I hope that at this point you’re all completely recovered from a Thanksgiving holiday full of fun, family, togetherness and — of course — thankfulness. I know I am, as I’m currently in the Austrian Alps driving [redacted]. As I’m sure a good lot of you know (since you were on Jalopnik.com and avoiding your families last Thursday), I asked you what cars you were most thankful for, and man, did you all deliver.
Honestly, I’m really surprised by how heartfelt some of your responses were. I’ll be real. I was expecting a lot of the answers to be “I’m thankful for the car because it is cool,” with no added nuance, but I’m so glad I was wrong. So many of your responses shared the deep meanings and connections you made with these cars, and it was so lovely to see. Shout out to you guys.
In any case, I don’t want to take up too much more of your time. I’m sure you’ve all got therapy appointments to get to after spending a few days with your respective families, so why don’t you head down below and check out the cars your fellow Jalops are thankful for?
Honda Civic DX
My 1991 Honda Civic DX. I bought it brand new in 1991. It was the first adult decision I made and the first time I spent my own money on a significant purchase. I had just dropped out of university, was working a well-paying but non-fulfilling job. Buying that car changed my life. It gave me a sense of responsibility, made me really think about saving money and spending wisely. I went back to school because of that car. I honestly think that car had a role in making me who I am today.
Submitted by: JohnnyWasASchoolBoy
NB Mazda MX-5 Miata
The answer is definitely Miata! Specifically my NB which I bought new 25 years ago and still have. Lots of fun including track days and back roads. Plus it inspired my youngest to learn to drive a manual!
Submitted by: Don Jackson
It’s about family
I am thankful for the following cars: a Subaru Forester, two Hyundai Santa Fes, a Chevy Spark, a Honda Accord, and a Ford F150 crew cab.
Why am I thankful for these cars? Because every one of them started right up and took all my extended family away after Thanksgiving dinner today.
I love them all, but there were 22 people in my house, and eventually, they had to GO.
Submitted by: Stillnotatony
1984 Chevy Corvette
1984 Corvette. Say what you will about early C4’s, especially the ’84, but it runs great and corners (almost) as good as a Miata. Plus I look great in it and get waves from other Corvette owners.
Submitted by: Typical Boomer
2003 Porsche Boxster S
I am thankful for being able to buy a 2003 Porsche Boxster S. It was at the end of the year 2003 and this car was in the dealer’s auxiliary lot, with a dead battery. It had a tiptronic transmission, but that was ok with me at the time. I was in mid-life and I considered this to be a reward for 20+ years of work after college. That car had grunt and was a clear joy to drive. I subsequently replaced it with an older air cooled 911 with a manual transmission, but the Boxster still holds a place in my heart.
Submitted by: Goaway
Toyota Camry
I’m thankful for my current car, a 2024 Toyota Camry SE… Nothing great about it but I was able to buy it at a really good price last year with a trade in. Brand new and with the prices of cars nowadays, I am incredibly thankful with a bit of care I will have a good functioning car for the next decade and not worry about having to buy one any time soon.
Submitted by: Pat B
1977 Ford Fiesta
I’m thankful for a 1977 Ford Fiesta. My parents bought my sister a car in 1979 for graduation from college, then belatedly figured they should get me one for graduating law school that same year. I found this bright yellow one in the want ads of the Louisville Courier-Journal, drove over from Lexington to test drive it, then discovered it had a manual, which I’d never quite managed to figure out. Well, I gave it a go, didn’t embarrass myself or damage the car and bought it for $3750.
That car reliably took me all over Southeast Kentucky in my first job as a public defender, took my wife and I on our honeymoon to Charleston SC (June and no a/c) and three subsequent jobs. I absolutely loved the little bumblebee. Even replaced the engine when it threw a rod in Clay City, KY one night on my way home. That cost me $600 in 1985 and lasted after that until I sold it a couple of years later for $750.
Submitted by: William Chambliss
BMW i3
Thankful for our i3. Against all odds and surely at huge cost to their bottom line BMW decided to offer such a weird, brilliant thing to Americans who vastly prefer massive traditional vehicles.
Submitted by: Kurt Edelback
C1 Chevy Corvette
C1 Corvettes!! Because they remind me of my childhood. I remember watching Route 66 on TV on Friday nights. Every time I see one of those roadsters, I’m taken back to that time.
Submitted by: Tom Susala
1969 Opel GT
My first car, a 1969 Opel GT. Parents bought it for me for $500 and it had 200,000 miles on it. Also a rust bucket. I fixed it up, including a summer of bonding body work. Got me through part of college, but constantly working to keep it on the road including 2 rebuilt engines. Learned how to fix cars, then how to call it quits with a time sync and spend more time studying (priorities). It was a blast to drive on back roads too. Sold it for $750, in only slightly better condition than where I started.
Submitted by: Surfs_Rockets
2009 Mazda5
A 2009 Mazda5 with a salvage title that I bought 14 years ago for $9300. It ran just fine but was getting a bit shabby in 2020 so I decided to trade up. Covid hit so that decision was delayed, then car prices went sky high so it was delayed even longer. Now I’ve learned a lot of do-it-yourself skills to keep it going and even though it’s now a rattling old heap I can’t bring myself to get rid of it.
Submitted by: RWP
Tesla Cybertruck
The Cybertruck.
No no, just wait and hear me out.
It proved to the world that Elon lacks any kind of vision or talent when it comes to design and engineering. That, or he thinks 32bit graphics from the 1990s are peak.
It united car enthusiasts in our shared disdain of the thing. Plus it gave us all the best punching bag of a joke we could have ever hoped for.
It usurped the Pinto as a meme.
And it made it so incredibly easy to identify anyone with garbage political views, more money than taste, and an overwhelming urge to blow Musk. It’s a (sometimes) rolling billboard that’s much harder to take off than a red MAGA hat.
It’s the gift that keeps on giving!
Submitted by: Boosrday
