My Favorite Every day car

[kinan.f]

I'd think that every day car should fulfil 3 major demands:
1- Fresh powerful engine with consderable horse power.
2- Safety measures should be considered as a priority besides the inner comfort & right handling.
3- Looks should be attracting,this is some thing you need to live with every day.It should have that welcoming appearance when you look at.
These days most car manifacturers fulfil these conditions and even much more so to choose between them is a bit difficult.
Pesonally,I'd go for the BMW 3 series M-power for every day ride.
It's got what it takes to fit in every day life.....

[cuntukimushroom]

mine will be the new audi A6 or A8

mostly the new M5 V10

[Matra et Alpine]

Alpine A610 - oh there's a surprise :)
2 kids in the back or adults for short journeys.

One better than my previous ...
Matra Bagheera
Room for 3 adults and 3 sets of golf clubs in the boot :)

[Karrmann]

Toyota Prius -ohhhhhhhhhh surprising!!

I also think the Ford Escort works too because when I drive it I feels like i'm driving a 2 door Miata open top, not a four door wagon (1993 Escort only apply)

[Slicks]

Hell, by those specs ill go with the Corvette Z06, cheaper than the M3, better gas milage, and all around faster...

[taz_rocks_miami]

For an everyday driver one more thing to consider is storage and passenger comfort and capacity. I would go for the Audi S4, RS6, BMW M5, M3 and even the M6. Even though I'm a fan of cars like the Corvette, Viper and so on, they are fine if you're single, but if you have a family, the other cars I mentioned would work much better.

[charged]

Hell, by those specs ill go with the Corvette Z06, cheaper than the M3, better gas milage, and all around faster... But do m3 drop their guts all over the road

[Slicks]

But do m3 drop their guts all over the road
Yes, before a Corvette would :rolleyes: Stop being so biased and open your eyes, this isnt the 80s...

[charged]

Yes, before a Corvette would :rolleyes: Stop being so biased and open your eyes, this isnt the 80s... All im saying is people think v8 will run forever reliably when in reality sicks it all comes down to engineering tolerences we have found here in Aust that the canadian built ls1v8 the samev8 in the corvette hasnt got a fantastic reliability record with over 20 thounsand needing warranty work or complete engine swaps due to piston slap caused by poor engineering tolerences,Im not being biased just honest!!! and not closed minded in regard to certain vehicle manufacturers

[Misho]

i guess this thread deserves to be brought back from the dead !

i feel very compelled to say that a Benz SL350 would be my ideal everyday car. i am single and living alone. and with the way things r going, it seems i am gonna stay that way for a while !! so althouhg a 2 seater, i would like to have the SL as my day to day car. the 350 choice was just based on fuel economy, although if i actually had the money, i would go for the 500.

i guess an M3, corvette and E55 also make great everyday cars !! but so does a civic and prius !!

[Slicks]

All im saying is people think v8 will run forever reliably when in reality sicks it all comes down to engineering tolerences we have found here in Aust that the canadian built ls1v8 the samev8 in the corvette hasnt got a fantastic reliability record with over 20 thounsand needing warranty work or complete engine swaps due to piston slap caused by poor engineering tolerences,Im not being biased just honest!!! and not closed minded in regard to certain vehicle manufacturers
The "piston slap" your refering to is not bad engineering, its called people not reading the manual. The LS1 is meant to be run on premium fuel, if ran on anything less, the piston slap occurs.

[charged]

The "piston slap" your refering to is not bad engineering, its called people not reading the manual. The LS1 is meant to be run on premium fuel, if ran on anything less, the piston slap occurs.In Australia theLS1 is designed to run on 91 ron unleaded petrol as has a compression ratio of 10.1:1,the occurence you are getting confused with is "pinging" which a form of pre-ignition when the engine has a higher compression ratio of say 12.0:1. which I think is around the compression ratio of you high output LS2 over there in the Vette.Piston slap is when the tolerence between the bore and the piston is to great thus greating piston slap,oil excessive oli consumption and worst case senario engine failure :)

[charged]

Slicks youve suddenly gone very quiet in realtion to the LS1 :eek:

[Slicks]

In Australia theLS1 is designed to run on 91 ron unleaded petrol as has a compression ratio of 10.1:1,the occurence you are getting confused with is "pinging" which a form of pre-ignition when the engine has a higher compression ratio of say 12.0:1. which I think is around the compression ratio of you high output LS2 over there in the Vette.Piston slap is when the tolerence between the bore and the piston is to great thus greating piston slap,oil excessive oli consumption and worst case senario engine failure :)
Actually the LS2 has a compression ration of 10.9:1. Like i said before, the only kind of piston slap ive ever heard the LS1 having is when running on anything under the required gas. If you ever read any LS1 forums you will see people asking about problems like that, its solved by adding the recommended gas.

[Slicks]

Slicks youve suddenly gone very quiet in realtion to the LS1 :eek:
Sorry forgot about this thread ;)

[johnnynumfiv]

How can the type of gas change the gap inbetween the piston and the wall of the cylinder?

[Slicks]

How can the type of gas change the gap inbetween the piston and the wall of the cylinder?
My bad i was looking at something else. It was a different engine problem but made a similar noise.

[Sharpie]

Actually the LS2 has a compression ration of 10.9:1. Like i said before, the only kind of piston slap ive ever heard the LS1 having is when running on anything under the required gas. If you ever read any LS1 forums you will see people asking about problems like that, its solved by adding the recommended gas.

Slicks, well it must me true if you've read about it on the LS1 forums. It's full of clever people who know lots about everything. :p

[charged]

My bad i was looking at something else. It was a different engine problem but made a similar noise.Slicks the "LS1,LS2,LS6,LS3,000,000,only joking(Dont hate me Pity me) has electronic engine managementa high tec bit of gear cant be said for the rest of the engine though what this dooflacky does is control the ignition ,timing ,fuel etc,so when a engine is pinging pre-igniting the knock sensor senses this thats right a bloody knocky sensor which says hello ecu retard timing which it does and the pinging goes awayThat is why Holden over here can run 91 ron unleaded even in the LS!,2 with its 10.9:1 compression ratio ,but that do recomend premium unleaded as the timing is more advanced and produces more hP do you finally get it please :rolleyes: .To finish of this novella I will quote some lines from the latest Motor magazine(Equivilant with your Road and TRack etc over in USA) Sep 2004 about the SV8 Commodore basically a 4 door GTO over here.They like the motor but it has its fair share of quality issues and I quote"One of the things that bugs us,and long has ,is we dont have any problems picking the differences between good and bad LS1s.The allowable production tolerences must verge on enormous,and their quality problems have as much to do with the way they feel as the way they perform.This must be frustrating for Holden too,because theyve(The Canadians) been making enough of them,and for long enough to put better quality systems in place."End quote.Slicks production tolerences bordering on enourmous means PISTON SLAP NOT PINGING,now that I have filled your head with knowledge you can go on the LS,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,-20000 forums and they will think your a rocket scientist form NASA,Slicks all the best your good friend Charged???

[Slicks]

Slicks the "LS1,LS2,LS6,LS3,000,000,only joking(Dont hate me Pity me) has electronic engine managementa high tec bit of gear cant be said for the rest of the engine though what this dooflacky does is control the ignition ,timing ,fuel etc,so when a engine is pinging pre-igniting the knock sensor senses this thats right a bloody knocky sensor which says hello ecu retard timing which it does and the pinging goes awayThat is why Holden over here can run 91 ron unleaded even in the LS!,2 with its 10.9:1 compression ratio ,but that do recomend premium unleaded as the timing is more advanced and produces more hP do you finally get it please :rolleyes: .To finish of this novella I will quote some lines from the latest Motor magazine(Equivilant with your Road and TRack etc over in USA) Sep 2004 about the SV8 Commodore basically a 4 door GTO over here.They like the motor but it has its fair share of quality issues and I quote"One of the things that bugs us,and long has ,is we dont have any problems picking the differences between good and bad LS1s.The allowable production tolerences must verge on enormous,and their quality problems have as much to do with the way they feel as the way they perform.This must be frustrating for Holden too,because theyve(The Canadians) been making enough of them,and for long enough to put better quality systems in place."End quote.Slicks production tolerences bordering on enourmous means PISTON SLAP NOT PINGING,now that I have filled your head with knowledge you can go on the LS,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,-20000 forums and they will think your a rocket scientist form NASA,Slicks all the best your good friend Charged???

haha, a rocket scientist?
No like i said i thought something different, then looked through the forums and found some posts on the piston slap. They know its the tolerence between the piston and the cylinder wall. bla bla bla, so they know what it is and i wont be a scientist.
BTW, ive never heard any magazines complain about the piston slap before, you guys must gets some of the duds then...
:p

[PerfAdv]

Daily driver: A used 535i (early 90s model) with a slightly reworked motor from Bavarian Engine Exchange. Stealth, Heft, and already dinged up a little so I don't have to worry where to park.

M3 for a daily driver........what's the weekend machine?

[jcp123]

DD: Practically speaking, I'd like an early Escort Twin cam, either a MK.I or the RS1600-2000 series, or perhaps a Cosworth Twin Cam Vega. Wild card: a Pinto with the Turbo 2.3. Imagine the look on someone's face when you dust them in a PINTO of all cars.

Oterwise...I like what I have now, the Mustang. Fun, great styling, and just big enough to be practical.

[sandwich]

DD: Practically speaking, I'd like an early Escort Twin cam, either a MK.I or the RS1600-2000 series, or perhaps a Cosworth Twin Cam Vega. Wild card: a Pinto with the Turbo 2.3. Imagine the look on someone's face when you dust them in a PINTO of all cars.

Oterwise...I like what I have now, the Mustang. Fun, great styling, and just big enough to be practical.


holy sh.t, I definately would give you a plus 1 for that reply. I almost bought a GT3 (track racer) pinto to try and use as a rally car. OOOOOOOOOOOh 2.3 turbo, like the Merkur Xr4ti....

I don't know...in reply to this thread, I'm pretty happy with my Audi. Powerful, rare, and nobody really knows what they're looking at. AWD, and the sweet sweet tone of a 5cyl.

[Vettribution87]

BTW, ive never heard any magazines complain about the piston slap before, you guys must gets some of the duds then...
:p

Its true. From what I’ve heard the LS1 in the Corvette differs from that of the Commodores due to Holden tinkering with the engine. I’m not sure exactly what they changed but they made the engine produce more power, but an unwanted result of this tinkering created reliability issues that were not present in the Chevrolet LS1s.

[andy.muc]

Well well... back to topic!
I'd take the E60 M5 or the upcoming RS6 or even the E55.
But you better have a garage to park those ships...

[Colty]

Wouldnt an everyday car be a car that you can take anywhere and not wory about it, like taking it shopping, or driving over rough road with tiny pebbles all over it everywhere, basically a car that you expect to get kind of beaten up after a while, as if you would take an AUDI RS6 shopping..

[Spastik_Roach]

Ford Falcon FPV GT 290kw. Smoke off most cars on NZ Roads, masses ,absolute masses of room in it, mad looking, comfortable, and very good value for money! Very reliable aswell, you see many old Falcons still going strong that are at least 20 years old.

[Lagonda]

as if you would take an AUDI RS6 shopping..

I've never seen anybody over here use an S(R)6 for anything else than shopping.

[jcp123]

holy sh.t, I definately would give you a plus 1 for that reply. I almost bought a GT3 (track racer) pinto to try and use as a rally car. OOOOOOOOOOOh 2.3 turbo, like the Merkur Xr4ti....

Thanks! You know the beauty of it is, the turbo 2.3 is a direct bolt in for the carb'd 2.3 they had in the Pinto. Add to that the fact that it can deliver well over 400hp and still stay reasonably streetable, and you got a nice combo. Plus, they came not only in the XR4ti, but also in the SVO Mustangs and Thunderbird Turbo Coupes too, so they aren't all that uncommon either.

Now that I think about it, i'd be happy with a '69 Chevy Impala Kingswood or a '57 Buick Caballero Wagon, too. Yeah it's "old" (classic, and when restored basically new) and a gas hog, but it hauls 9 people and the groceries so the missus can't complain TOO much :rolleyes:

[Distress]

Wouldnt an everyday car be a car that you can take anywhere and not wory about it, like taking it shopping, or driving over rough road with tiny pebbles all over it everywhere, basically a car that you expect to get kind of beaten up after a while, as if you would take an AUDI RS6 shopping..

That's what I am thinking, and a M3 is not what I would consider for a daily driver; I hate it when I see a 97 M3 model or older for sale and it has 98,000miles on the odometer :( .

OK, there is no implication on price, so lets say I make lots of money (high-end job, movie star, something like that); to all honesty, I go to the grocery store every week, central Indiana can have some pretty brutal winters, I like travel and skiing is something I'm looking forward to doing this winter; comfort, practicality, looks are important.

I suppose I may choose something like a Saab 9-3 Aero (http://www.saabusa.com/flash/93/gallery/enlarged/ext6.jpg). It's graceful looks and rarity; no one buys a Saab for some reason. Safety, one of the highest star ratings out there. Comfort, the seats are well engineered and comfortable, and the Swedish know there leather (no crapy tore skin leather like in a Chevy Impala); the build quality is good, and simplicity, nothing fancy like a iDrive or fake wood grain.

The Aero; a fairly impressive performer, good 6-speed manual, and sport tuned suspension will take turns and windy roads. A body kit that actually works!

Oh yeah, metallic finished accent pieces interior, and a roof rake please (see picture). :)

[PerfAdv]

Wouldnt an everyday car be a car that you can take anywhere and not wory about it, like taking it shopping, or driving over rough road with tiny pebbles all over it everywhere, basically a car that you expect to get kind of beaten up after a while, as if you would take an AUDI RS6 shopping..

That's how I would define it. Meaning if its the daily driver you have something special in the garage. Ideally speaking cost wouldn't be as issue and you could have a collection of really exotic machinery. Not to be funny but imagine: A Maybach for nights out, a Ferrari for racing on weekends, a M5 for the daily grind(the Quattroporte as a backup), a SLK because you thought the Ad was clever, a Land Cruiser for groceries, and an Unimog for the rough stuff.

[jcp123]

I've fantasized about that...

'69 Plymouth GT/X Convertible with a 440 6-Pack for the drags, a late 50's-early 60's ferrari for track days (early Z-car for backup), a '74 Chevy K5 Blazer (Dana axles, 454BB, full interior/exterior Rhino-Liner job) for the days when I feel like killing a few bushes going off road, '58 Cadillac for the nights out, a '57 Buick Caballero Wagon for the missus, and I'll have my '68 Mustang and either an Escort Mk.I, a Cosworth Twin Cam Vega, or a Pinto with a 2.3 Turbo to switch off as the daily drivers.

And then there would be the motorcycles...

[henk4]

I would keep my Citroen Xantia Break HDi, it is first car where after four years of ownership I am still not inclined to trade it for anything new. I actually never had a car for longer than 4 years.
It gives me space, economy, reasonable performance and unmatched ride comfort due to its hydro suspension. This is what I require from a daily driver.

[jcp123]

unmatched ride comfort

Why in in the real world since I won't own one car for every whim, the '58 Cad Fleetwood will serve as my DD.

[Guibo]

But do m3 drop their guts all over the road
Some do, yeah.
http://members.roadfly.com/jason/m3engines.htm


Regarding piston slap, the bulk of the problems do not involve the Z06's LS6. And it's generally regarded that most affected engines were built from '99-'02.

"Speaking of clearance, we normally find piston to cylinder clearance in the .0005 inch to .002 inch range. A human hair is typically about .002 inches thick, so you can see the clearances are very small. Some manufacturers are using special coatings on piston skirts to reduce friction. This enables them to reduce clearances even less and prevent piston slap. Ford V8 overhead camshaft engines use coated pistons; so does the Corvette Z06 high performance engine, as well as other manufacturers.

A good example to show the advantages of coated piston skirts is the Corvette. Clearance specifications for the coated pistons are from minus .001 inch to plus .001 inch. You read correctly; minus clearances! The piston is actually larger than the cylinder on the skirt sides of the piston. That coating has to be slippery! As the engine warms up, expansion in the cylinder block gives more clearance."
http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jk/020320.htm


This is not to say that there aren't problems. As with the M3's, if you look at total production output, though, it's relatively small. And the percentage coming from Z06's (or even Corvettes overall) is pretty miniscule. So, no major issues regarding either of these cars for use as daily drivers.

Of the two, I'd probably go with the M3. But really, I'd want something a little more mundane. Something I can park and leave and not worry about. Would have to be cheap to insure and relatively good on gas. So, probably a 240SX (the mid-90's coupes were pretty good looking), Sentra SE-R, maybe a '91 318is. For the newer cars, I'd be perfectly happy with a G35 Coupe.

[Turbonutter55]

If I could only have 1:
LOTUS CARLTON!
Big space (for 5), stealth appeal (It's a Vauxhall Carlton), and 180 mph.
Or maybe, for similar reasons, a Ford Galaxie 500LT wagon (with the 600hp NASCAR engine)

[Motorer1]

MINI Cooper. Aint no substitute for car euphoria.

[Turbonutter55]

If I could only have 2:
Land Rover Defender 90 pickup for hardware-store runs and serious off-roading
Bentley GT for long journeys and track days

[andy.muc]

If I could only have 2:
Land Rover Defender 90 pickup for hardware-store runs and serious off-roading
Bentley GT for long journeys and track days

I'd take a F430 and a M5...
With those cars in my garage i should have enough money
to pay a courier to do my hardware-store runs.
And i'm not into off-roading :D

[Coventrysucks]

Bentley GT for track days

An interesting theory...
I doubt the brakes or tyres would last more than a few laps of being forced to hustle the 2.4 tonne beast around.

Also being based on the VW Phaeton platform, I can't imagine that it would be all that fun anyway.

A Vanquish S/ 575 GTC on the other hand...

[Turbonutter55]

Okayyyyy... I've reconsidered for 3 cars.
Keep the Defender.
Citroen DS as a daily commuter and for long journeys, leaving space for...
Caterham CSR for track days.
3 cars for less than the cost of 1 Ferrari, that can do anything you might need your car to do from dragging someone else's car out of a ditch to murdering exotics around a circuit.
2 cars is trickier, but I'd say Audi A8 4.0 diesel and the Caterham. No off-roading, but the Audi can get up a gravel road in the snow easily enough.