How we feel about cars

[Elan]

There have been a number of car threads lately, and being a car guy, I enjoy reading others thoughts related to automobiles. In particular, I am intrigued by how we see cars in terms of practicality, performance or even as reflections of our personalities.

As I've grown older, practicality has become a larger part of my decision making process when it comes time to buy a new vehicle. And yet, I can't let go of the "fun to drive" and "looks good in the garage" aspect. For instance, as my daughter got her license, we decided to let her drive my wife's old Honda Pilot as her first car. My wife wanted something smaller, so I started researching smaller SUV's -- a fun exercise for me. I'd pretty much decided that a new CR-V would be perfect. New design, all kinds of safety features, good mpg, decent enough looking, and best of all -- it was a reliable Honda. Had driven them and though they weren't fun to drive, it wasn't appallingly un-fun. Had gotten to the point where we were ready to pull the trigger at the local Honda dealer. Then, a low miles BMW X3 showed up on one of my favorite used car lots. Still had 2+ years of factory warranty and was white (favorite car color for both of us). Was about $6k cheaper than a new CR-V. We thought about it for a day after the test drive, and though I knew the Honda was a more practical choice, we bought the X3. Bottom line is that I just didn't want to walk out to the garage and look at another boring, practical, reliable Honda for the next 10 years. I'd give up some practicality and likely some $ in cost of ownership to avoid that.
So, how do you feel about cars? Basic point A to point B transportation? Gotta be cool, or I'm not gonna be seen in it. Somewhere in between? Are you willing to pay more to get something that inspires you in some way, or do you just want to get by with the lowest cost of ownership?

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[Luanne]

My favorite car, and I was single when I bought it, was a Toyota Celica. It was red and in it I owned the road. I kept that car after I got married to current dh, through our first and second children. I think it had close to 200,000 miles when we finally traded it in. I then always got the "Mom car", the Toyota Camry, Mazda 6, a couple of mini vans, and finally a Prius (after dh finally traded in his Mazda Miata for an Acura sedan). So, I've always gone for the more practical. I got rid of the Prius, which I loved, when we moved to Santa Fe and my Prius kept getting stuck in the snow. I now have a Honda CR-V which I am very happy with and plan to drive until it falls apart (or I do). It's red, so that relieve some of the "boredom". Dh continues with the higher end cars. He went from the Acura sedan, to an Acura SUV and now drives a BMW X5.

 

[klpca]

I commute about 40 miles round trip per day so fuel economy was the most important feature to me. Plus style. Plus being able to park in a tiny underground garage at the office. So, almost 7 years ago I got rid of my second Lexus and bought a 2012 red mini cooper. I haven't ever loved a car as much as I love my mini. I get 35+ mpg and so far have had two under-warranty repairs and maintenance only. The seats are comfortable and of course the handling is great. Lots of people want to talk about the mini...a lot of folks want one but are afraid of the expense. If you don't drive like your hair is on fire and are conscientious about maintaining it, it's a great daily driver. Of course I'm not driving kids around anymore so it works for me.

 

[taterhed]

Funny....we were all ready to buy the new CRV touring edition. Nice little SUV. Well done Honda.
But, I forced DW to drive all the mid-size SUV's. Didn't want her to regret or 'wish I had driven...'
Yeah. That was my downfall.
We drove the BMW X3 and pretty much fell in love with it.

She's very happy with the Bimmer. I loved the 6-cyl.....she really preferred the 4-cyl for her driving style.
It's a great vehicle. Fullly loaded, safe, m-sport with dynamic suspension and all. Gas is not that bad.

I was in the same spot as @klpca . Commuter with 2-3 hours a day in the car. Needed economy....wanted performance. Needed snow traction (some) but wanted handling.

Found an Infiniti Q50S hybrid. WOW. Love my car. It's tricked, handles like a dream...every safety feature known to man.
Gets around 30mpg on average.....and has around 375 HP. Eat's mustangs for lunch. (not that I do that)

you gotta luv what you drive. Keep in mind: my previous favorites were a Hyundai Tuscani, Volvo 240 wagon and (still) my old wrangler (my dog's fav...)

 

[DaveNV]

I posted a lot in the Kia thread about cars in my life, but to add here: Congratulations! A BMW X3 can be an awesome car to own. You'll enjoy it.

My daily driver is a 2015 Ford Escape 4WD, Titanium model. (Top of the line, basically all the options.) I got it for a great price as a lease return 3 years ago with only 5000 miles on it. After three years I've only put another 17000 miles on it. My roundtrip commute every day is only about 3 miles - all surface streets, and the hardest part is two stop lights and a four-way stop sign. The Escape is reliable, good in snow, good gas mileage, comfortable, and is a fine car, for what it is. As a ubiquitous smaller SUV, it looks like every other smaller SUV in town, but that's the nature of the beast. It's a fine car for how I use it, and I expect to be driving it a long time. As "grocery getters" go, it's a fine choice.

We just replaced spouse's overly-optioned 2012 BMW 3-Series 335i with a low miles 2014 Infiniti QX50. What a kick in the pants this car is to drive! More comfortable than the BMW to drive, but sight lines are better, engine response is awesome, and we both enjoy the heck out of it. The BMW was fine to have around, but it was difficult for passengers, and with things like blacked out windows and an awkward dash layout, I never enjoyed driving it.

The toy is my Porsche. I bought a 2000 Boxster S about eight or nine years ago just for fun. It's not a midlife crisis car or anything - this car was bought absolutely as a fun weekend plaything. I love driving it, and it turns heads everywhere I go. The car was a loaner at a golf course in Arizona for a long time, then brought up to Washington, where I got it from a dealership on a snowy day in January. They gave me a monstrous deal on it, and I drove away with a smile. (Who buys a convertible in Washington in January? This guy.

Dave, who now wants to go for a drive.

 

[Luanne]

Ooooh Dave, I like that Porsche.

At one point when we were looking for a new car for me (I ended up with one of our many Toyota Camrys) for some reason dh took me to a Jaguar dealer. I never did test drive one, but I sure liked that car.

 

[DaveNV]

Ooooh Dave, I like that Porsche.

Thanks! For being 19 model years old, the Boxster is holding up very well. It only has 53K miles on it, and it has never been abused. I'm very pleased with this car.

One thing I especially like about it is the excellent heater, so even on cooler days it gets driven. Several years ago we took it to Newport, Oregon, for a Valentines' Day long weekend. The weather was excellent for that time of year (mid-60s and clear - remarkable weather for Newport in the Winter.) We drove most of the way with the top down. On the way back we stopped and toured several wineries in the Willamette Valley near Portland, Oregon. It was a fantastic weekend.

Dave

This picture is from the area near Yaquina Head Lighthouse. Such an awesome view.

 

[slip]

When we moved out of town 15 years ago, we went for more economical cars to drive. We ended out with our Jeep Compass. 4 wheel drive for our winters, still good gas mileage, we like it. My wife had a convertible but after a bad snowy winter she also got a Compass.

Our third car is our play car, an old Jeep Wrangler. As soon as it gets warm, the doors come off and the top stays down. It’s fun and we get a ton of compliments when we ride in it.

 

[vacationhopeful]

I was having a rough patch in life .. downsized just months before I qualified for my 10 year defined pension plan, did 12 months in an MBA program full time, started a percentage rate consultant's job at a DE corporation (blue oval) and acquired a new BF who after a year plus of dating, came to work and told me at lunch, he got MARRIED over the weekend (aka Weird Larry).

I went and got myself a used White 944 Porsche. And named it Zoom-Zoom. The cash parking lot attendant ... insisted I deserved a parking space NEXT to his guard shack .. at no extra cost. And within several months, got myself a new boyfriend ... 10 years younger than me. He and I did multiple live concerts ... U2 and Springsteen from D.C. to Canada via PHL, NYC, Boston, NC, etc.

There is a warm spot in my heart for Porsches and Springsteen. And I regularly run across Weird Larry's first wife, whom he married and divoriced YEARS before I met him. We smile that smile of "Comrades" .. but it could also be because our fathers had the small town same job AND us daughters were required to get certified in our father's career. She is NOW the county head of that department.

 

[DaveNV]

Our third car is our play car, an old Jeep Wrangler. As soon as it gets warm, the doors come off and the top stays down. It’s fun and we get a ton of compliments when we ride in it.

Nice car. I like the honu spare tire cover. Cool!

Dave

 

[slip]

you gotta luv what you drive. Keep in mind: my previous favorites were a Hyundai Tuscani, Volvo 240 wagon and (still) my old wrangler (my dog's fav...)

View attachment 7889

Molly’s favorite is the Wrangler too.

 

[x3 skier]

Bought my first BMW X3 in Munich in 2005. Still have it with 149000+ miles on it with only regular maintenance required plus a couple on minor oil leaks fixed with new gaskets. Two years ago, I bought another new X3, unfortunately not available for European delivery anymore, and unfortunately also not available with standard transmission.

I’ll probably have both of them semi-forever.

Cheers

 

[Sea Six]

Most of my adult life I've owned both a Corvette and a small 4X4 pick-up truck. Lately I've been getting a CUV instead of the pick-up. I still have a Corvette, but my practical car is a Mazda CX-5. My wife drives a Miata. The Mazdas are fun to drive!

 

[baf99]

Up until 10 years ago my favorite was a 1989 Ford Probe GT. First year out and hard to get with the 5 speed. It was fun to drive and it did get some stares because it looked so different than anything else. 10 years ago I got a Volkswagen GTI red, 2 door, 6 speed. Definitely fun to drive and it has serious acceleration which I enjoy using. It isn't too much on style since it looks a lot like an economy car. I was really looking at the Infinity G37 coupe at the time but going from an Explorer I just couldn't get a car that barely had room in the trunk for a weekend suitcase. So I went with fast rather than fast and stylish. Now I'm going to go with an SUV again since I hope to start (mostly) full time travel next year. As my life changes so does my ride. I'm going to miss watching the other cars disappear in my mirror as the light turns green, though.

 

[Steve Fatula]

A car is something to reliably get me from point A to point B. They are way overpriced, like timeshares.

We run them into the ground, 15 years or more each. Current vehicles are a 2006 Prius and a 2017 Chevy Volt which gets us anywhere we go (except trips) via electric supplied by our home solar system. The Volt replaced a 2000 CRV.

The money we have saved not buying new cars every 3 years (as many we know do) has more than funded the timeshares.

 

[Talent312]

Up until 10 years ago my favorite was a 1989 Ford Probe GT.

Many years ago, my ex said she would never drive a car called a "Probe."
So instead, I bought a red Pontiac that went too fast and collected speeding tickets.

These days, I just want a functional vehicle that lets me lord it over little sedans.
Hence, my SUV (Rav4) with in-dash GPS (so I never need to ask directions again).
.

 

[taterhed]

Bought my first BMW X3 in Munich in 2005. Still have it with 149000+ miles on it with only regular maintenance required plus a couple on minor oil leaks fixed with new gaskets. Two years ago, I bought another new X3, unfortunately not available for European delivery anymore, and unfortunately also not available with standard transmission.

I’ll probably have both of them semi-forever. Cheers

The X3 BMW delivery experience and performance driving class was very much a great time in South Carolina.
It's not Deutschland delivery......but it was a real hoot.

That was day that they had a freakish ice storm in Feburary in SC. We got to drive the track with ice and snow and ice on the skid pad.
Honestly, drifting on the ice in an M3 on the skid pad.......WOW

 

[taterhed]

Up until 10 years ago my favorite was a 1989 Ford Probe GT. First year out and hard to get with the 5 speed. It was fun to drive and it did get some stares because it looked so different than anything else. 10 years ago I got a Volkswagen GTI red, 2 door, 6 speed. Definitely fun to drive and it has serious acceleration which I enjoy using. It isn't too much on style since it looks a lot like an economy car. I was really looking at the Infinity G37 coupe at the time but going from an Explorer I just couldn't get a car that barely had room in the trunk for a weekend suitcase. So I went with fast rather than fast and stylish. Now I'm going to go with an SUV again since I hope to start (mostly) full time travel next year. As my life changes so does my ride. I'm going to miss watching the other cars disappear in my mirror as the light turns green, though.

Drove an R32 Golf. LOVED that car. Couldn't get the deal I needed though...... Nice car. GTI too....

 

[HitchHiker71]

Drove sporty coupes and sedans with manual transmissions for most of my life up until my daughter got her drivers license seven years ago after which I had to get rid of the manual since my DW has zero interest nor the coordination required to drive a stick. Let’s see, I started with a 1989 Honda Prelude 5-speed. Went from that to a 1993 Mazda MX-3 5-speed, traded that against a used Mazda MX5 LS 5-speed. Bought my first new car, a 99 Ford SVT Contour 5-speed. Traded it in against a new 2006 Nissan Altima SE-R 6-speed, and drove it until my daughter started driving after which my wife got a new 2010 Honda Accord EX-L auto, and I took over driving the 2006 Honda Odyssey minivan we had. Currently we have a 2013 Honda Accord (DW), and I now drive a 2018 RAM 1500 Limited. We bought the truck as we plan to acquire some watercraft within the next few years and need a towing vehicle. Never saw myself in a pickup truck but I’ve grown to like everything about it except for the fuel mileage.

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[Bucky]

Have always been a car guy. Gotta feel it to drive it. My first car that was actually mine was a 64 GTO convertible w/3-2’s. I was 17 and just out of USArmy basic training. It was 3 yrs old but it was awesome. I was on top of the world. Then I was sent to the Far East and by the time I got back my brother had beat my car to death! So, I bought a used 67 Corvette Stingray with a 427 engine. That only lasted until my next overseas assignment. Lord knows I wish I would have just stored it! When I came back the next time I purchased a new 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 383 Magnum. That wasn’t powerful enough after the Vette so I traded it in on a Plymouth Cuba 426 w/2-4bbl. Awesome car. And then I got married!! Most car excitement since has been the Highlanders!! Nuff said.

 

[x3 skier]

Up until 10 years ago my favorite was a 1989 Ford Probe GT. First year out and hard to get with the 5 speed. It was fun to drive and it did get some stares because it looked so different than anything else.

I had the same type Probe back then. Really liked that one. Also had a red Fierro at one time until the electrical system imploded. When I retired and started living in Steamboat Springs in the winter, SUV’s became more practical.

Cheers

 

[Helaine]

I had a 12 cylinder Jaguar XJSC - a Cabriolet like Princess Di had, but mine was steel blue. I LOVED that car. It became my trademark. That engine was so quiet that one time, I turned the key to start it and it was already running! Low, sleek and fast. It was the only car I ever had a relationship with - the others were just to get me from point A to point B.

It was a limited edition - I think only 1700 were ever made. The center top came out so you had the feel of a convertible, but with a little more structure. I had it about 15 years. I do miss it. :-(

This picture is not mine, but it is exactly the same as mine.

 

[Sea Six]

I had a 12 cylinder Jaguar XJSC - a Cabriolet like Princess Di had, but mine was steel blue. I LOVED that car. It became my trademark. That engine was so quiet that one time, I turned the key to start it and it was already running! Low, sleek and fast. It was the only car I ever had a relationship with - the others were just to get me from point A to point B.

It was a limited edition - I think only 1700 were ever made. The center top came out so you had the feel of a convertible, but with a little more structure. I had it about 15 years. I do miss it. :-(

This picture is not mine, but it is exactly the same as mine. View attachment 7897

I had a 12 cylinder XJS back in the 80's - WORST car I ever owned. So sad the biggest problem was the GM Turbo 350 trans. But, of course, there were many other gremlins. You know when you see LUCAS on the gauges you are in trouble.

 

[HitchHiker71]

I had the same type Probe back then. Really liked that one. Also had a red Fierro at one time until the electrical system imploded. When I retired and started living in Steamboat Springs in the winter, SUV’s became more practical.

Cheers

The Mazda MX-6 I had was the twin to the Ford Probe back in those years - both were built on the same platform with the same engines and transmissions. They were great vehicles for sure.


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[jhac007]

I had a 12 cylinder Jaguar XJSC - a Cabriolet like Princess Di had, but mine was steel blue. I LOVED that car. It became my trademark. That engine was so quiet that one time, I turned the key to start it and it was already running! Low, sleek and fast. It was the only car I ever had a relationship with - the others were just to get me from point A to point B.

It was a limited edition - I think only 1700 were ever made. The center top came out so you had the feel of a convertible, but with a little more structure. I had it about 15 years. I do miss it. :-(

This picture is not mine, but it is exactly the same as mine. View attachment 7897

That's my kind of car! I have a 1991 red Jaguar XJS V-12 with 27,700 miles on it, but it has been garaged for years. It looks immaculate but the steering rack needs rebuilt. Also had a 2000 Jaguar XJR (370 HP) and used it a lot for 12 years (sold it a few years ago, it was a rocket sedan).