# Okay. How about the BEST car ever made? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 8, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970 "2011-10-08T03:56:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/1 "2011-10-08T03:56:26Z")
Or you ever had. I nominate the 1976 Chevy short bed four wheel drive. 350ci, with the auto transmission. Wonderful plow truck and has moved the furniture of pretty much all my friends. And moved mountains of snow. I got her in High School. I am now 50 years old and I need to chain her up on all 4again and get the plow on. Expecting some snow. Puddles is her name. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/2 "2011-10-08T04:54:55Z")
2003 Honda Accord V6 sedan. I drive one. It is a really nice car with lots of comfort features, reasonably powerful off the mark and can go faster than I drive. Gets decent mileage and is very reliable. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/3 "2011-10-08T05:23:53Z")
Realistically, viewing a car as primarily a people mover, one of those Honda Civics that hit 350k+ with simply regular maintenance. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/4 "2011-10-08T05:55:01Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Realistically, viewing a car as primarily a people mover, one of those Honda Civics that hit 350k+ with simply regular maintenance. so, a car which doesn’t exist? ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/5 "2011-10-08T06:27:16Z")
2010 Expedition Max (or EL in the USA). The ride was fantastic, the power was fantastic, the ride height was acceptable, the creature comforts were better than my Lincoln, and it was by far the best vehicle I’ve ever had the pleasure of using for a year and a half (company car, and not my own alas!). ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/6 "2011-10-08T06:31:37Z")
Duh, the ['74 Pontiac Firebird Esprit](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/rck2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.curbsideclassic.com/features/as-seen-on-tv-our-favorite-p-i-cars/&h=540&w=720&sz=89&tbnid=dDcEHbEHrSNtDM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=122&prev=/search%3Fq%3D74%2BFirebird%2BEsprit%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=74+Firebird+Esprit&docid=n2fB1GFNEJ4uYM&sa=X&ei=9e2PTuX-IIeLhQfvwbwE&ved=0CC8Q9QEwAA)that Jim Rockford drove. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/7 "2011-10-08T06:37:06Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > so, a car which doesn’t exist? They’re out there. ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/8 "2011-10-08T07:32:28Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Realistically, viewing a car as primarily a people mover, one of those Honda Civics that hit 350k+ with simply regular maintenance. '94 Corolla, represent! But only if you count changing the right CV joints and all the door handles with each oil change as “regular maintenance”. Aside from that, it’s pretty much unkillable. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/9 "2011-10-08T13:22:35Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > They’re out there. I’m not saying there are no Civics with 350k. I’m saying that there are likely no Civics out there with 350k _with only regular maintenance._ If they’re driving on the original suspension bushings, tie rods, ball joints, and so on, I want to know so I can stay away from them. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/10 "2011-10-08T15:09:21Z")
My personal “best” from a reliability standpoint is my 1995 Nissan pick-up truck. I bought it new and it has 258,xxx miles on it. That little thing has hauled toys, been to the tip of Baja and back twice, coast to coast and up into Canada. It was also stolen in 1999, used in a drive-by shooting and run into a fence during a short police chase. Thankfully I still had full-coverage insurance because it needed extensive auto body repair. Not much has been replaced, it is mostly original so far. Starts, goes, stops, whenever I need to haul something. Doesn’t smoke or leak fluids, still gets 23-24 mpg. AC went several years ago, neither door locks, the clutch is starting to get a bit sticky, it’s starting to rust and some electrical short keeps burning out the front right turn signal bulb. Next week it gets new rear shocks and front brakes for winter. Most fun car I’ve ever owned - probably a [2001 Saab Viggen](http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparisons/02q1/audi_a4_vs._bmw_330i_cadillac_cts_jaguar_x-type_lexus_is300_lincoln_ls_saab_9-3-comparison_tests/saab_9-3_viggen_page_7). ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/11 "2011-10-08T15:31:13Z")
Best “money is no object” sports car? Porsche 911 Best Supercar? Ferrari F40 My _personal_ best car? probably my '92 Dodge Shadow, 120K miles and only traded out of it because I was young and stupid and thought it was going to die soon as the odometer was over 100K, even though it gave no physical signs of failure, ran strongly and reliably, got 38-40 MPG, and was a very useful hatchback design, I still miss that little car today… My personal _worst_ car? close race between my first car, an '88 Ford Escort Pony, and my '02 Dodge Neon, too close to call, Escort broke down more often, but the Neon came down with “Car Leprosy” and had the front suspension almost rust completely out from under it (the "K-Member: lower suspension arm that goes underneath the engine had rotted away and was 98% rust) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/12 "2011-10-08T17:04:54Z")
The Mazda Miata deserves to be on automotive best-of lists. A solid, fun, reliable little roadster that represented a vast improvement in the breed. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/13 "2011-10-08T18:10:49Z")
Channeling 10-year old Jackledin – Lamborghini Countach. A friend’s father had one (in black) and that thing was sweet. Got to sit in the major seat and everything. She cried when someone else from my socio-economic group in the same private school (a scholarship kid like me) called it “Knight Rider” – I felt bad for her, too. I grieve long winter evenings over it. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/14 "2011-10-08T18:19:10Z")
My favorite car that I’ve owned was a BMW 330 (with premium and sport package), which I had back when I lived in a drive-everywhere city. BMWs really are fun to drive, and that car felt completely different than anything I had driven before (mostly econoboxes). ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/15 "2011-10-08T18:30:30Z")
Best car ever? Three-time World Rally champion Lancia Stratos HF. The original, not the new concept, which is basically a Ferrari F430 with a body kit on it. > **[Lancia Stratos](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancia_Stratos_HF)** > > The Lancia Stratos HF (Tipo 829), known as Lancia Stratos, is a rear mid-engined sports car designed for rally racing, made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. It was a very successful rally car, winning the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975 and 1976; and race car winning 1974 Targa Florio, five times the Tour de France Automobile and three editions of Giro d'Italia automobilistico. > Lancia traditionally used the design house Pininfarina and had not used Bertone before. Bertone desired to cr... ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/16 "2011-10-08T19:00:35Z")
The sporty 1970 [AMC Gremlin](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=the+amc+gremlin&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=gPI&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1236&bih=556&tbm=isch&tbnid=0vjtPP17gddCaM:&imgrefurl=http://tonz-cars.blogspot.com/2011/05/amc-gremlin-tonz.html&docid=lVxauAUKuDlz1M&w=432&h=324&ei=4ZyQTqXTONKBsgLpkoSaAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=251&vpy=257&dur=4119&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=176&ty=95&page=1&tbnh=114&tbnw=152&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/17 "2011-10-08T20:01:04Z")
For me, it’s a toss-up between the sheer utility and ruggedness of the Land Rover and the effortless speed and grace and poise of the Bugatti Veyron. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/18 "2011-10-08T20:31:57Z")
The million mile car in the Smithsonian is a Saab. my old 88 Saab was indestructible ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/19 "2011-10-08T21:46:53Z")
I have to nominate two from personal experience. My two “best” have been: 1: 1984 Mazda RX7 GSL-SE. Fun, fun and fun. Almost 30 years old yet still runs like new. Stylish and still turns heads. Bang for the buck this is without a doubt the best sports car I have ever owned. Of the sports cars I’ve owned over the years, the 79 Datsun 280ZX was a rust bucket and electrical nightmare, the 85 Toyota MR2 was very reliable but too small to take seriously, the 87 Porsche 944 was incredible. Built it seemed from a solid piece of metal, but so very expensive to fix. No matter what it was it was $500. The 84 Corvette was the biggest piece of garbage ever to grace my garage. The Mazda has been reliable, more fun than anything I have ever owned, cheap to maintain and insure. I highly recommend one for someone looking for an inexpensive sports car. You can get them now for $1000 for a rough one to about $5000 for one in great condition. You will never regret it. 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Still driving it today. 131,000 miles and going strong. I have replaced the brakes, tires, filters and wipers. That’s it! Nothing has broken and it keeps going and going. I will probably still be driving this one 10 years from now. No matter what you think of Jeeps, they make a strong long lasting product. ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/20 "2011-10-08T22:18:27Z")
My personal best is a 2001 Toyota Camry. I bought it brand new and it’s now handled nearly 223,000 miles. I really want it to make it to the 240,000-250,000 range so I can say I’ve driven it the distance to the moon. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970.md?page=2)