These Are The Automotive Heroes That You Regret Meeting

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Well, you yet did it. You worked hard, you persevered, and you were yet capable to get a rotation down nan wheel of your dream car. The only problem is, now that you're driving, it's... a small underwhelming. It's fine! Good, even! But compared to that intelligence image, that benchmark you built up successful your ain head, nan existent point doesn't rather measurement up. You met your hero, and you now benignant of wish you hadn't. 

Last week, I asked you each for nan automotive heroes you wish you'd ne'er met. Today, we parse done your answers for nan best, worst, aliases weirdest responses. We've sewage S2000s, M3s, Dodge Chargers, moreover 911s — I asked you each for nan cars you wish you'd ne'er driven, and you gave immoderate genuinely spicy responses. Let's dive done them, and effort to beryllium civilian astir everything successful nan comments. Please, I'm begging you, beryllium civil.

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I was sad erstwhile I did not for illustration nan s2000 aft yet driving one. I clasp respect for it (and I 'get it') but I deliberation nan praise is simply a tad overblown while nan downsides are understated.

First, i'm utilized to/a instrumentality of little powered sports cars. I spent astir a decade dd/autoX/tracking a Scion FRS, I emotion MX5's (even though I don't really fresh successful them) and plentifulness of my friends have/had really bully s2000s.

I've ne'er really been a honda/vtec feline – and while I did admit nan precocious revving motor one was unprepared for really gutless it was until nan vtec switched over. I don't mind a car that needs to beryllium driven difficult to get nan astir retired of it, but nan S2k needs to beryllium beaten up to not beryllium PAINFULLY slow.

I drove it for a fewer laps connected a way and had nosy but arsenic a roadworthy car I would alternatively beryllium successful astir thing else. I besides deliberation that successful nan existent world, it's a slower car than a frs/brz/86/etc aliases astir miatas (at slightest NC/ND).

I liked nan chassis feel, dynamics are nosy (like a micro-corvette pinch nan measurement you beryllium connected nan backmost axle complete nan looooong hood) and nan inputs were awesome. But it's conscionable specified a letdown to person a car that's truthful ungodly underpowered erstwhile nan chassis tin grip truthful overmuch more.

Great car, but I don't ever request to thrust 1 again and liked it much earlier I had my spell successful it.

Submitted by: Nathaniel Kuhn

I still desperately want to thrust an S2000, I've ne'er loved nan seating position successful a car more. I've ridden successful one, but ne'er had a move down nan wheel. 

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E9x M3. awesome sounding engine, but it decidedly lacks successful torque. its outshined by nan 335xi which is much comfortable, useful successful each upwind and seasons, besides makes a awesome sound, pulls for illustration a diesel and costs half. some are arsenic unreliable but pinch nan 335 you dont salary nan "M" taxation astatine nan stealership

Submitted by: adam f

An E93 M3 was really 1 of nan first cars I ever drove, albeit very slow connected a backmost roadworthy erstwhile I was a kid. Eventually, I got to return 1 retired connected a CarMax trial thrust and rotation nan rear tires connected a road disconnected ramp. That, I will say, was a bully time. 

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1969 Dodge Charger RT.

I drove a restored one. Not a modified one. Stopping a 4,000lbs behemoth pinch 4 drums brakes is... an experience.

It looks amazing, and has tons of power, but nan handling, stopping, and each different exertion conscionable wasn't location yet.

Submitted by: Dr.Xyster

Don't fto nan 1969 Dodge Charger feline perceive you opportunity that. I emotion nan look of aged musculus cars, but I can't ideate they clasp up to modern cars successful really immoderate measurable measurement beyond styling. 

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For me, it was early WRXes. When I needed a four-door family car, I went consecutive to nan WRX. I had an SVX and different Subarus, truthful that seemed for illustration nan correct choice.

But, man, I conscionable did not get on pinch it. Dynamically, I conscionable didn't bask nan car. And nan interior was...feh. I bought an RX-8 instead. It had its ain drawbacks, yeah. But it was a existent sports car and had truthful much

Submitted by: Poorsche

I really want to cognize what twelvemonth is "early" here. Blobeye? Bugeye? Did you effort a Hawkeye pinch nan 2.5?

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Maybe sacrilege, but aged 911s. Yes they are iconic, but typically person nary powerfulness by modern standards (the early '80s 911SC for illustration produced a whopping 180hp), person very stiff clutch pedals and displacement for illustration trucks.

Submitted by: PJ

Old 911s are gorgeous, but they're not precisely built to modern standards of short-shifting. Tech has advanced. 

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RX7 FC. Granted, I sewage nan NA type alternatively of nan Turbo, but still, I liked rather a fewer things astir it, for illustration nan interior, nan drivability, and nan popup headlights. But past came nan bad things, and by acold nan worst portion of it was nan engine. Despite being 150hp, it was slower than my Alfa Romeo 155 pinch nan aforesaid powerfulness connected level roads, and slower than almost everything other going uphill, and aft only 4 weeks of owning it, I stoped nan car aft a relaxing drive, and it ejected each coolant connected nan parking spot. I past put it successful a shop to beryllium fixed and restored, but nary 1 wanted to activity connected it, and parts were a nightmare to get. Sold it for peanuts to a mates of RX enthusiasts to beryllium transformed into a trackway car. Lost for illustration 90% of what I paid for it.

Submitted by: Tiago Bastos

I'm taking solace successful this being astir nan people aspirated FC, truthful I can support dreaming astir owning Ryosuke Takahashi's Turbo II immoderate day. 

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Had nan opportunity to trial thrust a lowish (30k) mile 2004 Lexus LS430. Suspension felt benignant of crashy (compared to my mk7 GTI which isn't renown for a cush suspension), it had lackluster acceleration from a V8. Driving acquisition was a full snoozefest, dense and unpleasant (I person fonder memories of plush luxury from an 80's Jaguar XJ6 and Mercedes 300E. If I had to thrust an LS430 arsenic my only car, I'd consciousness for illustration I was successful car purgatory, reliability aside.

Runner up–manual E46 M3 convertible–great motor sound, but everything other was benignant of meh by modern capacity car standards and I conjecture I'm spoiled by Hondas b/c that rubbery gearbox—eesh.

Submitted by: PutterJacks♡DeweyStreudel

I person to wonderment really well-maintained that LS was, because proceeding that its suspension was harsher than an MK7 GTI is perfectly wild. 

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Couple not truthful celebrated takes I americium sure.

Honda S2000. I emotion roadsters, I person owned half a twelve and driven galore dozens more, from Austin Healey Sprite to Miatas and modern Corvettes.

On insubstantial nan S2000 sounded for illustration nan eventual sports car, light, responsive, motor that loved to rev.

I trial drove 1 and, while everything whitethorn person seemed a notch aliases truthful supra a Miata (no ND Miatas yet astatine this time) I deliberation I was expecting 2 aliases 3 notches. That and nan dash display, that looked to maine for illustration it belonged successful an 80s GM car.

I recovered nan MR2 Spyder overmuch much engaging.

Second is nan E36 3 series, erstwhile again connected insubstantial a car I should person loved. Drove a bully coupe pinch a manual, it was all...ok...found nan modern IS300 overmuch much comfortable and nosy to drive. Bonus it is easier to ain and support too.

Submitted by: Greg Lemon

We already sewage nan S2000, but nan E36 is different bold claim. It's a beloved enthusiast car, but possibly nan little trims conscionable don't unrecorded up. 

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A FD RX-7 R1.

I emotion nan RX-7 successful wide and sewage a changeable to thrust nan top-tier capacity R1 trim. It's awful.

The suspension is uselessly stiff, nan steering excessively dense for really ray nan car feels otherwise, and wide it is specified a downgrade to nan modular turbo.

When I opportunity stiff, I mean you could thrust complete a dime and cognize which broadside is up. It's brutal.

Gorgeous car and I wanted to autumn successful emotion pinch it because Mazda had gotten each different suspension correct for playful way days, but this was specified a miss.

Submitted by: potbellyjoe

Again, for illustration nan FC, I'm gladsome this comes down to a circumstantial trim. The FD is gorgeous, don't you make maine deliberation it's not bully to drive. 

DrNegative, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Cub Cadet XT1 section tractor. Having moved retired to nan state to a batch of 2+ hilly acres, I asked astir for thoughts astir what marque and type section tractor I should get. The mostly statement was Cub Cadet. Armed pinch this knowledge, I went to nan section trader pinch a topo representation of our spot to find what instrumentality was champion nether our conditions and was directed to nan XT1.

It has been a nightmare – nan platform loop comes disconnected astir each clip I disengage nan thrust (I person learned to debar this by raising nan platform to its highest mounting earlier disengaging/re-engaging, but what a PITA); erstwhile switching retired to mulching blades, nan spindles were stripped and nan trader wouldn't switch because it was much than 6 months aft I bought it (I bought successful October 2023; brought this up successful May 2024; I unrecorded successful WI truthful this was only aft 3 cuts and little than 10 hours connected nan machine); and uneven cutting tallness betwixt nan correct and near blades.

I'm trying to find a measurement to get free of it and get a caller one, but nan SO is not existent keen connected dropping different fewer expansive connected a instrumentality that is little than 2 years old.

Submitted by: 86eldorado

Go off, 86eldorado. You show that tractor who's boss.