These Are the Best Vehicles You've Ever Owned - Jalopnik

Vehicles are, astatine their core, a conveyance with which you tin bash things — permission the house, be a way day, spell camping. Sometimes, the champion conveyance isn’t needfully the 1 you loved spending clip in, but the 1 that took you to the champion places. Yesterday, we asked for the champion vehicles you’ve ever owned, and you gave america a wealthiness of answers — and a wealthiness of stories. Here are immoderate of the best.

My 2002 Olds Intrigue, astir identical to this one.

(Waits for laughter to dice down)

I purchased my ‘02 Intrigue with 26K miles connected the odometer for $12.5K aft haggling with the trader and pointing retired the car had been sitting connected his batch for astir six months.

Great road cruiser, ~25mpg astatine 80mph, roomy and comfy but was reasonably competent successful the twisties with the close tires and capable to support up with the d-bag with the 325i erstwhile we were some merging onto I-75 successful the morning.

The trunk was ample capable for a weeks worthy of luggage for 2 people, positive 4 cases of Yuengling Lager transported from Phila earlier it was disposable successful GA.

It was besides reliable and beauteous overmuch slug proof, my biggest headache was that the car went done model regulators similar a junkie done a container of Oreos - I replaced 7 successful the 10 years I had the car earlier I said ‘fuck it’ and conscionable invested successful 3 rubber doorway stoppers from the dollar store.

I yet sold the car to a person who needed reliable proscription to school.

I got 215,000 mostly trouble-free miles retired of the Intrigue and my person enactment connected astir different 70K earlier the car got sideswiped by immoderate idiot successful a U-Haul.

I would bargain different 1 successful a heartbeat if I could find one.

i’m a steadfast believer successful the adage: “GM cars tally similar crap longer that astir cars tally astatine all.”

It’s ever the U-Haul that brings our favourite cars to an end. Having been that driver, trying my champion to debar each car successful my path, person pity connected them. They don’t privation to beryllium doing this either.

Submitted by: Earthbound Misfit I

Not 1 vehicle, but a radical of 3. I deliberation they’re each fantastic successful their ain ways, and I’d beryllium hard pressed to get escaped of immoderate 1 of them.

1) 2014 Subaru WRX Hatchback: This was the archetypal caller car that I ever bought and I emotion it. It feels similar an aged turbocharged car. Nobody is location underneath 3500 rpm, but erstwhile the turbo spools it’s a rush. Are modern turbocharged drivetrains better? Absolutely. Do the connection arsenic overmuch amusive arsenic this? Nope. All the deficiencies of the drivetrain springiness the car quality and marque it a joyousness to drive. I’m ever grinning erstwhile I get retired of it! Plus it’s an AWD hatch, truthful it’s applicable and it does good successful the snow! The WRX besides has 1 of the champion feeling manual transmissions. It’s bully and notchy and really feels similar it’s connected to the transmission dissimilar modern cablegram actuated manuals.

2) 2016 Mazda Miata: This is astir apt the astir amusive car I’ve owned. Because it is lightweight, it is truthful overmuch amusive to propulsion around. I’ve ne'er had much amusive successful a car with 150hp. You tin thrust astatine the bounds successful a Miata and hardly beryllium breaking the velocity limit. This car is impervious that you don’t request a ton of powerfulness to person fun! I’ve driven this car to a way day, had an implicit blast astatine the way and driven it location again afterwards. It’s a fantastic 2nd vehicle.

3) 2021 Ford Bronco: This is my archetypal due disconnected roader and I’ve discovered however overmuch amusive it tin beryllium to spell crawling disconnected road. You whitethorn lone beryllium going a mates of miles an hour, but antheral is it fun! It’s a full antithetic benignant of fun. Proof that you don’t request a ton of powerfulness again to person a blast!

I deliberation the operation of these 3 is truthful chill since they each connection a antithetic benignant of fun. I’d beryllium hard pressed to get escaped of immoderate of them. I deliberation these are cars I’m going to clasp connected to for life!

I cognize I asked for favourite car, singular, and this is simply a three-car garage. But, counterpoint — tin you ideate immoderate much cleanable operation of 3 vehicles? I can’t.

Submitted by: Anthony McClinton

Best, astir problematic, astir expensive, iconic, treated maine bully and atrocious astatine the aforesaid time. Its up connected the artifact connected E-Bay arsenic we speak. It was a bully run

The 8-Series is incredibly beauteous and incredibly costly to own. Which 1 wins retired for you?

Submitted by: Bob

2020 Ioniq EV.

after rebates and each it came to $700 down, and $150/month for 35 months. we got it successful Feb 2021, close earlier the spot insanity, and earlier state changeable to $6/gallon... owed to the brainsick woody and each that we got connected the buyout arsenic well, we volition apt bargain it retired aft the lease arsenic well. wide it chopped her monthly car costs down by implicit $250/month.

we besides got an HOV sticker for that happening excessively which is bully for commuting.

it gets 4.7 miles/kwh, and the 120v L1 charger has been much than capable to complaint backmost miles implicit nighttime if my woman cant get a charger astatine enactment (free charging there). successful astir 2 years of utilizing it, we’ve lone had to usage a accelerated charger 3 times, astir 10~15 min each to get backmost the 60 miles oregon truthful to get home.

it lone has 135 horses, but with 200lbs of torque, betwixt 0 and 45 there’s plentifulness of amusement without bluish lights.

I thrust crapcans, truthful having a shiny caller car that I dont person to interest astir astatine each is simply a bully alteration of pace.

we person had to work the car precisely zero times...... though one should astir apt spell retired determination and rotate the tires again soon.

Sometimes, the champion is conscionable the astir effective. Inexpensive, practical, bully connected state and low-maintenance. Doesn’t request to beryllium thing much than that.

Submitted by: redneckrob and his flock of Volvos

I’ve owned immoderate objectively awesome cars — 1968 Dodge Charger R/T; 1991 Mercedes SEL560; 2011 Porsche Cayman; my existent 2015 Mustang GT — but nary of them springiness maine the “man I privation I inactive had that” feelings I person for my aged 1994 Ford Taurus wagon. It had wonderfully comfy rodent fur seats; had the rear-facing seats and beforehand seat truthful it could spot 8; had a fold-flat backmost spot that gave a level loading level ample capable for 2 radical to slumber on; could transportation virtually anything; had a suspension that could soak up immoderate roadworthy imperfections. It was adjacent the acheronian greenish colour that is objectively the champion colour for immoderate car. And, inexplicably, Ford offered 2 antithetic engines that some had 140 hp — a 3.0 liter V6, and a 3.8 liter V6 with much torque. Mine had the torquier engine. I loved that car, and I privation idiosyncratic made thing comparable today, due to the fact that I would bargain it successful a heartbeat.

Who doesn’t emotion a wagon? They’re cleanable for moving in, sleeping in, moving astir successful your slumber in. What much could you want?

Submitted by: neverspeakawordagain

My Lexus ISF. I utilized to flip cars successful assemblage and drove precocious miles for enactment truthful I owned 20 cars earlier I stumbled connected the ISF. I enactment 70k connected it successful 3 years(the longest I’ve owned a car), liked it truthful overmuch erstwhile I got “bored” of it I simply upgraded to a newer amended spec’d 1 and owned that 1 3 years too. Only sold for a location buy.

The car checks each the close boxes for a regular driver. Bulletproof reliable, large performance, large comfort, large sound, and portion uniquely rare, it besides flew nether the radar. Even anterior to Covid, erstwhile they reached the 40-100k mile age, they hardly fell successful value. No worries extracurricular of warranty and 29 mpg road and runs 11's with 2 mods. Not atrocious astatine each for grandpa sedan.

The IS F looks sedate, adjacent stately. At least, until you crook it connected — past the V8 starts to shatter the illusion.

Submitted by: Viperfan1

The Lexus IS300.

Bring a TrailerI wanted 1 the archetypal clip I sat successful 1 successful 2001. But it wasn’t until 16 years aboriginal wherever I’d really beryllium making wealth connected my ain to beryllium capable to spend 1 connected .

A spot worn in, but adjacent astatine 97,500 miles, it was a imagination to drive. Ownership has been comparatively occupation free. It has an aftermarket alarm installed that, adjacent though disabled and not disconnected, it eats up battery, truthful I person to trickle complaint it each truthful often to support the battery.

While I besides person different vehicles successful the stable, a 2004 xB that I got utilized with 4000 miles (i’ve enactment connected implicit 205k), and adjacent w/ overgarment peeling, brings successful a decent 24mpg with 205s successful the beforehand (it came w/ 185s) and turns successful unexpectedly good for specified a gangly vehicle, and a Tacoma that I instrumentality connected trips offroading.

The IS300 fits similar a glove. It’s the car you privation (along w/ the 2002 MR-S) to instrumentality retired done a 100 mile Canyon tally from Tujunga to Islip Saddle (and back). It’s, rather simply, not a car you’d ever person a atrocious clip in.

The 2JZ, however, is simply a spot quieter. You’ll aftermath it up with a turbo and an exhaust system, but from the mill it’s a subtler younger brother.

Submitted by: kalieaire

Blue ‘88 MR2 with T-Tops. It had problems with the exhaust system, but different was occupation free. I loved that car — it was conscionable amusive to thrust without being intrusive, truthful to speak.

Let’s conscionable support the Toyota bid rolling, shall we? More two-wheel thrust show Toyotas. That’s gonna beryllium the full database from present connected out.

Submitted by: 0ttr

Really by each measurements it’s my existent regular operator 2018 Tesla Model 3.

Neck snapping 0-60 successful the debased 4's. Fuel system that eats your Prius for dinner. Incredibly reliable arsenic determination are precise fewer moving parts. People get a laughter astatine car shows erstwhile I enactment a vessel of “V8" foodstuff successful the propped unfastened beforehand trunk. Recently utilized it to transport an astir 7 ft gangly gramps timepiece (with the trunk closed!) from Pennsylvania backmost to New Hampshire.

I’ve owned 11 cars but they person each had flaws that made them not the “best”. My Pontiac G8 is great, but 17 mpg successful today’s satellite doesn’t chopped it.

Welp, I messed that 1 up. StalePhish is right, though — from an empirical standpoint, ICE vehicles can’t truly clasp a candle to an EV. Just marque definite you’ve got bully location charging.

Submitted by: StalePhish

2014 Mazda6. Definitely the champion looking car that I owned. Did everything from Amazon deliveries to agelong region cruising to rallycross. Fun to drive, reasonably economical, reliable. Needed much horsepower to beryllium perfect, but that’s conscionable the Mazda DNA.

Here’s a small concealed that Mazda doesn’t privation you to know: each car that institution sells is rad arsenic hell. They’re each acold much absorbing to thrust than they should be. They whitethorn person abandoned zoom-zoom arsenic a company, but the cars haven’t forgotten.

Submitted by: emilminty drives an E30 and the Fiero is mostly fixed

What metrics bash are we expected to basal “the best” with? Or are you asking what is/was our favourite car? You authorities your Miata was the champion don’t notation what was “best” astir it. With that said, my favourite car I’ve ever owned was my ‘87 Starion, the astir reliable is my ‘03 Ram 3500 Cummins DRW.

Someday, I’ll ain a Starion. I’ve travel truthful adjacent to buying them, truthful galore times, but it’s ne'er panned out. One day, that achromatic exterior and reddish interior volition beryllium mine.

Submitted by: TommyKar

1985 Saab 900 Turbo. Rose Quartz.

First existent car I bought moving my archetypal existent occupation retired of the subject arsenic a young feline successful Atlanta.

Adding the SPG wheels, whale process and 4th sheet vent covers, I could thrust into a oversea of yuppie E30 BMWs and crook heads. Casual oregon classy capable for immoderate occasion. Bank vault dependable, Changed the lipid each 3000 miles successful 15 minutes. Countless trips Atlanta—>Indiana, Tulsa—>Rochester, Gary—>Los Angeles, multi-year 120 mile commute NW Indiana —>Chicago westbound suburbs. Odometer stopped moving astatine 300K and drove it different 5 years aft that. Then my FIL drove it for 3 years. I’d estimation implicit 500K miles of memories.

Fun fact: This communicative was 1 atrocious car salesman distant from being astir a Peugeot 505 Turbo.

Finally, idiosyncratic whose sanction is connected brand. I couldn’t find a cleanable roseate quartz image, but present I’m imagining 1 done up successful a genuinely ostentatious pink-gold wrap. I privation this.

Submitted by: 900turbo

I deliberation what “the Best” is depends wholly connected your signifier of life.

The champion by acold for maine is simply a 2007 Sienna. I had 3 kids and 2 dogs erstwhile I got it. Now 15 years later, I person 1 kid that inactive doesn’t thrust (your welcome) and much dogs.

This Sienna has taken everything beingness has thrown astatine it for implicit 260k miles with precise fewer issues.

Just yesterday, my woman and ma decided to bargain a room array and chairs from thing similar 50 miles distant and tote it backmost successful the van. It swallowed it without a problem.

Minivans are fantastic, a last bastion of practicality implicit pretense. Minivans don’t unreal to beryllium thing they aren’t, due to the fact that they don’t request to — they cognize they’re the champion car for the job.

Submitted by: hoser68

My 1995 Civic EX Coupe. That happening was an implicit vessel contempt years and years of abuse. It was emblematic 90's Honda, which means it was a amusive to drive, particularly with the 5-speed trying to wring each past HP retired of the VTEC, efficient, reliable, and it adjacent came successful a precise era-appropriate blue/green pearlescent color.

I got it successful precocious school, drove it backmost and distant from college, and delivered pizza with it during summertime and wintertime breaks. I enactment astir 150k miles connected it with nary issues, past sold it to my buddy who drove it for different 100k miles. He past sold it to his ma who drove it different 50k miles, and past got sold to an enthusiast that worked with her mechanic (I mislaid way aft that). There volition ever beryllium a peculiar spot successful my bosom for that jellybean-looking dynamo.

Paradsecar’s representation showed an EG Civic, truthful I’m sticking with that contempt ‘95 being the changeover twelvemonth for the EK. Either one, however, tin beryllium an implicit joyousness to thrust erstwhile built up correctly.

Submitted by: paradsecar

Toyota Matrix XR with a manual transmission

It was not accelerated and powerful, but I recovered the manual transmission made it amusive to drive. It had a large thrust height, the backmost spot was reasonably roomy for immoderate big passengers I had. The fold level beforehand spot made it precise useful for the occasional agelong objects. The cargo country was large and level with the rear seats folded and the hard surfaces and tracks were incredibly practical.

In my assemblage years, I couldn’t thrust anyplace without seeing astatine slightest 3 ePontiac Vibes connected the roads. But I would’ve traded them each for Matrices, if I could — I deliberation they conscionable look better.

Submitted by: Mehphisto