What do you drive? And whatever car talk.

While I don’t have pictures to share right now, I have a silver 2009 Jeep Wrangler and he is my baby! I had wanted a Jeep since I was 15, and at 30 I finally decided to just go for it and get one. No regrets. I love him. He’s great in snow, ice, rain, good weather. The back part is perfect for hauling groceries. Lots of space inside. Very minimal features so I don’t have a thousand buttons I never use.

The only downside is the gas mileage. It’s...really bad. Though we usually take my husband’s car for trips outside of town, so it’s really not so bad.

 

I had a 1997 Suzuki Sidekick suv for about 12 years, then sold it to my father. It was my first (and only) vehicle I bought myself. I don’t have a vehicle right now as I don’t need one. My father still has the Suzuki and it’s over 20 years old, runs great, and has just over 100k in miles. I can use it anytime, if I need too (truth be told, I hate driving).

 

I have a Tesla Model 3 the most basic one. I got it around 4-5 months ago. Love it. Before this new car, I used my sister-in-law’s old 2010 Mazda 3. After nearly 10 years, it still works fine, minor issues happened once or twice a year, then my family and I decided it is about time to change car before major issues happen. My neighbors (two families) own Tesla and they highly recommend it and I also wanted an electric car (for the environment) so we placed an order! Did not regret, it is great.

 

I have a 2006 Mazda 3. It can be a bit quirky, but normally I can find a fix on youtube for the wackiness that shows up from time to time.

I basically get a car and drive it until it falls apart. My plan is to not finance my next one as I am trying to live the Dave Ramsey life.

 

Baby blue 2011 Toyota RAV4. It's my first car, I named her Monica, only got it a few months ago. Not much in the way of tech, but hey, I've got an aux and a car charger, so it's all good. The seats fold flat, great for loading up all my crap (I move and camp a lot) and there is third row seating, in case I ever want to use that. The brakes are a bit slick in snow, but fortunately I don't have to deal with that often. Still below 100K miles, though I put on 2K recently. I used to hate driving with a passion, it scared me so bad, but driving in my own car, I've learned to calm down. I even did a long road trip, something I could never see myself doing a year or so ago.

 

A cobalt blue, first-generation 2002 Prius hybrid.
FCM and I were "early adopters", and are that car's first and only owners.

Blue *is* getting up there in years, though, even for a Toyota... and eventually I do intend to replace it (Probably with a full-electric this time around-), but I love that little car. It's been a solid and faithful ride.

 

No pictures but I drive a 2009 Ford escape Its a sensitive soul as it complains about everything XD lol My previous car was a 2003 camery so slowly working my way up the cars XD

 

@Gamma Ray There IS a CD player, but I don't have any CDs.

 

I got a small camping trailer and was forced to upgrade from a reasonably sized SUV (a Honda CRV) to a Kia Sorento. The CRV did not like towing the trailer. It's not heavy but it's stand-up height so there's a lot of wind resistance. I feel guilty driving around in a large V6 SUV like the Sorento all the days of the year I'm not camping but I guess it could be worse, I could have a pickup truck like so many other people do nowadays. I do carpool to work to reduce my fuel bill and carbon footprint.

BTW, the Sorento has a CD player. It's so retro.

 

Dont have any pics, but mine is a silver 2005 toyota tundra. I absolutly adore it. The first car i truly drove was my parents 2001(?) tundra, and i loved it. So my first car that is mine alone is a tundra. It has 220+k miles, but he still drives just fine. I love how much room he has inside, unlike my hubbys car which used to be our only vehicle. Just got him in september and this summer we will be cleaning the rust off the undercarriage and giving him a new...protective coat i think? Anyway. Not looking forward to that, but its worth it for my baby>.<

 

I used to drive a '96 garbage and now I drive an '03 trash. I'm hoping to upgrade to an '04 recycled soon.

 

I have a tiny Toyota Yaris that's light blue with gold sparkles and a silver Malibu. I absolutely love the Yaris, though it's a tiny thing. It has great gas mileage (at least compared to my old Jeep!) and I like that I feel like I can see out of it. The Malibu is mostly for my boyfriend's use if I'm out of the house or at work. I pretty much only use it if I'm hauling around a lot of stuff.

 

Hi! I don't have a car yet. I was plotting to buy a Subaru forester this spring; and it is already spring!! But now I don't know what will happen with that because we are shut down with the virus spreading. Who knows if I will even have a job a month from now. Also I'm afraid I only want a Subaru because they always have dogs in their commercials. I've read they are very reliable, but I really don't know how to pick a car.

 

@shadow_takatori If you are willing to put down a little money, True Delta is pretty helpful. I was shopping for my first car just a few months ago and like it. Also, forums for the car you're interested in help. Year is also important, as some model years have more problems than others.

 

I drive a 2003 convertible VW beetle :-) the convertible top is black and the car itself is cream. it's a tough little car! it has over 145k miles but i have a feeling it'll be around for a long time.

 

I'm no longer able to drive but I am a "car-guy" since I can remember. My current chauffeur (my partner) drive me around in an Orange 2010 Kia Soul Sport. It's an awesome car. Now if I could just find a hamster head to wear
.

 

I drive an 05 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Back in 06 it was an "upgrade" from my 93 JGC. Both are/were white, and my old one had RED interior. All caps RED. And my Dad put green carpet in it so the floors would stay nice. I learned to drive in a jeep. My first car was a FORD Escort (and yes, I was Found On Roadside Dead quite often. Like religiously every two months at least) and I will never own anything other than a Jeep again XD I'm not really a car person (I like to joke the reason I drive a white Jeep is because otherwise I'd lose my car in a crowd) but I was very emotionally attached to my first Jeep, not so much this one. I cried when I traded in the old one....This one I'm ready to trade in lol It just has less personality. Maybe it's the lack of bright red interiors. It was hard to get used to, but then I missed it.

 

I've got a black 2012 Mini Cooper Clubman. She's cute, fun to drive, and aside from burning through multiple quarts of oil in between services (normal for old Minis, according to my mechanic??) she hasn't been much trouble. My first car was a brown PT Cruiser I'd probably still be driving if my dad hadn't given it to my cousin who was going through some stuff and anyway she ended up selling it before violating her probation and going back to jail.

 

I have a dark silver Holden Barina, 2009 model I think. It's a year older than dad's car at least...though I technically only bought Raisin around 2-3 years ago. I'm their third owner...poor little thing was treated quite poorly by the previous two, and while I'm no saint (I'm sorry I crunch the gears from time to time, please forgive me ), I do try and keep them well maintained as much as my tight budget allows for. A friend dubbed them Raisin one day while we were out on a roadtrip and it's stuck ever since.
As someone with anxiety, it took me years longer to get my licence compared to the rest of my friends/family but buying Raisin helped A LOT. The fact the car is a manual actually makes it even easier for me to drive because it means I have a way to stim AND concentrate.

Also @Gamma Ray I see you're a Sunstone fan too.

 

I have a 2003 Vauxhall Astra. That I'm beginning to hate.

I didn't want the car in the first place, but my dad often butts in with his 'wise words' to say "Go British-made" and "You don't want a foreign car". So, that's no to a lot of the makes and models out there, narrowing my field. Then, there's my budget. It's never been great, as I'm rubbish at saving. So, that narrows my choices even further.

The Astra has been running... okay. It has great days where it can run and run for miles! But, sometimes, it has its little tantrums. Today, it overheated at the local skip [before I even dumped my trash], and it turns out the system was bone-dry. A few good samaritans topped up my water, but it was then discovered that there's a leak in the radiator. I don't have the money for repairs, let alone a new car [I'm one payment away from securing an Iplehouse FID Bichun]!! I might have to sell a few of my dolls. I mean, I was considering it, to replace them, but I was never set on the idea. Just how many I might have to attempt to move on, I don't know. And, then, I might not even get a car I would be proud of... just a runner that goes from A to B, as always.

I don't really know what's going to happen, or what I'm going to have to do.

I just needed a place to write and get it out of my head.

 

I swap between two, depending on what I need.

Firstly is my blue 1985 Nissan 720

Old truck by Lonely Artist, on Flickr

He's a good old man, and a stick shift. He's a joy to drive even though I'm dying with gas mileage...he's also in need of repair so...

Thats where car #2 comes along, a black 2015 Nissan Altima. Good little car, smooth ride & great mileage.

 

My 4wheeler is an Opel Zafira Tourer (7seats) but i honestly prefer my 2wheeler KTM 1290 SUPER adventure S ^_^

 

2003 dodge neon, which I drive mostly because it was bequeathed to me. No power doors... or windows... or trunk. The CD player jammed in 2007, and my dad and I had to frankenstein on a charging port for my phone, because I use it as gps on road trips. She’s got almost 200 000 km on her, and I need her to last me through this degree, hopefully.

that said she’s reliable as hell. I’ve been driving her for 2 years, and she’s never needed a tune-up other than oil changes and winter tires. And she’s cheap to fill up, even when I drive until the gas alert is dinging. Recently I picked up a wireless speaker so I can blare music like the obnoxious musicals geek that I am, because before that, if I wanted my music and not the radio, I was stuck using my phone speaker.

 

I have a pretty blue ‘12 Ford Fiesta. I love it for all my normal daily driving as it’s pretty good on gas and it’s cute. However, it does have a few drawbacks. I can’t fit adults in my back seats very well, so I don’t recommend anyone else ride with me unless they’re a kid or short. Even the front seats have size limits. If I gain any more weight, my butt has an issue getting into the car. I wish I was joking about that. It doesn’t do the best in snow, but it does better than my previous Ford Escorts did. It does start in cold conditions, big plus. It also can’t tow anything, which makes me sad because I have SCA glamping and Ikea goals. It did, however, hold almost everything I needed for my campsite last time I went to Pennsic. I think maybe if I restrict my coolers and not bring a small scribal library with me, next time I can get the camp stove in. But that said, I am looking into eventually getting a larger tent and camp furniture, so something will need to be changed up. The tires are also a weird size and usually need to be ordered custom, which is annoying and makes things cost more.

But all that aside, it really is a great car for me. It’s got a few upgrades from the base model like heated seats and a button that changes the lighting color of dash lights, and the paint color was even extra. I like how I just keep my keys in my pocket all the time and press a button to start, and the bluetooth and usb radio connectivity is handy, but sometimes stupid. The gas tank is sooo small and it gets great mileage too because it’s got a small engine. I only need to fill the tank once a week when I commute to work, and a lot of times the cost is only around $20. On longer trips, this saves quite a bit of money on gas, and I can get to Chicago and back on 3/4 of a tank. The backs seats fold down really well and the rear trunk is a hatchback, so the car can carry quite a bit on its own. And since it’s just me most of the time, the passenger problem doesn’t come up often enough to be too much of a problem. I also suuper love hatchbacks, which makes the car extra wonderful.

 

I drive a pretty simple '14 Chevy Spark. No, that's not one of their electric models despite the name (that would be the Sonic iirc), but the gas mileage is hard to argue with. It's small and purple, the backseat's stitching hasn't been able to withstand being my service dog's seat for daily commutes, but hey the AC works and the aux connector keeps up and it generally hasn't had any big issues. My spouse's '16 Kia Soul ends up feeling like a powerhouse by comparison to the Spark's 82 HP and no cruise control, but I love driving both. XD
That said, my Spark is sitting in my driveway with a dead battery while we wait out quarantine. I'm supposed to be on furlough till the end of June, so I don't want to get a new battery just for it to sit there for five-six more weeks.

 

I used to drive a 4WD Nissan Titan. It was a 2004, a good truck. However, it was getting older, the mileage was increasing as were the frequency and cost of needed repairs. I really needed that truck when I covered emergency call, with only a 30 minute response time. I had to be at work fast, in floods, blizzards or if the city was on fire. I quit taking call and went to night shift in early 2017, soon after it was time to retire the Titan. I was really sad, because that big truck made me feel very safe. I could plow most other vehicles or a light pole and likely walk away fine (never had an accident though). I get used to things, and dread giving them up, even if it's for the best.

I really didn't want to stop driving my pickup, but I had different needs. I no longer cover emergency call, when I do go to work, the roads are going to be plowed. I decided for a smaller, gas-efficient car. No need to spend much either, a car is a car at the end of the day. I now have a 2018 Kia Forte, super basic little car. However, it has a lot of neat features that I'm enjoying! I like the Bluetooth connection for my phone, the dash has a lot of accurate little warning icons, it's easy to park and it's really, really easy to maintain. Oh, and I didn't ever really realize what a gas-guzzler that Titan really was until I started to fill up this tiny little car. It does it's job, doesn't draw attention, and I really enjoy driving it. I have zero reservations about taking it on trips, as the fuel is so efficient, that the cost of fuel barely factors into the cost of a get-away or even a weekend visit with friends out-of-town. I'm more happy with the little car now that I've moved out of the city. I'm commuting to work, so the fuel efficiency is greatly appreciated. I think the fuel usage is about the same since it takes so much less to run errands or shop in this smaller town. The move sort of evened out, and I'm really happy where I am now!

 

I love this thread idea! I’m kind of a car gal, so I guess I need to post here.

My current drive is my VW Golf GTI. He’s my baby. Been through a lot with him, hasn’t left me yet. He’s quick, fun, not bad on gas (though if I would drive smarter he would be better), and can carry a surprising amount of stuff in the hatch. I’ve upgraded a few bits of him, like the exhaust and wheels, soon to swap out the springs and dampers.

 

'05 Lexus 330...one day I will wax it.
I had to give my sister my old car, an '04 Nissan Xterra.
I kind of regret this car. I want a Mazda protege.

 

His wheels look great! Are they larger diameter than the stock? He just looks really low to the ground, at least from my fuzzy memory of a GTI haha. I really like the look of the Golf/GTI's, especially the ones that come in that brilliant blue.

I'm very marginally a car gal. I know how to do my own maintenance, know some history and stuff of certain companies I like (mainly Japanese and European), but I don't really engage much with the car community. My car was the reason I was out of the hobby for a number of years, because the bad boy slurped up all of the money I was willing to spend. This is Dumpling:



He's a little temperamental and we had a few mishaps along the way, but he's my first car and the car I learned how to drive in. He's actually getting a spa day tomorrow since it's about time to change his wax coat (which lasted through most of the winter, to my surprise). His warranty is up in July when he turns 4 years old so I think I'm going to drag him to MB one more time just in case the sound I'm hearing during idling isn't normal.

Shopping for him is a pain in the behind though, every single place seems to lump the 453 frame with the older smarts, and it's LITERALLY A DIFFERENT CAR. Look, it's not promising when I filter by "parts that will fit your car" and they show me 3-lug wheels...

 

2010 Honda CR-V here; it's blue (not my favorite color) and doesn't have a lot of features (though it does have an AUX port for my even-older iPod), but when I found the listing online I swore the dealership had made a mistake entering the mileage as ~5,000 on a three-year-old car. Nope! It was literally leased by "the little old lady who only drives to church on Sundays, and doesn't even go every Sunday." For that ridiculously low of mileage, I can live with the color. Even though I'd really hoped for red, which I thought would have been easy given that I was living in Nebraska at the time... It's fully paid off, and I intend to drive it for as long as I can, then hopefully trade in for the hybrid CR-V that just came out this year. (And I don't mind the mileage, it's actually better than the rolling garbage... I mean, Chevy Impala that I had prior to getting this one.)

Replace "British" with "American" and you've got my dad! He was pushing me HARD to get a Jeep when I was car shopping, even though I was between the CR-V and a Toyota 4-Runner (and because I was broke, I had to get him on board to help me with the down payment). Fortunately, my brother is a huge car guy, and spent a couple of years working as a valet, so he spent some time on the phone with my dad and swung him over to Honda and Toyota as better options. He still gives me the business about my "foreign" car from time to time, but in my case, I generally point out that his "domestic" truck was built in Canada, and my "foreign" SUV was built in Alabama, so who really has the foreign car?

My High School principal had one of those (not a '12, I'm waaaay older than that...), and I will never forget coming out the door to the satellite campus and seeing three football players with that car up in the air, heading toward a snowbank where they planned to deposit it, and the shop teacher leaning out the door and bellowing at them, "YOU PUT THAT CAR RIGHT BACK WHERE YOU FOUND IT!"

 

My dad! He's in a Land Rover at the minute, notorious for its own issues, but he's had various Mercedes models in the past. My mum's got one at the minute. But I have to make do with the money-drain of a Vauxhall Astra because I can't have anything 'too big' or 'foreign'. That doesn't leave me a lot of options, as I'm 6ft 2 and don't fit into a lot of the smaller cars with much ease or comfort. But my dad doesn't realise that's an issue when he's 6ft 6 himself. A small cramped car is fine for me, but not him. He needs and gets the big cars, but his daughter has to make do with rust-piles-on-wheels and falling-apart-trash. As long as I'm working where I am with its small car-park and inconsiderate visitors, I can't have anything big. I just need one that goes from A to B. Yeah, fine...

I rag on my Astra, but it had been a decent car until age recently took hold of it. Because of these recent repairs, I'm now struggling more to make ends meet as no-one helped me out with funds. So, that's great. I was planning on selling a couple of my dolls anyway, but when I was ready to.

 

Can I just say, “Dumpling” is the BEST name! How perfect! To answer your question, the wheels are the same diameter, just wider. That combined with the rally flaps make him look lower.

To everyone with parents that are picky about car nationality, I feel like it may be a ‘parent’ thing. My dad is also that way, lol.

 

That's better than my Impala, at least. I traded in my old GMC Jimmy to my dad for that car, and it was a problem from day 1. (I couldn't afford to keep feeding the Jimmy, though, and he was planning to sell the Impala, so we just swapped and he sold the Jimmy instead.) I ended up selling a doll to pay for repairs to the Impala at one point (I was going to sell her anyway), but mainly because even at that point I wanted to just get rid of the darn Impala and get a CR-V or RAV-4 and got shot down because "it's a good car, it just needs a couple of repairs!"

 

@Lelite - Aww, Dumpling is such a cute car! Is he a two-seater or four seater? My Raisin (Holden Barina) is a three door hatch, with four seats (and is actually really roomy and comfortable in the back).

That's a hilarious mental image!

 

@Aiko-chan Ah, that's what it was, the rally flaps! They look really good. What are you plans for that spring and damper swap? And what did you change the exhaust to?

And yeah I'm pretty happy with the name Dumpling, haha. He's pure white on the outside and orange on the inside, like a char siu bao, so I thought it was the perfect name. My mother's partner insists on calling him "Noodle" because he OBVIOUSLY can't be bothered to remember.

@vicemage - my car was also super low mileage, like, 6k km (~4k miles) on the odometer when we bought him. We actually ran into some maintenance issues in the first year because it was driven so little D: But since we started driving more and longer distances, he's been a lot happier.

Your story makes me think of all the "pranks" the local university students in the Engineering department pull as their "graduation prank"... one year there was a car suspended from one of the busiest bridges into the downtown core.

@Quiet and Insane - It's a two-seater, though it's only a ruler short of being able to hold four. Instead you get two seats and a reasonably-sized trunk.

I shopped for some three-door four-seaters too, I think it's kind of underrated design for people who don't need to carry kids. (I mean, I grew up in a three-door hatch, but times have changed). What year is Raisin? It's such a cute name too.


Also thankfully I had no family members weigh in on the choice of car, especially not on the foreign/domestic topic. I'm the most car-interested person in my family that's close enough to me to feel like they need to give advice. My mother's partner keeps harassing me to tune my car because it's "too slow" but honestly it's fine. I told him I'll think about it once the warranty is up and it's almost up and... I'm thinking about it, I guess.

 

@Lelite thankfully in my case, the little old lady probably put most of her miles on it driving to the dealership every 3 months like clockwork for maintenance to be performed, so it was in overall very good shape when I got it. The only real thing I noticed was that it felt "stiff," possibly because it probably never was driven above about 45 MPH.

That graduation prank sounds impressive and hilarious (as long as you aren't the car's owner)!

 

@Lelite Thanks so much! I changed the exhaust (catback) to one of the magnaflow exhausts, switching to a 3” out. For springs I want to lower him just a tad, so I’m planning on getting some Drivers Gear springs and Koni yellow dampers. That way I’ll still be able to use him as a daily driver on the garbage roads of Florida but look nicer by closing up the wheel gap a bit and give him a little more edge in the corners.

 

@Lelite - Ooh when the back seats in Raisin are folded down the back becomes incredibly roomy. Sure helped carry all my doll boxes when I moved house earlier int he year!
I don't particularly plan on having kids unless they're the furry, four-legged kind so I guess I'm set there! Raisin is from hmm...2009 I think? I'm his third owner and I am determined to treat this lil car like it's family.
Here's a photo!
WP_20170909_17_28_25_Rich by Liz, on Flickr

 

Mine was maintained too, but apparently Dumpling used to live in the downtown core and being driven very short distances ruined the battery D: It was kinda scary and I had to get a tow for the first time in my life while my car was throwing up every possible error message. Thankfully it was covered under warranty and I was good to go, but the tech was like uh yeah might want to... drive longer distances.

Ooh, does it sound very different now? And yeah that sounds like a good compromise, and I think he'll look wicked with a very slight drop. Do you do track days, then?

That looks like a really roomy car! I like the grey, it's not quite devoid of color, almost like a purple. Oh my goodness those are pop-out windows in the back aren't they. Here in NA that's virtually unheard of these days (mostly because I think very few cars on the road don't have four doors... we like our giant vehicles here, unfortunately).

I hear you on treating the car like family. That's my intention too... My car owns more beauty products than I do, haha.

 

Yeah, that's definitely a thing. I'm not sure if the battery in mine had been replaced right before I bought it, or not, but whatever the first owner did, it was in great shape and I only replaced it a few months ago. I have a sensor in my car that does health checks, though, and with my working from home and only making short trips for a good long time here (my job went WFH before it was mandated), it was starting to throw battery alerts at me. So I've made a few longer trips lately to start charging it back up.

 

I'm really missing driving my VW. A few weeks ago I drove up a nearby canyon just to run the engine and keep things in there smooth and get myself out of the house- I highly recommend taking your car and getting out somewhere distanced like a park or wilderness area and get some nature.

 

2017 mitsubishi mirage, baby.
it's a dinky little hatchback thing (mine is white so i joke its my egg), and when i first saw it i was like lol what an ugly car.... then a month later i was rolling up to buy it. oops!
its actually my first car--previously my lifestyle and income didnt really warrant spending on a vehicle that i could barely find a place to park in the little college town i was staying in. before that it was mostly just the money, ha. but now i looooove being able to jet around at will instead of having to walk an hour to the grocery store i was sick with covid in april and so couldn't go out for any reason obviously.. so in the tail end of my recovery (no longer actively sick but possibly still contagious) i would take it for fun midnight drives to combat cabin fever.

the professional reviews on it are pretty bad; it's a 3-cylinder CVT engine and the zero to sixty is... not great. but that's not how you're meant to drive it so it works out great for me! honestly with how much you feel the road and the zippy agility of a compact car, it feels like driving a little go-kart sometimes. but the best part is, between the CVT, the lightweight body, and a few other factors.. if i drive carefully enough, i can wring 50 miles out of a gallon of gas even in hilly terrain. that's worth it to me.

(as an aside, there's a whole forum dedicated to fans of the mitsubishi mirage, although i just skim occasionally when i have questions about the car. in other countries due to copyright claims it's called the space star, which i think is way cuter...)

 

Jeep Cherokee Classic! ✌I love it. I have some health issues that cause neck and back pain so the improved field of vision is a big plus, having the whole trunk flat with the seat down makes it easier to transport my service dog, and my husband and I are big RenFest and camping people so yaaaaaay mud traction!

 

@Lelite No track days, but I like having a car that can handle. You never know when you’ll need it. He sounds a little tougher now, it’s lower in pitch and just a slight bit louder....until you open the throttle on the highway. Just enough roar without alerting the authority.

@Manic Mushroom My first was a Jeep Cherokee from ‘93! Loved her for many of the same reasons. Great ride!

 

I drive a 2010 final edition VW Beetle. His name is Baby Boy Buggy and he is in the limited edition baby blue color. I love him to death and I plan on getting him some daisy wheels in the near future.

 

It really is!! We're a jeep family lol, in the span of two years we all needed new cars and sweater got them! Dad first, then once it was fully repaired he got a new one to work on and I bought that, then my brother in law, then my brother bought one from my grandpa when he needed one easier to get into, then my husband. This is my second actually. My first one, the day after we got home from or honeymoon someone ran a red light about a block from us and tboned my hubby. He called trying to apologize and I was just like are you okay??? And he kept trying to say yeah but the car wasn't and he was SO upset, he knew I loved Red. The drive shaft was on the ground. I booked it over there and there was just no saving it, but my Dad came down to look while we finished the accident report, is actually bought it from him originally when he got a Grand Cherokee instead. Tow driver went from only taking to my husband despite him repeatedly saying it wasn't his car to trying to talk to my Dad about it. I finally chewed him out lol... Anyway I knew I wanted another one a, and the very next day I walked into the lot where we'd gotten Red and offered them $2000 cash for my current one! She needed a good scrub, looked like she been off-road with the windows down and everything was coated in dirt. They accepted because they didn't want to clean it. Ended up needing an engine replacement and a few minor repairs since then but she runs like a charm! It's TARDIS blue so we call it the CARDIS.

 

@Lelite - It is! Everyone is very surprised just how much room they have when getting in (with the exceptions of a couple of friends who like to manspread, and then usually end up getting punched in the knee when I change gears because "Wait you drive a MANUAL??" No idea why that still shocks people.) The only downside to the paint job is that my car basically becomes invisible on a dull/cloudy day. I perpetually drive with my headlights on. Yes they are pop-out windows! Friends think they're weird and hilarious.
I desperately want to give Raisin a good wash and polish, but we live at the back end of a new housing estate and he'd be covered in dust and dirt almost immediately because of all the giant trucks whizzing past day and night.

@Manic Mushroom - CARDIS! I love that name!! (Totally not a huge Doctor Who geek here).

 

Aw, I think the Mirage is cute! It always looks like it's doing a c: face, and it's one of the few cars that comes in a lot of fun colors. I've never driven one and all I ever hear is blah blah worst car ever, but honestly... It's honest transportation, is what it is. Same thing with the 0-60 times - technically, most on-ramps in North America were designed for a 1960's beetle to be able to get up to highway speeds, so if your 0-60 is better than that, all that's left afterwards is being an attentive driver.

Eeeek, tough guy coming through, haha! I seriously considered getting a Fiat 500 Abarth because small car + tough guy sound = best combo ever. (I have hand injuries that prevent me from being able to drive with a heavy steering wheel though, so... no Abarth for me). Yeah good to fly under the police radar though. I honestly kinda hate it, everyone's going 30-40+ and yet you get pulled over because your car stands out... (Luckily, smart cars are immune to police radars, because I think they just don't believe a smart car can go that fast, haha. We've definitely, whoops, blew through some speed traps, and the police officer just ignored us).

I've never done track days in a car, but I used to love go-karting (another thing I can't do). I really wish I could try a track day but nobody wants Dumpling there. (Though to be honest, I kinda doubt Dumpling would want to be there either, lol, and I'm not even sure I want Dumpling there, so it all... works out?).

OMG EEEE I LOVE THE BEETLES (all of them, but that era specifically). And in baby blue??? With daisy wheels? I would faint.

Isn't the... stick shift a dead give-away of the manual? How does one surprise pikachu face that one?

Manuals are good IMO. Easy to maintain, and easy to customize if you so desire. It gets way more weird with the current day dumb-smart automatics.

Ah, yes, I can see how the color would be a problem then. Would be bad here, where it rains for half a year. D:

And I know what you mean. Sometimes it's just better to make a "protective dust coating" while you wait. I once made the mistake of not doing that... very next day, new layer of dust.

 

Yeah you'd think that the gear stick in the middle would be a dead giveaway, but apparently not. I just think that no one really pays attention as long as I can get them from A to B.

I'm not a very car-minded person (though I do know more than my fiance and that's saying something), but I do love how simple and easy to look after my car is. I also have a soft spot for manuals as my mum drove my brother and I to and from school with her old Toyota Corolla 1980-something for years and I adored that temperamental old thing. I also have anxiety and tend to fidget A LOT, so being able to use that energy into driving the car tends to make me feel super calm. I greatly dislike driving other people's cars, but I feel incredibly calm driving Raisin.

Yeah, where I live we get four seasons in a day and I'm basically driving around with my headlights on most of the time just in case.

Washing would be futile. Raisin will just have to wait until all the building is over (which will be never at this rate). I think I may take him to get a proper wash for his "gotcha day" later this year.

 

I drive a white 2016 Mazda 3
It was an upgrade from a 1991 Ford Aerostar and the technology shock was incredible.