It’s time to get to know each other a little better. So which car best describes you? Pretend you’re on Dr. Freud’s couch and take your time, unless you’re impulsive of course. Me? I spent almost a half hour tossing this around while still in bed this morning, but here goes: a Mercedes 300 TD 4-Matic Wagon, late eighties vintage (W124): Germanic, pretty solid and trim for an oldster, a touch arrogant, thrifty but like not poky (turbo diesel), practical, versatile and everything still works! It’s a variation of one I had, and it did feel like an extension of my personality. Now I’m not sure this exact combination was ever made, but it’s good enough for this exercise. Since we’re throwing in a little wishful thinking, how about an adjustable suspension, since I spend a lot of time on hiking trails. For bonus points, name a new car if your first choice was an out-of production car; or conversely, a vintage car if your first pick was a new one. For me, that would be a VW Tiguan TDI.
2 out of production cars that felt like, holy crap, this car is an extension of me! 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham that I drove through college (1995-1999). It was a 4dr sedan, fully chromed out, 307V8 Quadrajet 4brl, 4 speed auto, positrac, and single exhaust (would have been dual if I had some money damn it!) Power everything, the cheesy blue velour seats, bright artic white paint, and around 100,000 miles on it when I got it. Stolen in Detroit, MI around Thanksgiving 2000 with about 150000 miles on it. I loved that car but the guy actually did me a favor cause the front subframes were starting to rust out. (Never had a lick of trouble with it except replacing the water pump.)
Next car that was me? 1997 Ford Escort LX Wagon, 2.0 SOHC, 4speed auto. Had all the options which meant you got power windows and mirrors with manual seats. I bought it with the insurance check from the stolen Oldsmobile as a down payment. Had 21,000 miles on it when I bought it from Avis Ford in Southfield, MI and paid $7,000. (If I’d of been able to afford bigger monthly payments or a greater down payment, I would have bought one of the MANY used Mercury Sable wagons that were on the lot.) Yes I had some transmission woes (due to my negligence not Ford or Mazda’s design) had it rebuilt after I moved to NM by a local guy who upgraded the shift solenoids to the Mazda JDM units. (Sportier firmer shifts, delays overdrive.) It rode nice, handled well, and was economical. Just a little more power and a 5 speed manual would have made it perfect. That car was sooooooooooooo versatile and so much more useful than a gas sucking CUV or SUV. I once brought a 27in CRT TV home in the back, still in the box, without folding the seats down. The car was red with a gray interior. I’d still have it but I lost it in a divorce. Not that my ex really wanted it, it was just the only choice between it and my 2004 Ford F-150.
Current car that’s me? If money where no object I’d get a BMW 5 series wagon or a Mercedes E-class wagon. SUVs? FOAD!
Peugeot 505S wagon with 5spd. Utterly cavernous, practical, yet lovely to drive, and nice to look at. I’ve had a couple of them over the years.
Modern car? My 9-3 SportCombi suits me at this stage in life. The perfect single guy car, stylish, quick, somewhat rare (especially with manual transmission) economical, holds just enough stuff and much too nice inside (parchment leather) to sully with sprogs. With a diesel it would be utter perfection, but the 2.0T is good enough.
Classic car? My Triumph Spitfire – after owning it for 15 years it IS an extension of me. Was my “1/4-life crisis” purchase.
A ’53 Bentley Coupe… or a 60s-70s Silver Shadow..or.. I never actually owned these, but I thought they represented a good part of me..
I like the car I currently drive, and I do feel it is an extension of me as well.. although I think it is a little better than I am, comparatively (it is a 95-01 7 series L..with all the goodies, even Nav)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_RS2_Avant
Or the 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible.
Someone called Detroit-Iron wants an Audi? Just teasing you. 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible would be freaking awesome, has 10x the style and presence of a Rolls Royce in my book.
For me, it’d be a Jaguar XK convertible. Smooth, quick, utterly elegant and of course Made in the UK.
However, I still have tons of respect for my little Yaris. She never lets me down, keeps me warm in the winter, cool in the summer and totally frugal on fuel. I couldn’t ask any more of her.
This car is me:
http://www.mbgrand600.com/Page65.html
A tobacco brown 1972 Mercedes 600. With a new head, computerized fuel injection, and supercharged, it should be in the vicinity of 500 hp. Just look at the slide show! Not only is it a perfect embodiment of my persona, it is perhaps to only car I would have the need of for the rest of my life. The tobacco brown is the perfect shade of brown, the interior is just how I want it, light, warm and sand-coloured leather. Well, this is me.
That’s easy: a slant-six four-door Mopar A-body. And I ain’t ashamed to say it, either.
Why should you be ashamed of that? If you found one at an estate sale or restored one you could conceivably drive it for the rest of your life. At least you could likely have many more trouble free miles with your choice than with any of mine. :)
Two months ago I found just such a car: a 1973 Dart Custom. Dark metallic gold, black vinyl top, tan cloth-and-vinyl interior. Factory A/C, power disc brakes, power steering, 225 engine, Torqueflite automatic, tinted glass, 3-speed wipers, lights everywhere. 45k original miles. I’ve put a set of Vredestein Quatrac-2 tires on it (I buy good shoes for myself, too), and am in the process of making sundry other upgrades. Now if I could only just move out of salt country!
1st gen Honda Insight. Reliable. Cheap. Super efficient. Lightweight. Very little room for passengers. Not very popular. A bit weird looking, and yet, bland. Awkward, especially with the public.
Ingvar: Great Video and even greater Bach music. The rear seat leg room does not look very generous for a big, long sedan (even though they call it the SWB, it is much bigger than the regular S class of the time, isn’t it?)
Also, it looks black to me, not tobacco brown.
D. Stern: I have no clue which is your vehicle of choice. Got pic?
Well, brown is the new black, eh? I actually like that shade of brown, must be because the family had a brown Mercedes like that when I grew up, though it was a W123. But yes, it’s close to being black.
“1st gen Honda Insight. Reliable. Cheap.”
Not very, you have a two seater and you could buy a 44 MPG Civic HX 5-seat coupe for less.
“Super efficient. Lightweight. Very little room for passengers.”
Yes, yes and no. Has plenty of room for two passengers and their stuff, but was WEIGHT limited, it had an unreralistic 365 lbs total for passengers and cargo, which means either two passengers and no cargo, or one passenger and some cargo.
“Not very popular. A bit weird looking, and yet, bland.”
Not sure. I find its styling efficient and fine, but I also find the Prius styling OK, Form Follows Function!
“Awkward, especially with the public.”
Not really. Small, efficient and not too flashy. I test-drove the first one bought in MI by John Johnson. (Insightman.com detailed his enthusiastic experiences)
I’m not really critiquing the car, just matching personal traits with those of a vehicle. I also considered the Toyota Echo 2-door.
Damn, you beat me to it (s0rt of). A legendary MB 500E – stealthy and unassuming (in a classically handsome way) on the outside, brutish and fun underneath. A C36/43 AMG would suit me too.
Along the same lines, the one and only (literally, there is only one) E39 M5 Touring – as in the twin turbo station wagon. A jack of all trades and the ultimate sleeper – haul the pets and credenza while shaming ricers every which way.
I love sleepers, and I think my personality translates well into the sleeper-model.
E36 BMW 318Ti, the bob-tail hatchback.
If currently available in the U.S., I would have bought it las month.
A3, Mini, too expensive with too much electronic crap. VW too much bad CR data. Maybe I’m just remembering prices from the previous decade.
@Paul N – I just watched the “5th Gear” special on the ‘Tube last night about trying to kill at W124 wagon (much like what “Top Gear” did with the Hilux). What a wagon, what a car: I appreciate your pick.
@Ingvar – quite the ride.
As my first thought was new model, I’ll shoot you my pick for more vintage (perhaps style, not year): An MB SEC model – probably the 560SEC – late 1980s. I just love that shape: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mercedes-Benz_560_SEC_(front).png
New? Gosh: I’ll take flack for either of these, I suppose. I just felt so at home driving both the Boxster (a 2005), and a new 135i with all the goodies. Both were me, and I apparently have a slightly divided personality. Maybe one for me and one for Mrs. Me?
Of the 23 cars I’ve owned over the last 40 years, three stand out as an extension of me. I’ve always been a fast driver, generally going faster than other vehicles on the road. I think each of these cars has taught me that fast driving in a car with less power can be more fun than in a higher-powered car…
1. A 1968 VW Beetle. It had the 1200cc 40hp engine (in Canada that was the base model). I learned to drive on it and learned how to wring every last ounce of passing power on the many hills in central British Columbia.
2. A 1980 VW Rabbit diesel. Again, with 48hp and a 4-speed manual it required attentive driving to propel that little bunny to non-turtle-like speeds.
3. A 2007 Porsche Cayman. On the road and even more so, on the track, the driving style I developed in the old Beetle comes in handy to wring every last ounce af power out of the 2.7 l engine through a very slick 5-speed shifter. I feel like this car is the ultimate expression of my driving style and personality.
Yes, many of my other cars have had much more power, but none have provided as much fun as wringing maximum performance from a simple combination of 2-dr coupe/sedan, sporty chassis, small engine and manual tranny.
Volvo 245 Turbo Intercooled
Useful, accomodating, safe, loyal, strong willed and unpretentious. Somewhat traditional on the surface, but maybe not down to the core. Of course, I get a good bit crazier and am way easier to get sideways than others that look similar to me, but only from time to time. Reasonably attractive and still quite efficient considering my genes, though somewhat less reliable than my more conservative brother.
In the end, though, most people not familiar couldn’t tell I was any different than any other boy-next-door type… which is exactly just how I like it.
Since the question is “what car are you?” and not “what car do you wish you could have?”, I will have to honestly say that I am: overweight, underpowered, usually reliable and uncommon. Thus, I am a Mercedes-Benz W123 non-turbo Diesel coupé.
That pretty much describes me as well. I think I’d rather be a Mercedes but I’m also reminded of my previous car, a 1997 Infiniti QX4. 5000lbs, 170hp, 15mpg. Heavy, slow, inefficient, like me. But also trustworthy and reliable.
Alfa Giulia Super. More fun than it looks.
Bonus round: Peugeot 407; ditto.
A Jaaaaaaaag.
In my case it’s also a variation of a car I owned (1974-91): The auto-me I’d like to be is a 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix convertible with modern running gear, perhaps a Subaru turbo motor for low center of gravity. I guess this means I don’t want to live in the past, am more safety-conscious than I used to be, but nonetheless wish to give off a bit of the aura that Pontiac collected about itself at its height, when it was the third-best-selling marque in the nation and offered eight different convertibles on four wheelbases (Tempest Custom/LeMans/GTO, Catalina/2+2/Grand Prix, Bonneville, and Firebird).
1956 Dodge and 1959 Plymouth for my brother Jerry and me. All of us were born in the 50s and are now a little out of style. The restored 59 is Jerry’s- he doesn’t look nearly as good as the car.Both of us are a little more like my unrestored 56 Dodge-rough around the edges but still presentable. http://www.mystarcollectorcar.com/3-the-stars/stars-in-rehab.html
While I like cars a lot, I tend to resist to personifying them in any way (calling it a “her,” etc). I never turn down a ride or drive in any car I haven’t been in already. Though I’m pragmatic and thrifty, I do something adventurous but safe (skydiving, burning man, etc). When I meet people (I like having friends) I give them the benefit of the doubt to start with and be friendly with everyone, even if I do come off as a little weird sometimes. I believe life and the world is generally good.
I think that makes me a Honda Fit.
Hard to separate myself from what I’d want most–a Cayman. But I identify pretty strongly with my car, a ’99 Accord 2.4 liter with the 5 speed trans. Not porky like later accords, but reliable, efficient, yet fun and practical.
Older cars: Peugeot 404 wagon. Some of the same reasons as the Accord, but I just loved that car. I do identify with Daniel Stern’s A body mopars.
An ironically-driven Mercury Grand Marquis.
1987 Buick Grand National. An uncompromised remnant that came just before an entire generation became pussified.
Macho Macho Man! I’ve got to be a Macho Man!
The Borman 6, my first ’88 BMW 528e and I bonded very well. So far it’s replacement , an identical lachsilber with a blue cloth interior instead of cardinal leather as the only difference, and I have yet to bond. I am in a rut, stuck in the 80s with a car that I can maintain on a modest budget, thats reliable, and that is fun to drive even dumbed down with a 4spd auto trans to make a superb commuter car. Eye candy wise, I admire the higher end British gt coupes, Jags , Astons, Bentleys, Maseratis, etc. But I could never afford one
Saab 9000 Turbo, 5 speed, hatch . Practical, unusual, strong ratio of performance to thriftiness.
I still miss the 1996 model we had, but havent found a like replacment in today’s market. Closest new vehicle Ive seen is a R500 Mercedes, but I was suprised by how limited the headroom was when I sat in one.
1971 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 with Rallye Sport trim. 350/330 V8. 4 speed Muncie trans with Hurst shifter. Traction bars. L88 Hood.
First gen MR2 like this one: http://carsinpedia.com/car_day_archive_details.php?id=257
E36 M3 and no I don’t have spiked, frosted hair and a spray on tan, despite the fact that I did also grow up in NJ. I’m not sure if the car’s traits personify me. For one thing, I’m much more reliable, although I too am small, athletic and a little dorky. After owning it for 3 1/2 years we are beginning to meld, though. I feel noises and/or vibrations in my soul. It also has nearly a complete me’s worth of skin scraped on to various parts. When it is performing as it should, I feel as though I can conquer the world, just as issues ruin my life.
1966 Mustang convertible. Cherry red. White top.
Look at Farago’s last post and pick one; that’s pretty much me.
I’m any 1988-1996 F150 regular cab 2×4 long bed with a bedliner. I have a 5-speed manual and the 4.9 i6 engine. The only factory options I have are am/fm radio and a rear bumper. I don’t care about how I look and consider dents a badge of honor, but I do keep up on my undercoating and clean out all weepholes myself- I don’t want to rust away before I stop running.
Sweet, I have a 2004 Heritage model with a bench seat and rubber floor. I hope to keep it like that too, but it’s not who I am, it’s just a tool that I dearly love for it’s sheer usefulness.
1964 Ford THUNDERBIRD.
Convertible.
Wrap around rear seats….THOSE were the days!
http://www.mcecars.com/index.cfm?auto_id=405
As a side note, as a kid in middle school, I used to design cars.
Everything,
30 pages of detailed dash, door…front and back.
I would send them in to Ford.
Once they sent back a nice letter thanking me and saying they were sorry but could not use my drawings.
They told me to stay with it and as a thank you, they included a working model of a yet to be sold 1964 Thinderbird.
Yup, those were they days.
After many years and many cars — Audi (2), BMW, Datsun (2-never had an actual “Nissan”), Honda (3), Toyota (2), Rambler (2, when I was broke-ass and could only afford orphan beaters), Saturn (1, thankfully), VW (2) — I’ve decided: Volvo 240. That’s what I drive now and probably will for the foreseeable future, as long as rust-free low-mileage examples quietly age in the garages and carports of those in God’s waiting room.
Citroen 2cv, the peak of automotive minimalism. Drives across the rutted fields to market without breaking the eggs in back. Will carry a fantastic diversity of people and stuff if you are creative. Goes around the world on goat paths if you have the time. A concept strong enough to weather nearly 40 years of changing conditions and stay relevant. Sadly I can’t think of a modern equivalent. Perhaps a FIAT Doblo if it makes it here with a tiny turbo diesel or an electric drivetrain. Till then maybe a Dodge Sprinter with a folding bicycle in the back.
Mopar rules!!!!!
Since assuredly the mob here is eagerly awaiting my input here we go!!!
1972 Plymouth Duster with a 318. Dark but not too dark blue color.
I believe 1972 is the year the feds required front disc brakes. Would be tickled with a ’70 or ’71 if it had front discs.
Auto or 4-speed.
Would be groovy to find one already restored and in decent condition. Older restoration okay.
340 would be outtasight’ if i could get a good deal (read cheap).
A “fun” car for paraded, occasional cruising, looking neat upon the seat as I motored locally.
Unless I hit the Lottery will never happen.
Sniff.
Santa… you out there?
Or, perhaps, a rich widow lady will take a hankerin’ towards me and buy me one and let me use her garage to protect it.
The shanty is garage-less.
Maybe the widow lady will build me a garage!!!!!!
Lottery or rich widow lady or Santa.
35 years of performing the tasks needed to feed and shelter folks and the rewards received allowed meager existence and a pittance to look forward to upon retirement.
Sure glad I served to keep the Commies away from the the upper-classes’ overseas wealth sources.
Oh well.
Better than being buzzard bait in Darfur.
Mopar rules!!!!!
I guess I am a 64 GTO. 389 Tri Power 4spd. Posi. manual everything. The only thing I would change would be to add disk brakes and modern tires. Light, powerful, simple. That’s for me.
New Car. A G8 but I’m too late.
1963-64 Riviera. Gentleman’s muscle car. Undeniably classy, at home in any setting, might seem a little conservative at first, but there’s a spirit of adventure hiding under the skin.
1st gen Saab 900 turbo convertible, with the 16v engine.
I actually think that one of the cars I am looking to pick up next best personifies me…the Lexus SC300 manual maybe with a turbo under the hood. Big, elegant, powerful, not exactly flashy, reliable, built to last, and easy to live with. It appears to be a meek contry club car, but can show it self to be a real beast unexpectedly and under the right circumstances.
I am a 2001 BMW X5 with a stick shift. Powerful but fun to drive. Capable of going offroad but really made for cruising around and having fun. Also slightly overweight
I am best represented by my 1987 Dodge Caravan panel van. Not too big, not too small, in fact just the right size. 3.0 liter v6 with the legendary Torqueflite 3 speed auto. It was a sleeper, because with (IIRC) 140 HP, and a lot less weight than the passenger version, that little V6 hauled ass.
It was a nondescript medium grey colour, didn’t make a lot of noise, and was just generally unassuming in appearance. Unassuming that was, until I punched it on the green light and left many so-called better cars in my dust.
It wasn’t particularly handsome, but didn’t look too bad, and it aged quite well. It was a middle-income median-family type vehicle, justifiable to my both right leaning and left leaning friends; it suited me very well. The front-heavy FWD layout served me well in wretched winter driving conditions, and it had a huge cargo capacity rivaled only by pick-up trucks.
It was uber reliable and dependable, and a veritable workhorse, just like me. And just like me, it’s heart beat strong and true, and it had a good solid midwestern middle-class soul.
I’ve been driving for 35 years, and I have owned almost 100 vehicles, and driven another 100 more, but that little van is still my all-time favourite. It’s me. A good sized, little worn around the edges, tried and true friend that never let me down until the day the body rot started to be a safety concern, sigh… I would buy another one, if I could find one.
1980 jetta. Basic euro plus a trunk. Fun to drive as in steering and throttle modulating and braking can actually all be coordinated gracefully to good effect and it feels really good as if it has big brothers and sisters in the olympics. Small car with big feet. Wish I knew about front steering arm braces then.
Pre Westphalia, no maroon tufted vinyl or fake chrome on the plastic door handles.
Last really good sunroof I have seen, its far forward above short dash so you can see out of it with peripheral vision without cranking you head back, and has simple hand crank, not powered. Only motor in the cabin runs the ventilator fan.
Anyway thats the car I liked the best in the past, not the car that represents my actual self.
The latter is my 2010 A4 6mt decontented, ordered yesterday. Decontented means while it has power seats and quattro and DFI turbo and about 40 motors in the cabin, it lacks wood trim, homelink, 18″ wheels and the new lights, but most of all lacks automatic tranny. I just don’t want someone else shifting for me. Never had enough respect for authority.
1967 VW Microbus. Basic, multi-functional, low maintenance.
I am a 68 Chrysler Newport sedan. Conservative, utilitarian, and very functional. Not bad looking in a conservative sort of way, but certainly not flashy. Good, basic 383 and Torqueflite. I have ps pb and a/c, but am satisfied with crank windows and manual locks. I have some thoughtful touches like turn signal bulbs on the fender tips, and an a/c compressor that cycles on for 10 seconds whenever the heat is turned on, just to keep things lubricated and seals fresh. And an ammeter. I will outlast all of the flashy guys and outperform many of them.
The question is what car are we now. The answer will be different than that to the Q “what car were you when you were 22?”. Another Q would be what car we would want to be if we were allowed to reincarnate into a car.. or something.
I’m practical but want a little fun out of life. Getting there is sometimes more important than being there. Has to be a convertible. My wife found me a used jet-black ’95 LeBaron GTC with low miles a couple of years ago, just as my ’96 Sebring convertible was approaching 200k, and I haven’t looked back. It has a few rough edges with age, as do I, but it runs great, looks good (to my bride and me) and gets me nearly 30 mpg. Not unlike my approach to myself, I take care of it, so I’m hopeful it will age well.
Was: mid-1980s Saab 99L (lime green)
Am: 2010 Prius IV (winter gray)
After Driving the previous Prius for 3 days in the LAX area in April and June, my opinion of the car went up by a huge amount. Well behaved, comfortable, 47 Hwy at 75 MPH, 52 city, and 62-69 MPG at leisurly drives in the country at 40-50 MPH. And the Prius IV is even better. I took a Prius IV taxi in Wash DC some weeks ago, and at first did not realize it is the IV, so I sat at front, because the previous Prius rear seat had no headroom for my 6’1″ frame.. and probably for much shorter people either. But the IV has corrected the rear headroom problem.
Hmmm, I’d have to say a second-gen Honda CRX with a drivetrain swap from a mid-90s non-turbo diesel Jetta. Reasonably light, reasonably torquey, not particularly fast, but with an appreciation for curvy roads.
Mr Niedermeyer’s instructions were a little confusing to me, but I will just follow his example and see if this works…
The car I am most like-out of production: a 1969 Ford Fairlane 2 door hardtop. Not too big, not too small, decent size trunk, with small block decent power and fuel economy (for it’s time). Not a great handler, but not a total shopping cart either. Kind of like me on the soccer pitch.
The car I am most like-in production: I have to fudge a little. I’d say I’m most like the last Chevy Malibu (’04-’07). The V6 LS version, good interior space, good sized trunk and decent performance and mileage from the V6 motor. Not the prettiest thing, but certainly not as homely as some of the newer cars.
Mid 80’s SAAB 900 Turbo 4-door. Funky, quirky, dorky, and practical but with a lot of soul, a surprising level of performance and an aggressive exhaust note. That’s me to a “T”.
A 1999-2001 Infiniti Q45t or a 2003-2004 Infiniti M45. Both cars wowed me with their styling, and overall packaging. Not a sport sedan, but a comfortable executive Q-ship with power and panache.
Out-of-production: 1977 RA29 Celica GT. Asian posing as American.
In-Production: Any grand tourer coupe. Quite long, but unreasonably lazy.
I am the embodiment of the ’89 Dodge Colt Vista. Utilitary, everything works, a little weak, plain and boring but very useful. The Swiss Army Knife also fits me well.
This is the kind of post that make me come here everyday…like the question of the day, i miss them. They are so many good commentator here! Don’t know what kind of car i am, but i know what i like like: basic, reliable, cheap to own and use, lots of space inside and a bit fun to drive (manual tranny for sure!) i may be the car that i own right now, pontiac vibe 2009, except that i can see all around me wich she can’t (poor, poor back 3/4 visibility, Thanks GM! I understand that they only been designing for a hundred year…anyway). I could also be a civic from the 80’s, a tercel (4wd wagon), a suzuki forsa first gen (light, cheap, fun). I like the idea of the citroen 2cv mention earlier here. Here i am!
’89 Dodge Colt Vista. Capable, adaptable and boring.
I’d have to say I’m my old 1991 Dodge Dakota–reliable, age showing (peeling paint), basic, simple, always gets there but not too sexily.
John
Ford Sierra XR4x4
A European, vaguely practical, all wheel drive, 2.8L V6 Cologne powered saloon car product of the 1980’s that was a hoot to drive and a doddle to fix.
http://vgarage.co.uk/uploads/59_88_1235939956.jpg