Best Car Ever

[gibsonjunkie]

With the "worst car" ever thread being so popular, I thought I'd ask the next obvious question...

Mine would have to be ranked...
My current ride, 2018 Mustang GT with Perf Pack
2005 Chrysler Crossfire
2016 Mustang GT
1986 Ford Bronco
1970 Mercury Cougar (my first car)

 

[Nuuska]

If this about the best car that we have - or had in the past - then my car is

2006 Mercedes ML 350 with anything that was available at the time.

as sideline - most fun car ever was also Mercedes - G300D convertible - maybe 1980-85

 

[Stuball48]

Best is a Toyota Camry but the one I loved the most was the one I had when I got married in 1969. It was a Pontiac GTO .389 cu I believe with a four barrel carburator and four speed manual stick shift (Hurst) in the floor-bucket seats, gold body with black roll & pleated top.

 

[Budha]

My vote (for reliable transportation) is the first and second generation Mazda MX-5 Miata. There other cars I covet, like an 60's Corvette or GTO but those two were not reliable long term transportation.

 

[dreadnut]

I also had a GTO that I bought when I went in the Navy, it was a '66 with 389cid engine, functional hood scoop, 4 on the floor, and not many cars could beat me. It was white with a red interior and black ragtop. What I regret most now is that I sold it to another sailor for $500 (in '73) which was a decent price for a well-used car then.

 

[jwsamuel]

Best is a Toyota Camry but the one I loved the most was the one I had when I got married in 1969. It was a Pontiac GTO .383 cu I believe with a four barrel carburator and four speed manual stick shift (Hurst) in the floor-bucket seats, gold body with black roll & pleated top.

My first car was a 1964 Pontiac GTO that I inherited from my mother in 1974. That was a great car that I wish I had now.

 

[Opsimath]

My favorite vehicle of all time hands down, 1987 Bronco, full size, Eddie Bauer package. I decided I wanted a Bronco and then looked for 2 1/2 years before I found one that ticked all the boxes except color. I wanted red. I got brown and tan. It was a nice looking truck even though it wasn't red. The owner traded it in one year to the date from the time he bought it new and it was near perfect, except for a plug in the roof where apparently he had an antenna of some sort. I loved it and drove it for 18 years. The only reason I stopped driving it was stuff was starting to break and I had a baby in a car seat in back. Had it been just me I would have kept driving it.

As a side note, my husband had a GTO, maroon. I don't recall the year, 60-something, and it had 3 carburetors on it. I think he used to drag race in it. I didn't know him then. His wife at the time sold it while he was at Air Force basic training.

 

[dougdnh]

Best car (most practical and reliable) - my current 2016 Subaru Crosstrek - goes anywhere, runs like a champ, 34 mpg
Best car (coolest) - my '66 Dodge Polara convertible - 383, black with red bucket seats

 

[fronobulax]

The car I miss was a blue '81 Honda Accord. Perfect size for me at the time, my first 5 speed, a color I loved and closer to the luxury end of the trim line than I had ever been before. I got 150,000 wonderful miles out of it and then I could no longer register it because of an emissions inspection. My mechanic refused to make the repairs because he would have to charge me more than the car was worth. (Please do not take this as an invitation to discuss "emissions inspections" since it could go into politics or topics "Not Safe For Work" and either direction leads to Moderation )

 

[F312]

Brand new 78 Bronco XLT 350 Cleveland.
Honorable mention, brand new 70 1/2 Camaro SS 396

Ralph

 

[Stuball48]

Brand new 78 Bronco XLT 350 Cleveland.
Honorable mention, brand new 70 1/2 Camaro SS 396

Ralph

.396 was a powerful stock engine. Some of my friends had them. Remember a red with black top, a blue with black top and a solid white - all three were 1966.
When they had these, I was about to get a 1957 Plymouth Savoy with a Flathead six.

 

[walrus]

My best car (for reliability, etc) - my current 2011 Subaru Outback.
My most fun car - '68 Ford Mustang convertible. Great for my college years, a blast to drive!

walrus

 

[chazmo]

Gosh, this is a much tougher question to answer than the worst car ever. But, I'll try.

Having owned many convertible sport-cars since the '80s, my favorite car ever is going to have to be the 2002 Honda S2000 that I owned for many years and gave to my elder son who has restored it and is loving it too. You don't get any points for practicality in the 2-seater sports-car convertible category, but this car did it all for me. I mean besides adoring the car for many years, it was affordable and bulletproof. It made multiple cross-country trips with me... I had it on the track and in autocross... It's hard to imagine a car that is/was more "me."

My 2020 Subaru WRX is my current heartthrob. Obviously, a completely different concept than the S2000, the WRX is a really fun, practical car for the northeast, and a super value for what you get. Thing's a mountain goat in bad weather, and we'll see if it's as bulletproof as my Honda was. The 2016 Impreza which preceded it was handed down to my younger son and he's thrilled to have it in the city of Boston. Anyway, I am always pleasantly delighted driving that car.

I'm going to give a (VERY) grudging 2nd place to my 1998 Volvo V70 AWD wagon. Though that car had some electrical gremlins, particularly with the window switches for some reason, it was basically our goto family transporter, and both my sons learned to drive on it and drove the living s**t out of it. That car was by far the most solid unperturbable vehicle I've ever owned. It was perfect for the young family. I hated the 5-cyl engine and it required constant servicing, and it was a dreaded automatic (I only drive manuals if I can), but after nearly 200K miles I had to get rid of it or face some exponentially higher service bills as rust killed it. But, yeah that was a great car.

 

[rampside]

I must say, my best car ever, is my current Jeep Wrangler Sahara Unlimited w/ the 2.0 Turbo charged engine. Handling on the highway when there's some wind, may not be the best, but other than that, it Rocks! (climbs over rocks too!)

 

[Mark WW]

I am not really a car person but would probably say my 11 year old Scion Xb.

 

[jp]

1985 Honda Accord Hatchback. I bought it used with about 40K on the clock and put close to 170K on it, during my touring days. It never let me down anywhere. I sold it to a friend for $50 and a six pack of Sam Adams, and he drove it for an additional 60K, and then sold it for $500 to another friend who put an additional 50K on it.

 

[dreadnut]

Most fun car ever: my buddy's '73 MGB, Royal Blue, leather interior, 4 speed, nice stereo system - this car was more fun to drive than any other I ever drove.

 

[tmessenger]

My daily driver is a low mileage 1979 Mercedes 300D it doesn't get anymore analog than that, it's like stepping into a vintage acoustic guitar.

 

[cupric]

My favorite was my first year 2002 Mini Cooper. It was just the common Mini, not the S supercharged one. That car drove perfectly, could do 150mph, and got over 40mpg. It was crazy fast and handled like a Porche.
My currents are amongst my top favorites also. Where I live you cannot have a vehicle without a lot of ground clearance. 4wd is also a good consideration. At the present I have a 1994 Isuzu Trooper LS 4wd. It lived in Tucson AZ it's entire life. It has zero wear, rust, etc. Just like brand new. I bought it about 3 years ago. It had 83,000 miles on it! It now has 140,000. It's still a great looking vehicle and will go anywhere. This one was built in Japan and cost around $40,000.00 new in 1994.
I also have a 1997 Geo Tracker. It's the same as a Suzuki Sidekick. It's a 2 door with a canvas roof. It's a blast to drive, goes anywhere, and gets 30mpg. This one is also solid no rust. It lived in Phoenix it's entire life.

 

[Brucebubs]

Best car (most practical and reliable) - my current 2016 Subaru Crosstrek - goes anywhere, runs like a champ, 34 mpg
Best car (coolest) - my '66 Dodge Polara convertible - 383, black with red bucket seats

Next week marks 8 years we've had a Subaru XV (Crosstrek in the USA) I'll be looking to replace the original tyres next year.