Vehicles that feel significantly heavier or lighter than they really are.

[BRealistic]

After a recent experience with a Mazda6 i with the 205/65R16 tires... I was surprised to see it was just maybe 250 lbs heavier than my RX8 based on how it felt/drove. I blamed the tires. But I could just have a wonky curb weight meter because my RX8 feels much lighter than it really is.

But here is the question:
Name some vehicles you have driven that felt significantly heavier or lighter than they really were... and maybe even suggest why.

[compy222]

I've always found the s2000 to feel lighter and the solstice gxp to be heavier. I think the difference is in suspension and wheel size...

[accrane]

My evo feels like a matchbox car sometimes

[hinshu]

mkv R32 felt substantially lighter than the mkv GTI after driving my friends car a bit... but thats probably due to the AWD

[JorgenP]

Saab 9-5 felt a lot lighter at higher speeds than it was at lower speeds.

[TheTimob]

I think it has a lot to do with the tires. When I have 13" wheels on my car with 175 width tires, it feels light as hell, with easy steering. With 14" wheels and 185 width tires, it feels much heavier. This car has no power steering though.

[Turbo-D]

[DIAF]

This felt much lighter than 3100 pounds.



As did this (not my exact car) when you were pushing it. It certainly didn't feel like it was 4,500 pounds.

[stascom]

2003 7-series felt lighter than it is
2010 Charger - while I expected that 5-thousand-pound barge to handle as one, it actually felt like a 7-thousand-pound barge
2006 350Z feels lighter than my 3 but it weighs 150lbs more

[Live-Wire]

VW Passat's are only a hundred or so more pounds then the Jetta (something like 3200lbs to around 3100lbs) I forget the exact numbers (this was B6 to a Mk5) but it was close. The Passat feels like such a more substantial car tho.

My old Volvo felt like a heavy beast, a real tank... but its curb weight was only about 3450 lbs or so. Didn't help it had skinny tires (195/65 R15) and tall gearing (50mph in first gear)... Most people thought it weighed in at around two tons.

[mike_A3]

I'm guessing by feel that my rental Sentra weighs 3100 lbs.

checking into it

2990

that was closer than expected.

[DHill]

Every Volvo I've ever driven felt like it was fighting gravity.

[TJSwoboda]

My E39 felt like a roadster, while riding like the nearly two ton luxury car that it was. The lack of a handling/ride tradeoff is the only thing that I miss about the car.

[fireside]

My s197 Mustang doesn't make its weight very apparent until your trying to zip around 90* street corners fast.

Or thats just because NY roads suck and they're all torn to shreds. Take your pick

[chrismkay3]

my mkVI feels like a giant heavy beast of burden. i find the body motions to not be so well controlled, maybe the stock springs are too soft. that said the mkVI gti IS a heavy car...

...and i'm a former RX8 owner, so everything feels like a pig in comparison

[InternetMeme]

my mkVI feels like a giant heavy beast of burden. i find the body motions to not be so well controlled, maybe the stock springs are too soft. that said the mkVI gti IS a heavy car...

...and i'm a former RX8 owner, so everything feels like a pig in comparison

MKIV with KW V2 coilovers was one of the best handling FWD cars I've ever driven, true story

In stock form it feels like a pig, with a great suspension it feels like the car took a thousand pound diet.

[roadtripper]

heavier than it feels: new jetta. weight of a standard four door compact; ride quality and amenities of a stripped rickshaw. skinny feeling tires and very light feeling at highway speed. not in a good way.

lighter than it feels: panamera. weight of a panzer tank, but some people report it having a sporting, even sprightly ride. felt big more than heavy to me, either way performance #s defy physics and logic.

[BattleRabbit]

Saab 9-5 felt a lot lighter at higher speeds than it was at lower speeds.

I'm going to disagree with you... Apart from the 9000 modern Saabs never really seem to shrink with speed. The 9000 keeps feeling dimensionally smaller a you push it, but never feels lighter(handy, because when the car feels like it's painted on your skin then you know it's time to back off).

My nomination? Suzuki Swift Turbo. A good one doesn't feel like driving, it feels like an overpowered desk chair in the best possible way. Sure it's not very heavy to start, but ye gods! It doesn't feel like you're shuffling any weight around at all! It doesn't feel like 2000lbs, it feels like 200lbs.

[GiacGtiAgain]

The MKIV jetta feels significantly heavier than it really is in stock form from a handling standpoint. Surprisingly sloppy and body-roll prone for a car that barely cracks 3000 pounds. With the 1.8t or VR6 though they feel light on their feet from an acceleration standpoint.

[fireside]

The MKIV jetta feels significantly heavier than it really is in stock form from a handling standpoint. Surprisingly sloppy and body-roll prone for a car that barely cracks 3000 pounds. With the 1.8t or VR6 though they feel light on their feet from an acceleration standpoint.

Body lean wise, yes it does. The MKIV feels heavier at speed than it does in town. Around tight city corners and through quick transitions, its light weight (espec. in 2.0 Form, with **** racelands) really shows. Thats the only time it feels lighter than my Mustang is going <40.

[TisforTurbo]

My old mk4 GLI felt heavier than it really was when it had stock suspension, with coils it was much better. My current M3 feels lighter, probably because of the quicker steering/more firm suspension, and it's stock.

[fbobberts]

I drove an F10 Bimmer with the boost busted and it was in interesting test, driving the 535i essentially in a N/A configuration not found here. With the boost of course it could scoot, but I was surprised that even without it the car was a lot more nimble than I expected at 4100 pounds or so, and with two big guys in it. It actually still feels pretty good. The E60 feels heavier than my E39, but its the run flats.

[l5gcw0b]

My cousin had one of these with triple webers, a cam, and headar. Always surpised to be walking away from a 4-door sedan after driving it.

[Son]

With 55 hp my Mk2 Jetta definitely felt heavier than it really was.

[C4 A6]

Genesis 3.8 R-spec. Drove one the other day, felt lighter than it was. I think it had to do with steering feel.

[TangoRed]

My E39 felt like a roadster, while riding like the nearly two ton luxury car that it was. The lack of a handling/ride tradeoff is the only thing that I miss about the car.

Interesting. I threw around a 2001 530i for a few days and didn't feel that way. It was definitely nimble for it size, but never felt light like my E46, for example.

[AKADriver]

'98-'02 Corolla: felt way heavier than it was. It was only around 2400lb in base trim. The factory struts bear most of the blame. When the struts finally died in my wife's, I tossed in KYB GR2s (not even a "performance" shock) and it was like a whole new car. It wasn't sporty, but it at least drove as well as a stock Civic after that.

The Lancer Evolution VIII and IX seems to disappear around you. I haven't driven the X enough to form an opinion but I'm sure it's similar. The VIII/IX weighed around 3250lb but the chassis is so well-damped and the steering is so immediate it feels like a Miata.

[invisiblewar]

My CL feels like its a fat guy trying to race Usain Bolt somtimes. Other times it feels like its a fat guy rolling down a hill.

[AXIS]

Genesis 3.8 R-spec. Drove one the other day, felt lighter than it was. I think it had to do with steering feel.

This after owning a civic si I thought the 600 extra pounds would make this car feel like a boat but it definitely feels a lot lighter

[Pf3il]

mk4 r32 felt like my mk3 gti, surprised me.

[200HP4dr]

My 850R felt much heavier than the same year, lower mileage 850 Turbo. I'm not sure why, but it felt more solid too.

Chris

[bustedbucket]

With 55 hp my Mk2 Jetta definitely felt heavier than it really was.

Ha, sounds about right.

My old '83 rabbit felt heavier than it was for sure. Even though it was probably the heaviest possible rabbit(4dr diesel automatic with p/s and air) it still felt super heavy. It surely wasn't the build quality as it felt about as solid as a blob of jello on a soggy paper plate. Maybe the 52hp had something to do with it .

[mac dre]

People often comment how solid and tanklike these things feel, often assuming they weigh around the 4,000lb mark. But unless it happens to be the turbodiesel, the 240D and 300D are closer to 3200lbs.

[warren_s]

Weirdly, I found the Dodge Grand Caravan to feel lighter than it actually is.

[TetsuoShima]

According to various sites, my car weighs about 2,765 lbs...compared to my mk4 2.0 Golf which weighed 2,767 lbs...the Prelude feels like it has an extra 200lbs on it. It's not bad at all, and it actually makes the drive a lot better and feel more solid/planted.

The Golf had lighter steering though which I preferred.