What kind of car do you drive and why?

[NY10]

I had a pretty interesting conversation the other day with a group of friends talking about todays cars and why people choose what they drive.

How did you pick your car and what was the reason behind it?

Good on gas?
Type of gas it takes?
Best deal?
New or used?

I know a lot of people don't care about the make as long as it gets them to where it needs to go and with the gas prices being what they are these days people are going for the smaller compact cars as apposed to the big huge SUV's especially if you don't have a family or a need for one.

 

[gorillagirl]

1998 honda hatchback currently with 186,000+ miles on it.
1. hondas are known to be mostly reliable
2. hatchback is spacious
3. automatic cuz it's easier.
4. old cuz i'm driving it until it finally dies (at more than 300k, goddess willing)

 

[truckman]

High school into early college years I drove classics I restored because driving convertibles and muscle cars was good for the ego, attracted girls in tight jeans, and did I say these were my high school to early college years?

While in college I couldn't afford the stable of cars and my parents were getting pissed about it so I sold all but one (66 GTO convertible) and bought a used 81 Reliant 2-door. Ugly car horrible ergonomics but dead nuts reliable. Oil changes and wiper blades.

Out of college I entered my truck phase, and within a few years I went through many used trucks. 78 bronco which I bought rusty and it essentially fell apart. Sold that to a kid and bought a used 90 Ford explorer 4-door w/manual. Loved that truck but the tranny didn't hold up to the towing I was doing (classic cars on trailers) so I traded that in and bought new a 93 F350 crewcab single rear wheel pickup. I still have it and it's waiting for a new engine since it barely runs with 561,000 miles on it. I definitely got my $17,500 out of it and then some.

I bought a used 93 Lincoln Continental in 95 and that was my daily driver until 2000 when it finally died and I bought a white 1999 Crown Victoria P71 cladded in leather as a leftover. A year later ('01) I bought a second maroon 99 Crown Victoria with a black velour interior, and that one was dirt cheap because the engine was shot and in fact, I almost didn't make it the 30 mile trip to my house. I upgraded it and put in V10, a 6 sp, a pair of turbos and some fancy electronics. Crazy fast car, but I sold it in 2006 because running a V10 with turbos in a 4000lb car wasn't helping gas mileage any (I averaged about 9 in that thing). I still have the white one and it's still a fantastic road car for long trips. My son's mother knocks around in it though sometimes it's here for extended lengths of time. Long story.

My current daily driver is a 1995 Buick Regal I bought for $1. yes, that's right, $1. Basic car with basic amenities and did I say it was $1?

Essentially, I'm all over the map with cars. Good luck trying to figure it out

 

[fiorinda]

I've got a Kia Sportage which probably means as much to you Americans as Truckmans list of cars/trucks did to me! It's a 4X4, although as I live in a city I've never used the 4 wheel drive. I's a bit of a tank. It doesn't go very fast but that suits me fine. It's got plenty of space (especially if you take out the back seats) so we can get everything in we will need to take to *LARP events (2 tents, camping equipment, costumes, lots of kit and miscellaneous stuff). It cost us £795 from a guy 5 doors down the hill, which is why we bought it. It's silver.


*Live Action Role Play, for anyone who was wondering.

 

[AmandaAlice]

I drive a 2009 Chevy Cobalt right now. It's the nicest condition, newest and lowest mileage car I've had ever in my life. We got it last year right around this time. Picked it because it was the right price (under 10 grand) and good on gas and room for the kid, and had only 40k miles on it when we got it and came with a year's worth of free oil changes and stuff, and 6 months warranty for anything going wrong, which we did get to use when the wheel bearings on the front went bad, lol. I like it, especially because it has an aux jack where I can hook in my ipod. Yea, I'm easy to please. Not a car person, never had like a 'dream car' or anything. As long as it goes and I can listen to music in it, I'm pretty much happy.
We had to get that car because my old car, a 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue that we got from my grandparents, took its final crap after being nothing but non-stop problems, which was just like the previous car I had, a '94 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme that my dad picked out for me when I was going to college. Those two cars turned me off to Oldsmobiles, with all their constant problems, I won't ever buy another one of those, lol.
Before the Oldsmobiles, though, I had my first vehicle, a 1991 Chevy Pickup truck. Blue. I LOVED that truck. It previously belonged to this friend of my family's that I used to have this huge ridiculous crush on back then, and so when he sold it to me, I was like... Eee! It's his truck! Lol, silly teenage girl, but, you know. That truck purred like a kitten, never gave me any problems. It wasn't 4-Wheel drive, which was its only flaw, but I have so many good memories of that truck. Then my dad sold it to buy me that Olds because the truck was not good on gas going back and forth to school every day and to work and stuff. Worst agreement I ever made, I still miss Blue

 

[Slow Worm]

I don't.

I ride a Dawes Karakum Karakum - Dawes Cycles Touring Tandem and Sportif bikes , plus an elderly Falcon ATB with a cargo trailer hitched to it for heavy shopping, etc. I occasionally hire vans for seriously large loads.

Ann has a Specialised Globe City II Specialized Bicycle Components

SW

 

[theREALTrish]

I've got a Kia Sportage which probably means as much to you Americans as Truckmans list of cars/trucks did to me! It's a 4X4, although as I live in a city I've never used the 4 wheel drive. I's a bit of a tank. It doesn't go very fast but that suits me fine. It's got plenty of space (especially if you take out the back seats) so we can get everything in we will need to take to *LARP events (2 tents, camping equipment, costumes, lots of kit and miscellaneous stuff). It cost us £795 from a guy 5 doors down the hill, which is why we bought it. It's silver.


*Live Action Role Play, for anyone who was wondering.

We have Kias here in the states.

I don't have a car anymore. My last car was a 1996 Toyota Corolla. I loved that car and I'd definitely buy another Toyota. I'd love to have a Rav4.

 

[christina923]

'14 ford focus. bought it new, year end leftover, good price. bought it for the gas mileage, husbands drive is 70 miles roundtrip to work.
'05 ford ranger(4x4)...everyone needs a truck. actually have it for hauling stuff and for the winter commutes to work. less then 40k miles on it.

I stick with ford as they didn't need/take a "bailout" and I have a great dealership service department that has gone above "good service". OH! and because I will buy American...well kinda.

 

[SheLikesKitties]

I drive a Mitsubishi ASX.
I used to have a Honda CRV, but it "ate" too much gasoline, now it is Nick's who only drives it to work which is nearby.
Before buying my Mitsubishi I test-drove a bunch of cars (within my price range). Although it does not have leather seats, it has a leather wheel and shift, which is pleasant to the touch. The seat fabric was also very pleasant, with a subtle design. I also sat in the back for every test-drive and it is comfy for back seat pasengers, mainly my mom.

The other reason I bought the ASX was because you can enter it and drive it with the "key" still in the purse. As a horror movie fan, and seeing so many heroines get killed because they could not insert the key in the car, before the zombie or monster got them, I thought... hah! This is a good feature to have... just in case. Of course I did not tell this to the salesman. :tongue2:

Another reason is because the ASX, although it's not 4x4, it is high enough to go through flooded streets, and even climb sidewalks should the need arise in case of floods. And yes, we get flooded streets in Panama City, during rainy season, when high tide meets torrential rains.

The last reason was fuel efficiency.

So sumarizing why I bought my car, in that order:
1. Nice to the touch
2. Zombie-proof
3. Great for floods
4. Fuel economy

 

[christina923]

zombie proof!!! cracking up here!!!

 

[NY10]

I can't believe you got a car for $1 Truckman, although it shouldn't surprise me.

I used to have a Honda CRV and loved it, Hondas are unreal. They are known to last a very long time and very practical , I miss my old little SUV. It took regular gas and was a small cylinder so filling it up was never that bad for me. I drive a lot especially when I'm going from the Island into the City but that car was good.

I now have a 2015 BMW coupe and it is killing me with gas. It's a fast car and it automatic and stick combo and I have to fill it up at least once a week, plus it takes premium gas so the cost is outrageous. This was/is my first car I ever bought on my own so I went for the sporty young pretty thing which my boyfriend warned me about but let's be real, you can't talk to a 27 year old who works their *** off and wants a sport car.

I have no regrets because I love my car but when talking-to my friends, they all have older model cars and they seem to be hanging in there and getting them where they need to go.

 

[kilny]

I've had a VW bug, older one, a honda civic which was outgrown when kid number 3 came along, then a plymouth horizon that was an insanely reliable and cheep car to maintain with 3 kids learning to drive it. a Crysler Caravan that I loved, a 76 Nova that friend gave me, sold it to my nephew to restore because I couldn't afford to. I now have an older Chevy Silverado truck that belonged to my Mom and a toyota sienna van. The Chevy is horrid on gas, but I've kept it to tow a camp trailer if I ever use it, and to haul with and I love the room and the mileage in the van. All have been used cars except the Plymouth Horizon and we drove it to death (over 300 thousand miles). Finally sold it to a kid when my youngest was in HS and bought his own car.

Oh yeah I had a 65 volvo that a friend also gave me and drove it for about 3 years.

 

[truckman]

I've got a Kia Sportage which probably means as much to you Americans

We have Kia's everywhere here in the US

I can't believe you got a car for $1 Truckman, although it shouldn't surprise me.

Once in a while someone is so sick of a car they just want to get rid of it.

---

For everyone's entertainment, here is my full car list:

1966 GTO convertible.
1969 Ford XL Convertible.
1970 Dodge Challenger.
1990 BMW 750il V12
1981 Plymouth Reliant 2-door
1988 Plymouth Reliant 4-door (added turbocharger)
1959 Thunderbird (removable hardtop)
1978 Ford Bronco
1979 Ford Bronco
1981 Plymouth Horizon 4-door (added turbo)
1989 Corvette
1967 Lincoln Continental hardtop (suicide doors)
1988 BMW 325i (I wrecked the above corvette in the rain so I bought this car with a dead engine for $400 and shoved the 'vette engine and trans into this car with a shoehorn)
1970 Dodge D200 Extended Cab Pickup (swapped out puny 318 for 400 cid twin-turbo stroker)
1990 Ford Explorer 4-door
1981 F350 Crewcab Dually converted to SRW (then lifted with 48" tires, then painted with zebra stripes)
1993 F350 Crewcab SRW
1989 Pontiac Fiero which I assembled a kit-car upon (Lambo)
1993 Lincoln Continental (converted to stick, added a supercharger)
1993 Oldsmobile Delta 88 (used mostly as a daily driver and a EFI code test bed)
1999 Crown Victoria (white, bone stock)
1999 Crown Victoria (maroon, converted to V10/stick w/turbochargers)
2004 Buick Century - sits, waits for new engine)
1995 Buick Regal (current daily driver/knock around car)

One I have in storage:
1970 Fairlane Station Wagon, waiting for me to have the time to finish the 500cid twin-turbo stroker I started.

And here are some of the fun projects I've helped friends with:
1987 Buick Grand National - Stage II, massive turbo.
1999 Corvette - Twin Turbo LS1
1996 Ford Explorer which we shoved a Ford 460 in. Yes, it fit. No, it wasn't easy.

Hmmm, I'm missing one.

 

[fiorinda]

Seems odd that you have so many types of car in the US that we don't here, yet you also have the same ones we do too! Guess if we had all the makes and models that there are in the US there would only be room (and possibly owners) for one of each type!!

 

[theREALTrish]

Seems odd that you have so many types of car in the US that we don't here, yet you also have the same ones we do too! Guess if we had all the makes and models that there are in the US there would only be room (and possibly owners) for one of each type!!

Maybe it's that American made cars like Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler are not sold overseas. European cars are imported here in the states, and some foreign companies have manufacturing plants in the US. My Toyota was actually built here. Honda also has manufacturing plants here in the states.

 

[theREALTrish]

We have Kia's everywhere here in the US



Once in a while someone is so sick of a car they just want to get rid of it.

---

For everyone's entertainment, here is my full car list:

1966 GTO convertible.
1969 Ford XL Convertible.
1970 Dodge Challenger.
1990 BMW 750il V12
1981 Plymouth Reliant 2-door
1988 Plymouth Reliant 4-door (added turbocharger)
1959 Thunderbird (removable hardtop)
1978 Ford Bronco
1979 Ford Bronco
1981 Plymouth Horizon 4-door (added turbo)
1989 Corvette
1967 Lincoln Continental hardtop (suicide doors)
1988 BMW 325i (I wrecked the above corvette in the rain so I bought this car with a dead engine for $400 and shoved the 'vette engine and trans into this car with a shoehorn)
1970 Dodge D200 Extended Cab Pickup (swapped out puny 318 for 400 cid twin-turbo stroker)
1990 Ford Explorer 4-door
1981 F350 Crewcab Dually converted to SRW (then lifted with 48" tires, then painted with zebra stripes)
1993 F350 Crewcab SRW
1989 Pontiac Fiero which I assembled a kit-car upon (Lambo)
1993 Lincoln Continental (converted to stick, added a supercharger)
1993 Oldsmobile Delta 88 (used mostly as a daily driver and a EFI code test bed)
1999 Crown Victoria (white, bone stock)
1999 Crown Victoria (maroon, converted to V10/stick w/turbochargers)
2004 Buick Century - sits, waits for new engine)
1995 Buick Regal (current daily driver/knock around car)

One I have in storage:
1970 Fairlane Station Wagon, waiting for me to have the time to finish the 500cid twin-turbo stroker I started.

And here are some of the fun projects I've helped friends with:
1987 Buick Grand National - Stage II, massive turbo.
1999 Corvette - Twin Turbo LS1
1996 Ford Explorer which we shoved a Ford 460 in. Yes, it fit. No, it wasn't easy.

Hmmm, I'm missing one.

The first car I owned was a '66 Chevy Impala. It was 5 years old when I bought it in 1971. I still didn't have my drivers license. lol!

 

[NY10]

Truckman you are the KING of cars...

Must be the name Truckman huh? LOL

 

[truckman]

Maybe it's that American made cars like Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler are not sold overseas.

Some Detroit/Canadian stuff makes it over to Europe. Ford, Chrysler and GM have plants overseas and make stuff there. Have for decades. There's practically no vehicles made today (from anyone) that isn't sourced from world-wide suppliers. They share parts, designs, wear flags of every kind.

Ford owns a big part of Mazda. They owned Rover, Jaguar, Volvo for a while. They still have shares in those companies and share ideas and parts. The bottom of the line Jaguar for many years had a Ford Taurus underneath the pretty lines. GM/Isuzu has been whoring parts to each other for decades. Remember the Chevy Nova in the 80's? The tiny little Nova? That was a Toyota. Chrysler did the same. Many of their engines are Japanese. That's what saved them in the early 80's. Lower cost, higher reliability engines.

Another example, the Cadillac CTS, which in most people's eyes is an American car - Caddy - except it's not. Caddy designed the lines - fenders, lighting, interior but the unibody and suspension are *Opel* and that's why that particular car handles so much better than the rest of Caddy's line up - it's an American powered, European car.

Even though Ford had a long-time relationship with Rover, the all-aluminum Rover V8 produced from the late 60's all the way through '99 I think was based on early 60's GM tooling, when GM was experimenting with all-aluminum castings (block and heads) and they couldn't get it right so they sold all the manufacturing machinery for that engine to Rover. And magically, the Brits did something truly amazing with it - they made an incredibly reliable V8 engine that two people could carry with all the pumps and dohickeys attached - it weighed that little - 216 lbs fully dressed.

At this point, almost all of the GM parts are interchangeable. Doing so costs GM less. A wheel bearing is a wheel bearing is a wheel bearing. Ford and Dodge wheel bearings on their pickups are compatible for certain years.

Parts are parts I keep telling my hot-rod buddies but most of them are purists. What? Put a 'vette engine in a BMW are you crazy? No, not that crazy but enjoy the view of my taillights

 

[Slow Worm]

Maybe it's that American made cars like Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler are not sold overseas.

They are - there are lots of Ford and Vauxhall (aka General Motors) cars and vans in the UK, and a few Chrysler cars.
Two of the three cars I've owned were Ford Escort Mk2 estates: the other was a FSO 125.

SW

 

[Angel]

We drive two manual Kia Souls and both were considered new at the time of purchase. Alex, also, drives a 50cc scooter in the summer because it gets 50+ miles to the gallon.

We bought the first one after our car of seven years kept breaking down. We opted for our Kia because it had good gas mileage, was within our limited budget, would fit our family, and it came with an extended warranty. One year later the same dealer had another Kia Soul for 1/2 off if we opted not to have them repair some minor hail damage. A couple dents didn't bother us and we weren't passing up a chance to buy a new car with 16 miles on it for under $ 9,000.