All The Cars You've Loved - And Hated - Before - And Now

[doomsdave]

In my time, I've had a bunch of cars. I've been driving for more than 40 years, and I'm still at it, and plan not to stop till they drag me from behind the wheel, or I'm brave enough to hang up my spurs.

I've had some I liked, some I've hated.

My favorite is my present Lexus LS 430 sedan. Very nice, very comfy, good on gas, roomy without being a monster.

What about you? Tell about the cars you've loved - and hated - before?

 

[betsygee]

I've driven several different kinds of cars. The one I have now is my favorite, a Mini Cooper Countryman. It's small, but has enough room in back to carry things--like big bags of kitty litter, you know, the important stuff! It's easy to drive, comfortable, and cute.

It's my second Mini--I had a two door stick shift Mini for 10 years. I was getting tired of the manual shift and then broke my shoulder and couldn't drive a stick shift, so now I have the automatic.

My least favorite car was a Honda Insight. I got it when hybrids first came out. I was commuting to another city for college classes and loved the gas savings but, boy, what a bucket of bolts that thing was. It sat very close to the ground, so the freeway noise was awful, and it sure didn't feel safe. I always said I felt like I was driving around in a tinfoil gum wrapper.

 

[di and bob]

I had a Geo when I was younger, people made fun of it but it got 50 mpg so I laughed right back. For some reason I loved that car. We've owned about every car there is, we got a notice from the state once because we bought and sold too many cars and they wanted us to get a dealer's license. The worst we've had are Dodge cars, not trucks, they were all three in the shop more then out. More then any other brand. You'd be driving along and they would just die, like a vapor lock or something, no one ever figured out what was wrong. Different models too. My favorite is the SUV i am driving right now. East to get in and out of, the most quiet and comfortable vehicle we've owned and a dream to drive, a 2017 Lincoln MKX.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

My first car was a 1995 Mercury Sable. It was lovingly called the Green Monster. I crashed it on Christmas Eve in 2009 (the day after my dog died too). My next car was a 1999 Cadillac Deville that was like a boat. It technically belonged to my parents. It drove very smoothly and I liked it for the most part. I named that car Cecil B. Deville. My next car was a Dodge Caravan that was actually my favorite because I had so many bumper stickers on it it was ridiculous. I then went back to driving the Cadillac because the Dodge was basically a liability. Right now I'm driving a Chevy Impala which is a good car. I haven't had any issues so far (knock on wood).

 

[maggiedemi]

I had a Chrysler LeBaron & a Dodge Spirit. The Chrysler was really cool because it had a digital speedometer. That was in high school.
Right now I'm sharing a Jeep Grand Cherokee with my Dad. We also have a Ford Taurus. My brother's 1971 Chevelle Malibu is in the yard, he said I can drive it if I pay to put it on the road.

 

[Willowy]

The cars I've driven as my own were: my uncle's old Buick, a Mercury Sable that my parents owned but I drove, my very own Honda Civic, and my mom's old Honda Odyssey that I'm driving now (it's "mine" but she can't find the title to sign it over so it's still legally hers). The old Buick was a bucket of bolts, but it was from the early '80s and I never expected much from it, lol. The Sable was servicable. Nothing special, nothing awful. My brother got it after me and the engine block cracked so that was the end of it. The Civic was/is great, and has never given me any trouble even though it's 20 years old and I only keep it as an emergency spare. It's not terrific on snow but that's to be expected. I really like the Odyssey. I fold the back seats down and use it like a pickup truck. It's pretty good on snow/ice---it's not all-wheel drive but as good as a front-wheel drive vehicle can be.

I want a Subaru next. Preferably a Forester but I'd take a Crosstrek or Outback if it cost less. I want to pay cash so I'm saving up before I buy one. I hope the van holds out long enough!

When I was a teen my parents had a Mercury Villager minivan that was in the shop more often than not :/. I think it went through 3 transmissions before they gave up on it.

Last time we went on a family vacation we got a rental minivan, a Dodge Caravan. It was awful. The other van we got was a Kia and it was actually a lot nicer!

 

[Winchester]

The worst car? A Chrysler Sebring. Worst car ever. It was loaded with everything but the kitchen sink. And I absolutely hated that car. I didn't want it; I wanted an older Honda Del Sol. I even put money down on one, but Rick said no. My back was too bad to drive a Del Sol, there wasn't enough room in a Del Sol, he didn't think it was a good idea. He found the Sebring. When I picked it up, I was in tears; I really, really didn't want that car. I knew the guy who sold Rick the car and he said it was the first time somebody ever bought a new car and cried because she hated it. Every time I turned around, it needed brakes, it needed tires, that car always needed something. I despised it with a passion. Her name was The B!tch because I hated it so badly. And it was an automatic to boot. Blasphemy! That was the car I traded in to get Clarence.

OK, y'all know about Clarence, my 2001 PT Cruiser. I bought him new, back in 2001, and pretty much sight unseen. I've never regretted it. And I still have him. A couple years ago, the timing belt bit the dust.....and so did Clarence's engine. I wasn't ready to let go, so he got another engine. A couple months later, he got a facelift, a new paint job. Was he worth it? Well......oh, heck yes! I fell in love with that car from day one and the love continues. We've been to Canada numerous times, to North and Carolina, to the midwest and up into Michigan and Wisconsin, over into Minnesota. He's hauled everything and anything, from tons of apples to flowering plants, to trees, to picnic and camping supplies, to people, to everything. It's truly amazing what I can fit into that car. He's got a manual tranny, a moon roof, a CD player....and that was all I wanted. People made fun of me, too, because I had the Cruiser. No biggie. It's a good car.

 

[m3rma1d]

I'm a new driver (got my license last year at age 39)
Ever since I was a teen, I had a thing for big boxy Volvo wagons. So my first car is a 1990 Volvo 740 Turbo that I named Astrid. Here she is yesterday with Alasdair sitting on her.

I also got a "new" (haha) 1993 940 Turbo Wagon that is cherry red that I named Rose Nylund but I haven't registered her yet.
Here she is sharing a kiss with Astrid.




Since I'm so new and these are the only cars I've had so far, I can't list any I've hated. Love love love my old Volvos and hope to always have them in my life. (even tho technically Astrid is on hospice, I mean I'll always have SOME old Volvo in my life!)
I even belong to a club here in Maine called Volvo Vikings of Maine and it's a great group of friends and we have a lotta fun together.

 

[NY cat man]

I loved my first car, a 1968 Mustang GT fastback, candy-apple red. I bought it in '71, as a present to myself when I got out of the service. 302 V-8, 4-barrel carb, dual exhaust,and stick shift. It was a ball to drive, and would go like a scared rabbit. Unfortunately, it required premium leaded gas, and after '78, I couldn't get it anymore, so I had to sell it.

 

[engine4154]

A '69 Pontiac Catalina I bought around '84 for $125. The thing was a tank but it was easy to work on and find parts for (at the time). I'm not particularly mechanically inclined (that was my dad's thing) but I did manage to successfully change the transmission in it one summer. It was silver when I got it but I painted it flat black. Making it more ridiculous, I added an airhorn on top from a semi in the junkyard and replaced the bench front seat with bucket seats from an old Dodge.

I drove that thing to Hell and back for about 5 years before getting rid of it for a pick-up. Pretty sure it qualifies as one of my last 'fun' cars.

 

[rgwanner]

I have had my own car since the late 70's, but the one I LOVED was a Kia Soul. I had it only a year and it was STOLEN! (In 2016) It had great gas mileage, good cargo space and was fun to drive. I replaced it with a used Nissan Rogue which is a good car with the extra cargo space that I really use, but I don't love it the way I did my Soul.

 

[NY cat man]

View attachment 262006
A '69 Pontiac Catalina I bought around '84 for $125. The thing was a tank but it was easy to work on and find parts for (at the time). I'm not particularly mechanically inclined (that was my dad's thing) but I did manage to successfully change the transmission in it one summer. It was silver when I got it but I painted it flat black. Making it more ridiculous, I added an airhorn on top from a semi in the junkyard and replaced the bench front seat with bucket seats from an old Dodge.

I drove that thing to Hell and back for about 5 years before getting rid of it for a pick-up. Pretty sure it qualifies as one of my last 'fun' cars.

My father drove Ponchos for years. The first one I remember was a '47, and he owned a bunch of them before he had to quit driving. I learned to drive on his '62 Safari station wagon.

 

[Jayflower]

My favorites have always been the older, classic Ford pickups from the 70s, 80s, and early 90s. I've had a bunch of them over the years; my first car was a 1979 F150, I have a 1992 F150 right now. I've also had a couple of compact Ranger pickups(my current everyday car is a 98 Ranger). Besides the trucks, I've had a couple of Mustangs, a couple of Thunderbirds, a 79 Buick LeSabre, an 84 Pontiac Fiero, a VW Bug, and the two worst cars that I've ever owned- a 1994 Ford Tempo and a 1993 Plymouth Acclaim.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I have a secret desire to drive an old muscle car. I remember riding around in a few as a kid and my Dad still has a few in his garage; but I'm not asking to take any for a spin. (One he used for drag racing in his younger years; that's definitely beyond my comfort zone. ) I remember when I was a new driver complaining to my stepdad that the car didn't accelerate fast enough. (It made me nervous to hold up traffic.) He told my Mom I have my father's blood and I needed a bigger engine.

My favorite car is my current; my Subaru Outback. It's comfortable and a good size car for a family. Not too big; not too small.

My least favorite was probably my first. It was a Buick Century that was almost the same age I was. I didn't hate the car; it was fine for a first car when your 16/17. It would stall if I drove over a puddle. We replaced the fabric on the ceiling because it would rain down sand like particles on me. (Not fun for a contact wearer while driving!) It went through oil pretty quick sometimes. One time I was backing out of the driveway while my stepdad was working on another car. All of a sudden I couldn't change the gear at all. He reached his hand under the hood and rehooked it in 2 seconds. Thankfully that never happened again! My stepbrother eventually killed it by running it out of oil.

I had a neon in college that I liked. It went through breaks pretty fast. And a couple mufflers. My younger stepbrother would hear me coming and help me haul all my school/drafting supplies back in the house.

 

[jcat]

My absolute favorite was a maroon 1967 Ford Mustang with a white interior. That car had an awesome amount of "pep" and back in those days (late 70s) gas prices were reasonable.

My least favorite was probably a 1989 Passat sedan with a manual transmission. I'm of average height, but I never felt I could see well out the rear window, especially to park, and first gear was repeatedly wonky. Conversely, I loved the Passat station wagon we replaced it with, although it was big.

We've currently got a 2018 Skoda Fabia station wagon with an automatic transmission that I really like, too. It's smaller than the Passat wagon, but still holds a lot, and is easier to park.

 

[engine4154]

I'll throw this in as my dad's favorite. A '62 Corvette he restored. He didn't mind our cats walking on it or getting in it and I wish I'd gotten shots of that because more than once they'd be sunning on it when he had it out.

Playing second fiddle is my Catalina in the background. lol

 

[denice]

My least favorite is a tossup between an 84 Thunderbird and a 94 Chevy Corsica, I had them back to back. They both always seemed to need some kind of work done. For me the Corsica was worse. I had paid cash for the Thunderbird as an older used car so I only had the repair bills. I had bought the Corsica as a late model used car so I had payments, the worst of both worlds car payments and repair bills.

My favorite is the Toyota Corolla that I have now. I had two old Chevy Chevettes years ago that were reliable. I paid cash for them as older used cars and they were dependable, didn't look like much but they kept running. I paid 700 for the second one and drove it 2 1/2 years. The clutch went out on it and it wasn't worth fixing.

 

[Winchester]

When I met Rick, he was driving a 1967 white Mustang. Great car and, to this day, he regrets selling it. But he had new car fever and bought a new 1971 candy-apple red Mustang fastback; that's the car I took my driver's test in. He eventually sold that and got a 1974 Mustang II, which was so bad that that ended the Mustang story in our family. We haven't had a Ford since.

But oh, that little '67 Mustang was nice!

 

[doomsdave]

View attachment 262111
I'll throw this in as my dad's favorite. A '62 Corvette he restored. He didn't mind our cats walking on it or getting in it and I wish I'd gotten shots of that because more than once they'd be sunning on it when he had it out.

Playing second fiddle is my Catalina in the background. lol

Wow, that looks just like Euclid Ohio.

 

[boney girl dad]

Never have disliked any of my vehicles. I miss my '69 Firebird convertible the most and my '65 poor man's goat (Pontiac Le Mans). Currently on my 4th truck and can not picture myself in a car ever again.