Name The Car You Felt Easiest To Handle

[Supra_Natural]

Of everything I have driven, I think the car that best fits your list is a Mercedes Benz W124

1. High visibility of no or minimum blind spots. - Check.. Slim pillars, lots of glass and upright seats, super visibility.

2. Easy handle in Cities, Parking slots etc. - Check.. Sri Lankan "Wisdom" considers it a very large car but it isn't not really... Sure it's no maruti but it has a good turning circle and great visibility.

3. Easy handling in rural area with bends, broken roads. - Check, Super ride, very comfy.

4. Easy handling in speedy cornering. - Check, some feel that the car is heavy to drive, I disagree, very competent. Not a sports car in any sense though.

[Pericles]

Hi Guys,

Changed the original post with the following.

NOTE: Preferbly Sedan Type cars only

Hatches and wagons generally handle way better than sedans.

[kush]

Of everything I have driven, I think the car that best fits your list is a Mercedes Benz W124

1. High visibility of no or minimum blind spots. - Check.. Slim pillars, lots of glass and upright seats, super visibility.

2. Easy handle in Cities, Parking slots etc. - Check.. Sri Lankan "Wisdom" considers it a very large car but it isn't not really... Sure it's no maruti but it has a good turning circle and great visibility.

3. Easy handling in rural area with bends, broken roads. - Check, Super ride, very comfy.

4. Easy handling in speedy cornering. - Check, some feel that the car is heavy to drive, I disagree, very competent. Not a sports car in any sense though.

I tend to agree with Supra _Natural once I drove a W124 (300D) and thought what a wonderful machine, comfort handling at speed.

After a while only I realised that the speedo was mph, and the car felt natural around (100-130 kmph) I wish they made cars like that.

[liya]

Personally, the Suzuki Swift (hatchback)

Edit : Sorry didnt see OP's edit

Edited June 11, 2013 by liya

[CJ5]

Benz W124????? "Easy handle in cities, Parking slots etc" which necessarily in SL includes manouvering and overtaking in between buses, lorries, three-wheelers , motorcycles etc etc on roads such as Galle Road and quite apart from parking into a tight fit space by the kerb side of a pavement enough for the W124 for instance, trying to find such a space in and around where one wants it, would be another story!!!

I doubt the W124, classified as a mid size sedan in many countries but considered as a large luxury car in SL, being agile in that environment, even though it would score on the other criteria.

The sedan I can think of is the good old Morris Minor. Pretty nimble in handling though exactly not a sports car on the bends it used to be driven quite fast by the planting community on the hill country winding roads, including the suddas. Hardly a blind spot, easy handling in cities, parking slots, a master of the rural roads and rough estate roads with bends and ruts more suited for a jeep, having been the standard car ( the traveller) on basically all the tea estates upcountry, !!

Edited June 11, 2013 by CJ5

[Watchman]

Am I the only one here seeing people's opinion of "handling" skewed by sentimental feelings towards their own cars?

[GTAm]

Actually almost every modern average (non-high performance - I'm talking Corolla, Civic etc) Japanese car feels like a toy to handle if you are coming from something like a BMW for example.

[GTAm]

The sedan I can think of is the good old Morris Minor. Pretty nimble in handling though exactly not a sports car on the bends it used to be driven quite fast by the planting community on the hill country winding roads, including the suddas. Hardly a blind spot, easy handling in cities, parking slots, a master of the rural roads and rough estate roads with bends and ruts more suited for a jeep, having been the standard car ( the traveller) on basically all the tea estates upcountry, !!

CJ5, Morris Minor?? Really? I have had just one single experience of driving one and did not enjoy it at all. First I did not seem to fit properly behind the wheel, the seat would not go back. Then the steering wheel itself felt very high and in my chest. The steering was heavy and I struggled to get upto speed, the gearbox was very notchy. I don't know maybe I drove a bad car

[GTAm]

Of everything I have driven, I think the car that best fits your list is a Mercedes Benz W124

True. Actually even the W123 is a doddle to drive.

[Pericles]

This is probably a waste of time. Too many people think good handling means EPS systems that can be turned with absolutely no effort, so the car turns with minimal effort.

[RWD]

perhaps a better topic would have been what is the best handling car you have driven, and not put any qualifiers like visibility, easy parking etc.

[Uditha88]

perhaps a better topic would have been what is the best handling car you have driven, and not put any qualifiers like visibility, easy parking etc.

Hi RWD,

In that case, people would post cars that behaves like sports cars in handling. I mean they would stick to fast cornering & breaking.

What I wanted was target the sedans in SL roads that we day to day see & use.

We always meet, city traffic, tight parking, spot holes, narrow roads with bends etc. in day to day driving which are challenging.

So wanted models that u most handle well like peace of cake in those real driving conditions...

[Watchman]

Hi RWD,

In that case, people would post cars that behaves like sports cars in handling. I mean they would stick to fast cornering & breaking.

What I wanted was target the sedans in SL roads that we day to day see & use.

We always meet, city traffic, tight parking, spot holes, narrow roads with bends etc. in day to day driving which are challenging.

So wanted models that u most handle well like peace of cake in those real driving conditions...

So basically you're question parameters are already subjective and restrictive based on your opinion.. "Fast cornering and breaking" are very "real driving conditions" too..

You basically want to hear the words corolla, sunny, civic, lancer allion etc etc. for your "real" lifestyle...and if "city traffic, tight parking, spot holes, narrow roads with bends etc." is challenging you should just take a three-wheeler..

Edited June 12, 2013 by Watchman

[Uditha88]

1 -> So basically you're question parameters are already subjective and restrictive based on your opinion.. "Fast cornering and breaking" are very "real driving conditions" too..

You basically want to hear the words corolla, sunny, civic, lancer allion etc etc. for your "real" lifestyle...

1 -> Didn't u see I've added "Speedy Cornering" ?

2 -> Those r sedan in SL & those r not only, isn't it?

[Pericles]

Bottom line, you are using the wrong word in the wrong place. They design cars to meet the parameters you want, they are called city cars, and include things like Marutis and Tata Nanos.

Probably the word you are looking for is something more like "responsiveness" or "agility", definitely not handling.

[CJ5]

CJ5, Morris Minor?? Really? I have had just one single experience of driving one and did not enjoy it at all. First I did not seem to fit properly behind the wheel, the seat would not go back. Then the steering wheel itself felt very high and in my chest. The steering was heavy and I struggled to get upto speed, the gearbox was very notchy. I don't know maybe I drove a bad car

May be the case if you are bigger made than a british guy after all these cars were made for them isn't it???? I am 5'9 and fitted in alright. I've never owned one but used one and it was fun though I should say not as comfy as any of the japs or other new models.

[GTAm]

Bottom line, you are using the wrong word in the wrong place. They design cars to meet the parameters you want, they are called city cars, and include things like Marutis and Tata Nanos.

Probably the word you are looking for is something more like "responsiveness" or "agility", definitely not handling.

Yes he is refering to City cars or City Sedans. Handling is definitely not the right word.

Responsiveness and Agility are also terms asscociated with sporting cars and are parameters of driver enjoyment which again links it to "driver's cars". I guess what Uditha is looking for is "ease of use in the city", "highly manourvarable with excellent visibility". A car even an unskilled (or less skilled) driver can manage to manouver around with little effort and no stress. These are typically chosen by women and men whose driving ability is well below average, which is the majority on our roads I am convinced.

I recall an example when I replaced a Sunny FB15 with a Mazda BJ5 for the accountant after the first day of use he asked me if the power steering was working properly because the Mazda's steering was significantly weightier than the Nissan's . I owned a BMW E36 at that time and I told him that if he drove it he would say that it did not have power steering.

There are 40 employees working in the office I am attached to right now mostly males. Recently as I was extremely tied up with work I asked EVERYONE who uses a car if they could take my car (Alfa 159) and go to Cinnamon Lakeside (our office is at Nawam Mw) and pick up something. EVERYONE refused because the car was manual! That's a small sample of the scale of (in)competence on our roads. There is a colleague of mine for whom reversing is the hardest thing in life despite owning and driving cars for the last 15 years!

[VVTi]

For me, it will always be the venerable Nissan Primera P11 with the SR20 engine. By far the most amazing set of wheels I have ever owned or driven.

[Rumesh88]

There are 40 employees working in the office I am attached to right now mostly males. Recently as I was extremely tied up with work I asked EVERYONE who uses a car if they could take my car (Alfa 159) and go to Cinnamon Lakeside (our office is at Nawam Mw) and pick up something. EVERYONE refused because the car was manual! That's a small sample of the scale of (in)competence on our roads. There is a colleague of mine for whom reversing is the hardest thing in life despite owning and driving cars for the last 15 years!

You can say that again! That's typical of most of my co-workers too! I learned my reverse parking properly only when I had to get my license in the ME and find the skill very useful almost everyday. I can still turn my neck to right (as needed for LHD reversing) more flexibly than to left.

As for the OP, depending on if you are a normal user or a racing fan, one may have differing opinions on the ease of driving but for me the car (of the manual ones of course!) I enjoyed driving most was a Mazda 323 LHD model not because it was particularly designed for racing but that was the car I used for practicing heal and toe technique.

Edited June 13, 2013 by Rumesh88

[Pericles]

Yes he is refering to City cars or City Sedans. Handling is definitely not the right word.

Responsiveness and Agility are also terms asscociated with sporting cars and are parameters of driver enjoyment which again links it to "driver's cars". I guess what Uditha is looking for is "ease of use in the city", "highly manourvarable with excellent visibility". A car even an unskilled (or less skilled) driver can manage to manouver around with little effort and no stress. These are typically chosen by women and men whose driving ability is well below average, which is the majority on our roads I am convinced.

I'm agreeing with points, but don't they also use terms like responsiveness for those nippy 3 pot jobs like the Kelissa?

[VVTi]

There are 40 employees working in the office I am attached to right now mostly males. Recently as I was extremely tied up with work I asked EVERYONE who uses a car if they could take my car (Alfa 159) and go to Cinnamon Lakeside (our office is at Nawam Mw) and pick up something. EVERYONE refused because the car was manual! That's a small sample of the scale of (in)competence on our roads. There is a colleague of mine for whom reversing is the hardest thing in life despite owning and driving cars for the last 15 years!

GTAm, next time you need the car moved. dont waste your time with them wankers... gimme a holler... I will come and move your car...

[Clark's son]

Yes he is refering to City cars or City Sedans. Handling is definitely not the right word.

Responsiveness and Agility are also terms asscociated with sporting cars and are parameters of driver enjoyment which again links it to "driver's cars". I guess what Uditha is looking for is "ease of use in the city", "highly manourvarable with excellent visibility". A car even an unskilled (or less skilled) driver can manage to manouver around with little effort and no stress. These are typically chosen by women and men whose driving ability is well below average, which is the majority on our roads I am convinced.

I recall an example when I replaced a Sunny FB15 with a Mazda BJ5 for the accountant after the first day of use he asked me if the power steering was working properly because the Mazda's steering was significantly weightier than the Nissan's . I owned a BMW E36 at that time and I told him that if he drove it he would say that it did not have power steering.

There are 40 employees working in the office I am attached to right now mostly males. Recently as I was extremely tied up with work I asked EVERYONE who uses a car if they could take my car (Alfa 159) and go to Cinnamon Lakeside (our office is at Nawam Mw) and pick up something. EVERYONE refused because the car was manual! That's a small sample of the scale of (in)competence on our roads. There is a colleague of mine for whom reversing is the hardest thing in life despite owning and driving cars for the last 15 years!

I wish I worked t you'r place

[JadeyBlitzen]

if we are talking about cars for noobs that are easy to drive the later k11 march takes the cake. my gf's got one which she absolutely hates driving. So sometimes I end up driving it. It can turn super tight and has overly sharp brakes and very light controls which lack any kind of feel (mostly thanks to eps), which I'm sure people who'd avoid driving an alfa 159 would admire. But to praise the car where it really deserves it, I got caught in a race once with coupla friends in a 3.2 montero and a 3.0 hilux, both veyrons compared to the 60bhp march plus both drivers used to run evos. we started towards the end of the duplication road and straight away their 300+ hp left me looking for extra gears in the march. But by the time we got home I had to wait for those two down templers road to catch up cos the march managed to zip through galle road traffic so well. Btw if you are tempted to buy one now remember it does an unbelievable 8 km/l in city running

However if you are looking for something middle of the road that actually handles and handles pretty well on rough roads and relatively easy to run, maintain and flog, get a lancer cs3 manual. My friend who raced with me in the montero has one and when he first brought it out I remember driving it on old tattered kotte road at 120 and the car being in total control. On the same road those days (before they fixed it) I would struggle to get past 70 in the vitz rs without being all over the place. I always enjoy driving that car despite other more impressive stuff he brings along.

[Bugatti]

For me, it will always be the venerable Nissan Primera P11 with the SR20 engine. By far the most amazing set of wheels I have ever owned or driven.

Ado... Forester...???!! Pau ne..

[dpbatagoda]

Suzuki Every mini Van. Easy handle, good pickup, good road view, comfortable seats

Edited June 14, 2013 by dpbatagoda