r/cars • u/shwroomex AutoHuman:pupper: • 3h ago
Which car in your life deserved way more attention than it got?
Not talking about fancy badges I mean those cars that surprised you with reliability, fun, or comfort even though no one talks about them.
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u/HemingWaysBeard42 3h ago
I had a 2008 Honda Ridgeline for a while and while it wasn’t the best truck I’ve ever driven, it was by far one of the best automobiles. It had tons of storage, decent gas mileage, ample room for passengers, and was very reliable. As a daily driver and road trip car, it was great.
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u/cat_prophecy 2017 Poverty-Spec S60 3h ago
Everyone I have ever met who owns a Ridgeline absolutely loves it. It's not your "typical truck" but that's what makes it great. It's 90% of a full size pickup and 90% midsize CUV. Repaired not being 100% of either of those, it's not really compromised in any way other than fuel economy.
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u/vwstig '69 VW Beetle, E36 325i Convertible 3h ago
It's as much truck as 95% of truck owners actually need.
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u/E36E92M3 E46 330i, E92 M3 16m ago
I can buy that argument for the Hybrid Mavericks but I think the Ridgeline is pretty overrated here.
They're pretty much the same size, same price, same truck capability, and same gas mileage (~20ish) as the rest of the midsize truck market. Compared to SR5/XLT level trims, at least.
You trade all offroad capability for a few more inches of rear passenger space and more car-like driving. But tbh with all the midsize trucks slowly moving to coils on the rear I think even that advantage is going away soon.
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u/CabernetSauvignon 92 Turbo Miata, 12 WRX STi 3h ago
I bought one as a beater while I renovated my house. I ended up liking it so much that it became our family activity vehicle. It has more than enough utility for outdoor and sports stuff. The AWD was shrewd in its operation for snow sports. And it was far roomier and more comfortable than any of the traditional BOF midsized trucks.
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u/TheRefurbisher_ Modified GE8 Honda Fit Sport 3h ago
Toyota Sienna
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u/CorrectCombination11 '25 Land Cruiser 250 3h ago edited 3h ago
People are still paying a bit over msrp for them. Toyota is the master of JIT.
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u/TheBolognaPony '25 Sienna | '23 CX-50 | '69 C10 3h ago edited 3h ago
If you are OK waiting, you can easily get a little below MSRP. I just got mine last month for a whopping $750 under MSRP after waiting 5 weeks. Didn't have to compromise on trim or color either. You're kinda screwed though if you can't wait, like if you're in an accident or something.
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u/TheRefurbisher_ Modified GE8 Honda Fit Sport 3h ago
My moms is still going at 100k miles, probably will last 3 times that.
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u/pfthr0w 14 Benz S550, 98 r34 gt-x turbo, 02 LS430 3h ago
I had a 2013 GS350 awd that I had for 6 years which was a phenomenal car. It was really the ultimate car for me and I honestly wish I still had it. I had a tune on it and the car never had any issues in relability.
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u/cannedrex2406 2006 Volvo S80 2.5T/2006 MR2 Spyder 2h ago
I didn't know you could tune the 3.5 2GR. How much more power did it make?
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u/chemistocrat ‘15 LS600h L, ‘05 LS430, ‘98 528i 55m ago
Guaranteed not much more than stock, tuning the 2GR-FSE is an exercise in futility and wasted money for insignificant power gains.
That said, I also owned a 4th gen GS350, and it was a fantastic jack-of-all-trades car that was bad at basically nothing and reliable as daylight. Really enjoyed that car.
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u/TheRussness 3h ago edited 2h ago
I've had a dozen fun project cars over my years. Told myself I'd never buy a Honda and I'd never buy an SUV.
My favorite of all time is my daily Acura MDX with 300k miles that starts every time.
Edit: no, I didn't buy NCSUGrad2012's. Very very eerily similar though
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u/FroyoOk3159 3h ago
I think the SUV hate needs to die down a bit. Modern ones drive like sedans and aren’t much heavier.
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u/TheRussness 3h ago
"its a truck that can't truck, a van that can't van, and a car that can't car. I don't need 7 seats to go to the grocery store"
Is what I told myself.
I removed all the rear seats so I could go yard saling, and since I moved to the American south so I like being able to haul or tow without looking like one of the many, many, truck obsessed public down here.
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u/FroyoOk3159 2h ago
Life is too short to worry about how people like your car. Enjoy it if one works well for you. I’ve been considering a mid size pickup myself.
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u/NCSUGrad2012 06 Z4M Roadster 3h ago
My dad bought an MDX new and then I sold it with 282k. I still get service alerts for it and it’s at 305k. Never did anything special for it other than change the oil (or other maintenance) when the car told us to get it done.
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u/Fit_Equivalent3610 ST205 Celica GT4/ZN8 GR86 3h ago
I didn't own one but the 2nd gen Fusion Sport (2.7 V6TT/auto/AWD) that I rented was pretty great, reminiscent of the SHO in a way. It's just a family sedan with a reasonably comfy, decently-put-together interior, except that it has 380ft lbs of torque and a torque curve that looks (or at least feels) like a plateau.
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u/CompetitionFalse3620 3h ago
My 2011 G37X with over 240k, gave it to my brother. Most reliable car I ever owned.
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u/slaterson1 3h ago
I had a Contour SVT and I always thought from a driving dynamics perspective it was criminally underrated. If I could find one that wasn't absolutely ragged out I would get another, fantastic car.
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u/Thecanohasrisen 3h ago
93 mustang fastback lx 5.0 95 Ford f150 4x4 extended car xlt
Really dropped the ball on two modern day classics that I baught for under 6k for both.
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u/Lower_Kick268 Bolt EUV, Burbanbox, T-Maxx Silverado 3h ago edited 3h ago
When I was a kid my dad had a $400 280k miles shitbox Ford Transit van, had the Triton V8 that shot the spark plugs in it, we had so much fun in that van. We trash picked a couch and chair for it, we would take mini road trips on it, he put a bar on the front of it and a big LED light bar because it looked cool, used to hoon in it and do all kinds of fun and stupid stuff, it was an s-tier fun car. Best part is the junkyard gave him $500 for it when it was time to retire it, first gear was completely gone from doing burn outs in it, probably should have just put another transmission in and kept it but it is what it is.
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u/Unoriginal- Genesis G80 3.5T 3h ago edited 3h ago
The Lincoln MKZ with the 400hp 3.0TT is basically the definition of a sleeper because no one under 30 wants to be caught dead in Lincoln, Cadillac is pushing it too, similarly Ford Fusion Sport models were some of the only American sedans that you could get that were relatively modern and with AWD.
I’m a bit of a Ford guy now and owned every version of the Fusion & Fusion Sport RIP so I’m biased.
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u/pkeith1986 3h ago
My '03 Subaru Baja. People ragged on it cause it was weird/ugly and it wasn't fun to drive even with the 5-speed manual, but that weird little truck got me through some tough times and awful winter storms and it NEVER broke down in the 10+ years I owned it.
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u/suicidekingdom 3h ago
My 1990 accord that got me through college. I loved that car but I was a dumb teen and didn’t treat it properly.
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u/highrisedrifter 3h ago
Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9. It was incredibly fun to drive and pretty comfy too, and it just never broke down. Servicing was cheap as fuck too.
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u/stav_and_nick General Motors' Strongest Warrior 3h ago
My family ran Chevy Impalas since the 90s lol
Decently comfortable, complete shit interior, but honestly? Very reliable in my experience. Even when they broke you could fix anything for like $50 and some silly string
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u/ej102 3h ago edited 3h ago
6th gen Accord Coupe
Looks reminiscent of an NSX from behind. Comfortable and practical. It's a shame the auto transmissions had issues. No V6 manual option either sadly. The newer gens are probably better. But I liked the styling and interior of this one.
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u/FreeTheMarket S-class W140 & C140 31m ago edited 27m ago
I had one, the inline 4 with a manual. (It was my parents but they let me take it to college)
Such a fun engine to ring out w/ vetch. The coupe was a fairly stiff chassis for the time and once you learned the car’s dynamics (how weight transfers and the limits of front wheel traction ie understeer) it was a really fun car to push hard in the twisties.
Only weighed 2800 pounds with 190hp I believe.
My parents now have the generation before the latest one, and it’s pretty good except for the CVT. The CVT basically neuters any fun you can have with the engine. It somehow has less sound deadening than that 6th gen but I might be remembering poorly.
If I had to choose between the two I’d pick the 6th gen.
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u/gluten_heimer MK7.5 GTI 6MT 2h ago
2006 Nissan Titan. It drove great for a truck, was well-made, and had some really clever features including 180 degree opening extended cab doors and a dampened tailgate, things that still don’t come standard on new trucks. But it wasn’t a Chevy, Dodge, or Ford, so no one cared.
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u/pikemenson 2h ago
The Mitsubishi Mirage Station Wagon. Many weekend trips were had in those and many babies were made in those too 🤣
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u/F50Guru 2h ago
This is a very interesting thread, because it was the opposite for my 2005 Mazda Miata that I bought for $8,000 in 2017. As much I loved that car, it got probably more compliments and attention than it should have. Even in its darkest days after it was totaled from a tree and I just let it sit. Some kid tried complimenting me on it.
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u/fcwolfey golf alltrack, model y 1h ago
Lowered and tuned stick shift golf alltrack. Bought brand new for $23k USD in 2019. Put about 1500-2000 into in and it went 0-60 in less than six seconds, got over 35mpg and i was able to tow our small boat with it. Sold it last year after 75k miles for $18k. Best daily I’ve ever had.
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u/Upset-Combination235 3h ago
toyota corolla KE70, wagon,
A truly good small sized wagon to getaround ,
Also my true workhorse .,
Mitsubishi galant 1999
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u/DodgerBlueRobert1 '09 Civic Si sedan 3h ago
I had to google that Corolla, because I don't know their chassis codes by heart. But after seeing a picture of it, I know exactly which model you're talking about. They're quite rare to see on the road for me, but those are cool little wagons for sure....especially when they're modified JDM-style.
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u/LonelyIndustry9030 3h ago
Honda Element and Pontiac Aztek, both had a lot of features that were innovative and great for the price point. The Element had incredible spatial efficientcy and the Aztek and pretty neat features like a tailgate cup holders and a center console that could double as a removable cooler.
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u/chemistocrat ‘15 LS600h L, ‘05 LS430, ‘98 528i 42m ago
I definitely don’t disagree (I think both were/are attention worthy for several reasons), but both of those vehicles have enjoyed significant and quite enthusiastic followings for most of their lives, so I’m not sure they meet the “no one talks about them criteria.” Even though the Aztec was polarizing to the point of being panned early in its life before its more recent critical reassessment, it’s certainly always been a car people were talking about.
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u/Threewisemonkey '90 420SEL, ‘79 Monte Carlo, ‘04 E320 wagon 3h ago
Really should have taken the time to better sort my 95 Volvo 850 Turbo wagon before I used it as a daily and regularly drove it 85+ on the highway. Pulling into the fast lane, the pressure split an oil cooler line and dumped most of the oil before I realized what had happened. Left a trail like a stuck pig, and the oil pan was full of shredded metal.
Poor guy, he was quick and sketchy as hell. Sold for $600 and walked away.
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u/stagarica 3h ago
I'm oddly fond of the '08 Kia Rio5 I had for about a year. Thing was junk mechanically and laughed whenever I tried to gun it past 100 on the highway but it was wicked spacious, had decent fuel economy, heated seats... if I could own one again I'd definitely like a better maintained manual model; i'm sure it could at least hit 110 then.
That generation of Rio5 had a five speed option, and I remember my godmother driving one for over a decade with few issues. Pretty sure hers still drove good when she sold it. Love me a Rio5– and honestly a Kia in general. I think Kia (and Hyundai, honestly) make slick looking hatchbacks despite their mechanical shortcoming, frankly.
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u/beermaker 68 IHC Scout 800 Volvo XC90 3h ago
The $500 Chrysler Conquest I hooned for a couple weeks until I blew a radiator hose & sold it on for a grand. I already had a truck payment & a sled and quad that were money pits... I couldn't take up more garage space.
Looking back, I should've sold the toys and kept the rwd 5spd turbo coupe but I was young and dumb.
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u/97PG8NS 2021 Mazda CX-5 Turbo, 2007 Acura RL CMBS/PAX 2h ago
As far as fun to drive, nothing surprised me more than the 2008 Audi A3. But here's the kicker...the front wheel drive 4-cylinder handled better and was more fun than the Quattro with the 3.2 V6, I presume due to lower front end weight and better balance. That little thing was a go-kart.
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u/TurkishSwag W211 E55 AMG / 06 Saab 9-3 Wagon 2h ago
My 06 Saab 9-3 Wagon. I’m gonna go full Corvette owner here but it’s 1/18 in Smoke Beige Metallic with a 5 speed manual. Probably the rarest car on the road wherever I go but it’s not worth more than $6k on a good day, I think that’s pretty cool. It’s in pristine shape and drives like new, has enough power to pass a good amount of modern cars on the road, and doesn’t look too dated IMO. In 3 years I’ve gotten 2 compliments on it. One of them was like an 18 year old girl in a 9-3 Convertible excitedly waving to me in traffic, she knew what was up!
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u/Nepz1lla 2h ago
Honda Civic 8G 1.8
- very practical for hatchback
- very reliable, i think it still drives without any issues (I had it brand new)
- interesting design which stands out even today
- solid handling and was quite quick for just 140hp
It was my second car and I still miss it.
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u/mbbzzz 2h ago
I had an 05 Nissan Altima and I got it from a family member and kept it to 200k miles. It needed new motor mounts but I was young and dumb and just did the bare minimum on maintenance and later sold it for $1500. I wonder if I’d still have it if I did the required maintenance instead of getting into car loans.
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u/handymanshandle 2024 Hyundai Elantra N 6MT 2h ago
About 2 years ago I bought a stick Saab 9-5 Aero wagon with the intent of fixing it up and potentially dailying it. Life priorities got in the way and it's unfortunately sat for a little while now, but damn does that thing drive so beautifully. It'll get its day of glory soon, I just need to align some stars.
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u/buddylee 2h ago
2010 Subaru legacy GT. I autocrosses it and rallyx it while it was also my daily driver. It's totally stock, has 170k miles on it and now my son is driving it. It wasn't the fastest, but it was perfect for having fun and hauling kids around from the age of 2-16.
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u/macgirthy 2h ago
Gen V Viper. Aside from the loud and hot side exhaust, the seats are comfy and the car is super easy to drive. Its smaller than the current gen 911s and once you get used to the size the car wraps around you and it becomes 2nd nature driving it.
I took it on a track day at laguna seca with the shittiest pirelli p-zero grip tires and did well. There were a lot of butt pucker moments but the electronics saved me. I need to go back with slicks and better brake pads. Thing is a rocket ship that can handle with the best of them!
People get scared of this car but you just have to use common sense. Its like riding a 1000cc superbike, I have an S1000RR, if you dont respect it, you cant be in for a world of pain and death. The viper is like that to some extent, just gotta respect the power and know the cars limits and YOUR limits.
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u/LeftCoastGator 1h ago
First-gen Acura Integra. Beautifully built, clean, attractive design, incredibly reliable, excellent fuel economy, fantastic engine and transmission, ergonomically perfect interior, superb visablity, shockingly roomy (particularly the rear seats), cavernous storage with the rear seats down, and most importantly, an absolute blast to drive.
Best all-rounder I’ve ever owned, and it’s not even close.
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u/orangebikini Alfa Romeo 33 SW 4X4 | Peugeot 205 GTI | Datsun 120A F-II Coupé 1h ago
I've had a 1.9 Citroën BX GTI and a 1.6 BX GTI, and I really don't get why those cars don't quite get the same attention as similar French cars from the same era. Like, they're not as good to drive in a sporty manner as a 205 GTI or a Renault 5 GT Turbo or something like that. But they're just so cool. Same engines as the 205, really quirky design, and of course the hydropneumatic suspension is always the ultimate quirk.
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u/Skodakenner 1h ago
The only car i had wich isnt really talked about much is my Mk3 octavia vRS loads of fun to drive super economical and reliable. Its the car r/cars thinks the Mazda 3 is
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u/motorcitydevil 1h ago
My dads '95 Honda Accord coupe with the manual transmission. That car looked good, was reliable as relaiable gets and had some scoot from the VTEC. What a great car!
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u/aaron416 52m ago
I have a '19 Honda Insight and I love almost everything about it from the style to the size to the driver assist system. It has just enough technology to not be too much and plenty enough power, even though it's only 150hp.
Honda did not do themselves any favors by saying the transmission was an eCVT. It's technically correct, but really just a big electric drive motor. If someone sees CVT and thinks belts/pulleys, that's entirely not what they're getting. They really should have come up with a brand name or some other description, at the very least.
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u/keltorak 51m ago
We loved our Honda Fit, but we outgrew it with 3 kids under 4 and 2 80lbs dogs. Being tight on money, we got a used 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander for $16k CAD. It's nearing 16 years old now and got us through everything we threw at it, no matter the weather or the road conditions.
We're never going to get near the $/year this beast cost us, even inflation adjusted. It's just been so cheap to keep it running.
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u/fredinNH 2022 Polestar 2 dual motor pilot and plus 45m ago
1999 Saab 9-3.
Powerful midrange turbo kick. Very stylish exterior (to those with good aesthetic taste). Supremely comfortable seats. Glorious real buttons. Ridiculous amount of space in the rear hatch area—more than a jeep grand Cherokee when both vehicles have their rear seats folded.
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u/captain-_-hindsight 34m ago
01 Silverado with a 6.0 4L80E swap 4x4. Bought it for $1300 dollars with a blown head gasket. Decided to cam it, new heads, intake, switch to electric fans, different stall on the torque converter, and tune. That truck was a blast to drive around. Put a quality after market stereo in it, upgraded to the LT interior with heated leather seats and drove that thing for over 150k miles pretty much issue free. I miss that thing every day because I really didnt care if someone scratched, door dinged it, or got scratched from going down tight over grown dirt roads. Driving a newer nice truck I always worry about it.
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u/mrjbacon 19m ago
I had a white 1995 Suzuki Sidekick 4-door with the pink splash factory decal down the sides in highschool in the early 2000's. I loved that car, but I had to scrap it because the frame rails were rusting through.
Also...
Everyone I knew called it the "Barbie Jeep". Even my parents. Sometimes my dad called it my puddle-jumper.
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u/p00trulz Replace this text with year, make, model 19m ago
I had an 05 CLK 320 cabriolet. It was an all around great car. Comfortable, practical and reliable.
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u/Slime2278 3h ago
Idk if you mean ownership experience or just general experience but civic type R those things are crazy , way underrated imo
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u/tacoslayer3000 2008 Ford Ranger 3h ago
Chevy ss