Why do you own the car you do?

[1-Old-Man]

What drove you to buy the car you use for your primary transportation? New or used, makes no difference.

32 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	I chose my car because it is economical to drive. Example: VW diesel at 50 mpg.
	4 (13%)
	I chose my car because to my eye it is beautiful to behold. Example: And early XKE.
	3 (9%)
	I chose my car because it is very reliable. Example: Any modern Honda.
	5 (16%)
	I chose my car because it has every gadget known to man. Example: Fully loaded Cadillac.
	0 (0%)
	I chose my car because it is very roomy and comfortable. Example: Full sized SUV
	3 (9%)
	I chose my car because of its high performance. Example: Corvette or an exotic from Europe or Japan
	3 (9%)
	I chose my car because of its initial price. Example: Used Hyundai.
	3 (9%)
	I chose my car because of its ability to get about in bad conditions. Example, 4-wheel-drive Subaru or Audi
	3 (9%)
	I chose the car because of its snob appeal. Example: Top end Lexus
	1 (3%)
	I chose my car for another reason, I'll explain below. Example: Grandmaw gave me her old Buick
	7 (22%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[sharp_stick]

1. With three kids in

car seats I needed that third row and I wanted an all wheel (4 wheel) drive for winter so I got an SUV.

[yesphan]

2. A combination

of 1 & 3. Economical and reliable.

[northoftheborder]

13. same here

Reliability: through personal experience with manufacturer: Toyota

Economical to operate: Prius (gas mileage wonderful) plus: nothing broken down after nearly 4 years.

[bunnies]

3. I chose my car because I was broke and desperate.

Its also tiny and really good on gas for a 20+ year old car. I get 40mpg.

[mike_c]

4. we do lots of off road camping and such....

Four wheel drive compact pickup truck (Ford Ranger).

[NV Whino]

5. I voted for 1, but it's a combination of 1 and3

Honda FIT. you could throw roomy in there, too. It' snot an SUV, but it holds a hell of a lot and is comfortable for six footers.

[furious]

6. 1999 Ford Explorer, V-6 automatic.

4 wheel drive needed during the winter months and it gets about 24 mpg.

[pintobean]

7. Pick-up truck - union built in the US

[Ohio Joe]

8. Other

Because it's an '02 Thunderbird convertible... Yellow, of course.

[Aerows]

55. Yummy :) n/t

[liberal N proud]

9. I always had a sedan or coupe and just thought it would be different to have an SUV

So I bought a Jeep and love it. So much that when it was totaled when rear ended, that I bought another just like the first.

I had restored a 1947 Jeep Sedan Deliver and the got rid of it so Jeep was always somewhere in my blood I suppose.

I have a hemi engine for performance if I need it, 4 wheel drive for mobility if I need it, room to haul things when I need it, I can tow anything and the luxury is fantastic with enough toys to keep me more than busy going down the road. Tough too!

[sinkingfeeling]

10. Both my 1999 Saturn and 1991Subaru are reliable, get great gas mileage, and

have been paid for your a decade or more!

[gopiscrap]

11. It was the only one I could afford.

[RebelOne]

12. I have a Ford Taurus station wagon.

I bought it so that my 92-pound Rottweiler would have more room in the back because she loved to go for rides. She is now in doggy heaven and I wish I had a smaller car. But I am keeping this one because it is paid for, and I am on Social Security and cannot afford to buy another car.

[ohheckyeah]

14. I chose my car for a number of reasons....

it gets good gas mileage (comparable to a similar sized Toyota); my brother sold Chryslers; and I wanted a convertible. Oh, and it's pretty. I bought it used so I got a good price and a good trade in on my old car that was shot and not worth fixing. It's a 2005 and only has 39,000 miles on it....I don't drive a lot.

[NuclearDem]

15. Honda Civic. Good mpg, reliable.

[cbayer]

16. I chose my Prius when they were first available because I wanted to support the

technology.

And I haven't regretted it for a single minute.

[tabbycat31]

17. Other

I got a very good deal on it because I bought it from my parents.

I really like the car (1999 Subaru Forester) and have decided that it will be replaced by another Forester.

[eissa]

18. Dad always taught me that the worst investment you could make

was a new car or jewelry. So I've never bought a new car, always used. And I've had really good luck with all of them; all lasted me for a number of years with minimal problems (compared to a relative who ALWAYS buys new and seems to have his vehicle at the dealer's constantly.) We actually just bought a car: a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. Gets good mileage, which is important to me driving 30 minutes to work, plus shuttling the kids around everywhere. And it was within our price range, which means no car payments.

[Aerows]

79. Dad's right - pay cash and buy used.

it is seriously the worst investment you can make.

[Logical]

108. Well, I always buy new. And love it. And then people like you have used cars available! n-t

[GalaxyHunter]

19. single, 26, I bought a Mustang.

I already have a 4x4 pick-up for the winter.

[beevul]

20. Depends on the car.

The (S -10) Jimmy because we live in a rural area and our roads turn into gumbo if it rains for more than 15 minutes. 4 Wheel drive is not "optional" here.

My S-10 pickup - because after putting a 383 in it, it puts a smile on my face when I mash the happy pedal, and being 4 wheel drive it doesn't sit and spin.

The Suzuki swift - because getting 44 MPG most of the time, makes it more affordable to drive the jimmy when we need to, and makes it more affordable to go mash the happy pedal once in a while in the pickup.

[11 Bravo]

21. We traveled a lot when the boys were younger and our van could carry us and our luggage comfortably.

As soon as our youngest heads off to college (next year) my wife and I are seriously considering selling our house, buying a high-end RV, and hitting the road.

[SammyWinstonJack]

110. We did just that in January. Bought a class A 34ft with 3 slides. Bought a mini cooper to pull

behind. Traveled to the Oregon coast, then down to northern calif..back to texas and now in new mexico. Probably heading to tennessee in February. It's an adventure.

[tosh]

112. I love my mini cooper!

(BTW: Tennessee ==> Tail of the Dragon!)

[wandy]

22. I chose my car because it happened............

Affordable, reasonably economical, reasonably 'spunkey', enough room (station wagon) and fairly funky looking (Dodge Magnum).
OK, this wasn't exactly what I was looking for.
Mostly a matter of, the price was right, I can live with it, I can stop looking now.

[Brickbat]

23. I own a minivan because I haul kids and sports equipment and dogs. I own the minivan I do because

it's classy looking, comfortable, gets good mileage, is reliable and, most importantly, is union-made.

[Egalitarian Thug]

24. I own all my vehicles for specific reasons, they're all reliable, one is safe &

very comfortable for daily driving and road trips, another is for hauling and pulling, and the last is for fun.

[PowerToThePeople]

25. Used volvo

fairly inexpensive and reliable. If I ever get to commuting and gas use gets to be high, I may get a used honda civic for the mileage.

[tavernier]

26. It's paid for.

[RebelOne]

70. Yup, that is the important thing.

My car is old, still runs good, and I don't have car payments.

[tavernier]

80. Yeah, duh...

Pay attention to the original question.

I would have a Jaguar XKE if the OP had asked, "What is your dream car?"

[Aerows]

84. You can still have a dream car

if you don't buy it new.

[stevenleser]

27. Pass/Other. Live in NYC, don't own a car, use ZipCar when I need one...

[telclaven]

28. Toyota FJ Cruiser - 'cause it's beautiful

2 inch lift, brush grate, winch, top cargo rack, spot lights

Ever since I saw one in 2007 I wanted one. Finally got it in 2010 when I'd saved up the money. Love it. Hate the gas mileage. Wife drives it to and from kid's school and to the store while I drive her car to work.

Thinking about the Nissan Note diesel at this point. Wish I could affort the Tesla.

[aikoaiko]

29. Volvo XC70 -- safety for kid

[Luminous Animal]

30. I chose to get rid of my car because living in a city with good public

transportation makes owning a car a pain in the ass.

[spin]

31. I choose a pick up truck because it's practical. (n/t)

[Throd]

32. Tail fins.

[oldhippie]

47. Ha! I had a '57 Plymouth Savoy in college .....

Flathead six and a 3 speed on the column. Used a quart of oil every 50 miles. The car sucked, but loved the fins!

[MADem]

33. I bought the car for someone else, it still runs good, low miles, so I "took it back"

when the previous owner decided to upgrade. It's almost 28 years old, it's a subcompact, it sips gas, and it works for me...!

[Half-Century Man]

34. Need a car

found it online for 1500, bought it for 800.
1998 Monte Carlo with 144,670 miles showing......

[hunter]

35. I chose my car because I live in a fucked up automobile culture that forces me to have one.

I hate fucking cars and they hate me.

My $800 mid 'eighties car with a salvage title and a bullet hole in the rear fender doesn't die simply to spite me.

Here's your fucking new alternator car. Thanks, asshole, let me piss some transmission fluid on your driveway intermittently from a leak you'll never find.

I'm certain if I was trying to escape the wrath of Godzilla that would be the moment this car chose to quit.

My wife has a more domestic car. It always gives us its best. My wife doesn't hate cars like I do, so I can't hate her car. It's only stranded us once, in a place that wasn't bad, which is pretty good for a car with over 200,000 miles on the odometer. Our first family car made it past the moon (250,000 miles) and was well on it's way back.

[Go Vols]

36. Mercury Grand Marquis

is my main driver because I like a roomy car.I have a 10 year old Ford F-150 when I need to haul stuff.

Both UAW made.

[Aerows]

85. Are you related to me?

My mom has a Grand Marquis and Dad has a F-150 that could survive a nuclear bomb, the apocalypse and the plague.

[MuseRider]

37. I chose my car because

it was a used Smart Car and it was cheap. 40mpg but not real good on the gravel roads and the farm. Still great for getting around in. I need to sell it though. It is a collectors item, was one of the first shipped over in 2006, and I will ruin it using it on gravel all the time.

Will be looking for another used but newer Smart Car probably.

[Link Speed]

38. Which one?

All of my vehicles were bought/built for specific reasons - the most common being power/performance. But I do have a '66 Vespa with a sidecar - 6HP, 43MPH top-end.

[Aerows]

78. '72 Triumph Spitfire

in cherry red. It's a blast to drive!

[Bunnahabhain]

39. We do not buy we lease

and I chose the vehicle I did because it's a roomy SUV, drives incredibly well, has a great all wheel drive system, has all the gadgets I want, it just a plain nice vehicle to be in, and the dealership has excellent customer service that includes complimentary loaners.

[ecstatic]

97. Do they put marketing decals on their loaners?

The latest dealership I'm with put me in a loaner with sales stickers and pricing info all over the car. Driving it was a little embarrassing.

[Bunnahabhain]

117. Not really

Just one line at the bottom of the rear windshield that says, "Complimentary service loaner from ____"

Unless you pull up behind the car you would never even see it. The loaners are always current year models of the brand in question vs. some 3 cylinder sub-compact I see some brands use. It's one of the things that keeps me satisfied. To be able to pull up at 6:45, sign a few things, and on the road to work in an appropriate car by 7:00 is a beautiful thing. Thankfully, outside of scheduled service, I think I've had my last three cars in service for a total of twice. Still, it's nice to have this for scheduled service and any emergency. That and bumper to bumper warranties really takes the stress of out vehicles.

[lumberjack_jeff]

40. Other: because I am a cheap bastard.

1991 Subaru Loyale 4wd. $700 all up, including new tires + 30mpg.

What's not to like?

[dixiegrrrrl]

41. More than one reason.

My cars have to meet a list of 4 qualifications, anything over that is a plus.

Economical, reliable, good price for make/model at the time, and fun to drive ( which means a 5 speed)

1993 Toyota Paseao ( the sports version of Tercel)
still running great going on 18 years.

Before that, 1974 Beetle, I bought it for 900.00 cash in 1975, drove it until 1994.

[Lee-Lee]

42. Wow, you wrote that first answer exactly for me!

I love my TDI. 45-50mpg, lots of power, and very reliable.

And it always amuses me when men run up to "save" me from being a silly woman putting diesel into her car.

[madokie]

43. Tomorrow it will have been one month

since we bought a 2014 ford focus hatchback. Lot of reason we bought it with some being we both like the looks, the fuel mileage, the fact it's a hatchback, it being a ford. Union made in Wayne Michigan. No more miles than we drive we hope it will be the last vehicle we have to purchase.
Comfortable with 4 adults too

[JustAnotherGen]

44. 3 and 6

2006 Altima that I bought new . . . my dad got the dealer down to just under $16K because I paid cash. My parents had one of the first ones (I think 1995?) still at the the time - and my dad couldn't kill the thing with over 220K miles. Mine will be 8 years old in January - has 115K miles on it - and I love not having a car note. Now it has sentimental value to it (dad went with me and passed two years ago) but my next car will probably be a hybrid - perhaps a Leaf? I won't need one for at least 5 years though.

[NRaleighLiberal]

45. Other - toyota Tacoma to help me haul my gardening supplies and easy to stick kayaks into

for short trips - simple, basic and reliable and was fairly priced

and Subaru Forester for many reasons - roomy but not huge, four wheel drive, we can get our kayaks on the top for longer trips

both are over 100K miles and getting dinged up, which we love. Two dogs ensure the Subaru interior is hairy and smelly.

We are all about function for our purposes, nothing about bling factor, look, features, etc.

[cherokeeprogressive]

46. '72 Chevy Blazer.

It's a classic. It's a mule. It's a convertible. It's almost as old as me.

[oldhippie]

48. Reliability for me .....

2003 Honda Accord Coupe (wife's)
2011 Honda Pilot (me)

I like things that don't break. We tend to keep them 10-15 years, until they start breaking, then get a new one. Works for us.

[csziggy]

49. The two vehicles we own were cheap and will do the jobs we needed

My vehicle - a 1999 GMC Suburban 2500 was picked because the 3/4 ton chassis with a 454 engine was the smallest truck I could find that was capable of pulling my four horse stock trailer fully loaded. I'd tried a diesel pickup, but the bed space even with a topper was not as useful as the interior space of the Suburban, and diesels don't like being started only once every few weeks. At the time I was looking, this truck at five years old was the best deal I could find in the Southeast. I don't haul horses much anymore, so this truck doesn't get a lot of miles on it each year. I figure it will be the last truck I buy - I've put about 60,000 miles on it since 2004. I got over 300,000 miles out of my old Suburban so this one should last me the rest of my life!

My husband's car, just purchased, is a 2006 Toyota Prius. High gas mileage, comfortable even for two large people, good carrying capacity - and we got a great deal. I spent many hours searching the internet for a good deal and this one beat all the others by far. We tried several other vehicles, but many of the small SUVs (we are used to having a lot of carrying capacity) were too short in driver leg room for my husband to be comfortable or even drive safely. Hopefully, the Prius will last use a good ten years or more.

[rrneck]

50. Dude owed me money. nt

[Broken_Hero]

51. Other:

Its a combination of things.

I own a 96 Chevy Suburban, and its gets about 14mpg. I wanted it because it seats 9 people, which is the exact number of people in our immediate family, so if we go somewhere we can all use 1 vehicle. Its big enough to haul wood, beds, and tow a trailer. Also its very damn good in snow, and mud. Also, price, I found it for 4k at 140k miles, a lot of the other bigger SUVs/Suburbans(newer) were a lot more pricey(also found a Suburban in St. Louis for 10k, but it had 300k miles, rip off city)

Thats my primary transportation.

My wife drives a 2006 Chevy Malibu Maxx, we got it because of the price, its safety/reliability was a lot better than the Dodges/Fords we had at the time, and its mpg was better than our old Intrepid. This vehicle was used, we got it for 12k at 23k miles, I would never buy new unless I won the lotto or something.

[sufrommich]

52. My Ford Escape was made by American union workers.

I don't drive anything that isn't and never have.

[TheCowsCameHome]

53. Over-all ability to suit a variety of needs

Honday Odyssey.

[upaloopa]

54. Because I like to drive it and I could afford it.

If this is one of those threads like we use to have bashing people who drive SUVs, consider how much gas you burn a week not what you burn it in.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

56. Red 2013 C7 because it's made in America, gets 29 mgp, I'm in my 70's, and it's fun.

[Freddie]

57. Dad gave me his car when we finally persuaded him to stop driving

At age 87.
It's a 2003 Camry, was a lot younger and nicer then we could have afforded 4 years ago. Has a couple scrapes and dings (why we were finally able to get the keys from Dad!) but a nice and very reliable car.
DH drives a 97 Saturn that used to belong to our daughter. He's in the auto parts business and he's a backyard mechanic, and flat-out refuses to ever have car payments.

[stuckinodi]

58. I inherited my 2002 Honda Accord

when my dad died. It had 46,000 on it. I hope it's my last car.

[Lizzie Poppet]

59. 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth

It's basically a sports car in micro-hatch clothing...which is exactly why I bought it. A riot to drive, not too bad on gas, and easy to park (I live downtown, so that's a real plus). I love this car: it genuinely has the kind of driver feedback you expect of a "proper" sports car, but with a body that makes it a lot more practical (there's way more room for stuff than you'd think, looking at it).

[Aerows]

64. Not my cup of tea

but I can tell you love it

It's always a good buy when you get exactly what you want, and you did

[Lizzie Poppet]

73. 'Zackly!

I do indeed love it...first car I've actually named ("Bella&quot since I was a teenager.

[Aerows]

77. She's pretty

again, not my cup of tea, but you found your vehicle .

I'll bet, from your description, that she is sweet to drive, and that counts a LOT!

[madrchsod]

100. i fell in love with the first fiat abarth zagato double bubble coupe...

but this one looks like a lot more fun and easier to get into.

i`d just like to drive one for a day....there`s plenty of roads where i live to have a lot of fun.

[1-Old-Man]

118. I remember those cars, they sure were good looking. But then the 124 and the Dino were beautiful

The last bubble top I remember seeing was in Wheaton, Maryland at a body shop sometime around 1957. I almost bought a 124 sometime around 1968 the then I remembered it was a Fiat and would rust away to nothing faster than I could fill it with fuel, so I bought a Datsun 2000 (often mistakenly called the Fairlady) instead. I think about the only Fiat I would buy would be an old Dino, the one that folks that own them like to call a Ferrari, even though its not.

[Lizzie Poppet]

119. Never seen one of those "in the flesh."

But in pictures...wow!

[shanti]

104. It's cute

But I'll never forget the earlier Fiat reputation: fix it again, tony.

[Lizzie Poppet]

120. I hear you.

I made sure it had a really good warranty!

[Maeve]

60. bought it when we had four kids --two teenaged boys

and needed a Grand Caravan to go on vacations (as well as car-pooling, etc). Held onto it for the past 11 years and now need it to carry around a coffin for Irish festivals (long story).

[Boom Sound 416]

61. I chose it because of reasons 2-6 and 8

Hint: it's German

[Starry Messenger]

62. Ford Ranger 2000/1

Used. It was in good shape in 2004, but with high miles on it. It was cheap, with lots of room to haul stuff, but small enough that a short female could drive it. I'm holding onto it as long as I can. I like having a union-made vehicle.

[Aerows]

63. It's red, it's hot and it's fast

Pretty much my reasons for choosing a car ... but it's also paid for!

[1-Old-Man]

65. Silver works too:

My two sweethearts:


[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[Aerows]

75. Sexy cars, lovely women

You are a lucky man to have both!

[kwassa]

103. What kind of car is that?

Acura NSX? What year?

[1-Old-Man]

111. NSX, 1993

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

66. I bought a new Toyota Rav4 today.

We still have a '91 Toyota Tercel and I just sold my beloved '93 Toyota 4wd pickup. Easily the best and most reliable cars I've ever owned.

[nadinbrzezinski]

67. We have a hybrid for city driving

And a jeep for fire coverage. Trust me, you need one when doing that.

[Earth_First]

68. We inherited our vehicle when my father purchased a new car...

Saved our asses in a lot of ways.

[a la izquierda]

69. It's a small SUV with good gas mileage...

35mpg, and I drive back and forth to my parents- a five hour drive- with three dogs, pretty frequently.

[DirkGently]

71. Good daily drivers should be well-rounded.

I like hatchbacks that get good mileage, and that are built and look and perform as well as resources allow.

Ideally, you can put your stuff in them, drive a long way between gas stations and repair shops, and turn, brake and accelerate well enough to avoid sticky situations.

[PD Turk]

72. a couple reasons

we have a '00 ford van we inherited and a '96 Lincoln that's been paid off for years, and a '95 ford pickup that's paid for that we haul stuff in. I ride my motorcycle more than I drive any of them, the only times I drive is when I have too much to haul for the bike or the weather is just too bad for it. There's a good 10 months a year here I can ride. With all of them paid for, I'm not inclined to go into debt anytime soon to buy anything.

[BainsBane]

74. a combination of factors

room for the dog in the cargo area, decent mileage and reliability, but ultimately because I got a good deal on it. I actually couldn't afford the Hyundai and got a used Mazda instead.

[Aerows]

76. Corvette aficianado

and will be until the day I drop dead. And it will probably be in leather seats, with a high performance engine and a blaring stereo.

[OnionPatch]

81. Love my Yaris.

38mpg!!

[Butterbean]

82. Because my Honda Odyssey makes me look totally sexy in car pool line.

You can't beat the sex appeal of heated seats, remote control opening doors and a backseat dvd player. The crash test ratings are okay too, I guess....but I care more about how hot I look driving it. It's not a swagger wagon, but damn it's close:

[Logical]

109. I love my odyssey. And the back with seats out is so nice for moving and lumber, etc. n-t

[riqster]

83. It holds my bass amp and instruments, gets 30 MPG and the seats have decent lumbar support.

All I need in a vehicle, my base model, no-electric windows-or-locks Jeep Patriot provides. And if it goes past 250,000 miles, I will call a very good car.

[longship]

86. Volvo four cylinder.

My seventh, all used, all old. Superb reliability, comfort, drive ability, and safety. My current 95 940 station wagon (Volvo brick) is the first auto tranny I've ever owned. Doesn't always get the 25+ mpg all the others got and not everything works, but it drives absolutely beautifully. Only 204,000 miles on a nearly unbreakable drive train.

[HERVEPA]

87. '03 Corolla - now 265,000 miles

[kestrel91316]

88. My "car" consists of a decent bike and two good feet. And mass transit.

[Marrah_G]

89. My parents sold me their Kia

[d_r]

90. I have a ford explorer

bought it used because
1. needed something for large family (has third row seats)
2. it was affordable as a used car because of gas prices
3. most of my driving is to drop off the kids and go to work and take them to stuff within a 5 mile radius of home
3. I only considered a car made in the usa by a usa company, I don't want a foreign car
4. I liked the ford dealership they have been good to me buying used cars
5. It was my third Ford, I like them

[bhcodem]

91. New 2013 FOrd C-max Hybrid

Test drove a smaller Prius C first and it was just like driving my totaled Toyota Matrix. I really liked it until I drove the bigger Prius. The ride was much smoother and quieter, but I didn't like the divider between passenger and driver seat in the regular Prius. Then tried the C-Max based on similar technology and just new on the market. Dealers have a hard time getting them in stock because they are so popular.

Although I don't get quite as good mileage with the C-Max (40.2 mpg lifetime average over the past 4 months), the salesman convinced me that the C-Max was more ecological friendly because it's battery is lithium rather than strip-mined nickel cadmium. Of course, he didn't tell me where they get the lithium!

I am having fun trying to find the best driving techniques to get the motor to kick over from gas to electric. It seems to have a sweet spot around 62 miles when out on fairly level highway driving., but gets a long more electric driving slower speeds around town. Overall, I am getting about 1/3 of my total driving miles on the electric side of the motor.

Waiting for the day of fast charging, affordable total electric cars if I should live so long!

[Initech]

92. 2013 Altima, upgraded from 2007 model.

[quitnesset]

93. 535 BMW

Because its comfortable, dependable, safe, and it has a subtle sophistication.

[Robb]

94. It's Union Made.

I'm never going to buy another car that isn't, if I can help it.

That's what solidarity looks like.

[ecstatic]

95. because I didn't do my homework

and my lease had 3 days remaining. I chose the first suitable lease deal I could find. The new Acura ILX. The car is attractive and well built, but I if I had more time, I would have looked for something bigger.

[riderinthestorm]

96. Utility and reliability.

Chevy 3500 truck pulls the 6 horse trailer and 2 horse trailers and handles any other heavy duty farm needs.

1999 Honda CRV was purchased (new) to haul kids, feed and perform miscellaneous tasks both family and farm related. 280k miles later its still going strong even as the kids have purchased their own vehicles and returned it to the farm.

2007 Volvo CX90 can pull the 2 horse trailer, haul hundreds of pounds of feed from the feed store etc AND it looks and operates great. This was our "upgrade" when we turned over the Honda to the teenage kids to drive. I'll probably always have a Volvo from here on out. Love the power, utility and reliability PLUS the excellent looks. Best car I've ever owned and that includes other "luxury" vehicles.

I wish we had a vehicle with great gas mileage. The Chevy truck is the only vehicle that goes on long trips hauling horses (which is reimbursed by clients who pay us to haul their horses) so I'm not in terrible shape with the gas usage but it would be great to have "greener" vehicles.

[2naSalit]

98. Not sure if I chose it or it chose me

I needed a different car after a tow truck I had called smashed my car to smitherines while attempting to hook it up. Got screwed by the ins co and when I took it for an appraisal preparing to sue for the damages, I managed to find out that the body-shop guy was willing to take it for a trade and it just so happened that he had the kind of 4wd vehicle I really wanted for an affordable price... he had not seen it and gave me a quote before it came in from the detailer. I got a bargain with an actual blue book of more than $2K over the quote! I have had it for nine years and still have only 189.5K miles on my 4Runner that I got at 105K miles. Still gets me everywhere, and living in the mountains I need that since all roads are dirt except the highway and in town down the hill and I have not had to spend much on long-life type replacement parts. Hope I never outlive it. The paint is even still shiney and it's a '92!

[steve2470]

99. economical and very reliable, next vehicle will be electric/solar/non-gasoline nt

[grahamhgreen]

101. Where the heck is the environmental option?

[On the Road]

102. I Chose My 2004 Toyota Matrix

because I can take a large amount of material to the dump and get materials for my six rental houses. Stoves, water heaters, and refrigerators all fit in -- the next one just needs a roof rack to accommodate drywall and plywood. It's used a lot like a truck.

Also factors were low initial price, low operating costs, and reliability. I have 170,000 miles and have never had a major engine or transmission problem. All the problems have been minor and confied to the body, windows, and trim.

[Mira]

105. "Real women drive trucks" -

I chose my truck Ford Ranger Xtended cab (bought used at Carmax) because it was exactly what I had to have for my work, the price and terms were good, and it still makes me happy.

[doc03]

106. I own a 2006 Toyota Tacoma because it is reliable, unlike many

so called American trucks it is assembled in the USA and unlike American trucks it fits in my garage. I also own a 2011 Chevy Cruze because it is economical, rides well and is assembled right here in Ohio by Union workers.

[necso]

107. I bought my car because of (in no particular order):

* a relatively inexpensive purchase price;
* economy/ease of ownership/operation/maintenance;
* utility/performance;
* reliability/quality.

(Good, dependable, long-term, low-cost performance, basically.)

And 28 years (original price, $5,558) and 176k (almost 177k) miles later, it turns out to have been a good choice. (Pfft, it doesn't even have a hatchback. ... You going shopping anytime soon?)

There were other cars in the same price range (bottom of the new car market), and that might have had comparable economy and utility, but without comparable confidence in reliability, they weren't really an option. (I checked what was available; gave it my best judgement... I'd have kept my old car (a gift, used, and only previous vehicle), but it got towed for no good reason and the (automatic) transmission wrecked.)

(If they give you any crap, just order them into retirement.)

(And if I may make so bold: proconsul of the church, but tribune of the people.)

[pinboy3niner]

113. It was the ONLY clown car for sale at the time

And the Republican National Committee gave me a good deal.

[SoCalDem]

114. Combination of many things

Great price for a low mileage luxury car (less than 1/2 price for a car that had been driven less than 20K miles and for less than a year) The seat warmers will come in handy when we move north next year

It's beautiful, comfy and the last car we will buy (hubby's 70 , I'm 64)

His truck.. same story

we pay cash for our cars, so we always get a bargain

[99Forever]

115. Ever try to transport 4x8 sheets of materials...

.. and 8 foot and longer lumber in a Prius or Volt?

[LWolf]

116. Other: 1, 3, and 7. nt

[geek tragedy]

121. We don't own a car. nt

[ChiciB1]

122. I Choose My Car Because

it's a 1991 Celica STX, no payments and it's all I can afford! Also, the door on one side still has primer on it because I can't afford to have the whole car painted.

But it runs!

[Blue_In_AK]

123. We haves a 2001 ford ranger that we bought in 2003.

We have it because we can haul things around in it and it has four-wheel drive for winter. It's very well maintained and serves us well. Plus it's been paid for for years.

[MineralMan]

124. Warranty, Price, Availability, and Suitability

Those are the reasons I bought my current car. It's a 2013 Kia Soul.

5yr./60k Mile bumper to bumper warranty.
10yr, 100k Mile powertrain warranty.

$14,000

The base model I wanted was in stock. I needed it that day, because my other car broke down and we only had one.

The car seats four comfortably, gets good mileage, and can get out of its own way when needed.

I looked at several other cars, and none fit my equation. Cars that fit the price range were not available at any dealer in the Twin Cities in a base model, which is what was needed to fit the price. Other cars had 3yr/36k mile warranties.

So my wife and I decided on the Kia Soul, after spending most of the day researching available cars. We went to the dealer and drove off with it less than two hours later.