Ask the Best and Brightest: Your Entire Car Owning History Please

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329 Comments on “Ask the Best and Brightest: Your Entire Car Owning History Please...”

• 	StevenJJ February 27th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
  1987 – Vauxhall Nova SR (1.3) 1989 – Vauxhall Nova SR (1.4) 1990 – Vauxhall Nova GTE (1.6i weeeeeeeee) 1997 – VW Golf GTI 1988 – Ford Fiesta XR2 (summer/weekend use) 1997 – VW Golf VR6 1994 – Subaru Impreza WRX (Jap import, crashed on the Isle of Man, badly!) 2001 – VW Golf GT TDI (current car) Too much spent :(
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• 	psarhjinian February 27th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
  Oh god, a Volare. You have my unending sympathy.
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• 	paul_y February 27th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
  I’ve only owned four cars (but have been responsible for the upkeep of others). 1989 Toyota 4Runner — V6 SR5 5-speed, Canadian gray market model. Super rusty, got it for “free” (needed a clutch and brakes). Died of a severe headgasket failure within 6 months, with nearly 200K on the clock. 1995 GMC Sonoma. The most basic of base models– it didn’t even have carpet! Inherited it from my dad in 2001 at 63K, after the 4Runner died (he got to go shopping as a result). It grew slowly more and more troublesome (read: expensive), until it started trying to kill me every few months through structural failure. Ditched it the week it rolled over to 100K. Good on gas, and the bed was mostly filled with garbage and beer bottles. 2005 Subaru Impreza. Also a base model, though not at all spartan like the GMC. Leased in fall of 2004 after getting my first Real Job. I never really grew attached to this car, since I mostly just fretted over every single rock chip and scratch in the paint. Traded it in (since in NY, you don’t lease as such– you get balloon payment financing) right before the lease was up about a year ago with 44K on it– I wasn’t upside-down! 2004 Scion xB. Bought used a year ago, and I love it to death. It’s pushing 75K on the clock. It has a patina. It’s roomy, sensible, efficient, entertaining to drive (in a driving a slow-car-fast way), and gets lots of attention (mostly positive). I’ll probably hang on to it until it dies, in 25 years. My girlfriend’s 2000 Intrepid with similar miles on it is a nightmare to maintain– the xB will likely be trouble-free as cheap Toyotas are.
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• 	MRL325i February 27th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
  Mr. F., I thought you would have had cooler cars than that.
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• 	Hippo February 27th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
  Man, how do you remember this stuff? I remember my first car, a NSU Prinz. A Borgward and few Citroens, Peugeots and Fiats When I came to the US a 69 Mach1 Most of the time had various older Mercedes and one BMW2002 for getting around and GM duallies to tow. Now I would only consider Japanese cars, had various Honda, Nissan and Toyota. If you count the ones for the wife and daughters, more then a dozen.
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• 	pariah February 27th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
  1993 Ford Escort GT – I was 17 and looking for something cheap and reliable to I went looking for an Escort. I stumbled across this one for $1200 and grabbed it, without even realizing how neat the EGT really was. It was the only car in which I’ve recieved a speeding ticket, and after giving it a couple years worth of good old teenage vehicular neglect (including killing and replacing the engine and tranny), I sold it to an acquaintence for $150. He later went on to sell it to a guy from California who flew out to northern Maine to drive it all the way across the continent. I’ve never stopped wanting another Escort GT or wishing I’d appreciated mine more. 1987 Olds Cutlass Ciera – A friend of the family passed away and his wife gave me the car. It had the 3.8L under the hood, which was more than enough oomph for a granny-mover and also sounded pretty sweet when it sprung an exhaust leak. I had it for about 6 months before the timing belt broke and wrecked the engine. It was free; I can’t complain. 1995 Honda Civic Del Sol – I got this Civic “Of the Sun” from my future sister-in-law for cheap after the Cutlass died. I liked it because girls liked it, and that was about all I liked about it. Cramped, cheap interior, a terrible lack of power, and crappy handling do not a fun car make. 2003 Mazda Protege5 – I got a new job, so I got a new car. Shortly thereafter, I lost said job and therefore said car. It was hella fun while it lasted though; I miss it. 1999 VW Passat – I was actually shopping for a B5 Audi A4, with no luck at all, when I stumbled across this little lady. Close enough. It’s a very comfortable car, it’s quick enough, it’s a 5-speed, and it gets 32mpg on the highway. My only beef is the lack of AWD like on the A4. Oh well.
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• 	Michael Karesh February 27th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
  1981 Chevrolet Citation X-11 MTX: fun, crude, awful build quality 1984 Pontiac Sunbird Turbo convertible auto: much more fun than you’d think, but muy flexible, burned through spark plug wires, and lost the auto trans at 24k 1988 Toyota Celica All-trac Turbo MTX: very fun on the road up Pikes Peak and unpaved surfaces, relatively boring on pavement 1985 Ford Escort MTX: bought to leave on the streets of Chicago for weeks at a time without getting stolen; a success 1996 Ford Contour SE V6 MTX: severely under-rated car, very fun to drive, great-sounding V6; but engine lost compression at 66k because of known design flaw 2003 Mazda Protege5: classic good looks and very agile. But not as solid as the Contour, and deserves an engine with more of an urge to rev. 2000 Lexus GS 400: we needed a third car and my father didn’t get offered much for it as a trade in; seamless power delivery, squishy suspension, feels almost like new even with 105k My wife’s cars: 1989 Nissan Maxima GXE: looked good back in the day, wife hated dark gray color, squishy compared to the SE 1998 Olds Intrigue: I liked the styling, she liked the features but never really loved the car partly because it was white; less refined than it should have been 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser Dream Cruiser (bright gold): she wanted something more fun; engineered to last 50k My old man’s cars: 1983 Pontiac 6000 STE: Pontiac had a hit with this one. But before they figured out how to improve the handling without killing the ride. They failed to keep up with the competition. 1986 Lincoln MkVII LSC: beatiful styling, strong V8, excellent seats 1990 Lexus LS 400: he was wowed by the level of refinement; I had less input on this one 2000 Lexus GS 400: see above, since I now have it 2003 Nissan 350Z, second car: bought on a whim with no involvement from me. He liked looking at it, hated driving it, ride way too busy. Sold it after a year and a half and only 6k for almost as much as he paid. 2005 Mazda RX-8, second car: bought when I was considering one. Far more livable than the Z, he ended up driving it more often than the GS 400. 2008 Cadillac CTS: bought because he loved the styling, and because different than anything his friends own. Now telling me the ride is too harsh and that he hears various little noises (fuel pump, etc.) that he never heard in the Lexus.
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• 	chuckgoolsbee February 27th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
  Excluding all but one of my wife’s vehicles…. 1977 Buick Le Sabre: Technically my mom’s car, but it was the first car I drove on a regular basis. 1980 VW Rabbit Diesel: Became mine in 1983, changed my driving DNA forever. Lasted ~180,000 trouble-free miles. 1986 VW GTI: First Real Job Car. 94,000 trouble-free miles. 1989 VW Vanagon: Got married, had kids, played hockey. Lasted 110,000 miles, engine replaced under warranty though @ 65,000. 1973 VW 1303: Super Beetle. Commuter Classic Car. Had 365,000 miles on the clock when I sold it. 1996 VW Jetta TDI Wagon: Never owned it, but was a long-term rental when I first lived in the UK. 1994 Volvo 440td: The wife’s car in the UK, but I loved it and it was our only car there for most of our time living in Old Blighty. 1999 VW New Beetle: Wife bought it for me upon our return to the USA, mostly to shut me up about my old ‘73 Beetle selling regret. Sold @ 120,000 trouble free miles. Still running fine last I heard, in Juneau AK. 2002 VW Jetta TDI: 130,000 trouble-free miles, my current daily driver. 1965 E-type Jaguar: My father’s old Jag. He restored it as a retirement project. It will stay in the family forever, I hope. Yes Farago, when winter ends and it comes out from under the covers again I’ll write a review for you. –chuck
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• 	lysine February 27th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
  1974 Datsun 120Y Manual – Given to me by dad. It was the family car for years before being replaced by his 1985 Volvo 240GL. Was a great car. To think my first car was an FR. Then all the rest were wrong wheel drive. 1995 Honda Civic EX Coupe (EJ2) Manual – Bought used. Became a tuner car. Cross drilled slotted rotors, adjustable coilover, strut bars, rear ties. 17 inch rims with 215/40/R17 tires, pulleys, intake. Nakamichi CD head unit and infinity speakers all round. Eventually became too stiff for me, and the tranny was starting to go out. Traded in for next one. 2005 Mazda 3 SP23 Automatic – Bought new. Never modded it. Came with GPS and the full leather package, Bose, ABS, TPMB and xenon lights of the Special Edition. Loved it. Was a nice change from the Honda. The only thing to ever go out on it was one of the speed sensors so ABS and TPMS would not work. 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR – Absolutely love it. Has everything I ever wanted in a car.
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• 	RangerM February 27th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
  (in order) 1978 Honda Accord – Decent enough for a teenager, but it was tempermental at times. 1990 Toyota Corolla – A well-made car. Probably the best Corolla they’ve ever made. Unfortunately hobbled by a 3 spd AT. 1993 Ford Ranger (current) – Hands down the most reliable vehicle I’ve ever owned. It’s like an old dog; always there when I need it, but not worth anything to anyone but me. 1978 Datsun 280Z – A money pit. 1992 Mazda Miata – An attempt to retain the excitement of the motorcycle I sold to get it. Had to sell it against my will, but will forever have fond memories. Some day, I’ll have another. (wives cars) 1989 Ford Probe – Decent car, but always suffered from “pop-eye”. 1997 Mitsu Eclipse Spider – You’d think a convertible would be exciting. This one wasn’t. 2001 VW Passat – Most luxurious car we ever had, and got great MPG with the 1.8T. Traded for SUV. A mistake, imo. 2004 Toyota Highlander (current) – A disappointment. If this vehicle were more boring, it would require electrified seats to keep you awake. And while it hasn’t had major failure, it’s got a lot of nagging little things that go wrong, that would add up to big $$ if I got them fixed, or didn’t fix them myself.
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• 	meefer February 27th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
  Ok my car history is minor and I’ve only owned two, driven extensively 4: 1989 Ford Taurus: Not the best car by any means, but it got me around in high school. Given away at 10 years and 120K miles. 1997 ford Contour: Yes my parents were still convinced Fords didn’t suck. met its doom with a tranny failure at 100K miles. 1999 Honda Accord LX-V6 2 door: Used but lovable. Blew a hole in the piston at 127K, argued with the dealer until I was blue in the face since he had just performed a service on it, just junked it instead. 2007 Lexus IS250: Slow as hell but trouble free so far. Did the recalls and no problems yet.
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• 	corsa February 27th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
  My entire history: 1. 1973 Opel GT (my first car, passed on to my younger brother when I graduated high school, he restored it then sold it several years later.) 2. 1965 Chevy Corvair Corsa turbo convertible (purchased one week after I graduated high school in 1987. It was my college car, at least for my first couple years in college. I still own this one. No idea how many miles, the odometer broke sometime in the 90s. I love this car, easily outhandled my next car, car #3…) 3. 1983 Toyota Supra (purchased during college, has about 150,000 miles on it when it was traded in on car #4…) 4. 1987 Porsche 944S (purchased a few months prior to graduating from college in 1992. I still own this one. Has about 175,000 miles on it now. Been very reliable, cost of ownership stretched over the 17 years I’ve owned it is very low.) 5. 1997 Honda Civic HX (leased with the intention of selling the 944S and owning a “sensible car”… needless to say, I kept the 944S and turned this in at the end of the 2-year lease. My least-favorite car I’ve owned.) 5. 1982 BMW 528e (handed down from my parents, must have been sometime in 2000. I still own this one, it is my winter beater car. It has about 210,000 miles on it. This thing will run forever, until the body rots away. Inredibly reliable.) 6. 2002 Porsche Boxster (my first–and most likely last–car I purchased brand new. I still own this one. Has about 45,000 miles on it. No problems with it yet, if I could only keep one car this would be it.)
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• 	per February 27th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
  1967-1980 – Saab 95 – still running, my neighbor now owns it, 4 cylinder version, perhaps oddest looking car ever made 1980 – present – Volvo 240 estate – i have 2 of these durable if ugly 2006 – present Maserati Quattroporte GT nice car, hellish expensive in Finland, appropriated by my wife after the first time she drove it 2004 – present – Aprilla 250cc scooter – i take the ferry daily then ride this in Helsinki, two have been stolen, so much for law abiding Finns Wife has owned a series of Mercedes until stealing my car (see above) Edited to add: While at university in England I had some type Ford, I wrecked it into a tree the night I graduated while quite intoxicated thus losing the car and driving certificate in UK. My father was not awfully pleased I recall.
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• 	dolo54 February 27th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
  I lived in NYC for most of my adult life, so I didn’t really need a car. I often took care of my girlfriends’ cars so I usually had a ride when I needed one. 1st car I actually bought was a 96 auto integra in Feb. 2005. Paid $6k cash. I wanted a stick, but when I found that one with such low miles, I had to get it, as it was a once in a lifetime type deal. (Well maintained by father of daughter who had left the car behind when she went to college.) It was great and served me well and I sold it for $500 less what I paid 2 years later with 30k+ miles on it (I was commuting to Long Island every day for 6 months and that really racked up the miles). My next and current car is a 91 300zx manual, NA, 2+2. I love it and it loves me back. Not exactly cheap when parts need replacing, but it is reliable and I drove it across country from NYC to LA with no real issues. I often just go for a drive for no reason at all. It’s just a pleasure to own. To add some history of the cars I’ve known, but not owned… Mom’s 80s something crap brown b210 station wagon. It was very reliable, slow, handling was “interesting”. Learned how to swing the rear out in the rain delivering pizzas. Used to love it when it rained. GF’s 86 Audi 5000 – pure awesome. Loved that car. Died an heroic death when she hydroplaned it under an overpass returning home to Jersey early one Sunday morning at around 5am. I had begged her not to go, had a bad feeling. Fortunately she walked away without a scrape. The car was in tiny tiny pieces. Didn’t even resemble a car. I don’t know how she survived, much less, came away unscathed. Another GF’s 85 Toyota Camry. Excellent, albeit slow. Great handling, a real trooper. Transmission finally died at 350k miles. Cost too much to replace, so we got rid of it. Her next car, a 2001 or 2 Elantra. Terrible car. Just awful. I hated hated hated it. Tried to talk her out of buying it. It was uncomfortable and handled like crap. Would become dangerously unstable above 70mph. For all I know she still is driving the POS. Worst part about it is it will probably last forever. Not worth anything to sell or trade in, so you are stuck with a car you can’t stand, but can’t think of a real reason to get rid of.
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• 	Theodore February 27th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
  It’s a fairly short history, but… 1978 Ford LTD Country Squire – the famous battlewagon, for years my dad’s daily driver and the family car, eventually relegated to spare status and finally handed over to me when I turned 16. Great car that finally expired after nineteen years with 230,000 miles on the clock. 1985 Ford LTD Country Squire – Mom’s wagon for a long time, mine after the battlewagon died. Not as good a car as the ‘78 – it only lasted about 180,000 miles. 1992 Ford Thunderbird – have owned this car for almost eleven years. Bought used when I finished high school and needed a car for college. It’s had the usual Ford problems of that vintage – head gasket in the 3.8-liter V-6 at 100K, transmission rebuilt several years ago – but has never left me stranded. The odometer broke several years ago, but it’s got to be north of 200K by now. The transmission is acting up again and I probably won’t fix it this time, but it’s given me great service and I’ll miss it when it goes. 1997 Mazda Miata – just bought a few months ago. So far so good!
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• 	Jim Zellmer February 27th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
  1978 Ford Fiesta – Orange 1980 Ford Fiesta Sport – Blue 1986 Toyota MR2 – Red 1993 Toyota Camry – Red 1996 Toyota Camry – Green 1990 BMW 535i 5 Speed – Silver
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• 	kazoomaloo February 27th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
  I bought my first car in 1998, if I recall correctly, with some help from the ‘rents… 1996 Ford Aspire, red – first car, bought it from my girlfriend’s dad for $3750 with only 19,000 miles on it. The car was a total stripper, 2-door, heat & keys, manual trans, and I loved that little bastard except for the fact that the “Aspire” logo on the back was in a stupid pink font. First thing I did was buy a CD player so I could have a radio & clock. It shook like crazy at anything over 62 mph, if I recall. I only drove that little guy for a year before totaling it in a no-fault wreck involving a deer. Now I own a motorcycle with a 1400cc motor, a full 100ccs larger than the Aspire’s four-pot, which I find funny. 1992 Chevy Cavalier Z24, green – replaced the Aspire, I said, “No cars with less than 6-cylinders” and bought me a cool little coupe on the cheap. The auto trans was kind of a buzzkill, but I managed to wring the fun out of it. I did all sorts of kiddie stuff, painted the interior bits red, drove it like hell. The damn thing rusted out, broke down & basically fell to pieces during my sophomore year of college, which allowed me to meet the love of my life, a… 1994 Subaru Impreza, white – ‘Twas my dad’s car, I gave him my Aspire to use as a trade-in instead of the Scoobie when he got a new car. 5-speed manual, and without a question the most fun car I’ve ever owned. I loved that car like crazy, it put a smile on my face every time I got in. AWD got me through MN snow without a second thought, manual trans & low center of gravity kept things fun & sporty, reliability was spot on at 168,000 miles. I basically lived out of it during the summer between sophomore & junior years, sleeping at various places. Some jerk hit me with a Caddy in Minneapolis when the gf (now wife) & I were visiting. Drove it back to school (75 miles) despite major front-end damage & the shop totaled it. I was so, so sad. I loved that car so much. 2000 Jeep Cherokee, maroon – My current car, though I seldom drive it due to carpooling to work with the Mrs. Got it because another Subaru would be too much $ and I still wanted winter capability & hauling space for all the post-college moving. It’s a fine car, but doesn’t inspire me like the Subie did. Auto trans, thirsty I6, noisy ride, meh. It’s capable, that’s for sure, but there’s something wrong with driving a car you don’t love… driving, like sex, is special and one should choose partners wisely to get the most out of it. I’m getting a new job that’ll require me to commute on my own, and I’m excited to replace the Jeep with something more fuel-efficient and fun, with a proper manual transmission and sporting character like a Honda Fit or something. Maybe an Impreza. WRX. Yeah, that’s the ticket… addendum: Wife’s Cars: 1992 Chevy Lumina, red – former rental car, got rid of it in ‘05, holy god what a hunk of junk. Shouldn’t complain, though, ran pretty good even when we got rid of it and replaced it with a fabulous and fun… 2001 Chevy Lumina, green – grad gift from Mom & Dad. Soul-sucking boredom. I drive this thing every day and it makes my heart beat slower & my eyelids droop. It’s a reliable little goer, though, 145000 on the clock and only cosmetic issues… and a transmission hiccup now and again… and the gas gauge doesn’t work, forcing us to use the trip odometer… and the interior is more or less falling apart (broken glovebox, squeaky doors, cracked knobs, etc.). Still, the 3.1 V6 is a gem & we’re driving it till the wheels fall off, which is well on it’s way to happening (recently lost a hubcap).
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• 	Edward Niedermeyer February 27th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
  2001- 1980 Mazda 626. RWD, 5-speed, AC, power sunroof and cruise control for $400 plus $100 in parts and a few hours of dad’s time. 2004- After a “few” more hours of dad’s time, a brake job on the Mazda were the straw that broke the camel’s back. Instead of pumping and bleeding etc, we gave the 626 back to St Vincents. I decided the only car I could both desire and afford was a Ford Focus ZX3. Bought a red one new, and loved it. Drove it as far north as Vancouver BC and as far south as Reno in the three months I had it. Lost my job, couldn’t afford payments and had to sell it back. I was in college by then, and a car wasn’t practical or necessary. Five years later I still don’t own one. This won’t last.
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• 	improvement_needed February 27th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
  bought my first car when I was 24 2005 vw ‘new’ jetta – value edition, 5 speed with esp. a great car for 18k. sold it 3 years, 43k trouble free miles later. now, no car – just ride bianchi steel, the bus and the train…
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• 	mjposner February 27th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
  1970 Olds 442 1965 Mercury Monterey spray painted black with silver sparay paint steel wheels like the deathmobile in Animal House 1974 Pontiac Grand Prix 1982 Datsun 310 (spike) 1985 Suzuki Samurai, my first new car, $2,700 1984 Audi 5000 1988 Audi 80 1992 Audi 90 1999 Audi TT 2002 BMW M3 2002 BMW M3 vert 2003 Audi Allroad 1985 BMW 635 1994 Mazda Miata 1999 Mazda Miata 2006 Audi A4 current cars: 2000 M Roadster 2004 Audi Allroad
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• 	olde_fortran February 27th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
  1996 – ‘84 SAAB 900 (8v n/a) @ 290k miles. Family hand me down since bought new in ‘84, bullet proof until dropping the tranny halfway between Burlington VT and Albany NY just shy of 300k miles. Sad to see ‘er go. This car led me to the discovery of the old saabnet mailing lists in the mid 90’s. A great early online community that helped me keep that tank running her best. 1999 – ‘89 SAAB 900 Turbo, died @ 175k miles. Purchased used, hoped for same reliability/greatness as prior 900. Was a money pit, engine, clutch, tranny all crapped out. Rebuilt with transplants from a totaled SPG and a custom built Garrett turbo. Fun to mod and went like stink. 3 years later lost the clutch master and slave on road trip to Boston, sold it for the cost of a long tow to a dad and his 16 yr. old son who wanted a project car. 2002 – ‘02 Audi A4 (1.8t quattro/sport) @ 100k miles. First car purchased new. Best foul weather car ever driven and great highway hauler. Fun and easy to ‘lightly’ mod, and a great modder community around the marque. Reliability and maintenance ’surprises’ accrued quickly after warranty was up, but the metal is too young to give up on ‘er.
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• 	johnny ro February 27th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
  i also would have expected more interesting history for Mr Farago. I now feel slightly superior, its an illusion though. Thanks anyway RF. Why did you avoid japanese? I think this would query would be enhanced if people also indicate year it was experienced. in 1980, a 68 beetle, rusted out when I bought it, knew no better. Breathing exhaust, peering through mist. 1982, a 75 convertible beetle, nice for what it was, I ruined the engine by not noticing cracked intake manifold rubbers, and then ruined the second paint job with blowtorch under fender, working on frozen tie rod ends. Sold for 60% of what I paid after 3 years. It was 1980 before I understood how to adjust drum brakes. I survived by wild pumping at every stop. 1984, 1980 jetta 3 speed auto. Had leaky OEM headers whole time I owned it, bought aftermarkets when I was cleaning it up for givewaway to neice. It got quiet. Everybody told me they all sound like that. Leak was halfway down one of the oem tubes. New fusebox made it run better and lights brighter, old one took on water and rusted. Otherwise a very fine nicely balances small car and I would buy one new today if galvanized. 1986, an 84 olds omega. New door lock switch every six months, dealer said he never sold them except to me. I thought he was lying,but maybe I was only one who repaired it. “Noiseless” cam gear ground away like a mini cement mixer whole time I owned it until it sheared teeth. Gave away. 1989- 89 jetta 1.8 8v. paid 9,999. OK for then, tinny but had that VW sweet feel they have when all is well. Put 4-1 headers onto it like an ass, it was designed for low rpm short shifting. 94-94 city golf. Had to argue with local dealer to bring last one in across state. He clearly did not want to sell me that car. Rochester NH. I cannot imagine how it is that they are still in business except its a family shop and they have nowhere else to go. Put 70k on it. Nice car. 8v, think that was 2.0 by then. 99-99 rav 4 fwd 4 door. Sucky oem tires, I went 20mm larger with 400/a/aa rated michelin allsports and it transformed that car. 20 mph faster at same NVH and effort level down rt 153 in NH. HArd to get it past 70 on highway. 01 protege, 2.0 lx. nice but boring. Gave to mom. 01 jetta 1.8t wolfsburg. Badly set up car. Leans and lurches and had turbo lag. Felt it depreciate as I drove it. Endless hassle getting original alignment fixed, finally it steered straight with out of warranty repair. Learned that Quirk in Quincy is pure evil. “We have no record you ever asked for alignment repair before.” “I told you to write on the repair tag, alignment” “no you didn’t” 02-94 sentra. B13. Wonderful car. 1.6, putheaders, undersize crank, lower control arm brace, upper and lower rear braces, it was a zippy little wonder. Gave to sister. 03- 91 mr2. wonderful car. A yamaha. moon roof not-top. Had wrong engine, by design, an american only 2.2 low rpm mill meant for auto, borrowed from Camry and corolla. Otherwise a miracle car. Nephew as gift, he wrecked it in 3 months. 05-2 A4. Wonderful. This is living. Refined and solid as a tank. 08- 99 miata, 15k on the clock. Appears to be a new car. Wiggly jiggly little thing, no real structural integrity, uncomfortable with roof up. Love it. California emissions, which means close coupled cat on a small sports engine, does nto like to rev. This was fixed for 01 forward. CARB is a good thing overall but they are prone to doing things wrong on purpose like most governments. I hate selling cars because there usually is a lot more value in them after I own them than book value would indicate. So I give away to keep the value in family.
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• 	carguy622 February 27th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
  1999 Ford Escort ZX2 Sport 5 speed manual, 130 hp I4: Cheap, loud, reasonably fast and fun, reliable, well assembled. Parents drive it now hitting 100,000 shortly. 2004 Honda Accord EX-V6 Sedan 5 speed automatic, 240 hp V6: Very fast, reasonable handling, some assembly oversights, rough ride, BORING! Traded in for… 2006 Acura TSX 6 speed manual, 205 hp I4: Reasonably quick, nice handling and ride, well assembled, smooth and free revving engine, the perfect size and packed with features. Still currently own. 2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata 5 speed manual, 166 hp I4: cramped, noisy, hard seats, terrible stereo, lots of rattles, and I LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT. Awesome little go cart on wheels. Still currently own.
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• 	Sutures February 27th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
  What the heck… 1981 Ford Escort – a problem child of a car. I got it after the first owner tried to drive it with a blow timing belt, there was always something not quite right about that car. 1974 Opel Manta Rallye – taught me the improtance of fixing breaks promptly, I will always miss that little thing 1981 Ford F150 – 300 straight 6, it took a rouge tire on the highway to kill that wonderful beast 1988 Chrysler Lebaron GTC – 2.2Turbo, I scrapped the vehicle when it blew the head gasket a second time… too much money to sink when I had another car available at the time 1981 Ford Futura 4door – 200 straight 6, bland beater with a heart of gold 1979 AMC Concord – 254 straight 6. God, I miss those wonderful straight 6 motors. Another vehcile lost due to no money on hand, transmission blew and unfortantly I couldn’t afford to fix it. 1981 Dodge Ramcharger – not the best year for Dodge sheet metal or drive lines 1999 Jeep Wrangler – 4 banger until the motor decided that the #4 cyclinder was not needed. Managed to sell it for what I owed to someone that wanted to build a rock buggy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee – say what you will about ChryCo, but this is one outstanding vehicle, 96k on the clock and still running strong… well will be after I get it back from the shop due to some moron who ran a red light…. idiot drivers suck. 1979 Dodge Power Wagon – emergency transportation / weekend fun.
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• 	BDB February 27th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
  2000–Ford Tempo GL: High School car hand-me-down from the parents right after I learned to drive. Terrible, terrible car but I was thankful not to have to ride the bus to school anymore. 2002–Tempo went to the graveyard, got a Ford Escort ZX2 used before I went to college. Again with help from parents. Still got it. Useful as a grocery getter when gas prices are high. . 2005–Ford Crown Victoria used (‘97 I believe), such a great car for what it is and bought so cheap! My primary winter car/highway cruiser. I’m gonna drive it into the ground. First car I paid for on my own. 2006–Mazda Miata, bought used. Primary fun/warm weather car, love it to death. That’s right. Never gotten a new car thus far.
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• 	crc February 27th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
  1985 Plymouth Horizon-fits 15 highschoolers somewhat comfortably, gets airborn with only minimal damage, enjoys taking a beating 1984 Plymouth Turismo-the hatch made it great for loading and hauling crap around 1997 VW Jetta-awesome car if you don’t mind the repair bills 1999 Jeep Cherokee (current)-everyday reliability and durability, tows, hauls, rwd goodness 2009 Jeep Patriot(current)-decent on road manners, off road ability that a CRV could only dream of
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• 	e February 27th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
  1978 Toyota Celica GT – bought used for cheap, put 150K mi on it, sold for cheap. Great car. 1970 Porsche 911T coupe – great car. 1970 Porsche 911S Targa – great car. 1986 Porsche Carrera Cab – great car. 2008 Tesla Roadster – worth the wait. Farago you said I would never get it … more than once, I think. Great car.
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• 	ajla February 27th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
  1990 Pontiac Bonneville- Bought this in 1999 for only $600 off an elderly neighbor. The radiator was bad, and causing it to overheat. I swapped that out and the car ran fine after that. It was one of the most robust vehicles I can imagine. It never spent a moment of its life not outside. In 2005 I left it in a pasture in central Florida for 9 months. When I was ready to take it back, I put the battery back in, and it started right up and ran good. Engine and transmission were always great, but the paint did start to fade on the trunk and hood. The tape deck jammed up and the key didn’t work for the trunk after awhile, but everything else on the car never broke. I sold it in August of 2008 with about 200K miles on it for $500 because I didn’t need three cars. I still kind of miss it. 1992 Pontiac Grand AM coupe 3.3- Also bought in 1999. I got it because I like Pontiacs and it was kind of sporty. It was an alright car. The 3.3 had decent torque and a lot better reliability than a Quad-4. The passenger side window fell of its track quite often, and the cladding faded on it. I had some exhaust issues too due to the undercarriage rusting on Michigan roads. Sold it to my sister in 2001 and it blew up this January as a rusty heap with 220,000 miles. 1998 Jeep Wrangler 4.0 5-spd- Bought this off my uncle in 2001. I learned to drive stick in this car. I lived in the Michigan Upper Peninsula at this time, and it was a lot of fun to take off road up there. I crashed it into a fence when I took my eyes off the road while I was fiddling with the shifter, but other than scratches, the accident didn’t seem to hurt it. I traded it in when I bought my Grand Prix. 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP sedan- Got it off a used car dealer in 2005 when I moved to Florida. I had wanted a supercharged 3800 Pontiac for years, and decided to pick it up because I didn’t know how often I’d be able to off-road the Jeep in my new home. It’s a decent car. The supercharger sounds cool, and it has really good torque. The auto is pretty good for a 4-spd as well. However, it doesn’t win any handling or interior quality awards and the black paint is hard to keep clean. I still own this car and try to keep decent care of it. 1999 Pontiac Firebird Formula WS6- Bought this in July of 2008 off the internet. It has a SLP intake and exhaust installed. It sounds awesome, and is fast enough to get me arrested. My only problem with it is that the seats aren’t very sporty, and, if I didn’t have the loud exhaust, you would hear a million rattles while driving. Still own it.
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• 	BDB February 27th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
  1999 Ford Escort ZX2 Sport 5 speed manual, 130 hp I4: Cheap, loud, reasonably fast and fun, reliable, well assembled. Parents drive it now hitting 100,000 shortly. Relatively trouble-free with mine, too. I don’t know why Ford stopped building it, it is a nice little sport econobox.
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• 	Robert.Walter February 27th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
  @ChuckG: Re. the speeding article, I saw your reference to your site and went there to read your fine ticket-avoidance article … where you declined to disclose the identity of your ‘unmarked daily driver’ (beyond non-descript, slow, 4-door diesel sedan). Just read your list of rides above … among them a “2002 VW Jetta TDI … my current daily driver”… I guess your cover is blown (thanks for satisfying my curiosity). ;o)
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• 	mikey610 (of GM) February 27th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
  My GM (mostly) history 1979 Bonneville Brougham, royal blue w/ light blue landau roof and velvet-y plush interior. hand-me-down from the ‘rents. A total boat – you could barely tell you were steering as it had one of those tiny (in girth) steering wheels, but hey, it got me through senior year of high school. Never did get to use the ample backseat….anyway, the whole damn engine about fell out roughly year after I got it. 1984 Cutlass Ciera – maroon. Had a sweet all-digital IP which at the time was very futuristic. Unfortunately, I rolled it about 6 months after I got it. Fortunately, I walked away from the accident and got more in insurance $$ than I paid for it. 1985-6 Grand Am. 4-door. Bought used. ran out of gas the first night I had it – that’s how I learned the gas gauge was a little mis-calibrated. Had that goofy diagonal speedometer. this was a decent car, but it had its fair shar of problems. Sold it to a buddy at ~80k miles, then it completely died on him. 1993 Pontiac Sunfire. Black. My first new car. Had the 3.1 V6. Man did that thing go. Since it was my first new car, I completely babied it and had the oil changed every 3k (hey I was 21~). No problems until a transmission replacement at 80k. By the time I traded it in at 105k, air didn’t work, etc. 2000 Olds Alero. Silver. The start of my leasing phase . Best car I’ve ever owned (or leased actually). Loved it. Of course, I only had it for three years. No problems besides a recall for warped rotors. 2001 Toyota Camry (wife’s car). Not one problem and sold it after 2 years for $3k more than we owed. 2003 (?) GMC Envoy. Silver. Beginning of kid phase…I actually really liked this vehicle – perfect for a new homeowner and parent. 2005 Buick Rendezvous. Decent vehicle for a ridiculously low lease price. Rear hatch weighed about a thousand pounds, and the huge swing of the doors caused damage to everyone we parked next too. But hey, Tiger Woods drove one!!! 2007 Saturn Relay. Biggest POS ever! 5 times in the shop in two years – once the guide wheel on the sliding door just sheared off. To make matters worse, we had to buy it because the lease rates on anything big and GM were through the roof. So we’re stuck with it for more years. Ugh.
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• 	IC Turbo February 27th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
  In order of ownership: 1987 Hyundai Excel – paid $350 for it. I got ripped off. 1986 Saab 900 – Non turbo 8V. Beat the daylights out it, 200k miles when I sold it mechanical sound. Longitudinal engine meant sophisticated dual A arms up front, so it handled great. Lots of cargo room with a flat load floor. I miss this one. 1995 Dodge neon – fun car. Handled great. Remember when these had their own race series? 40 mpg HWY though eastern PA going 75mph with the AC on. Totaled by some elderly lady who doesn’t know how to turn left. 1997 Plymouth neon – bought at 160k miles. Beat the daylights out of it, spun a rod bearing at 207k miles due to poor oil pan design, finally threw a rod through block at 215k. All on the original clutch. I kinda miss this one. 1987 Ford Bronco II – 1st winter beater. Broke a manual tranny. Silly Mitsu tranny. 1995 Ford Explorer Sport – learned to double clutch downshift on this out of necessity. Broke a Mazda tranny. 1989 Nissan 240SX – SR20DET. This is the summer toy. Lots of fun, garage kept in the winter. The question isn’t what is done to it, it’s what’s NOT done. (still have this one) 1994 Dodge Shadow V6 – super rare 5 speed manual. Ran like clockwork. Totaled by some 80 year who couldn’t see a stopped car at 2pm on a day with no clouds. 2008 Toyota Camry SE – 2.4L and 5 speed manual. Excellent road trip car and NOT boring every day due to the SE stiffer springs and dampeners and additional chassis bracing. (still have this one) After losing the first neon, I learned the value of winter beaters. After doing about all you can to FWD, I learned the benefit of RWD for sporting applications. After driving the 240 with virtually no sound deadening, coilovers, manual everything including steering, no cruise, no AC, I learned that good track cars don’t make good street cars. I also learned that you don’t get to use a fraction of a car’s potential on the street, hence the Shadow followed by the Camry.
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• 	argentla February 27th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
  Very simple, really: 1985 Honda Accord LX hatchback, 5-speed. Versatile, comfortable, competent. Age-related carburetor problems eventually wrecked its fuel economy and driveability, and it was written off after TWO serious collisions (rear-ended by a Ford Explorer, then T-bone by a 1990s Thunderbird). 1991 Honda Prelude Si 4WS, 5-speed. Very attractive, very comfortable, superb handling, wretched stereo. Learning to park gracefully with four-wheel steering took practice, and the sunroof leaked in the rain when parked on an incline. Adequately quick, but the engine was a little too buzzy, given its modest output, exacerbated by stupidly short gearing. Before I sold it, I had a number of frustrating problems with the A/C (intermittent electrical short that took forever to track down), and some a-hole backed into the right front fender without leaving a note. 2005 Mazda3 s 2.3, 5-speed (current). Good-looking, rides and handles well, excellent brakes, lots of kit. Engine is torquey, very refined, but it struggles with the car’s weight at times, and its fuel economy leaves something to be desired. Apparent build quality is superb, but there are some obnoxious interior rattles. Mediocre A/C, and total lack of solar control in the glass is painful in the summer. Still a great design and a really good value. If we add the two of my parents’ cars that I used extensively, that would be: 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit, 4-speed. Bereft of any options, with manual steering and no radio. A chore to park, but fun to drive. Cheap to run, but expensive to fix, and my parents suffered for years with a problem with the oil pressure warning buzzer that would both inflict periodic shrieks and periodically drain the battery when the car was turned off. 1990 Geo Prizm, 5-speed. Superb engine, amazingly good gas mileage. Utterly bulletproof reliability, but the stock shocks and tires were inadequate, and the interior trim none too sturdy. Good highway ride, but lackluster handling — it didn’t ever do anything wrong, it just did it without any semblance of enthusiasm. Met its end in a collision with a Cadillac Cimarron, a truly ignominious fate it did not deserve.
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• 	Robert.Walter February 27th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
  @Mikey: Re. Tiger W., truth be known, it is probaby more a case of “I’m not a real GM-driver, I only play one in commercial endorsements.”
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• 	starbird80 February 27th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
  OK, let’s see what I remember… ‘78 Mazda GLC. Actually owned by my mom, but I was the driver. Her purchase rationale – the least expensive new car available at the time. Had the 4-speed – would have preferred the 5, but she bought it as a ‘city car’ and didn’t expect highway usage. Thrashed it as only a teenage male driver can. ‘77 Jeep Cherokee Chief. My first vehicle purchase, and a reaction to the small car. 401 V8, Quadratrack. 12mpg. Got tired of paying upwards of $25 to fill the tank each week. That seems like a bargain now. Replaced with… ‘84 Toyota 4Runner. My first *new* vehicle purchase. I may be the first person in North America to have a rollover accident in one of these, at 3 months into ownership. The fiberglas top cracked, and Toyota had to ship one from Japan as there were no spares in NA. 3 month wait. Put over 90,000 miles on it before… ‘91 Nissan Sentra SE-R. Fun, fast, relatively thrifty. Kept for 4 years, and still miss it sometimes. ‘92 Jeep Cherokee Limited. Capable offroad (especially after I put proper tires on it), relatively civilized onroad. Lost to a flood. ‘95 Saturn SL2, described in an earlier post re: Saturn. Later replaced by ‘86 Audi (below). ‘89 Toyota 4runner. Last year of production for the first generation. Drove for several years, running the odometer past 153K. Now languishing in the garage on jackstands, awaiting restoration. ‘86 Audi 5000CS turbo quattro. Fun, fast, but had a habit of breaking in expensive ways (didn’t help that it was well on in years and mileage). Decided after a couple years that as long as I was effectively making a new car payment, I might as well drive a new car. Replaced by… ‘00 Subaru Outback wagon. Would have preferred the Legacy GT wagon, but was overruled by my wife. Good car, needed about another 50 horsepower. Sadly totaled by an idiot running a red light directly in front of me. On the day I’d had the tires replaced. Insurance weasled out of reimbursing for that. ‘03 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Wife didn’t like towing our camper with the Outback, so this replaced the ailing 4runner. Wouldn’t buy again. Liked the downsized Cherokee better. ‘02 Saturn SL2. Replaced the totaled Subaru, and again the story has already been told. Short version: not as good as the ‘95. Somewhere in between, also had a couple older domestic vans as cargo haulers (‘66 Chevy, ‘69 Dodge). Hmm…for a car enthusiast, I sure have owned a lot of trucks.
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• 	trk2 February 27th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
  1966 Mustang Convertible – My first car, a restoration project that I bought my freshman year in high school (1990). Never again will I restore a car that lived its life in Maine. I still have it to this day. 1986 Olds Cutlass Supreme – Not the most reliable car but I got it to 265K on two transmissions. At the end it was running on 7 cylinders more then 8 and going through a quart of oil every other fill up. Best highway cruiser I’ve ever driven. It got me through college. 1987 Bronco II – I bought this car in CA and drove it back to the Northeast. I loved this car but it chewed through the (Mitsubishi) transmissions. It had a total of 4 transmissions before I retired at 250k. The engine still ran like new and I sold it to a guy who was going to use it as his hunting vehicle. 1990 Bronco II – I bought this to replace my ‘87 Bronco only this time with the automatic transmission. Best vehicle I have ever owned. If they made the same one today I would buy it this second. The ‘89 and 90’s had the same modern interior that would sell 400k a year in the Explorer introduced in 1991. It had a tighter turning radius then any other vehicle I’ve ever driven, including a jeep wrangler. In 2007, at 187,000 it blew a head gasket and I decided to retire it. 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII – Another car I bought in San Diego and drove back to the northeast. This is now my standard summer car and I garage it for the winters. A good car, though if it was a couple hundred pounds lighter and a foot shorter it would have been a great car. It just passed a 100k last summer and except for a bad wheel bearing, it has been trouble free. 2007 Ford Ranger – In 2006 I moved back to Maine and I needed a truck. Since every other compact truck became a midsize, the Ranger was my only choice but I’m happy with it. It’s a simple truck that does what I need and nothing more. With the 4.0L V6 and the manual transmission it can actually be quite fun to drive, for a truck at least.
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• 	ScottMcG February 27th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
  Fun times: 1979 VW Bus – I was 18 and needed a van to haul the band’s stuff in. Because of this vehicle, I can change the engine in a VW bus in just about an hour. Sold to a VW guy who probably parted it out. 1979 Citroen CX GTI – Still have very fond memories of driving this car, and not-so-fond memories of repairing it. You try to push-start a car with hydro-pneumatic suspension after it’s been sitting for a couple of days. I drove this one to the scrapyard after the German police told me I couldn’t drive a car with no inspection or registration. 1989 Fort Escort GT – this was owned by my wife when I first met her. I hated this car as much as I loved her. I had to drill a hole in the fender well to change the timing belt, the throttle body would ice up and strangle the engine when it got humid outside, and impossible front-end alignment meant it ate tires like a drag racer. This one got sold for $500 to some fool. 1979 Chevy C10 cargo van – hey, it had orange shag carpet covering the inside walls. The 3-on-the-tree shifter broke and I spent a while with only 2nd and 3rd gear available. If I needed reverse, I had to put it in neutral, crawl underneath and push the linkage into reverse…then start the motor and back up. Then park, go back underneath and take it out of reverse. The big upgrade was when I met another guy with the same problem and he helped me cut a hole in the floor and weld 2 rods to the linkages so I could use all the gears while remaining inside. This one got traded at a BHPH for: 1979 Olds Cutlass Calais. If you watch Repo Man, my car is the first one Emelio Estevez steals. Mine was white, just like that one. It had a 350 and nothing else going for it. I made my payments to the buy-here-pay-here place twice a week when I got my tip money, and the car was stolen from my driveway 48 hours after I paid it off and asked for the title. Interesting coincidence… 1968 Plymouth Fury. I bought this car for $500 from a guy who had just graduated from mechanic’s school. This was the car he had worked on to learn, and it had a 440 with a 4-barrel carb. When it ran, it was frightening. When the brakes failed, it was even more frightening. I spent so much time working on this car that the girls who lived at my apartment complex just called me “the mechanic.” I sold this one to a guy who pulled the engine to put in a Belvedere. 1994 Saturn SC2. My first brand-new car, and I still think it was a good one. I had it 2 years and put a ton of miles on it and never had a problem. We traded it on a VW to be mentioned soon… 1988 Ford Bronco II (Eddie Bauer, baby!). Look, I know most people think this was one of the worst things Ford ever made. I really loved this little truck. It was comfortable, took a huge beating, had good 4WD, never gave me any trouble, and turned on a dime. I may have had the only good one ever made, which is what kept me from getting another. I traded this in when I leased… 1996 Ford Explorer. I got a fantastic deal on this because it was blue with a blue interior. Remember the blue Ford interiors on trucks? This one was an albatross for the dealer and sat on the lot for almost a year. I got a good lease deal on it (well, good for a lease anyway) and it was reasonably reliable. It was the XLT, so it had power seats, CD changer, sunroof, and lots of goodies. I liked the blue, but apparently I was in the minority. I walked away from it at the end of the lease…buyout was $25k and book value was $16k. Oops. 1996 VW Cabrio. I traded the Saturn on this one. It was a cool convertible, but I paid too much for it. It had the normal allotment of VW mechanical and electrical problems, and I still don’t understand why they used vacuum hoses for the power door locks. Fools. True story: I parked this car in my garage, and kept food down for my dogs in there too. Apparently, an enterprising mouse had eaten through the screen on the air intake and started stashing food in the box where the air filter went. When I went to change the filter, I found about a pound of dog food under it. I had a picture at one point, but it’s long gone…like the car. I traded it in for… 2000 VW Jetta TDI. This was the new body style, and I was commuting 60 miles each way to work. After I addded the Wetterauer chip, it was a fun little car to drive. Never had any serious problems with it, and sold it a couple of years later to a guy who still drives it. 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee. OK, I hated this truck even before I bought it. But my wife REALLY wanted it and I’m a sucker. It was the Limited with the V8, and it did have a pretty good stereo. But it got about 13 MPG on average, handled like a semi in a strong crosswind in all conditions, leaked fluids all over the place, and I now hold a serious grudge against Chrysler engineers for the placement of the distributor up against the firewall. Dicks. I later traded this for my Saab. 2003 Mazda Protege5. Man, what a fun little car. Best handling of anything I’ve owned, and not bad looking, either. Road noise was really an issue here, and I needed something with AWD that was reliable so I traded it a year later for… 2004 Honda Element. I still have this one, 100k miles later and it just kicks ass. It’s ugly, slow, and spartan, but it’s the most useful vehicle I’ve ever owned. I have not been gentle with this car, and it just keeps going. All I do is regular maintenance, and I expect I’ll get another 100k out of it. It it had more towing capacity, it would be perfect. 1968 Mercedes 250S. Have you ever placed a bid on Ebay that was so low you knew you didn’t have a chance of winning it? So I bid $1300 for this car, laughed a little, and forgot all about it. So it was a bit of a surprise when I got a phone call a week later from a guy asking when I was planning on paying for the car I had won. That was a fun conversation with the wife, I tell ya. In the end, it was a cool car but had more problems than I had time or money to fix. I sold it to a co-worker for $1200 and considered myself lucky. 1998 Saab 900 Convertible. This isn’t a turbo, so it’s slow. But it’s a great cruising car. Put the top down and got on the Blue Ridge Parkway and life’s good. This was a $33k car new, and I got it for $7k with 65k miles on it. I’ve learned a great deal of patience in working on this car – repairing the tonneau cover actuator and re-syncing the roof motors was kind of entertaining, I guess… So I’ve got a baby coming soon and will probably end up getting something else. Can’t keep a car too long, and I’m way overdue.
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• 	BlueEr03 February 27th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
  1994 Mitsubishi Eclipse: My first car. I bought it with around 80K miles on it. It was great until the timing belt went. Fortunately, it didn’t destroy the engine… until 3 years later. 1999 Ford ZX2 (what is this, the 3rd or 4th on the list): I loved it. It was cheap, quick, efficient, and cheap. I put around 50K miles on it in about 2 1/2 years with no problems. My sister now drives it as her winter car. 2008 Volvo C30: Absolute… love! It is my first powerful car, also my first car with safety features (wow, ABS is great). The styling is unique, and I have only seen about 3 others in a year of ownership.
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• 	trk2 February 27th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
  IC Turbo, those Mitsubishi transmissions were junk! But you had to love the turning radius in those mini-bronco’s. ScottMcG, I’m with you on the Bronco II’s, they were a great little truck. I still keep an eye out in hopes that a mint one will show up on Ebay.
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• 	ruckover February 27th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
  1965 TR4A (sigh) 1975 Mustang II (sigh, for a very different reason) 1976 VW Bug 1972 VW Bug 1776cc engine (actually fun) 1976 VW Bug 1967 Sunbeam Alpine series V 1985 Mazda GLC 1989 Toyota Camry 1991 Honda civic 1996 Infiniti G20 1995 Infiniti G20 2000 Infiniti G20 1973 Honda 350F (smooth, boring) 1980 Kawasaki kz700 (smooth, boring) 1984 Kawasaki GPz 1100 (fast, killed by a Maxima) 1990 Yamaha Fj 1200 (Scary fast, comfortable, great bike) 2000 Kawasaki ZRX 1100 (fast, smooth, great handling)
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• 	N8iveVA February 27th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
  pariah 1993 Ford Escort GT – I was 17 and looking for something cheap and reliable to I went looking for an Escort. I stumbled across this one for $1200 and grabbed it, without even realizing how neat the EGT really was. I bought one new in 92, loaded for about 12 grand. It was a fun little car with the DOHC 1.8 Mazda motor. Mine was totaled at 38K miles. :(
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• 	balthazar February 27th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
  Y’all’r a bunch of youngsters, eh? 1957 Chevy 4-door wagon…fast, loud, the judge made me sell it 1966 2-door Chevelle…traded above for what was left of this poor primer-gray hoopty 1968 VW bug…from a friend, great car but ate pistons (the one by the oil cooler)…drove it where 4 wheelers wouldn’t venture at the time… 1972 Monte Carlo…my brother took in trade at Toyo dealer he worked at…fun car 1971 Monte Carlo…why not have 2 of the same? 1974 Datsun B210…4spd beater, can you say mileage? 1978 Caprice 2-door…old FBI ride, heavy duty everything, 2:73s got best mileage at 80MPH 1985 El Camino…bought ‘new’ from a not very reputable dealer…hecho en Mexico, disintegrated at 90k 1972 Datsun 240Z…unfinished project the ex got 1989 Celebrity 2-door 2.8l V-6…traded Elky for this…bad TQ, just disconnected lock-up solenoid and drove another 80k, still got 30mpg 1991 Pontiac Bonneville SE…used with 50k from another not so reputable dealer…handled better than my girlfriends 1990 Bonny SE 1992 Nissan 300ZX…one owner creampuff got at 50k…drove it off a cliff inadvertently, was never the same 2001 Honda Accord EX V6 Coupe…bastards came out with 40 more HP next model year, mine devalued to nada 2003 Chevy Siverado 1500 LS 5.3 2WD…Black Beauty was a really crappy truck…trans, windows,steering,yuck! 2006 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE 5.3 2WD…traded above at 50k for this…after trans leaks and steering fixed under warranty, maybe a keeper? 20+ MPG averaged to date
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• 	ConejoZing February 27th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
  1988 Audi 5000 – This was my first car. I was a teenager. I had never had a car. My parents forced me to go to a used car dealer. I remember thinking something about how I didn’t want to participate in society or something. I looked around. Something caught my eye. There it was – a Bauhaus slab of somber silver subtle gloom and non-conformity. The German Leadsled. I drove this quite well in my teenage years. Not even one traffic ticket, no accidents, tapped a bumper. I remember going to Hastings to purchase CD’s in the 90’s quite a lot with that Audi. I purchased weird music, like Aphex Twin Selected Ambient Works 2. The car had a few electrical problems, however, on the whole, was a nice ride. 1992 Honda Accord – People often mistakenly think this was my first car. Absolutely wrong. This was my second car. After driving the leadsled, the Honda seemed spry and alert. I drove this to my early dj shows at KUOI. I had some fun times. I played a ton of FFXI while I had this car. It is lightweight and for awhile, it seemed like it was without fault. Then, it got STOLEN (Grand Theft Auto – real life edition). Then, I found out that Honda’s are very easily stolen and that their security system is, well, weak. With the value drained and no airbag in the Honda I decided to get a … 2007 VW Rabbit – This is the best car of them all (so far). It is fun, practical, neat, cute and yet aggressive. It is so fun to drive that I obtained my first speeding ticket with a personal vehicle while I was smoking a Dodge Neon on Trent Road. It is deferred. This is also the first car that I have “modified” to make stronger. Hi there, naturally aspirated torque. Rabbit, you’re my fave! Fun Fact: All my cars are manual transmission. The only automatic I will ever consider is a DSG style.
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• 	ILO February 27th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
  Lada Sputnik ‘87 – bought used with unknown number of miles, because odometer resets after 99,999. I can imagine it could be a huge number. Had it for two years but it was most troublesome car I ever had (but cheap to repair). Rust was everywhere you can imagine even inside the roof (which was not protected –exposed metal!) and floor inside cabin (yes I removed all interior to fix the problem but it was mission impossible – you had to replace the whole body). Replaced almost everything it had by myself starting from brake booster the first week. Everything was leaking – engine, radiator even brake cylinders (replaced them too). It was most uncomfortable and noisy car I ever drove. But it was most fun to drive – it had quick rack-and-pinion not powered steering and had 4-speed stick. It developed the habit of stopping in the middle of freeway for variety of reasons so I was also forced to develop habit keep to the lane closest to the shoulder. Remember cleaning carb or replaging pump on the freeway – no fun. Toyota Carina ’86 – bought it with ~100K miles. Most boring car I ever had. I was looking at Accord owners with jealousy. After Lada steering was extremely slow, car was wallowing like typical American car so I was afraid of making quick lane changes which were so fun on Lada. Body was flexy and creaky. In other words it was a Japanese car – not in same league as Audi A4 or even Opel Vectra. Ford Mondeo would be God sent but was too expensive. Toyota was difficult to sell (after three years) typical reaction– or it is Toyota? (means cheap and not as durable as German car). Ford Taurus GL ’94 with 120K – 160K miles (true mileage unknown because odometer was broken)– bought because was cheap. If I knew better… It was comfortable car but had crude and weak V6, could hardly call it V6 – rather very bad executed and thirsty I4. After two weeks I had a trouble – transmission was terribly leaking. After rebuilt it lasted about two more years and the same thing started again, there was some unrepairable structural damage to transmission. In the end I donated it to war veterans. Mercury Sable Premium ’02 – bought new. Very comfortable and reliable – did not have any problems with it during 110K miles I own it. The only thing replaced are tires (stock Continentals were very bad, replaced with Yokohama Avid something). No fun, agree, but reliable and well appointed – has even double visors. Leather of course. Commuting forth and back 60 miles every day with no worries. I want to replace it this year with something smaller (like Milan) with tighter suspension. Soft but not as bad as Toyota, no Maxima for sure but no Toyota either But it is reliable – why spend money and replace something reliable and paid off?
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• 	paul_y February 27th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
  @ ConejoZing: Fun fact: me too! Of course, TTAC commenters are probably not a good cross-section of society. I HATE driving automatics. It sucks the fun out of every car.
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• 	narfinity February 27th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
  1987 Chrysler LeBaron coupe auto. Graduation gift (if you can call it a gift). Garbage, garbage, garbage. Nothing good about it. Got rid of it as soon as I could. 1987 Volvo 240 sedan auto. Great car. Solid, and nice to drive once it got some suspension upgrades and good tires. Most comfortable seats of any car, ever. Durable and not too expensive to fix either, but then I had a good mechanic. Totalled when I rear-ended an Acura CL. If I had been a better driver, I would still be driving this car. 1996 Volvo 850 wagon auto. Nice. Had the spirit of the 240 but much (MUCH) more taut and modern. And then…front axle broke at 75mph and nearly killed me–had to cross 3 or 4 lanes of traffic to get to the shoulder, and left a black stripe on the road all the way from the right front tire being ground down to almost nothing. I’m still amazed I avoided a collision. Over $2000 later it was back in business but it was never the same. Before and after this incident it was always horrifyingly expensive to fix, and this ultimately led me to trade it in for a… 2007 Honda Fit Sport manual. Just awesome. It’s fun, it’s thrifty, it’s spacious, it’s blue. Only thing I don’t like are the driving position and seats. Everything else is a delight. Next car: 1987 Volvo 245. Okay, I’m mostly kidding here. Mostly.
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• 	tulsa_97sr5 February 27th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
  80 international traveler – Dad bought it new in 80, i got it in 88 when i turned 16. I loved this pig, what a great vehicle. Lost 3lbs everytime i took over train tracks when the rear wheel wells defoliated. I’ve been chasing the essence of it ever since (see below). 82 Subaru 2wd sedan – kinda fun, but expensive to own. It’s how I learned to drive a stick, drift, double clutch, and drive without a clutch. Damn clutch cable wouldn’t stay intact. 87 Mazda 323 – hand me down from my mom when I graduated college. Really, really good car. Unfortuantely my mom had a broken right hand when shopping for it so it was an auto. Trouble free if you ignore the fact that the stereo I installed somehow messed up a plug to the fuel pump which resulted in almost a thousand of wrong repairs before finally spotting. 90 4runner, 22re + 5spd – ahhh, the spiritual succesor of my scout. Loved this thing. Bought it from some friends after we took it on a road trip from denver to LA. It was like a 2000mi test drive. They had kids almost 16 so i gave them the 323 free. Drove the 90 to almost 250k and kinda wish I still had it. I think I’m still watching craigslist hoping to see it pop up 97 4runner – Such a nice ride. had the hard to find 3rz 4cyl + 5spd under 100k miles. Looked like new when I got it at 8 yrs old. Looked and drove like new when I sold it last spring. I wasn’t hardly driving it and it was way too nice to just sit in the driveway. 85 4runner – supposed to be a cheap project, I flew to PA and gave a guy 750 then drove this a thousand miles home. After the divorce it’s my daily driver. The tires cost more than the truck. I dig it. There is nothing on this vehicle I can’t fix/swap for less than 1k. I learned to weld and do body work because of this truck. Rebuilt the front solid axle. I’ve finally learned my lesson I think, keeping this one. 86 2wd toyota pickup. – Got this as a backup vehicle to be free to sell the 97 while the 85 was still on jackstand in the garage. Almost 300k on it, and it burns some oil. Get it on the highway and it just cruises though, runs great. Planning to fix it up a bit and probably keep it. so that’s it for me in 20yrs of driving. In the 8yrs i was married to my ex she had a 99 ford ranger – leased, nice truck really 2001 miata se – really nice, took a huge hit when she traded it on the… 2004 mini also very nice 1997 infinti – meh, failed attempt to stop the car payments, she kept it 6mos 2006 xb – freaking awesome car, almost bought it from her after the divorce. This is what 80% of america should drive. 2004 mini-s – ok so she got this post divorce, still got to drive it once, fun stuff
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• 	buzzliteyear February 27th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
  Not counting cars that were ‘family’ cars…. 1968 Mercedes-Benz 230 (with 1971 280 engine) – This taught me a *huge* amount about cars. A friend of my father’s gave it to him in 1982. I drove it 7 years, 150k miles. Rebuild the bottom end twice, replaced the head gasket about 6 times. 1980 Volvo GLE (V6) – bought it with a coolant leak. Turned out to be a separated cylinder liner. But I paid $2k and traded it for $500 9 months later, so I got my use out of it. 1989 Honda CRX Si – The car that informed my philosophy about cars. Terrific steering feel, good performance, great fuel economy, surprisingly versatile. I never should have sold it. 1994 Acura Integra GS-R (sedan) – Great car, but not involving enough during normal driving. Sold it to my sister, she’s still driving it. 1993 Nissan Sentra SE-R – A fun little car, but disappointing fuel economy, build quality, and comfort. My wife hated riding in it. 1996 Mazda MX-6 (M-edition) – Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Smooth, good handling, decent economy. But the wife wanted a house, so we got rid of it to cut our expenses. 1988 Acura Integra LS – My dog hauler. Amazing performance and economy given its pedestrian underpinnings. Ate CV joints at an amazing rate. 2002 Mazda Protege5 – Bought this to replace the Integra, but suffered a financial setback, so I only kept about 6 months. Underpowered, but a remarkable handler. 2004 Mazda3 – Perhaps the best car I’ve ever owned. Took all the good things about the Protege5 and fixed a lot of the drawbacks (room, noise, power). Financial considerations prompted me to sell it. 1996 Toyota Tacoma – I bought this off of my ex-wife because she wasn’t using it at all (800 miles in one year). Not fast, not exceptionally fuel efficient (23-25mpg), not exceptionally comfortable. But very versatile and it cannot be killed (227k and still running strong). 1995 Honda Nighthawk 750 – My first motorcycle. Bought it cheap. Not exceptional at any one thing, but a good (and reliable) ride. My next car: http://automobiles.honda.com/cr-z/
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• 	dtmcdani February 27th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
  Over a short period of time. I have owned 1989 Ford Probe GL automatic – it still runs to this day (the motor and transmission are the only good things left on the car). It developed a gas leak, broke the left rear tie-rod while driving, and the rear right brake line blew up while driving. Bulletproof! 1999 Honda Prelude base automatic – solid car but a few squeaks here and there (never could find them). Only had one problem during 2 years of ownership bad O2 sensor gave check engine light (easy fix). The new owner loves the car and its still problem free. 2005 Subaru Impreza Wrx STi – Hands down the best car I have owned so far, extremely fast and very loud. Not exactly trouble free, rear struts went bad at 32k miles along with muffler being replaced. It was traded due to a job change(foreign cars are a no-no). However I might be in the market for another in the near future depending on the status of my employer. 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer SS – It was quick but the interior was a squeaky, rattling, hard plastic puke fest. However, the LS2 V8 was an absolute gem (but very thirsty when poked). This vehicle let me know that I can never go back to automatics. Currently a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS turbo – I have personally always thought the Cobalt was a good looking car on the outside, but the interior squeaks and rattles so loud I shake my head anytime I start the car. Its pretty quick but it doesn’t feel like it. (will never own another fwd car again) I love fast cars and hope to own plenty more.
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• 	gusplus February 27th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
  RF, Two Volares AND a K Car? Dude.
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