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OT: Car Argument - "The Perfect Car"

RU4Real

RU4Real

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Jul 25, 2001
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Most of the car threads on this board start out innocently (if naively) enough - "What kind of ______ car would your recommend?". Of course, they all degenerate pretty quickly into shouting matches between us car snobs and the people who care so little about driving that their answer to every question is "Honda Accord".

Note to the last group - this thread is NOT for you.

Inevitably, as those threads wheeze their way toward certain death, I find myself pondering "the perfect car". I've said that, really, to have the perfect car for every situation you need at least five. But is there one car that is better at everything than any other car?

The criteria would be that the perfect car is comfortable enough for a full day's road trip - at triple digit speeds on the interstate. It should get good gas mileage - even at triple digit speeds. It should be able to pack away a good-sized tailgate, or tote the kids to college with all their crap. It should be a fun and practical everyday commuter. AND it must be reasonably affordable.

So... is there a perfect car?
 
If I was going to own a car I'd go for an SUV. Something like a Ford Escape, Honda CRV, or Toyota RAV-4 if I was shooting for gas mileage. I'm a big fan of AWD.

I'm a truck guy myself.
 
Alaska_Dawg said:
If I was going to own a car I'd go for an SUV. Something like a Ford Escape, Honda CRV, or Toyota RAV-4 if I was shooting for gas mileage. I'm a big fan of AWD.

I'm a truck guy myself.
Click to expand...

I had a '13 Escape. Put 3 years and 76,000 miles on it.

I got the bigger motor (turbo 2.0, 240 hp). It was peppy on the highway, but lacked off-the-line speed. The transmission is horrible. The fuel economy is nowhere close to Ford's claims (which is thematic with all of their so-called "EcoBoost", aka "turbocharged" engines) and, lastly, it is NOT an all-day car. The seats are abysmal for long trips.

I does handle quite well, for what it is. Quite well.

The CR-V and RAV4 are underpowered, but do get much better gas mileage than the Escape.

In the category of "cute ute", I think the class of the class is probably the Acura RDX. They can get pricey, though.
 
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Ford Transit Passenger van with eco-boost engine... and CEO is a Rutgers guy.

Perfect wasn't all that hard.

Next question?
 
GoodOl'Rutgers said:
Ford Transit Passenger van with eco-boost engine... and CEO is a Rutgers guy.

Perfect wasn't all that hard.

Next question?
Click to expand...

Haha... No... It misses on a bunch of the base criteria. It's too slow, it doesn't handle well... and the gas mileage isn't that good. Nor would it be a reasonable daily driver.

Nice try, though.
 
Here you go. It's like riding in your living room, even at 100, you can fit two bodies in the trunk, and they're cheap when you can find one.

92brougham07.jpg
 
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Tough criteria. Have to think about that.

One thing to keep in mind is that a number of engines aren't built to run consistently at high speeds - that would affect the durability of the vehicle.
 
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Was gonna go with the 650 until you brought in the college and tailgate stuff, and good mileage around town. If you had simply said, what is the perfect car? the 650 'vert is the answer.

The answer to your last question is, no.
 
RU4Real said:
Most of the car threads on this board start out innocently (if naively) enough - "What kind of ______ car would your recommend?". Of course, they all degenerate pretty quickly into shouting matches between us car snobs and the people who care so little about driving that their answer to every question is "Honda Accord".

Note to the last group - this thread is NOT for you.

Inevitably, as those threads wheeze their way toward certain death, I find myself pondering "the perfect car". I've said that, really, to have the perfect car for every situation you need at least five. But is there one car that is better at everything than any other car?

The criteria would be that the perfect car is comfortable enough for a full day's road trip - at triple digit speeds on the interstate. It should get good gas mileage - even at triple digit speeds. It should be able to pack away a good-sized tailgate, or tote the kids to college with all their crap. It should be a fun and practical everyday commuter. AND it must be reasonably affordable.

So... is there a perfect car?
Click to expand...
You can stop here. There was no better car than my 1986 ford escort. 4...count 'em...4 cylinders! manual steering, but automatic transmission. am AND fm radio. Bucket seats. What more could you need? The thing drove like spaghetti. This was a classic turn off the AC when you're going uphill kind of car. Also the engine was on these rubber mounts so it actually bounced around while you drove. (BTW This was very perplexing to mechanics who were unfamiliar with the mystical ways of the Escort...one guy tried to take the entire engine out when all I wanted was an oil change). What a classic!
 
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My fully loaded Nissan Maxima came very close to meeting all of your criteria. Great power, features, comfort and space.
 
RU4Real said:
Most of the car threads on this board start out innocently (if naively) enough - "What kind of ______ car would your recommend?". Of course, they all degenerate pretty quickly into shouting matches between us car snobs and the people who care so little about driving that their answer to every question is "Honda Accord".

Note to the last group - this thread is NOT for you.

Inevitably, as those threads wheeze their way toward certain death, I find myself pondering "the perfect car". I've said that, really, to have the perfect car for every situation you need at least five. But is there one car that is better at everything than any other car?

The criteria would be that the perfect car is comfortable enough for a full day's road trip - at triple digit speeds on the interstate. It should get good gas mileage - even at triple digit speeds. It should be able to pack away a good-sized tailgate, or tote the kids to college with all their crap. It should be a fun and practical everyday commuter. AND it must be reasonably affordable.

So... is there a perfect car?
Click to expand...

You just described the Honda Accord.


(I can't believe this thread is two hours old and I'm the first to say that.)
 
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RU4Real said:
Most of the car threads on this board start out innocently (if naively) enough - "What kind of ______ car would your recommend?". Of course, they all degenerate pretty quickly into shouting matches between us car snobs and the people who care so little about driving that their answer to every question is "Honda Accord".

Note to the last group - this thread is NOT for you.

Inevitably, as those threads wheeze their way toward certain death, I find myself pondering "the perfect car". I've said that, really, to have the perfect car for every situation you need at least five. But is there one car that is better at everything than any other car?

The criteria would be that the perfect car is comfortable enough for a full day's road trip - at triple digit speeds on the interstate. It should get good gas mileage - even at triple digit speeds. It should be able to pack away a good-sized tailgate, or tote the kids to college with all their crap. It should be a fun and practical everyday commuter. AND it must be reasonably affordable.

So... is there a perfect car?
Click to expand...
Very happy with our Acadia and Enclave, but we are happy to go 80-85 mph on freeways, not triple digits. We liked our Acadia so much, we bought the Enclave 3 years later to replace my old Trailblazer. Tons of room for the family, both look nice, ride very smooth, excellent reliability so far, reasonably affordable in the mid-40's, etc. These are close to perfect cars for us. I guess I would like a little more low-end pick-up. Both are AWD and very good in the snow.
 
RU4Real said:
Most of the car threads on this board start out innocently (if naively) enough - "What kind of ______ car would your recommend?". Of course, they all degenerate pretty quickly into shouting matches between us car snobs and the people who care so little about driving that their answer to every question is "Honda Accord".

Note to the last group - this thread is NOT for you.

Inevitably, as those threads wheeze their way toward certain death, I find myself pondering "the perfect car". I've said that, really, to have the perfect car for every situation you need at least five. But is there one car that is better at everything than any other car?

The criteria would be that the perfect car is comfortable enough for a full day's road trip - at triple digit speeds on the interstate. It should get good gas mileage - even at triple digit speeds. It should be able to pack away a good-sized tailgate, or tote the kids to college with all their crap. It should be a fun and practical everyday commuter. AND it must be reasonably affordable.

So... is there a perfect car?
Click to expand...

I think you described the S3 sportback. But since it doesn't exist in the US, I guess you can say Golf R.

To me to get good gas mileage and hit triples easy it needs to be a turbo. To be a good commuter, it needs to have a quality interior, strong/stable build (potholes), and be relatively small. However small conflicts with fitting a tailgate or bringing your kid to college. Therefore, hatch. Maybe a roof rack with a Thule or a hitch.

Barely any cars hit all of that.

Maybe try to find an A3 sport back from 2013 and tune the Ecu or upgrade the turbo.
 
Last edited:
How about sub 6 sec 0-60 while getting 35 MPG hwy. 4 door seating 4 in relative comfort. Folding rear seats for added utility. 425 ft-lb of torque.
 
1996 Plymouth Town and Country van. 6cyl 25mpg. I used to commute, to pick up furniture and even as a camper, It was GIVEN to me in 2004 by a theater patron where I did theater for 10 years(Icehouse Theater Mt Dora Fla) because he knew I needed a van. It was in the shop 1x for a brake problem I caused myself. It went back n forth to NYC dozens of times and to CAL once. I sold it 3mo ago...it had 220,000 miles on it and was still running strong...even the air still worked......the only thing I ever replaced were tires,,,

I also had a Mercedes 240D I bought back in the 80s...I forget what year. I had it 8yrs and was never in the shop...ever...there are Mercedes taxis in Europe that are from the 1970s.....they last forever
 
I'd offer my former 2011 Subaru WRX 5-door toward your argument. Approximately $27k price new, 0-60 in sub-5 seconds, top speed of 142 mph, very stable/gets at least 20 mpg at triple-digit speeds, and bulletproof mechanically with regular maintenance. In my biased opinion, one of the best-looking 5-doors ever made. I've ferried around 5 people in it with all their stuff for a weekend trip, and a scary amount of home improvement materials and/or furniture with the rear seats easily folded down. Roof rail system optional, but I never needed one.

If price/availability stateside were no object, I'd imagine an Audi RS6 Avant, Mercedes E55 AMG wagon, Cadillac CTS-V wagon, or former Dodge Magnum SRT-8 wagon would be top contenders as well..
 
RUsSKii said:
I'd offer my former 2011 Subaru WRX 5-door toward your argument. Approximately $27k price new, 0-60 in sub-5 seconds, top speed of 142 mph, very stable/gets at least 20 mpg at triple-digit speeds, and bulletproof mechanically with regular maintenance. In my biased opinion, one of the best-looking 5-doors ever made. I've ferried around 5 people in it with all their stuff for a weekend trip, and a scary amount of home improvement materials and/or furniture with the rear seats easily folded down. Roof rail system optional, but I never needed one.

If price/availability stateside were no object, I'd imagine an Audi RS6 Avant, Mercedes E55 AMG wagon, Cadillac CTS-V wagon, or former Dodge Magnum SRT-8 wagon would be top contenders as well..
Click to expand...
Id agree with the Subaru for the same reason I'd throw in the Focus ST/RS. However, for commuting, I personally would not want to drive a manual everyday in/out of the city. For me, I'd be out just at that. The Subaru also has slightly more vibration/interior build issues than the rest of its competitors. But frankly any car at that price point will.
 
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Metropolitans3 said:
I think you described the S3 sportback. But since it doesn't exist in the US, I guess you can say Golf R.

To me to get good gas mileage and hit triples easy it needs to be a turbo. To be a good commuter, it needs to have a quality interior, strong/stable build (potholes), and be relatively small. However small conflicts with fitting a tailgate or bringing your kid to college. Therefore, hatch. Maybe a roof rack with a Thule or a hitch.

Barely any cars hit all of that.

Maybe try to find an A3 sport back from 2013 and tune the Ecu or upgrade the turbo.
Click to expand...

Solid post. Great minds, and all that.

I think the Golf R is as close as you can get to hitting all the criteria, except that it may not be "all day comfortable". My '08 GTI was only comfortable for about 3 hours. I know the R has different seats, but only slightly.

The new 2017 Allroad might come closer, but it's 50 grand, all in.

If Audi would make an estate version of the A3/S3, I think that might be it.
 
I drive the car you described = Audi S6 Quattro. I really wanted the S7 but will wait until my daughter is out of college.
 
RAA-1 said:
I drive the car you described = Audi S6 Quattro. I really wanted the S7 but will wait until my daughter is out of college.
Click to expand...

I would exclude the S6 based on price ($72k base) and fuel economy. Great car, but is too costly to be perfect.
 
RU848789 said:
For that price I could buy one for each day of the week and have plenty left over for a few of your favorite things - hookers and blow!
Click to expand...
You were posting online at 7:43? Now I know why you were almost late this morning. By Joe's watch you were a minute late - you're lucky we told him to double-check the time w/others. [laughing]
 
RU4Real said:
Solid post. Great minds, and all that.

I think the Golf R is as close as you can get to hitting all the criteria, except that it may not be "all day comfortable". My '08 GTI was only comfortable for about 3 hours. I know the R has different seats, but only slightly.

The new 2017 Allroad might come closer, but it's 50 grand, all in.

If Audi would make an estate version of the A3/S3, I think that might be it.
Click to expand...

So you presented this whole exercise so you could land back on the car you already own, huh? Talk about self justification ; )

Estates seem to be slowly infiltrating the market, maybe they'll have a bit of a renaissance. I drove the E Class a couple of years ago - can't recall which because it was overshadowed by the 550 I tried right after - but it had plenty of pick up and would prolly work nicely within your criteria. The new V60 is also a beauty but not sure how it drives yet. Was thinking of testing it next time I'm out in Jersey - I'll let ya know if I do.

Since you seemed to have solved your dilemma (or added evidence to your pre-existing solution), I'll focus on my ideal car, in "guess it" form. Made by your favorite company several years ago. Unfortunately only a concept, not production. Italian style and power with off road utility. Who am I?
 
mildone said:
You were posting online at 7:43? Now I know why you were almost late this morning. By Joe's watch you were a minute late - you're lucky we told him to double-check the time w/others. [laughing]
Click to expand...

Yep, I was finishing up a good dump, then I got dressed, and then I drove the 2 minutes to get from my house to the field and arrived as it turned 7:58 am on my satellite radio clock, which is synchronized with the NIST atomic clocks. I counted 40 seconds until I was on the field, so I was on the field by 7:59 am, as multiple people confirmed. Joe needs to fix his watch and you need to blow it out your ass, dear.
 
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c-1_10.jpg
Based on your criteria

38-55K
N/A V6 with 310hp. So IMO its got the best blend between Type of Fuel, Power, Fuel Efficiency, and can tow your tailgate and kids to college.
Its comfortable and can be loaded with all the tech features that make a full day trip easy including WIFI.
 
theRU said:
c-1_10.jpg
Based on your criteria

38-55K
N/A V6 with 310hp. So IMO its got the best blend between Type of Fuel, Power, Fuel Efficiency, and can tow your tailgate and kids to college.
Its comfortable and can be loaded with all the tech features that make a full day trip easy including WIFI.
Click to expand...

I like the SRX.

It doesn't quite meet the handling criteria, but it's a damn solid vehicle. GM's 3.6 V6 (the most current one) is one of the best engines out there.
 
FanuSanu52 said:
So you presented this whole exercise so you could land back on the car you already own, huh? Talk about self justification ; )

Estates seem to be slowly infiltrating the market, maybe they'll have a bit of a renaissance. I drove the E Class a couple of years ago - can't recall which because it was overshadowed by the 550 I tried right after - but it had plenty of pick up and would prolly work nicely within your criteria. The new V60 is also a beauty but not sure how it drives yet. Was thinking of testing it next time I'm out in Jersey - I'll let ya know if I do.

Since you seemed to have solved your dilemma (or added evidence to your pre-existing solution), I'll focus on my ideal car, in "guess it" form. Made by your favorite company several years ago. Unfortunately only a concept, not production. Italian style and power with off road utility. Who am I?
Click to expand...

The V60 is very cool. I wasn't much of a Volvo fan until the latest generation of their product line - now I am.

As for the Audis, like I said... if my car was available as an estate it would be a clear win. Change nothing else, just make it a wagon.

It really is weird how wildly popular they are in Europe but almost unseen, here.
 
I had a 1995 Saab 900S Coupe that was the complete package - good power and handling, great for long distance cruising and plenty of cargo room. That vehicle could move through snow with ease. It was mechanically sound with the only significant service being the replacement of the clutch at 175,000 miles and the breaks shortly thereafter. Quite affordable too compared to Audi's and BMWs.
 
Mike from MD said:
I had a 1995 Saab 900S Coupe that was the complete package - good power and handling, great for long distance cruising and plenty of cargo room. That vehicle could move through snow with ease. It was mechanically sound with the only significant service being the replacement of the clutch at 175,000 miles and the breaks shortly thereafter. Quite affordable too compared to Audi's and BMWs.
Click to expand...

I still have a 2007 9-3 that I bought as a 2 year-old CPO and drove for about 4 years. I turned it over to my youngest daughter, who drives it to this day whenever she's home from school. One of the best cars I've ever owned - quick as hell (same power as its German competitors from the same year but several hundred pounds lighter) and maybe the best seats I've ever had the pleasure of spending long days with. It does tend to chew through stupid little components such as light bulbs and switches but has otherwise been 100% reliable over 100k miles.
 
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