Definitely think there should be a giant * on that statement lol. I've got a Triumph Spitfire that probably only has about 70hp at the crank, but the car weights like 1600lbs, so it works. I dailyed it for over a year, and man was it still fun, even with the more-often-than-id-like breakdowns 😂
This year, I made the jump from owning a couple beater subarus (and a spec b. that lost 3 engines) to owning a single, nice, fun car. I got a 2016 Volvo V60 T6 Polestar. It might be a boring Station wagon to most, but it has over 300 horsepower, is super comfortable and practical, is dead reliable, looks like nothing else on the road (in rebel blue) and brings a smile to my face everytime I take it out. Love your videos as always, wishing you guys a great new year!
My first and only vehicle is my Tacoma, tacomas are common, but she is a manual, and so it has that little sporty fun, it’s not amazing, I just did intake and exhaust, it has noise when getting at it, but when cruising does not drone and is a comfortable level of sound
@@Bzt3819 2008 SAAB 9-3 sedan owner here with a stupid power increase from flashing that B207E ECU. Nice, practical and maintenance is rather cheap thanks to GM parts list. :)
I think it still comes down to the fact that many people (enthusiasts even) don't have the privilege of sacrificing efficiency, reliability, practicality etc for the sake of fun. When keeping your job depends on the reliability of your car, it's more than just sort of important and has to take priority over fun
This is so true. It's almost impossible to drive a modified car and have peace of mind that you will get to work on time. I drive a lightly modded em2 civic. I have a set of coilovers, wheels and tires, front lip, rear lip, side skirts, cold air intake, and a set of retrofitted hid headlights. Personally, this car provides fun driving on country roads while providing me with that Honda reliability and that nice 38-40 mpg. The car is not too powerful, maybe 140 hp, but it has enough power to make it fun to drive as long as you don't plan on winning any races, and it is also a manual so it provided that untouchable driving experience. Just remember that every mod has its drawbacks.
I think what a car means to you personally is far more of the key to it being the right one. I drive a Ford Mondeo estate with a 2.2 diesel. It's top spec and means I can chuck the family including kids in and road trip around in comfort. Doesn't matter what the car is, it's the memories that stay with you..
Couldn’t agree more. I have a little 2004 Honda CRV but with a bed and cooler in the back it becomes a surprisingly good car to go camping in and overall exploring
2016 2.0T Fusion here, the 380nm of torque make for plenty of fun when it's straight, and the size gets you and your family anywhere quite comfortably and with lots of room
Driving is not really enjoyable in the city. Thanks to traffic, speeding cars, under the influence drivers, and random people that like to ride bikes in the middle of the road.
@@Lurbano97 that’s why we should build infrastructure to allow cyclists and drivers to both get to their destination separately and safely. Cyclists won’t go into the road if they can go on their own road.
Let's be fair: The majorty of people do not think about "fun" when they have to get up 4 or 5am to brave traffic, weather (like that blizzard last) and other situations when the main goal is getting to and from work. That takes priority over a weekend/holiday to enjoy the fun aspect. People just want something in their affordability bracket and something with creature features that make the commutes comfortable. Very few can think of fun when their focus is paying the bills and feeding the family.
The point of the video was still make some compromises (i.e. still dial the car up to be a daily) but getting something that is fun rather than two cars is just a better option. If you can't afford 2 cars you should probably wait anyways
For years I woke up at 1am at work and had an hour commute into work by 3am. I drove an e92, then f80 auto, hates auto so I got an STI launch edition. I had to have a fun car for the commute.
Wake up at 5am to go to work every day, only working car I own right now is an ND Miata and I bought some cheapo snow tires for it, does great in the snow and is hilarious to drive it gets me to work and I comfortable enough, but also is hilarious to slide every single corner
Exactly why I love my 08’ Civic Si. I have a few suspension and power mods but it’s still relatively tame. Makes 220whp and it’s a joy to drive everyday especially in the canyons and I can still get 30mpg with Honda reliability. Also the stock interior and sound system is great for a civic from 14 years ago. It checks all the boxes here in this video except maybe loudness, it’s a little droney and might be annoying on cross country trips
@@Save_the_Stick_Shifts nice! I have an Invidia q300 and a Skunk2 alpha header so I still have a full size resonator and muffler, just no cats anymore. The wider diameter piping makes it boomier but it sounds great. It’s still tolerable though with no drone unless I’m going up hills
Hell yeah ! I love Civics, they're such well known and reliable cars when they're well taken care of, and the older ones are a great starting point for modding (reasonably) and having a nice fun daily that's easy and cheap to maintain. My daily is a 2018 Peugeot 208 GTi and I love it ! Very cute, quick and nimble little car, and pretty comfy too with the full leather interior pack ! I modded it ever so slightly, you know, the usual, a nice muffler, a slightly better intake, a short shifter, a stronger and more reliable dump valve since the OEM one is known to be rather frail, and one or two aesthetic touches, that's it, no tune or anything else (I might invest in some very good coilovers in the future, one less inch and a more precise dampening should look and feel pretty good). 35 to 40 mpg when cruising and arround 210hp with a turbo on a car weighting a tiny bit above 2600 lbs, including me inside of it, make for a very pleasant, quirky and energetic little daily.
@@dr.calder7650 that sounds like a lot of fun! Wish we had some more European brands like Peugeot, Seat, etc. Mine makes 215whp and is around 2880lbs, all naturally aspirated! Thankfully my county in Colorado doesn’t do emissions so I can run a catless race header 😁, gained me 34whp alone.
I can strongly relate this, I struggle with mental health and I can wholeheartedly say that my daily is the reason I'm still around. It gives me goals, challenges and most important moments of peace mixed in with fun
Coming from someone who drove a Camry for a year then finally bought a 2022 Wrx, YES. The daily has to be fun or you’ll regret it. I couldn’t do it anymore.
My friends, family and co-workers have all been notified: If I EVER show up driving a Camry, just take my keys away and take me right back to the nursing home and leave me there.
thats how i feel with my forte. its practical, cheap in many aspects and im glad i have it. but i want somethng fun. ironically i drive my mom's porsche and it makes me smile when i put it in sport mode
I think the same thing. I have a 08 Civic LX with an auto. Despite the auto I enjoy driving it thanks to the suspension changes I've done to it like coilovers and a beefy rear sway bar. It makes the car handle amazing while still allowing me to daily it and take family and friends in it without it being to boy racer or to boring to drive. Overall despite it being a base model or having the wrong engine or transmission in some peoples eyes it puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. Update (just got a 2019 Wrx base model with the 6spd manual, can't wait to take it to the trackand modify it a bit to be a good daily).
I have daily my F80 M3 for a year and absolutely loving it, a fast 4 door sportscar that you can daily but also rip it in the track at weekends but also being able to fit in your family without sacrificing practicality while also keeping a fairly low profile. The thing is truly a modern day Lancer Evolution, and that's coming from a former owner of an IV.
Hell yeah man same here 🤘 absolutely love how this car be be pretty docile around town but also incredibly capable on track. I always thought of the M3 as the jack of all trades, master of none haha. Approaching 90K on mine and don’t see myself getting in anything else in the near future!
The car I enjoyed driving the most was a ‘96 Subaru Outback that we put over 100k miles on before I cobbled together a turbo kit and put it on wrx suspension with wrx front seats. At 9psi it wasn’t super fast but it was crazy fun. It was also cosmetically quite rough but that meant I didn’t stress about it. I got T-boned in it at 276k miles. I miss that car years later😢
Wow. I never thought this channel would ever reference Dave Ramsey. To clarify, his rule of thumb is that the net worth of ALL vehicles in the household must not exceed 50% of annual salary with the caveat that they’re bought with cash. You can’t just keep buying cars at 50% annual salary and not factor in the vehicles you already have in the garage.
I bought a 2010 Honda Accord three years ago and haven't regretted it yet. Sure, my unassuming silver sedan may not look like much, but damn it, I love driving that car!
Based off your points my 2019 Honda Odyssey is the perfect daily! With it's near 300hp VTEC J35, great handling, tons of storage, comfortable, efficient, common Honda reliability, 5+ star safety, sounds great with an exhaust (crackles on stock tune btw), fair market price and for sure makes me smile 😅
This video is almost every reason I have for loving my car put into one. It may only be a humble Diesel V70 but every time I slip on my driving gloves and get behind the wheel I am reminded that it’s everything I could ask for in a car. It’s safe, reliable and comfortable enough (despite the hard suspension) to not annoy me while driving, but at the same time it’s torquey and nimble enough (thanks to the hard suspension) for a stint on the neighbourhood mountain. Hell, I had two runs last week that brought tears to my eyes, they were so much fun. But most importantly, it’s a manual. Every time I drove home from work, I had a certain few corners where I could feel like a Rallye driver and perfect my driving to a level where I might have exhausted all I can learn from the car, without actually doing damage to it. These little moments have turned driving home from a chore to something I would look forward to every day. Because of all of these reasons I am never annoyed to get in the car and always excited to see what adventures I will get into with Apollo, my very dear V70.
Veloster N. Perfect fun car daily and ONLY car. It can do massive Costco hauls. It can do light ikea hauls. It can get great gas mileage. It’s got decent power for a daily- deceptively quick. It handles insanely well and uses adaptive-adjustable dampers that work for smooth and harsh roads. It’s even possible to two person car camp with the car over almost 2 weeks, my wife and I did that over 3300 miles and down the PCH. Maintenance so far has been cheap. 64,000 miles in and mine has been absolutely no headaches like expected from a good car.
I own Dodge Challenger as a daily driver and it definitely hits the sweet spot for me. Interior space is really good, looks nice, comfortable and gets down when I need it to. Plus, nothing beats the sound of the exhaust going down an empty road. It truly is everything I could ask for as a daily driver.
As an 19 year old I love my 60hp ford fiesta. The suspension feels good, I can throw it around in corners without losing grip on the front tires, drive it normally in a traffic jam, take it to school or on a few hour long trip. Fuel consumption is decent, while I won't win a drag race it drives comfortably at 80mph. Ehat I'm trying to say is that my "boring car" is a really fun car
as a '18 civic sr owner with 128 hp, 200-400 hp sounds like a lot, over all cars I owned 100-200 hp is perfectly fine for a daily driver. I see that anything below 100 is a nightmare that can't pick up the speed when needed. Though, ofc, this is a personal opinion, both mine and yours, but man isn't civic hitting all the other boxes. It is fun to drive, practical, economical (fairly), safe, reliable and maaaan it looks great. This is one car that makes me smile after I get out of the office. It has enough power to join in onto a motorway traffic and start faster than a muppet in peugeot 308 gt that thinks 200 hp makes his car a sports car and that a "fast" car makes a driver. I bought it moving from a daily SUV commuter and man I am having fun with it. Yes, it is less economical day to day, but it is a car that I can sit in for 20h and then go back to it and be happy about it all over again.
I've got 2 cars and although I absolutely love my "fun car" it has also given me the worst anxiety I've ever experienced. I now have a daily driver that doesn't give me that anxiety with a lot better mpg too. I think for the most part daily driving your fun car is ok but having to fix the only source of transportation you have puts a lot of weight on your shoulders.
It's funny you mention that because I bought a 01' Celica GT-S (142K miles) recently to replace my cheap baby 94' Camry with only 73K miles. It's dumb in everyway because that camry would last me forever and cost me next to nothing. Just wanted something very cool and fun as my daily. Hell I don't even mind using my 88' Supra as a daily either, but I've poured so much money into it that yeah I'm a bit paranoid at this point. All three are toyotas though, not exactly worried about reliability.
Daily driving a fun sports car is doable, however you might not get the same experience from certain cars that wouldn’t be ideal for a daily driver. For me, I have my Toyota MR2 Spyder for my Fun/Summer car. Why? Because it’s hugely impractical,not quite ideal for long distance driving, and here in Canada, winter driving a low to the ground 2 seats convertible is a bad idea. So my “Daily” is a Matrix XRS, which is also a fun car, very practical, cheap to buy, economical and low maintenance. Both fun cars, used for different purposes
I totally agree!! Life is too short to drive boring cars!! A buddy of mine daily drives a 997 Turbo during the week a 997.2 GT3RS. He bought them new and to this day those are his two cars.
I’d say your beater Protegé is quite the fun daily driver. Manual and not too powerful. All the fun is had winding the engine out, going through the gears, and being carefree about dings and dents.
If you're going to build a racecar, have a reliable daily driver as a backup. Yearly insurance and inspection are insignificant in comparison to being without a vehicle.
7 years with my 06 Subaru Legacy GT. Love staring at it, especially after a wash. The 5 speed manual, and 350whp with mods, makes it fun. But the comfortable heated leather seats, sun roof, power everything, navigation, make it mature. It's like an STi that finished college, and stopped going to frat parties, but still enjoys some good beer on weekends every once in a while. :D
My 2014 Veloster turbo was an amazing daily driver. It was so fun but super practical too. It has crazy amounts of cargo space, a great sound system, and just the right amount of power for fun.
My mom used to have a non-turbo 2014 Veloster and I remember I used to BEG to drive around town or go to the store for her, it was a fun and practical little hatchback. I never grew out of that lmao, I drive a Ford Focus hatchback now and it's the best car I've ever owned.
I daily drove a car with a manual transmission for 13 years. When I went to order my fun car, I got it in a manual. But I now have an automatic car for a daily. I deal with a ton of traffic, and I couldn't do it anymore with a manual. The auto is much better for smaller gaps, stop and go up big hills, and crawling forward.
This video makes me appreciate my 07 Mustang GT even more as a daily. For me, it hits every note on this list. Plus it’s fun on road courses and I run 11’s on the strip so I have no complaints lol
This is a huge reason why i believe so heavily in adding more infrascture for non car based transportation. I LOVE my 05 mini but, i do rely on it to get to work, and if something goes out, i dont have a ton of option there. I would love to see more awareness of adding more methods to get around, that are not cars, within the community. Not to mention, alternative methods can be used by everybody, and by removing people off the road, traffic can decrease. This can alleviate some concern about someone damamging your car, and can also allow for much stricter liscense requirements (at least here in the US), since cars do not need to be relied on. I know this sounds like an insane scenario right now, but i would like to see more discussion around it in car culture.
Sorry, but I think it's absolutely worth the extra expense of a cheapass beater, to have as a backup for when your fun car inevitably has an issue, but you've gotta get to work still. It also helps to keep salt off your baby, if you live in cold climates.
I daily drove my fun car, a 2006 Mazdaspeed 6 for many years, over my 10 years and 200,000 miles I personally put on it (now at 262k) It still puts a smile on my face but I needed something a bit more practical for my mobile DJ business so I did the right thing and bought a Toyota Highlander SUV and it was comfy and reliable it was b.o.r.i.n.g , after that got totaled by a Deer I went out and bought my Fun daily, a 2014 Ford Flex Ecoboost, and folks joke on the ole breadbox until they ride with me and I pin them to the seat. now I have my Fun Daily and Fun used to be daily.
I daily my lifted WRX hatchback. It has been my daily for almost nine years now. It's practical, has enough horsepower, it's comfortable (I put in nice BRZ seats, still heated), does well in adverse weather and with the larger tires and AWD, is reliable enough, and most of all it's fun! I couldn't imagine driving an appliance to work everyday. I like having a little bit of fun.
i have a old, kinda beat up and moderatly modifyed civic i drive every day, and a well maintained mostly stock s2000, they both are fun to me, just in a very different way. The civic is so much fun cause i get to throw it around and dont have to worrie too much, while the s2000 is more serious and a car i wanna keep really clean, ofc i still drive the s2000 hard when i want to, its meant for that after all^^ happy new year guys and im looking foreward to more awesome content from on of the very best car channels on youtube
Ben, you forgot to mention likelihood to be stollen or vandalized. I can’t drive my Civic to the train station because it will be stollen instantly, so I need to drive my M3 instead. Crazy world.
I DD a 2015 Subaru BRZ 6 speed. It is perfect and I never plan to mod it. No reason to mess with perfection (unless the motor blows someday). Then it’s “game on”.
Not even going OEM+ a little? Like replacing something that wears out too soon? (if there is) It doesn't have to be something that affects its reliability, especially powertrain-related.
@@yongling9825 not really. There was an issue with the throw out bearing in the BRZ. But a company made a part to rectify the issue. So when I did a new clutch, I installed one. But honestly, even if I need new suspension bits at some point, I will be ordering OEM.
Going with the Luke Honda Jazz vibe, I have a "top spec" 2009 Mazda 3, and I love it. It has a smile on it's face for god sake! =D Yes, it only has 120 bhp, but you can use all of it. It looks good, has a nice level of creature comforts, drives well on back roads, super practical, super reliable and with 50mpg on motorways, it's not to bad on the eco front either, not to mention servicing it is pretty good too! One day I'd like to mod it a little bit, like with wheels and get the really subtle body kit later models had, but can't bring myself to do it...
This video is awesome and hit the nail on the head!!! I daily drive a stock C43 with the performance exhaust, it's not the fastest nor the loudest and not exotic where I live, but oh boy, when I get into that car I grin from ear to ear! It's an absolute blast driving it, the car covers all the points mentioned in the video, probably subjective but I love it and had no reliability concerns! I went through a rough patch a while back but having that car, and knowing that I can daily a C43 (I wanted this car for so long!) really does make a massive difference! :) I hope everyone reading this is able to find and purchase their desired car that brings them massive happiness and a splendid driving feel and experience!! :)
My Mk7 Golf R seems to hit all 10 of your points. (even reliability, knock on wood). That being said, I think amount of use and type of use both change the equation. My 3-5 hour trip once a week on 95 isn't going to be fun regardless of the car you're in. A 1-mile drive to the metro stop doesn't necessarily need the same comfort as something you're driving 100k miles/year in. My convertible JCW Mini was an absolute blast to daily in San Diego, but I sold it a year after moving to DC cause the roads sucked and I never got a chance to put the top down. Also, after getting hit head-on by a half-ton pickup driving on the wrong side of the road and walking away from it without injury, I will say modern car safety is a HUGE must-have for me.
golf’s are just solid cars! can’t knock ‘em, they do everything i need to (mk7 gti here). kinda “tame” to start off with- but they can be modded to all hell which is where the fun really starts!
I've a MK7 GTD, and it's a wagon! I definitely agree that this platform is absolute top notch for a daily, or to be fair, any MQB platform car is a great daily.
That's why I'm looking at a 2022 Wrx . I live in the mountains and we get lots of rain. The wrx can handle all the wet inclines and turns, but also has one of the best crash ratings
I agree with some points to this. But like others in the comments. I work in the city. Not favorable for daily suspensions, let alone a fun car with suspension. Horsepower doesn't matter driving through the city with traffic or a traffic light every block. So for me, I have a tastefully modded 07 STI for fun and a practical yet still fun and capable 04 Impreza wagon. Everyone however should enjoy what they drive whether daily or fun.
The sweet spot for a fun daily with workable practicality is a hot hatch (focus ST, golf GTI). If you don’t like hatchbacks then get a wrx, civic si, Elantra N. Basically any turbo 4 making 200+ hp is fun enough on a daily commute, while also being practical enough to justify owning.
I’ve never daily driven anything but a fun car. My current car is a 2010 Evo that is nearly bone stock for now but it’s still a lot of fun, reliable, practical, and you don’t see too many where I’m from. Jack of all trades.
Lol, that's pretty amazing but I've never been able to do that until last year when I was 35 after driving and owning several cars since I was 18. Never had the remotely the money for it. Basically you need a 2nd car if you're going to have a "fun" car and that was never an option either. No evo for me, but I have an 01 Celica GT-S and 88 Supra now. 94 Camry with low miles was my rock, but it has to go to afford the other two.
@@LeviathanVZ That's pretty bold lol. I didn't get mechanically inclined in the least until this last year. And even then you need a lot of money or skill to keep those babies on the road!
My 2006 lexus RX 400h with 220k miles on it puts a smile on my face because it has been extremely reliable and I drove it from Boston to the Grand Canyon and back without a single issue. I have taken it so many places and made so many memories.
I agree entirely. Subaru always feels like a fun enthusiast car while also being practical as a daily/grocery getter. parts break often enough that I'm always fixing, upgrading, or repairing something which helps build my overall knowledge of automotive repair. aftermarket is plentiful and parts are relatively easy to get. working on a subi kind of sucks, which makes the trial-and-error process exhausting and rewarding, plus a plethora of online tutorials and forums. currently, I have plans for my 05 outback, it's not really exciting at all but when I have 4 friends crammed into it, I couldn't imagine driving anything else on a daily.
I dailyed my project car from high school to college. It's hard when you can't afford to have the car down, passing on engine mods and choosing suspension and other mods because you only have weekends to install them is a very common feeling. Going from installing standalone, poly bushings, and two engine swaps in a year have been very draining. That's what drove me to buy my cheap project daily (LS Teg) so I can finally stop dailying the race car. Bringing my laptop for retuning, checking all the fluids constantly, and I noticed that I worried more and more about it as I spent more money over time. Would I think it would've been easier with a seperate daily? Yeah. Would I do it all over again? Yeah.
Yeah, I can't imagine. Since I really got into this a year ago I really enjoy having two cars so I can just have one on jackstands and take my time with what I need to do. On both my Celica and Supra I've re-sprayed/fixed/relubed the calipers, replaced rotors, pads, tires, wheels, bled brakes, all swaybar links and both those jobs required a lot of time as things don't go as you may want them to. I would be stressed out of my head getting it all done in a weekend and hoping nothing goes wrong lol.
Best daily would be something like my civic. Decent power to bolt around town also reasonably modified to the point where anything else could make it a track only car. With a manual option it can be ideally one of the best enthusiasts daily drivers with the right mods to offset it. Although there's also the si and type R which are literally the enthusiasts picks for a fun daily
I got a mk7 golf R and its absolutely perfect. 400hp, handles amazing, loud with the valves open and quiet with them closed, very practical being a hatch, super comfortable and great stereo.
This is spot on. One hundred 100%. My daily driver (almost) is an unlikley one, that I took car of, and ticks almost all of your points (certainly not safety, but surprisingly, it is quite reliable if you know how to take care of it) ... and it is the most unlilkely car: a Maserati 2.24v. It always put a smile on me every day that I use it.
That's why I daily my 9-3. There is just something about Saab that puts a wide smile on my face every time I drive it, even if it's just to get groceries. They're quite cheep here in Europe, the engines are FANTASTIC for tuning (300hp on stock internals with just a bigger turbo, injectors and a new ECU map from a 2.0 is pretty damn good IMO), parts are relatively inexpensive (with some exceptions), It's pretty easy to work on, it's comfortable, it drives really well for a FWD car, it's practical enough for my needs and it's not bad on MPG. Driving a car you love every day is an amazing feeling, especially when you have these empty stretches of the road where you can have some "extra fun" on your daily commute. I'm saving up for a "rebuild" bc there's a long list of small things to fix that have accumulated from previous owners and the three years I've owned it. Things like minor dents, some scratches, some wires needing replacement, interior lights flickering, the booth button not working, whole timing set replacement and valve adjustment, some cracked vacuum hoses making the idle kinda bad, two power windows not working, etc. Lots of things that individually would be very cheap to fix but all together it'll probably cost me a fair bit. Once it's sorted out Imma start doing some actual mods like a nice set of coilovers, better brakes and a good bit more power (aiming for around 300hp).
I daily drive an ND Miata in Colorado, I also race it during the summer, this last snow storm we got I was plowing all the neighborhood roads giggling as snow came over the hood, and in 4 months I will put race tires on it and compete, I go up into the mountains and explore every chance I get, the car gets muddy and packed with ice in the winter and dusty during the summer, but I love it it just comfortable enough with just enough room for me
Dude your videos just make people feel good and that's important in life. I daily a mk8 Fiesta ST and I love it every day. It's quick, nimble, and loves to be abused if I feel like it. When you daily a fun car you can throw your days frustrations or triumphs at it and enjoy the drive. Almost like it's an extension of your own body. Cheers to you, car people know exactly what you're saying.
I’ve been building a dodge w150 4x4 truck with a 5.7 hemi swap. I love coming home after work and just driving it. I drive for a living and it’s so much fun to jump in and drive RVN if it’s not the most comfortable or the most practical. It’s that X factor. I smile every time
I've owned over 30 cars, many of them sports cars. S2000, WRX, civic SI, etc. Now I daily drive an Acura TL SH-AWD manual. Love the comfort , 4 doors, and decent power. Fun enough and reliable. The worst car I had was S2000 as a daily, spun it out too many times.
Driving your fun car in the USA is a very real possibility. Here is Ireland not so much. I considered buying an E39 M5. €45000/$48000 Road tax €1809/$1950 Fuel $7 to $9 per gallon depending on the weather Insurance is nuts too. Anything that isn’t an eco Box in Ireland gets hit hard d especially in Dublin. I once got a €6000 quote for an e36 M3. So I got a Punto HGT. Small fast revvy and rare as a Ferrari Enzo these days apparently. If I lived in the USA I’d be in a supercharged M5
I have a 2013 A4 which to me is a great compromise for a daily. It's fast enough very comfy with great audio has awd (almost a must in CO) 4drs and safe which is good for the kiddo with pretty good mpgs and reliability so far. The only thing is I've got the itch for more speed but modding your daily is a dangerous game haha
Completely agree to a degree. I daily two very different fun cars. 1. An '08 Mini Cooper making about 200hp. The N14 engine is a ticking time bomb, but I love driving the little bugger and it's great for the occasional autoX. I also have a '12 Jeep Wrangler that's almost scary on the freeway, but it's great around town and climbs over rocks the size of my Mini with ease.
I've been trying to explain this to a few friends. They are all into having a nice car, but their dailies are boring as hell. Change it up!! Great video
I daily drive a focus st that is almost full bolt on and tuned, at some point it’s getting a big turbo. I love this thing. In the warmer months I daily drive my ninja 650 and a back pack. I love this combo!
I bought my current daily driver the past March, a 2022 GR86. I drive it year round even in the Pennsylvania snow this winter. I absolutely love it. Daily commute I average 20mpg highway I know I can get 30mpg. So it's not terrible on gas
I've owned a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and a Tesla Model 3 Performance (admittedly both unmodified). Both have had "harsh rides". And I wouldn't have it any other way - I love how performant they are when I have a chance to get on it.
I actually don't want to daily drive my fun car. Why not? Because I drive 60k km per year (average, business and private combined), and I have a business lease car in front of my house with a tankcard for less than half a k per month. So I made the choice of driving a NEW 2022 Mazda 3 with all the bells and whistles I want. My fun car is a 2002 Mitsubishi Galant V6 station with a manual transmission. It's originally from Germany, so it's EUDM. Love the thing.
Never be afraid to put miles on your fun car. A wise person once said, not putting miles on your fun car is similar to not banging your girlfriend and saving her for someone else. That someone else is going to be thankful 😅 2020 mx5 with 66k KM all weather
Bought my first car this year which is a Honda Accord Euro CU2 6MT with the modulo body kit on it. It's not slammed, OEM wheels nothing crazy. But every time I drive it makes all my worries disappear and even though it is not as nimble or light as the other fancy sports car, it handles well and sounds nice when I gave it the beans, the manual is just the cherry on top. Hope you all found your source of joy too :) Cheers.
This is a good video!! I have 4 vehicles and I enjoy each one of them for different reasons. all of them run except for one that I'm working on the motor now to put it in the car soon! I love to drive so I've gotta be able enjoy everything that I drive!!
Laguna Blue NA8 as my DD rn. While I see your points, this car kinda terrifies me on the road. It's well within my budget, it makes me smile, gas isn't *horrible* on it, but if it got into a wreck, because it's my dream car, I'd be devastated. Also, I think daily driving your special car takes some of the magic out of it. I think looking forward to your next car meet, or the weekend, or your next AutoX event is a great thing and keeps the special car magical and fun, not monotonous (Dealing with the shitty cup holders in the Miata, for example). Gotta find a balance. For me, once my buddy finds a car (He's driving my daily since his car blew up) I'll happily go back to daily driving my 02 Jetta with auto windows and heated seats. Or sell it to him and find me an old EG Civic for good gas mileage and reliability
Good choice, got a 97NA mx5 for summertime and a skoda octavia kombi for wintertime. Safety was a point: mx5 is tiny, and mine is montegoblue wich is a dark color and easy to oversee.(even at daylight) And every winter I can work on the mx to upgrade it or fix some smaller issues and not worrying how I get to work next day. And the biggest reason: I always look forward to the summertime to enjoy my ,,funcar" the skoda isn't bad in any way. But the mx is just special
That's my favorite Mustang generation. We have Mustangs here too thanks to our Ford distributor (no longer selling them I think), but they're all S550s. I have never seen an S197-II on the road.
I daily drove an Evo 9 for 15 years and loved it. Then I got an Accord Hybrid and kept the Evo for weekends. This has been the best decision I have ever made. The vast majority of people simply don't want to daily a fun car. Spending tons of money on premium fuel and living with fewer creature comforts is not practical when you have a job to get to early or kids that need transporting. This video does seem to miss the constraints normal non-youtubers with lots of money have. I do love G&G, but I think they missed the mark on this one.
@Evy And any fun car is gonna have high maintenance, high cost of repair and the fuel to put in it isnt super good either. The reason people buy "boring cars" is because it's reliable and they need something to go from A to B. Their main priority isn't to go fast. And if it is then they have a fun car which they do not daily
One of the "beaters" that always make sense to have in addition to your daily/fun/every day car (if you can swing it), is a beater truck. Being able to toss anything in the back, haul things, and take it almost anywhere, are features you can't get with anything else
I still prefer having more than one car if it's financially possible. That way you can have one car that's just dedicated to being a fun car and it doesn't have to necessarily fit all the boxes that a daily driver should. While I still think your daily driver should be fun and enjoyable to drive, the two fit different purposes in my mind. I've gone the two car route for many years now, and absolutely prefer it over trying to find one car that's a do-it-all.
@@the1anonymouse I try to focus more on a comfortable ride, enough storage to carry things when going shopping, and creature comforts that make the car easier/nicer to live with (remote start, heated seats/steering wheel, a nice sound system, etc.). I'm not looking for all out performance, although I do like it to be a little "peppy", and I'll even deal with an automatic transmission as it needs to be something my wife can drive as well as something that I can just cruise in while being a relaxing place to be. My current daily, a 2023 Mazda3 Turbo Hatch, covers everything I'm looking for in a daily driver and I still have a fun car for the weekends when I want something more spirited and driver focused (currently a 2022 Camaro 2SS 1LE with a manual transmission).
My daily sees light track use. So my Cobb sway bars are on the soft setting until track day. Same with brake pads, I put on EBC pads for the track and go back to street pads after. Coilovers also readjusted. It’s all the aero and keeping setting for the track on the street that causes problems. If you can build modularly and make full use of the settings ranges of aftermarket parts it’s a lot better.
Especially when those settings are easy to adjust. Nothing like having to break out the full tool kit, and tear the car half apart to adjust some suspension
I recently bought a 2016 gti and i’m stage 1 with an exhaust and intake. No it’s not the quickest but every time or I go out for a drive to distract myself man it always put a smile on my face. It’s a perfect daily driver and I’m very proud of myself on achieving the opportunity to buy it myself
I'm a community health worker in our region in Canada, I travel a lot everyday, few years ago I decided to buy my dream car VA WRX to replace my work vehicle '03 Rav4. it transformed my work environment completely, I get excited to wake up and go to work everyday knowing I get to drive my dream car. Every area I drove is now more fun especially on the mountain passes of British Columbia, I am now looking forward on snowy days instead of hating it before I leave the house. And the best of all, this car gave me a 2nd place trophy from the autocross championship series in our region (just 1 point behind the Tesla model3 performance.) So grateful to be alive and to drive my WRX everyday.
I realized I had bought the wrong car, I had bought a 2010 Acura TSX V6 automatic, it had nice specs and very comfortable but I was always worried of putting miles on it since the gas on this was not so terrible but It was hard to afford for my age, I was 18, Decided to sell it and then got Myself a 1998 Honda civic sedan manual, turns out this small thing with the boring interior is so much more fun than the Acura, And it’s amazing on gas! I found a great daily and I’m loving it
![ลองสุ่มไอโฟน 990 โกงมั้ย? [ โกงมั้ยครับ ep.101 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bfsWe0j492k/mqdefault.jpg)
As a BRZ owner, I started crying when he said between 200 - 300hp
Definitely think there should be a giant * on that statement lol. I've got a Triumph Spitfire that probably only has about 70hp at the crank, but the car weights like 1600lbs, so it works. I dailyed it for over a year, and man was it still fun, even with the more-often-than-id-like breakdowns 😂
me with a track prepped 2014 tC (180hp) T-T
He said between 200-400 lol
My modded 4.6L just barely cracks 300hp. It's out performed by V6 sedans, but boy is it fun to drive.
@@slinkeyj3 Yup, it probably boils down to power/weight ratio rather than a single HP figure
This year, I made the jump from owning a couple beater subarus (and a spec b. that lost 3 engines) to owning a single, nice, fun car. I got a 2016 Volvo V60 T6 Polestar. It might be a boring Station wagon to most, but it has over 300 horsepower, is super comfortable and practical, is dead reliable, looks like nothing else on the road (in rebel blue) and brings a smile to my face everytime I take it out.
Love your videos as always, wishing you guys a great new year!
My first and only vehicle is my Tacoma, tacomas are common, but she is a manual, and so it has that little sporty fun, it’s not amazing, I just did intake and exhaust, it has noise when getting at it, but when cruising does not drone and is a comfortable level of sound
V60 T6 Polestar ???? That's like my dream car OMG. Okay, is it rebel blue, black, or white?
Stage 3 Saab 9-5 Aero Wagon owner here 🙋🏼♂️ I feel you
@@Bzt3819 2008 SAAB 9-3 sedan owner here with a stupid power increase from flashing that B207E ECU. Nice, practical and maintenance is rather cheap thanks to GM parts list. :)
On US soil any estate with more than 250 bhp is alright in my book👍
if you don’t look back at your car after parking it, then you bought the wrong car.
100% agree.
@@Cutlerypotato damn, too bad you didn't realize that before marriage
Agreed
So true had mine 4 years and still do it
Realtalk
I think it still comes down to the fact that many people (enthusiasts even) don't have the privilege of sacrificing efficiency, reliability, practicality etc for the sake of fun. When keeping your job depends on the reliability of your car, it's more than just sort of important and has to take priority over fun
This
This is so true. It's almost impossible to drive a modified car and have peace of mind that you will get to work on time. I drive a lightly modded em2 civic. I have a set of coilovers, wheels and tires, front lip, rear lip, side skirts, cold air intake, and a set of retrofitted hid headlights. Personally, this car provides fun driving on country roads while providing me with that Honda reliability and that nice 38-40 mpg. The car is not too powerful, maybe 140 hp, but it has enough power to make it fun to drive as long as you don't plan on winning any races, and it is also a manual so it provided that untouchable driving experience. Just remember that every mod has its drawbacks.
Nail on head.
So get an Mazda any of them even the CUVs...
@@braydenhulsey8421 Some you can like coyote mustang and old Supras you just need to take car of them and mod the right.
I think what a car means to you personally is far more of the key to it being the right one. I drive a Ford Mondeo estate with a 2.2 diesel. It's top spec and means I can chuck the family including kids in and road trip around in comfort. Doesn't matter what the car is, it's the memories that stay with you..
The memories of riding on a boring car
Couldn’t agree more. I have a little 2004 Honda CRV but with a bed and cooler in the back it becomes a surprisingly good car to go camping in and overall exploring
2016 2.0T Fusion here, the 380nm of torque make for plenty of fun when it's straight, and the size gets you and your family anywhere quite comfortably and with lots of room
Another Mondeo Estate owner here, agree with you completely
Driving is not really enjoyable in the city. Thanks to traffic, speeding cars, under the influence drivers, and random people that like to ride bikes in the middle of the road.
Speed cams are everywhere now
@@modehfy1352 it’s that in conjunction with everything else. I daily my gr86 tho cuz it’s my only (working) car
Cyclists are the worst. Traffic lining behind them and they don't care.
@@Lurbano97 that’s why we should build infrastructure to allow cyclists and drivers to both get to their destination separately and safely. Cyclists won’t go into the road if they can go on their own road.
@@themogus you obviously haven't encountered my dad on a bike
Let's be fair:
The majorty of people do not think about "fun" when they have to get up 4 or 5am to brave traffic, weather (like that blizzard last) and other situations when the main goal is getting to and from work. That takes priority over a weekend/holiday to enjoy the fun aspect. People just want something in their affordability bracket and something with creature features that make the commutes comfortable. Very few can think of fun when their focus is paying the bills and feeding the family.
Mk7 golf r
The point of the video was still make some compromises (i.e. still dial the car up to be a daily) but getting something that is fun rather than two cars is just a better option. If you can't afford 2 cars you should probably wait anyways
For years I woke up at 1am at work and had an hour commute into work by 3am. I drove an e92, then f80 auto, hates auto so I got an STI launch edition. I had to have a fun car for the commute.
Yea and no one that falls in that realm is a car guy either so, whats your point?
Wake up at 5am to go to work every day, only working car I own right now is an ND Miata and I bought some cheapo snow tires for it, does great in the snow and is hilarious to drive it gets me to work and I comfortable enough, but also is hilarious to slide every single corner
Exactly why I love my 08’ Civic Si. I have a few suspension and power mods but it’s still relatively tame. Makes 220whp and it’s a joy to drive everyday especially in the canyons and I can still get 30mpg with Honda reliability. Also the stock interior and sound system is great for a civic from 14 years ago. It checks all the boxes here in this video except maybe loudness, it’s a little droney and might be annoying on cross country trips
I used a Tanabe Medallion Touring on my 05 RSX Type S for that reason. Probably choked her up a bit, but it is so smooth, no drone...
@@Save_the_Stick_Shifts nice! I have an Invidia q300 and a Skunk2 alpha header so I still have a full size resonator and muffler, just no cats anymore. The wider diameter piping makes it boomier but it sounds great. It’s still tolerable though with no drone unless I’m going up hills
@@TheRyansLion my Alpha2 is in a box 😅... debating about leaving her as is.
Hell yeah ! I love Civics, they're such well known and reliable cars when they're well taken care of, and the older ones are a great starting point for modding (reasonably) and having a nice fun daily that's easy and cheap to maintain. My daily is a 2018 Peugeot 208 GTi and I love it ! Very cute, quick and nimble little car, and pretty comfy too with the full leather interior pack ! I modded it ever so slightly, you know, the usual, a nice muffler, a slightly better intake, a short shifter, a stronger and more reliable dump valve since the OEM one is known to be rather frail, and one or two aesthetic touches, that's it, no tune or anything else (I might invest in some very good coilovers in the future, one less inch and a more precise dampening should look and feel pretty good). 35 to 40 mpg when cruising and arround 210hp with a turbo on a car weighting a tiny bit above 2600 lbs, including me inside of it, make for a very pleasant, quirky and energetic little daily.
@@dr.calder7650 that sounds like a lot of fun! Wish we had some more European brands like Peugeot, Seat, etc. Mine makes 215whp and is around 2880lbs, all naturally aspirated! Thankfully my county in Colorado doesn’t do emissions so I can run a catless race header 😁, gained me 34whp alone.
I daily my near stock ND2 Miata and I love it. It’s comfortable, easy to drive, gets 35mpg combined, and makes grocery trips a blast.
miat
I can strongly relate this, I struggle with mental health and I can wholeheartedly say that my daily is the reason I'm still around. It gives me goals, challenges and most important moments of peace mixed in with fun
been daily driving my STi for 7 years, and i still look back at it every time i park it 😍
Nice! What year is yours?
You’ve got the right car then….good for you👍🏻
Same
Same, buddy!
Coming from someone who drove a Camry for a year then finally bought a 2022 Wrx, YES. The daily has to be fun or you’ll regret it. I couldn’t do it anymore.
Camrys are nice
I had a camry and it was the most boring thing ever (also surprisingly unreliable). Replaced it with a Z3 and I do not regret it.
@@sporeranier you could sport trims:)
My friends, family and co-workers have all been notified: If I EVER show up driving a Camry, just take my keys away and take me right back to the nursing home and leave me there.
thats how i feel with my forte. its practical, cheap in many aspects and im glad i have it. but i want somethng fun. ironically i drive my mom's porsche and it makes me smile when i put it in sport mode
I think the same thing. I have a 08 Civic LX with an auto. Despite the auto I enjoy driving it thanks to the suspension changes I've done to it like coilovers and a beefy rear sway bar. It makes the car handle amazing while still allowing me to daily it and take family and friends in it without it being to boy racer or to boring to drive. Overall despite it being a base model or having the wrong engine or transmission in some peoples eyes it puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. Update (just got a 2019 Wrx base model with the 6spd manual, can't wait to take it to the trackand modify it a bit to be a good daily).
I have daily my F80 M3 for a year and absolutely loving it, a fast 4 door sportscar that you can daily but also rip it in the track at weekends but also being able to fit in your family without sacrificing practicality while also keeping a fairly low profile. The thing is truly a modern day Lancer Evolution, and that's coming from a former owner of an IV.
Hell yeah man same here 🤘 absolutely love how this car be be pretty docile around town but also incredibly capable on track. I always thought of the M3 as the jack of all trades, master of none haha. Approaching 90K on mine and don’t see myself getting in anything else in the near future!
Wouldn’t an F80 M3 just feel like a modern M3?
The car I enjoyed driving the most was a ‘96 Subaru Outback that we put over 100k miles on before I cobbled together a turbo kit and put it on wrx suspension with wrx front seats. At 9psi it wasn’t super fast but it was crazy fun. It was also cosmetically quite rough but that meant I didn’t stress about it. I got T-boned in it at 276k miles. I miss that car years later😢
I'm glad you survived that. RIP Outback
@@sarahrowe9661 thanks, I still think about replicating that exact car
Wow. I never thought this channel would ever reference Dave Ramsey. To clarify, his rule of thumb is that the net worth of ALL vehicles in the household must not exceed 50% of annual salary with the caveat that they’re bought with cash. You can’t just keep buying cars at 50% annual salary and not factor in the vehicles you already have in the garage.
I bought a 2010 Honda Accord three years ago and haven't regretted it yet. Sure, my unassuming silver sedan may not look like much, but damn it, I love driving that car!
I got the v6 coupe I drive it like it’s a damn hellcat I love it
Based off your points my 2019 Honda Odyssey is the perfect daily! With it's near 300hp VTEC J35, great handling, tons of storage, comfortable, efficient, common Honda reliability, 5+ star safety, sounds great with an exhaust (crackles on stock tune btw), fair market price and for sure makes me smile 😅
This video is almost every reason I have for loving my car put into one.
It may only be a humble Diesel V70 but every time I slip on my driving gloves and get behind the wheel I am reminded that it’s everything I could ask for in a car.
It’s safe, reliable and comfortable enough (despite the hard suspension) to not annoy me while driving, but at the same time it’s torquey and nimble enough (thanks to the hard suspension) for a stint on the neighbourhood mountain. Hell, I had two runs last week that brought tears to my eyes, they were so much fun.
But most importantly, it’s a manual. Every time I drove home from work, I had a certain few corners where I could feel like a Rallye driver and perfect my driving to a level where I might have exhausted all I can learn from the car, without actually doing damage to it. These little moments have turned driving home from a chore to something I would look forward to every day.
Because of all of these reasons I am never annoyed to get in the car and always excited to see what adventures I will get into with Apollo, my very dear V70.
Veloster N.
Perfect fun car daily and ONLY car. It can do massive Costco hauls. It can do light ikea hauls. It can get great gas mileage. It’s got decent power for a daily- deceptively quick. It handles insanely well and uses adaptive-adjustable dampers that work for smooth and harsh roads. It’s even possible to two person car camp with the car over almost 2 weeks, my wife and I did that over 3300 miles and down the PCH. Maintenance so far has been cheap. 64,000 miles in and mine has been absolutely no headaches like expected from a good car.
I own Dodge Challenger as a daily driver and it definitely hits the sweet spot for me. Interior space is really good, looks nice, comfortable and gets down when I need it to. Plus, nothing beats the sound of the exhaust going down an empty road. It truly is everything I could ask for as a daily driver.
I drive a non turbo fiat 500 and even after all the modified cars I've had, this is still the one that makes me smile the most.
As an 19 year old I love my 60hp ford fiesta. The suspension feels good, I can throw it around in corners without losing grip on the front tires, drive it normally in a traffic jam, take it to school or on a few hour long trip. Fuel consumption is decent, while I won't win a drag race it drives comfortably at 80mph. Ehat I'm trying to say is that my "boring car" is a really fun car
as a '18 civic sr owner with 128 hp, 200-400 hp sounds like a lot, over all cars I owned 100-200 hp is perfectly fine for a daily driver. I see that anything below 100 is a nightmare that can't pick up the speed when needed. Though, ofc, this is a personal opinion, both mine and yours, but man isn't civic hitting all the other boxes. It is fun to drive, practical, economical (fairly), safe, reliable and maaaan it looks great. This is one car that makes me smile after I get out of the office. It has enough power to join in onto a motorway traffic and start faster than a muppet in peugeot 308 gt that thinks 200 hp makes his car a sports car and that a "fast" car makes a driver. I bought it moving from a daily SUV commuter and man I am having fun with it. Yes, it is less economical day to day, but it is a car that I can sit in for 20h and then go back to it and be happy about it all over again.
I've got 2 cars and although I absolutely love my "fun car" it has also given me the worst anxiety I've ever experienced. I now have a daily driver that doesn't give me that anxiety with a lot better mpg too. I think for the most part daily driving your fun car is ok but having to fix the only source of transportation you have puts a lot of weight on your shoulders.
It's funny you mention that because I bought a 01' Celica GT-S (142K miles) recently to replace my cheap baby 94' Camry with only 73K miles. It's dumb in everyway because that camry would last me forever and cost me next to nothing. Just wanted something very cool and fun as my daily. Hell I don't even mind using my 88' Supra as a daily either, but I've poured so much money into it that yeah I'm a bit paranoid at this point. All three are toyotas though, not exactly worried about reliability.
Daily driving a fun sports car is doable, however you might not get the same experience from certain cars that wouldn’t be ideal for a daily driver.
For me, I have my Toyota MR2 Spyder for my Fun/Summer car. Why? Because it’s hugely impractical,not quite ideal for long distance driving, and here in Canada, winter driving a low to the ground 2 seats convertible is a bad idea. So my “Daily” is a Matrix XRS, which is also a fun car, very practical, cheap to buy, economical and low maintenance. Both fun cars, used for different purposes
I totally agree!! Life is too short to drive boring cars!! A buddy of mine daily drives a 997 Turbo during the week a 997.2 GT3RS. He bought them new and to this day those are his two cars.
I’m 51 and have had a beater since I was 20. I can’t stand having only one car because it is really stressful when your only car breaks.
I’d say your beater Protegé is quite the fun daily driver. Manual and not too powerful. All the fun is had winding the engine out, going through the gears, and being carefree about dings and dents.
If you're going to build a racecar, have a reliable daily driver as a backup.
Yearly insurance and inspection are insignificant in comparison to being without a vehicle.
Daily Bone stock 2014 wrx hatch. Love it! Very Reliable!
7 years with my 06 Subaru Legacy GT. Love staring at it, especially after a wash. The 5 speed manual, and 350whp with mods, makes it fun. But the comfortable heated leather seats, sun roof, power everything, navigation, make it mature. It's like an STi that finished college, and stopped going to frat parties, but still enjoys some good beer on weekends every once in a while. :D
My 2014 Veloster turbo was an amazing daily driver. It was so fun but super practical too. It has crazy amounts of cargo space, a great sound system, and just the right amount of power for fun.
I drive the same car but without the turbo, such a fun car to drive even without the power boost.
My mom used to have a non-turbo 2014 Veloster and I remember I used to BEG to drive around town or go to the store for her, it was a fun and practical little hatchback. I never grew out of that lmao, I drive a Ford Focus hatchback now and it's the best car I've ever owned.
The Honda Civic Si and Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ are great 1 fun, 2 cheap, and 3 comfortable cars.
I swear you guys edits, narration and videos are so perfect in every way. Real cinematography at it's finest here!!
I daily drove a car with a manual transmission for 13 years. When I went to order my fun car, I got it in a manual. But I now have an automatic car for a daily. I deal with a ton of traffic, and I couldn't do it anymore with a manual. The auto is much better for smaller gaps, stop and go up big hills, and crawling forward.
This video makes me appreciate my 07 Mustang GT even more as a daily. For me, it hits every note on this list. Plus it’s fun on road courses and I run 11’s on the strip so I have no complaints lol
This is a huge reason why i believe so heavily in adding more infrascture for non car based transportation. I LOVE my 05 mini but, i do rely on it to get to work, and if something goes out, i dont have a ton of option there. I would love to see more awareness of adding more methods to get around, that are not cars, within the community. Not to mention, alternative methods can be used by everybody, and by removing people off the road, traffic can decrease. This can alleviate some concern about someone damamging your car, and can also allow for much stricter liscense requirements (at least here in the US), since cars do not need to be relied on. I know this sounds like an insane scenario right now, but i would like to see more discussion around it in car culture.
That would also help the environment, but thank Elon for ruining people's chance at light rail transit across the nation.
@@diallo1347 well, more people that see it, more people that will at least have it in their brain haha
Sorry, but I think it's absolutely worth the extra expense of a cheapass beater, to have as a backup for when your fun car inevitably has an issue, but you've gotta get to work still. It also helps to keep salt off your baby, if you live in cold climates.
love my 2023 brz it’s a great looking car with enough hp and looks to make it a great daily driver
I daily drove my fun car, a 2006 Mazdaspeed 6 for many years, over my 10 years and 200,000 miles I personally put on it (now at 262k) It still puts a smile on my face but I needed something a bit more practical for my mobile DJ business so I did the right thing and bought a Toyota Highlander SUV and it was comfy and reliable it was b.o.r.i.n.g , after that got totaled by a Deer I went out and bought my Fun daily, a 2014 Ford Flex Ecoboost, and folks joke on the ole breadbox until they ride with me and I pin them to the seat. now I have my Fun Daily and Fun used to be daily.
Loved my MS6 as well. As soon as I replaced the HPFP and turbo with a BNR it was super reliable.
@@jimmynickelz my original turbo is still going... on its way out 😅
@DJ Ern Videos I'm sure you have a smoke show by this time
I daily my lifted WRX hatchback. It has been my daily for almost nine years now. It's practical, has enough horsepower, it's comfortable (I put in nice BRZ seats, still heated), does well in adverse weather and with the larger tires and AWD, is reliable enough, and most of all it's fun! I couldn't imagine driving an appliance to work everyday. I like having a little bit of fun.
i have a old, kinda beat up and moderatly modifyed civic i drive every day, and a well maintained mostly stock s2000, they both are fun to me, just in a very different way. The civic is so much fun cause i get to throw it around and dont have to worrie too much, while the s2000 is more serious and a car i wanna keep really clean, ofc i still drive the s2000 hard when i want to, its meant for that after all^^ happy new year guys and im looking foreward to more awesome content from on of the very best car channels on youtube
Ben, you forgot to mention likelihood to be stollen or vandalized. I can’t drive my Civic to the train station because it will be stollen instantly, so I need to drive my M3 instead. Crazy world.
I daily my 65k miles RSX type S, life is too short to putt around in a 07 Camry 😊
Same, daily my RSX Type S with 248k miles. It's extremely reliable
I want one mann! My next daily for sure
@@É1000-l5r great cars
I DD a 2015 Subaru BRZ 6 speed. It is perfect and I never plan to mod it. No reason to mess with perfection (unless the motor blows someday). Then it’s “game on”.
Not even going OEM+ a little? Like replacing something that wears out too soon? (if there is) It doesn't have to be something that affects its reliability, especially powertrain-related.
@@yongling9825 not really. There was an issue with the throw out bearing in the BRZ. But a company made a part to rectify the issue. So when I did a new clutch, I installed one. But honestly, even if I need new suspension bits at some point, I will be ordering OEM.
Going with the Luke Honda Jazz vibe, I have a "top spec" 2009 Mazda 3, and I love it. It has a smile on it's face for god sake! =D
Yes, it only has 120 bhp, but you can use all of it. It looks good, has a nice level of creature comforts, drives well on back roads, super practical, super reliable and with 50mpg on motorways, it's not to bad on the eco front either, not to mention servicing it is pretty good too! One day I'd like to mod it a little bit, like with wheels and get the really subtle body kit later models had, but can't bring myself to do it...
My RSX Type-S is still going. Perfect little daily.
I regret selling mine a decade ago 😢
This is why i love this channel so much. They are honest with everything they say. ❤
This video is awesome and hit the nail on the head!!! I daily drive a stock C43 with the performance exhaust, it's not the fastest nor the loudest and not exotic where I live, but oh boy, when I get into that car I grin from ear to ear! It's an absolute blast driving it, the car covers all the points mentioned in the video, probably subjective but I love it and had no reliability concerns! I went through a rough patch a while back but having that car, and knowing that I can daily a C43 (I wanted this car for so long!) really does make a massive difference! :) I hope everyone reading this is able to find and purchase their desired car that brings them massive happiness and a splendid driving feel and experience!! :)
My Mk7 Golf R seems to hit all 10 of your points. (even reliability, knock on wood).
That being said, I think amount of use and type of use both change the equation. My 3-5 hour trip once a week on 95 isn't going to be fun regardless of the car you're in. A 1-mile drive to the metro stop doesn't necessarily need the same comfort as something you're driving 100k miles/year in. My convertible JCW Mini was an absolute blast to daily in San Diego, but I sold it a year after moving to DC cause the roads sucked and I never got a chance to put the top down.
Also, after getting hit head-on by a half-ton pickup driving on the wrong side of the road and walking away from it without injury, I will say modern car safety is a HUGE must-have for me.
golf’s are just solid cars! can’t knock ‘em, they do everything i need to (mk7 gti here). kinda “tame” to start off with- but they can be modded to all hell which is where the fun really starts!
I've a MK7 GTD, and it's a wagon! I definitely agree that this platform is absolute top notch for a daily, or to be fair, any MQB platform car is a great daily.
That's why I'm looking at a 2022 Wrx . I live in the mountains and we get lots of rain. The wrx can handle all the wet inclines and turns, but also has one of the best crash ratings
I agree with some points to this. But like others in the comments. I work in the city. Not favorable for daily suspensions, let alone a fun car with suspension. Horsepower doesn't matter driving through the city with traffic or a traffic light every block. So for me, I have a tastefully modded 07 STI for fun and a practical yet still fun and capable 04 Impreza wagon. Everyone however should enjoy what they drive whether daily or fun.
Adding my 2006 honda civic onto my insurance with my wrx actually lowered my over all insurance price😤
The sweet spot for a fun daily with workable practicality is a hot hatch (focus ST, golf GTI). If you don’t like hatchbacks then get a wrx, civic si, Elantra N. Basically any turbo 4 making 200+ hp is fun enough on a daily commute, while also being practical enough to justify owning.
I’ve never daily driven anything but a fun car. My current car is a 2010 Evo that is nearly bone stock for now but it’s still a lot of fun, reliable, practical, and you don’t see too many where I’m from. Jack of all trades.
Lol, that's pretty amazing but I've never been able to do that until last year when I was 35 after driving and owning several cars since I was 18. Never had the remotely the money for it. Basically you need a 2nd car if you're going to have a "fun" car and that was never an option either.
No evo for me, but I have an 01 Celica GT-S and 88 Supra now. 94 Camry with low miles was my rock, but it has to go to afford the other two.
@@rushnerd I definitely didn’t start with an Evo lol I spent many years daily driving unreliable 90’s muscle cars
@@LeviathanVZ That's pretty bold lol. I didn't get mechanically inclined in the least until this last year. And even then you need a lot of money or skill to keep those babies on the road!
My 2006 lexus RX 400h with 220k miles on it puts a smile on my face because it has been extremely reliable and I drove it from Boston to the Grand Canyon and back without a single issue. I have taken it so many places and made so many memories.
I'm thankful I drive a great daily that covers many of your points. An F56 MINI JCW with some choice options. Love it.
I agree entirely. Subaru always feels like a fun enthusiast car while also being practical as a daily/grocery getter. parts break often enough that I'm always fixing, upgrading, or repairing something which helps build my overall knowledge of automotive repair. aftermarket is plentiful and parts are relatively easy to get. working on a subi kind of sucks, which makes the trial-and-error process exhausting and rewarding, plus a plethora of online tutorials and forums. currently, I have plans for my 05 outback, it's not really exciting at all but when I have 4 friends crammed into it, I couldn't imagine driving anything else on a daily.
I dailyed my project car from high school to college. It's hard when you can't afford to have the car down, passing on engine mods and choosing suspension and other mods because you only have weekends to install them is a very common feeling. Going from installing standalone, poly bushings, and two engine swaps in a year have been very draining. That's what drove me to buy my cheap project daily (LS Teg) so I can finally stop dailying the race car. Bringing my laptop for retuning, checking all the fluids constantly, and I noticed that I worried more and more about it as I spent more money over time. Would I think it would've been easier with a seperate daily? Yeah. Would I do it all over again? Yeah.
Yeah, I can't imagine. Since I really got into this a year ago I really enjoy having two cars so I can just have one on jackstands and take my time with what I need to do.
On both my Celica and Supra I've re-sprayed/fixed/relubed the calipers, replaced rotors, pads, tires, wheels, bled brakes, all swaybar links and both those jobs required a lot of time as things don't go as you may want them to. I would be stressed out of my head getting it all done in a weekend and hoping nothing goes wrong lol.
My s2000 is the perfect daily. Reliable, decent on gas, fits all my groceries. ANd I'm single so not like I need more seats for nonexistant kids.
Best daily would be something like my civic. Decent power to bolt around town also reasonably modified to the point where anything else could make it a track only car. With a manual option it can be ideally one of the best enthusiasts daily drivers with the right mods to offset it. Although there's also the si and type R which are literally the enthusiasts picks for a fun daily
I got a mk7 golf R and its absolutely perfect. 400hp, handles amazing, loud with the valves open and quiet with them closed, very practical being a hatch, super comfortable and great stereo.
STi hatchback is a sick daily for me 😎
Hell yeah 😎
This is spot on. One hundred 100%. My daily driver (almost) is an unlikley one, that I took car of, and ticks almost all of your points (certainly not safety, but surprisingly, it is quite reliable if you know how to take care of it) ... and it is the most unlilkely car: a Maserati 2.24v. It always put a smile on me every day that I use it.
I bought a 2020 Lotus Evora GT as my daily in Feb 2021 with only 1100 on the odo. It now has 53K miles as of this comment.
That's why I daily my 9-3. There is just something about Saab that puts a wide smile on my face every time I drive it, even if it's just to get groceries.
They're quite cheep here in Europe, the engines are FANTASTIC for tuning (300hp on stock internals with just a bigger turbo, injectors and a new ECU map from a 2.0 is pretty damn good IMO), parts are relatively inexpensive (with some exceptions), It's pretty easy to work on, it's comfortable, it drives really well for a FWD car, it's practical enough for my needs and it's not bad on MPG.
Driving a car you love every day is an amazing feeling, especially when you have these empty stretches of the road where you can have some "extra fun" on your daily commute.
I'm saving up for a "rebuild" bc there's a long list of small things to fix that have accumulated from previous owners and the three years I've owned it.
Things like minor dents, some scratches, some wires needing replacement, interior lights flickering, the booth button not working, whole timing set replacement and valve adjustment, some cracked vacuum hoses making the idle kinda bad, two power windows not working, etc.
Lots of things that individually would be very cheap to fix but all together it'll probably cost me a fair bit.
Once it's sorted out Imma start doing some actual mods like a nice set of coilovers, better brakes and a good bit more power (aiming for around 300hp).
Don't destroy drivability,don't over power them,don't garage queen them,don't keep it low miles, enjoy your cars people, Blessing
I daily drive an ND Miata in Colorado, I also race it during the summer, this last snow storm we got I was plowing all the neighborhood roads giggling as snow came over the hood, and in 4 months I will put race tires on it and compete, I go up into the mountains and explore every chance I get, the car gets muddy and packed with ice in the winter and dusty during the summer, but I love it it just comfortable enough with just enough room for me
My whipple truck has been my favorite daily driver so far. Multiple road trips, towing, racing, etc 🤘🏼
you must be stacked if you can afford that gas
@@Ambrose4k Not at all 😂
Dude your videos just make people feel good and that's important in life. I daily a mk8 Fiesta ST and I love it every day. It's quick, nimble, and loves to be abused if I feel like it. When you daily a fun car you can throw your days frustrations or triumphs at it and enjoy the drive. Almost like it's an extension of your own body. Cheers to you, car people know exactly what you're saying.
I daily drive a ND red miata soft top 😂 the amount of looks i get stuffing groceries is great !!!!
I’ve been building a dodge w150 4x4 truck with a 5.7 hemi swap. I love coming home after work and just driving it. I drive for a living and it’s so much fun to jump in and drive RVN if it’s not the most comfortable or the most practical. It’s that X factor. I smile every time
I've owned over 30 cars, many of them sports cars. S2000, WRX, civic SI, etc. Now I daily drive an Acura TL SH-AWD manual. Love the comfort , 4 doors, and decent power. Fun enough and reliable. The worst car I had was S2000 as a daily, spun it out too many times.
Wait. Awd and manual? I didn't know they made those, what year is it
@@nikoprather 2010 - 2012. Mine is a 2010
Driving your fun car in the USA is a very real possibility. Here is Ireland not so much. I considered buying an E39 M5. €45000/$48000
Road tax €1809/$1950
Fuel $7 to $9 per gallon depending on the weather
Insurance is nuts too. Anything that isn’t an eco Box in Ireland gets hit hard d especially in Dublin. I once got a €6000 quote for an e36 M3.
So I got a Punto HGT. Small fast revvy and rare as a Ferrari Enzo these days apparently.
If I lived in the USA I’d be in a supercharged M5
I have a 2013 A4 which to me is a great compromise for a daily. It's fast enough very comfy with great audio has awd (almost a must in CO) 4drs and safe which is good for the kiddo with pretty good mpgs and reliability so far. The only thing is I've got the itch for more speed but modding your daily is a dangerous game haha
iv got a 12 s4 and it checks all my boxes but hasn’t been too reliable sadly 😔iv also put 20k on it since getting it in january though
Completely agree to a degree.
I daily two very different fun cars.
1. An '08 Mini Cooper making about 200hp. The N14 engine is a ticking time bomb, but I love driving the little bugger and it's great for the occasional autoX.
I also have a '12 Jeep Wrangler that's almost scary on the freeway, but it's great around town and climbs over rocks the size of my Mini with ease.
I've been trying to explain this to a few friends. They are all into having a nice car, but their dailies are boring as hell. Change it up!!
Great video
Great video. Agree. Add "can be used 12m a year in your location" to the mix....
I daily drive a focus st that is almost full bolt on and tuned, at some point it’s getting a big turbo. I love this thing. In the warmer months I daily drive my ninja 650 and a back pack. I love this combo!
I bought my current daily driver the past March, a 2022 GR86. I drive it year round even in the Pennsylvania snow this winter. I absolutely love it. Daily commute I average 20mpg highway I know I can get 30mpg. So it's not terrible on gas
I've owned a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and a Tesla Model 3 Performance (admittedly both unmodified). Both have had "harsh rides". And I wouldn't have it any other way - I love how performant they are when I have a chance to get on it.
I actually don't want to daily drive my fun car.
Why not? Because I drive 60k km per year (average, business and private combined), and I have a business lease car in front of my house with a tankcard for less than half a k per month. So I made the choice of driving a NEW 2022 Mazda 3 with all the bells and whistles I want.
My fun car is a 2002 Mitsubishi Galant V6 station with a manual transmission. It's originally from Germany, so it's EUDM. Love the thing.
Never be afraid to put miles on your fun car. A wise person once said, not putting miles on your fun car is similar to not banging your girlfriend and saving her for someone else. That someone else is going to be thankful 😅
2020 mx5 with 66k KM all weather
Bought my first car this year which is a Honda Accord Euro CU2 6MT with the modulo body kit on it. It's not slammed, OEM wheels nothing crazy. But every time I drive it makes all my worries disappear and even though it is not as nimble or light as the other fancy sports car, it handles well and sounds nice when I gave it the beans, the manual is just the cherry on top. Hope you all found your source of joy too :) Cheers.
This is a good video!! I have 4 vehicles and I enjoy each one of them for different reasons. all of them run except for one that I'm working on the motor now to put it in the car soon! I love to drive so I've gotta be able enjoy everything that I drive!!
Reliability should be the number one the list for a someone looking to own just one car!
Laguna Blue NA8 as my DD rn. While I see your points, this car kinda terrifies me on the road. It's well within my budget, it makes me smile, gas isn't *horrible* on it, but if it got into a wreck, because it's my dream car, I'd be devastated.
Also, I think daily driving your special car takes some of the magic out of it. I think looking forward to your next car meet, or the weekend, or your next AutoX event is a great thing and keeps the special car magical and fun, not monotonous (Dealing with the shitty cup holders in the Miata, for example). Gotta find a balance. For me, once my buddy finds a car (He's driving my daily since his car blew up) I'll happily go back to daily driving my 02 Jetta with auto windows and heated seats. Or sell it to him and find me an old EG Civic for good gas mileage and reliability
:BongoKomi:
Good choice, got a 97NA mx5 for summertime and a skoda octavia kombi for wintertime. Safety was a point: mx5 is tiny, and mine is montegoblue wich is a dark color and easy to oversee.(even at daylight)
And every winter I can work on the mx to upgrade it or fix some smaller issues and not worrying how I get to work next day. And the biggest reason: I always look forward to the summertime to enjoy my ,,funcar" the skoda isn't bad in any way. But the mx is just special
Really needed to hear/watch this vid, now I’m really looking forward to buying a 2014 Ford Mustang GT by summer in 2023
That's my favorite Mustang generation. We have Mustangs here too thanks to our Ford distributor (no longer selling them I think), but they're all S550s. I have never seen an S197-II on the road.
Preach brother Ben preach!🙌
I daily drove an Evo 9 for 15 years and loved it. Then I got an Accord Hybrid and kept the Evo for weekends. This has been the best decision I have ever made. The vast majority of people simply don't want to daily a fun car. Spending tons of money on premium fuel and living with fewer creature comforts is not practical when you have a job to get to early or kids that need transporting. This video does seem to miss the constraints normal non-youtubers with lots of money have. I do love G&G, but I think they missed the mark on this one.
Yes Ben, but not everyone has 65Gs laying around to build a fun car😂
They literally stated in the video that you dn't have to have a expensive car to have fun
@Evy if you have a cheaper car then ur spending that money on fixing it or buying parts for it. Either way you are spending a bit of money on a car.
@Evy And any fun car is gonna have high maintenance, high cost of repair and the fuel to put in it isnt super good either. The reason people buy "boring cars" is because it's reliable and they need something to go from A to B. Their main priority isn't to go fast. And if it is then they have a fun car which they do not daily
@@spacefuzz2299 a Suzuki Swift Sport will make 150 rounds of the Nordschleife on 1 Set of Semislicks and brakepads 🤷♂️
I drive a an accord cl9/acura tsx in US with some mods and I love driving it, under 7500$
One of the "beaters" that always make sense to have in addition to your daily/fun/every day car (if you can swing it), is a beater truck. Being able to toss anything in the back, haul things, and take it almost anywhere, are features you can't get with anything else
Happy new year Gears and Gasoline
All the way from Australia!
I still prefer having more than one car if it's financially possible. That way you can have one car that's just dedicated to being a fun car and it doesn't have to necessarily fit all the boxes that a daily driver should. While I still think your daily driver should be fun and enjoyable to drive, the two fit different purposes in my mind. I've gone the two car route for many years now, and absolutely prefer it over trying to find one car that's a do-it-all.
Definitely a late reply but what things do you focus on in your daily driver?
@@the1anonymouse I try to focus more on a comfortable ride, enough storage to carry things when going shopping, and creature comforts that make the car easier/nicer to live with (remote start, heated seats/steering wheel, a nice sound system, etc.). I'm not looking for all out performance, although I do like it to be a little "peppy", and I'll even deal with an automatic transmission as it needs to be something my wife can drive as well as something that I can just cruise in while being a relaxing place to be. My current daily, a 2023 Mazda3 Turbo Hatch, covers everything I'm looking for in a daily driver and I still have a fun car for the weekends when I want something more spirited and driver focused (currently a 2022 Camaro 2SS 1LE with a manual transmission).
My daily sees light track use. So my Cobb sway bars are on the soft setting until track day. Same with brake pads, I put on EBC pads for the track and go back to street pads after. Coilovers also readjusted. It’s all the aero and keeping setting for the track on the street that causes problems. If you can build modularly and make full use of the settings ranges of aftermarket parts it’s a lot better.
Especially when those settings are easy to adjust. Nothing like having to break out the full tool kit, and tear the car half apart to adjust some suspension
I recently bought a 2016 gti and i’m stage 1 with an exhaust and intake. No it’s not the quickest but every time or I go out for a drive to distract myself man it always put a smile on my face. It’s a perfect daily driver and I’m very proud of myself on achieving the opportunity to buy it myself
Easy to say if you don't live in the rust belt where the roads are white from salt from Nov-Apr.
I'm a community health worker in our region in Canada, I travel a lot everyday, few years ago I decided to buy my dream car VA WRX to replace my work vehicle '03 Rav4. it transformed my work environment completely, I get excited to wake up and go to work everyday knowing I get to drive my dream car. Every area I drove is now more fun especially on the mountain passes of British Columbia, I am now looking forward on snowy days instead of hating it before I leave the house. And the best of all, this car gave me a 2nd place trophy from the autocross championship series in our region (just 1 point behind the Tesla model3 performance.) So grateful to be alive and to drive my WRX everyday.
If you can drive more and spending less time in the shop(modifying) its a win.
I realized I had bought the wrong car, I had bought a 2010 Acura TSX V6 automatic, it had nice specs and very comfortable but I was always worried of putting miles on it since the gas on this was not so terrible but It was hard to afford for my age, I was 18, Decided to sell it and then got Myself a 1998 Honda civic sedan manual, turns out this small thing with the boring interior is so much more fun than the Acura, And it’s amazing on gas! I found a great daily and I’m loving it