Every once in a while I feel like playing a racing game, but more often than not I end up hating it.

I don't think I hate the entire genre, I suspect that I might just prefer the more arcadey ones, since the last ones I really enjoyed were Sonic All-Star Racing Transformed and Driver: San Francisco.

Can someone who knows more about racing games recommend me any good casual arcadey racing games?

You know, for someone that doesn't want to worry about car parts, etc. and would just want to drop in and have fun.

ridge racer type 4

Maybe you should try that carrmegedon game. I'm sure I misspelt that lol.

Also perhaps twisted metal.

Carmageddon 2 .

Thanks for correcting my stupidity lol. +1 for you!

carmageddon just tends to frustrate me with its abysmal controls
but thats me

daytona usa

There are plenty of arcaderacers so I don't really see why this question needs to be asked.

The Need For Speed series
Trackmania series
FlatOut 1+2+UC
Burnout Paradise
Gas Guzzlers Extreme
Screamer 1+2
Split/Second
Fatal Racing
Slipsteam 5000
Wip3out series
Rollcage series

Etc. many more....

Moto Racer

Nitronic Rush (here's a trailer)

SuperTux Kart

ridge racer
ridge racer revolution
rage racer
ridge racer type 4
dirt 2
dirt 3
dirt ( there is actually almost zero tweaking in them )
daytona usa
daytona cce
sega rally
sega rally revo
sega rally 2
speed devils
ray tracers
moto racer 2
outrun 2
outrun 2006
sonic R
crazy taxi
street racing syndicate
episode 1 racer ( dont look at me like that )

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2,
Need for Speed Underground,
Need for Speed Undergroun 2,

and

Flatout 2,

me and a friend spent countless evenings on those.

Driver: Parallel Lines. Designed for X360 controller. Outstanding soundtrack, especially in the 1978 portion. And it's here on GOG! Maybe not as great as Driver: San Francisco, but I had a lot of fun with it, so I recommend it.

GRID. It's here as well. You can turn on lots of assists for more arcadiness or you can turn them off to make it hard. It looks really good. 99% of my playtime in the game was Figure of 8 Demolition Derby. And half of that was watching replays!

Good luck!

Race Mania(1996) was bloody awesome. It was similar to Death Rally, but even better. I have it on a CD, but I don't think any digital store is selling it currently, though...

Another vote for Trackmania.