These Are The Least ‘You’ Cars You Have Owned

Being a car enthusiast can be tough, especially when you see yourself as the type of person who should be driving a Porsche but you’re on a budget that only covers a clapped-out old Kia. Sometimes though, the stars align and you wind up in a car that fits your budget and your wants as a car enthusiast who likes the act of driving. Last week we asked you what car you’ve owned that was the least ‘you,’ and you all shared some awesome stories, actually.

Some of your answers were logical choices that were dictated by necessity, while others ended up with some seriously unexpected and entertaining vehicles. There were two AMCs and one Geo that made the list, so y’all got some really obscure cars. I selected my personal favorites, but there are plenty of other great answers and stories that were shared that I didn’t include here, so go read through the comments over there, or share your story in this post’s comments.

Following my first car purchase that all but blew up in my face, I found myself suddenly and desperately needing reliable transportation so I could commute to school. When I saw this brown 2003 Honda CR-V was the cheapest vehicle on the dealer lot I was at, I didn’t have much choice, but I went for it. Initially my fragile 19-year-old ego was mighty bruised (just look at my halfhearted smile) when I had to surrender my catastrophically unreliable 2005 Saab 9-3 cabriolet that was my first car and buy a brown mommy crossover, but it was a humbling and necessary experience that served me very, very well. I needed to be knocked off my high-horse since owning my fancy Saab made me feel like king turd of poop mountain. But my Honda knocked me down a few pegs in my own mind, and gave me what every 19-year-old man needs, a dose of reality.

Now I’ll get into your answers to the least ‘you’ cars you’ve ever owned.

It was 1980-something, my 1967 VW Bug was on it’s last legs, I was working full time, and going to school at night. I bought an AMC Gremlin that was primarily a faded orange with brown and blue doors/hood. To make it extra special, the automatic transmission didn’t have a working reverse gear and I was parallel parking in Philadelphia. I had the car for about six months and replaced it with a red 1967 Volvo P1800S (a proper car).

I was dating my future wife at the time. We are married over 40 years now, and I love my MIL, but she still references the Gremlin from time to time.

Submitted by: pbegley

A Gremlin is so ironically cool. I’d love to drive one just to experience the lowest of the automotive lows. 

In the early Eighties, I had to bite the bullet and sell my ’74 Z-28 to pay for my senior year in college. A neighbor lady was kind enough to give me her dead husband’s ’74 AMC Matador sedan. The good news was that it weeded out the girls who dated me only because I had a cool car. The bad news was that it weeded out the girls who dated me only because I had a cool car.

Submitted by VABubba

I remember the first time I saw a ’74 Matador coupe. I was immediately obsessed with it because it was so weird and ugly I had never seen a car that looked quite like it. I bet the ladies loved your sedan.

I had a string of vehicles that all worked for me, K20 Civic Si, 5 speed ’01 VQ35 Pathfinder, 6 speed ’12 Tacoma, 5 speed ’06 Accord K24, even the ’11 Silverado 4.8. Third kid was on the way, the wife already had a ’15 Pilot (admittedly I’m OK with the boxy style and they can be made to look more interesting). It was decided that I needed a 3 row crossover and of course the ones I liked (full size or Durango R/T or the like) were out of our price range… enter the ’14 Traverse. It did everything right and we took it on multiple 1,000 mile one-way road trips, but it did nothing for me as an enthusiast. So when it was ready for replacement I got a used Armada and was thrilled to have something I could play with, tow with and enjoyed driving…until I noticed the cold start engine tick and made Carmax take it back since it needed a new engine… and now I’m stuck in a 2021 Enclave Avenir. Nice vehicle, much more peppy than the Traverse, but absolutely boring as an enthusiast.

Three row vehicles can be interesting, it hasn’t worked out that way for me.

Submitted by: cintocrunch

Enclave Avenirs are nice but I hear your complaints loud and clear

When my dubiously cheap 2001 Chevy Cavalier (don’t laugh, Z-24, manual, it only broke down once in the nine years I had it!) got crushed on I-40 in 2017, I was in the process of scouting for a proper enthusiast car, as an addition to the unstoppable Cavalier, but I wasn’t ready to pull the trigger yet. When a drunk Kia driver ended the Cavalier, my wife and I decided to replace her car (a grungy 2006 Civic) first, and I would drive her Civic until I found something to replace the Cavalier with.

So the least “me” car I drove… wasn’t really mine. Replaced it with a 2019 Miata RF. Still got it.

Submitted by: Give Me Tacos or Give Me Death

Honestly I fear the Civic is a better choice than the Cavalier despite the Cavalier’s sporting intentions. But, glad you got a Miata! That’s a good fun car. 

I think there is two cars that comes to mind. A 1997 Honda Odyssey (handed down by my parents) and the car didn’t suite me since I was single and had no kids or need for a people carrier. The other is a 2005 Toyota Camry and that was the least “me” car since I am and still into cars (exotics and stuff like that) so owning a Camry and knowing that you like those of cars didn’t match me at all.

Submitted by: Russell

These Odysseys were so intriguing to me as a kid who grew up in a Dodge Grand Caravan, a comparatively gargantuan “minivan.”

The first vehicle I ever bought (a green ’93 Jimmy) lasted only a month before getting totaled in a rear-end collision. Took the insurance money and had to look for a set of wheels while still shocked and upset from the loss. That’s how I ended up with a white ’03 Elantra that looked exactly like Snoopy’s head when seen in profile.

Submitted by: Bogey the Bear

I gotta say Bogey, I googled Snoopy to guess which bodystyle Elantra you had and as soon as I saw it I said, “oh it’s the hatchback.” Please confirm.

After my exquisitly beautiful 1968 Fiat 124 Coupe blew its engine at about 30k miles, the only dealer who would take it was, of course, the Fiat guy. And the only car I could afford was a Fiat 850 Spyder.
So we bought a very used Studebaker Lark for when we needed a “real car.”

Submitted by: Jerry Knight

Two incredibly obscure cars, I love it.

Back in my oh-so-dumb 20s I succumbed to my inner most desires and bought a 1971 Corvette with the LS5 454 V8. Everything that could go wrong did and it pretty much broke me financially. I sold it to a buddy who knew the trouble I had, but wanted it anyway. He even threw in a 1961 Chevy Bel Air 4-door in a bright teal and rust patina, so that I’d have transportation. Oh, how the mighty had fallen from Corvette to rusty Bel Air with no heat and a nail to replace the turn-signal stalk, but that old Chevy would start and go every morning even in below zero Chicago winters. Both those cars taught me a lot about what was important and how to buy a car that was right for my needs

Submitted by: Jimboy Junio

Jimboy, I couldn’t find a usable photo of a four door, but it’s actually kinda cool now. Definitely no Corvette, and I’m sure at the time it was uber dorky, but now it’s a cool retro sedan!

After 4 manual transmission sporty cars (MGB, Fiat 124, Mustang GT, Ford Contour) in the 1990s I decided to see what SUVs were all about and bought a 1996 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition AWD V8. Two-tone white and gold, it had all the current bells and whistles like power everything, keyless entry, trip computer, etc. It drove well and was a great highway cruiser. Was really good in the snow with AWD, good power, and good ground clearance.

But it wasn’t as much fun in daily driving, not as good on curvy back roads and I just kept thinking how inefficient it was for me to be driving around this 20MPG vehicle by myself.

Sold the Explorer after 6 months and got a new 2008 Mazdaspeed 3. Kept that 10 years, it was a lot of fun and practical too with the hatchback.

Submitted by: Psycho78

What ever happened to Eddie Bauer?

For me, a Ram Laramie Crew. There’s nothing wrong with a big old luxury truck if you’re a big old luxury truck person, but I’m most definitely not.

I bought it because I was heading into retirement and losing my company car so I needed a driver. It just happened that this particular truck hit the trifecta for the aged inventory discount, regular rebates, plus my employee purchase price.

I got slightly over 40% off MSRP. Too good to pass up, right?

It was awesome on road trips and hauling stuff, but horrible for everything else, which unfortunately was the other 98% of my post retirement driving.

The happy ending was that after 3 years, I sold it, made a small profit, and bought a certified pre-owned Macan S, which was much more my speed, (until I drove a Stelvio Veloce which was even more my speed).

Submitted by: Factoryhack

Sounds like despite the Ram’s lameness you got a good deal out of it! I hope your Alfa is treating you well.

This one is kind of left field: A new, custom ordered 2024 Mercedes EQA 250. How come a new car I configured has been the least “me”? Because I didn’t need or want an SUV. But at the time because of a company lease deal, this was the cheapest way for me to drive a nice, capable EV. The lease conditions also didn’t allow for me to pick an actual colour so I had to go with a boring silver one. Up until then I drove a blue smart EQ fortwo cabrio, so quite the contrast. My next one will be the electric CLA, which should be more my speed again.

Submitted by: Nico

I’m so jealous of your Smart ForTwo EQ Cabriolet.

I was always a European car guy. Alfa Romeo. Porsche. Fresh out of college, engaged, and wanting our own home, I sold my E30 BMW 325is so our only car was her ’91 Geo Tracker convertible. Slow, unrefined and enormously susceptible to crosswinds at the hint of the slightest breeze, that Geo handled New England weather in stride, and compared to my departed BMW, it cost nearly nothing to maintain.

Submitted by: Baybrook Tom

I fear I may be in the minority when I admit this, but I absolutely love the Geo Tracker convertible and it’s a life goal to own one at some point. I think it’s way cooler than an E30, though I understand it might not be quite as fun to drive.