I want an El Camino.

I guess the most reasonable car I'd want would have to be a relatively new model Mustang GT. I don't care exactly what year...just within the past three. I've actually checked around; I've found them for as low as $20K.

cars?
 

1) usually "better" handling is a combination of opinion and fact. a number of variables come into effect (lateral g-force, wheel shake/spin, skid-pad tests, etc.)

2) good cars for mileage and reliability, i would have to say saturns. my mom has one and it gets 30+ to the gallon, takes $10 to fill it to the brim, and runs perfect in almost any weather. after 40k miles, it still purrs like a kitten. unless you want to go to the extreme. in which case i would have to say the honda insight, i think it gets 50 or 60+ to the gallon, but like i said, the extreme.

3) for one, vipers are known as high torque and horsepower cars, yet poor handling for the amount of power they are making. basically a drag racing kind of car, more for muscle than handling.

mustangs are not bad, but i have heard (correct me if i am wrong) that at high speeds the back end of the car actually sits down somewhat and shifts from left to right slightly. otherwise it is an okay car.

the camaro is also pretty good, even though they dont make them any more. they last forever and is truly a car that never goes out of style. but, much like the viper, its more for muscle and not much handling.

the new vw beetles are stupid looking to me, but the new rsi makes it look a little better to me. not bad on the mileage and very small, but still can have a 140+ mph top speed.

if you live in california, i would have to recommend the Mullen M11. at under $40k with a lateral skidpad test of 1.08 g's, its nice. custom made and naturally very very light, it has a ford quad cam 2.6 liter V6, which is all it really needs. 0-60 in 5 seconds, about 1800 lbs stock (1650 with the new carbon fiber body), $31,450 base price, and 160+ mph top speed. i am a big fan of mullen and how they can do so much with very little.

Those are my opinions, not yours. Feel free to correct them or add something. But please respect mine much like I respect yours.:)

Re: cars?
 

Yes, Vipers are VERY high torque/output, but they do need to be handled correctly. Not for the unexperienced....not that I am, I just know what I do from observation. It tends to spin out for all the horsepower supplied to the rear wheels, however, the racing circuits that they are generally put through aren't much different than that of any other sports car. Bendy roads are easily handled; you just can't accelerate too hard as you come out of the turn. The actual tire treads themselves are specially made for the Dodge Viper, the rear tires giving more traction that the front to counter. As a rule, the acceleration and overall speed of the car is more than enough to make up for the small amount of time lost in the turns, where one must slow down considerably and acelerate slowly until the turn is complete.

The Mustang is a bit unstable. The front end provides considerable lift and makes, as you said, for a shaky ride in the rear end. This is why they modified the Mustang Cobra-R. If you look, you'll notice an extra-long foil under the front bumper. This is to reduce airflow underneath the car and thus decrease the lift of the rear end. The Mustang Cobra is preferred by FAR to race, for that lone reason.

Both, from what I know, are very good street cars. Extremely good control on the road in most conditions...not all, but most.

As for you, honey....
Toyota and Nissan are known very well for their mileage and performance. My grandfather's Corolla is almost as old as I am and the only thing currently wrong with it is the dashboard indicator for the hazard lights doesn't work. That's it. Some of the more unreliable cars are, ironically, most Porche models and quite a few Cheverolets. The Camaro, while not one to fall apart, makes too bloody much cabin noise (engine noise that filters into the driver's area), just like the Corvette. Most other cars to me are varying degrees of average, depending on what you're looking at. Most.

For a blend between looks and cost, the Z-3 Coupe wins hands down.. All those Vipers and Porsches have their weakness- my teacher can't even drive her Boxster through snow.. Now I just gotta fit in that tiny car...


for starters or cheap cars, the Civic is unmatched in reliability- my dad has an old 94' civic and he's paid squat for repairs- even after hitting a thousand potholes and animals..

s13 Nissan Silvia.

I prefer Chevy... to me nothing beats american muscle cars.
72 Chevelle, 69 Camaro, 67 Corvette. My dad used to own and work on these kinds of cars. We still work on them, we just don't own any. :(

Try the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash for a good measure of a car. :cool:


Wetzel
~~~~~~~~
Ask Brock Yates

definatly a pinto.... fire engine red!

It's all about Lexus (Toyota).

I've got an ES300 right now:


I would love to have a GS400, SC430, or maybe an LS430 (but, alas, I don't have $80,000).

Even the Toyota line is mostly pretty nice. Avalons are awesome cars for their price (basically a cheaper version of the Lexus ES300).

The Sienna is pretty much the nicest mini-van in existance: My parents have one, all leather, heated seats, 6-disk in-dash CD changer (it feels like a Lexus...lol), and it's got a nice engine (v-6 220HP), and of course, I can borrow it from my parents and stuff (which always helps).

My wife owns a Mazda 626 and we have not had one single problem with it.

Personally while I currently own a Hyundia I usually prefer Fords and have my heart set on getting an Escape.

Ford Motor Company owns:
Ford
Lincoln
Mercury
Mazda
Volvo
Jaguar
Land Rover
Aston Martin

Don't believe me? Go to www.Ford.com

I'm aware of that. Many foreign auto makes are owned by the big three.
In truth in this global economy there really isn't what you could call an American, Japanese, German (ect.) car anymore. Many cars have parts built from many different places. It's how business gets done nowadays.

anyone else hear a heartbeat,

the heartbeat of america that is. good old corvette. 1969 427 (bring it, 1993 ZR1 (bring it again), 2002 z06(its already been broughton). 3 generations of the greatest cars ever made. american muscle, high displacement. high torque. grumble, not a whine. and i didnt even mention the l-88.

john scans