Hacker News Reader

Comment by brudgers | Hacker News Reader

What you won't get is the haptic experience of a sports car.

Nor the potential aesthetic experience...potential because people have different aesthetic values.

But the haptic experience of a sports car can't be replicated in a mini-van or SUV because the suspension, driving position, acoustic and mechanical output, etc. are all vastly different from a sports car. And of course curb weight, suspension rates, and center of gravity.

To be clear, I am not saying there is anything wrong with SUV's and/or minivans. Only that the map is not the territory.

View on HN

When I was a youngster getting into cars, I obsessed over the quantifiables. Which car had better horsepower, 1/4 mile, or skid pad scores. I couldn’t drive, much less afford, any of the cars so it’s the best I could do to form an opinion.

Now that I’m a grownup, I’m capable of doing qualitative assessments on cars because I can drive them and judge their intangibles.

Lots of cars have sub-par specs, especially compared to modern engineering, but it overlooks that they are just fun. The top speed doesn’t matter because you’re rarely going to touch it. But how does it feel when you downshifting into 2nd to pass somebody? Or take a windy corner a little faster than you should? Does it make you grin? Because that’s a good car.

Miata is fun at any speed…

heck ya!

I often have electric minivans come up next to me that have the "nod".

I typically snort back and let them take off the line - they're a ton faster than me, but I'm the one enjoying the drive!

I've owned a 62 Studebaker Lark and a 71 MG Midget. Both pretty damn slow by any modern measure, but both an absolute blast to drive. The Midget especially was stupidly fun on back roads with the top down. Less pleasant on city streets looking eye to eye with every pickup's lugnuts, of course.

If I am not scared for my life going over 120 km/h in a car, I don't want it

I love lightweight cars. They are harder and harder to make due to regulations so the options are older vehicles. Or motorcycles, but that's too scary.

I recently had the pleasure of finally driving a car on a track and it was so insanely fun even if I was driving a FWD hatchback with like 70 or 80 horsepower and a worn out shifter

I go back and forth in crazy cycles.

It started when I was younger. I had 2 unreliable, but fun muscle cars. ( Souped up Corvette and souped up El Camino. ) When they both broke down at the same time, I over reacted and bought a reliable, new Saturn coupe with a 5 speed.

After 3 years of trouble free motoring in the Saturn, I traded it off for a Gen 1 Ford Lightning pickup. ( Strong acceleration for the day. ) I followed that up with a Lexus GS 300, hardly a hot rod.

The cycle continued, back and forth. My last 3 cars have been WRX STi, Lexus ISF, and now Corolla hybrid.

I love trying to keep the hybrid in EV mode, it’s kind of a game. A very different game than rowing the STi through the gears, but oddly similar.

I’m hopeless.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com