Open Survey: Your opinion on the best of each category

[gtchamp7]

Best "all-around car"
-
My vote: Toyota Camry (XV20, 1996-2001)
-
Why: Reliable, tough, incredibly simple and inexpensive to work on. I've had my '97 Camry 2.2L 4-Cylinder for a good while (put close to 40,000 miles on it from its ~110,000 mile mark when I bought it used) and has never given me one issue related to the engine. And trust me, I have put this vehicle through absolute hell. I punch the pedal to the floor almost daily, achieved 120mph before the engine red-lined and seized up, got into 3 wrecks with it (only body parts and the radiator have been replaced as a result), and power slide quite frequently. No performance parts have been put on either, although I plan on putting some on, so it is almost completely stock.
---
Best off-road vehicle
-
My vote: Willy's Jeep (CJ-3A, 1949-1953)
-
Why: Do you know of any other vehicle that you can put into 1st gear low and the idling of the engine alone will pull it up a 75% graded grassy slope? You can literally step out of the Jeep and walk next to it as it pulls itself up that slope.
---
Feel free to add 'categories' to this survey. I just wanted to put in my two cents and see what everyone else's opinions are.

[Moppie]

A Toyota Camry?

Can't argue with them being reliable and tough, but they are not that simple or cheap to work on, and I have yet to drive a more boring, less involving car.


My vote would be for a 4th Gen Honda Civic.
The North American models were a bit sad and boring, but the rest of the world got one of the best Hatches ever made.
Light weight, easy but lots of fun to drive, surprising amount of room inside and cheap to run.

[gtchamp7]

Originally Posted by Moppie

A Toyota Camry?

Can't argue with them being reliable and tough, but they are not that simple or cheap to work on, and I have yet to drive a more boring, less involving car.


My vote would be for a 4th Gen Honda Civic.
The North American models were a bit sad and boring, but the rest of the world got one of the best Hatches ever made.
Light weight, easy but lots of fun to drive, surprising amount of room inside and cheap to run.

Maybe its just that my opinion of the Civic has been tainted with all the ricer versions roaming around my area, but I've never been a big fan.

As far as the Camry being boring, I must respectfully concur. Being a small 2.2L inline-4, it still is a healthy little engine and pretty responsive. I have raced (and beat) a brand-new Pontiac G6, a stock Civic from the same era as my Camry, and a few of the ricer CR-X's and Del-Sol's in my area.

And when I say that they are easy to work on, I'm talking specifically about my '97 inline-4 Camry. The smaller engine, but large engine bay (to fit the 3.0L V6 option) makes it easy to work on. Oil filter is reachable from under the hood, rather than under the car and the spark plugs are placed easily on top of the block for quick change-out. These are just a few little things I've noticed that make it easy.

Sure, its not as simple as the old VW Beetles where the engine could be dropped out completely by 2 people in 5 minutes, but its pretty simple

And I say this all as just my personal, respectful rebuttal, not as an attack on your opinion

[Moppie]

Originally Posted by gtchamp7

And I say this all as just my personal, respectful rebuttal, not as an attack on your opinion

Absolutely, a bit of discussion and sharing of opinions is what these forums are all about


Here in NZ, we never really got the ricer phenomenon, well we did, but it was already fast cars made to look silly.
Unlike the US where it was slow versions of fast cars made to look silly.

Civics here come in a variety of flavours, from 1.3l econoboxes, to the very fast Type R.
Same with a lot of cars, we even got 1.8L versions of the Camry, or Australian made sports versions of the V6.

[gtchamp7]

Originally Posted by Moppie

Absolutely, a bit of discussion and sharing of opinions is what these forums are all about


Here in NZ, we never really got the ricer phenomenon, well we did, but it was already fast cars made to look silly.
Unlike the US where it was slow versions of fast cars made to look silly.

Civics here come in a variety of flavours, from 1.3l econoboxes, to the very fast Type R.
Same with a lot of cars, we even got 1.8L versions of the Camry, or Australian made sports versions of the V6.

Count NZ lucky then because here in the US people will put a loud muffler (or just straight pipes), fancy rims, and body kits and think that they are on-par with Lamborghini's

Looking more into real Civic's, I must say that I do like them. At this point, I'd say its a toss up between the Camry and Civic. Call it a personal bias, but I still lean more towards the Camry

What's you're opinion on the best off-roading vehicle? Or are you purely street? I already threw in my vote for the good ole' Willy's Jeep

[Moppie]

People are always biased by what they know.

I happen to be a fan of most Honda's, but mostly because I know more about them than most other cars, having owned several.

Originally Posted by gtchamp7

What's you're opinion on the best off-roading vehicle? Or are you purely street? I already threw in my vote for the good ole' Willy's Jeep

Hmmm, havn't done a lot of off roading and it's hard to say anything bad about a classic Willy's Jeep.

Most of the 4WD's here are Nissan Patrols, Toyota Land Cruisers, Mitsi Pajeros and Land Rovers.
Generally all of them are considered pretty unstoppable.