I've noticed that there's a tendency for the more plain jane FWD cars with a V6 to have torque steer and understeering issues.
What are some of the nicer/best cars of the '90s and '00s to have mitigated those issues into being a nice handling car (with a manual)?
(Just to set a standard, would like it drive as good as or better than a 1999-2004 Mustang V6 convertible
Almost all cars, especially FWD cars understeer. It’s by design as its safer for the occupants and there’s physics working against you there.
Generally, there are some adjustments one can make to reduce understeer.
Torque steer never bothered me on my turbocharged FWD cars, so I don’t know why people complain, just part of the charm.
Mazda MX3
Second gen Ford Probe or Mazda MX6 comes to mind. They used to be fairly competitive in G/Stock autocross.
GM W bodies have a surprising lack of torque steer even with the supercharged motor, but they have a rather flexible chassis and understeer a bit. I suspect stiffer sway bars would help, but I haven't had a chance to try them on mine. The supercharged versions and a few others typically had suspension tuning with some sporting pretense - not great, but they'd keep up with a V6 Mustang in handling while being significantly faster in a straight line. Not many with a manual, other than the Pontiac G6 GTP and some of the early '90s versions with the 3.4 DOHC.
Accord V6s have something of a following around here. And VW VR6 cars would fit the bill too.
95-200? Maxima, we ran our from 95 to 195k miles. Pretty reliable over that time I replaced a started two injectors and two coils. The later 3.5 VQ and a six speed would be a decent all around car and cheap.
First-gen Acura TSX has the big four instead of a six, but from what I've read they're great cars.
They pretty much all understeer unless you're putting in "significant" suspension work. Depending on the car, that may just be a gigantic rear sway bar. I hate torque steer, with a passion, so that is by far the worse offense compared to understeer.
I'll nominate SAAB as FWD cars that really don't feel FWD to me, at least when driven in a normal day to day fashion. My 9-5 was the only FWD car I've had that I didn't think about how much it annoyed me that the power was going to the front--and that is out of a TSX, Corolla, Maxima, V70, and Accord. Unfortunately you want to stay away from the 6 cylinders with SAAB.
Contour SVT?
re-torque steer: I think a lot of torque steer can come from old and worn out junk. My saab 9-3 was NUTS when I first got it but now that the suspension bushings are all new and the engine mounts are fixed and the shocks are updated and I added a brace for the steering rack, there is almost no torque steer.
The car feels so much slower now, even though I know it's not. Used to be so exciting to matt it in 2nd, now it just goes forward quickly.
I had a '98 Z34 Monte Carlo in college and for a number of years after. My mother gave it to me with about 75k miles on it in 03-04, kept it til 10.
It had 180k miles on it when I traded it in ($500!!!!!), it used coolant, burned oil, was on the original spark plugs and starter. Never left me stranded, had plenty of power, and just always ran.
I'm convinced that car would have gone to 250k without absolutely no more maintenance than filling up the coolant every other weak and topping off the oil once a month or so.
Since SAAB and V6 FWD came up.... learn me SAAB 2.8 Turbo cars. These should be able to make big power, and they are cheap. Right?
ProDarwin said:Since SAAB and V6 FWD came up.... learn me SAAB 2.8 Turbo cars. These should be able to make big power, and they are cheap. Right?
pretty sure the saab v6 turbos are only turbo on one bank of the v. Half the spool, half the boost. Now, that may mean adding a second turbo header and a second turbo isn't too hard for a DIY twin setup, but I think the packaging will be a problem.
Weird factory setup for sure.
Later Saab 2.0T are ecotec motors and can make heaps of power, and the earier ones (the saab motors, 2.0 and 2.3 4 cylinder) can generally make lots of power too. Definitely more popular to hotrod the saab 4s than the 6s.
Original Ford Taurus SHO with the Yamaha V6? Definitely available with the manual transmission. Collectible at this point. Probably has torque-steer like a beast though. Also eats transmissions. But, other than that....
Why must it be FWD? :)
The Saab 2.8L V6 idea suggested above seems like a good idea to me.
I don't see the point of going older than say the mid-2000s. Those cars should all be at or close to the bottom of the depreciation curve. The Mazda6, Accord and Altima (haven't driven) were all decent cars which came with a V6 manual. It may be difficult to find a manual transmission AND V6 in one of these cars.
1st gen mazda6 if it isn't rusted out.
Robbie said:ProDarwin said:Since SAAB and V6 FWD came up.... learn me SAAB 2.8 Turbo cars. These should be able to make big power, and they are cheap. Right?
pretty sure the saab v6 turbos are only turbo on one bank of the v. Half the spool, half the boost. Now, that may mean adding a second turbo header and a second turbo isn't too hard for a DIY twin setup, but I think the packaging will be a problem.
Weird factory setup for sure.
what year of Saab are you talking? Everything i can find for saab's 2.8 turbo shows both banks going to the turbo. just curious if that is actually a real thing
I think the are talking about the 3.0 v6 that was in the 9-5 starting in 1999.
Stiffer control arm bushings should help a lot with torque steer. So does a gear type LSD.
In reply to cdowd :
No, the 2.8T V6 in the 2006-2008 9-3
If I recall, the Acura TL Type-S was offered with a manual and LSD.
ProDarwin said:In reply to cdowd :
No, the 2.8T V6 in the 2006-2008 9-3
Looks to be a conventional turbo setup
About half way down THIS article. "It is mounted centrally above the transmission and fed by both banks of cylinders."
dj06482 said:First-gen Acura TSX has the big four instead of a six, but from what I've read they're great cars.
I daily drive a 6spd manual one. It is a great car. Torque steer doesn't really seem to be an issue. They a quick-ish but not toss you back into your seat powerful. They do handle really nice though.
In reply to edizzle89 :
Sorry I should have clarified. That is the one I am interested in.
The asymmetric single-bank turbo one is an earlier/mid 90s one that I have zero interest in.
Armitage said:If I recall, the Acura TL Type-S was offered with a manual and LSD.
The last year of the Acura CL Type-S was also equipped with a manual, but it was only offered in 2003.
BTW, my 02 CL Type-S auto definitely drives better than my wife's 2000 v6 Mustang coupe did when she had it.
Any 89-99 Maxima SE is worth looking into. The 89-93 cars actually handle better than the 94 and up (4DSC) but they are hard to find any more. The 94 to 99s have sweet V6 without variable cam timing. It’s a great engine even if the chassis isn’t as sharp. There used to be suspension options for the later cars (I did shocks and springs on a 94 years ago), probably extinct now.
I only came here to second the idea that most torque steer is from worn/broken stuff, especially at stock power levels.
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