The other point about the Audi is that it's an all weather car, rain and snow don't take away all the fun.....and if it gets really bad, you know you can still get there.
The other point about the Audi is that it's an all weather car, rain and snow don't take away all the fun.....and if it gets really bad, you know you can still get there.
In reply to MiniDave :
What are older Audis like, say pre-2005? I always liked the look of the original A4 and the C4 generation A6. A friend has a 3.0 diesel A6 from 2013 or thereabouts and though it feels quite heavy and his service bills are eye watering, it does move pretty well for a car of that much mass.
I got a ride around Brainerd International Raceway's short road track in the track's Tahoe that was very exciting. It was after the racing season while my wife was at a business conference at a resort on one of the little lakes nearby and the track front office allowed me to walk around the track and I discovered the mechanic winterizing the tracks racing cars. After a long talk he offered me a ride around the track and he threw that thing around like nobody's business.
My avatar.....
I'm not sure that you'll like this answer.
1972 Vega GT.
A few months after I bought it I was flying along the Colorado river as fast as that Vega would go listening to 2001 a Space Odyssey Cassette and I notice the road, the car, the music were all in absolutely perfect timing.
It's like the throttle, steering wheel , brake etc were all keeping perfect time. I guess about 15 min? Of absolute perfection.
Completely magic.
But the car regularly carried me across country at 105 mph from San Diego to Balsam lake Wisconsin, pausing only to fuel , potty, and grab grub. Then roared off again. Non stop for rest.
Blizzard across Nebraska? Few vehicles on the road because of the intensity and depth of snow. Yet there I am, wide open. Dark of night, weaving through traffic.
sitting back, arms straight out. Foot trying to bend the floorboard.
One time on interstate 80 another on 40. Different routes to keep from being bored. My best guess is about 50,000 miles that year I owned it. On occasion if tired I'd pull into a roadside rest fold down the back seat and stretch out for a brief nap.
I am feeling the Durango with the Hemi and the 8 speed. It is still pulling strong at 80 mph... And has good room for 4 people and lugage.
Of course this is my current vehicle so I am probably a bit bias.
In reply to dannyp84 :
It depends entirely on the car......some Audi's are absolutely BMW/Mercedes level complex and expensive to work on, the 4 cyl cars and non turbo 6's are not so bad, but like anything when you're dealing with 20 year old machinery - how it's been cared for is everything.
In reply to frenchyd :
How about with you and three of your buddies and their gear? Might be a little tight inside. 
In reply to VolvoHeretic :
I'm average or was back then. Average people fit. Taller, bigger people pay the price for being taller/ bigger.
Having driven a newer 4 dr Civic Si with someone in every seat, I'd say it would surprise you. You wouldn't want a two door like my '18 for that. It'll also reward you with good fuel economy, I'll give you my challenge.... find me something more fun to drive that can get 40 mpg.
In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :
I'm trying to remember the last time I needed 4 seats. Maybe 3 times in the past 5 years I've needed 3 seats. Never for more than 30 minutes. I'm
In reply to frenchyd :
We travel a lot with friends on the weekends, and somehow I always end up driving (which is fine because I don't really want to ride in their cars). I can think of 5 or 6 times in the last couple months that I've had 3 or more people in the car, and this is really the off season for trips.
759NRNG, if that's an STS-V I've always wanted to drive one, I think I've seen maybe one or two in person ever.
My favorite highway car for general "long day trip" stuff is my Porsche 924S. Transaxle Porsches really are great GT cruising cars (and have a ton of space for your gear). Good MPGs, almost no wind noise even at high speeds, and the faster you go the better they ride.
That's if you want something older.
Plenty of new stuff is an easy/reliable/comfortable road-tripper.
Keith Tanner said:E39 M5. The most effortless cruise this side of a Tesla, but a complete nutter when you let it off the leash.
I'll cast another vote for the E39, based on driving dynamics. It's the right size sedan, with perfect sight lines and precise yet compliant handling. It feels much smaller than it looks from behind the wheel. Of course, you need to be prepared to sort out all the BMW stuff, but they're easy to live with if well-sorted.
I did not have the time to preach the Cayman enough when I posted.
5 times from NH to San Diego 3300 miles+ in the thing. I am not talking E36 M3.
My wife, the second 10hour day of driving, said"this car is amazing" I asked why and she said "2 long days and my ass does not hurt".
We crushed the Tail of the Dragon a couple times with a full load front and rear.
I might be the Frenchy of Porsche but prove me wrong. 3300 miles, 77mph average, no issues, and a happy wife...
GM B-body. Impala SS or Roadmaster wagon. Fun V8, decent handling with the right "cop suspension" parts, and effortless interstate miles on comfy seats.
dannyp84 said:In reply to frenchyd :
We travel a lot with friends on the weekends, and somehow I always end up driving (which is fine because I don't really want to ride in their cars). I can think of 5 or 6 times in the last couple months that I've had 3 or more people in the car, and this is really the off season for trips.
They're a little small for 4 adults on a long trip, but I thought my Lexus GS430 was an excellent highway cruiser and had enough power and poise to be really fun on back roads. I even took it out on Mid-Ohio once and while it was totally out of its element, it was very fun. (Corner exits were a blast!) It was transformed with a set of Michelin Pilot Sports (AS/3+, the all season ones, though I only used them spring-fall).
Another one that was shocking and would be big enough was a Volvo 850 T wagon. It's a little old now but maybe a more modern V70 or V60 would work? I put Bilsteins on it and it handled way better than it had any right to. It was FWD so had a bit of a torque steer problem, but many of the later models are AWD. Its highway manners were excellent and the seats were incredible. Gas mileage was mediocre; long trips were OK but around town was bad due to my heavy foot.
Probably somewhat unexpected, one of the few cars I regret selling ... my '85 euro 500SEL. Fast, comfortable, handled extremely well for its size and had one of the best brakes of any car I have ever driven.
It could do this all day long:
and even carry a motorcycle in the trunk back from the challenge :D
In reply to Slippery :
Now THAT is a cruiser. I could see putting a few thousand miles on it.
maschinenbau said:GM B-body. Impala SS or Roadmaster wagon. Fun V8, decent handling with the right "cop suspension" parts, and effortless interstate miles on comfy seats.
Totally agree with this, however after having my butt in Impala SS seats for 150k miles of ownership, I would consider different seats. It was the one thing that GM was like "crap, we gotta offer leather seats, so whip something up that looks like a seat." Thousands of SS owners swapped in seats from a Bonneville. Otherwise, brakes are very good from the factory, power is good for their era, and it's a couch that handles better than you'd expect.
I suppose it's probably just a tepid version of a Keith's answer, but the E28 535is I had did both things really well.
Fun to drive (though more power would have been welcome), comfortable and relaxing on the highway, and maybe just because I'm so imprinted on BMWs, it just felt right, like I was already home while covering the miles.
My E34 wagon was excellent for this purpose, but slow. (525iT with a manual swap). By today's standards, it's a small car. The E39 is great, but for really knocking down the miles, I love an E38 740i Sport. If you'll use the back a lot, the iL is nice too.
My parents have a 2009ish Volvo V50 R design T5, not AWD. Again pretty small, but man that car knocks down miles, the 5 cylinder sounds great, and it's overall a nice place to be.
I like my Tahoe Limited for this purpose, but it does have the sacrifices of a modified car. It tramlines a bit, has some bump steer, and none of the off the shelf shocks are really any good from a valving perspective. Also....typical '90s GM wind noise and fit and finish. On 275 section tires with the quick ratio box, it's pretty eye opening how well it can handle corners.
these days, all of my super long drives are in my Suburban 2500 with the 8.1. Relaxed and relatively quiet at all speeds. I wouldn't necessarily call it fun on the back roads, but the 2500 stiffness and endless torque lets it hustle well enough. Custom valved fox shocks took care of the ride quality, it handles impacts with aplomb as long as you've got the tire pressure dropped a bit.
I've got some highway time in an E39 540i Sport, and it's pretty good. Just not AS good as the M5 at either the effortless cruise or the sport thing. Good value for money, though, and it's probably easier to keep a 540i happy than an M5. I suspect the 7 series would be similar, just larger.
Keith Tanner said:E39 M5. The most effortless cruise this side of a Tesla, but a complete nutter when you let it off the leash.
I'd second that emotion. It's really just a slightly larger E46 M3.
Keith Tanner said:I've got some highway time in an E39 540i Sport, and it's pretty good. Just not AS good as the M5 at either the effortless cruise or the sport thing. Good value for money, though, and it's probably easier to keep a 540i happy than an M5. I suspect the 7 series would be similar, just larger.
The E38 is definitely very similar. Chassis and electronics-wise, the E39 is pretty much an E38 that got hit with a shrink ray. The electronics are basically the same, suspension is pretty much the same other than size differences, etc. The biggest differences are in the 6 cylinder E39s that have front steer knuckles, a steering rack, and the front thrust arms led forward from the knuckles vs the V8 cars (and E38s) with rear steer knuckles, a steering box, and thrust arms led aft from the knuckles.
You'll need to log in to post.
