I know most of you don't own cars but for those who do, what do you drive and why?  

I drive an Audi A4 Avant (wagon, in German) and love it.  Why the wagon, you ask?  I've always had big dogs....

I used to have a Ford Escort ZX2. Loved it. Had no balls below about 45MPH, but on the freeway it was zippy. Plus 32MPG mixed city/highway, which was nice.

honda accord - practical

Volkswagen Beetle Convertible.  It's cute, but it's not practical to have a convertible in Chicago.
I can't wait to be carless.

uch, I miss driving a car.  Had a motorcycle in the city but got rid of it recently due to too many tickets :(

The R:  I used to have an A4 (B5) as well... I loved that car.  The avants are awesome.

Saab 9-3, I thought about getting rid of it for sometime (sooo expensive to fix), but I've been driving since the day I turned 16 so it's really hard for me to part with the feeling of freedom that I get when driving my car...plus I can get out of the city whenever I feel like it, which is always nice!

I have a Nissa Versa hatch. It's city sized, perfect for parking, gets excellent mileage and has mad cargo space.

Jessica, I am so jealous of your Saab, I've wanted one for years.

I have a company car which is cool because it's free but the car itself is not cool- chevy impala. BORING

Jeep liberty. Never have to shovel to dig car out when streets get plowed. The backend is the dog's domain and it seats 5. And, it's for sale! I  getting rid of car since I'm moving to Hell's Kitchen. Hello Zipcar!

*damn auto spell on iPhone*

A new little red Mini Cooper. Most importantly I love the design and its fun to drive. It has a Stick shift but I blew the clutch in just 6 months ohh I replaced it for a lovely $1,600 ouch. Also living in Manahttan its easy to get parking spots close to the corner etc. I've been told it fits my personality and its cool skipping aroung the city with it. I got into 2 accidents already and both where cabs. The second accident totaled the front of the car but they fixed it. no one was hurt.. I was out of a car for 6 weeks and had to rent a car from enterprise through out the entire time. Big mistake Enterprise is trying to sue me for previous damage to  the car before I wheeled it out. They are a little shady over there, but when it goes down I will give my honest review of the establishment.

Oh Jessica, I LOVED my Saab 9000 Turbo!  Had it all through college, the thing got beat up and was expensive to repair (as much as my Audi is now) but I really, really miss driving it.  Not to say that my Audi drives poorly or anything, I just needed the Quattro (which Saab/Ford/Subaru makes now) for all the driving in snow I did and once you have AWD, you'll never go back - IMO at least.

A 10-year-old Mercedes coupe.  It's an L.A. car and we store it every winter, so it's in remarkably good condition.  Classic!  :-)

The R:  What year is your A4?  If it is a B5 or B6, I know those cars like the back of my hand if you ever need any help.  Done more turbo swaps, timing belts, suspension swaps, brake jobs, etc., then I care to remember.

2007  Saturn Ion. Cheap (16k), pretty good gas mileage, fun ride.

i miss my honda crv.

2007 Honda CR-V.  My wife insisted on an SUV and got her way because she drives it to work.  I am not crazy about it, it doesn't have enough horsepower and it handles like...well, the small SUV that it is.  Personally I think having a car in Manhattan is crazy, but she works out in Jersey and probably would quit her job if she had to take New Jersey transit.  I'd rather have her income and a car than neither.

Call me a snob, but I have a penchant for german cars.  The best car I owned was a 1997 BMW 320i combi (that's the german word for station wagon).  I owned it in Germany and drove 180 kmh (like 110 mph) on the autobahn everywhere.  

I recently drove a 2006 mercedes E320 around france (a rental) and it was such a sweet car.  The handling, the comfort, the power, the engineering.

I used to own a 1970s Mercedes 320S two seater that was sort of a clunker (see my review of Mercedes Benz of Manhattan - those bastards) but looked pretty sweet.

My first car was a 1987 Honda Accord with the flip up lights.  270,000 miles it got. That's why I will always be loyal to honda even though I generally get more excited about german cars.

Joe, I am surprised you liked the Saab 9000.  I guess it was a pretty good car. Too bad it looked like an oldsmobile, Saab unfortunately lost their way since then.  This born from jets ad campaign is lame.  All the Ford and GM owned luxury brands are also-rans that can't really compete with the germans and japanese: volvo, saab, jaguar, etc.

CB M:  having a preference for german cars doesn't make you a snob... it makes you an enthusiast.  I've owned a heavily modified A4 and a 2000 bmw 3 series coupe and loved them both.  I've owned a lot of cars but german cars will always be my favorite.
list of cars I've owned to give me some street cred:
-  1969 mustang conv. (only car I still own and will always own)
-  1993 Mustang GT
- 1995 isuzu rodeo
- 1997 Audi A4
-  2003 350z track ed.
-  1999 F150
-  2004 Mustang V6 conv.
-  1999 Land Rover discovery
-  2000 BMW 325ci
Not cars but still vehicles:
-  2003 Kawasaki zx-6r
-  1978 Honda CB550

Yeah, I pretty much love my car, lately it's been doing this thing when it randomly just won't start. No one seems to know what the deal is.  It's a 1999 so the older body type which has a bit more character in my opinion.  New brakes in two weeks, maybe she'll start playing nice with me since I've been putting a lot of money into it lately, we'll see! Also, it's quite zippy, just press the "sport" button and that thing gets going....fun on open roads, which you don't find much of around here but back in VT where I used to live, it was great!

Jason - Zipcar has BMWs of that vintage (the 1999-2005 3 series, or the E46 if you really want to get enthusiastic) and that engine. I drove one recently, it was fun.  Except that it was an automatic, which sort of takes most of the fun out of driving a car like that IMHO.

CB M: only owned 2 automatics in my life (rodeo and discovery)... I Ioathe them.  I used to be a little bit of a track junkie back in the day... so I'm a transmission snob.

CB - suprisingly the 9000 Turbo was great!  I know, I know I read a ton of bad press on the car but it was awesome!  Even in Vermont (where I went to school) - better yet, even in -10 temps, the car started like a charm each and every time.  

Now I am as much a snob when it comesto cars as you are!  I don't think I will ever drive an American car (but possibly a truck - if I remotely enjoyed driving them - hate being so high) so I am staying German or Japanese.  My father got me into the German cars after he rolled in one day with the classic 735i.  What a sick ride for the time.  Since then we have always been an anti-Mercedes family - I don't trust any "sports car" makers that don't import their cars (as sick as some of the AMG's are) in stick.  Tiptronic? Please....no clutch, no go for this kid.  I really don't understand the folks who say shit to me like, "You drive stick in the city?" - come on, unless you're from NJ, why the heck would I drive into the city?  Brooklyn driving in a manual car isn't tough at all.  Anyway, as you can see from this diatrive, I can go on and on about cars....especially German one's - I really love cars.  Buddy just got the 330X - 6 speed and its sweet.  My next car, if I can ever afford it, will be the RS6 - the thing just looks badass.  Oh, and gotta love the R8 (or was it an R6?) they drive in the movie Ronin - most car lovers I know love this movie...

Jason - good to know man, thanks.  I recently put $3K into it  - new clutch, new tranny.....went to my man Ami @ Alfa of Brooklyn - which just so happens to be about 2 blocks from where I live!  They are awesome there.

We use Zipcar for when we need a car, which is about 4 times a year.  So many people with cars!  Is this LA or NY?!

Mercury

i haven't had a car in 7 yrs or so. hoping to keep that trend for awhile.

i do miss driving every once in awhile.

my former car history:
'73 black karmann ghia with a racing stick and dual carbs (was so loud!) -- named him Pepe'
'95 black mazda miata -- named him Don Juanito
'98 black jeep grande cherokee  -- named him Al

now i have my legs and an occasional cab.

car:  nissan 350z touring
reason:  it's yellow.

oh, and i also never have to give anyone rides!

I drive whatever I can get my hands on... My semi regularly accessed cars (none of which I own in any real sense) are

Chrysler Town and Country (stow and go setas baby)
Volkswagon Beetle - I have absolutely nothing positive to say here
1984 Volvo 240 - in perfect condition... really is one of my dream cars
1996 Subary Legagy GT Wagon -  I love this car so much
2007 Jaguar XK - I don't drive my uncles baby that often but when I do it is awesome.

I have owned only the Subaru (now in my bro's hands) but I had a job where I had a garage full of BMW x5s and 300xis in every color... that was a good job

I have a fleet of yellow crown victorias, always waiting for me on the street.  And when they aren't around, I use my fleet of black town cars.  LOL!  I don't have a drivers license anymore....

Julia:  please tell me it's a 6 speed.  

my old Z: farm1.static.flickr.com/…

russ! haha

i let my license expire a long time ago too

Jason, sorry to break your heart, but it is unfortunately an auto.
It was bought used, fully loaded, but a couple of g's below MSRP.. so despite being non-manual, it was very very worth it.

2007 VW GLI

And Julia do you park that Nissan 350Z down around Division and Orchard?  I'm sure there are more than one yellow 350z's in the area, but not too many.

Julia: i was in love for a hot second but i'm sorry to say you have now dropped down a notch.  I don't mix well with auto owners... if you don't use both feet you aren't really driving.

Jason-

I was a die hard manual kinda guy until I got my GLI.  The new DSG setup on the VW is AMAZING!!!!  8ms shift times, basically faster than you can move the shifter, let alone the clutch.  But most auto's just don't cut it

Jason - I shudder when I see sports cars in automatic.  Saw one this summer - beautiful brand spanking new 911 Turbo black on black, I glance over at the tranny and see the dreaded AUTOMATIC shifter.  can't believe how lazy Americans are (well, ya I can) - everywhere in Europe or Asia I travelled, all the rent a cars were manual.  everyone should learn how to drive on a stick IMO.

Honda civic... *yawn*

oh, i forgot the "why?"
'cause i'm poor.

This should put the automatic/manual discussion to bed...

car-reviews.automobile.c…

DSG will be the tranny of the future...

I used to agree with the "automatic trans = sacrilege" sentiment until I moved to a city where you spend most of your time riding the fucking clutch in bumper to bumper traffic.  Sorry but I don't want my left calf muscle to be +2" in circumference to my right calf.  And also don't want to buy a new clutch every year.

When I move to an area where I can actually drive, it'll be a 6-speed manual all the way.

Peter: yeah I agree, the DSG is fun.  My buddy has a new GTI with it and I've driven it plenty of times.  However, i still like to use my left foot even if the DSG shifts quicker.  Just makes me feel more involved in the driving experience.

Snarky:  I spent 3 years with manual transmissions (2 cars and a motorcycle) in DC... the traffic is horrible there but still I loved my manual.  my left calf was the same size as my right.  And I've never burnt through a clutch in my life.  I put over 100k on my audi... which had a bigger turbo kit (260hp compared to 150 stock) and a couple of track days and attempted 4 wheel burnouts and the stock clutch was still doing fine when it got totalled by a truck on the cross bronx.  I really can't fathom how people go through a clutch in a year.

Right now
2002 Nissan maxima  POS  wife's car

1991 Honda CRX SI stolen may 2007 ... my 2nd love..

2001 Acura Integra TYPE R Yellow.. Stolen 2004... BEST FWD car ever made for track

2004 Subaru WRX STI  boosted to 490 RWHP... POS  traded in ... droppes a valve....

2005 Mitsubishi EVO IX  money maker sold for more money in 3 months....

2000 Honda Civic SI ELECTRON BLUE.... BROKEN IN 3 TIMES.... stolen 3 times... totalled 3rd time  .. got back how much i pd for in 2004 after 40k miles..

2000 Toyota CELICA GTS..... crap....

the list goes on...

Jason - yeah, I'll go back to manual I'm sure.  But there are some days on the BQE when I'm glad I don't have to spend 2 hrs pumping the clutch.

Benjamin - that SUCKS

Snarky:  I know that all too well... back in college I dated a girl in brooklyn (when I was living on LI during the breaks) and would spend hours on the Belt pkwy stuck in bumper to bumper traffic.  Sometimes my left leg would be burning by the time I finally made it to sheepshead bay.  Still loved the car... but developed a deep hatred for brooklyn (especially when my baby was hit 2x's and broken into 1x )

525i. oooh i would die without the heated seats in the morning.

FD3S

05 c55 same sara, couldnt live without heated seats in the morning.
05 r6

I completely agree Sara...  My seats are set to 3 for the rest of the winter.  I call my garage 10 minutes before so the car is warm (including the seats) when I get down there....

It is the best...

i don't drive in NYC but the BQE/Belt/Gowanus?  its easy.....I stay within 1st and 2nd, don't ever have to touch the brake pad but find that in my car 1st is the perfect gear to slow down just enough to the stop....before shifting back into 2nd.  no biggie, really...besides, I would fall asleep if I had to drive an automatic.

Karan are you into street racing??  
I mean a NO2 burning Suburu Impreza *AND* a Mitsubishi Evo?

J T. says:

Damn near impossible to get a BJ  while driving a manual though!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
you are wrong... when on the highway it is no problem.  

Though if you are parked, remember to pull up the ebrake.  I have a habit of just leaving it in gear and once while I was getting some action her leg hit the shifter and knocked it out of gear and the car started rolling.  By the time I reacted and yanked the ebrake we had rolled quite a distance... the car stopped 2 1/2 feet from the driver's door of another parked car.  I just left it there and finished up what I was doing though...

1st car: 1998 Acura TL- bubble gum pink w/ spoilers
2nd car: 1998 Mercedes Benz s280- champagne
3rd car: 2000 Ford Explorer- Silver Chrome

yup... i actually have pictures of all of these. lol
my parents nearly killed me for getting my Acura painted up pink...

now: i take mass transit and try not to strangle myself.

2006 Volvo S40 (for city driving)
1993 Jeep Cherokee w/ 3.5" lift, 31" tires, pre-runner bumper, 9000lb. winch, rock rails, fog/driving lights out the wazoo, roof rack mounted spare, flowmaster exhaust, slip-yoke eliminator w/ custom drive shaft, optiima yellow top (currently dead), custom wiring harness, etc etc.

I only use the Jeep for snow / trail-riding. Its a roll-over survivor in mint condition but makes for a fun toy!

My first was an "actual" Austin MINI 1964. Way cooler than the new ones. The nxt after 5 years of not having one, was a '74 Fiat 124 sport. What a piece of trash! Then a '74 Super Beetle, again way cooler then the new ones. After that I kind of inherited a couple of real junkers till I got my '85 Dodge Ram PU. When that old reliable beast was on it's last legs, I again inherited my '98 NEON coupe. Still running strong, and 35 mpg is OK with me.

I drive a chick's car lol- a 2002 Silver Honda Accord Coupe.  Everyone I ever see driving my car is an attractive girl around my age- I think there's some type of "gotta be at least cute" to drive and Accord Coupe, RSX or Jetta.


Guys must be so disappointed when they stop next to me at a light...

Teresa G. says:
Honda civic... *yawn*

*Double yawn* sister.
2003 Blue Pearl Civic Ex with ugly rims. 5 speed, but not because I'm poor, but because I drive once a week (I've actually haven't driven in a month... it's a record for me). I could get away without a car, but it's only to regain my sanity. Not to propagate the manual transmission drama, but it makes every difference. Traffic blows chunks, but you know, it makes me appreciate driving more... great for driving abroad!

Of course one day when Wadsworth drives me around in a lovely car, I won't care if the car is an auto or a manny tranny.

Re:the auto vs. manual debate, auto may not be as cool, but people forget it has first and second gear also.  I use them during rush hour when I have to drive for work and make a lot more lights/brake a lot less.  Just don't go too fast and ruin your transmission.

CB M. says:

Karan are you into street racing??  
I mean a NO2 burning Suburu Impreza *AND* a Mitsubishi Evo?

No street racing.. these cars I had when i was in VA. used to take em on the track at VIR and the summit in WVA... by the way I am a ASE tech ...did some work my self... those 2 cars are crap..

nothin beats NA hi revvin Hondas...

I used to have a 2003 BMW 330i..... really great blue color. Amazing car - i sold it when i moved to NY. I miss it tons.