Search for something like “top 10 cars” and you’ll likely find lists led by the likes of the Honda Accord, Kia Telluride and Chevrolet C8 Corvette.
[What makes the C8 Corvette so good? | Video]
But what about the cars on the lower end of those lists? Are they inherently bad, or are they simply just not as fast, well equipped …
Well, I daily drive a VW Passat, which has a definite "we wanted to build a German Accord" feel to it. I'll need to see how well it holds up at 200,000 miles to see how it compares to my wife's Accord, but I got a good deal on it thanks to the fallout from VW's emissions control team showing a bit of excess creativity. We'll see if it makes it past 200,000 miles like my wife's Accord.
But one of the bigger cases might be with nostalgia. Chevy seems to have sewn up that bit of the collector market - look at '50s cars. The '55-'57 Chevy seems to be the car that people think of for that particular decade. Somebody might also think of a '59 Cadillac for '50s cars. Maybe an Edsel for being a memorable failure, a Corvette, or a Plymouth Fury if Christine made a big enough impression. Any other normal American car from that decade is going to be a lot less collectable.
The '60s aren't quite as drastic, but still, look at how much a Chevelle is going to go for next to a Ford Fairlane, Buick Skylark, or Plymouth Satellite when the condition, model year, and options are comparable.
I had a first gen Ford Fusion (07 V6 AWD), and it was a fantastic year-round car in Canada, I could even powerslide it in the snow. Bought it with about 50k kms, sold it at 175k kms, and had exactly 1 non-maintenance problem (AWD transfer case/driveshaft, covered under warranty).
Just cross reference the list to the Ward's 10 best engine list from the year, and if it's on the Ward's list, run, don't walk, away. Anything on the Ward's list means that cost of ownership will be nightmare fuel in 7-10 years.
I think a lot of lower end cars are not desirable but good cars. I have a Fiesta and it's been so great...minus the electric power steering going out. Other than that, a little stuttering randomly from a light with it's PowerShift tranny, it's been a wonderfully decent, great mpg vehicle for 7 years and counting
Also, I think the Korean brands are looked down on because it's new-ish to the American shores (yes, I know it's been like 30 years, but giving cars away, like one did at one point, likely didnt help their image, overall, of quality)
Just my thinking
In reply to hybridmomentspass :
In that mindset, I would definitely nominate the previous generation Elantra Sport. It wasn't a Civic Si or a Jetta GLI, but they're a damn fine, decently engaging potential daily driver that will be dead nuts reliable if you keep the carbon build up on the intake down, for 200k.
In reply to hybridmomentspass :
I definitely see more and more people being open to Hyundai and Kia, but every so often I'll come across someone who still thinks Hyundai sells cars on par with some of their original offerings here in the U.S.
In reply to captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :
That's pretty much exactly how we felt when we got the keys to a 2019 model–with the manual, no less. It was more on par with the Civic Sport at the time, but was still a brilliant car.
I'm confident that the upcoming Elantra N will give the Si a run for its money.
In reply to Colin Wood :
My only issue with the Elantra N, is the exterior design. It is certainly polarizing and it's a miss for me. I respect them for stepping far outside of the box and designing something that frankly looks French, but the lighting reflector is going halfway up the hood contour line doesn't do it for me. I commend them for taking the risk though, a decade from now they will still stand out when the competitors within the market from the same timeframe will all blend together.
All front wheel drive Buicks. Decent, generally reliable cars. But desirable ? Aspirational? No, to the hell no.
In reply to Appleseed :
^This, H-body LeSabre's and W-Body Regals. The 1993-2005 models are still like cockroaches down here in retirement land. The one thing they did best is ferry people around in living-room couch comfort. They are hard to kill. Especially with the 3800 Series II
In reply to Appleseed :
100% this when it comes to their most recent offerings. I'm sure there is nothing wrong with most of their lineup, but why would I buy any of those when pretty much any other car on the planet exists?
captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:Just cross reference the list to the Ward's 10 best engine list from the year, and if it's on the Ward's list, run, don't walk, away. Anything on the Ward's list means that cost of ownership will be nightmare fuel in 7-10 years.
Whatever can you mean? I'm pretty sure the Audi 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 with 5 valves per cylinder made the Ward's 10 best list....
Camry.
Soulless, boring, beige no matter what color it is.
Completely reliable and will maintain a consistent level of "meh" it's whole life without really getting any worse, no matter how worn out it gets.
Mercury Capri. The FWD Convertible. The only problem with it was that the Miata existed and was better in every conceivable way.
"How much time ya got, buddy?"
06HHR (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to Appleseed :
^This, H-body LeSabre's and W-Body Regals. The 1993-2005 models are still like cockroaches down here in retirement land. The one thing they did best is ferry people around in living-room couch comfort. They are hard to kill. Especially with the 3800 Series II
they're still here in the salt belt. Seriously one of GM's best built beater.
Also, pretty much most Korean cars (excluding the N's) built in the last 10 years.
In reply to mtn :
And a good number of them came with a B6T, that being said the chassis is a wet noodle with the roof cut off. Caged and with a limited slip I'd imagine that they'd be fun, but I never saw that happen even in IT class racing.
captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to hybridmomentspass :
In that mindset, I would definitely nominate the previous generation Elantra Sport.
I agree with this sentiment.
I'll throw the 2019-2021 Veloster 1.6T out there also. Its a good car, but the weird driver's door makes it less desirable.
Colin Wood said:In reply to Appleseed :
100% this when it comes to their most recent offerings. I'm sure there is nothing wrong with most of their lineup, but why would I buy any of those when pretty much any other car on the planet exists?
If you're buying used, depreciation.
Also, supercharger or V8 engine options.
mtn said:Mercury Capri. The FWD Convertible. The only problem with it was that the Miata existed and was better in every conceivable way.
I had one and it was SO GOOD. Now, Im not racing it or anything, just a daily driver, but it was fantastic (minus the leaky top) for 200k. Great mpg and just ran and ran and ran. Even without oil. A few times. I was young.
Now, you mention the miata. At the time I had the choice of the Capri or the Miata, both red, the miata was a year older. And 2k more. And less space. I was 16, I knew little about cars, so I didnt know the drivetrain or power differences etc, chose, with my father, the cheaper car that would have more space and was newer. Do I regret it? Nah...well, just a hair.
Colin Wood said:In reply to hybridmomentspass :
I definitely see more and more people being open to Hyundai and Kia, but every so often I'll come across someone who still thinks Hyundai sells cars on par with some of their original offerings here in the U.S.
Absolutely, they've really changed over time but some folks havent come around yet. I looked at a soul before getting the fiesta, was nice for the money with decent space inside.
Colin Wood said:In reply to hybridmomentspass :
I definitely see more and more people being open to Hyundai and Kia, but every so often I'll come across someone who still thinks Hyundai sells cars on par with some of their original offerings here in the U.S.
I was somewhat open to buying Korean back when I drove the Sonata in nineteen hundred and eighty-nine.
It was coarse. It was crude. It was Korean. I bought a Mazda 626.
Fast forward to 2011. I talk my wife into buying a Sonata. At the first oil change, I notice transmission fluid weeping from the case. Dealer "fixes" it. It still leaks. Dealer has another look. The transmission housing casting is porous and leaks. They install a reman transmission in a year-old car. Wife continues to have transmission problems. It once randomly downshifted into 2nd gear? at 50-ish mph. Scared her silly. The last straw was when it left her stranded because the brake light switch prevented the pushbutton start from working.
It was more refined, but problematic. It was unreliable. It was Korean. Traded in on a Honda Accord V6.
How inclined do you think I'll be to give them yet another shot in ten years or so? Not very likely. Too many other good options.
Most.
4 door E30s aren't bad. But why do that if you could have a 2 door "coupe"?
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