Initial perceptions can cloud your judgments. Trying to analyze something like a car can often be distorted by how you think it’s going to drive versus the reality of how it actually behaves behind the wheel. What are some cars you’ve been surprised by (for better or for worse) after taking a spin around the block?
Way back in the nineties, my former college roommate was constantly going to any of those manufacturer-sponsored driving events he would get invites to in the mail or, later, online. One that he inexplicably got notified about was for Cadillac cars; he didn’t seem to fit the demographic other than being a serial test-track-event visitor, but it was too tempting not to go. Ostensibly, the idea of the event was to show GM’s “standard of the world” was now trying to be more of an enthusiast brand and not just for those with an average age approaching deceased.
Naturally, he drove all of the cars there and claimed that the hosts had no problem with attendees driving the living crap out of the vehicles. One of the 1996 or so cars he sampled was that latest STS Seville, supposedly Cadillac’s true “Euro fighter” sedan:
Also, he took a spin in the almost comical soon-to-be-discontinued Fleetwood Brougham, the D-Body full-frame sedan that under the skin dated back to the “downsized” 1977 GM cars:
My ex-roommate’s response was that the big Brougham drove better than the modern STS; this had me checking to see if my phone was broken or if the connection was somehow compromised. However, after later driving used examples of similar cars, I know exactly what he meant.
You see, the STS looked the part of a BMW beater, all clean and crisp and almost German in styling. You expected the driving experience to mirror the exterior. It didn’t. Oh, it didn’t drive that badly, but it was as if someone had taken a front-drive Bonneville or even a Grand Am and tried to improve it in any way they could. They succeeded in making it better than those cars, but in terms of things like steering feel, ride, seats, and interior finishes, it was still a far, far cry from the refinement of a BMW E34 or later E39. Don’t even ask about the bank-vault feel of a Benz W124. You couldn’t help but be disappointed at what you thought was going to be a legitimate autobahn cruiser.
On the other hand, the “whale” Caprice-based Fleetwood Brougham seemed to be a bit of a joke; it looked more like a McMansion or even a gaudy banquet hall on wheels than it did a motor vehicle. The fact that it could move at all and go around corners would be shocking to you; it did. Here’s our man John Davis with an early model (a 1993) of this final rear drive bodystyle.
Equipped with FE2 Ride Handling Suspension, I was taken aback by its roadholding ability. It was like running a cop car in a Liberace suit, which is essentially what it was. Your expectations were so low that it was surprising how far you could push this delightful traditional Cadillac barge and have it come back for more. No, it was not even remotely a “sport sedan,” but it drove way better than you would have imagined.
Any other examples? Let’s see … I remember the Ford Transit van I rented was surprisingly nice to drive; it was bigger than the Chevy Express vans I’d been given the keys to before but felt far smaller.
Mitsubishi 3000GT? If I knew it was going to feel like the big touring coupe that it is, I might not have been let down. Instead, I assumed it would drive like an RX-7 or Z32 300ZX, and it does not.
How about you? What cars have you driven that were either far better or far worse than you ever imagined?
Top graphic image: Motorweek screenshot
Years back, bought my ’64 Buick Riviera in an online auction. Never had driven a car this large or this old before. Really wasn’t sure what I was getting into. Being that it was about 55 years old when I got it, one might think it drove very differently from a modern vehicle. After all, it was a carburated engine, drum brakes, predated emissions standards, all car computers and stretched well over 200″ in length.
Nope.
Getting used to the large diameter, thin-spoke steering wheel took a little bit of time, but it honestly drove extremely modern for its actual age. Was not that different than the late 80s cars I learned to drive on. Parking, accelerating, braking and just general using it as a car was totally normal to what you’d expect of a modernish car.
Holy schnikey- I have a ’64 Riv too!
Wow. Not too many of us left! I still have mine but haven’t put more than a handful of miles on it this year.
I’ve had the misfortune of driving several rental Camrys in the past. Hate them. They clearly think they’re better than the driver and they aren’t.
Flipside: Fusion 1.1 was terrific and we drove several of them thousands of miles. And the original Neon was a ball, but I guess that wasn’t really a surprise.
The Maserati Ghibli surprised me with how fun it was. I didn’t expect it to be bad, but recognized that the interior designers had made far too much use of the Stellantis parts bin for a Maserati and the media wasn’t too impressed with its value. It became apparent when I had one as a service loaner that most of Maserati’s effort was put toward the driving experience. It was fast, it was fun, and was one of if not the most beautiful sounding car I’ve driven.
The Mitsubishi Mirage drove even worse than I expected. I didn’t have high expectations to begin with when I was given one as a rental and yet they were not met. At the time my wife had a 13 year old Fiat 500 with nearly 100K miles on it and somehow this ’25 Mirage with 16K miles on it felt older and more worn out.
Biggest disappointment was a Phase 2 Clio 172. The driving position was strange, the gear lever felt like it was underneath my knee and the gear change felt like I was stirring a bowl of soup. The feedback from the pedals felt like an arcade machine. It handled well enough and the 2.0L engine was plenty of power for such a light car, but it wasn’t the holy grail hot hatch I was hoping for. The one I tested was a bit rough so maybe a better cared for example would live up to the hype.
Way better than I thought was my old Porsche 924. It was pretty tired and way down on power but it was very well balanced and rode surprising well.
The Triumph TR8.
If the TR7 was slow, buzzy and gutless, the TR8 was quick, smooth and delivered pleasing torque. It also sounded great.
That one engine, the Rover V-8, totally transformed the car.
I hate to keep on the hate train, but my brother’s 2003 Jeep Wrangler 5 speed is one of the only vehicles I’ve driven that I actually disliked. Not a big fan of how rickety it feels, or how it feels like it rocks back and forth as I drive down the road.I can imagine what the pioneers felt like as they rode the covered wagons, since id imagine the jeep rides similarly. I will say, the seats are comfortable and the interior actually feels ok quality. It is also maneuverable, has a great turning circle, and the great Jeep 4.0L . My brother likes it, and it’s his vehicle, but man…definitely wouldn’t buy one myself.
My mom’s 2019 530i was also a big stinker(at least to me). I bought a 2005 325i, exposing myself and my family to the fantastic road feel and driving dynamics of the E46 3 series. My mom liked it and decided she would also like a BMW, but wanted a newer car with better tech and a CPO warranty. You would think that being a BMW, it would drive nicely and have a hint of fun. Nope. The steering felt generic and artificially light. The 2.0L 4 banger is a dreadful engine in that car. Gutless off the line and in driving, agricultural sounding; the wrong engine for that car. The seats are not very comfortable (do we really need bolsters in a base 530i?) The car just feels generic. Like my brother’s jeep, my mom likes it, so I don’t really say much.
As far as better goes, I was really surprised by my buddy’s 1995 Z28 Camaro LT1 6-speed. It holds the road well and feels confident in cornering (although I didn’t push it). The engine and transmission worked really well together. My dad’s Olds 442 also drove really solidly and was a nice combination of solid and floaty, and the torque from the 400 helped it off the line. My 1986 Olds Cutlass also has that solid and floaty feeling, but I need to get new tires on it and put more miles on it to fully get the idea of how it drives.
Agreed on those Wranglers, I even owned a couple of XJ cherokees that shared that drivetrain and when I finally got a chance to drive a TJ wrangler I was disappointed by what a ponderous tin can it was.
TBH I’ve ridden in a couple of friend’s Wranglers since driving that one in the early ’00s and every time I’m left wondering why someone would buy one unless they do significant amounts of serious off-roading.
Turns out Buicks can be really good offroading.
For me, the biggest shocker on the good side was the 3rd(?) generation RAV4. I got one as a rental in Michigan and genuinely enjoyed how it drove. I even got my housemate to buy one when his Volvo succumbed to the tinworm. I don’t know how Toyota managed to inject that much fun into a jacked up Corolla platform with a Camry motor in it, but they comprehensively removed it from all subsequent generations of the the things. It wasn’t even a V6 – I can only imagine the grins you get driving those things.
Another unexpected pleasure was the Ford C-Max, particularly in comparison to the Prius-V my mother had at the time. The C-Max was a delight, the Prius was the very definition of “dull but worthy”, and a completely and utterly fun-free zone.
Probably the most disappointed I have been by how a car drove was the original Toyobaru. Great chassis in desperate need of an engine that didn’t suck. Another was the KIA Stinger – I really don’t get what all the gushing was about for those cars. Didn’t impress me at all. Probably would impress a Camry driver, but not this European car driver.
Otherwise, I tend to find cars drive pretty much how I expect, good or bad.
I rented a third Gen RAV4 in Boston around 2007. It was an AWD Sport with the V6. I didn’t think much of it when I initially got it, but I quickly grew to love it. It was spry handling little crossover that was easy to see out of and with the V6 it was wicked fast! The AWD really was effective in putting the power down on the road. the craziest thing was after driving several hundred miles I averaged 27 mpg.
The 3rd gen RAV – with the V6 is peak RAV4.
They don’t even need the V6 – I found the four sprightly enough to be entertaining. But I am very much a slow car fast sort of dude – but I can see how that V6 would be fun, especially if somebody else is paying for it.
Sad they weren’t offered with a stick in the US.
It does depend on the kind of driving. Soon after I bought my ’92 F350 longbed dually, I towed a vehicle on my trailer 700 miles in a one day drive. That truck is far more comfortable for a long drive than I imagined!
My parents had a Toyota Camry at the same time I had a Honda Accord. Now it wasn’t an apples to apples comparison because the Accord was a V6 and their Camry was a 4. But the Honda had so much better feedback in terms of steering and just road feel in general. I understood why Honda always beat the Toyota in Car & Driver’s 10 best. It remains probably the best balanced car between performance, practicality and fun I’ve owned.
Absolutely agree
I’ve been so shocked by how well a few cars drive I started buying more. Like 99 to 03 Mitsubishi Galant. The first gen Highlander hybrid. The second gen expeditions are also impressive for what they are. Gen 2 ram is what I think of as peak truck truck.
I’ve been disappointed by many of sports cars. They just felt like a big mess. Basically anything from the 70s , 80s. Boomer spec c4 vette I didn’t expect much but was greatly disappointed by even they low standard. The newer Subarus are probably the most disappointing. They drive like a dump truck not in a good way.
Oh yeah. I didn’t actually drive the thing, but I had a neighbor who’d offered me a ride to work that one time. In his Wrangler.
Now, I’d been in a pal’s Jeep some twenty years earlier and I thought at the time “ok you’re riding up high here and I guess that’s a novelty” but it obviously rode for shit.
In a brand spankin’ new one? It still rode for shit, I couldn’t even fathom having to ride in the penalty box every day.
It’s a Jeep thing. You wouldn’t understand (immense road noise, poor handling, poor fuel economy, a pathological need to cram your dash full of toy projectiles, the need for your vehicle to look angry, high-flotation tires on an exclusively road going vehicle, poor build quality, occasional fires).
Yeh rode in a friend’s Wrangler recently iirc it’s about 7 years old, and to be fair it does have about 100k on the clock but I couldn’t believe how floaty and generally crude feeling it was. Like not even pleasantly utilitarian, just cheap and underdeveloped I really can’t understand the appeal. And I say this as someone who’s owned two XJ cherokees, and a couple of lifted full size Chevy Blazers-though that was all 20+ years ago.
Surprisingly good: a 1999 Buick LeSabre. Base model with 15″ steel wheels and granny 2.86 final drive. It heeled like a boat around turns while keeping all four tires planted. It felt like a rolling couch on road trips. It was happy to stoplight race once the ECU got reflashed. Plenty of passing power too. And 30+ mpg highway tank after tank!
Surprisingly crap: 2013 Honda Civic LX. Slow, loud, uncomfortable, poorly laid out interior and worse gas mileage than my 2012 Cruze. This was the emergency refresh of the much maligned 2012 Civic, the one that scored so poorly from Consumer Reports that they couldn’t recommend it.
“Slow, loud, uncomfortable”
You can apply that assessment to many years on each side of 2013.
The 2012 was particularly bad while the 2013 was only marginally better. Honda definitely phoned in the update and got properly raked over the coals for it.
I’d been driven around a bit in a friend’s Beetle at some point. But when looking for a cheap used car, I finally got around to test-driving one. This was the early 80s, it’d been out of production for awhile. But they’re cute, and why not?
I’ll never forget how utterly disappointed I was. I knew it was a crude platform, and it was what it was, but as I manfully struggled to make the thing steer in the general direction of where I was turning, it became clear. This shit was designed before World Effin’ War Two, and nobody sensible had any business driving it.
Driving a C4 corvette for the first time totally shifted my perspective. It felt like piloting a 20′ speed boat from the tail. I was not impressed at all, even with mild expectations going in.
Same here. High hopes, highly disappointed. Worse was just an old Range Rover
I guess that’s why they’re so cheap. I like the look, but not the reviews.
My daily is a manual c4 convertible, but I’m no apologist. Theres a lot of hood up front. And making a turn in a parking lot is the equivalent of doing two pushups. It’s a fun car for sure, though. My buddy’s wife had a 94 928 that was her 16th birthday present. To me, they drove about the same, although I drive hers in the late 2000s.
I had a purple Aztek for a rental in Detroit once and it was pretty fun to drive.
I also had a Cadillac DTS for a rental once in Phoenix and I found out that if you gave it too much throttle and the tires started to spin, the traction control would kick in, “Traction Enabled” would show up on the speedometer screen, and it would cut power, which took all the fun out of it having a V8. But… If you pushed the gas pedal all the way to the floor, the notice on the screen would change to “Traction Disabled” and the tires would spin the rest of the way through the intersection. That was fun.
My rule with rental cars was to always return the vehicle with less rubber on the tires than when I picked it up. 🙂
Hear hear!
Those fwd Northstar Cadillacs are hilarious. I drove a late ’90s Deville and it was so over motored compared to the brakes and floaty suspension yet kind of weirdly fun to pilot a moving couch that could roast the tires at will and go shockingly fast for what it was, I could almost see the appeal.
Worse: college friend’s VW Westphalia, driving up the windy roads to Yosemite. I didn’t expect it to handle well, but it is still the only non-boat vehicle I’ve ever driven where the steering wheel didn’t feel like it was actually connected to the road wheels
Better: Skoda Fabia 1.2T manual rental car. Had this on a week long trip to the Dolomites, and had an impressive amount of fun rallying the crap out of it over the many mountain passes, just to keep up with normal traffic.
Better: Escalade IQ (that turning circle with the 4WS, holy) and BMW i4
Worse: Toyota Crown Comfort. I learned that you can, in fact, ruin the X chassis (also underpins the Chaser, Cressida, Cresta and Mark 2).
I had a rental Ecoboost Mustang with the 10-speed auto and it was miserable, largely due to the transmission never knowing what the fuck gear it wanted to be in. Very jerky ride around town.
Better: the 2011 generation Toyota Sienna. It was 2013, we were just about to have our first kid and I had a work trip where I’d drive from PA down through the smoky mountains. The last rental car they had was a Sienna and it was the first time I drove one. I couldn’t believe how all-around pleasant and car-like it was to drive. And the turn radius! But yeah just hammering through those mountains was a blast. It took a few years for my wife to come around but we eventually got a 2015 and it will probably be in my possession when I die.
Worse: a 1978 911. I think there were just too many things not quite right about the car when I drove it. Ran a little rough, transmission could use a re-build. Maybe needed some clutch work. Big dead zone in the steering. Oddly the biggest problem I was having was that my slightly wet feet made pressing the gas pedal extremely difficult, where my foot would slide forward and over the pedal. I could not feel the legend through the rough edges. It sounded right though.
I drove the bosses Mercedes Sprinter van a couple hundred miles for a trade show and was surprised how well it handled and could hold its own in the left lane loaded going uphill. Not sure what motor it has but beat the heck out of any smaller rental box truck.
Very disappointed in the 997 Turbo. It was just boring.
I was pleasantly surprised by a base model 2wd 2nd gen Tacoma. It felt more like a Camry than a pickup truck.
I was thoroughly disappointed by the 3rd gen MR2. Maybe something was wrong with it because it was completely gutless, but it was a CPO on a highly reputed Toyota lot so I don’t think so. Maybe I was expecting too much because of it’s engine location and lightness.
Shockingly good: Hummer EV. Amazing ride, endless power, couldn’t find a road rough enough or pothole big enough to slow me down or diminish my comfort. Didn’t feel as huge from the inside somehow.
Not sure if it was unexpectedly bad, but for how popular they are, 4 Runners are not comfortable, don’t drive well, and was a big meh for me
It’s insane how many people daily 4Runners (or most any body-on-frame SUV) with how badly they ride and how shit the gas mileage is.
Could not agree more about 4Runners. Have had several as rentals, just awful. But I expect them to be, so never surprised.
Worse: I had a E61 BMW 535d Touring to which I thought would be a big upgrade from my 520d (which remains in my top 5 cars I’ve ever owned). Of course it was ultimately much faster but for a car with massive torque it was very unresponsive on part throttle, not helped by having a standard not sport gearbox, so I was constantly getting left behind in traffic as I built momentum. And the weight of the six cylinder engine meant it didn’t handle as well as the 520, despite having adaptive roll-bars. I changed that for a F31 330d xdrive Touring which was the perfect car for me on paper and which I ordered before any xdrives were available to test. Bad mistake. The 4WD gubbins ruined any handling balance, putting the car in sport mode to firm things up meant it wouldn’t change up to 8th gear so tiring on long journeys – it was my seventh BMW in a row and I haven’t had one since.
Better: various MPVs have surprised me – Mazda 5, original Ford Galaxy and C-Max by doing both the people thing and the driving thing really well (as a bonus not making the people sick while the driver’s having fun). And I’ve recently loved driving a 15 year old Hilux on shitty African roads – the ride is far better than any of the newer SUVs I’ve used.