Karl on Cars

What makes a great car great?

That's a topic that's been debated for over a century -- probably from the moment the first car was created. And it would be easy to get caught up in a multitude of features and traits when discussing the topic. But I've come to realize there are basically two overriding characteristics of a great car.

1. Purity: This is sort of like the "Cohesive" aspect of fun-to-drive that I discussed recently. Put simply, a car with purity is utterly and totally dedicated to a singlular mission. Everything about the vehicle is dedicated to that goal, without compromise to secondary concerns. When considering 2008 models there are two cars that instantly jump to mind -- the Lotus Exige S and the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. In theory these cars could be even more pure by having no climate systems or audio systems, but as 2008 models go these vehicles are remarkably pure. The payoff? They are among the most track-ready, street-legal vehicles sold on the U.S. market.

2. Multi-talented: Yes, this seems somewhat contradictory to item number 1 above, but hear me out. A multi-talented car will never be as good in any single area as a car with purity. But it may be nearly has good as two cars with purity, and that's even more impressive in my mind. For example, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is not as track ready as the Lotus Exige S or Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Those cars are simply more capable at going around a racetrack because of the purity of their design. However, neither the Lotus nor Porsche makes a realistic daily driver or grand tourer, while the Corvette can tackle those driving situations with ease, providing a comfortable environment that's on par with a pure luxury car.

I can bring math into the discussion to further illustrate my point (and you may never hear me make that statement again...). For instance, the Lotus or Porsche might score 10s on a 1-to-10 scale of track-ready measurment. But they score around 2 or 3 on the daily driver/grand tourer scale, for a total of 13. The Corvette Z06 "only" gets a 8 or 9 on the track-ready scale, but it also scores at least a 7 or 8 as a daily driver/grand tourer, for a conservative total of 16 -- thus eclipsing the Lotus and Porsche on my personal "great car" scale. And yes, you could also "average" the numbers to get a similar effect, but I like the idea of simply adding them together and leaving it at that, because it better represents the greater total package available from a multi-talented automobile. 

The first time I came to appreciate the multi-talented aspect of vehicles was way back in late 1998 when I drove the then-new 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser with a V8 engine. I drove it from Los Angeles to Sedona, Arizona as part of a full-size SUV comparison test. On the way to Sedona it was clear the Land Cruiser was the most refined, luxurious and comfortable SUV compared to the Chevrolet Suburban, Ford Expedition, GMC Denali and Isuzu Trooper. By the time we hit Sedona I knew the Land Cruiser was the best SUV for on-road purposes, but I figured there'd be a price to pay once we left the pavement behind.

I was wrong -- the Land Cruiser simply stomped the other SUVs into submission on the demanding trails in the mountains above Sedona. It was almost surreal. At the time I had only worked for Edmunds a couple months, and my experience with SUVs was limited. But by the end of that trip I was stunned that one vehicle could be so capable in two completely divergent areas. A palatial on-road experience, a rough-and-tumble off-road rally machine, from the same vehicle? After that test my quote about the Land Cruiser became: "If you never go off road, you'll love it. If you always go off road, you'll love it."

That experience raised my standards for what defines a great car (or truck, or SUV). I still appreciate pure vehicles, like a Lotus Exige S or Ariel Atom of Ferrari F40, that do one thing very well. But I relish cars that can do two (or more!) things nearly as well as the "pure breeds." A few more examples of great multi-talented cars, along with how I might describe them to a potential buyer:

1. BMW 3 Series: If you only cruise around on freeways or in stop-and-go traffic and demand luxurious amenities you'll love it. If you only drive on secondary, two-lane roads through twisty canyons and you need confident driving dynamics, you'll love it.

2. Honda Odyssey: If you only carry eight people between school, grocery store and soccer practice, relying on family-friendly features to keep them entertained, you'll love it. If you only drive yourself at highway speeds and around the occasional banked on-ramps and you need solid power and handling, you'll love it.

3. Cadillac CTS: If you're only interested in a roomy, luxurious and stylish sedan with high-tech features for high-speed cruising, you'll love it. If you only want to drive through fast sweepers while experiencing rewarding steering feel, controlled body motions and comfortable ride quality that never beats you up, you'll love it.

4. Toyota RAV4: If you're looking for functional cargo space, occasional seven-passenger toting, decent fuel mileage and long-term reliability, you'll love it. If you need to blow away entry luxury sedans, and even the occasional sport coupe, when the light turns green, you'll love it.

Okay, now you add some.