Automotive Pleasant Surprises

Okay, we've got the Automotive Disappointments thread... how about the inverse?

What are the cars you were totally 'meh' about, or thought were total junk, until you got in and drove them?

I had the same idea

99 Z24. Heard nothing but bad things about them, but read acceptable reviews. Took a chance. 250k over 10 years, it was the most reliable car I've ever owned, and with a few minor mods, went far better than it should have.

when i was a teenager i hated BMW's...... now i love my e30's

Porsche 944. They are supposed to be parts-bin VW/Audi's with a temperamental engine and no guts. Mine's been rock solid and stupid-quick and just "feels" great.

Jeep.

I thought they were totally over rated. Then I got a 93 Cherokee to pull behind the RV for our trip to Alaska (http://celebrating20.blogspot.com) .

now I have a 2001 Cherokee, I will never not have a Jeep in my fleet. (I did not mean for that to rhyme)

MKIII Supra. It is heavy but it is a pretty damn good car.

Never was a Honda fan. LOVED the Fit.

Toyota Prius.

EricM wrote: Jeep. I thought they were totally over rated. Then I got a 93 Cherokee to pull behind the RV for our trip to Alaska (http://celebrating20.blogspot.com) . now I have a 2001 Cherokee, I will never not have a Jeep in my fleet. (I did not mean for that to rhyme)

+1 for Cherokee.

I REALLY didn't want one... wanted a 4runner or similar.

"Settled" for a Jeep, and now i'm in love. Best SUV ever.

I'll add in Escort GT. Bought it because she thought it was "cute." I'd driven an Escort or two previously, but not a GT.

I never LOVED the car, but it was far greater than i was expecting, that's for sure.

2012 Mustang V-6 with the Performance Package. I've driven a Fox-body, SN95, and earlier (2007) Mustang V-6 before and I didn't like any of them, though the S197 chassis felt like it had some potential. The 2011+ V-6 is a MASSIVE improvement. It feels like it could be a great DD and autocross car if you can't spring for a V-8.

I wanted to start one of these threads, but thought I would leave it to someone else.

I was pleasantly surprised by Corvettes in general. I always expected them to be slightly better f-bodies.

Fiat............ Bought a new 128SL in 1974 and even then Fiats didn't have a great reputation. Absolutely no drama that wasn't attributed to maintenance; well, except for the vinyl seats splitting at the seams after about three years.

Ten years and 120,000miles later, I got $300 bucks for the trade-in on a new CRX.

As crappy as it is, it would have to be my 95 Dakota. Outside of some creaks, squeaks, and rattles that I expect for something so old, it's as reliable as an anvil, so far. Drives like one too.

Javelin wrote: Porsche 944. They are supposed to be parts-bin VW/Audi's with a temperamental engine and no guts. Mine's been rock solid and stupid-quick and just "feels" great.

I know you love the 944 but I don't know if mid 15's qualifies for "stupid-quick"...

My pleasant surprise has been the Ford Fusion. Put over 100k miles on the three I've had as company cars. Fun to drive, decent handling and not bad power wise for a 4cyl auto.

Last gen Supras. I was pretty much an Italian car snob when we got a TT version to run the Speedvision Cup. Tearing it down was an eyeopener, as everything fit together, and there were no sheet metal screws in sight! Driving it though was something else. It did everything well, and it never broke. To this day I think it is the most underrated car ever; handling of Miata, speed of a 911. It's not just for bling anymore!

Neon. Bought one from insurance salvage for an ice racer, I've owned at least 30 since then that I've fixed and sold.

Stupid Chrysler minivans. I sneered at them until my lip quivered. Then a friend loaned me one for a weekend. Dang, those things are addictive!

Volvo. Absolutely hated everything Volvo. Then somehow made myself drive a 5-speed 850. Loved it! Actually bought and drove for a while a '94 945T which blew my socks off! Not sure how their new stuff measures up, but I'm a fan of the late 80's, early to mid 90's Volvo's.

DaveEstey wrote: Toyota Prius.

I don't know if this is legit or not but I agree.

I drove one at an autox and have spent some street miles in them. Good economy spacious drive well enough (faster than I would have thought at autox) comfortable not unobtainably expensive and oh yeah good fuel economy. It seems like it would be a soul crusher but that is reserved for the insight (4 door)

Greg Voth wrote:

Javelin wrote: Porsche 944. They are supposed to be parts-bin VW/Audi's with a temperamental engine and no guts. Mine's been rock solid and stupid-quick and just "feels" great.

I know you love the 944 but I don't know if mid 15's qualifies for "stupid-quick"...

Stupid-quick in a parking lot swerving around cones. You'd have to have a hole in your head to drag race a front clutch / rear transaxle / torque tube 944!!

One particular car: a black CRX which now belongs to wbjones on this forum. I am not a big fan of wrong wheel drive and never thought I could properly steer a front driver with the throttle till I drove that car. wb, that was before you bought it! It still had that one yellow fender then.

Miata. Seriously, I thought they were underpowered & kind of boring, even after autoxing one a couple times. Then I finally saw the light.

That, and my '94 Escort GT. should have never sold that one....

In reply to Curmudgeon:

Yeah, I also always shunned wrong wheel drive. The CRX really changed that for me. I have all RWD/AWD cars now, but I loved my CRXs. It was so much more than what it looks like on paper.

S2000. Late model Honda's put me to sleep, but somehow enough true believers buried in Honda's engineering department were able to band together to design a truly special automobile. A focused driver's car on the street, it just keeps improving the harder it's pushed through the cones or on track.

In reply to Javelin:

Ahh. Makes much more sense now.