Which car in your life deserved way more attention than it got?

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My 06 Saab 9-3 Wagon. I’m gonna go full Corvette owner here but it’s 1/18 in Smoke Beige Metallic with a 5 speed manual. Probably the rarest car on the road wherever I go but it’s not worth more than $6k on a good day, I think that’s pretty cool. It’s in pristine shape and drives like new, has enough power to pass a good amount of modern cars on the road, and doesn’t look too dated IMO. In 3 years I’ve gotten 2 compliments on it.

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handymanshandle@reddit

My boyfriend had a 2003 Saab 9-3 sedan as his first car a while ago. He still misses it a lot, to the point where it directly influenced his decision into buying a compact sedan over a crossover to replace a Mazda CX-50 that he really didn't like. There's something about Saabs that nothing else can really satisfy today, especially if you had a 9-5 like me.

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TurkishSwag@reddit

Absolutely!! I’ve never driven anything that feels quite like a Saab, one of the most unique driving experiences to be had in a <300hp car IMO.

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TheRussness@reddit

I've had a dozen fun project cars over my years. Told myself I'd never buy a Honda and I'd never buy an SUV.

My favorite of all time is my daily Acura MDX with 300k miles that starts every time.

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FroyoOk3159@reddit

I think the SUV hate needs to die down a bit. Modern ones drive like sedans and aren’t much heavier.

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T-Baaller@reddit

Not until the eye-fucking headlights are dropped down in mount height (don't kid yourself about "aim", the only way to keep a high-mounted LED from fucking oncoming eyes is to aim it wholly into the ground and no one does that)

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TheRussness@reddit

"its a truck that can't truck, a van that can't van, and a car that can't car. I don't need 7 seats to go to the grocery store"

Is what I told myself.

I removed all the rear seats so I could go yard saling, and since I moved to the American south so I like being able to haul or tow without looking like one of the many, many, truck obsessed public down here.

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FroyoOk3159@reddit

Life is too short to worry about how people like your car. Enjoy it if one works well for you. I’ve been considering a mid size pickup myself.

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TheRussness@reddit

It's less about them judging me and more about them accepting me lmao.

These towns are very chatty, and the good ol boy mall crawler crowd is not one I want approaching me with interest.

Same reason I'll never own a Jeep.

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GordonShumwaysCat@reddit

My 2011 Jaguar XF. V8, RWD. loved that car, but looking at a 3rd water pump replacement sealed the deal for me. Love lost

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gluten_heimer@reddit

2006 Nissan Titan. It drove great for a truck, was well-made, and had some really clever features including 180 degree opening extended cab doors and a dampened tailgate, things that still don’t come standard on new trucks. But it wasn’t a Chevy, Dodge, or Ford, so no one cared.

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benzguy95@reddit

Nissans trucks continually get overlooked even though they tend to be on par with and better in some cases than their competitors, and it’s really a shame because the 2nd Gen Titans (minus the diesel) and the Frontiers are very reliable trucks

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OldRed91@reddit

I have a '23 Mini Cooper SE (the fully electric one), and it is a blast to drive. The torque steer from that electric motor makes it feel rowdy but not uncontrollable. It actually has buttons and dials inside. Everyone ignored it because of the range, but it's fine for me.

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voidxleech@reddit

my 2002 toyota avalon. it was such a fun car and i didn’t take proper care of it as i was a dumb teenager. hah

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One_Ders@reddit

Sentra SER Spec-V….will always regret selling it

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OldRed91@reddit

Nissan needs to bring back a proper Sentra Spec-V.

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i-come@reddit

Renault Feugo Turbo my mum had when i was little-talking digital dash and all. Fabulous car.

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tacoslayer3000@reddit

Chevy ss

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cannedrex2406@reddit

While the car got a lot of attention as the Holden Commodore and Vauxhall VXR8, it's a shame Chevrolet didn't care to advertise it due to contractual obligations

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porterbrown@reddit

What obligations?

Car did seem cool though.

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fmjintervention@reddit

It's less that Chevy didn't advertise it due to obligations, and more that they only sold it due to being contractually obliged to sell it. Therefore if they don't really actually want to sell the car in the USA, they're not going to bother advertising it much if at all. The only real advertising they did for the SS was to make it their model of choice for NASCAR, but only because they didn't really have anything else to offer that fit the large sedan bodystyle. They pretty much just did the bare minimum, ie have a few in dealers and make it possible to order them and that was about it.

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bearded_dragon_34@reddit

It didn’t need advertising and it got plenty of attention.

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0peRightBehindYa@reddit

I've got a Caprice (the cheaper, trailer park uncle of the SS). I absolutely love this fucking car. Yes, the engine still has the DOD intact and is a ticking time bomb, but to me it's still the perfect car: 4 doors, huge trunk, cavernous interior (seriously, there's more legroom than my Panthers), Chevy LS under the hood pointing the correct way and driving the correct wheels...

One sec....

Sorry. Had a moment there.

Anyway, I'll never understand why the G8 and the SS weren't more popular. American car buyers are stupid.

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cereal7802@reddit

The G8 and SS were popular, just with a very small subset of people. The people who bought them. I have yet to hear of an owner of one who didn't like the cars who is isn't a millionaire youtuber....

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cereal7802@reddit

I'll counter your Chevy SS with Pontiac G8. It was a great car. I loved the damn thing and if it had a better owner, it would still be alive today. The SS only seemingly came about because GM needed to do something with the platform of G8 after they stupidly killed Pontiac.

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Bld556@reddit

Nah, the Chevy SS looked like a bloated Malibu.

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Linton_M@reddit

Imagine one on the 9th gen Malibu body style

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GimmeChickenBlasters@reddit

I wish my only criteria for what makes a car good was styling. I would have SO much more money.

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Bld556@reddit

Like it or not, "styling" & perception matters, especially with a high performance vehicle. And the bland, mundane "styling" of the Chevy SS is exactly why it was a major flop sales wise.

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krunkpunk@reddit

That’s like, the best part!

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Bld556@reddit

LMAO!

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97PG8NS@reddit

I would love to get one in white, take off the SS badges and get the license plate 'RENTAL'.

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stoned-autistic-dude@reddit

I lose my mind every time I see one so I’m doing my part. Love when they have Holden badge swaps, too.

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SirLoremIpsum@reddit

Love when they have Holden badge swaps, too..

I just want a meetup between an Aussie Bogan that out Chevy badges on his SS Commodore to meet a Yank with holden badges on his Chevy SS

"It's an American V8"

"Yeah but it's an Australian car"

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kaxikayima@reddit

1980 alfa sud ti… bought it in 96 from my first mcdonalds paycheck , and sold it few months later to throw a farewell party before going to army… if i only kept that car😢 . It had it’s problems, but when it was running, it was magnificent. The sound from exhaust was amazing.

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pfthr0w@reddit

I had a 2013 GS350 awd that I had for 6 years which was a phenomenal car. It was really the ultimate car for me and I honestly wish I still had it. I had a tune on it and the car never had any issues in relability.

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cannedrex2406@reddit

I didn't know you could tune the 3.5 2GR. How much more power did it make?

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chemistocrat@reddit

Guaranteed not much more than stock, tuning the 2GR-FSE is an exercise in futility and wasted money for insignificant power gains.

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Ran4@reddit

bad at basically nothing

Uh.. it's a weird body shape (sedan) that drinks 15 liters of fuel per 100 km.

Great at many things though.

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pfthr0w@reddit

It was the rr racing tune, I cant remember. I also had a sprint booster which changed the throttle response dramatically that really improved the feel.

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shloppin@reddit

Still fairly nice on the eyes too if you kept the exterior well maintained.

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Upset-Combination235@reddit

toyota corolla KE70, wagon,
A truly good small sized wagon to getaround ,
Also my true workhorse .,
Mitsubishi galant 1996

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DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit

I had to google that Corolla, because I don't know their chassis codes by heart. But after seeing a picture of it, I know exactly which model you're talking about. They're quite rare to see on the road for me, but those are cool little wagons for sure....especially when they're modified JDM-style.

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Upset-Combination235@reddit

that what i had, no big mods just bit lower and some jdm wheels, .

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XNH2@reddit

Volvo s70 t5 manual. Way more fun than everyone expected. Wish I still had it.

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handymanshandle@reddit

Close friend of mine has one and it's honestly cool. That turbo-5 sounds so damn good.

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mightandmagic88@reddit

6th gen Monte Carlo with the 3.8. Reliable, comfortable, and good gas mileage, it was just underpowered.

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Drunken_Hamster@reddit

Scion tC and now my 7th Gen Accord Coupe 6-6. Both can fit four 6ft-tall fat people, the tC has even better headroom despite ALSO having a sunroof, and the V6 Accord is a laughably underrated performance platform if you're smart enough to look for cross-compatible parts with its sister-chassis cars the 3G TL and the 1G TSX.

I also just loved Scion's general thing about "one trim level" because it meant that my car came with a lot of shit that would've been expensive and optional on other cars with multiple trims. With the tC you basically picked the color, the transmission, and whether or not you wanted the subwoofer upgrade for the radio, and that was it. Everything else was standard.

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TP_Crisis_2020@reddit

2004 Saturn Vue with the Honda J35.

Quick, reliable, simple, and I wish I still had mine.

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MakesYourMise@reddit

mr2 spyder

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handymanshandle@reddit

About 2 years ago I bought a stick Saab 9-5 Aero wagon with the intent of fixing it up and potentially dailying it. Life priorities got in the way and it's unfortunately sat for a little while now, but damn does that thing drive so beautifully. It'll get its day of glory soon, I just need to align some stars.

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kyonkun_denwa@reddit

I kinda forgot you had a Saab 9-5 wagon.

My mom also used to have one of those, an Arc with the Ellesmere V6 (aka L81, aka B308E, aka 54° V6). It was automatic but I remember the Aisin transmission was VERY well tuned, and it was decently fun to drive. My dad had an Arc sedan but it was a later year with the B235. The manual transmission was slightly floppy and loose, almost like a French transmission, but it was probably the only manual I've ever driven that wasn't a total chore to drive in heavy traffic. That was actually his second 9-5, the first one was totalled in a horrific accident that my dad walked away from without a scratch, so of course he went out to get another. I loved both 9-5s. Above all they were very comfortable and human-oriented cars. They drove beautifully and didn't induce fatigue. I imagine the Aero would take all that good shit and turn up the turbo insanity (with an actual Saab engine, too).

Unfortunately for my mom her 9-5 was destroyed by a botched timing belt job. My dad's 9-5 made it to 15 years and 260,000km before he sold it to a Saab nut who was willing to put up with its little foibles (and the dude still drives it). Both my parents moved on to Volvos, I now drive my mom's old XC70. It's a very nice car and has a personality of its own, but there was just something so magical about Saab that even their Swedish rival couldn't replicate.

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handymanshandle@reddit

Yeah, I really wished I hadn't neglected it. I went into it knowing that it needed work, but a lot of different things happened throughout 2024 that put the kibosh on any plans to fix the 9-5 properly. Thankfully, things are changing in my life that should open the door for a proper restoration of it come next year. I'd really like to as it's difficult to find a stick Aero wagon, let alone one in what's effectively dark brown.

Was it the 4-speed or 5-speed that your mom's 3.0t had? I've driven the 5-speed auto in another Aero wagon and I thought the transmission was surprisingly good. I think the manual is better, but I also would have been perfectly happy with the auto; it suited the 9-5's character surprisingly well. I still want to drive a 3.0t, preferably one of the 02s or 03s when they had the 5-speed auto. And yes, 9-5s are shockingly comfortable. I guess they oughta be as they weren't particularly cheap when new, but they're both comfortable and fun to drive. I'd love to road-trip in my 9-5 again.

Now that I think about it, I do have some slightly relevant commentary on the old 54 degree V6, except in the form of the Saturn L300 wagon I had a while ago. I liked that engine, probably a lot more than most people. One of the more torquey DOHC V6s of the era. Mine never had any timing issues (instead it had major electrical issues... seems to be a major problem with the 04s specifically), but timing belts definitely took out a lot of the V6 L300s and 9-5 3.0ts.

And yeah, fully agreed, I like Volvos but Saabs are just wonderfully weird and special in a way that I don't think anything else is. I got to ride in a friend's manual S70 T5 and while I absolutely dig it, I don't feel like it was better than the 9-5 in any notable way, except for the exhaust note. The Saab 4-banger just doesn't hold a candle to Volvo's 5-bangers in sound, even in its relatively pedestrian late 90s T5 form.

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Jonr1138@reddit

I'm not sure if it should get more attention, but I should have kept mine.

2000 Nissan Xterra base model. 2wd, 2.4 liter 4 banger, 5-speed manual, manual door locks, manual roll up windows, no tilt steering.

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nebbish33@reddit

My 2008 Mazdaspeed 3...Loved it..fast, comfortable, semi-civilized, nice interior, great mileage for a performance car. So sad they never did another edition in the 2020s.

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DexRogue@reddit

I love my Dodge Charger Scat Pack. It's been incredibly reliable for me, gobs of torque to have fun in stop and go traffic, looks and sounds amazing, incredibly comfortable, the infotainment system is actually pretty great. I do have a few quirky issues from time to time with the uconnect but otherwise it's been incredibly reliable. It can comfortably haul four adults plus luggage and have almost 500 hp/tq and actually be reliable.

My two biggest gripes with the car is how the interior panels aren't glued together well so they start to separate. I'm seeing it on my car from 2017 with only 30k miles that is tinted and sits six months of the year in a climate controlled garage. The other is how easy it is to steal these things, it makes me worried driving it anywhere that I'll come out and it'll be gone. I have extra security but I'd at minimum have to deal with a busted out rear window.

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Gorehog@reddit

2003 Maxima 6 spd manual 3.5l

Fantastic car

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InterstellarDickhead@reddit

Around 2010 I was driving my grandfather’s 1984 El Camino, and people would comment about that thing everywhere. It was all original V8 with the cassette deck, gold exterior, and speedometer that topped out at 85. Great car.

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Darth_Firebolt@reddit

1995 Honda del Sol

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crazyjncsu@reddit

My parents bought me a Volvo 760 turbo. I eschewed it based on the fact that their sole criteria was safety. But man than thing was fun and cool.

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itsnottommy@reddit

My first car was a 2017 Chevy Sonic. Surprisingly engaging for a tiny American hatchback, and it had all the features you could dream of for a sub-$20k MSRP economy car. The interior was pretty utilitarian with lots of hard plastics but I didn't really care. It was good, honest, affordable transportation.

Just thinking about that car makes me sad about the state of the car market right now. There are barely any affordable small cars for sale. IIRC only the Versa is left, and it's going away soon. I'm glad I got to drive a subcompact while they were still around.

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JordKova@reddit

My 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse (all original, stock. And my square body K5 blazer.

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ChrisF12000@reddit

Pontiac Grand Prix.

Bullet proof engine, decent options, and decently fun.

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HemingWaysBeard42@reddit

I had a 2008 Honda Ridgeline for a while and while it wasn’t the best truck I’ve ever driven, it was by far one of the best automobiles. It had tons of storage, decent gas mileage, ample room for passengers, and was very reliable. As a daily driver and road trip car, it was great.

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CabernetSauvignon@reddit

I bought one as a beater while I renovated my house. I ended up liking it so much that it became our family activity vehicle. It has more than enough utility for outdoor and sports stuff. The AWD was shrewd in its operation for snow sports. And it was far roomier and more comfortable than any of the traditional BOF midsized trucks.

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HemingWaysBeard42@reddit

Yep, I pulled a small trailer with mine when moving into off campus housing, took it camping, road tripped, everything. The trunk in the bed was super convenient, as were the flip up rear seats. It absolutely cruised on the highway, too.

And you’re correct about the AWD. I lived in an area where roads did not get plowed/cleared regularly and the Ridgeline handled it all.

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ilikeCRUNCHYturtles@reddit

It’s the best all around midsize truck

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HemingWaysBeard42@reddit

I don’t have any experience with the newer ones, but I’ve heard great things. I feel like it’s severely underrated because it’s a Honda truck, but people are starting to come around.

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Ad_Astra5@reddit

Ngl you guys are starting to convince me

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cat_prophecy@reddit

Everyone I have ever met who owns a Ridgeline absolutely loves it. It's not your "typical truck" but that's what makes it great. It's 90% of a full size pickup and 90% midsize CUV. Repaired not being 100% of either of those, it's not really compromised in any way other than fuel economy.

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vwstig@reddit

It's as much truck as 95% of truck owners actually need.

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E36E92M3@reddit

I can buy that argument for the Hybrid Mavericks but I think the Ridgeline is pretty overrated here.

They're pretty much the same size, same price, same truck capability, and same gas mileage (~20ish) as the rest of the midsize truck market. Compared to SR5/XLT level trims, at least.

You trade all offroad capability for a few more inches of rear passenger space and more car-like driving. But tbh with all the midsize trucks slowly moving to coils on the rear I think even that advantage is going away soon.

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FourEverGreatFull@reddit

Tailgate opens sideways too, perfect for Costco runs.

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ucegang10@reddit

Galant vr4, the evo 0

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retiredrebel@reddit

My 09 Honda Accord v6 coupe. She was a powerful beauty. Broke my heart when Honda discontinued them.

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Geoarbitrage@reddit

My 94 Honda VX. The car was 11 years old when I inherited it from a deceased uncle. I thought it was a bic lighter and I’d get a few years out of it. I drove it for 17 years. The fuel estimate on the car was 49 city & 55 highway. I wish I did some rust prevention (Northern Ohio) on it but it still had a long life.

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Firm-Rest1860@reddit

My black/black Range Rover Sport has gotten way more positive comments from friends than any other car I’ve owned. It’s a base SE and has the stock 19 inch silver rims, it’s not some blacked out or top trim riding on 22’s. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a really nice and very comfortable car, but I’ve owned way more unique cars like a classic Oxford Green BMW or a bright red AR, neither of which got the remarks this plain Jane one does. I just tell myself people must like SUV’s, or maybe it’s just the Range Rover effect.

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R_V_Z@reddit

1996 Ford Taurus. It deserved way more attention because people don't give it the recognition it deserves. I mean, it's at least a top-10 ugliest car ever made.

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Makeitquick666@reddit

My dad's Ford Focus.

It was the first decent car that we have after the practice car. It wasn't a great car, not even a good spec, but it worked, and for the first time we can think of trips that're multiple days' worth of driving away. It was vast for what it was, so we could lie and sleep at the back while our dad drove. Later on in life it did the same for my uncle's family.

It never had the thank that it deserved, mostly because at the time a car was so expensive that it's supposed to do everything. We never appreciated how good it was until we was gone.

There are things in my 408 that I missed from the Focus. It's a vastly superior car but there are little things that I missed

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bandi53@reddit

‘85 Mazda Rx-7 with the 12A.

Bought it when I was 17 (for $250) from a Mazda mechanic who told me it would never run again without a rebuild. I pulled the plugs, filled the combustion chamber with ATF, let it sit for a week and brought it back to life. I had that car for 11 years and it never let me down once.

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natternutter77@reddit

Kia stinger

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Sad_Wait7927@reddit

Pontiac Solstice

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p00trulz@reddit

I had an 05 CLK 320 cabriolet. It was an all around great car. Comfortable, practical and reliable.

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mrjbacon@reddit

I had a white 1995 Suzuki Sidekick 4-door with the pink splash factory decal down the sides in highschool in the early 2000's. I loved that car, but I had to scrap it because the frame rails were rusting through.

Also...

Everyone I knew called it the "Barbie Jeep". Even my parents. Sometimes my dad called it my puddle-jumper.

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ej102@reddit

6th gen Accord Coupe

Looked reminiscent of an NSX from behind. It's a shame the auto transmissions had issues. I had V6 model that treated me well.

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FreeTheMarket@reddit

I had one, the inline 4 with a manual.

Such a fun engine to ring out w/ vetch. The coupe was a fairly stiff chassis for the time and once you learned the car’s dynamics (how weight transfers and the limits of front wheel traction ie understeer) it was a really fun car to push hard in the twisties.

Only weighed 2800 pounds with 190hp I believe.

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captain-_-hindsight@reddit

01 Silverado with a 6.0 4L80E swap 4x4. Bought it for $1300 dollars with a blown head gasket. Decided to cam it, new heads, intake, switch to electric fans, different stall on the torque converter, and tune. That truck was a blast to drive around. Put a quality after market stereo in it, upgraded to the LT interior with heated leather seats and drove that thing for over 150k miles pretty much issue free. I miss that thing every day because I really didnt care if someone scratched, door dinged it, or got scratched from going down tight over grown dirt roads. Driving a newer nice truck I always worry about it.

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TremontRhino@reddit

GMC Syclone/Typhoon

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LonelyIndustry9030@reddit

Honda Element and Pontiac Aztek, both had a lot of features that were innovative and great for the price point. The Element had incredible spatial efficientcy and the Aztek and pretty neat features like a tailgate cup holders and a center console that could double as a removable cooler.

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chemistocrat@reddit

I definitely don’t disagree (I think both were/are attention worthy for several reasons), but both of those vehicles have enjoyed significant and quite enthusiastic followings for most of their lives, so I’m not sure they meet the “no one talks about them criteria.” Even though the Aztec was polarizing to the point of being panned early in its life before its more recent critical reassessment, it’s certainly always been a car people were talking about.

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ilikeCRUNCHYturtles@reddit

Volvo c30

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fredinNH@reddit

1999 Saab 9-3.

Powerful midrange turbo kick. Very stylish exterior (if you have good aesthetic taste). Supremely comfortable seats. Glorious real buttons. Ridiculous amount of space in the rear hatch area. More than a jeep grand Cherokee when both vehicles have their rear seats folded.

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hilldog4lyfe@reddit

Subaru Baja

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xselimbradleyx@reddit

My 1999 Honda Prelude

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keltorak@reddit

We loved our Honda Fit, but we outgrew it with 3 kids under 4 and 2 80lbs dogs. Being tight on money, we got a used 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander for $16k CAD. It's nearing 16 years old now and got us through everything we threw at it, no matter the weather or the road conditions.

We're never going to get near the $/year this beast cost us, even inflation adjusted. It's just been so cheap to keep it running.

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aaron416@reddit

I have a '19 Honda Insight and I love almost everything about it from the style to the size to the driver assist system. It has just enough technology to not be too much and plenty enough power, even though it's only 150hp.

Honda did not do themselves any favors by saying the transmission was an eCVT. It's technically correct, but really just a big electric drive motor. If someone sees CVT and thinks belts/pulleys, that's entirely not what they're getting. They really should have come up with a brand name or some other description, at the very least.

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motorcitydevil@reddit

My dads '95 Honda Accord coupe with the manual transmission. That car looked good, was reliable as relaiable gets and had some scoot from the VTEC. What a great car!

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TheRefurbisher_@reddit

Toyota Sienna

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nomptonite@reddit

Ahh yeah, the swagger wagon

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CorrectCombination11@reddit

People are still paying a bit over msrp for them. Toyota is the master or JIT.

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TheBolognaPony@reddit

If you are OK waiting, you can easily get below MSRP. I just got mine last month for a whopping $750 under MSRP after waiting 5 weeks. Didn't have to compromise on trim or color either. You're kinda screwed though if you can't wait, like if you're in an accident or something.

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DinoSharkBear@reddit

Which trim

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TheBolognaPony@reddit

Limited w/ AWD.

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TheRefurbisher_@reddit

My moms is still going at 100k miles, probably will last 3 times that.

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Morguard@reddit

100k miles is just getting warmed up.

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Skodakenner@reddit

The only car i had wich isnt really talked about much is my Mk3 octavia vRS loads of fun to drive super economical and reliable. Its the car r/cars thinks the Mazda 3 is

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porterbrown@reddit

Taurus sho?

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porterbrown@reddit

Neon srt4.

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orangebikini@reddit

I've had a 1.9 Citroën BX GTI and a 1.6 BX GTI, and I really don't get why those cars don't quite get the same attention as similar French cars from the same era. Like, they're not as good to drive in a sporty manner as a 205 GTI or a Renault 5 GT Turbo or something like that. But they're just so cool. Same engines as the 205, really quirky design, and of course the hydropneumatic suspension is always the ultimate quirk.

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LeftCoastGator@reddit

First-gen Acura Integra. Beautifully built, clean, attractive design, incredibly reliable, excellent fuel economy, fantastic engine and transmission, ergonomically perfect interior, shockingly roomy (particularly the rear seats), cavernous storage with the rear seats down, and most importantly, an absolute blast to drive.

Best all-rounder I’ve ever owned, and it’s not even close.

[-]

fcwolfey@reddit

Lowered and tuned stick shift golf alltrack. Bought brand new for $23k USD in 2019. Put about 1500-2000 into in and it went 0-60 in less than six seconds, got over 35mpg and i was able to tow our small boat with it. Sold it last year after 75k miles for $18k. Best daily I’ve ever had.

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Outside_Squirrel_839@reddit

AMC pacer

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fernandodasilva@reddit

Alfasud is the answer

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F50Guru@reddit

This is a very interesting thread, because it was the opposite for my 2005 Mazda Miata that I bought for $8,000 in 2017. As much I loved that car, it got probably more compliments and attention than it should have. Even in its darkest days after it was totaled from a tree and I just let it sit. Some kid tried complimenting me on it.

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pikemenson@reddit

The Mitsubishi Mirage Station Wagon. Many weekend trips were had in those and many babies were made in those too 🤣

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macgirthy@reddit

Gen V Viper. Aside from the loud and hot side exhaust, the seats are comfy and the car is super easy to drive. Its smaller than the current gen 911s and once you get used to the size the car wraps around you and it becomes 2nd nature driving it.

I took it on a track day at laguna seca with the shittiest pirelli p-zero grip tires and did well. There were a lot of butt pucker moments but the electronics saved me. I need to go back with slicks and better brake pads. Thing is a rocket ship that can handle with the best of them!

People get scared of this car but you just have to use common sense. Its like riding a 1000cc superbike, I have an S1000RR, if you dont respect it, you cant be in for a world of pain and death. The viper is like that to some extent, just gotta respect the power and know the cars limits and YOUR limits.

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buddylee@reddit

2010 Subaru legacy GT. I autocrosses it and rallyx it while it was also my daily driver. It's totally stock, has 170k miles on it and now my son is driving it. It wasn't the fastest, but it was perfect for having fun and hauling kids around from the age of 2-16.

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mbbzzz@reddit

I had an 05 Nissan Altima and I got it from a family member and kept it to 200k miles. It needed new motor mounts but I was young and dumb and just did the bare minimum on maintenance and later sold it for $1500. I wonder if I’d still have it if I did the required maintenance instead of getting into car loans.

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Nepz1lla@reddit

Honda Civic 8G 1.8

- very practical for hatchback

- very reliable, i think it still drives without any issues (I had it brand new)

- interesting design which stands out even today

- solid handling and was quite quick for just 140hp

It was my second car and I still miss it.

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detdox@reddit

Toyota Matrix XRS with 6mt and vvt engine

Acura TLX v6 sh-awd

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boogioogi@reddit

The kia stinger !

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97PG8NS@reddit

As far as fun to drive, nothing surprised me more than the 2008 Audi A3. But here's the kicker...the front wheel drive 4-cylinder handled better and was more fun than the Quattro with the 3.2 V6, I presume due to lower front end weight and better balance. That little thing was a go-kart.

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suicidekingdom@reddit

My 1990 accord that got me through college. I loved that car but I was a dumb teen and didn’t treat it properly.

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Chief_Brody131@reddit

When I was younger I had a 1986 Honda Accord LXi hatchback with a 5 speed manual. Now everyone knows that Hondas were reliable cars, but the hatchback model of the Accord had the added benefits of the fuel injected engine (not as common as now) with the practicality of a hatchback and the fun of being able to row through the gears on winding roads. It was quiet, comfortable and fun to drive. And it had pop-up headlights too like the Prelude. I could lift up the hatch, put down the split rear seats, and throw my bike in the back. It wasn't as cool looking as my brother's 2nd gen VW Scirocco, but still fun to drive and more reliable.

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beermaker@reddit

The $500 Chrysler Conquest I hooned for a couple weeks until I blew a radiator hose & sold it on for a grand. I already had a truck payment & a sled and quad that were money pits... I couldn't take up more garage space.

Looking back, I should've sold the toys and kept the rwd 5spd turbo coupe but I was young and dumb.

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pkeith1986@reddit

My '03 Subaru Baja. People ragged on it cause it was weird/ugly and it wasn't fun to drive even with the 5-speed manual, but that weird little truck got me through some tough times and awful winter storms and it NEVER broke down in the 10+ years I owned it.

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slaterson1@reddit

I had a Contour SVT and I always thought from a driving dynamics perspective it was criminally underrated. If I could find one that wasn't absolutely ragged out I would get another, fantastic car.

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stagarica@reddit

I'm oddly fond of the '08 Kia Rio5 I had for about a year. Thing was junk mechanically and laughed whenever I tried to gun it past 100 on the highway but it was wicked spacious, had decent fuel economy, heated seats... if I could own one again I'd definitely like a better maintained manual model; i'm sure it could at least hit 110 then.

That generation of Rio5 had a five speed option, and I remember my godmother driving one for over a decade with few issues. Pretty sure hers still drove good when she sold it. Love me a Rio5– and honestly a Kia in general. I think Kia (and Hyundai, honestly) make slick looking hatchbacks despite their mechanical shortcoming, frankly.

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CompetitionFalse3620@reddit

My 2011 G37X with over 240k, gave it to my brother. Most reliable car I ever owned.

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Falloutvictim@reddit

My first vehicle that wasn't a Honda was a GMC Yukon, and yeah they sell tons of them and they get enough attention, but I was plesantly surprised that my particular Yukon, a GM product, was the most reliable vehicle I'd ever owned, and again, that was coming from Hondas. Traded it after 10 years and 160K+ miles still running like a top and it only ever needed 1 brake change, couple sets of tires, wipers, and one headlight bulb, it literally never gave me a single issue. Cold AF AC, super comfy, very quiet NVH, and having a V8 was fun even though it wasn't particularly quick due to size and weight, but having displacement and low RPM torque makes for comfy cruising.

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Morguard@reddit

dodge neon srt 4

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DoctFaustus@reddit

77' FJ40.

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Threewisemonkey@reddit

Really should have taken the time to better sort my 95 Volvo 850 Turbo wagon before I used it as a daily and regularly drove it 85+ on the highway. Pulling into the fast lane, the pressure split an oil cooler line and dumped most of the oil before I realized what had happened. Left a trail like a stuck pig, and the oil pan was full of shredded metal.

Poor guy, he was quick and sketchy as hell. Sold for $600 and walked away.

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stav_and_nick@reddit

My family ran Chevy Impalas since the 90s lol

Decently comfortable, complete shit interior, but honestly? Very reliable in my experience. Even when they broke you could fix anything for like $50 and some silly string

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Unoriginal-@reddit

The Lincoln MKZ with the 3.0TT is basically the definition of a sleeper, similarly Ford Fusion Sport models were the only American sedans that you could get that were relatively modern and with AWD.

I also owned every version of the Fusion Sport

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Thecanohasrisen@reddit

93 mustang fastback lx 5.0 95 Ford f150 4x4 extended car xlt

Really dropped the ball on two modern day classics that I baught for under 6k for both.

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Lower_Kick268@reddit

When I was a kid my dad had a $400 280k miles shitbox Ford Transit van, had the Triton V8 that shot the spark plugs in it, we had so much fun in that van. We trash picked a couch and chair for it, we would take mini road trips on it, he put a bar on the front of it and a big LED light bar because it looked cool, used to junk it and hoon in it, it was an s-tier fun car. Best part is the junkyard gave him $500 for it when it was time to retire it, first gear was completely gone from doing burn outs in it, probably should have just put another transmission in and kept it but it is what it is.

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SirMoistalot@reddit

Mitsubishi Minicab, kei trucks are super rare in the UK!

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Fit_Equivalent3610@reddit

I didn't own one but the 2nd gen Fusion Sport (2.7 V6TT/auto/AWD) that I rented was pretty great, reminiscent of the SHO in a way. It's just a family sedan with a reasonably comfy, decently-put-together interior, except that it has 375ft lbs and a torque curve that looks (or at least feels) like a plateau.

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