I live in a walkable city and I am an insufferable snob about it. It's really nice being able to just go outside and get groceries. No traffic. No parking. No fuel. No insurance. No maintenance.
I like boxy cars, they're big on the inside. And the small boxy ones don't feel small.
I had a 2005 Honda Element for many years, and it just started falling apart. The car itself was worth less than the fix, so I got rid of it, but I got used to no car payment, so I decided I wouldn't pay more than $300/month. Found this car for 10k. Perfect.
I like it. It's slow to gain speed, but I'm not trying to out speed anyone. It also fits my giant 112lb dog no problem. It's comfy, and though most would now think it's old tech-wise, it was a major improvement in tech compared to my previous car.
2013 Toyota 86. My parents bought it for me when I lived in Perth. Love it to death: the looks, the way it drives everything. Since moving to Melbourne It's been sitting in a parking spot for 6 months. I feel terrible for it. If anyone knows any nice places to take it for a day trip or a couple day city getaway I'd love to know.
So much makes it mine but if I had to pick one thing it's the work I've done on it. I've done services, given it new wheels (after crashing and wrecking the old ones lol) and replaced parts. One particular thing I really enjoyed doing was getting a replacement throw-out bearing for it. A big moment for me was arguing with my dad about what was causing problems; listening to my gut over his advice and doing a massive job of taking out the gearbox and clutch. Im still riding the high I felt when I saw that rusted fucked up throw-out bearing. So happy that I managed to do such a big replacement part job without any issues.
Bought it because I don't fit into a Miata. I like having a more powerful engine too.
I'd like to eventually buy an EV, but modern cars suck. They're too big and handle like shit because of their size and electric steering. I want something small and nimble that is reasonably fast and handles like a dream; the 350Z checks all of those boxes. Literally point the car where you want to go, and it just goes there, even with all the driver assists turned off. I see why it's a popular drift car.
While I don’t like whatever rabbit hole Musk went down , this is the nicest car I’ve owned. It’s quiet, quick, nice sporty handling, love the glass roof, and it’s a gadget lovers dream. While it is the most expensive car i’ve owned, I got both federal and state incentives so not by much. Most of all I can charge at both home and work so never need visit a gas station again.
Yes the panel gaps are normal and straight. No I don’t notice any different performance, reliability, or range in the cold. Yes, superchargers are plentiful around here so my 1,200 mile roadtrip was no problem
But, if I was forced to choose, I'd go with an RV, and then live out of it. No in-between. Why?
I have two preferred modes of living. One is without a car in a walkable area. The other is with a car, and my house is attached to the car. Everybody already gets walkable cities, but having an RV would warrant the freedom to be able to bring all of my possessions anywhere I want, whenever I want. For practicality, I'd use a motorbike for travelling after parking the RV. This is the only way I could own a motor vehicle--it must serve a purpose beyond merely moving a few people and objects between point A and point B. Else, I don't want one.
The only cars I've been at all interested in otherwise are old Honda Stepwgns, the Peel Trident, station wagons, and, indeed, motorcycles. Still see no point in these when a hypothetical RV would be much better for a solo road trip, and when I can go on a vacation via plane or another friend's car. I'm not going out alone.
I don't like single-use items. I prefer everything I have be as multi-purpose as possible.
EDIT: I should probably clarify I would live out of an RV. It's not just a hypothetical alternative, it's something I'm considering.
2016 Hyundai Accent. It was cheap and what I could afford. I will run it into the ground before I get another one. She works and she's tough. She got me across country with a full trailer attached to her and is just fine. She's filthy, but she is mine. And I love her.
2015 grand caravan. Great family car, two reason it's not a Honda or Toyota, 10 000$ price difference at the time that my low mileage does not justify but the main point is the stow and go. It turn the family car into a light cargo in seconds.
I never wanted a truck, but with home ownership and Saskatchewan winters I learned early enough that they do come in handy for renovations and such. Also, the older I get, the less I want to groan getting into and out of a vehicle, so the higher the ride, the better for my back.
But I still didn't want to go full truck (half-tonne). So I compromised and got a quarter-tonne. Useful enough for day to day stuff, but with a V6 engine isn't really any worse on fuel than your average SUV.
2013 VW Golf-R - it's paid off and runs like a champ but I'm looking forward to replacing it some day with something like a used Tychon. Never buying an ICE car again with any luck. I love the Golf-R because it's fast enough to be fun but still somewhat economical and handles well enough as a daily. It gets me around town and up to the mountains without any trouble.
2022 Polestar 2 with all the options. I think the Polestar is super cool, and I didn’t want to replace my Tesla with another Tesla. I got it used last August for $36k, because used rentals were flooding the market. This car goes for $70k new, but it is not worth anywhere near that
I was driving a 2004 Chevy cobalt, it was paid off and the motor wouldn’t stop working, that’s all the good that could be said about it, everything else was falling apart. One day the AC stopped working, so I went to roll the manual window down, and the handle came off in my hand. I decided I was done. I knew I wanted at least a hybrid, preferably a plugin hybrid, maybe a full EV if the price was right. They are way more efficient than a traditional ICE, and with less maintenance. I knew I also wanted cooled seats, summer’s in the southeastern US can be brutal.
It happened to be near the end of the year, the dealership was in the process of unloading the 2024 model cars, and they only had 2 2023 models left that fit my requirements, so I got a brand new car with options for less than base MSRP, and I completely skipped the hybrid / plug in hybrid phase.
We were until recently a one car household (my wife and I both work from home). So I drove a 2019 Toyota Camry. Why? Because that's what my wife wanted.
My sister got a new car so I bought her old one off of her so I could have a backup on the rare times we needed two. It's a 2012 Ford Fiesta. Why? Because it was cheap ($2k) and it gets good gas mileage. I also like the car because I'm a minimalist at heart. It's very simple and I like that.
Daily: 2011 Subaru STi wagon. It’s fun, speedy, has excellent traction for the mountains and snow where I live, and can transport 4 people with snowboarding gear.
Fun: 1955 Caddie. My great uncle bought it new so this is nostalgic.
Moto: 1982 Yamaha XS650. I use this for joy rides in the mountains and to save on gas
It's a relatively small car, but bigger on the inside, allowing my 6.5 feet (1.98m) and considerable bulk to sit comfortably and commute a route where sadly public transit isn't an option. It's only drinking 5.5l per 100km (4.277 42.77 mpg) and I have had good experiences with that model in the past in regards to the cost of maintenance.
I can go 200km/h (125 mph) (downhill and with a tailwind) and the sporty features (manual transmission, sports suspension, sports seating, stronger engine and spoiler) are really nice when going quickly around corners on country roads or speeding down the Autobahn.
1997 Mazda Miata. Simple, reliable, easy to repair, incredible aftermarket support, huge community with a ton of knowledge, and an absolute joy to drive.
A 2005 Seat Leon TDI. It was cheap, uses little fuel and is reliable. In the summer I drive our 1988 Trabant 601. It's fun and tiny, but definitely not reliable.
Though after moving to a bigger city from the countryside, my main modes of transportation have become my bike and a tram, the car is only for when I visit my parents where no public transport goes
2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder. Bone stock except for a LSD I dropped in when a bearing grenaded in the transaxle. It was my daily driver for a long time.
2003 Subaru WRX. It was my daily before the MR2, but I blew the head gaskets around 200k miles and got the MR2 while I rebuilt it. It's now lifted, running a 2.5l ej25 with the stock 2.0l heads. It's become my fun car that I use to tow stuff with and take out when the snow makes the 2-seater convertible impractical.
But now we mostly drive my girlfriends 2022 Honda Accord Hybrid. It's bare bones low end model, but she likes it.
A bike is my preferred method of transport. Just a simple 3x7 steel hardtail mountain bike. It keeps me in shape and can go just about anywhere.
When I have to drive, a manual Subaru tends to be my ride: Capable, reliable, and fun I guess. I also use an ebike if I have to haul a lot but don't want to drive.
If it's going to be in city only, the old Honda Fit is hard to beat functionally: Easy to park, very maneuverable, and lots of storage.
I got it one and a half years ago as my first car after getting my license at 35.
As a first car it is very luxurious, as a daily driver at 35 it is comfortable but highly annoying (every cabin control is either in the infotainment, or on touch surfaces (some without lighting) which forces you to take you eyes off the road to set cabin temp, Turn on heated rear window, turn on heated seats and more).
I originally bought it because a german luxury saloon wasn't big and unpractical enough and I've dreamed of a pickup truck like that since I was a kid but then I started my own business and now I'm using it as my work truck, hauling tools and construction supplies.
I drive a 2018 Subaru Forester. I got it because I wanted a SUV with AWD and a turbo charger. My previous vehicle was a Camaro, and while I loved driving it, having a RWD car in the winter sucks, and I had recently bought a house, so having a vehicle that can carry more than just groceries made sense.
I was driving the Camaro around Xmas time and there was a light dusting of snow on the highway. I hit a patch of it and started to fish tail, and that scared the hell out of me, so I traded it for the Forester the following fall. The Forester has handled any conditions I've come across so far like a champ, including heavy rain, snow, ice, and muddy hillsides.
Trading the Camaro in and getting the Forester marked the transition (in my mind) from being a young adult, to becoming an older, more sensible one. I was driving home from work one day, and a Camaro passed me on the highway. I couldn't help but sigh and ask myself why I had to get old. The Forester is a good vehicle and very nice (got the XT Touring package), but the Camaro was way more fun to drive, and I still miss it. I'd like to get another sports car in the future, but we'll see if that happens.
2021 Chevy Bolt. Traded in a 1999 beater for it during the gas pipeline crisis. It's a wonderful, simple, cheap car. I haven't had any issues with it - it just gets the job done. I charge it for free at work every week or two, so I don't even have to pay for fuel. I figure I'm gonna drive it til the bottom rusts through or the batteries die.
Unless you buy a domestic car, there's an import duty of 70-100% in Malaysia, so if you want to avoid that you can basically decide between Proton and Perodua.
I don't care about cars whatsoever, so was checking for used models of either brand (less than 4 years old, max 30k km down) and found a good deal on this one.
1999 Ford F350 crew cab, long box diesel. I sometimes need to tow a heavy trailer and turns out most rental trucks don't allow towing, getting them scratched or any of the other reasons to own a truck. I have had it for about 15 years and put maybe 40k miles on it, so it isn't worth having any other car. Besides that 7.3 is the best engine Ford ever made.
2008 F350 Diesel. I'm a farmer so there's a good chance there will be something covered in oil/shit/blood/ice/mud or combination thereof in the box at any given time. I can put a pallet of seed or a 1000L tote of fertilizer in the back. And I can pull a 35' flat deck loaded with bales with it. And honestly it gets fairly good mileage on the highway when its empty. It has about 1100km of range on a tank if I keep my foot out of it.
I'd love an electric that does what it does, but that's a pipedream for a few years yet. Maybe when I've driven this into the ground it'll be a thing.
When I was stationed in Germany with the US military in 2010, I wrecked my car in a blizzard. It was totaled; I couldn't drive it anymore and I needed to get to work every day, so I dropped cash on a used 2006 Mazda 3. It was a 5-speed manual and was in immaculate condition. The former owner had detailed journal entries and receipts for every bit of maintenance they'd ever done. They were only selling it because they had more cars than they needed at the time and they needed some quick cash.
Fast forward to 2020... I was stationed in Nebraska and my Mazda 3 was finally showing its age. I had driven it across most of Europe and half of the US, and its mileage was approaching 200K. I was in the market for a new car.
I found myself "deployed" to South Carolina for 4 months during the pandemic, and while I was there, my wife called me up and asked if I wanted her to buy a new car for me. Apparently, some married friends of hers bought a brand-new 6-speed 2017 Mazda 3 Touring Edition as their daily driver to college classes. But their entry to college was delayed a few years, then the pandemic hit and all classes moved online. So it was just cluttering up their garage. They had 5 cars and hardly drove any of them, so they decided to sell 4 of them during the pandemic.
The 2017 Mazda 3 had only 7,000 miles on it. And they sold it to me for $17K cash. It was a helluva deal! I sold my 2006 Mazda 3 to a coworker and my wife bought the 2017 version for me. And I've been driving it since. It's way nicer than my older version, and the previous owners had even paid for some upgrades to the base car.
I'm retired now, since 2022, and I don't need to drive as much as I used to, but I always take my 2017 Mazda 3 when I leave the house. I enjoy cruising around in that car. It's not a super fancy luxury car, but it's the nicest car I've ever owned. I'm hoping I can get a solid decade or more out of this car before I need another one.
It's reliable and convenient and has every feature I need or want.
It's got pretty good adaptive cruise control, good cargo capacity, including seats folding flat so that my large dogs can fit comfortably. It's got AWD and additional traction and hill features. It can tow my boat. It's got a pretty good sound system. Heated seats and steering wheel (a necessity for those of us with Raynaud's ). Two buttons for memorizing seat settings. Backup camera. High clearance. All kinds of pros and the only con is mediocre gas mileage.
I expect it to last for a very long time. It's just practical all around. And I don't need to drive it terribly much, so the gas mileage isn't a big deal for me.
2008 BMW 328i. I bought it used back in 2011 and it still cost almost as much as I made in a year at that time, but I really wanted it and otherwise I lived very modestly.
It's such a fun car. I have the manual transmission and the sport suspension, and I love driving it. With that said, it's not a practical car. Only I can drive it because no one else in my family knows how to drive a manual, and the sport suspension makes the car quite uncomfortable when going over any bumps. (I tell passengers "I paid extra for that" while driving through rough areas.) Oh, and forget about driving it in snow. I tried that and spun off the road several times before learning my lesson.
This car is almost 17 and while it was quite reliable for most of that time, now it's at the point where everything is breaking all at once. I refuse to replace it because I can't justify buying another rear-wheel-drive manual-transmission sporty car (one of the very few models still built like that) either to other people or to myself, but I still want to own that sort of car. I guess I'll keep spending more than it's worth on it... I just spent $340 that way today.
When I was buying a new car I wanted three things:
Manual transmission
Hatchback
All-wherl drive
Turns out there were only three cars that checked those boxes in the US for manufacturing year 2019: a Ford Focus RS (too expensive), a Mini Cooper Countryman (too Mini Cooper), and a Subaru Crosstrek. So I got the Crosstrek.
I needed a car I could be homeless in if needed, and it was the only manual I could find at the price I needed. It can carry just about anything in the back (including a motorcycle), and it's AWD. I've taken it on a ton of adventures across the country, will be very sad when it's time to move on
2020 Hyundai Elantra SEL 50k miles. After the Impala’s electrics started going out at 200k I wanted a vehicle that I knew the maintenance history of. I got a good deal on a demonstrator model with 3k miles on it, right before the market went to hell – I figured it would and I needed transportation because I went back to work.
I just needed a go box, but wanted car play. I knew the Elantra was one of the best selling cars, so in the long run parts would be available. I took a gamble on the CVT transmission because it’s Hyundai’s first go at it with this model, but all my other options were CVT.
It’s still a young vehicle, but it’s standard change oil and make sure it has fuel. That’s what I wanted.
My other half is more progressive. A belt-driven long range e-bike charged by solar.
Traded in my 11 WRX for it after Subaru tried to dick me around on a warranty claim. It's got 128k on it now and it's been rock fuckin solid dependable outside of the gas tank sucking itself inside out lol. Ford handled that.
2015 Honda Civic SI - best sports car I could get for the price. Great value car; still running perfectly almost 10 yrs later (afaikct). The interior was also much better compared to others.
Probably not getting a new car ever due to all the "smart" features cars come with that I really don't like.
I wanted an old school Mercedes, but the old 90s S Class would have been too expensive to run so after a bit of research, I came across the W210 and then I realised than a W211 was within reach.
So I bought it. Been a bit of drama with it. 2 fender benders, parts and maintenance. I DIY a good bit and I am happy with my decision. Gone cross country three times with it and daily drive it on my job which involved driving around 200 miles a day. It's comfortable, fast, and quite reliable.
I am happy with my decision till a light comes on the dash. Still, cheaper than car payments.
dodge grand caravan. main reason is my wife has a large amount of medical issues and the captains chairs have the longest time till pain for her along with it being at this sorta perfect but height such that you don't have to lift into it but you also don't drop onto it. Its also super versatile and for a non car vehicle gets decent gas mileage. unfortunately they killed it to push their pacifica whos seats are not as good. we need to check out some of the others like honda or toyota now. on the upside if they work out. way better reliability.
A Ford F-150. Where I live it just makes sense for every family to have one truck, so I have the truck while my wife has the more sensible / fuel efficient Honda.
Currently no car and relieved I don't need one any more.
Before that - Suzuki Vitara. As far as new cars went in 2019, it was the best choice for a small AWD SUV.
2017 lincoln MKZ. Got it used for about 26K, just before used car prices went nuts during covid. So comfy, huge trunk too. Glad i went with used luxury as opposed to something brand new, barely had 40K miles on it and was in great shape.
Our family car is a 2005 Acura MDX. Best snow car I've ever driven, seats 7. Got it in 2013 with 68k miles. Now has 152k, only work I've had to do to it is routine maintenance. That did include the timing belt replacement and I wish every motor was engineered like that one.
We got it because of the "seats 7", known good safety and AWD performance, and low mileage. The price was right and it remains one of my favorite purchases yet. It's not very efficient but it's powerful as hell which is really nice in the Colorado mountains.
I have a lot of outdoorsy hobbies and am an avid DIYer, so I need something with room for gear/lumber/etc. a roof rack to strap on my kayak or other bulky gear, a trailer hitch to tow small trailers or put a bike rack or basket on to carry a cooler and such when there's no more room in my trunk, and some space for friends and/or my dog. Some ground clearance is nice for when I find myself on shitty deeply rutted dirt roads, and 4wd for when I drive onto the beach to go fishing. I'm also an essential worker (911 dispatch) who has to be able to get to work in the snow, and I work a weird shift that sometimes has me commuting before plows have been through.
I don't really go "off roading," I'm not going out looking for mud and Rocks to go driving over for it's own ŝako, but I do sometimes, in the course of whatever else I'm doing, have to drive off the road.
I also sometimes camp in my car, and it's nice to be able to fit an air mattress in the back, it's a bit tight but it works.
It's also the used car I could afford when my previous one got totaled on me.
My previous cars have been roughly the same sort of midsized SUVs- 2000 Isuzu Trooper (I really loved that car) and 2007 Chevy Trailblazer (it did everything I needed to but I was less of a fan, nothing in that car was quite where I thought it should be) so I've kind of dialed in that that's the right size vehicle for me.
Ideally I'd like to have a small EV for most of my daily commuting and errands, and then a (small) 4x4 pickup truck for when I need it. Something like the old ford rangers (the new ones are bigger than I need) with an extended cab (not a full crew cab, just some back jump seats) and a 6 or 7ft bed. The maverick shows some promise, I'm hoping they add a midgate when they refresh it in a couple years.
But I don't have the parking space or budget for 2 cars, so the midsize suv is kind of the compromise I'm stuck with.
My family has always had good luck with Toyotas, and I like my 4runner well enough, if I had the budget to be picky and needed a car, there's a good chance I'd be looking at 4runners, though unless my financial and parking situations get better my next car will probably be whatever 10+ year old midsized SUV comes my way when this one goes (still going strong though, slowly inching up on 200k miles and still no major issues)
I don't drive because I know I'll eventually hit someone, whether by my own fault or another's, and i don't want that on my conscience.
There's often a high chance at least one of any participants in traffic, regardless of the chosen mode of transportation, is truly dumb or having a dumb moment and will fuck something up for everyone else.
And I know that when a dumb fuck eventually crosses my path or I myself become one, I won't be able to handle the situation reasonably, so my chosen preventive measure is staying away from the wheel.
I don't have a car, but I sometimes drive my wife's car which is a Volvo S60.
Before I moved countries I had a green Opel Agila, and what made it mine was that I played in cash for it.
An obnoxiously bright Scion tC. I bought it while in college but can’t really afford to replace it now that it’s paid off. I’m going to 40 and still driving that thing, I swear. I’m just not willing to work 30 jobs to make rent, bills, and a car payment work.
I blew up my car on saturday and it was a very cheap shitbox that I could buy with cash on hand on a sunday to get to work Monday.
Im working my way through everything wrong with it upgrading as I go. If I make it through the problems list, then Ill have an amazing base to start adding horsepower and removing practicality once I get a new daily driver.
Our family car is a Nissan Murano. One of the few 5 seaters wide enough to fit 3 car seats. I also have a LWB Nissan titan that I love to death, but is always giving me shit, and I just don’t utilize enough to justify keeping. Once I fix what ever the hell is currently wrong with it it’s getting sold :(
My 2005 highlander has cost me nothing but tires, fuel and batteries. Oh, and a serpentine belt. Very reliable and gas efficient and doubles as a bit of a truck as needed.
I doubt I'll do this well on my next vehicle.
I've got a road bike for short distances and take the train for longer distances. For all other trips, I rent a car. On a normal year, this works out to zero times.
I drive a 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid because it was cheap and my city is too car centric to get away with no car. I walk more than I drive at least though
I wanted an old school Mercedes, but the old 90s S Class would have been too expensive to run so after a bit of research, I came across the W210 and then I realised than a W211 was within reach.
My daily driver is a 2020 Chevy Malibu. It is spacious, fast, and comfortable, and it gets pretty good gas mileage. About 30 miles per gallon on the highway and about 22 in the city.
I have a pickup truck, which is a 2004 f150. It's a good vehicle for hauling furniture or helping friends move or for the occasional camping trip. It's four-wheel drive. It has rear seats, and honestly other than the fact that it's a relatively slow vehicle and that it gets horrible fuel mileage at like 17 mpg combined, I enjoy having it.
Finally, I have a project / fun car, which is a yellow 1986 Jeep CJ7. Has the inline slant 6 4.2 258 motor, hardtop, and is constantly in need of repair, lol.
My hope is to have it finished up by summer and take it on a camping trip and go do a little off-roading, but for the most part it just sits in my driveway and looks beautiful.
My annual insurance runs about $2,800 for all three vehicles. If I got rid of two of them I could probably cut that down to 1200 or so.
Nisan Altima. Because I gave up driving for a decade, but then the pan happened and I was horribly isolated. I could only go to places I could reach on foot because I didn’t want to risk anything unnecessarily. After the vax arrived, I knew it was time to empower myself by having my own car again. I barely drive it, but I don’t have to fret about getting my cats to the vet or transporting large items anymore. And if another pan breaks loose, I’ll be ready.
I don't. I tried for the license but it's too hard and the instructor is an asshole. I hate the lack of control and pressure. I will never drive and that limits my life. We have a car at home but nobody uses it due nobody having a driving license. The times I have to go on early shift my uncle, angry, drives me to my job. I wish I would get fired already so I don't have to deal with this pressure