Are there any good views from up there that can be reached by car or does it require a hike?
I guess you mean Guanyin Shan. You can drive most of the way up and then hike to the top. Spectacular views.
Nice, interesting views, but I wouldn’t say impressive. Yes, you need to hike to the top, although there´s a couple of trails around those hills that have nice views too IIRC.
I think I still don’t understand the title 
Below is a video I made a few years ago. As jesus80 writes there are different trails up there with different vantage points for different angles of Tamsui River and Tamsui town down there. The main road on the mountain is on the west side so you cannot look down at Tamsui from the road. You need to go for a hike starting at Lingyun Temple or the visitor center there. Getting to the top (Yinghanling) takes one to two hours depending on your pace. It’s a steep climb up stone steps. Quite hot during the summer.