Old Motors
Inspired by Dave’s “Cars and Motorcycles” page, these are the cars I’ve driven over the years.
The Early Years
During my high school and college years, I drove cars belonging to my parents—and in one case, my girlfriend’s mother.
1983 Ford Escort GL wagon. This little car was Ford’s “world car” but it had a tiny engine and 3-speed automatic transmission that was painful to drive. It was the car I passed my driving test in, and I drove it all through high school. During my senior year I was making a left out onto a four-lane road near a traffic light. An approaching car struck the front quarter and spun us around like a top. The car was totaled, but my passenger (another student) and I were not injured. Update: I still have the keys! (At least I did at the time of writing.) I have no idea why I kept them all this time.
198x (2nd generation) Cadillac Seville. I drove this car once, to the prom. (It belonged to my date’s mother.) It had the “Classic Seville” trim, including the gaudy “CS” grille and bustle back. A lot of people think this car was ugly, but I thought it was gorgeous. Driving (or even riding in) a Cadillac of that era was unlike any car made today, and difficult to describe. I’ll put it this way: it was to driving what waterbeds are to sleeping.
1979 Ford Fairmont. I don’t know when my parents got this car, but I do remember driving it during my college years. I was home for the weekend, and the car was parked in the lawn parallel to the street. During the night, a drunk driver slammed into the car, carrying it into the neighbor’s front lawn. Thinking he had hit a deer, he drove off, leaving a trail of leaking fluids that led directly to his driveway. The Fairmont was toast.
1984/5 (1st generation, pre-facelift) Ford Tempo. This was my parents’ replacement for the Fairmont, and I drove it for maybe a couple years, back and forth to college, back and forth to college. Other than that, not too memorable.
“Our” Cars
I never owned a car as a single person, so these are all the cars that my wife and I have owned (or leased) as a couple.
1992 Ford Tempo. My wife and I got married while we were still in college. As it happens, I got the first full time job of my professional career before I graduated and we needed a car. This one was notable because it had motorized shoulder harnesses that moved into place after the door was closed. And an after market stereo with CD player. I drove that car for many years until we gave it to a family member.
1995 (1st generation) Chrysler Concorde. We bought this car after my wife graduated. It seemed like such a luxury at the time. It was huge compared to the Tempo. I loved the classic Chrysler badge.
1998 Jeep Wrangler (TJ) Sahara. I ordered this vehicle with a manual transmission, but my wife had to drive it off the lot because I didn’t know how to drive a stick yet. It was a great car to learn on because it had a straight six that was torquey as hell; you could start from a dead stop in third gear. It was super fun to drive, but the extra tight suspension and boxy shape made driving on the highway pretty awful. The cold was never a problem because it had some kind of nuclear furnace for a heater.
2000 (4th gen) BMW 3 Series Convertible (323Ci). ... leased when we were living high on the hog as contractors ... turned it in with ridiculously low mileage three years later because I couldn’t afford to keep it since I was no longer on contract
2002 GMC Envoy. We availed ourselves of zero-interest financing during the post-9/11 economy. One of the best vehicles we ever owned.
2004 GMC Envoy XL. GM was still offering zero-interest financing, so we opted for the longer version of the Envoy with a third row of seats. Although its fit and finish were not as good as the first Envoy, it served us well for several years.
2006 Hyundai Elantra GT. We bought this because it was priced right at a time when we something to better accommodate little kids than the Jeep. It was not a looker, but it did have many virtues: the manual transmission was fun to drive, the fastback hatchback was extremely functional, and reliable enough that I drove it for nine years without any major problems.
2010 Mazda CX-9. I don’t really remember much about this one, other than it served us well and we really liked it.
2015 (4th gen) Nissan Pathfinder. On paper this was a superior replacement for the aging CX-9, but we never really loved it. Our big complaint was that it didn’t have the same sporty feel that the CX-9 had. The ventilated seats were a nice feature though.
2015 (Mk VI pre-facelift) Volkswagen Jetta GLI. Outfitted with a manual transmission, this car was a ton a fun to drive. I’m not sure what I was thinking at the time, but I leased this one.
The Current Lineup
We are a family of four adults now, two of us working and two in college, and we’re always on the go. Here’s what we’re driving.
2016 Hyundai Accent. Number one daughter’s commuter. We bought it when she first started driving and we’re hoping it’ll get her through to graduation.
2017 (Mk VI facelift) Volkswagen Jetta. This was my car until our younger daughter decided that if she taught herself to drive a stick she wouldn’t have to compete with her sister for a car. It worked, and now she’s got it at school.
2018 Mazda CX-9. Three years was all we could take of the Nissan. The updated CX-9 is still a nice car to drive and relatively sporty for its size.
2024 Mazda Mazda3. The thing I love about Mazda is their attention to details. The driving experience is very tactile and controls are exactly where they need to be. This car is notable because it’s “my” first car since 1998 with an automatic. That’s because it’ll end up being our older daughter’s car once she’s out of school.
We still rely on cars as a primary means of transportation. Unfortunately, that’s just how this country was built. I hope someday to live in a place where I won’t need to drive a car as much (or at all!) Until then, I guess I’ll keep buying black cars!