EVO Twaddle

[mwmackenzie]

I wouldn't be to hasty, if you take off your Lotus tinted sunglasses for a minute and remember they are talking about everyday drivers cars here. That means on the road, in traffic as well as on your favorite back road and probably in all weathers then I can see how their list begins to stack up.
Lotus's are great cars but they do have one or two (ah hem) short comings that as owners we either accept or chose to ignore. It's hardly a secret that the likes of the Evo and Impreza's are the best bang for buck cars out there in all fairness. The MX-5 always reviews well by who ever is writing it so they may not be far off the mark for your average driver.

(Fire proof suit on)

My 2p

If they're talking about an everyday drivers car then an M5 would be more practical for about the town and taking the kids to the shops than the Zonda that took top honours

[Dominic]

So, in the absence of EVO providing a decent top ten, what would SE's top ten be?

[BiggestNizzy]

So, in the absence of EVO providing a decent top ten, what would SE's top ten be?

S1 elise
Metro Gti
Rover 200
Renault Clio
Seat Toledo
Fiat Tempra
Rover 400
Ford Escort
Rover 75
MGBGT (the fact it is at the bottom is probably more to do with the condition of the car.


Ok not much and I am sure I will be open to abuse but it's the top 10 out of all the cars I have driven (not that many)

I can't comment on how good a zonda is.

[Stevoraith]

So, in the absence of EVO providing a decent top ten, what would SE's top ten be?

S1 elise
Metro Gti
Rover 200
Renault Clio
Seat Toledo
Fiat Tempra
Rover 400
Ford Escort
Rover 75
MGBGT (the fact it is at the bottom is probably more to do with the condition of the car.


Ok not much and I am sure I will be open to abuse but it's the top 10 out of all the cars I have driven (not that many)

I can't comment on how good a zonda is.

No offence Nizzy but I think we can safely say that no Rover should make it onto any list of the top 10 drivers cars! Have you only driven 10 cars?

(I've not driven a plethora of exotic metal either BTW so not taking the piss!)

[ruadh08]

Latest edition of EVO arrived today, with conclusive proof that all its writers have lost the plot and drifted off into la la land. In their collective top ten drivers cars of all time, above the Exige, F430 Scuderia, 911RS, E30 M3, F40, to name but a few thoroughbred greats, is, wait for it, the MX5. As is that nasty Jap chav-mobile the Evo Tomi Mak FFS!

Mark

Ah but look what is number 2.....................................

[meatball]

Can you share with us.....what is at number 2?

[ruadh08]

I wont spoil your excitement when you read the article!!

[H8OAG]

For fear of ridicule , I actually agree with the Evo top ten list .
Now that I have got that off my chest , I will really come out of the closet and state the following:-
I had an MX5 once that I received as a part exchange and Its manual steering and handling were an absolute delight

[GenCuster]

My 2p - EVO have got it very wrong. First off they don't define what they mean by 'best drivers car' or say how they were judged. Just their 'most inspiring cars'. It's a bit pants.

I had an MX-5. The engine is gutless and it has no visual drama (certainly not inspriring) and the feedback and speed is nothing like an elsie/VX220. My cynical opinion is they're trying to appeal to the masses (of MX-5 owners) in a bid to boost sales.

My second beef is with the VX220 placing (no surprise ). If an elise is placed 19th how is a VX220 in 87th place? I accept it loses a bit of the driving purity and it has different engines but in the final analysis they're prettty bloody similar and having driven both they don't feel 68 places apart!

Cheers

GC

[Gourlay83]

So, in the absence of EVO providing a decent top ten, what would SE's top ten be?

S1 elise
Metro Gti
Rover 200
Renault Clio
Seat Toledo
Fiat Tempra
Rover 400
Ford Escort
Rover 75
MGBGT (the fact it is at the bottom is probably more to do with the condition of the car.


Ok not much and I am sure I will be open to abuse but it's the top 10 out of all the cars I have driven (not that many)

I can't comment on how good a zonda is.

I own 2 on that list !

Chuffed

[ryallm]

I had an MX-5. The engine is gutless and it has no visual drama (certainly not inspriring) and the feedback and speed is nothing like an elsie/VX220.

Exactly, and the feedback is not even as good as the best hot hatches. I have nothing against the MX5 per se, and I am all for affordable relatively low speed fun, but there is just no way it deserves to be anywhere near an all time top 10. A while back, ok admittedly about 15 years ago, I regularly drove a girlfriend's MX5. About the same time I also regularly had a good thrash in my mother's Peugeot 106 XSi. The latter was the best handling front driver I have ever driven, and for steering feel, handling, grip, driver involvement and sheer fun it knocked the mincing MX5 for six.

The inclusion of the Tomi Mak is more worthy of debate I guess. I can't get beyond the white shell suit image, but I am sure they are a heap of fun on the right road.

Mark

[BiggestNizzy]

No offence Nizzy but I think we can safely say that no Rover should make it onto any list of the top 10 drivers cars! Have you only driven 10 cars?

(I've not driven a plethora of exotic metal either BTW so not taking the piss!)

I havn't driven much else to be honest and not much that could be classed as "exotic" but I once got a shot of pete's MX5

pete car was brilliant for the cash he payed for it, but I found the Rover 75 more fun

[Neil72]

MX5 would be in my top 10, no question. My Mum had a MK1 many moons ago and I loved it

It has won Autocars annual Best Drivers Car award twice. So many motoring journalists can't all be wrong.

Brilliant dynamics, affordability and reliability aside, it's a landmark car which kick started the sports car revolution of the 90's. You could not buy an affordable everyday roadster until the MX5 came along and I'm pretty sure that without the huge global success of the MX5, there would have been no Lotus Elise, and therefore no Lotus. Not to mention S2000, MGF, Boxster etc etc.

PS you're right about EVO though - it is pish.

[StiflerMR2]

My second beef is with the VX220 placing (no surprise ). If an elise is placed 19th how is a VX220 in 87th place? I accept it loses a bit of the driving purity and it has different engines but in the final analysis they're prettty bloody similar and having driven both they don't feel 68 places apart!

I was going to post about this also. As an Ex 220 owner and having driven S1's and S2's i fail to see how the VX is 68 cars worse than an S1!!!

I am a subscriber to EVO but i think this is one of the worst articles yet, it has been going downhill for a while but the photography is stunning and wroth it imo

[tuscan_thunder]

the piece is surely just designed as a means of generating internet chat and a whole heap of letters for their next edition?