Just after Christmas, we inquired about your favorite German car of the 1990s. The few of you who had awakened from post-holiday eat and drink signed in to share your top Teutonic choices. I suspect more of you are awake now that it’s springtime, and will be able to answer the same inquiry when it’s American flavored.
What’s your favorite American vehicle of the 1990s?
The decade of aero bodies, aero dashboards and lace alloys was also a great time for horsepower, safety, two-tone paint, and the requisite gold badges. I thought about the choice below for quite some time — as I drove home in my Japanese car, and then added some coolant to my other Japanese car. Anyway, America! My selection has a lot of -arge; large, supercharge, and maybe barge.
It’s the Buick Park Avenue Ultra. The Park Avenue was its own independent model for the 1991 model year, having separated from its former place as a trim level on Buick’s upscale Electra. Sharing the C-body platform with the similarly large Cadillac Deville, all Park Avenues were initially powered by the legendarily reliable Buick 3800 V6 (Series I). In 1992, the Ultra trim level was born. Upping the ante with more sporty exterior details, the Ultra received a different interior, as well. The party piece of the Ultra was the supercharger strapped to the engine.
Power was bumped from the base 170 horses to 205, as GM continued development of the 3800. Power in the Ultra increased to 225 for the ’94 and ’95 model years. In 1996, for the final year of first-gen production, Buick swapped the engine for a Series II version. Horsepower increased in the Ultra again, to 240. Along with the continual power updates throughout its six years on the market, the Park Avenue received side airbags, adjustable effort steering, adjustable suspension, and defeatable traction control.
The Park Avenue Ultra is a worthy recipient of one of the Best Of The 1990s awards when it comes to American cars. What’s your pick?
[Images: Buick]
I just kinda like 90s cars in general. I’ll have a 98 Chevy halfton, extended cab Z71 4×4 please.
Agreed. There are many to choose from that I really like. GMT400 pickup in the exact spec you described in a nice two-tone green over sand sounds excellent. I’d specifically want the manual lever shifted t-case in mine.
Other contenders:
2 door Chevy Tahoe/ K5 Blazer
Ford Bronco
’94-ish Ford Ranger STX 4wd/4.0L/5spd:
youtu.be/FfScsbMOI7o
The general theme is liking trucks and SUVs when they were still allowed to be trucks and SUVs with little concern for aerodynamics and MPG and all of the compromised ground clearance and all sorts of excessive plastic frippery on bumpers and under the hood. Simple and easy to work on.
The 90s were great because the cars generally had fuel injection and electronic ignition, so the reliability came into the modern age, but greenhouses were big, styling was better, wheels had sidewall, beltlines were flat, etc.
Sadly around here they are mostly either rusty scrap or extreme beaters.
Well said, Dave.
If I HAD to choose, I’d pick the 95 Mustang GT 5.0L, last year of the push rod 302.
Just make sure you upgrade the brakes. “Wooden” would be a charitable descriptor.
I just kinda like 90s cars in general. I’ll have a 98 Chevy halfton, extended cab Z71 4×4 please.
I still have my 94 Silverado ext cab two tone black and beige. It’s old enough now that I get thumbs up from people who like older pickups.
My first car was a ’95 Riviera, supercharged. I loved it but it hated me. Don’t think I’d buy another one but I’m not sure there’s a better car on my mind from America that decade; the design was a concept car you could park in your driveway.
This is tough.
By just a squeak over multiple others I’ll give it to the long-body Toronado.
G-body Riv vs post 90 E-body Toro… or 4.9 MY92 E-body Eldo.
Can’t. Decide. Too. Powerful.
T R O F E O
wins the day.
There is a very close runner-up which I would’ve added, had I given two examples. I expect one of the following people can guess it:
28CL
Ajla
DaveCanada
Has lace alloys – sometimes.
Bonneville SSEi?
You did a good job. I should’ve added you to that list!
Purple with gold alloys.
Not my favorite, but my dad’s 92 98 Touring is pretty neat.
Call me crazy but I loved that last gen olds 98
Suckas to the side
I know you hate my Ninety Eight.
youtube.com/watch?v=vYblg4i2HD8
The thing I always recall from that 98 is how even in the MotorWeek review they said they couldn’t justify the asking price for it. And they had electrical issues with their tester.
For whatever reason, the 98 was not built as well as the other C-bodies.
Historically, Olds was the beta tester for Cadillac features before they were introduced to the latter. I would not be surprised if the reason Ninety Eights had electrical problems was because of half backed electronic features which were not full refined when they went into production.
That makes sense RE: wonky electronics. Seems like the 98 examples I see driving around are always more ratty (physically) than the other two are as well.
Maybe sample size issues.
One of those, driven by a teenaged girl, killed me in a light-to-light drag race. I was in m’944 at the time. I felt a little shame and much rage.
More seats
More buttons
And faster than 944
You really *can* have it all, with Bonneville.
Blessed by our Lord and Savior, naturally aspirated and force fed.
Well the Bonneville SSEi is the vehicle that I select and would have guessed.
2nd choice (unfortunately) would have been a Cadillac STS.
3rd choice, a Town Car. Could make extra money driving people to and from the airport.
4th choice an LSC.
Bonne SSEI takes a back seat, there is better selection in the decade.
Like what?!
LSS?
Riv, Toro, Eldo, Mark VII/VIII, C5 Corvette etc.
I like those, save for the C5 Corvette which does not give me feels. I’ve never cared much for it.
The C5 had great performance but that Jell-O mold styling and gigantic a$$ is just too much.
It is like they took a C4 and force fed it pies.
C4 foie gras.
@28 but those are all 2 doors. Except for the LSC, I much prefer 1970’s era PLC’s to 1990’s ‘coupes’.
Honestly, I would have gone for any of those (except for the ‘vette) and been happy. I had an ’85 Toronado I loved–until the timing gear shredded and forced an engine swap. The later models though, at least had a more reliable engine. But by then I’d chosen a ’96 Camaro and was quite surprised at its comfort when mixed with its performance, handling and economy.
The Riviera and Park Avenue are both good choices, but I would like to submit the 1998 Chrysler 300. Attractive and good-driving car – shame the quality wasn’t better.
I’m not sure if it was a matter of luck or if Chrysler worked the bugs out over the course of four years, but a friend got great service out of an ’02 300M: 14 years and 177,000 miles. Problems were limited to:
– Right-rear power window went dead (up, fortunately) at 13 years-old. My friend didn’t get it diagnosed. Possibly a cheap fix.
– Driver’s seat heater died at 13.5 years old. Quoted as a mid-to-high-three-figure fix, since heaters were both integral to the seat and side-specific.
– Front suspension was worn out by year 14. Quoted as a low-four-figure-repair, at which point my friend decided to trade it in.
Great room, comfort, and performance at the price point.
My wife had a ’97 Intrepid that must’ve been screwed together on a good day. The only thing I ever had to replace was the battery cable.
That 3.5 motor was pretty fast in those days when anything over 200 hp was fast. And it handled for such a long, heavy barge- they really sweated the rear suspension and it paid off.
Those Buicks are awesome and I’d love to have one. Also would love to have a pre-1998 Town Car.
Only car I rode in during that era that actually made me jealous was an XV10 Camry. Put my rattle trap Ford Taurus to shame. Maybe the best sedan of the 90’s that wasn’t a Lexus LS.
The Pre-98 Town Car and Mark VIII were really the last “American” luxury cars.
Everything after those has been a truck, warmed over fleet queen, or Euro chaser.
The Euro chaser is the most annoying in my opinion. It’s why Cadillac is failing, in my opinion. That and they don’t sell 20 different SUVs.
I LOVE that generation of Town Car. Still looks great.
My 1992 Saturn SL2.
Took more of a beating with fewer breakdowns and repairs than the 1988 Ford Aerostar that came before it.
Great car for a 20-something abandoning college in favor of starting career.
125 HP doesn’t sound like much but it only weight 2400 lbs.
I concur with the durability. I beat the crap out of a 92 bare bones SL for 200,000 miles and it only ever stranded me when the clutch gave out at 180k.
I personally liked the Grand Prix GTP coupe and also the Trans AM!
1991 Dodge Stealth R/T
I firmly disagree.
The 1991 Dodge Stealth R/T TT Was by far the best.
The R/T had an admirable 220 HP 201 lb-ft V6, but the TT featured 296 HP and 206 lb-ft at only 2500 RPM!
Not exactly an Amercian car, just an American name.
95 Toyota Supra, minus the thing on the back.
Re-read the title.
B13 Sentra SE-R
BTW, if anyone has a line on one that isn’t beat all to hell let me know. I am actively shopping for a 90’s project and this is at the top of my list followed by a unicorn Lexus SC300 with a stick.
You’re about a decade late for those, sorry.
“Favorite AMERICAN vehicle from the 1990s”
It’s right there in the title dude, c’mon. Or is this just to troll poor Corey at this point?
I honestly missed it. But as far as American stuff goes, the 2 that make my same list are
1. Gen 2 Ford Probe GT
2. Lincoln Mk VIII
94-96 Impala SS is probably tops for me. Still has a commanding presence on the road. Allowed the GM full size RWD cars go out with a bang.
Honorable mentions: 96 Viper GTS, 97 Grand Prix GTP, GMT400 trucks, 92 Saturn, 99 Super Duty
+1. Best Car you could buy was a 94-96 Caprice with all the option boxes checked. Still the best road car IMO, even today.
I’ve driven a lot of cars in my life, but for pure ride comfort and soaking up freeway miles, nothing has ever come close to a ‘96 Fleetwood I briefly owned a few years ago. Makes an S class feel like an F250. Wish they still made them like that.
I’m actually on the hunt for a 94-96 Roadmaster Wagon, so that’s my vote. LT1, posi, (sometimes), love the rubenesque presence of it.
Got a gently used ’91 Park Avenue back in the day (1993) for my wife to drive around my infant son on the loose theory of surrounding that precious cargo with lots of mass and structure. It was a magical road trip machine, but canyon carving was not on the menu. Most remarkable was the insanely good fuel economy. We only had it for a few years before transitioning to the far less magical world of minivans.
The Chrysler LH-platform: Chrysler Concorde/LHS/300M, Dodge Intrepid & Eagle Vision. Those were a bold move to cab-forward design, moving away from the K-car platform (finally!).
Love 80’s and 90’s cars. I bought my favorite 90’s car….
A car made in Florida, 1990 Consuiler GTP Targa.
Rare to be sure. So much fun.
Dodge Viper GTS followed closely by the roadster version, and for a sedan the Chrysler 300m.
’94-98 Ram Cummins 12v. Bold lines, roomy cab, and the engine was well ahead of anything Ford or GM had until the mid-late ’90s.
My answer as well. If it has to be a CAR though, I think I would go with the Buick Roadmaster.
The Roadmaster really was the best GM B-body.
At the time, I thought all the 90s American cars were so similar. I can appreciate them a little more now. 90s Buicks are STILL all over the place!
1998 and up GM F body cars with the LS1 motors. These motors are the modern day equivalent of the infamous Mopar 426 Hemi. 300 plus HP in SS/ram air trim. These cars were actually detuned by GM because they were faster than the corvette due to better breathing. Not much was needed to get power in the 400HP range. At 20K the performance bargain of the decade and ,sorry ford, these smoked the mustang in every performance category period.
As the owner of a 2000 Firehawk that may be knocking on the 400hp door, I concur with this assessment of the F-bodys proclivity for power. However, the F-body doesn’t get my vote as favorite car of the 90’s. I’ll save that for a fresh post.
Ah …”jack4X bet me to it. The Chevy Impala SS for certain. A 97-98 Chevy/ GMC reg cab, long box 4×4.
Occasionally in the summer months I see an 92-93 ?? Sunbird convertible driven by a lady in her mid 50’s . I believe its a 6cyl stick ? Turquoise with a white top.
The car is absolutely mint, and kept immaculate. .As an added
bonus, the lady behind the wheel also looks pretty fine… (hey I’m old)
Let me add the late 90’s Mercury Marquis. Properly detailed they look sweet.
In the mid 90’s i was enamored at the then new and fresh styling of the Pontiac Sunfire. Especially in GT trim.
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/428/721/26067860001_large.jpg?v=0
When I think of cool 90s AMERICAN car, I think of the Chevy Beretta. The door handles were different, Car and Driver called them “beer tap” handles. And add the digital dash and Z26 trim, and it would be like I was 18 again (although I was in my 20s in the 90s.)
http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_original/18sq97mgazzrajpg.jpg
The Beretta was a very good car, but I don’t see how it was cool.
I still have my 94 Silverado ext cab two tone black and beige. It’s old enough now that I get thumbs up from people who like older pickups.
94 Lumina Z34. Mine was black. I liked how it looked but not the reliability. The 3.4 DOHC was a pain.
1997-99 Pontiac Grand Prix GT
I like the looks! So I got one. And it was a pretty good car too!
Runner up: 92-98 Chrysler LH (Dodge Intrepid, Chrysler Concorde).
Favorite vehicle of the 90s for me was the F-bodied GM, namely the Camaro and Firebird. With the 3.8L v6, it was quick and remarkably economic, exceeding 32mpg on the highway at 75mph. Visibility was reasonably good and I personally loved the liftback rear window, letting me haul a surprising amount of things that you can’t even stuff into the modern ones no matter how you try.
Two doors, easy to drive, economical, it was almost everything a single person could need in a daily driver. My only issue with it was the 8″ torque converter (high stall) on the big transmission built to handle a massive V8. Accelerating away from traffic lights (trying NOT to spin the tires) would still see them slip on the intersection stripe (stop here mark) and hit HARD when they found asphalt again. No torque converter lasted more than 60K miles on a car that carried me over 160K in six years.
Well, certainly none of the ones you posted pics of as I dislike FWD. If I had to pick one I’d go with the SN95 Mustang.
Lots of good choices
1) Buick Roadmaster or Caprice with LT1 power (Impala SS)
2) Any F-body with an LS1
3) Any interesting Panther
4) GM H-body cars with supercharged power( LSS, Bonneville SSE
5) GM W-body cars with supercharged power( Grand Prix GTP or Regal GS
6) Dodge Viper
7) 1995-1999 Buick Riviera
Honorable mentions to the 1995-1999 Lumina in upper trim levels. Our two 1996 LS cars were fantastic as was my dads 1999 that went well over 200K on the original powertrain.
For me, it would be a simple Fox-body Mustang LX 5.0 (preferably a notchback, “Deep Emerald Green”). Perhaps I would upgrade to a 16″ tire/wheel package, but other than that I wouldn’t change a thing.
Oldsmobile LSS with the supercharger and the Autobahn handling package.
I’m hardly a GM fan, but without question the Chevy Tahoe. Particularly the 4-door model in 1996 (first year for the Vortec 350, last year of semi-communicative steering feel.)
This is such a tough one.
1. 93 STS. Later reliability issues aside, it was a thoroughly modern Cadillac and 295 HP would blow the doors off the German competition.
2. 92 C/K pickups, nuff said.
3. 96 Fleetwood, lazily engineered and packaged, but had presence and ate up miles like nobody’s business. Owned one and loved how you couldn’t hear the engine even while going 80MPH uphill.
4.99 LHS. Those were cavernous and had attention to detail absent from other American vehicles. First gen is classier IMHO but these were still very good looking cars.
5. Just to be inclusive 94 Mustang
The 2nd Gen LHS was a great car. I remember seeing them on the road and how striking they were at first glance.
Chrysler was on a roll with the LH platform. Too bad the let Daimler bleed them dry.
Buick Roadmaster with the towing package. LT1 engine, shorter gears out back, extra cooling. It’s like a cop car but with “luxury” trim inside. Was pretty fast – for the era, mind you. I owned a low-mileage one about 8 years ago and always enjoyed driving it. Traded it in for a used 2004 Honda Element, which was a nice runabout but lacking the presence of the big luxo-barge.
I would love to see a modern version – with a 6.2L engine!
Chevy impala ss, chrysler 5th ave,corvette,park ave,Lincoln mark v11, olds 98, pontiac grand prix,chevy camaro.
93′ 5.0 with MT in LX trim. Would take notch or fastback, dark blue please.
also
1993 Ram 250 LE extended cab 4×4 Cummins 5 MT. I would accept any of the seemingly endless two-tone paint options that were available.
1996, last year for the Bronco; make mine an Eddie Bauer. Thank you.
1995 ? I think the last year for the full size Blazer, I believe the K5 monicker had been dropped, either way I am quite fond of the PLUV.
1999 Vette’; C5′ vette by now was/is a nice reliable place to spend ones time. Bigger than the C4 inside, while the interior still had the PlaySkool feel it was an improvement.
Time does not permit as I could go on, but despite the abuse the 90’s takes, there were some really great automotive options from the Detroit 3 that till this day are reliable and used daily.
I like any GM car with the 3.8 V6. Indestructible.
Yeah. I’d go with the Bonneville. Decent looks if you can ignore the cladding, pretty light weight for it’s size, comfy ride with competent handling, good MPG. The interior was Peak Pontiac Plastic, but rest of the car made up for it. Great road trip car.
If someone else is paying for maintenance, I’ll take an Aurora or Riviera.
The 8th-gens would just get in under the wire for purposes of this QOTD, since they were produced from ’87-’91. I prefer the simpler design of the 8th-gen SE to that of the 8th-gen SSE or the Cladding Era 9th-gens.
Hands down, the Chrysler Concorde and Eagle Vision.
I had a 1997 Concorde in high school and roughly a decade later (a few months back), I bought a 1993 as my first classic car. My second recently acquired classic is a 1990 LeBaron convertible, which will be it for now, since I now have four cars to my name, not counting my wife’s car, and only a two car garage (which is realistically only a one car garage, like 90% of the others, unless you want to crawl through a sunroof) and a more roomy two-car shop.
Runner up: Dodge Ram, Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Chrysler minivan trio (NS). Chevy Silverado and the Buick LeSabre.
Those LH cars were great for the time!!!
And the intrepid!!
Ooh, I forgot all about the ZJ Grand Cherokee Limited 5.9L. That’d be up there on the list for me.
The 5.9 Limited made the Slack discussion yesterday, as one of my potentials. As well, the Orvis.
The weak spot with those ZJs was god awful fuel economy with the V8. Some of the auto reviewers (admittedly with a heavy right foot) got fuel economy in the teens.
That Hemi is just one of those engines where you get 14-16 no matter what way you drive it.
It was a Magnum, wasn’t it?
You’re right there. 5.9 Magnum, 360 CID.
I guess I assumed all Dodge V8 engines were Hemi by that time.
“got fuel economy in the teens”
I assume you meant to say “low teens” haha
youtu.be/Y1s30eFvwpw
All of the bigger V8 SUVs back in the day weren’t exactly frugal, enough to make a modern pickup truck owner’s eyes bleed (except Tundra owners maybe :p). A SOHC 4.0L Explorer in Motorweek’s test linked above got an as-tested 12.2 MPG. Granted I know a carefully driven 2nd gen can crack 20mpg highway in the summer. Heck on winter gas and with my aggressive all-terrains swapped on prematurely, my 3.4L 4Runner has been averaging 16-17mpg in a mostly-highway commute.
Before the towing wars kicked off at the end of the ’90s, people bought diesel trucks because the fuel economy was almost 2x the gas V8s.
The most surprising figures from that comparison test is the Ford’s 4.0L SOHC: much lower MPG than expected, but also the quickest vehicle there aside from the big ol’ 5.9L Magnum Grand Cherokee. I’ve heard previously that the 4.0L SOHC was underrated to not step on the toes of the optional 5.0L, that 7.9 0-60 times lends support to that theory. Or maybe this one was a ringer with some kind of aggressive tune that resulted both in the excellent performance and poor MPG.
Same American cars I like now, Corvette (the C5), Grand Cherokee and Wrangler. Always thought the STS was an attractive car too.
Favorite SUV: 1998 Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited
Favorite Car: SVT Contour
Any wagon love here? 1996 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon. Probably the last real American wagon & the one of the last woodies & with the LT1 already with OBDII … and it’s sooo long.
Kinda funny you posted this while I must’ve been typing my own answer.
Roadmaster for the win!
If one asked 1990’s version of me this question, answer would of course be Chevy ZR-1. Asking current version of me, I have soft-spot for giant RWD boats and Buick Roadmaster Estate with the LT1 I think is the keeper.
GMT-400’s were nice too with the big greenhouse cabs.
I tend to like “platforms” in the 90s.
GM C platform (Park Avenue and Olds 98) give me a 98 Touring with supercharger for rarity and many of the goodies that the Buick had. I like it for the “da fuq is that?” factor.
B and D body in the 90s. “Bubble” Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser – again RARE or a 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood and give me the V4P towing package for all the upgrades – I prefer the regular truck derived 350 V8 over the high revin’ LT1 for such a large and ponderous vehicle.
I may get tar and feathered for this, but without doubt, mine are the 1990-1996 GM APV vans. That’s right; the dustbusters.
These were the cars that got me passionate about the auto industry as a kid. A sighting at night of the then-radical D-pillar tailights got this seven year old’s attention and the rest went downhill from there.
You gotta give GM credit; they tried to make the mundane minivan market exciting. The sloped nose, plastic panels, and even the swooping styling of the front door’s windows haven’t been replicated and probably never will. Things we take for granted today, such as the hidden radio antenna, built in air pump, and power sliding door, were APV innovations.
I do prefer the post ‘94 update, especially on the Lumina and Trans Sport. It added a bit of aggressiveness and some of the car’s shortcomings were addressed
They were goofy, different, and so 90’s cool
The Cadillac of minivans!
I know a guy who bought one of the updated Trans Sports (blunt nose) and kept putting engines and transmissions in it because it just wasn’t rusting and he couldn’t justify getting a new one. (When I met him he was driving a KING CAB Datsun truck that was rapidly dissolving in his NW Ohio driveway.)
The 1994 Aurora. I don’t care how unreliable they can be, I love them.
My vote for best 90’s American car is the 97-98 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC.
The only domestic rear-drive cars of the day other than the Chevy Corvette and Dodge Viper to feature independent rear suspension. They also had coilover (airspring) front suspension and an all aluminum DOHC 32v V8 making 290 naturally aspirated horsepower, small potatoes today but nothing to laugh at in 97. They were amazingly reliable for what was, at the time, a technological marvel. Engine blocks cast in Italy by Teksid. Intake manifold runner control for better low end torque. The first domestic application of HID headlights, LED turn signals in the mirrors, first automotive application of neon in the rear tail lamp. Speed sensitive rack and pinion steering. I could go on and on about the virtues of the best, and last, of the Hot Rod Lincolns. It’s a shame it lived in a time when the world was going SUV crazy and witnessed the death of the American personal luxury coupe.
Crap, you beat me to it!
And I can’t believe I’m the only one who mentioned the Lincoln Town Car.
I agree on both.
I’m glad to see my beloved Mark VIII is well represented in this thread. It’s my own choice as well, obviously.
I sold the green one in my avatar to a buddy a couple years back. He’s swapped in a 5-speeed, and abuses it in the best way possible.
I’m now sporting a blue ’97 Mark VII LSC that’s had a few of its own tweaks. These are great cars. Don’t tell anyone.
I would take the Mark VIII as well, as long as the headlights were fixed. Especially in Canada with DRL’s the heat from the bulbs baked the silvering off the reflector and left it bare plastic. Made the car completely undrivable after dark.
The Ford Probe!
Have a 94 and a 97.
Want to sell one?
FUN FACT: The second gen Probe was designed by Mimi Vandermolen in 1989. Yes that apparently was a real person’s name.
Almost too many to list- like the Park Avenue choice (one of my favorite GM cars of all time). Owned a slew of Pickups and Suburbans, they were all stellar. Ford F-Series pickups (Gen 9) were golden too. Along with the T-Bird with a 5.0 or a Super Coupe. Would love to find one of the last Country Squires or Colony Parks. Chrysler was on a roll too- the LH cars were cool, Dodge pickups were a major breakthrough, the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee were legendary. Lets not forget Wranglers.
A lot to pick from.
1998 Cadillac Seville STS. Bring on the NorthStar hate, but if you had a time machine and were driving the 1998 STS in the year it was made, you would still have 60,000 miles before you had to worry about the head gaskets and electronic suspension.
Prefer the 92-97 for my Northstar hate, thanks.
1) Lincoln Mark VIII – in black, with the blackout trim. Lord Vader’s own luxury coupe.
2) Olds Aurora
3) Buick Park Avenue Ultra
4) ’95 Chevy Cavalier Z24 – highly underrated sports coupe
5) Mercury Tracer LTS / Escort GT (the Mazda-based ones with the Mazda twincam engine)
6) C5 ‘Vette
7) ’92 Cadillac Seville
8) Lincoln Town Car
I had two Mark VIII LSC’s (the LSC had the body color trim, no chrome) Both were black. The first was a 97 with tan interior and the second was a 98 with black interior.
Favorite:
– The 1995-1999 Buick Riviera, especially the Supercharged. For 1998 and 1999, only the Supercharged variant was available
Runners up:
– The 1998-1999 Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph
– The 1998-1999 Bentley Arnage (even though the Green Label had a BMW V8)
– The 1990-1995 Acura Legend (especially the coupe)
– The 1992-1996 Ford Bronco
– The 1995-1999 BMW Z3 Coupe and 1999 BMW Z3 Roadster
– The 1990-1994 Lexus LS
– The 1995-1999 Lexus LS
– The 1994-1996 Toyota Camry Coupe (looked like an LS coupe)
– The 1990-1996 BMW 5 Series
– The 1997-1999 BMW 5 Series
– The 1990-1997 Lincoln Town Car
– The 1991-1996 Buick Park Avenue (esp. the Ultra)
– The 1996-1999 TVR Cerbera (not sold here, I don’t think)
Kyree no read title!
I read it. But “American” is, like, *so* limiting.
rebellious!
My dad had a late-’90s Riv. Believe me, you didn’t want one.
We had one, a 1997 Supercharged. It was mechanically-solid, but fit-and-finish were poor for a car of that class. The Ford MN12 vehicles were much better built.
>>– The 1990-1995 Acura Legend (especially the coupe)
If including all makers – agreed.
Gee, I wonder if any one could guess my pick? Maybe by what I drove to work this morning? Lol, yes my Taurus, second gen (92-5), is my favorite (3.0L only, with mine coupled to the AX4N being the ideal set up). The Tempo V-6 is one of my favorites, make it a 1992 GLS coupe with the manual.
I do love the OHV Explorer 4×4, the Mark VIII LSC, the Olds Aurora, the Olds Alero Quad4/5MT, Olds Bravada (despite reliability concerns) and a 2 door GMC Yukon 4×4.
If I need to pick a 3800 car, either a late 90s Grand Prix GTP coupe or a Bonneville SSEi.
Some odd ball mentions: 4 cylinde4/manual Plymouth Acclaim, 1994-5 Ford Aspire SE, 1995-7 Ford Contour SE (V-6) 5MT.
Acclaim reminds me, I also really liked the V6 LeBaron sedan from the early ’90s.
I wouldn’t kick that out of the driveway, but I’d prefer a Tempo LX since you could combine the V-6 with the manual in any trim.
For anyone interested, I declined to buy the 1994 Tempo I was looking at. Several coolant leaks, oil leaks, bad exhaust manifold and no muffler. I thought about offering $300, but decided that even then, it isn’t worth the struggle. Working 7 days a week and ten hours a day, I simply don’t have the time to deal with it. Its a good car that is worth fixing, but not for me at this time. So, the search continues for him a car.
Btw, I should’ve put the 92-7 Aerostar on my list. Make mine a Sport like my 1994 I loved so much.
94-97 Ford MN-12 Thunderbird and Cougar with the 4.6 modular or the 3.8 SC
95-98 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC
94-99 Dodge Ram pickup 5.9 R/T
98-99 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L
94-98 Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0
95-98 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP 3800SC
95-99 Pontiac Bonneville SSE
This past weekend I saw what must be a very rare special edition Thunderbird.
It was a Caliente.
https://twitter.com/CoreyLewis86/status/979762356149506049
Cougar is not Thunderbird, rawr. Report for re-education in Room 9, Herr Commandant.
Damn!
I had it right on Twitter at least.
The Cougar picture you linked was one of the special edition models that were offered. The Caliente which was also an luxury edition of the Comet in the mid-late 60’s.
Many were regional editions like the Bostonian. They had a trim package with either the half vinyl landau roof or the faux convertible. For people who pine for the Brougham era.
Check your 55 and up communities and a good part of Florida where you can find plenty of them.
96 Buick Park Avenue non ultra. The NA engine had fewer problems than the SCs and the base suspension was cushy and soft. 96 is the sweet spot with the series 2 NA engine, OBD-2 and the old style interior with acres of fake wood. Most importantly cloth seats because humans were never supposed to ride on cows.
As ‘cars’ go, the ‘90’s style just ain’t my style. The ‘melted’ look is an immediate turnoff for me. A car is a MACHINE and it should look like it was forged of steel, not a soft cuddly dolphin fetus, or whatever was the inspiration for a lot of what was going on then. But performance started its triumphant return, and there were some bright spots…
—Dodge Viper: who could possibly find a reason not to be in love with such an audacious beast. Helped put Ma Mopar back on the map along with..
—2nd gen Ram. Arguably the best styled and strongest platform of all Dodge/Ram trucks. Magnum small blocks were more than competitive, the styling and proportion was near perfect, manuals were available, and in 4×4’s the live front axle/coil link suspension is the be all end all. I’ll take a single cab 1500 4×4 shorty Sport in that electric blue that was popular then.
—4 gen Trans Am. Not my favorite F body, but in the context of its time, the styling and performance were tough to beat.
—Neon R/T coupe. They had their teething problems but these proved that the D3 could make a cheap economical car that looks good and is good to drive and modify.
—Daytona IROC R/T: granted, each restyle set this car’ looks back severely. But the performance speaks for itself.
—TJ Wrangler. Arguably the best Jeep ever made. Updated CJ-inspired styling, the above mentioned coil link suspension that is the gold standard if you leave the pavement and/or modify your rig and the 4.0 hit its zenith. Biggest complaint then as now is the lack of an available V8. Since I have to pick just one and I owned a dead-reliable ‘00 Sport for 10 years this is my pick.
—biggest disappointment: Dodge Avenger/Chrysler Sebring coupes. Absolute downgrade from the Daytona with that suckass 2.5 V6 hooked to a FWD automatic. This was the only thing that was offered in the same realm of the contemporary Mustang and GM F body. FAIL.
—
1996 Ford Bronco Eddie Bauer, two tone black on tan, followed closely by the ’92 Bronco Nite.
1991 GMC Jimmy/K5 Blazer
1994 Dodge Ramcharger Canyon Sport
1993 Mustang GT, black on black
First gen Taurus SHO that debuted in 1989 (I think) and went through 1992 (I think). The old man had a 5-speed, black on black with I’m pretty sure black wheels. It was pretty badass.
1991 was the last year for the first gen Taurus.
Thanks – I think pops had a 1990 but I’m not absolutely sure; it was definitely a first gen though. For some reason I remember seeing an oddly large number of second gens in “forest” green where I lived at that time – I hardly ever saw the legit first gen ones in any color anywhere.
I’ll never forget the radio had a weird toggle kind of switch that controlled the volume; I remember it getting stuck in the “up” position when my dad was turning the radio up, Then me laughing uncontrollably about that and almost getting an ass whooping from my angry old man who didn’t see the humor like I did.
But yeah, SHO.
LOL yep, those Premium Audio systems were big pimpin’ back in the day.
1990 had the driver side airbag, or the Square Bag as I called em.
And yes, that green was extremely popular on second gens. I’m pretty sure Connan O’Brien’s SHO is that color.
The Viper was a big deal in the 90s, especially the 1996 GTS. As was the C5 Corvette. Both excellent American cars that come to mind from the 90’s. I’d like to say they’re my favorites, but they aren’t.
1995 Fat Town Car is the clear answer.
Ford Probe GT or Lincoln Mark VIII
And oh yeah…Taurus SHO
My Dad still has his:
1994 Impala SS.
50/50 weight distribution, helluva 1st gear pull, column shifter, digital dash (Pretty spiffy in 1994).
I really love that car to this day. They essentially made a leather clad black car with nice wheels and a Corvette sourced LT1. It makes great noises and great donuts.
Chevy Impala SS B Body in maroon/purple
You guys are weird. I like you. But I don’t know if you’re weird enough.
Vector W8. Black exterior, please.
If “all of them” isn’t an answer, I’ll settle for the two I spent a decent chunk of my childhood in: the 1995 Chevy Caprice Classic Wagon (the yacht) and the 1996 Saturn SL1 (the tender). Both were great in their own way.
92-95 Ford Taurus SHO
You know, I’m going to add a couple oddballs. Ford Tempo/Mercury Topaz V6 and a Mercury Capri XR2
+5!
Mine has to be the 1991 Syclone and 92/93 Typhoon. They came out of no where with the performance truck idea and dominated the performance of most sports cars of the day.
1994-96 Chevy Caprice Classic/ Buick Roadmaster. God would I love to have one for road trips. Huge, comfortable, 26-28 mpg highway. Great cars.
Falls into two categories for me.
1. Sedans that strike a great balance between being a good ride and a good drive.
Olds Intrigue
Merc Mystique (LS, V6 only)
Lincoln Mark VIII
Merc Cougar
2. SUVs designed the way they should be designed today
Jeep Cherokee
Ford Bronco
I always thought they shoulda brought the Mondeo here as the Mercury Mondeo, with no Ford equivalent. Then move Tempo to the Taurus platform, but make it smaller, lighter and cheaper than the 1996 Taurus (like 1st and 2nd gens were). That would have allowed Taurus to move upmarket like Ford intended, without the cost cutting applied later to keep it competitive. Let Tempo battle the mainstream sedans on price and also sell to fleet markets.
So, Mercury gets the Mondeo, and the Sable and Cougar are replaced by a RWD car(s) based on the Falcon. The lengthened Falcon sold at that time could have replaced the Grand Marquis. This would have given Mercury a unique lineup.
Dodge Viper RT/10 (SR1)
Totally mental. 8L pushrod V10. Side pipes?!
Dodge Dynasty, because of Dr. House
+5. I was mildly irritated when Wilson referred to it as a “ten year old car”. Lol no, that’d have been an LH. I believe the Die-Nasty was more reliable.
Best for long trip driving- my 1993 Sedan De Ville
Most fun- My 1995 Buick Roadmaster Wagon (It was worth all to see the rice burners slink away in shame after getting beat by something with Woodgrain)
Trucks- my 1995 Silverado ECLB- 350; 5 speed manual
For my money, as much as I love the tri-shield and the Riviera, I’d take the Oldsmobile Aurora over the “bubble Riv”.