As I am getting near the end of my lease on my 2016 IS 300 AWD F Sport, I have been seeking opportunities to try out different cars to figure out what I really like. If I've come to one conclusion during this time, it's that there's a spectrum of "fun". Enthusiasts like to write-off a car as something that isn't fun because of one thing - most commonly something like steering feel or body roll or even an automatic transmission. However, it's the entire experience of driving a car that makes it fun. I wanted to discuss a really recent example of this, where I was forced to think about the question in the thread title.



You seem to have found me in the driver's seat of a BMW M235i. This is a perfect car to talk about what "fun" is. It's RWD, it has 320+ horsepower, and is a compact two-door car. This all sounds right and fun, yes? This car is a hoot the first time I plant my foot. The turbos audibly spool ("whoosh") and then my neck is forced to stiffen up so my head doesn't hit the headrest. There's... sound, though I am not sure if it's really from the engine, but it is a good sound nonetheless. As I squish the soft leather steering wheel between my fingers while turning onto an on-ramp... my disappointment immediately begins. "Well, yeah, it's a bit numb, but at least the steering is nice and weighty, and I feel confident", I think to myself.

Sure enough, I was going over 80 miles per hour by complete accident on the highway. It just felt like nothing - "Ah, yes, confidence, AKA going fast and feeling slow", my brain says. The car feels imminently composed, almost as quiet and supple as I'd expect a luxury sedan to be. There's absolutely no drama. I plant my foot, and the turbos say "Hello" and speed comes easily. It's all so smooth that I almost don't feel the G-forces of acceleration. Pop the drive mode selector into Sport+, and the shifts get a lot firmer, which does heighten said drama, but... Now that the car has shown me what it feels most at home doing - cruising - how can I treat Sport+ with any sort of seriousness?



As you can see, I've now parked the car back at its origin as far as I know, a used car dealership. For such a humble place, this car is immaculate and quite a find. However, I wasn't really there to drive a formerly-$50,000 two-door almost-M BMW. I was there to drive something a bit more pedestrian - this car was just a rare find, and something I wanted to experience.




No, the real reason I wanted to be there was to drive this humble, dark gray, 2016 VW GTI Autobahn. Here we are in the pilot's chair. Unlike the BMW, it really feels more chair-like at first seating. I sit low, but not so low as to slow my ingress or bonk my head. So, setting off in this car, I had somewhat low expectations. "If an expensive BMW felt like that, I'm sure an affordable front-wheel drive VW hatchback is going to feel... not quite as good." I think to myself.

Well, this is where we get into subjectivity. Some people might think the BMW is the better car for them. It's smooth, refined, and really easy to drive. However, I think I would enjoy the GTI a lot more. How can this be? Isn't it a full second slower 0-60?

Let's get into that. Yes, it feels slower. But, unlike the BMW, it can roast its front tires in second gear. It can do that, while still giving me even more of the fun turbo-whooshing sounds. What's more is that the steering of the GTI actually has feel. On an on-ramp, the wheel speaks to me. The cracks in the road make themselves known through small movements. Even more than that, the DSG transmission provides a seamless connection to the wheels. It feels much more direct and mechanical in its operation than the still-excellent ZF 8 speed in the BMW. Sure, there are downsides - the shorter wheelbase of the GTI means a little bobblehead action over expansion joints, for one. For another, the road noise produced by the GTI's tires was more present than that of the BMW. That said, this car just feels... alive, whereas the BMW feels... like a computer.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say the GTI is one of the most fun vehicles I've driven, even though I didn't get to attack back-roads - just a quick jaunt up the interstate and through some city streets on the way back to the dealership. But, why is that?




Remember this car? I was certainly reminded of it when driving the GTI. Even though it's an SUV/crossover, it just spoke to me in ways other cars could not. The steering felt alive - there's that word again - and sounds from the turbocharged V-6 powertrain snuck into the cabin, much like in the GTI. It's down to the sensory inputs. Maybe it's no coincidence that both of these cars were manufactured by VW Group. You know what else I found fun?



The Camaro SS convertible pictured here was a ton of fun as well. With the top down, the exhaust rumbled away behind me, and the steering provided clear feedback, much like the GTI. Driving that car was a fully immersive experience, thanks to the marriage of car and the surrounding environment.

Many cars today are so refined and quiet and isolated that they are unexciting, no matter what their spec sheets may say. Sure, it does an 11-second quarter mile, but how does it make you feel when you're not blasting down the road at extralegal speeds? Even when just driving the above "fun" cars in mundane situations, like, perhaps, going to the grocery store, I would still find them enjoyable. Just being in the car and rolling down the road is a treat in and of itself.

Looking back on my three years with my IS, I have somehow ended up with a car that's not terribly un-fun, but not terribly fun either, in retrospect. It gives me just enough information that spirited driving sessions are rewarding, yet, it stays out of my way in more mundane driving. This dual personality can make me forget that it is, in fact, kind of fun to throw around on a good road. However, it could be better - more focused, perhaps, or lighter. It just doesn't feel alive like some other cars I've driven. Even Lexus's much sportier RC F has this issue to an extent, but is still more characterful than most.

Going forward, I think I am going to be a sucker for cars that "tickle the senses" as my friend put it to me when describing his experience driving a GTI in the past. Cars need to talk to their drivers. Or at least, this driver needs a talkative car. Of that much, I can be sure.

 

IMO. I think a fun car means that it makes one give up all rationale thought of the overall drawbacks of simply having, and thus paying a premium for something. If something makes you feel so great, that you just do it. Like a M3, brain says bad decision, heart says do it, cuz the blood is pumping faster in a M3 than it is in a 320i

 

Hey, sometimes that raised heartbeat is like a nice boost to the day.

You're right - buying a car that is enjoyable to drive rarely makes more sense than buying something economical.

 

What a great post. We make compromises when we buy cars and unfortunately, the fun cars are usually the ones that are the most impractical because they are small, lightweight and purpose built. My Miata experience was just like that...i LOVE that car and would own one if i didn't have to cart around kids almost everyday. Just like your GTI, it has great visceral experience and you feel connected to the car. I've learned that the extremes give you the most pleasure and cars that do everything well usually take away some of the fun factor. The handling of the Miata was at the expense of any practicality just like my buddies Elise. BMW M340s are fast and do EVERYTHING well but are they a blast?...not so much. They are fun but not compared to the Miata or Cayman or anything of that nature. I bet a Hellcat would be a hoot and just a fun car to drive around in...doesn't handle well at all but its extreme power anywhere. I bought my Performance 3 because the power is addicting. I floor it whenever i can and the thing just goes...its probably similar to a Hellcat in that respect and I love it for that aspect (it will do 0-60 under 3.5 consistently, everytime and just smokes everything).

Have to test driven a GT86? Its small and lightweight and telepathic in terms of steering.

 

That is sort of the goal for all these brands. After a days work, you feel better when you get in your nice new Lexus, you can go fast if you got the upgraded package and you also feel like you are rewarding yourself for whatever achievements you think are important in ones life. I think fun works for any brand or segment.

 

I am considering it... I thought 0-60 was more important perhaps than I should have thought. I was worried it would feel too slow or something of that nature. Plus, it would be a little less usable. That said, I may give it a shot if my better half approves.