City living can be rough on a car. Parking by feel, heavy traffic, stop&go, pot holes, manhole covers, etc., can age a car quickly. Which new car would you nominate as C&G's Best City Car, 2006?

Edited February 25, 200619 yr by ocnblu

Crown Vic/Grand Marquis/Town Car

It's got the low end punch

It's got the duribility

You can see the corners of the vehicle

and people get the hell out of your way when they see you coming.

Edited February 25, 200619 yr by Oldsmoboi

Chevy Cobalt or Dodge Charger

A bicycle. I wouldn't bother with a car if I lived in a city.

Bit off-topic but, my favorite car to take downtown was my '82 Olds Toronado. It just seemed to belong there( this was in the early 90's). It was big enough,comfortable, too old to be stolen, too ugly to vandalize, too inexpensive for me to worry about, and too invisible for the cops to take notice when I was "out late". I called it my "Urban Camoflage" .

I'll post some pics when I get a scanner.

A bicycle. I wouldn't bother with a car if I lived in a city.

I dare you to try that.

I dare you to try that.

In certain cities, where public transportation is great, this is possible. Not in LA, though, as we've discussed.

I say the best city car is probably Civic. It's greatly refined, gas-efficient [which greatly matters in cities with all the stop and go as well as idling in traffic], and incredibly space efficient [you'd be more comfortable in the back seat of a Civic than a G6, MB CLS, STS, CTS, etc]. It's not all that passionate, but as a practical reliable city car, you could not get a better compromise.

I dare you to try that.

Okay, you're on!

In certain cities, where public transportation is great, this is possible. Not in LA, though, as we've discussed.

I say the best city car is probably Civic. It's greatly refined, gas-efficient [which greatly matters in cities with all the stop and go as well as idling in traffic], and incredibly space efficient [you'd be more comfortable in the back seat of a Civic than a G6, MB CLS, STS, CTS, etc]. It's not all that passionate, but as a practical reliable city car, you could not get a better compromise.

Disagree. The Prius is the best city car. One of my bros has one, and as much as I want to hate it...I can see the appeal. It is crypt-quiet. Very space-efficient.

Okay, you're on!

You could prolly do it in NYC...but def not in LA, Houston, prolly not in Chicago, St. Louis......it would be doable in SF, Portland, etc.

Disagree.  The Prius is the best city car.  One of my bros has one, and as much as I want to hate it...I can see the appeal.  It is crypt-quiet.  Very space-efficient.

Civic will last forever, outpower a Prius, and is nicer inside as well as roomier while being a smaller package on the outside. Smaller package really does make a big difference, parking and just driving the freeways is much easier here because of it. Civic will do all this for cheaper price than Prius. But the Prius would be up there.

I pick the Prius due to the little traffic problem LA has. LA is the epitome of the worst of city driving, and I think the Prius beats the Civic by getting great mpg and not being an eyesore. Perdón, el "Civic" no me gusta.

You could prolly do it in NYC...but def not in LA, Houston, prolly not in Chicago, St. Louis......it would be doable in SF, Portland, etc.

NYC actually has some pretty established bike routes throughout the city. Plus, I think you can take them in bus/fire lanes. The only other major city I'd consider living in, Phoenix, is probably the only city I'd consider having a car in. Traffic isn't terrible, plus biking in broad daylight in PHX is asking for trouble.

I am going to catch h*ll for this but Saturn Ion. It has plastic panels so you don't have to worry about dings, gets good gas mileage, and has a pretty space efficient interior.

Civic or Civic Hybrid for the same price as the Prius.

I pick the Prius due to the little traffic problem LA has.  LA is the epitome of the worst of city driving, and I think the Prius beats the Civic by getting great mpg and not being an eyesore.  Perdón, el "Civic" no me gusta.

You get HOV lane access with the Prius, too. Oh, wait, you can with the Civic Hybrid, which is a more substantial and isolated car, good for relaxing in traffic, IMO.

Civic is more isolated? That's pretty difficult to achieve...that Prius is the quietest vehicle I've ever been in.

How about a new Rio5? Cheap and relatively "throwaway", with tidy dimensions, and those huge black rubstrips to hide the inevitable multitude of door and bumper dings.

Rio5? Civic? Prius? ION?

I think you guys are misreading the thread title. It's not 'Best $h!ty Car'...

A Geely (sp)!

i pick my Caprice as best all around car. I can take it down town, can handle pot holes, GREAT on the hiway, decent on gas if your not always on it, and has the most comfy lazyboy seats. I can Parallel this thing pretty good. can turn on a dime. Good sound system to listen in traffic. its got enough dings to not care about. The bumper can with stand a 7 mph accident with out a ding. (thats been tested not intentialy though)

Rio5? Civic? Prius? ION?

I think you guys are misreading the thread title. It's not 'Best $h!ty Car'...

I'd never call the middle two "$h!ty." Ugly, maybe, but they are very well-made and do their job well.

The problem with hybrids in the city is that the electric engine would be running 24/7 with all the stopping and going yeah it would be great for the gas milage but not that great for the battery

I'd never call the middle two "$h!ty."  Ugly, maybe, but they are very well-made and do their job well.

That's all you got? Sweet. Easiest argument I've ever won. w00t!

The problem with hybrids in the city is that the electric engine would be running 24/7 with all the stopping and going yeah it would be great for the gas milage but not that great for the battery

It actually isn't a problem like that. I don't have the technical knowledge of the hybrid powertrain, but I don't believe there's a risk of that ever happening.

Edited February 25, 200619 yr by Croc

F**k the Hybrids... those are for clueless yuppies who are too dumb to do math and or want to spend a premium on a car that's all about image. If I was to spend $25K on a city car form toyota it'd be a gently used 5-spd IS300.

But if I lived in the city and wanted to be able to park in tiny spaces & negotiate narrow roads I'd spend $1500 and get a mint condition 1983-or older VW Rabbit. No emissions test, 5-speed makes it fun to drive.

That's all you got?  Sweet.  Easiest argument I've ever won.  w00t!

What argument? I was very obviously joking.

HAHAHAHAHAHHHAHAHAAAAA!!!!!

You guys have to do emission testing!!!!!!!! thats why i got by with a straght pipe through cat and a broken PCV lol.

What argument? I was very obviously joking. 

riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

You see... Flybrian and his lack of smilies. Except... this time the jokes on you.

Anyways, I don't live in a city, have no desire to live in a city, and if I continue on my current path of life, will probably never have to live in a city. Win, win, win. I get to drive what I want without all this worrying. Yay.

Disagree.  The Prius is the best city car.  One of my bros has one, and as much as I want to hate it...I can see the appeal.  It is crypt-quiet.  Very space-efficient.

My brother has one too, and we get only 5 mpg less than he does in our Cobalt.

I'll take our Cobalt. Great gas mileage, not as rough a suspension as the civic, not as loud as the civic, and much more low end torque to take off from lights when needed. Add to that saving thousands of dollars on purchase price and . . .

Best car in NYC -Chevy Caprice or Ford Crown Vic. both with heavy duty springs . Will last forever and easy to get fixed.

You could prolly do it in NYC...but def not in LA, Houston, prolly not in Chicago, St. Louis......it would be doable in SF, Portland, etc.

He couldn't do it in Detroit unless he wanted to be pulled into the alley to meet Big Bubba.

He couldn't do it in Detroit unless he wanted to be pulled into the alley to meet Big Bubba.

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!

I swear, I'm just on today. lol I need to get 2 hrs sleep more often!

The Solstice.

C'mon it's looks alone make it #1 plus it gets excellent fuel economy.

F**k the Hybrids... those are for clueless yuppies who are too dumb to do math and or want to spend a premium on a car that's all about image.

Or yuppies who are rich enough not to care about the extra cost . . . .

Or yuppies who are rich enough not to care about the extra cost . . . .

Or maybe people who can't put a price on the environment.

The Solstice.

C'mon it's looks alone make it #1 plus it gets excellent fuel economy.

...and it can carry one more package of toilet paper than your bicycle basket!

Or maybe people who can't put a price on the environment.

Very true, but usually those people are ones who are at least fairly comfortable economically.

And has anybody mentioned GM's hybrid buses? Or even non-hybrid buses.

Or maybe people who can't put a price on the environment.

Its to late to save it now.

So I say fire up those diseil powered high Definition LCD Tv's.

City Life is always going to be polluted. if you want priceless Environment go to the Rockies, Alaska, And Canada (NOTE: Only east of Edmunton (sp) (is that even the right city??) does it start to look beautiful. (I dont consider miles of Farms Beautiful. And if you do go to North Dakota)

Im for not cutting down the rain forest and not filling in wet lands but if you live in the city things wont improve so save you couple thousands and buy a cobalt, malibu, civic, or camry for alot less.

Or maybe people who can't put a price on the environment.

$456.18

Its to late to save it now.

So I say fire up those diseil powered high Definition LCD Tv's.

City Life is always going to be polluted. if you want priceless Environment go to the Rockies, Alaska, And Canada (NOTE: Only east of Edmunton (sp) (is that even the right city??) does it start to look beautiful. (I dont consider miles of Farms Beautiful. And if you do go to North Dakota)

Im for not cutting down the rain forest and not filling in wet lands but if you live in the city things wont improve so save you couple thousands and buy a cobalt, malibu, civic, or camry for alot less.

This is a very ecologically ignorant post. Pollution generated in the city doesn't just stay in the city; it goes everywhere. You say it's too late but due to swift action by governments the Ozone Hole is set to close in about 50 years. Guess what? All those places you mentioned are polluted compared to how they were 200 years ago. Not cool.

Things can and will improve if we stop being immature selfish people and start giving a damn about someone other than ourselves for a change!

I know he won't see this... but notice how this member turns on others in a flash, yet when the tables are turned he cries like a little baby boy? Not cool, imho.

Sorry guys. I've got to learn to keep quiet about some things. But yay, I'm on ignore!