Sometimes, it’s good to pause and take stock of some of the finer points in your life. Things like the nicest ice cream you’ve eaten, the tastiest whisky you’ve sampled, or the best car you’ve ever driven.
So that’s exactly what we did this weekend. We turned to you to ask you to pop on the rose-tinted spectacles and think back to the best cars you ever sat behind the wheel of. And from hot hatchbacks to exotic supercars, we had some great Responses.
“An Abarth 124 Spider I rented for a week down in Albuquerque once.
“Looked just like this with the gray two-tone paint job, and might have had the muffler option as well (?). The guy didn’t say too much about it (rented it on Turo), but it was easily the most fun I’ve had driving pretty much... ever.
“Sure, it was nowhere near the fastest car I’ve ever driven, nor did it give me my freedom when I got my license at 17, and it was even an automatic.
“However, the sheer fun of getting in that car and driving around was off the charts. It gurgled in an intoxicating way. People’s heads turned, and quite a few stopped to talk to me about it. Took it to the car wash at the end of my trip and the guys drying it off were admiring it. Hell, one panhandler even started shouting at me that my sin was “greed” and that I was going to hell. It was just something else, a sports car that wasn’t a Miata so people just assumed it was ungodly expensive.
“But it was just so much fun to take out and drive along Route 66 in a drop-top Fiat. And the best part, the most authentic aspect of the entire trip was that even though it only had ~7,000 miles on it, the check engine light was already on. Perfetto.”
Produced between 2015 and 2019, the Abarth 124 Spider was developed in collaboration between Mazda and Fiat. Unsurprisingly, the end result is quite lovely.
Suggested by: kumicho
“Lamborghini Murcielago at the Las Vegas speedway exotic experience thing. The V12 singing sounded fantastic. Was fun to push but kind of brutal but tons of fun.”
Shocking news that a big V12-powered Italian supercar is quite brilliant. You learn something new everyday.
Suggested by: Greg Hartmann (Facebook)
“My 2010 Volvo S80 Executive base! V8 all wheel drive, factory rated 311/325! Heated ventilated massaging front seats!”
The 2010 Volvo S80 is a lovely sedan, but anything lovely can easily be improved with the addition of a V8.
Suggested by: @PaulFoxwell1 (Twitter)
“It gets a lot of hate on this site, but I really enjoyed driving a Hyundai Genesis coupe. I had a 3.8 with a six speed. It was a very refined drive that made the competition feel cheap (looking at you z cars and Infiniti coupes).
“The Genesis was reasonably quick and handled like a sports car should. Tight build, zero service problems, and cheap insurance made this car a very good investment while being a unique vehicle to own.”
This rear-wheel-drive coupe was sold by Hyundai here in the U.S. for six years from 2010.
Suggested by: danovations
“Years ago I test drove a 2005 Lotus Elise. Its quick reflexes and light weight made it an absolute blast to drive. My AP1 S2000 would be a close second for similar reasons.”
“Simplify, then add lightness,” that’s always been the slogan of Lotus cars. It’s helped it make some stupid light, stupid fun sports cars in its 74-year history.
Suggested by: Jason Ogawa (Facebook)
“Second Gen Mazda3 hatch with the 2.5l; Fuel economy was BAD and the seats were basically lawn chairs, but it was light, quick, and as goofy as it looked while not being so fast as to endanger 17-18 year old me.”
The Mazda3 is a perfect car for a 17-year old.
Suggested by: @K_A_Moskowitz (Twitter)
“Ages ago I was a parts runner for a chevy dealership. If the S-10s were otherwise occupied I drove the backup (backup) car.
“A 1989 Suzuki Swift GTi with a ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb muffler.
“It might be rose tinted glasses but blasting around town in that thing is a fond memory to this day.”
A 1980s hot hatch that you think is the best car you’ve ever driver? We should be friends.
Suggested by: gdtesp
“Triumph Spitfire: I’ve driven faster, more expensive or advanced cars, but this is spirited driving at its finest.
The car fits around you like a pair of comfy pajamas and the response is incredibly nimble and intuitive. Looking down at the long hood(bonnet) and snaking your way through freeway traffic is the greatest feeling in the world, the horse and rider as one, no other car quite compares.
“If you’re getting priced out of the Miata or the Boxster market, go take a Spitfire for a spin, you’ll be glad you did.”
The “spirited” Spitfire debuted in 1962. Featuring bodywork penned by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti, the Triumph Spitfire came with an inline four that could power it on to 100mph.
Suggested by: Horace First (Facebook)
“I’ve never driven a more balanced car than my Boxster S. I’ve driven faster cars, quicker cars, even cars that were arguably more fun. But nothing that I’d say is ‘better’.”
Sure, the 911 is the poster child for Porsche, but the Boxster isn’t a car to be sniffed at.
Suggested by: @4doornomore (Twitter)
“The best car I ever drove was a 1964 Pontiac GTO coupe, in 1964. I only got to drive it three blocks but it was obvious that it was an absurd motor vehicle and quite dangerous. I was an 18-year-old college student and exceptionally stupid for my age, so it was a perfect match.
“Tri-power and a four-speed manual transmission were more than I could aspire to. Believe it or not, it was an even more desirable than the 36 HP 1960 VW Beetle that I drove at the time.
“The best car I ever rode in, also in 1964, was a 1964 Jaguar XKE roadster. Even though I failed in my my assiduous efforts to lose my scholarship and get thrown out of college, 1964 did have its highlights.”
What started as a trim level for the Pontiac Tempest grew into one of the definitive American muscle cars.
Suggested by: huttersfield
“My S13 Nissan 240SX coupe handled like a go cart.
“The steering feedback was as precise as can be and puts the numb newer car’s steering to shame. Small steering wheel with no airbag. Also, being as light as it was with the view of everything around you, you’d have to be there to experience it.
“Unfortunately mine was all stock but had I dropped in a more powerful motor to match the already impressive handling it probably would’ve been perfection.”
Huh, who’da thought it, Nissan making a nice sports car. Madness.
Suggested by: Anthony James Rizzolo (Facebook)
“W221 S65 AMG. Thing was a luxury yacht capable of teleportation. I don’t think it was very pretty, but it was pretty fucking amazing to drive.”
This S65 AMG from 2007 packed in an enormous 6.0-liter twin turbo V12 engine. It could power the W221 up to 62mph in 4.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 155mph.
Suggested by: @RossReviewsAll (Twitter)
“I had the distinct privilege of being invited by a friend on a car rally from Manhattan to Tampa over the course of a week back in 2016.
“We stayed at fancy hotels and drove The Tail of The Dragon, as well as many other fantastic roads.
“The best part? We were driving his McLaren 675LT. The car is an absolute monster, and a blast to drive. I drove abut half of the 2,000 or so miles, and it’s a week I will never forget.”
We have a winner, this sounds like the best way to spend a week behind the wheel.
Suggested by: wasgtithengtothennovathengtinowa4
“2014 Cadillac CTS-V. Somebody screwed up and sent me an invitation to a test drive event at Road Atlanta. AMAZING car.
“The ride along instructor kept telling me I was braking too early for turn six. Last lap I waited for him to tell me to brake. It was too late I ended up in the gravel trap.”
This is an excellent invite to accidentally end up with!
Suggested by: Todd Maddox (Facebook)
“I drove my buddy’s Alfa Romeo Giulia a couple years ago from Tennessee to Michigan with him. It was by far the best car I’ve ever driven.”
Covering a few hundred miles between Tennessee and Michigan with the twin-turbo V6 in the Alfa Romeo Giulia has got to be a nice road trip to take.
Suggested by: @Ferrior_ (Twitter)
“I’ve driven Ferraris and McLarens and Bentleys and Maybachs and all manner of fancy schmancy expensive cars, but nothing will ever hold a candle to the absolute buttery luxury and eyeball glue from pedestrians that you get from driving around Manhattan in drop-top Rolls. Just, nothing compares to it. It makes a Bentley Mulsanne feel like a Mitsubishi Mirage.”
This poster’s right, nothing grabs your attention quite like the Phantom Drophead.
Suggested by: neverspeakawordagain
“My 2002 SVT Focus. I had it for 19 years. And when I sold it, it still ran great. It humbled many faster cars at Autocross events around my city.
“Was cheap, fun, unimposing, economical, practical, rare, had a slick 6 speed Getrag trans and the 170hp NA 2.0 ZETEC with variable valve timing and a dual stage intake made some wonderful noises. Just a pleasure.
“Wish I had more room to keep it, but was happy to sell it to an enthusiast. Hope it’s out there somewhere still humbling Porsche owners at a local autox.
With 170hp coming out of its four-cylinder engine, the Focus SVT was at the very top of the hot hatch hierarchy in the early noughties.
Suggested by: Ben Eytalis (Facebook)
“It was like going to Party City, buying a Superman costume, putting it on, and then learning it allowed you to actually fly. A miraculous car.”
Launched in 2009, the Ferrari 458 is an incredibly pretty car that also packed in oodles of F1 tech. It was powered by a 4.5-liter V8 that could power it on to a top speed of 202mph.
Suggested by: @Noonz (Twitter)