Point well made Dagosa.
If you live in NY, why do you have a car?
PERFORMANCE… that’s all I have to say 
Try this. Read up on high performance cars that are in your price range. Decide which ones sound the best to you and go drive them. After you have driven them, if you still don’t understand the compulsion to by a high performance car, you are better off shopping in a different category. Don’t pay a premium for status. Pay a premium for your satisfaction!
Good advice. I used to work with a guy who had 3 Mercedes cars in a row and always bragged about the fabulous road holding (no doubt as described in a car magazine). When SUVs became popular he switched to a stone-age, solid front axle Jeep Grand Cherokee!
Most performance cars are owned by well to do guys who spend nearly all their time in the office or on the golf course. The cars spend most of their time sitting parked!
In general, high performance cars today have better brakes, and better (tighter) suspension than “cookie-cutter” grocery haulers. Assuming you drive each vehicle sensibly, a HP car keeps you farther away from the edge of the envelope in an emergency. They also have heavier components such as suspension, brakes and drivetrain. Shocks and springs and suspension components such as ball joints don’t wear out because of more limited suspension travel and better damping. The softer the ride, the less control you have over your car in an attempted avoidance maneuver. Tires are typically low profile to compliment the suspension. This reduces sidewall flex and increases control. Some call it “harsh”, I call it safety.
Power transfer components (U-joints, differentials, etc.) last longer because they are designed to handle higher power shock loads, so driven sensibly, they last forever.
If you have to ask, you wouldn’t understand. Drive what you like and like what you drive. I do.
One word: PASSION
Hey pleasedodgevan . . . do you still have 'em? Nice cars. Rocketman
Exactly right. There’s a 3-mile climb from the valley to the rim country on the way from Phoenix to Flagstaff. My rules for a car are that it has to be able to maintain the speed limit (65) on cruise control for the entire climb. PLUS it has to be able to go from a dead stop at the base of the on-ramp (because of the timing lights) to merging speed (approx. 60) before time to merge without having to floor it.
Anything beyond that is wasted power. I drive an Acura TL.
I also like the fact that the reclining seats let me take a nap while driving long distances.
No point. It is more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. Outside of a few Detroit clunkers, most cars today handle pretty well and are quick enough for all but the most adept driver.
Ohhhh, you know a guy who has a 3 series. I hear an expert rant coming on!! Let me start by saying I must be a 3 time gullible driver for paying 15-35k for a car I love, and having it be a BMW. Shame on me, I just love those cars so much! Its just when I get get in a toyota (rental, loaner, etc), I’m left with feeling of hoplessness and sadness. The plastic makes me sad, the buttons make me sad, the ergonomics make me sad, the handling makes me sad. Now, having said that, your disadvantages are bunk in the real world anyway.
- Terrible traction on slippery surfaces has more to do with tires than anything. My two 3 series cars and 5 series car are no slouchs on a slippery surface. My friends on slicks however… Bunk.
- Cramped back seat… You are comparing it to the Toyota midsize car [camry=13" longer, even corolla = 2" longer overall (2005)]. Why not compare it to the carolla, the toyota compact sedan? Not even apples and oranges comparison here. More like Apples and Lettuce. Bunk…
- Harsher ride? How about any ride? Just because I can feel ruts in the road and bumps in the turn doesn’t make my ride harsh. It just means my car isn’t numb, or “rolly, floppy” and “languid” (Car and Driver, and me) Bunk…
- Maintenance costs, I haven’t seen any (including oil changes or periodicals) in 3 years. After my warrenty, maybe, but nothing to cry to mommy about, because I love my Dorina (car’s name), and knew to expect a little bit higher costs. She is a high maintenance girl afterall? Bunk-ish…
- Wasn’t there a lexus driver on here a couple weeks ago complaining about her gas struts (3 times)? Doesn’t lexus ~= toyota? Don’t assume reliability of componants is any less or greater. There are always bad parts out there, and BMW’s seem to have more parts, thus, it looks like more failures. But I’m not having any problems. Bunk…
- The costs I have had to pay on my previous cars were not ungodly, just a bit more than some people think you should pay. Oroper maintenance should prevent most costly failures anyway. Or, perhaps toyota parts are just cheap. either way, I couldn’t care less because when my car is running at 6-12 months between any failures of any part, I’m in heaven. Ok, maybe no Bunk…
and that is what the OP should take away. If he/she is loooking for a car for him/her, drive and buy what you want. If he/she is looking for a blunt object to get from a–>b, listen to Docnick. I for one like having enough power to pass a 4 cylinder camry on a inclined entrance ramp, and for the record, I wear a Breitling, not a rolex, and drink expensive scotch, not expensive wine. I do like sushi though. Rolex’s are for retire’s and tools, and wine is for yuppies.
Having driven both…I liken it to my sailing experience. A Camry is a stogy Daysailer, and BMW is a Laser. You wear a Laser and BMW, you drive a Camry.
Why would you even consider the whole “legally drive 65mph”??? Its cool to be safe and all, but if you’re safe all the time where’s the fun part of life? Sometimes you have to break some rules and have some fun, release your endorphins in a thrilling way! My V8 gets plenty of use, so the money I paid for her was well spent. Even though I don’t push the limits all the time, its knowing I have the power to leave most anyone else in my exhaust that really makes me happy.
…its knowing I have the power to leave most anyone else in my exhaust that really makes me happy.
I haven’t read anything that puerile in a long time.
If you only drive on interstates and city streets, there is no point in trying to explain why. If you want to go 65 mph in a turn that is marked 30, or blast out of that 15 mph uphill turn with any reasonable acceleration, you might understand.
1.Why would anyone pay big bucks for a powerful engine when you can only legally drive 65mph?..can you go over over 65mph in your Camry? Since the answer is yes why did you buy it and are you going to sell it and buy a scooter or something that won’t go over 65 mph?
2. Some V6’s & V8’s get mpg’s as good as 4 cylinders.
3. It’s still a semi free country, if someone can afford it why not?
Perhaps I have a Right brain, Left brain thing when it comes to cars. One side see’s the car as strictly transportation, get from place A to place B. Just get that job done. Any car that is comfy, reliable, and suited to the task will do fine.
The other side of my brain see’s cars as fun, recreation, interesting, and enjoys the rush of speed and power. Now it is not just getting from point A to point B, it is about having a fun experience during the trip. This side doesn’t see driving as a chore, but as an adventure.
On different days, or different circumstances one side of my brain rules over the other. So, I have a very practical Honda Civic, but I got it with a 5 speed and Vtec motor making it fun to drive. In the car corral is an SUV, Toyota Sequoia for pulling loads and when space is needed. It is fun as it has plenty of power from its gas guzzling V8. I also have a pure fun car, '04 T’bird. Fast, corners nice, and top goes down. Why not enjoy the trip from point A to point B if you can?
If your brain doesn’t have much of the fun side, that’s fine. Just grind out those trips and get the job of driving done safely.
I have heard many reasons why the Miata is not a “manly” car, but this one is new! As a Miata owner, I can tell you that you won’t have any regrets, and they’re going for pretty cheap now. You know you want one, so get it!
I agree; driving an underpowered car fast is a real challenge. Years ago after college I went to Europe for 4 months and toured in a rented late 50s VW Beetle with a sliding roof. This car had 36 hp and power nothing. We drove 10,000 miles through 14 countries. On the German Autobahn, I had to keep to the slow lane and let the Mercedes pass me. Driving across the Alps in Switserland and Austria it was fun to take those hairpin turns and actually beat some large cars.
I raced an Italian in a Fiat 500 (now re-invented) from South of Venice down the spine (Appennines) of Italy and barely lost. This guy in his flea of a car really knew how to take those sharp turns.
When I got back home and into my standard Chevy, it felt like a truck.
Low self-esteem.