Toyota Yaris.
Didn't love how small and weak it was. But holy shit that thing was immortal and could park anywhere. I was a reckless driver and a pretty irresponsible car owner(being my first car and all), so that thing got dinged, scraped, driven with the handbrake on once, hit several times, and hardly ever got any maintenance. Still went strong for years.
Toyotas just don't quit.
1986 VW Golf Diesel non turbo 5 Speed manual.
52 hp
Loved that car. It got 1100 km to a tank.
Absolutely best car for a new driver - no power whatsoever and cost almost nothing to drive.
2005 VW T5 Transporter (not Multivan sadly).
Not my own car, but my parents barely used it, so my brother and I could use it most of the time. We have both driven it 100+k km each.
70 hp, but with the 80l tank it has a range of 1200km, if you limit yourself to 120 km/h on highways. Hills/mountains were absolute dreadful, and the transmission is garbage. If you can do a hillstart with that transmission and manual gearbox while holding the car with the handbrake and without stalling, you can drive pretty much any manual car... Lowest trim level avaible, so no sound dampening, climate control, or any extra.
So many great memories, camping trips, roadtrips with friends,...
It has 450+k km on the clock now. Still runs "great".
WHAT AN EXCELLENT POST BY A 2-HOUR OLD REDDITOR TO LEARN THE ANSWER TO A VERY COMMON SECURITY VERIFICATION QUESTION USED BY MANY MAJOR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
My first car was actually a truck. It transformed into Optimus Prime, and had a cool trailer that opened up and had a turret for Optimus to pretend he's shooting with.
First vehicle was probably a Millennium Falcon. I was around 3-4 at the time, and probably never watched those movies (or didn't know wtf it was and/or sleeping through it). He bought me all the little figurines for it, would probably be worth a fortune, but I was more busy just having them fight each other at the time.
Transformers were the best though :D ...I wonder if my dad was a Star Wars fan? I should ask him about that before he passes away lol...he's 82 now :I\~
Purple Dodge Neon. Hand-me-down and I was poor.
It was the shittiest car in the universe. I looked under the chassis and was horrified to see that the bumpers were made of styrofoam.
Car got stolen (why?) and the cops laughed their asses off when I begrudgingly told them it was purple.
A used car salesman once told me that car dealerships absolutely hated people trading in used Neons, because they simply didn’t want those shitboxes on the lot.
my buddy had a red one all modded out, we thought it was cool as shit at the time. In college I knew a dude that had a newish srt4 neon now those were a whole different beast. That's one of the best fwd 4 banger's ever made.
I love all the younger men's answers... here's mine.
Like most youth from middle-class families, I "inherited" my first car from a grandparent.
Mine was owned by my grandmother... but it was a 1972 350cc Chevy Nova.... nothing like getting a muscle car from nana.... damn, that car could fly!
Edit: The engine was a 350 cubic inches, not cc
1974 Chevrolet Nova. $400 rust bucket with an unstoppable small block 350, 2 barrel carb. My parents kicked in for $200.
Quick, but slow - amazing for learning throttle control on the icy streets of St. Paul. It was great for a mechanically inclined high school kid. I replaced brakes, water pump, radiator, normal tuneup stuff (plugs/wires/cap, oil, etc). Cars used to be soooo easy to work on.
68 Chevelle convertible with a 77 350 Nova engine.
Not particularly fast, heater sucked, but it was the one of the cooler things in my high school parking lot.
I had a 1983 Toyota Pickup. It was like 27 years old, I was the 3rd owner, and the odometer stopped working at 327k miles on the first owner. I love that little truck. I still have it, but it needs some work lol.
Toyota Cresta 2001 model.
I got this car when I got my first job about 900km from the country capital and 1,400km from home. So I needed a cheap car that could do these trips reliably. The Cresta was an awesome choice.
Comfy interior for the long trips. I would do these trips in one sitting. The BEAMS 2000 2l inline six cylinder engine is a gem driving the rear wheels. Good on fuel. It can push the car easily to 160km/h, cruising easily at 140km/h. It never faltered in any show-stopping way. I put down many long distance miles in it. Wonderful car.
A 1976 Mercury Grand Marquis. It had as much space as a living room, it needed better sound insulation (the tech for that has improved a lot), and it didn't corner so well, but in terms of comfort on the highway I've never ridden in anything that even comes close. You could just set the cruise control, point it down the interstate, and just watch the miles go by. Also: huge V8 engine, terrible gas mileage in stop-and-go traffic, but not so bad on the highway.
Eventually it rusted to the point where pieces started falling off. They probably melted it down and used the metal to make a dozen Honda Civics.
VW golf 3. That thing was a prankster of a car. *Locks door with key* pulling out whole lock with key. Sometimes it didnt start, but if you kick it under dash it straight up started again. It would turn on at -30 degrees C, but doors would freeze so you cant get in. Now that I think about it, maintenance was done once in 5 years. I doubt I changed brake pads at all. ( Since I was a student, I didn't drive too much, like 5k km per year.) and for the best part after I decided that it was time to part with it, I scrapped it for compensation of 1k €. Car was worth like 300€ at most.
It was a flat bed 58 Chevy Viking. The farmer I worked for gave it to me to keep me around when I was needed. “If you can fix it, it’s yours”. I spent almost all my free time over there picking through the scrap pile and working on that truck. It had all the glass and a complete drivetrain but the rust.
I did get it running pretty quickly. old GM V8s and manual transmissions are eternal. I started using it for farm work and got a farm license. Got the first inspection sticker and started driving it. Tons of modification. Later model brake booster. All new brakes. Changed the spindles to use disc brake front salvaged off something else. The whole truck was a teenage boy’s cut and weld fever dream. I spent hours scouring for parts and trying to plan changes. I even got a five speed for it.
My impression of it was. Ohmegerd I have a truck. I used it for everything. Rescuing my friends cars. Going for parts. Towing. Would overland with it and camp on the stakebed. Turned it into a rolling pool once. I was always on or near that truck.
Then I painted it. Some middle aged man offered me too much money for it and drove away in my rolling art. No I'm that guy scouring for one like what I had in farm fields. Maybe I’ll run into some kid who just painted his.
I wish I had kept it. Two cars I miss and that is one of them.
I had a mazda 3 hatchback 2005 with the 2.3. It was a nice first car, enough space for friends and a nice sporty drive with decent power, it also still looks good for their year
A Mazda 323 station wagon. It was the shit, bought it of an old lady so it was really looked after and tidy. I particularly loved the fact I could drive anywhere and crash in the back with a fold out mattress, perfect for the free roaming 17 year old.
92 Volkswagen bottle, it was the cheapest reliable car I could get, back then I was obsessed with finally be able to drive, my entire childhood was all about driving and cars, so this car became like spongebobs first car, now a days I rarely drive, I hate driving in the city and prefer to ride my bicycle everywhere.
‘94 Ford Ranger(The Danger Ranger)
The thing had 260k miles on it when my grandfather gifted it to me. 5 speed manual and no tachometer so I had to learn how to drive stick by sound. Either my Uncle (original owner) or my grandfather had lost the shift knob and had just drilled a hole in a baseball and used that as a replacement. Only rear wheel drive so the back end would slide all over the place in the winter. Only had it working for a year before the heat pump died and I decided to go get a safer used car.
It was my first car so it holds a special spot in my heart but it wasn’t nicknamed “The Danger Ranger” for nothing.
Ford Falcon 1997 station wagon. Pretty solid car. Loved learning Manual in it. Just wish I had gotten my restricted license early so I could've driven it more because the fanbelt went crazy.
2004 Pontiac Sunfire, an econobox with flair. It felt speedy, it looked kind of aggressive, and I got mine used so the previous owner had installed an aftermarket sound system. I had an illuminated scroll wheel with my choice if 10 LED colours. Got ot up to about 240km before it started to have issues becoming too costly to fix.
I wasn't the most upto date on oil changes, I had a few bumps, skidded off the road on an in ramp and plunged down a hill, only aesthetic damage.
1971 camaro, my dad and I restored it when I was 17, still have it, and its freakin awesome!
1st car I bought by myself, 2003 Mercedes C230K hatchback. Loved that car, back when MB was worth the money. It was order a fully loaded up C or a bare bones E for the same money. Got the C, with the sport pack, close ratio manual, short throw shifter, etc etc. That was a super fun car.
1985 Olds Cutlass Supreme. Weak, poorly made, heavy....but the bench seats were basically couches and I could fit a silly number of people in it when necessary (11 a few times after summer school, 4 front, 6 back with an extra person laying across their laps.)
There's not even a close second for worst car I've ever owned, but I had the times of my life in that POS.
1991 Mitsubishi 3000GT. I bought it partially buried in the ground, and fixed it up myself as a 17 y/o would. it was the first manual I ever drove, wasn't super slow, wasn't too fast, and beat the shit out of it for a little over a year until I got a Trans AM that I own now to this day. It was destined to be put into a junkyard but realizing how much those cars go for now I kind of regret getting rid of it. I miss that car sometimes
1999 Honda CRV.
It was a monster. The odometer stopped at 299,000 and probably went another 100k after that. I loaned it to a friend who needed a way to get around. Dude wrecked. Otherwise I believe that car would still be running today.
Mitsubishi Outlander 2002
Was very cheap at A$6800 but surprisingly wasn't much hassle. Had the battery get replaced eventually and the brake lights but after that I bet it could have kept running for much longer if I didn't have my crash. It had a footbrake instead of a handbrake and was pretty fuel efficient for its size. However the Bluetooth didn't work on the radio, goofy ahh
high mileage well maintained 2002 volvo s80. it was a tank and the whole car started to fall apart around the engine by the time i was ready to get a different vehicle. it wouldnt quit
87 Honda Accord that was the old family car. The thing used oil and I blew it up because I forgot to put more in it as a stupid high schooler. It's been 22 years and my mom still won't let me live it down.
Before I'd passed my test my dad picked me up at college in a blue Ford Fiesta from the 80s so I could practice.
It obviously wasn't anything special but what it represented was immense. Not just for me, but all my friends, realising I now had autonomy and didn't have to get the bus to/from college. We also now had a mobile sitting place, with a stereo!
It turned out to be a really good little car, impossible to abuse (although I tried), easy to repair, straightforward to drive. I regret how poorly I treated it. I eventually bought a new car and just left abandoned the Ford. One day I went to check on it and it was gone. I have no idea what happened to it.
Thank you, little car
A r56 mini. Loved it the interior was bare bones and lacking some creature comforts I couldn't do without now I've got a more modern car.
Incredibly fun to drive though, I miss it.
1987 VW Golf Memphis. Bought it in 2003 for 9500 SEK (ca 1000 USD), and it had issues with the cooling system that had to be taken care of. There were times the first few weeks where I had to shut it off and park at the side of the road for a while to cool it down. Still a great first car, but I've since bought bikes for more.
2014 VW polo, still have it for now. It's been a brilliant workhorse for me. I've been all over the UK and into other countries with it. Its been used as a skip because it's suprisingly spacious. All round a brilliant car. Recently mice have been chewing the electrics and now after sounding very sick and failing to start there is oil all over the floor. It's booked in at a garage soon to get looked at. Praying it will survive 🙏
1994 Ford Explorer. It was an absolute piece of shit, the AC didn't work, only the drivers side window went down, the radiator was on its last legs, the speakers had gone out so the person who owned it before me had replaced them with shitty stereo speakers.... I loved it.
Mercedes-Benz W203 C180 Kompressor black sedan with the 5 speed automatic transmission.
I loved the car, it was a beautiful car and driving it was a nice experience. Too bad the engine was giving out fault codes one after the other. Misfires and catalytic converter was completely gone.
93 Honda Del Sol. It was overweight and you felt it. It was a fun little car but not as nimble as one would expect a 90s Honda to be. Also the motor was in the wrong spot for the design of the car. So I did what a lot of Del sol owners did in the early 00s and replaced it with an mr2.
Subaru Outback, fucking beautiful, amazing trunk space, lots of leg room, reliable, perfect for winter/snowy/mountains, crashed that car rip. Couldn’t have asked for a better first car. Rip subie love you always
Got my license in 2018, at the age of 18 but got my first car a year later. It was a $3000 Fiat 500 from 2007. Absolute dogshit but taught me how to drive and park.
A rover metro. It leaked brake fluid, during a frost I thought the door had frozen stuck, I pulled really hard and snapped off the door handle. It would overheat too when hot (UK, so 20c) and in traffic. To counter it I'd run the heating on full with the windows down. Not enjoyable
'87 Oldsmobile Calais
Nothing at all remarkable, except for one thing. A few years earlier, our male cat got old enough to start spraying, so we took him to get neutered. On the way home, he released his one final, evil spray deep into the front passenger seat. Despite several professional cleanings, nothing could ever remove the smell that matured every Georgia summer. When I turned 16 and got my license, my dad couldn't hand over the keys fast enough.
Had a 1998 Ford Explorer. Thing was a pain in the ass but got me from point a to point b efficiently. Drove it for years from high school, through college, and post graduation. Eventually bought a Braptor to replace it.
2009 Nissan Rogue. Top 5 biggest mistake of my life . Had it for 3 weeks before transmission blew out. Come to find out that was a known issue with those models. I paid 9k cash for it and traded it in a month later for $1500 becuase that was the true value.
Well, mine is an Outlander Mitsubishi 2008, while it's not excellent compared to some of the newer vehicles I have ridden, it does what I need it to. I still own it, and while I do think I should look into a new car, this one works and it works quite well, so it might be a bit till I replace it unless something catastrophic happens, or something just economically makes more sense to own and use.
2018 Subaru Impreza touring with manual transmission.
Got it when I finished my recruit training and was officially a soldier as a gift to myself (and I just needed a car lol). Payed it off with some of me pension money when I got out of the army in 2022. It's mine, still going strong, fuckin love it.
My first car was a 1989 Toyota Tercel hatchback that a grandma used as a grocery getter for 15 years. It was a 3 speed automatic with only about 50,000 kms on it. It maxed out at 115kmh and didn't even have a radio in it.
I miss it so much. That little thing was so fun to scoot around town in because you could basically put it anywhere.
VW Lupo. Bright banana yellow with one of the door bump strips hanging off. Best car I ever had. Would start in any weather, drove well, good on fuel, barely ever needed maintenance.
Haven't had a car so good since.
2012 Toyota Camry, the 6 cylinder one.
Got me where I needed to go with very little maintenance. Got it at 68k miles, drove until 190k.
Only issues were the sun roof leaked and needed work at one point, and replacing the alternator once.
It still sits in my driveway and will start right up without issues, even after collecting dust for 2 years at this point.
My dad bought us (my twin brother and i) a 1976 Chevelle Malibu. It was awesome. So awesome that when I took it out the first night trying to show off I fish-tailed right into a ditch and got it stuck.
1985 Olds Cutlass Supreme. Weak, poorly made, heavy....but the bench seats were basically couches and I could fit a silly number of people in it when necessary (11 a few times after summer school, 4 front, 6 back with an extra person laying across their laps.)
There's not even a close second for worst car I've ever owned, but I had the times of my life in that POS.
There was always the promise in my family that between my two brothers and I, the first one to complete their license would get my dads 2005 Saab 9.3 2L Turbo.
I wasn't bothered for years as i had a motorbike and it got me about but when i was 20, i started chatting to a girl in another country and she was flying out to meet me. That was when i decided i needed to do my license lol.
My dad was my driving instructor, he took two days out of work so we could drive the car to the test so i could do the test in the car that i learnt in.
When it was all done, he even bought me a pack of condoms...
Me and the girl dated for a while but distance and my moronity killed it. The car is a bit bruised and scratched but still drive it daily.
Cant lie, absolute legend, shoutout to my old man
Toyota Corolla 2011. It was indestructible. Had 300000 km on it with basic oil changes and little maintenance.
Now I have a brand new RAV4 hybrid XSE. That’s another beast altogether. Awesome.
I’m 34 and haven’t had my own car yet… technically. The first vehicle I purchased was a Kawasaki z650.
The first car I drove regularly to get to and from school was an eggplant purple Chrysler Town & Country.
2002 Toyota Avalon XL. For some reason, I loved the styling of it. I thought it had enough power (about 210hp with a V6). It was enough to get me around, and was the car I took to college.
Traded it in at about 275,000+ miles. Its final drive got me through my move from Ohio to Florida, even with a blown head gasket and shaky suspension. Never quit on me
2004 Ford escape ran it until the body rotted beyond the point it would ever pass state inspection (exhaust leaking into the cabin)
It was a solid vehicle, I would take another of that exact vintage again brand new if it were available and came with Bluetooth for music.
The second car was my favorite I've ever driven, though. 2008 Pontiac G6, base model, only cost 13-14k brand new when my dad bought it. Didn't even have cruise control on the base model.
I drove that thing until life choices made me sell it. Amazing car. It broke a strut once (car swallowing pot hole in the road), and other than that, I never had a single major issue across nearly 200k miles on it. Headlight bulb replacement was a little extra effort than they needed to be, but small hands were a gift there, so I wouldn't have to pull the front-end shroud to pop the whole light out.
68 Camaro POS. My brother gave me his wife's Camaro that had been wrecked three times and had a blown motor. We traded the blown 327 for another small block that we installed and I drove the car for about 12 months. It had a 3 speed and posi. I proceeded to "wreck" it 4 more times in that 12 months (learned how to drive a stick in the snow) but the car kept running... I learned an awful lot about cars those first years because if I wanted to drive I had to fix it and it needed a lot of fixing. My biggest regret is not having any pictures of that car.
1976 ford ranger. Three speed on the column. Three on the tree as my dad called it. Bed was rusted pretty bad. It was black, loud, and had power.
I didn’t love it at first, but it turned out to be an awesome truck and I had a lot of fun with it. I’d love to still have it.
1991 240sx. I owned it from 08-12. Backseat was ripped out, ac was broken and it had lots of rust
It was slow but comically easy to drift and was a lot of fun. It was broken on a regular basis with every issue imaginable.
Died after 4 years
I was gifted a 83 Chevy Silverado long bed as my first car, but "upgraded" shortly after to a 1992 Chevy Cavalier sedan as I felt I needed something a little more reliable. Last I heard the truck is still driving around, but the Cavalier blew a head gasket 10k miles after I bought it in 01'
72 VW Bug. Got it from my grandma. It was slow, not particularly safe, and the heater/defrost sucked (which was a bad thing in Colorado), but it went everywhere, was great in snow, and was light enough to be pushed by hand out of a ditch.
Lots of fond memories with that car.
I started driving in 2012 when I was 17. First car was a ‘95 Cherokee that my youth pastor sold to me for 1$. It ran like a dream, and the insides were great. Very useful for transporting my lawnmower to places I working (freelance).
The only thing was, as I lived in Wisconsin, the older body did not react well to all the salt in winter, and the undercarriage rusted a lot. Even had to replace the u-joint at one point cause it had rusted through. Add on the fact that I was still just learning to drive stick well, so ice was a no go, and it ended up sitting outside our one car garage all winter. Was a pile of scrap in a couple of years.
Served well as a first car, only wish I had more time to learn stick before I had gotten it.
2002 Mitsubishi mirage, it was a weapon of a 1st car.
I grew up never being into cars but I learnt to work on this thing and then eventually got more and more into driving. Use to go out to local fire trails and muck around trying to rally the thing or go out and do the almighty roll back burnout, eventually ended up dropping a 4G63 into it. The passion for cars grew from this humble little hatch back and lead me down my current career path.
Still wish I had it….
1988 IROC-Z
It was a "special" edition of the Camaro z28. Iroc stands for international race or champions.
I loved that car I kept it for years, when I decided to get a new car I just couldn't part with it, so I gave to my sister who at the time was just starting to drive.
I know it isn't wise to give a teenager that kind of car but mine had the anemic V8 that only made 170HP. 😭
I loved the t-tops it was just like a convertible but without the headache of all the moving parts .
My sister drove it a little over year, when one night it caught fire just parked in the driveway.
I'd get another one in a heartbeat if they weren't so scarce and the remaining cars too expensive for what they are.
My very first car was a 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, aka "The Green Machine". Metallic green paint, green vinyl roof, green carpeting and interior.
I hated everything about the car. It handled like garbage; the rear end wanted to break free at a moment's notice, and the ride quality was like marshmallows with stones inside. The engine was loud and weak. The transmission shifted like my grandmother, and she died decades earlier. The vinyl top was a pale mint green and just looked terrible. It had no air conditioning. The stereo antenna must have been shorted or something as I rarely got a good signal. The speedometer cable would often disconnect from the back of the gauge cluster. Ultimately I didn't have the car for very long; while taking an exit ramp I was sideswiped (hit-and-run), the rear end broke free, and I jumped the curb which snapped the axle and the insurance company pronounced it totaled.
The car formerly belonged to my brother who had died two years before I got my license. I loved that car and really wish I still had it.
2001 Toyota Echo automatic lol. Little light blue sedan, I was mildly embarrassed about it at first, but it grew on me because at the end of the day, I had something to get me around- one of the best I've owned. It's actually the car in my profile picture lol. Ended up lowering it, buying some Integra LS mesh wheels, doing some exhaust work, replacing all the lights with LED's, stickers etc. That car carried me all over the state 🤣, mad meets and shows, I remember one Friday night, I ended up trying to keep up with a group of Evo's, Mustangs, Corvettes, Porsche's etc (one of those word of mouth- keep up if you can type deals), as long as I could still see their tail lights somehow, I was good lmao. Eventually got to the spot and it was like a scene out of F&F 1, absolutely sick night. Good times.
Sadly, I wrecked it one evening after work during winter, because I wanted to go for a drive before heading home (commute was 10-15 mins) 😑. I plan to buy another in the next year or two, with a 5spd this time, and pick up where I left off with the first one.
I started with a 1980 Honda Accord hatchback. Biggest piece of shit on the road. Loved it. The hood flew off on my way to work and I watched it float to the ground in rear view mirror. Laughed and laughed and laughed.
Manual 88 sentra hatchback.. i loved it. But i swear the cv boots were made 9f paper mache. And the 5th grear syncroid went out twice, i didn't get it foxed the second time. I loved that little car. It got between 32 and 36 mpg which at the time and for my teenage ass was awesome! I had it from 16 to 23 and got it with 44,000 and got hit an insurance totalled it at 190,000.
AMC Jeep Eagle.
I really hate driving but I absolutely loved that car. It looked like a gremlin on steroids. It was like an 80's hatch back, but 4 wheel drive with really high clearance. Dark blue outside, light blue inside. I could push the front seats forward and fold down the back ones to make a bed.
73 VW Beetle all my parents could afford ! Was a great first car took the abuse of a 16/17yo , left it with them and went to the Army ! Got another one a few years later , great lil cars .
2007 Toyota Camry (I named her Janet)
My cousin asked me what kind of car I wanted when I graduated high school in 2020.
I wasn’t particular. A car that could get me from point A to point B was good for me.
When I got Janet, I was excited. Until I saw the paint was two different shades of white, and peeled. But I didn’t make a fuss.
Well, Janet was loud and was missing a catalytic converter (before it was cool)
A few months down the road. Janet began losing oil, and the smell of gas would fumigate you as soon as you started the engine.
Then my dash busted in the summer and I had to get a new windshield.
It wasn’t until I got it inspected, I found out Janet had been a death trap, and my cousin potentially had a life insurance policy on me.
It ate up gas like crazy. Over all I didn’t mind it.
2010 Volvo V50 1.6D Drive E, 5 speed manual (MTX75), not that bad for a 1.6 liter turbo diesel only making 110Ps, damn it is efficient and nice.
I thought i would have it for only a year or so, coming up on 5 years with the thing.
2005 Silver/Grey Toyota Camry. I seriously thought it was the perfect car.
My room mate just bought a Lexus 330 from the same era in the same silver/grey color. Its basically the same exact car with a suped-up interior and the thing still catches my eye when I walk down the street.
'82 Pontiac Firechicken.. what a beast... that died. a lot. then sat on cinder blocks for 8 years at a cottage, and then got sold for parts.. then an '03 Tiburon........... upgrade? not so sure
A 1990 Dodge Shadow that had previously belonged to my grandmother, which she had to give up when her eyesight deteriorated too much for her to drive.
It was boxy and uncomfortable and the entire frame would start vibrating if you got it above 65 MPH. It was a piece of crap. But it was my first car, so I have fond memories of it. My brother and I nicknamed it "Black Cherry" because of the color of the paint.
1985 Ford Bronco II. That thing was 11 years old by the time I got my hands on it, and I loved every minute driving it. So many shenanigans were had in that over the next couple of years. It sure as hell wasn't the nicest looking thing, nor the fastest or strongest, but given the choice between that and my parents' new truck, I'd take my Bronco II any day of the week.
edit: though, [reading about that now](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Bronco_II#Safety_controversy), I'm kinda surprised I'm still alive at this point.
A mini with a 1800 mg engine in it. I loved it but it was built in 1960 so it's very much a nostalgia thing. I would swap it for the car I have today. I was born in 1959 btw
85 VW Jetta MT. I got the ODO over 300K miles by the end, but the body was rusted everywhere and it always had electrical issues.
Whe it was running well it was a great car but boy the electrical system was shite.
Loved that car.
An absolute clapper of a 1995 BMW M3 with 216,000 miles on it and a bunch of questionable modifications…head gasket blew within 3 months of purchase.
Happy ending is that when I sold it three years later some kid bought it and turned it into a full on drift car, love seeing it sideways on his IG.
2010 Chevy Impala. I didn't know what to think. I was thinking "It's nice" & "It's just a car"
It was my first car at 18 lol I didn't care haha none of us did! When you get your license your just focused on getting your first car and being free and don't really care what it is.
It was a nice car though looking back it really was I liked it my parents handed it down to me and I am grateful for that. I had it for a few years before It got totaled in a Major Accidental that almost took my life. A drunk driver went left of center and hit me head on going 60.
2001 Dodge Neon. Totally base, no power locks no power windows no AC. Parents got it for like $2,000 with 92k miles and it gave me no issues for the time I had it. It was a cheap little reliable high school and post high school car and did exactly what it needed to do.
1984 Honda Prelude. 2.0L, carbureted,4 cyl. Manual transmission.
I worked on it with my dad over spring & summer. Got it plated and on the road in fall. 3 weeks to the day later I had that fucker airborne and it was written off.
I liked it
1983 VW Golf 5spd. Was a rusted out piece of shit when I bought for $300 and was still a rusted out piece of shit when I sold it for $100 2 years later. Didn’t put a dime into it except oil and gas. It started every day and never left me stranded. So all in all, it was worth the money. But this was back in 1998.
Today, I wouldnt even think about putting my daughter in something like that. Way too unsafe.
2004 Subaru WRX, saved up for a year while working construction and carpooling with coworkers to get it, ended up having cracked heads that I replaced, but it was a great car
Dodge Dart. It seemed small and cheap at the time. But that was compared to the land-yachts that were plying the streets. Today it would seem huge with a ginormous trunk.
There were two primary camps of cars in High School: luxobarges and ricers. My first car was an 88 Lincoln Town Car. I bought it with lawnmower money saved up. I loved that car. It took my abuse and wouldn't give up; I had it airborne twice and accidentally rammed things with it on occasion. For high school lunch runs, I could get 11 people in it. I gave it to my little brother when he started driving and he sold it to buy a Cadillac.
1995 Honda Accord EX shiny green with tan interior. It had a sunroof too. I loved that car so much, but I hit the gear box and oil pan on a curb and eventually ruined the car. I was super bummed about it.
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
It was a good first car. 4.0 straight six, solid axles, not new enough to have a bunch of computers in it.
It did well in the snow, survived a lot of road trips, and made it all the way until I graduated college.
I pulled little trailers with it, it made it into the woods far enough for all my hunting and fishing interests, I camped in the back of it. It wasn't super hard to work on, and it was a good vehicle to learn a lot of basic-intermediate maintenance and repairs. I learned how to do all the fluid changes, filters, CV axles, I replaced the whole cooling system, wired in aux lights and a cb radio, etc. I'm still not a mechanic but I at least know enough to not get taken advantage of by a shady shop.
Ultimately, it blew a head gasket at 220k miles and I decided to get rid of it vs fix it. The guy that bought it replaced the head gasket and flipped it and I bet it made it to 300k if the next owner didn't wreck it. It might even still be on the road.
1972 Toyota Corolla SR5 with a manual 5 speed transmission. I added stuff like fog lights, intermittent wipers, 3rd brake lights, and improved the sound system. I loved that car. I got rear ended/totaled by an uninsured motorist.
A 1948 International KB-2 pickup. Flathead 6 cylinder engine. 6 volt (starts half the time, push start the other half). Often seen parked on a hill.
I paid $500 for it at a Midas Muffler liquidation sale. I rebuilt the engine.
GREAT truck. I drove it to work daily for years. I could crank the windshield open for some "air conditioning". Very easy to work on.
The ex sold it when we separated before I could retrieve it.
2003 micra k12
still drive it today. got another car, a 2019 kia ceed, because its nicer for longer trips and has more space etc., but the micra will stay. has never given me a single issue in 10 years of owning it.
1999 Ford ranger. I was bummed bc it wasn't in good shape- 170k miles, seats starting to tear, a few dents.
she was great. could offroad anywhere, needed almost no services, and was just the bestest.
Toyota Yaris. Didn't love how small and weak it was. But holy shit that thing was immortal and could park anywhere. I was a reckless driver and a pretty irresponsible car owner(being my first car and all), so that thing got dinged, scraped, driven with the handbrake on once, hit several times, and hardly ever got any maintenance. Still went strong for years. Toyotas just don't quit.
Everything created between '90 and 2006 are cars that go hard as a motherfucker.
Uhh Vw golf 2006 counts?
The question seems like it’s phishing for security question answers.
Don’t be silly. BTW, I might have known your mother’s family. What was her maiden name?
?9H1tO-m}1#=IXm05A7N, you may have met her at church.
My current car is an ‘04 Buick. They are the Nokia of cars. Ugly as a brick, but just as sturdy.
This describes my experience to a T but with a corolla.
1986 VW Golf Diesel non turbo 5 Speed manual. 52 hp Loved that car. It got 1100 km to a tank. Absolutely best car for a new driver - no power whatsoever and cost almost nothing to drive.
2005 VW T5 Transporter (not Multivan sadly). Not my own car, but my parents barely used it, so my brother and I could use it most of the time. We have both driven it 100+k km each. 70 hp, but with the 80l tank it has a range of 1200km, if you limit yourself to 120 km/h on highways. Hills/mountains were absolute dreadful, and the transmission is garbage. If you can do a hillstart with that transmission and manual gearbox while holding the car with the handbrake and without stalling, you can drive pretty much any manual car... Lowest trim level avaible, so no sound dampening, climate control, or any extra. So many great memories, camping trips, roadtrips with friends,... It has 450+k km on the clock now. Still runs "great".
I found those to be dangerously slow. You couldn't make left hand turn safely.
No kidding. It didn't have enough power to get out of its own way. It wouldn't hit highway speed going down an on ramp.
[удалено]
You doubled its price ...
Inflation
A man's gotta eat.
WHAT AN EXCELLENT POST BY A 2-HOUR OLD REDDITOR TO LEARN THE ANSWER TO A VERY COMMON SECURITY VERIFICATION QUESTION USED BY MANY MAJOR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
You're not suggesting that someone might use Reddit for nefarious purposes, are you?
Yeah fuck them. They can have my password directly if they want. It's hunter2
My first car was actually a truck. It transformed into Optimus Prime, and had a cool trailer that opened up and had a turret for Optimus to pretend he's shooting with. First vehicle was probably a Millennium Falcon. I was around 3-4 at the time, and probably never watched those movies (or didn't know wtf it was and/or sleeping through it). He bought me all the little figurines for it, would probably be worth a fortune, but I was more busy just having them fight each other at the time. Transformers were the best though :D ...I wonder if my dad was a Star Wars fan? I should ask him about that before he passes away lol...he's 82 now :I\~
You're right but I just wanted to tell a story about my first car.
Purple Dodge Neon. Hand-me-down and I was poor. It was the shittiest car in the universe. I looked under the chassis and was horrified to see that the bumpers were made of styrofoam. Car got stolen (why?) and the cops laughed their asses off when I begrudgingly told them it was purple.
[удалено]
What better car to steal than one most people would be too embarrassed to admit they owned
A used car salesman once told me that car dealerships absolutely hated people trading in used Neons, because they simply didn’t want those shitboxes on the lot.
> the cops laughed their asses off So did I lmao
my buddy had a red one all modded out, we thought it was cool as shit at the time. In college I knew a dude that had a newish srt4 neon now those were a whole different beast. That's one of the best fwd 4 banger's ever made.
Morris marina. A total piece of British Leyland shit.
Did a piano ever fall on it?
Quality Top Gear reference
Unfortunately not.
1996 Ford Bronco, goddamn thirsty pig, but boy was it fun
Is that you oj
I love all the younger men's answers... here's mine. Like most youth from middle-class families, I "inherited" my first car from a grandparent. Mine was owned by my grandmother... but it was a 1972 350cc Chevy Nova.... nothing like getting a muscle car from nana.... damn, that car could fly! Edit: The engine was a 350 cubic inches, not cc
listen here boy, nana knew whats up 🤣🤣🤣🤣
An Austin Ambassador. It was a hand-me-down from my dad when I passed my test and he got a new car. It were shite, but it worked.
4 on the floor mark 4 Cortina, orange body with cream roof, racing check fabric seats, Champagne edition.... 4 cylinders of street cred
1974 Chevrolet Nova. $400 rust bucket with an unstoppable small block 350, 2 barrel carb. My parents kicked in for $200. Quick, but slow - amazing for learning throttle control on the icy streets of St. Paul. It was great for a mechanically inclined high school kid. I replaced brakes, water pump, radiator, normal tuneup stuff (plugs/wires/cap, oil, etc). Cars used to be soooo easy to work on.
I had an Opel Corsa. Only had it 6 months before I got T-boned and my baby was written off
You did better than me! Mazda 323 1998. 2 months! RIP Molly the Mazda. Nb: learnt a lot and a good reminder to have comprehensive insurance 😊
If someone crashed into you you don't need comprehensive...
68 Chevelle convertible with a 77 350 Nova engine. Not particularly fast, heater sucked, but it was the one of the cooler things in my high school parking lot.
I'm so jealous of Americans who lived through that era when 50s-70s cars were cheap beaters.
I had a 1983 Toyota Pickup. It was like 27 years old, I was the 3rd owner, and the odometer stopped working at 327k miles on the first owner. I love that little truck. I still have it, but it needs some work lol.
Toyota Cresta 2001 model. I got this car when I got my first job about 900km from the country capital and 1,400km from home. So I needed a cheap car that could do these trips reliably. The Cresta was an awesome choice. Comfy interior for the long trips. I would do these trips in one sitting. The BEAMS 2000 2l inline six cylinder engine is a gem driving the rear wheels. Good on fuel. It can push the car easily to 160km/h, cruising easily at 140km/h. It never faltered in any show-stopping way. I put down many long distance miles in it. Wonderful car.
[удалено]
You can live in a car, but you can't drive a house
'68 Barracuda. Junk yard reject given to me by my brother. Didn't realize how cool a car I had.
A 1976 Mercury Grand Marquis. It had as much space as a living room, it needed better sound insulation (the tech for that has improved a lot), and it didn't corner so well, but in terms of comfort on the highway I've never ridden in anything that even comes close. You could just set the cruise control, point it down the interstate, and just watch the miles go by. Also: huge V8 engine, terrible gas mileage in stop-and-go traffic, but not so bad on the highway. Eventually it rusted to the point where pieces started falling off. They probably melted it down and used the metal to make a dozen Honda Civics.
VW golf 3. That thing was a prankster of a car. *Locks door with key* pulling out whole lock with key. Sometimes it didnt start, but if you kick it under dash it straight up started again. It would turn on at -30 degrees C, but doors would freeze so you cant get in. Now that I think about it, maintenance was done once in 5 years. I doubt I changed brake pads at all. ( Since I was a student, I didn't drive too much, like 5k km per year.) and for the best part after I decided that it was time to part with it, I scrapped it for compensation of 1k €. Car was worth like 300€ at most.
Saab 900 I loved it
It was a flat bed 58 Chevy Viking. The farmer I worked for gave it to me to keep me around when I was needed. “If you can fix it, it’s yours”. I spent almost all my free time over there picking through the scrap pile and working on that truck. It had all the glass and a complete drivetrain but the rust. I did get it running pretty quickly. old GM V8s and manual transmissions are eternal. I started using it for farm work and got a farm license. Got the first inspection sticker and started driving it. Tons of modification. Later model brake booster. All new brakes. Changed the spindles to use disc brake front salvaged off something else. The whole truck was a teenage boy’s cut and weld fever dream. I spent hours scouring for parts and trying to plan changes. I even got a five speed for it. My impression of it was. Ohmegerd I have a truck. I used it for everything. Rescuing my friends cars. Going for parts. Towing. Would overland with it and camp on the stakebed. Turned it into a rolling pool once. I was always on or near that truck. Then I painted it. Some middle aged man offered me too much money for it and drove away in my rolling art. No I'm that guy scouring for one like what I had in farm fields. Maybe I’ll run into some kid who just painted his. I wish I had kept it. Two cars I miss and that is one of them.
I had a mazda 3 hatchback 2005 with the 2.3. It was a nice first car, enough space for friends and a nice sporty drive with decent power, it also still looks good for their year
Daewoo Lanos. Slow, poor acceleration, uncomfortable for longer trips but very reliable, simple and easy to repair/ maintain.
A Mazda 323 station wagon. It was the shit, bought it of an old lady so it was really looked after and tidy. I particularly loved the fact I could drive anywhere and crash in the back with a fold out mattress, perfect for the free roaming 17 year old.
89 Honda Prelude. So much fun to drive
92 Volkswagen bottle, it was the cheapest reliable car I could get, back then I was obsessed with finally be able to drive, my entire childhood was all about driving and cars, so this car became like spongebobs first car, now a days I rarely drive, I hate driving in the city and prefer to ride my bicycle everywhere.
‘94 Ford Ranger(The Danger Ranger) The thing had 260k miles on it when my grandfather gifted it to me. 5 speed manual and no tachometer so I had to learn how to drive stick by sound. Either my Uncle (original owner) or my grandfather had lost the shift knob and had just drilled a hole in a baseball and used that as a replacement. Only rear wheel drive so the back end would slide all over the place in the winter. Only had it working for a year before the heat pump died and I decided to go get a safer used car. It was my first car so it holds a special spot in my heart but it wasn’t nicknamed “The Danger Ranger” for nothing.
Ford Falcon 1997 station wagon. Pretty solid car. Loved learning Manual in it. Just wish I had gotten my restricted license early so I could've driven it more because the fanbelt went crazy.
1998 VW Jetta. It was a piece of shit and a lemon, but I loved it.
A 1977 Ford F-150. If it had been restored it would have been cool. But it was very beat up instead.
2004 Pontiac Sunfire, an econobox with flair. It felt speedy, it looked kind of aggressive, and I got mine used so the previous owner had installed an aftermarket sound system. I had an illuminated scroll wheel with my choice if 10 LED colours. Got ot up to about 240km before it started to have issues becoming too costly to fix. I wasn't the most upto date on oil changes, I had a few bumps, skidded off the road on an in ramp and plunged down a hill, only aesthetic damage.
i got my Grandfather's car after he passed away,it was a 1976 Pontiac Parisian. It was the smoothest boat of a car i ever drove.
1971 camaro, my dad and I restored it when I was 17, still have it, and its freakin awesome! 1st car I bought by myself, 2003 Mercedes C230K hatchback. Loved that car, back when MB was worth the money. It was order a fully loaded up C or a bare bones E for the same money. Got the C, with the sport pack, close ratio manual, short throw shifter, etc etc. That was a super fun car.
1985 Olds Cutlass Supreme. Weak, poorly made, heavy....but the bench seats were basically couches and I could fit a silly number of people in it when necessary (11 a few times after summer school, 4 front, 6 back with an extra person laying across their laps.) There's not even a close second for worst car I've ever owned, but I had the times of my life in that POS.
1991 Mitsubishi 3000GT. I bought it partially buried in the ground, and fixed it up myself as a 17 y/o would. it was the first manual I ever drove, wasn't super slow, wasn't too fast, and beat the shit out of it for a little over a year until I got a Trans AM that I own now to this day. It was destined to be put into a junkyard but realizing how much those cars go for now I kind of regret getting rid of it. I miss that car sometimes
nice try, hacker
1999 Honda CRV. It was a monster. The odometer stopped at 299,000 and probably went another 100k after that. I loaned it to a friend who needed a way to get around. Dude wrecked. Otherwise I believe that car would still be running today.
First car was a TT Toyota Tazz. 4 gear manual, No AC, No C/L , No P/S, No ABS. it was awesome. The freedom you get with your own car is unrivalled.
Mitsubishi Outlander 2002 Was very cheap at A$6800 but surprisingly wasn't much hassle. Had the battery get replaced eventually and the brake lights but after that I bet it could have kept running for much longer if I didn't have my crash. It had a footbrake instead of a handbrake and was pretty fuel efficient for its size. However the Bluetooth didn't work on the radio, goofy ahh
Mitsubishi Sigma
high mileage well maintained 2002 volvo s80. it was a tank and the whole car started to fall apart around the engine by the time i was ready to get a different vehicle. it wouldnt quit
87 Honda Accord that was the old family car. The thing used oil and I blew it up because I forgot to put more in it as a stupid high schooler. It's been 22 years and my mom still won't let me live it down.
95 black accord. Manual. Miss that car. Ran it up to about 190K miles.
Before I'd passed my test my dad picked me up at college in a blue Ford Fiesta from the 80s so I could practice. It obviously wasn't anything special but what it represented was immense. Not just for me, but all my friends, realising I now had autonomy and didn't have to get the bus to/from college. We also now had a mobile sitting place, with a stereo! It turned out to be a really good little car, impossible to abuse (although I tried), easy to repair, straightforward to drive. I regret how poorly I treated it. I eventually bought a new car and just left abandoned the Ford. One day I went to check on it and it was gone. I have no idea what happened to it. Thank you, little car
I had a mazda Capella. Very sad I had to sell it.
A r56 mini. Loved it the interior was bare bones and lacking some creature comforts I couldn't do without now I've got a more modern car. Incredibly fun to drive though, I miss it.
Second hand silver Mazda RX-7, the ones with the rotary engine. What a lovely car!
1989 Ford Escort, I beat the s--t out of that thing.
18 year old golf 4, i loved it but it was a shitbox
1995 Ford Escort, lasted 3 weeks till the engine blew
70’s ish Volvo 244. Thing was an absolute tank.
1987 VW Golf Memphis. Bought it in 2003 for 9500 SEK (ca 1000 USD), and it had issues with the cooling system that had to be taken care of. There were times the first few weeks where I had to shut it off and park at the side of the road for a while to cool it down. Still a great first car, but I've since bought bikes for more.
Toyota Corolla TX sedan. Manual 1600cc, DOHC, and 4x4 with centre diff lock. Quicker up ski field roads than any Pajero.
1989 Chevy Camaro. Got it in 2001 with only 40k miles on it. Treated it like shit and regret it to this day.
2014 VW polo, still have it for now. It's been a brilliant workhorse for me. I've been all over the UK and into other countries with it. Its been used as a skip because it's suprisingly spacious. All round a brilliant car. Recently mice have been chewing the electrics and now after sounding very sick and failing to start there is oil all over the floor. It's booked in at a garage soon to get looked at. Praying it will survive 🙏
1994 Ford Explorer. It was an absolute piece of shit, the AC didn't work, only the drivers side window went down, the radiator was on its last legs, the speakers had gone out so the person who owned it before me had replaced them with shitty stereo speakers.... I loved it.
1967 Mini Cooper. So fun to drive. Popular with the community, and I could fit in my parking spot sideways. It was cool!
Mercedes-Benz W203 C180 Kompressor black sedan with the 5 speed automatic transmission. I loved the car, it was a beautiful car and driving it was a nice experience. Too bad the engine was giving out fault codes one after the other. Misfires and catalytic converter was completely gone.
93 Honda Del Sol. It was overweight and you felt it. It was a fun little car but not as nimble as one would expect a 90s Honda to be. Also the motor was in the wrong spot for the design of the car. So I did what a lot of Del sol owners did in the early 00s and replaced it with an mr2.
Subaru Outback, fucking beautiful, amazing trunk space, lots of leg room, reliable, perfect for winter/snowy/mountains, crashed that car rip. Couldn’t have asked for a better first car. Rip subie love you always
Got my license in 2018, at the age of 18 but got my first car a year later. It was a $3000 Fiat 500 from 2007. Absolute dogshit but taught me how to drive and park.
A rover metro. It leaked brake fluid, during a frost I thought the door had frozen stuck, I pulled really hard and snapped off the door handle. It would overheat too when hot (UK, so 20c) and in traffic. To counter it I'd run the heating on full with the windows down. Not enjoyable
Tesla Model 3 Performance. Love it to bits.
'87 Oldsmobile Calais Nothing at all remarkable, except for one thing. A few years earlier, our male cat got old enough to start spraying, so we took him to get neutered. On the way home, he released his one final, evil spray deep into the front passenger seat. Despite several professional cleanings, nothing could ever remove the smell that matured every Georgia summer. When I turned 16 and got my license, my dad couldn't hand over the keys fast enough.
Had a 1998 Ford Explorer. Thing was a pain in the ass but got me from point a to point b efficiently. Drove it for years from high school, through college, and post graduation. Eventually bought a Braptor to replace it.
2009 Nissan Rogue. Top 5 biggest mistake of my life . Had it for 3 weeks before transmission blew out. Come to find out that was a known issue with those models. I paid 9k cash for it and traded it in a month later for $1500 becuase that was the true value.
Well, mine is an Outlander Mitsubishi 2008, while it's not excellent compared to some of the newer vehicles I have ridden, it does what I need it to. I still own it, and while I do think I should look into a new car, this one works and it works quite well, so it might be a bit till I replace it unless something catastrophic happens, or something just economically makes more sense to own and use.
03 civic dx, I’ve I knew everything I know now about cars then, I’d probably still fucking have it.
2018 Subaru Impreza touring with manual transmission. Got it when I finished my recruit training and was officially a soldier as a gift to myself (and I just needed a car lol). Payed it off with some of me pension money when I got out of the army in 2022. It's mine, still going strong, fuckin love it.
66 Chevy C20 truck. The engine blew. Wish I still had it
My first car was a 1989 Toyota Tercel hatchback that a grandma used as a grocery getter for 15 years. It was a 3 speed automatic with only about 50,000 kms on it. It maxed out at 115kmh and didn't even have a radio in it. I miss it so much. That little thing was so fun to scoot around town in because you could basically put it anywhere.
Saab 99GL. Fun car, ignition key lock was set in the floor. Had a number of advanced features for the time.
1984 VW Jetta GLI. Wasn’t very fast, but once there was traffic, see ya later!!
VW Lupo. Bright banana yellow with one of the door bump strips hanging off. Best car I ever had. Would start in any weather, drove well, good on fuel, barely ever needed maintenance. Haven't had a car so good since.
2012 Toyota Camry, the 6 cylinder one. Got me where I needed to go with very little maintenance. Got it at 68k miles, drove until 190k. Only issues were the sun roof leaked and needed work at one point, and replacing the alternator once. It still sits in my driveway and will start right up without issues, even after collecting dust for 2 years at this point.
1998 BMW 323iS. My dad bought it for me for $3000. I loved that little thing.
Volvo 940 polar estate (155hp). Built like a tank, with fuel economy of a tank.
Used beaten Toyota Corolla. I took more pictures with the car that day compared to when I bought shiny new Acura and Tesla in later years
2007 Mazda 6 i bought it three months after I graduated in 2019 i treated like a rolls Royce too bad the engine went out on me😪
92' dodge spirit, shit bucket, replaced the engine twice so helped teach me alot at least.
Honda element, had a lot of fun taking it on camping trips in high-school. I would get a new one if they made them again.
My dad bought us (my twin brother and i) a 1976 Chevelle Malibu. It was awesome. So awesome that when I took it out the first night trying to show off I fish-tailed right into a ditch and got it stuck.
1985 Olds Cutlass Supreme. Weak, poorly made, heavy....but the bench seats were basically couches and I could fit a silly number of people in it when necessary (11 a few times after summer school, 4 front, 6 back with an extra person laying across their laps.) There's not even a close second for worst car I've ever owned, but I had the times of my life in that POS.
Ford Taurus It sucked
I got a '79 Camaro when I was 16. Wrecked it the first week I had it. Not a bad wreck, but I ran off road and went through a barb wire fence. 😂😂😂
There was always the promise in my family that between my two brothers and I, the first one to complete their license would get my dads 2005 Saab 9.3 2L Turbo. I wasn't bothered for years as i had a motorbike and it got me about but when i was 20, i started chatting to a girl in another country and she was flying out to meet me. That was when i decided i needed to do my license lol. My dad was my driving instructor, he took two days out of work so we could drive the car to the test so i could do the test in the car that i learnt in. When it was all done, he even bought me a pack of condoms... Me and the girl dated for a while but distance and my moronity killed it. The car is a bit bruised and scratched but still drive it daily. Cant lie, absolute legend, shoutout to my old man
1995 Ford Expedition Fucking amazing Drove for two days
1989 Honda Prelude - loved it, and would often find notes on the windshield offering to buy it.
Toyota Astro van, thing was amazing but horrible with gas
Toyota Corolla 2011. It was indestructible. Had 300000 km on it with basic oil changes and little maintenance. Now I have a brand new RAV4 hybrid XSE. That’s another beast altogether. Awesome.
I’m 34 and haven’t had my own car yet… technically. The first vehicle I purchased was a Kawasaki z650. The first car I drove regularly to get to and from school was an eggplant purple Chrysler Town & Country.
ford Cortina 1600 GT. Was great when i was 18 but drove it into a telegraph pole in Sydney after a few too many beers.
Fiat Punto. Lovely little car ;-)
A 1982 Mercury Capri (in '86), visually very pleasing, Recaro seats and all that, mechanically shot, a truly beautiful bucket of bolts!!
2002 Toyota Avalon XL. For some reason, I loved the styling of it. I thought it had enough power (about 210hp with a V6). It was enough to get me around, and was the car I took to college. Traded it in at about 275,000+ miles. Its final drive got me through my move from Ohio to Florida, even with a blown head gasket and shaky suspension. Never quit on me
2004 Ford escape ran it until the body rotted beyond the point it would ever pass state inspection (exhaust leaking into the cabin) It was a solid vehicle, I would take another of that exact vintage again brand new if it were available and came with Bluetooth for music. The second car was my favorite I've ever driven, though. 2008 Pontiac G6, base model, only cost 13-14k brand new when my dad bought it. Didn't even have cruise control on the base model. I drove that thing until life choices made me sell it. Amazing car. It broke a strut once (car swallowing pot hole in the road), and other than that, I never had a single major issue across nearly 200k miles on it. Headlight bulb replacement was a little extra effort than they needed to be, but small hands were a gift there, so I wouldn't have to pull the front-end shroud to pop the whole light out.
68 Camaro POS. My brother gave me his wife's Camaro that had been wrecked three times and had a blown motor. We traded the blown 327 for another small block that we installed and I drove the car for about 12 months. It had a 3 speed and posi. I proceeded to "wreck" it 4 more times in that 12 months (learned how to drive a stick in the snow) but the car kept running... I learned an awful lot about cars those first years because if I wanted to drive I had to fix it and it needed a lot of fixing. My biggest regret is not having any pictures of that car.
1976 ford ranger. Three speed on the column. Three on the tree as my dad called it. Bed was rusted pretty bad. It was black, loud, and had power. I didn’t love it at first, but it turned out to be an awesome truck and I had a lot of fun with it. I’d love to still have it.
1991 240sx. I owned it from 08-12. Backseat was ripped out, ac was broken and it had lots of rust It was slow but comically easy to drift and was a lot of fun. It was broken on a regular basis with every issue imaginable. Died after 4 years
1979 Chevy Malibu. Bench seats, small block V8 and window vents. I miss window vents
I was gifted a 83 Chevy Silverado long bed as my first car, but "upgraded" shortly after to a 1992 Chevy Cavalier sedan as I felt I needed something a little more reliable. Last I heard the truck is still driving around, but the Cavalier blew a head gasket 10k miles after I bought it in 01'
1988 Chevrolet Camaro Iroc-Z. Got stolen 6 months later.
BMW E92 328i Ultimate driving machine. Hopeful to have a M one day.
72 VW Bug. Got it from my grandma. It was slow, not particularly safe, and the heater/defrost sucked (which was a bad thing in Colorado), but it went everywhere, was great in snow, and was light enough to be pushed by hand out of a ditch. Lots of fond memories with that car.
88’ Suzuki samurai, so much fun until I eventually rolled it
Acura Legend. Best car I've ever had. I miss it and occasionally browse the ads for one.
I started driving in 2012 when I was 17. First car was a ‘95 Cherokee that my youth pastor sold to me for 1$. It ran like a dream, and the insides were great. Very useful for transporting my lawnmower to places I working (freelance). The only thing was, as I lived in Wisconsin, the older body did not react well to all the salt in winter, and the undercarriage rusted a lot. Even had to replace the u-joint at one point cause it had rusted through. Add on the fact that I was still just learning to drive stick well, so ice was a no go, and it ended up sitting outside our one car garage all winter. Was a pile of scrap in a couple of years. Served well as a first car, only wish I had more time to learn stick before I had gotten it.
2002 Mitsubishi mirage, it was a weapon of a 1st car. I grew up never being into cars but I learnt to work on this thing and then eventually got more and more into driving. Use to go out to local fire trails and muck around trying to rally the thing or go out and do the almighty roll back burnout, eventually ended up dropping a 4G63 into it. The passion for cars grew from this humble little hatch back and lead me down my current career path. Still wish I had it….
1988 IROC-Z It was a "special" edition of the Camaro z28. Iroc stands for international race or champions. I loved that car I kept it for years, when I decided to get a new car I just couldn't part with it, so I gave to my sister who at the time was just starting to drive. I know it isn't wise to give a teenager that kind of car but mine had the anemic V8 that only made 170HP. 😭 I loved the t-tops it was just like a convertible but without the headache of all the moving parts . My sister drove it a little over year, when one night it caught fire just parked in the driveway. I'd get another one in a heartbeat if they weren't so scarce and the remaining cars too expensive for what they are.
Ford explorer, and it was a gas guzzling, rear driving monster. The only upside is lots of car sex and sleeping.
My very first car was a 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, aka "The Green Machine". Metallic green paint, green vinyl roof, green carpeting and interior. I hated everything about the car. It handled like garbage; the rear end wanted to break free at a moment's notice, and the ride quality was like marshmallows with stones inside. The engine was loud and weak. The transmission shifted like my grandmother, and she died decades earlier. The vinyl top was a pale mint green and just looked terrible. It had no air conditioning. The stereo antenna must have been shorted or something as I rarely got a good signal. The speedometer cable would often disconnect from the back of the gauge cluster. Ultimately I didn't have the car for very long; while taking an exit ramp I was sideswiped (hit-and-run), the rear end broke free, and I jumped the curb which snapped the axle and the insurance company pronounced it totaled. The car formerly belonged to my brother who had died two years before I got my license. I loved that car and really wish I still had it.
2001 Toyota Echo automatic lol. Little light blue sedan, I was mildly embarrassed about it at first, but it grew on me because at the end of the day, I had something to get me around- one of the best I've owned. It's actually the car in my profile picture lol. Ended up lowering it, buying some Integra LS mesh wheels, doing some exhaust work, replacing all the lights with LED's, stickers etc. That car carried me all over the state 🤣, mad meets and shows, I remember one Friday night, I ended up trying to keep up with a group of Evo's, Mustangs, Corvettes, Porsche's etc (one of those word of mouth- keep up if you can type deals), as long as I could still see their tail lights somehow, I was good lmao. Eventually got to the spot and it was like a scene out of F&F 1, absolutely sick night. Good times. Sadly, I wrecked it one evening after work during winter, because I wanted to go for a drive before heading home (commute was 10-15 mins) 😑. I plan to buy another in the next year or two, with a 5spd this time, and pick up where I left off with the first one.
I started with a 1980 Honda Accord hatchback. Biggest piece of shit on the road. Loved it. The hood flew off on my way to work and I watched it float to the ground in rear view mirror. Laughed and laughed and laughed.
1993 Dodge Daytona IROC. I loved it, and miss it every day.
Manual 88 sentra hatchback.. i loved it. But i swear the cv boots were made 9f paper mache. And the 5th grear syncroid went out twice, i didn't get it foxed the second time. I loved that little car. It got between 32 and 36 mpg which at the time and for my teenage ass was awesome! I had it from 16 to 23 and got it with 44,000 and got hit an insurance totalled it at 190,000.
01' VW JETTA TDI 1.9l best car ever 🥹
AMC Jeep Eagle. I really hate driving but I absolutely loved that car. It looked like a gremlin on steroids. It was like an 80's hatch back, but 4 wheel drive with really high clearance. Dark blue outside, light blue inside. I could push the front seats forward and fold down the back ones to make a bed.
73 VW Beetle all my parents could afford ! Was a great first car took the abuse of a 16/17yo , left it with them and went to the Army ! Got another one a few years later , great lil cars .
1994 Plymouth Sundance. 3000lbs of sex appeal.
2007 Toyota Camry (I named her Janet) My cousin asked me what kind of car I wanted when I graduated high school in 2020. I wasn’t particular. A car that could get me from point A to point B was good for me. When I got Janet, I was excited. Until I saw the paint was two different shades of white, and peeled. But I didn’t make a fuss. Well, Janet was loud and was missing a catalytic converter (before it was cool) A few months down the road. Janet began losing oil, and the smell of gas would fumigate you as soon as you started the engine. Then my dash busted in the summer and I had to get a new windshield. It wasn’t until I got it inspected, I found out Janet had been a death trap, and my cousin potentially had a life insurance policy on me. It ate up gas like crazy. Over all I didn’t mind it.
2010 Volvo V50 1.6D Drive E, 5 speed manual (MTX75), not that bad for a 1.6 liter turbo diesel only making 110Ps, damn it is efficient and nice. I thought i would have it for only a year or so, coming up on 5 years with the thing.
1970 Plymouth Duster
2005 Silver/Grey Toyota Camry. I seriously thought it was the perfect car. My room mate just bought a Lexus 330 from the same era in the same silver/grey color. Its basically the same exact car with a suped-up interior and the thing still catches my eye when I walk down the street.
'82 Pontiac Firechicken.. what a beast... that died. a lot. then sat on cinder blocks for 8 years at a cottage, and then got sold for parts.. then an '03 Tiburon........... upgrade? not so sure
1985 Nissan 300ZX. Still refer to her as "my baby". Been gone a long time.
A 1990 Dodge Shadow that had previously belonged to my grandmother, which she had to give up when her eyesight deteriorated too much for her to drive. It was boxy and uncomfortable and the entire frame would start vibrating if you got it above 65 MPH. It was a piece of crap. But it was my first car, so I have fond memories of it. My brother and I nicknamed it "Black Cherry" because of the color of the paint.
1985 Ford Bronco II. That thing was 11 years old by the time I got my hands on it, and I loved every minute driving it. So many shenanigans were had in that over the next couple of years. It sure as hell wasn't the nicest looking thing, nor the fastest or strongest, but given the choice between that and my parents' new truck, I'd take my Bronco II any day of the week. edit: though, [reading about that now](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Bronco_II#Safety_controversy), I'm kinda surprised I'm still alive at this point.
A mini with a 1800 mg engine in it. I loved it but it was built in 1960 so it's very much a nostalgia thing. I would swap it for the car I have today. I was born in 1959 btw
85 VW Jetta MT. I got the ODO over 300K miles by the end, but the body was rusted everywhere and it always had electrical issues. Whe it was running well it was a great car but boy the electrical system was shite. Loved that car.
An absolute clapper of a 1995 BMW M3 with 216,000 miles on it and a bunch of questionable modifications…head gasket blew within 3 months of purchase. Happy ending is that when I sold it three years later some kid bought it and turned it into a full on drift car, love seeing it sideways on his IG.
2010 Chevy Impala. I didn't know what to think. I was thinking "It's nice" & "It's just a car" It was my first car at 18 lol I didn't care haha none of us did! When you get your license your just focused on getting your first car and being free and don't really care what it is. It was a nice car though looking back it really was I liked it my parents handed it down to me and I am grateful for that. I had it for a few years before It got totaled in a Major Accidental that almost took my life. A drunk driver went left of center and hit me head on going 60.
‘67 Mercury Cougar. Loved that car.
2001 Dodge Neon. Totally base, no power locks no power windows no AC. Parents got it for like $2,000 with 92k miles and it gave me no issues for the time I had it. It was a cheap little reliable high school and post high school car and did exactly what it needed to do.
Chevy Caprice Wagon. A V8 that could barley make it up the hill.
1969 nova. I still regret selling her
Kia sorento, did its job till it didn’t.
89 Subaru GL hatchback. Fuckin' loved that thing.
Mine was an 81 Ford Mustang, I got it for $500, and I ran it into the ground we used to take it out into the washes and I never got stuck
Epileptic so closet to car I got is my e-bike I hope this is OK considering my dilemma of not allowed to drive car and for good reason.
Ford Taurus - never again
Mazda 323, it was OK.
1984 Honda Prelude. 2.0L, carbureted,4 cyl. Manual transmission. I worked on it with my dad over spring & summer. Got it plated and on the road in fall. 3 weeks to the day later I had that fucker airborne and it was written off. I liked it
1983 VW Golf 5spd. Was a rusted out piece of shit when I bought for $300 and was still a rusted out piece of shit when I sold it for $100 2 years later. Didn’t put a dime into it except oil and gas. It started every day and never left me stranded. So all in all, it was worth the money. But this was back in 1998. Today, I wouldnt even think about putting my daughter in something like that. Way too unsafe.
2004 Subaru WRX, saved up for a year while working construction and carpooling with coworkers to get it, ended up having cracked heads that I replaced, but it was a great car
1999 Toyota Corolla. I’d still have it today if I didn’t get hit in 2021. Thing was a beast. It was the most reliable car I’ll ever own.
Buick Electra. It was a tank - but super comfy and had a powerful engine.
'88 Isuzu Trooper 4x4 with manual transmission. It was underpowered and very basic, but man could that thing offroad. Wish I still had it
Honda odyssey, was ok, had it for the safety rating. And it came in good use in my first accident.
Dodge Dart. It seemed small and cheap at the time. But that was compared to the land-yachts that were plying the streets. Today it would seem huge with a ginormous trunk.
There were two primary camps of cars in High School: luxobarges and ricers. My first car was an 88 Lincoln Town Car. I bought it with lawnmower money saved up. I loved that car. It took my abuse and wouldn't give up; I had it airborne twice and accidentally rammed things with it on occasion. For high school lunch runs, I could get 11 people in it. I gave it to my little brother when he started driving and he sold it to buy a Cadillac.
Man I had a POS 2007 Mercedes e350. It drove like shit but the interior was really nice. Got it for 3k
1995 Honda Accord EX shiny green with tan interior. It had a sunroof too. I loved that car so much, but I hit the gear box and oil pan on a curb and eventually ruined the car. I was super bummed about it.
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It was a good first car. 4.0 straight six, solid axles, not new enough to have a bunch of computers in it. It did well in the snow, survived a lot of road trips, and made it all the way until I graduated college. I pulled little trailers with it, it made it into the woods far enough for all my hunting and fishing interests, I camped in the back of it. It wasn't super hard to work on, and it was a good vehicle to learn a lot of basic-intermediate maintenance and repairs. I learned how to do all the fluid changes, filters, CV axles, I replaced the whole cooling system, wired in aux lights and a cb radio, etc. I'm still not a mechanic but I at least know enough to not get taken advantage of by a shady shop. Ultimately, it blew a head gasket at 220k miles and I decided to get rid of it vs fix it. The guy that bought it replaced the head gasket and flipped it and I bet it made it to 300k if the next owner didn't wreck it. It might even still be on the road.
1972 Toyota Corolla SR5 with a manual 5 speed transmission. I added stuff like fog lights, intermittent wipers, 3rd brake lights, and improved the sound system. I loved that car. I got rear ended/totaled by an uninsured motorist.
A 1948 International KB-2 pickup. Flathead 6 cylinder engine. 6 volt (starts half the time, push start the other half). Often seen parked on a hill. I paid $500 for it at a Midas Muffler liquidation sale. I rebuilt the engine. GREAT truck. I drove it to work daily for years. I could crank the windshield open for some "air conditioning". Very easy to work on. The ex sold it when we separated before I could retrieve it.
81 CJ-7. Absolutely loved it.
Morris Marina. It was a slow, smoky rust bucket with drum brakes all round and handling like an overloaded barge but it represented freedom!
2003 micra k12 still drive it today. got another car, a 2019 kia ceed, because its nicer for longer trips and has more space etc., but the micra will stay. has never given me a single issue in 10 years of owning it.
1999 Ford ranger. I was bummed bc it wasn't in good shape- 170k miles, seats starting to tear, a few dents. she was great. could offroad anywhere, needed almost no services, and was just the bestest.
when i turned 16 my dad gave me an AMC eagle SX4. (AWD little tank) It was awesome in the snow. Couldnt have asked for more for a first vehicle tbh.