Out of all the cars you've owned, which one holds a special place in your heart as the absolute favourite.
Shamelessly stolen from /r/askreddit.
My 2004 BMW Z4, I use it almost every day and every drive feels like a special event.
My first!
A 1974 Layland Mini with a Cooper S engine my uncle and I rebuilt together, a carbie big enough to suck in a cat, disc brakes, big fat tyres, faired arches, monster stereo and a muffler big enough that everyone knew I was coming...
I miss that little beast, it was quicker off the line than most of mates V8s, wish I'd never sold it.
25yrs later, on my 8th car, and it's still the one I think about the most. I drive a family friendly 3L diesel 4x4 now, which I also love, but that Mini will always be king.
'08 Subaru outback. Mostly because I went in a cross country road trip in it, and put money into the audio system.
I've owned probably 20 cars in my life, everything from 1951 to a 2012. That being said, my absolute favorite is my 1965 Volvo P1800 (not my pic, but same color, minus the hood which is rusted). What a joy to own, drive, and talk about with other car people
The P1800 is a beautiful car, completely different from normal Volvos of the time.
So far this has been my only car I owned. Have driven plenty of rentals and still none hold a light to my 34 year old Opel Corsa. This is a picture i took in the hills of Georgia near the Turkish border.
Worked for my brothers custom fuel injection company. They had a late 80s CRX that was used for testing drive by wire systems.
I ended up buying it as one of my first cars. Got over 40 mpg when you drove like grandma, and turned into a wild cat when you put your foot down.
It's pretty close between the CRX and my 84 Fiero. Just something special about a 2 seater with manual transmittion and no bells and whistles. Though I did prefer the real wheel drive and mid engine on the Fiero.
Now days I drive an Impreza wagon, which comes close, but just isn't the same. Sure it's more comfortable, the heater works, and I don't have to have a triple A card in my pocket to drive farther than the corner store, but where is the excitement in that?
None, they are all metal boxes that get me from point a to b. I accepted a long time ago im just not a car guy, i dont even reserve the neurons to differentiate make/model/year at a glance. Forming emotional attachments over hunks of metal/ machinery that all operate generally the same way is a very monkey-brain thing to do. He smugly says as he nervously eyes his book collection he would actually tear up over if they were damaged in any way.
That's fair if a bit harsh...
Do you enjoy driving at all though? I feel like there are a lot of people who love driving but don't care if they're doing it with a "boring econobox". Listening to music and cruising down the highway on a warm summer afternoon is fun to me no matter what car I'm in.
I can find it relaxing at times but I dont drive to drive more than maybe once or twice a year if that. Its bad for the environment (unless you have an all electric vehicle powered by renewable energy I can dig that) and a selfish waste of precious non renewable resources.
Being on the road is also an inherent danger as accidents happen anytime anywhere, though life is also about taking a fucking chance to do what you want risk be damned so if ypu enjoy driving its worth the risk I guess.
I'd rather get on my legs and walk around a nice forest/park than drive around but that's just me.
A Lada Niva
I've owned idk how many cars, they've always been a hobby of mine. But the one I miss the most was my 1959 Chevrolet pickup truck. I bought it for next to nothing, it was rusty and beat up, but 100% original. I fixed all the broken and worn stuff on it and slapped a turbocharger on the factory engine and daily drove it for a year or two. Even with the turbo it was dreadfully slow, but it was a riot to drive. It turned a lot of heads and got smiles everywhere I went. Really wish I'd never sold it.
I had a '56 chevy pickup that I got running in high school and had to sell when moving away to college. It was a quilt of parts that would fit (still the original 235 under the hood) but there was no way I was going to move to a big city with no AC, no power steering, three on the tree and all the safety features of a midcentury crumple zone with tires. I miss it tho.
My 2002 Chrysler Neon was pretty special to me. I was driving it until 2 years ago where it really started getting bad.
I inherited from my grandfather when he could no longer safely drive. And I just associate the car so closely with him.
He passed away a couple of years ago. So it was even more special to me because of that.
I have a Ford EL XR8 that I just love so much (Australian car). It's my fav because of V8 sounds.
2011 Honda Fit/Jazz. That thing was like the god damn Tardis. Seats folded any which way you could think of so it could haul pretty much anything and paired with a roof rack you were invincible. It was small and nimble and was capable of anything. Snow? Sure. Camping down some semi rough tracks? Why not. Haul all your friends l? You got it boss.
I wish I still had it as I probably would have turned it into a battle car by now but sold it when I moved country’s.
Yoooo I have a 2015 Honda Fit. First car I ever bought and never had a single regret
Exact same for me. Bought a used 2013 Fit as my first car and just finished paying it off, this thing is a force of nature and is probably my favourite car of all time.
Small exterior, but big interior, and the manual transmission is rock solid, you definitely shouldn’t slam it into reverse while rolling forward but it’s good to know you can if you have to lol. Surprisingly good at drifting on gravel corners or through snowdrifts, and you can make it crazy far up a washed out logging road with a 14’ canoe strapped to the top. 10/10 no regrets
1998 Saturn SL1
Often shat upon, but it was incredibly reliable until I overworked the little 4 cylinder engine. It handled like I imagined a go cart would, it had good gas mileage, and it survived hitting 2 deer and only needed cosmetic fixes afterwards.
The sl/sw had nearly three same power to weight ratio as a Miata.
This is very interesting. It puts the Miata higher on my wish list.
My mom had a 90s f150 Thing was a tank and had two gas tanks.
We called it the magic button. Would be on empty and watching it switch from empty to full was satisfying.
What was not satisfying was filling up 2 tanks after procrastinating.
My 1989 LeBaron soft top. 4cyl turbo. It wasn't fast, but man it felt like it was fast when you were driving it.
I had an '06 Jetta wagon TDi. The fuel efficiency of that car was incredible. I could get 44 mpg when cruising near 100 mph. Damn shame they bought it back because they cheated emissions tests.
My first car was my favorite:
1982 Toyota Celica GT Coupe
Fun, fun, fun to drive!
‘94 GT here, not as exciting as older generations, but fun nonetheless. Drove that thing for multiple hundreds of thousands of miles. Had over 330k when it finally died.
grand caravan. minivans already start as the most versatile vehicle around. Able to haul cargo and people equally well while having mileage that only gets beat by small cars. Basically it was honda or toyota that had the rear folding seat but dodges flip and fold brought it to a new level and they were good about having the captains chairs be comfortable. This is actually the main reason we have a minivan. It is the easiest vehicle to get in and out of for the driver and front row passenger. The captains chairs are at perfect but height for a human and most people don't really have to climb up into them or overly drop into them. Seriously if you ever see an occupational therapy handout for getting in and out of a vehicle, look at the pictures, they almost always use a minivan. Then dodge did the same thing with the roof rack. can fold it in for better mileage and fold them out when needed rather than having to retrieve them from sitting in the garage. Unfortunately they messed up the pacifica in that its captains chairs are less comfortable (and its more expensive and for some reason they took out the ability to vent open the rear window which was another nice thing.)
I've never owned a car and likely never will, and honestly, that fact holds a special place in my heart
I can relate, before I got my own car, I prided myself on not needing it.
But having a car has enabled me to do way more than before, I am a hobby photographer, and being able to get to the airport for some planespotting in 40 min is way, way better than needing 2h with public transport.
Let's just say I've raised a child who is now an adult, all without a car. By now, I know the inconveniences and opportunities it costs me well, but for me, they're just not enough of a reason.
My 1981 Toyota pickup. It never ran 100% but it always ran. That thing lived in a perpetual state of almost broken. Oh and it was the ugliest mustard yellow color it was always so easy to find in a parking lot.
After the engine shat all its oil I sold the thing the guy rebuilt it then road tripped on a 6000 mile road trip.
Now that's a car!
Well I've only had two but my current one is basically my dream car so the answer is 2007 Nissan Navara King Cab, 2.5 litre turbo diesel 4x4, all black and murdered out.
2007 Subaru Impreza SE with a 5 speed manual transmission with nice crisp shifter bushings. It wasn't fast because it was the naturally-aspirated version, but damn was it literally invincible in the winter. I once helped a Jeep up a snowy hill by cutting a path for him to follow me up after he failed to get to the top multiple times. Also, drifting in that car was a point-and-shoot endeavour. You could be sideways at almost 100km/h and have absolute pinpoint control of the car at all times. The AWD system in Subarus is a technical marvel.
I also loved the kinda minimal dash layout. It felt like an older car because the dash wasn't like a meter deep. It was small and compact. The car was also incredibly easy to work on. I learned a lot about maintenance with that car. I miss it a lot.
1969 Chevy Impala convertible. Massive red boat, totally impractical, and my daily driver for YEARS.
It was more trouble than it was worth maintenance-wise considering the age, but my '66 Beetle. Such a fun little car, like an elaborate go-kart.
I have only had 2 vehicles so far in my life, but my Audi Q5 definitely takes the cake.
I never would've been able to afford one normally, but I was smart and took advantage of the covid lock down. Car dealers were considered essential businesses, and I decided it was the right time when I learned car sales were down over 40% across the US.
I was right, and they were desperate. If I had waited a few months, that car would have been completely unaffordable to me with how insane car prices got/still are.
I had a Chevrolet Vitara (for Venezuela... for US people it would be a Suzuki Vitara) that my father bought in 1998 and gave me when I was 17.
First car I "owned", used for 6 years, never had to repair it or anything at all, took me everywhere without problems and since it was a small 2 door it fit everywhere.
I took my friends with it, my parents, traveled with it, etc. Also, surprisingly, we never had to do any repairs to the car since 1998 up until 2021 when my dad sold it because it was almost dead. That car was the best and I miss it.
Then I got a Dodge Dakota from 2002, it was good but I didn't like it as much as the Vitara.
Now I drive a VW Gol (2005), good car, a little fucked up.
I've never owned a car myself, but my fam swears by the Datsun 280z, especially thanks to its dependence on standard parts. My grandpa's Z was nearly a ship of Theseus, with only a few original parts remaining when he died, maintained by him and my uncle.
1985 Toyota Supra. I've also owned an 84 and an 83, but they were both beaten half to death before I owned them the 85 was amazing. It really didn't have a ton of power, but the torque of that six made it feel like it did, and it handled like it was on rails.
Hey, fellow Supra owner.
I still have all mine though lol
84, 87 with a 2jzgte I stuffed in it in 07, 88 turbo and 89 NA.
Probably will never get rid of them, they're the fat pigs that will always be fun to drive and comfortable on long road trips as well.
My first car was a 73 Buick Electra, maroon, fully loaded. It wasn't in the best shape as it was about 30 years old, but I loved it. It was so fun to drive.
My dark cherry 2000 Chevy Malibu.
My first car was a 1994 Pontiac Grand Prix, and the thing was a tank. It was my favorite car I've ever had up until I got a 2018 Mercedes GLA a couple years ago, which is also a tank and objectively the best car I've ever had.
I had a 1993 Toyota Corolla 1.3 Hatchback 12 years ago. Very light and surprisingly fast. Also fuel consumption was pretty good. Everybody called it an ugly shitbox, but I liked and still like the design. Sadly it was so rusty I had to give it up eventually. Would have it completely restored and tuned if I had the money back then.
I used to have this truck. It was a 1989 C1500. It was a single cab, long bed truck which is the best configuration. Under the hood was a 5.7 liter V8 with very primitive fuel injection, and that was hooked up to a 5-speed manual transmission.
It wasn't the fastest, most powerful truck I've ever had, but it had tons of personality and wouldn't die. It was really fun to drive with the torquey engine and the stick shift which was the exact opposite of a short-throw shifter.
The first car I owned is by far my favorite. It was a ‘91 Miata (NA). It was very easy to learn how to work on it and fix things. It really made me love driving. I want to buy another Miata at some point.
Favorite so far was probably a 2003 Mazdaspeed Protégé. They were kinda anemic for a 2.0t car out of the box, but I had built the engine a bit and goosed it to around 225whp. It wasn't the fastest thing around, but it had a raw mechanical feel that was a hoot to drive and toss around corners, especially after adding some stickier rubber.
I've got a NB Miata in the garage right now, but man it's just missing about 75whp to match the smiles per hour factor.
2004 Ford Focus station wagon.
It was the most sold car model of that year, worldwide.
Small and economical enough for every day use, large enough to put a mattress in the back and sleep in it, or transport lots of stuff.
Cheap to buy, run, maintain and fix.
Decently reliable.
Not yet filled to the brim with electronic gizmos and computer chips.
Otherwise not remarkable in any way.
In my opinion, it was the Model T of that era.
My Lexus IS F. Sold it about 6 months ago because it wasn't practical enough but by far the best car I've ever owned.
I've had about 20 cars in the last 16 years, from an '88 Plymouth Reliant to an '82 Datsun King Cab pickup to an '08 Subaru Outback. But my favorite is my '20 4runner because I don't have to think about bringing my tools and extra fluids/belts along on a road trip.
That said, man I had some great memories driving around in my '91 Honda Prelude with a 5 speed and a loud stereo. Always felt cool driving that car, even though the speedometer didn't work, the transmission grinded on every shift due to worn out synchros (if you didn't double-clutch), and the engine burned a quart of oil every 400 miles!
206 GTi180, 2006 model
It was red, had performance cams, free flow exhaust and awesome vinyls that I ripped from Need For Speed Underground. I loved that car so much.
I have a 91 Chevy S10 that I will likely be buried in. I've had it for nearly 15 years and it's my favorite. I learned to drive in an S10 and sadly we had to sell that one. I bought the current one as a "replacement" and I love it even more. It is objectively not that great, but it's clean and runs well and when it dies, it's getting a V8.
I have only owned one car, my current 2021 Seat Leon hatchback PHEV.
Out of all the cars I have driven (four, a 2014 VW Golf, a 2020 VW Golf, a 2016 Volvo V90 PHEV and my Seat) the Seat is my favourite.
The Golf's I've driven were either loaned from my driving school or used at my first driving test and my dad has the Volvo, but I have the Seat.
I really like the styling of my Seat, it looks cool, and a bit agressive without being overbaering.
The performance is good enough for me, if a bit lacking in power above 100kmh, it is very quick between 10 and 50, launches are fun with the electrical system engaged.
As a first car, it is fantastic, though I am 35 and bought it this year.
I really wish more European manufacturers would sell cars in North America. Much more interesting selection...
They would if they could. USA has really strict import laws to boost their own car manufacturing.
Hehe, Seat is actually winding down, the brand will cease to exist in a a few years.
But as it is a WAG brand I am not worried about spares or servicing.
Cupra, Seat's racing division is the new Seat brand, it is a bit too much of a lifestyle brand, with an edgy logo, I like it when it had a copper colored Seat logo as it's logo, that was cool.
But eh, when I need a new car in many years hopefully, I will look at Cupras range.
The Seat Leon is basically just a Golf in a new design.
The one I won't need to buy once my local council has decided to create a really walkable and cyclable city
Walkable cities are fantastic, I would never commute to my office with my car, I live in the suburbs and take the bus and metro to the office, it is awesome, I lived alone for nine years without needing a car, to be frank, I don't need a car in my day to day life.
But I have missed a lot of opportunities by not having a car for the weekends/vacations.
Opportunities to get new furniture, opportunities to find a castle ruin, opportunities to connect with friends easier, opportunities to go places where I would not have been able to in a resonable timeframe using just public transport and walking.
It might be selfish, I don't deny that, but it has done wonders for my mental health.
I got a car that can fit five, that runs on electricity for most tasks, it was used, so no new car was produced specificly for me.
I believe it was the least bad car I could have gotten
1990 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe.
2002 SIAPA Saba GTX
An actual death wagon shitbox that I absolutely adored and will always hate selling it off
Saab 9-3 Viggen because it's also a dorito fighter plane
Mitsubishi Lancer around early 2000s
None of them. I've resented the need for every single car I've driven.
1974 Volkswagon Super Beetle.
Non-practical, 2010 Ford Focus RS Mk2, had to sell it when I got a bonus family and started to commute 300 km almost every day.
Practical, 2018 Volvo V90 CC, perfect in every way, except that the rear lights had to be replaced once a year, and one of the buttons on the steering wheel every second year.
First car I bought for myself in college was a 2016 Volvo S60 with 110,000 miles on it after the car my parents got me threw the timing belt on the way to class. It’s tiny as hell, but I love that car. Now, after a few years, we’re pushing 200,000 miles and the only thing it ever needed besides regular maintenance is an oil pan gasket. I have a kid now and I can’t even fit a car seat in the back seat without moving the front seat all the way forward. I know I have to get rid of it soon and it breaks my heart.
I've never owned a car and probably never will
Get on your bike and search wide for the motherfucker who asked
That's how I lived for 9 years while living alone in the suburbs and working in the city, it is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.
I still pride myself on not needing a car for my commute to/from work, and I would never take my car into the city unless it was critical, I have done it a few times to learn and get experience, but it is just annoying.
For me, I use my car for recreation, I get in and drive out in the country to intresting places where I take photos of cool stuff, places that would be a nightmare to visit by public transport or walking/biking.
Who knows, in a few years I might sell my car and get in on the app leasing deal, but for now as I only got my license last year at 35, I use my own car to get experience and be a better driver, I will reevaluate the value of owning a car as time passes.
So you have nothing of value to add to this discussion. Why are you speaking?
Because this kind of car-centric bias needs to be opposed.
My 911 is nice. Very fast and fun.
But my Saturn sw2 station wagon is by a long shot my favorite.
That's crazy, Saturn wagons are surprisingly hard to find. Any more pics?
My friend does some 10 minute videos about our team. If you want to save the evolution and pain of racing a Saturn it's worth 40 minutes to watch them all.
https://youtu.be/sZKU7bh5WbI?si=iCKuj7tjkNiP8xc9