Do big cars handle better than small cars ?

I didn't mention it till asked.

All cars are clumsy when driven to the edge, that's not a fair reflection on the Accord

I meant that the Accord is clumsy in terms of being unable to perform rapid turns in tight corners- it must be like that, because that car is very long and rather heavy, and front wheel drive is not any of help here. This still doesn't mean that this is a problem. A car with such configuration (long, heavy, front wheel drive, 60% of mass at front, advanced medium-hard suspension) is very stable- brilliant for highway driving when you need stability and turns are very slight.

This doesn't change the fact that it is going to be clumsy when driven to the edge, however it still may be easy to controll. For sure it will be not as nervous as the lightiweight, short and badly balanced Panda (or similar car, eg. Ka, i10), however the Panda is not as "clumsy", it can make very rapid turns and does better on snow despite both are the helluva understeer on such surface, but the Panda has less pendulum.

In my opinion cars are generally not clumsy when driven to the edge. They can just have more or less grip and easier or harder characteristics in different situation. They are clumsy in general, when they have clumsy drivers, which probably applies to most of the drivers, exept the ones from Finland- that is the only country I know, that has appropriate drivers training system.

Ah ok.

So the Accord (2005 plate) would be no more clumsy than other front wheel drive cars of similar size and weight distribution ? I.e. Vectra, Passat, Mondeo, Avensis, Mazda 6, Citroen C5

Jesus, if you want a decent handling car, you buy a sports car which is rear wheel drive and very light.

Or a classic Mini.

Any other car is a compromise.

Simples.

It was Traintrack1995

The heavier weight in better cars makes a big difference.

Jesus, if you want a decent handling car, you buy a sports car which is rear wheel drive and very light.

Or a classic Mini.

Any other car is a compromise.

Simples.

Rubbish. You say simples while the simpliest suspension is affected by more parameters than there are words in your post.

If you think that light and rear wheel drives automatically means best handling, then get Lancia Stratos and try driving it fast. It's almost incontrollable at slide, because it's very short and light. It spins immediately unless you are very fast and very well trained. And I'm not saying that after that satirical show called Top Gear, but after Stratos driver.

And I don's see why you call Jesus. The thread starter probably wanted to know should he/she buy bigger or smaller car for easier driving. Most of drivers do not know much about cars or driving (unfortunately) so that is understudabble question.

The OP wanted a general statement, generally, if you want a good handling car, you want light, nimble, rear wheel drive.

Define what is "good". Most of the fastest cars in the world have terrible handling for average driver, because they react too fast due to low mass and high grip, and they are overpowered, so it is the helluva difficult to controll them, especially when you have to deal with their actual handling, when ASR and ESP are turned off or not onboard. Also, they have terrible handling for the conditions they were not built for: bumpy roads, gravel roads, snow or off road.

Light and rear wheel drive is as bad anything else. I like the E30 M3, it has good handling, but not for everyone and not for every conditions.

Good handling is a car that talks to you on the limit, is able to corner flat, is able to negotiate a fast set of corners without becoming unsettled and requires driver skill to keep the weight in balance.

You never build a good handling car for a mediocre driver. The best handling cars are the ones that are not easy to drive and need skill to be driven well.

Hence why most people end up putting such cars round trees, ditches, etc because most people are rubbish drivers and go from doing no track time to owning a Ferrari and wondering why they reversed into a tree at 110mph as they went round a corner and put their foot down before the apex.

It was Traintrack1995