There is no metric that can tell if a car is fun to drive or not. The 228hp Toyota GR 86 is far more fun to drive than a Toyota Tundra with twice the power. It's more about how a car handles and feels than how powerful or fast it is.
In this list, we will look into twenty of the most fun-to-drive cars from all eras. We will also be counting down their twenty counterparts - that are boring and totally not fun to drive.
Most Fun - Jaguar XJ
Let's start the list with this British masterpiece of automotive engineering and art. If looks are the standard of a car being fun, this full-sized luxury sedan has already won the competition. However, it does balance form and function very well.
The beating heart of the XJ is a 470hp 5.0L 64 valve supercharged V8. This machine can do 0-60 in 4.2 seconds and is extremely fun to drive, thanks to the rear-wheel-drive configuration and a very well-balanced chassis.
Most Fun - Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
The Mustang was made to be a fun-to-drive car and it has lived up to that reputation over all the years of its production. Take any Mustang of the current era and it will not disappoint but the Shelby GT500 is where the fun happens.
This baby is powered by a 5.2L Cross-Plane V8 that produces 760 horses and rockets this thing to 60mph in 3.3 seconds. Needless to say, Ford knows how to make a car fun to drive and they have really done a very fine job designing this one.
Most Fun - Mazda Miata
If "Great things come in small packages" has any truth to it, the Miata, aka Mazda Roadster, is a personification of that. For starters, how many cars can you recall with the word ROADSTER in the name and a window sticker reading under $30,000?
This cute little Roadster is powered by a 181hp 4-cylinder motor that, unlike most cars with such a price tag, powers the rear wheels. The only thing not good about this car is the lack of an LSD (limited-slip differential). Other than that, this is one of the most fun-to-drive cars that don't require you to rob a bank or sell family property.
Most Fun - Dodge Demon
It comes with drag slicks from the factory, does a wheelie in the stock condition, has an 840hp V8, and compels you to floor the gas at every stoplight, what else do you need from a car?
This car is made for one thing and that is being fast in a straight line and it does that pretty well. The guys over at Throttle House put it against the Shelby Super Snake and it came victorious in any test there was. The only trouble, it costs $100k and is produced in limited numbers.
Most Fun - Mini Cooper S
If your definition of a fun-to-drive car includes a steering wheel that gives rich feedback, the Mini Cooper S is what you need to have. The engine in this car is a moderate 189hp supercharged motor, delivering a rather leisurely control.
What makes this car fun to drive is the suspension, handling, and the feel of the steering. Other than being an enjoyable ride, the supercharged Cooper is a pretty practical car too.
Most Fun - BMW 135i Cabriolet
Made between 2007 and 2013, the BMW 135i is a fun-to-drive car for a number of reasons. The first one is the fact that you can roll the roof down when the weather is favorable and enjoy the ride.
Other than that, this 3,000lb car has a 302hp engine that powers the rear wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission and a limited-slip differential. What else do you need from a car to be fun on a track? If you do want something, this 6-cylinder motor can be bumped up to 700hp with turbochargers and stronger internals.
Least Fun - Volvo S80
This Swedish mid-size luxury sedan was never meant to be a fun-to-drive car. If it were, they'd not have made it front-wheel-drive with a 240hp engine and boring looks.
Add to that the 3,800lb weight of this steel car and you have the perfect recipe for a boring car. Even though viewed as a reliable and comfortable family car, this car will just disappoint you in all the ways possible, if you want to have fun.
Most Fun - BMW 328i
On paper, there is nothing particularly special about this average German 240hp sedan. But if you want a car that has a convertible hardtop and all the bits and pieces of luxury found on the German cars, this is the one to have.
Unlike the modern cars that have electric steering, this one has a hydraulic one that gives the real-time feedback of the road that you are driving on. You also get RWD and a limited-slip differential which make this car a good drifter.
Least Fun - Scion iQ
This car does not lack power if that's what you are thinking. It does have a small 94hp I4 gas motor but that's enough for the small size of this car. However, where it does lack is the wheelbase.
Due to the car being so small, you cannot extract any fun out of it. Try to push it too hard into a corner and it'll go rolling like a soccer ball. It is an economic car for city commute though.
Most Fun -Toyota GR Yaris
Even though this tiny hatch has a small 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine, Toyota GR Yaris does have all that it takes to make a car fun-to-drive.
With 261hp at the crank and a curb weight of well below 3,000lb, the GR Yaris performs quite well. The car has a well-tuned AWD system and there are three driving modes that let the driver select how much torque goes to the front and rear wheels according to the driving circumstances they are facing.
Least Fun - Smart ForTwo
Just look at those tires! Even motorcycles have wider tires than those. What can you expect from something riding on those tiny pieces of rubber? In addition to that, this car has a little 799cc motor that produces just 89hp.
As you can see the wheelbase here is also not something you can be proud of so going fast into the turns is also not an option. Talking of speed in a straight line, this car can only do 60mph in 10.3 seconds so there's nothing fun about the Fortwo.
Least Fun - BMW 750Li
This car is quick. To be precise, 3.9 seconds 0-60 quick with a 4.4L V8 pumping out 445hp. It is also powerful - but none of that makes it fun to drive. The chief reason for that is the sheer size of this thing.
This car is 5.3 meters long and just under 2 meters wide. The inside does rival that of a private jet and it's as comfortable as any vehicle other than Bentley or Rolls Royce can get but since it is intended to be chauffer-driven, BMW omitted the fun-to-drive part from it.
Least Fun - Chevrolet Camaro
While the Japanese are making V6 cars that zip through the 60mph mark in 2.9 seconds, the Camaro and its humble 335hp V6 only manage to do that in 5.2 seconds, and that is just the start of the story.
The weight distribution is far from ideal and the handling of this car is nothing like any sporty 2-seater. Not saying that it is a bad car but the latest Camaros fail to live up to the reputation of this name.
Least Fun - BMW Z4
The Z4 is a great car in itself but since Toyota made the Supra based on it and showed the real potential it has, the Z4 has fallen out of favor. Even though it has a powerful engine, it lacks in other areas.
The most significant shortcoming of this car is the lack of chassis reinforcement. It does have the power but the body is not able to handle all that torque and the result is a car that could be fun to drive but is not.
Most Fun - Mercedes G-Class
It has the aerodynamics of a kitchen freezer and weighs as much as an apartment building but still is one of the most fun to drive cars. The first thing that makes this car great is the three locking differentials, one in each axle and one in the transfer case.
It comes with a 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8 that produces 577hp. You can accelerate this car from 0-60 in 4.4 seconds which, in itself, is a fun to do thing considering the size, weight, and shape of this thing.
Most Fun - Audi A6
Luxury cars are often not fun to drive but that's not the case with the A6. Offered with a V6 motor that pumps out 335hp, the A6 packs quite a bit of muscle. The engine powers all four wheels through a seven-speed automatic transmission.
While the respectable 4.8 seconds 0-60 time of this car makes it fun in a straight line, Audi's Quattro AWD system makes sure that you can take it through twists and turns at any speed without having to think twice!
Least Fun - Acura ILX
Acura is supposed to be a performance cars company but the ILX is not a performance car by any means. It has a 201hp engine, which can only manage to hit 60mph in 6.2 seconds.
The car is also the only Acura model to not offer an AWD powertrain. The FWD configuration of this car and the outdated transmission mean you can totally have a comfortable ride in it, but fun is not something you can ask from this car.
Least Fun - Mitsubishi Mirage
The 1.2L 76hp engine in the Mirage makes it pretty sluggish and boring to drive. Don't get confused by the name matching with the Mirage fighter jet, it is nothing as fast or exciting as that one.
However, it is still a very affordable car at a starting point of under $15,000. It also has a 36MPG combined fuel consumption, making it not only affordable to purchase but also affordable to drive every day.
Most Fun - Corvette C8
The corvette has always had a soft spot in car lovers' hearts since it debuted in 1953. The only area this car always lacked in was the weight distribution. That problem was solved by Chevy in the eighth generation by placing the engine behind the driver.
The C8 Corvette has a 6.2L V8 that produces 495hp, a perfect weight distribution, an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, and a removable hardtop. That has made it one of the most exciting cars to be behind the wheel of.
Most Fun - Nissan Juke
Not a particularly fun-to-drive car, but the Juke is a good point of compromise between fun, practicality, and economy. The 0-60 time of seven seconds might not sound very great, but it is good for a car of this class.
If you want to take this car on twisty roads, the AWD version is the one that will give you the most fun. Even though it is a crossover with a considerably high center of gravity, the handling is excellent and it stays glued to the ground.