# 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:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/41 "2011-10-09T14:57:01Z")
> [@R.P.McMurphy](#): > > And they were all pieces of crap. Cramped, no effective heater, no trunk space. They ran, but they never ran right. It was a marketing marvel but a disaster of a car design. > > A car that can’t go through a car wash is of very little utility. The Bugatti isn’t even the fastest car despite it’s price. Ask yourself, what is the point of driving over 200 mph if you are not a professional racer on a closed course? Egotistical POS and not the best. By your criteria there is some race car out there that is a one of a kind that is somehow “best”. So let’s get real and address the intent of the OP. > > Ditto. Yea, go to your local Bugatti dealer for an alignment. Good luck. > > Best cars? Look at what stays on the road long after they should have been gone. Toyota Camry circa 1990. Ford Explorer, circa 1995. Toyota 4Runner circa 2004. In the third world countries there are still Toyota FJ’s running. A lot of old Honda’s are doing well. All are very utilitarian, practical and efficient. Not sure I’d go by what happens in the third world. There are tons of old Peugots still running in western Africa, but I wouldn’t exactly call them reliable. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/42 "2011-10-09T17:17:19Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > That’s more like it. I can’t believe how many people are nominating ordinary, boring cars as being the “BEST car ever”. While I have never driven any of them, and probably never will, I have to believe that the BEST car ever is something like a Bugatti, Ferrari, Pagani, Lambo, Roller or car of similar ilk. While I am Lambo and Ferrari fan I have to say that neither brand is anywhere near the best car ever made. Best sport car? Maybe. Best looking? Maybe. But, the problem is they are incredibly expensive to buy and even more to own. Everything is beyond belief when it comes to repairs. I have a good friend that owned a Ferrari 328. He always wanted one. But he told me that he sold it because of he was tired of always worrying about it. He couldn’t take it to the supermarket or mall for fear of someone dinging it. He wouldn’t drive it if it looked like it might rain. If he was driving it and he saw some road construction he would have to detour for fear of pebble damage. In short, he loved the car so much he was always afraid of something, even minor, happening to it. Also, his biggest complaint was the cost of repairs. Uber-expensive. Oil changes cost in the $100’s and clutch replacements were multiple thousands. He said once “I have enough money to buy a Ferrari, but I don’t have enough to own one”. In short, while the Lambos, Ferrari’s and Bugatti’s of the world are impressive in speed, looks and handling their shortcomings are greater than their assets in determining best car in the world status. In my opinion the best car in the world is one that provided enjoyment at an affordable price and one that is well built that last a long time and won’t break the bank keeping it in good shape. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/43 "2011-10-10T02:02:26Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Not sure I’d go by what happens in the third world. There are tons of old Peugots still running in western Africa, but I wouldn’t exactly call them reliable. Other than the FJ, that’s not what I was saying. I still see a lot of the old Camry’s, Explorers and 4Runners on the streets in the good old USA. There’s a reason why these things stay around. For some reason their designers were able to produce something that was a cut above whatever else was available on the market. Their buyers loved them and they have stood the test of time. > [@obbn](#): > > While I am Lambo and Ferrari fan I have to say that neither brand is anywhere near the best car ever made. Best sport car? Maybe. Best looking? Maybe. > > But, the problem is they are incredibly expensive to buy and even more to own. Everything is beyond belief when it comes to repairs. I have a good friend that owned a Ferrari 328. He always wanted one. But he told me that he sold it because of he was tired of always worrying about it. He couldn’t take it to the supermarket or mall for fear of someone dinging it. He wouldn’t drive it if it looked like it might rain. If he was driving it and he saw some road construction he would have to detour for fear of pebble damage. In short, he loved the car so much he was always afraid of something, even minor, happening to it. > > Also, his biggest complaint was the cost of repairs. Uber-expensive. Oil changes cost in the $100’s and clutch replacements were multiple thousands. He said once “I have enough money to buy a Ferrari, but I don’t have enough to own one”. In short, while the Lambos, Ferrari’s and Bugatti’s of the world are impressive in speed, looks and handling their shortcomings are greater than their assets in determining best car in the world status. In my opinion the best car in the world is one that provided enjoyment at an affordable price and one that is well built that last a long time and won’t break the bank keeping it in good shape. So true. What should qualify is a car that hold’s it’s value. The depreciation of high end sport cars is onerous. If someone want’s to own one, fine. Just don’t portray it as a dream vehicle that has utilitarian value. They are a work of art, not a “car” in the sense of being useful for transportation. The '32 Ford was mentioned. I would put that in the class of the '57 Chevy or the '66 Pontiac GTO. Great for collectors but not really great cars. Any car without fuel injection, in my mind, is automatically excluded because electronic fuel injection is so far superior to a carburetor. Also, safety, suspension and handling have to be taken into account. Modern cars are so much better than what was sold in earlier years that there is really no comparison. ---
**Author:** ![loshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce73a5/32.png) [@loshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loshan)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/44 "2011-10-10T02:42:06Z")
> [@Wheeljack](#): > > '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. 🙂 I’ll see your '94 Corolla and raise you a '94 Camry. Currently has 245,000 miles on it, get 30 mpg regularly and 35 on long haul interstate trips. Other than gas/oil/batteries/tires I haven’t had to do much at all. I replaced the struts/shocks and front axles last summer after living on a dirt road for 8 years and I replaced a broken door handle. I’m gonna drive her til she dies in another 17 years or so. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/45 "2011-10-10T21:39:56Z")
1989 or so Toyota Camry. Comfortable, powerful, indestructible. That model Camry is what built Toyota’s reputation and set them on the path to world domination. ---
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/46 "2011-10-11T16:13:06Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Realistically, viewing a car as primarily a people mover, one of those Honda Civics that hit 350k+ with simply regular maintenance. I don’t know about 350k, but I have a 13-year-old Honda Civic that’s only been in the shop once (excluding routine maintenance like oil changes), and that was to replace the spark plugs/wiring. When it went in for detailing a few years ago, the guy offered to buy it off me. When I took in to get the sparks replaced, the guy at the shop offered to buy it (different shop). When I took it in last month to get it painted, the guy at the shop (different shop) said he had a few people who would be interested in buying it… …you can have this car when you pry it from my cold, dead hands. ---
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/47 "2011-10-11T16:18:02Z")
And another thing. The gas mileage of a Honda Civic is fantastic. I drove from Ohio to VA last year, making a few stops, and I think I paid $22 in gas. This was when gas was $2.49 a gallon, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970/48 "2011-10-11T16:32:46Z")
In terms of all-around ability, it’s hard to top the rally homologation specials: Subaru Impreza STi, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo [insert number], Lancia Delta HF Integrale, Ford Escort Cosworth, etc. They all take 4 or five passengers in reasonable comfort, with space for a suitcase or two in the back, and are capable of track times comparable to a 911 Turbo. If cost is no object, and you don’t care about lap times, the answer is invariably whatever the latest S-Class Benz is, though. It’s not even close. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-how-about-the-best-car-ever-made/598970.md?page=2)