+ Fiesta or Mazda 2. They are not fast, but they can handle well with a good compromise (street/autox/track) Bilstien B14 kit from Rock Auto for about $700. Is it as fun as my NC Miata...nope, but it is also half the cost and it is a more pleasant daily driver. It has 3 hours of track time on it and it doesn't seem to even notice when you are wringing it out for all it is worth. A little under 2 minute laps at Gingerman Raceway isn't going to win any races but its fast enough to equal lots of fun. Biggest complaint would be the driver seat comfort.
So, would this year Rio fall under fun and reliable?
The Rio affection surprises me. They look ok and seem to have a good rep too, but they sure look utilitarian...
I had a Rio as a rental two years ago. Maybe 2018 model. It was meh. I mean, it wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t fun.
I agree with the Focus. Really liked the last gen I drove. Titanium with the nice 5 spike wheels. Handles well. Good shifter, fast steering, good utility, and I like the way they look.
stan said:The Rio affection surprises me. They look ok and seem to have a good rep too, but they sure look utilitarian...
84-85 RX7 GSL-SE get one with around 100k that's only had a couple owners. The 13b goes to 200k if cared for. BAT has them every once in a while, but most are garage queens with low miles and fetch stupid money. 135hp moves a 2500lb car pretty well. On the highway you will be going faster than you think because the rotary is so smooth.
Why isn't the answer NC Miata with the folding hard top and the closer ratio 6 speed? I guess if the 128i has too much power, then the NC has too much power when you consider power/weight.
I have a 96 318ti with a lightweight flywheel that could fit the bill. The rear suspension is compromised enough that you have to be careful lifting in a turn and adding power in a turn. It is the only car I have ever spun on a road, in the dry, under 35 mph. With roughly the same 0-60 time as the Mazda 2s and base Fiestas, it qualifies as slow. Maintaining engine revs over 4,000 and playing the "keep it on cam" game is fun until traffic gets heavy.
If I could do everything again, I would pick up a Suzuki Alto Works too.
Suzuki Alto Works sure look funky. Are they even available here?
...and no one has suggested Minis? I thought they might have a bit of a following here...
In reply to stan :
English ones are expensive to buy and German ones are expensive to own.
I was a fan of ZX2s when they were new, it's hard to think of them as slow. They were comparable to a Sentra SE-R.
These days our Fiat 500, love that car. All quirks and funk but so much fun too. Had it out on a piece Gilles Villeneuve Circuit by pure dumb luck, can't ever sell it now lol
Getting another to build into an AX/track day car maybe get gutsy and build it for B-Spec or really get wild and go H-Production if they'd let me.
1st gen MR2's & Miatas are a blast but one of my all time faves was my 05Scion xB, put 245k on it , from 0, and loved it the whole time I had it.
3 cyl base MINI, turbo motor, 139hp, great fuel mileage and seem to be issue free. The fun to drive factor is off the scales!
Just bet the budget on a new Toyota Corolla. Wife's car but I shall spend most time behind the wheel. Still waiting for delivery data so cant give you real world feedbac, but it was plenty sporty during our test session and put me in mind of out Mazda Proteges that we both drove for ten years; Falken Azenis and drove them like a rented mule that we stole from the mother-in-law's pimp.
I still enjoy my FRS 11 years after buying it. I don't, however put it in the category of "Slow Car Fast"
If we are talking CHEAP and USED slow cars fast, I would be looking for a Yaris, Mazda2 or Honda Fit.
Slow is relative but my ND Miata RF fits the bill beautifully. My 981 Cayman was a better car, but it just made me wish for more open road. The Miata is a hoot to wring out when ducking through traffic, but still does the highway cruiser thing respectably.
My 2001 tacoma ,stepside ,5 speed ,lowered, supercharged ,lots of suspension work is a blast to rip around in .Whp you ask? Maybe 175 and I use every last bit of it most of the time and nobody knows!
footinmouth said:My 2001 tacoma ,stepside ,5 speed ,lowered, supercharged ,lots of suspension work is a blast to rip around in .Whp you ask? Maybe 175 and I use every last bit of it most of the time and nobody knows!
Cool, that's an awesome truck.
I had a 2000 Tacoma 5 speed 4x4 with the TRD blower.
At that time (2001-2003), Toyota was sticking to their claim that no additional tuning was needed for supercharger. It had a part throttle ping, no matter what brand of premium gas it got, with one exception. If I bought Shell premium, it ran perfectly.
I still had to change the plugs every 2000 miles. No one had offered any aftermarket tuning for it, and it was under warranty, so I didn't go with the seventh injector that was the only option at that time.
I drove it like an shiny happy person. I got really good at launching it in four wheel drive, pulling the transfer case shifter into two wheel drive, then shifting into second before it hit the rev limiter.
Lol this thread reads like an scca b-spec recruiting poster.
Get any b-spec car, do the suspension upgrades, do not do the restricted plate and then go enjoy your life.
Mazda2
Yaris
Rio
NA mini
Fiesta
Sonic
Fit
footinmouth said:My 2001 tacoma ,stepside ,5 speed ,lowered, supercharged ,lots of suspension work is a blast to rip around in .Whp you ask? Maybe 175 and I use every last bit of it most of the time and nobody knows!
Super cool truck. From the passenger side window, is that a shinny roll cage I see? Is that an a-pillar bar and another bar at the b-pillar? The stepside is so rare and the tailgate spoiler is awesome! Is the stepside bed fiberglass/plastic? Does it weigh less than the full/regular bed?
You'll need to log in to post.
