What is the worst car you can justify buying?

"jeffywk" (jeffywk) 12/22/2014 at 13:37 • Filed to: Car Buying, Miata, Justified, Reliable, Daily Driver

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So basically all we talk about is what kind of car we want to buy and why. And we all have different opinions about that. Some of us say used luxury, new base model, vintage, truck, city car. The point is all cars are a great answer for something... as long as it can be justified.

Take the Miata for example: most people look at it and see an unpractical, useless in winter, girly car that to us is a beautiful, reliable, fun-handling, cheap sports car. We've found ways to justify it for any situation. But other cars, like the Toyota Camry for example, I could never justify for myself. But to others it is a wonderful practical everyday car.

So what is the worst, most interesting, weirdest, most boring, or most unreliable car that you can justify buying?

Sn210 > jeffywk 12/22/2014 at 13:44

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something with an overly complicated 12 cylinder engine. Because 12 cylinders

RallyWrench > jeffywk 12/22/2014 at 13:45

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Any Alfa Romeo.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > jeffywk 12/22/2014 at 13:46

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For what it's worth, it makes one hell of a rally platform.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > jeffywk 12/22/2014 at 13:51

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I've spent quite a while tying to justify fast, RWD, German or American sedans with scary maintenance, gas, and insurance bills to my dad for quite a while now. I think we could swing it, but it would be a hell of an expensive pain a lot of the time.

deekster_caddy > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 12/22/2014 at 13:52

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I used to go to 'enduro' races, a 150 lap race on a 1/4 mile oval. Very loosely run and quite amusing both to watch and to drive in. Anyway in the 4 cyl class a guy had an Omni and the left rear wheel got hit hard, hard enough to drive the strut tower up inside the body and wedge the tire up high in the wheel well.

Well he kept right on driving, and since it was mostly left turns, the jammed tire was completely off the ground most of the time. It would just touch down once or twice on the straight before he hit the brakes again for the next turn and it lifted off. It was dragging so lightly that it didn't really impact the way the car was running. He brought it back for another race on another weekend and never bothered to un-stuff that left rear wheel, it kept right on working fine. Totally awesome!

jeffywk > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 12/22/2014 at 13:53

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But it COULD be justified.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > jeffywk 12/22/2014 at 13:54

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Yes. Fun is a powerful justifier, and I hope my dad is being slowly persuaded. We drove a CTS-V a few days ago, and I think he may be cracking.

jeffywk > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 12/22/2014 at 13:54

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And the new one was just revealed! Show him that!

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > deekster_caddy 12/22/2014 at 13:55

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That's bad ass! It might have actually improved his turn-in.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > jeffywk 12/22/2014 at 13:56

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We are talking about a budget of maybe $40k here. That's another part of the problem; all these cars are used or off lease.

jariten1781 > jeffywk 12/22/2014 at 13:57

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Any >2 decade old run-of-the-mill econo box or family sedan with lots of rust.

B/Xmrrmvr > jeffywk 12/22/2014 at 14:00

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Anyone know how I get authorship to post on oppo? I was told to ask for it on a thread.

nermal > jeffywk 12/22/2014 at 14:03

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It's without question the worst-driving road-legal vehicle you can buy. Also slow, gets crap mpgs, the roof leaks, the lights are crap, the stereo is crap, and the dealer network is also crap.

But I kinda want one still....

jeffywk > B/Xmrrmvr 12/22/2014 at 14:03

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I think this might help you.

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/oppositelock-h…

jeffywk > nermal 12/22/2014 at 14:06

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I drove one last summer with oversized tires and a lift kit, no doors, no roof. One of the most fun driving experiences I've had (though to be fare, the list of fun cars I've driven is fairly short).

My favorite was when they owner took me out on flooded streets after a rainstorm and we just powered through the lake-like puddles. So fyi, the wipers are crap, too. ;)

Justin Hughes > jeffywk 12/22/2014 at 14:48

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1994 Saturn SW2 5-speed. I was shopping for a hardtop for my Miata, and bought this for $400 instead. I drove it through the winter, sold it for $800 in the spring, and eventually bought that hardtop anyway. It was a super practical car, and the stick and the hot air intake made it actually kind of fun to drive - especially for a car so cheap.

jeffywk > Justin Hughes 12/22/2014 at 15:26

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Saturns weren't that bad. I had a friend with a really clean SL200. Sounds like you got quite the deal in this! Geez I can't wait to buy a Miata.

Justin Hughes > jeffywk 12/22/2014 at 16:15

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Saturns aren't bad at all - I've had 4. But the manual wagon is very unusual. So is the fact that I bought it for half the price of a Miata hardtop!