Where did I go wrong? Why do I only love the least reliable cars?

Why does it seem like the only cars I have a real passion for make up the GRM Triumverate of Suck?

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It wouldn't be passion otherwise - besides, as someone once replied to one of my posts, "have you seen what people on here drive?".

I'm on a strict budget (low) and am honestly scared to get in over my head (budget) and getting stranded and unable to get to work IS NOT an option!

Plus, only room for one car!

What do I do???

buy a miata

amg_rx7 wrote: buy a miata

Seriously... But I have a family to haul around

ebonyandivory wrote:

amg_rx7 wrote: buy a miata

Seriously... But I have a family to haul around

Buy an RX8. Basically a 4 seat, 4 door Miata, and it even has the issues you are attracted to!

(you may need to abuse it if you want the level of un-reliability you want)

You secretly hate yourself

I need 5 shoulder belts.

I need a car that can strand all five of us at once!

Back when I was young, poor, and had a strange attraction to British and Italian cars, I bought every cheap parts car I could find, and then pawn, uh, I mean store them at my various friend's houses until I needed a part.

At one point, my buddy and pro challenge driver, Alan McCrispin had something like 5 or 6 of my Fiats and Alfas stashed away at his house.

If you want to drive an unreliable car, you have to be creative, and learn to do most of the work yourself. It helps to have two however, as you can alternate the one that doesn't run.

I can do most work myself weather-providing.

I keep saying to myself: "are any of these vehicles going to have "I'm stranded" problems or annoying crap like window regulators and sunroof malfunctions".

I can and have dealt with annoying things going wrong. It's the "Hi, it's Derek... I can't make it to work today" stuff I can't afford.

AND WHY ARE THE EDMUNDS CONSUMER REVIEWS SO DAMN GOOD FOR THE GOLF AND DISCOVERY????

Looks like you need a Saab in there to complete the mix . Funny thing is, I work in a very small department, and between the six of us, we had the complete triumvirate of suck until I sold my GTI a few months ago.

Have you driven a Mazda 6 or a Mazda 3? They're reliable and they both go zoom-zoom, unlike many of their competitors.

I'm right with you. I bought an E36 and thought, how expensive can it get? I was unlucky, and it got real expensive.

Entertaining > Reliability

heh.. I have driven some of the most "unreliable" cars ever.. with very few issues. I am talking fiat 124s, Land Rovers, and Saabs.

I did manage to kill the saab, but not before it almost hit 300,000 miles

In reply to Mr_Clutch42:

I own a 2002 Protege5 with MazdaSpeed springs and GR2's, Brembos, B&M short shifter etc.

Gotta sell it for very personal reasons but I was never in love with it.

I have a huge soft-spot for VW, Land Rover and Jaguar. Nothing else really does it for me.

Am I destined to settle? Hey, is that a Camry over there?

Get a BMW. The best, and worst, traits of every car on your list all in one.

Get a Volvo 850 or V70 Turbo and quit messing around with all these other ideas.

VW's are okay if you keep the maintenance up, like most European cars. Keep a code reader handy. Mine cost $55.

I had an 850 with a 5 speed.. great cars.. lots of get up and go and still decent handling. Just need to watch the timing belt

I have a Range Rover, 3 Triumph Stags and even a GTV6, I feel your pain

Invariably the cars that are the most fun to drive, and the ones that everyone you know thinks are cool, are the ones that otherwise suck.

When a car is reliable, everyone has one. And that makes that car boring.

NGTD wrote: Get a Volvo 850 or V70 Turbo and quit messing around with all these other ideas.

I appreciate your response, honestly I do, but you understand why that's never gonna make me happy.

I literally twist my head around or walk over to any Discovery, Jaguar XJ and GTI (or customized Golf) I see.

The notion of getting a car I don't have any interest in sucks. But that's about where I am.

I guess I'm like a woman (is my wife around?) in that I don't want a solution, I just want a shoulder to cry on (unless the solution was a reliable Golf!)

Try an Infiniti Q45.
Best years '93 to '95

I like to buy horribly unreliable or broken versions of generally reliable cars, haha.

I am also strangely attracted to cars that are expensive when new to buy and maintain and are currently at the bottom of their depreciation curves.

Almost kept the Z28 and just bought a disco to lift and DD.

ebonyandivory wrote: I need 5 shoulder belts. I need a car that can strand all five of us at once!

Buy 2 1/2 Miatas?