08-31-2009, 06:19 PM
It seems like every time there is a "What should I buy" thread my ideas of what makes a good DD are at complete odds with what most other people in the club consider good criteria. I wanted to start this thread so that people can debate what features and traits make a car a good daily driver to them. I also want people to include their commuting distance, average annual mileage, and what mix of back road / highway / bumper to bumper (city) traffic time is included.
Commute: 20 to 30 miles each way, 5 days a week.
Annual Mileage: ~30k miles
Back Road / Highway / B2B&City: 20% / 60% / 20%
Handling / Ride Comfort: I don't find handling characteristics that important when looking at a DD. I don't usually push any car past 6 or 7 10ths on a public road anymore. After my experiences paying out the ass for summer tires and lowering the SHO, I found that I really liked driving the car more before it was a PITA taking it over any small bump and wearing out tires every 10k miles. Having a car that doesn't slam me around on the highway (where I spend most of my time) is way more important to me than being able to go 10mph quicker around a corner.
Power: I like having a car that will get out of its own way. I have really become accustomed to using power as an "out" of many situations that arise on the road. Whenever I drive something that is slower than I am used to, I tend to get into trouble (or beat the shit out of it trying to get out of trouble).
Size: I like the presence of driving a larger (not huge) car. People don't try and run you off of the road as often, they hold a lot more stuff and I'm not cramped beyond belief (I'm 6'3"). Driving the Talon for more than 1hr is torture for me.
2 vs 4 doors: 4 for me - I like the 2 door look better but also like to be able to throw stuff in the back seat without having to climb everywhere.
Fuel Economy: Important, but not over power.
Automatic vs Manual: Automatic all the way. I love unwinding the SHO or Talon on a back road, but I'm on highways about 80% of the time, and considerable portion of that is done at 15mph or less. Going from 1st -> 2nd -> 0mph in a clutch got really old after a while.
Looks: Not all that important to me. I care a lot more about how a car performs than impressing people with what I drive.
Commute: 20 to 30 miles each way, 5 days a week.
Annual Mileage: ~30k miles
Back Road / Highway / B2B&City: 20% / 60% / 20%
Handling / Ride Comfort: I don't find handling characteristics that important when looking at a DD. I don't usually push any car past 6 or 7 10ths on a public road anymore. After my experiences paying out the ass for summer tires and lowering the SHO, I found that I really liked driving the car more before it was a PITA taking it over any small bump and wearing out tires every 10k miles. Having a car that doesn't slam me around on the highway (where I spend most of my time) is way more important to me than being able to go 10mph quicker around a corner.
Power: I like having a car that will get out of its own way. I have really become accustomed to using power as an "out" of many situations that arise on the road. Whenever I drive something that is slower than I am used to, I tend to get into trouble (or beat the shit out of it trying to get out of trouble).
Size: I like the presence of driving a larger (not huge) car. People don't try and run you off of the road as often, they hold a lot more stuff and I'm not cramped beyond belief (I'm 6'3"). Driving the Talon for more than 1hr is torture for me.
2 vs 4 doors: 4 for me - I like the 2 door look better but also like to be able to throw stuff in the back seat without having to climb everywhere.
Fuel Economy: Important, but not over power.
Automatic vs Manual: Automatic all the way. I love unwinding the SHO or Talon on a back road, but I'm on highways about 80% of the time, and considerable portion of that is done at 15mph or less. Going from 1st -> 2nd -> 0mph in a clutch got really old after a while.
Looks: Not all that important to me. I care a lot more about how a car performs than impressing people with what I drive.
Why do people just post what they are thinking? Without thinking.
2012 Ford Mustang
1995 BMW 540i/A
1990 Eagle Talon TSI AWD
2012 Ford Mustang
1995 BMW 540i/A
1990 Eagle Talon TSI AWD