Spin-off first car: What is your dream car?

[Indigo Blue]

Just for fun. If money were no object, what would be your dream car?

First of all I might just very well keep my CRV, but if I needed to buy a new car and if money weren’t an obstacle, I would test drive these and pick one. 
 

White Volvo SUV. 

Dodge Challenger (not a fast one, and it would be an automatic). 

Maybe look into getting one of those old Japanese Land Rovers imported? May not be a comfy ride…..

I might would test drive a Toyota FJ Cruiser. 
 

Just for fun. I’m happy with what I have. 

[QueenCat]

One that is truly self-driving and safe. That would give me more independence as I age. 

[GoVanGogh]

I love old trucks and vans. Seriously love them. 

[happi duck]

'57 Chevy or an 80s Corvette!

[SKL]

Aesthetically, I generally like Mazda designs.  I also want safety and fuel efficiency.

[MercyA]

A camper conversion van with a bathroom. 🙂 

[73349]

I don't dream of any particular car, but of features.

• Cup holders tall enough for Klean Kanteens to stay upright in any turn. Stop letting McDonald's tell you what we're bringing to drink.
• Amazing fuel efficiency.
• Probably a hatchback--I like a large opening for the trunk.
• Ultra-reliable.
• No forced technology (OnStar, remote start, etc.).
• Back seats with enough leg room for a six-foot-tall passenger, at least for a 2-hour ride.
• Turns on a dime; fairly small overall & easy to park. (Okay, this is my current car's area of strength.)
• Light gray interior that doesn't show dirt easily but also doesn't absorb much heat.

Edited March 9, 2023 by 73349

[Arcadia]

For aesthetics, the Ferrari SF90 Stradale https://www.ferrari.com/en-US/auto/sf90-stradale

For practicality, the Toyota Sienna Hybrid 8 seater 

For road-trips, the Wingamm Oasis 540 https://www.wingamm.com/us/camper-caravan/oasi-540-2/

[Corraleno]

2023 Honda CRV Hybrid 

When I replaced my 15 yr old Odyssey, I was torn between the CRV and Subaru Forrester, and eventually decided to go with the Forrester because it was $4-5K cheaper than the CRV for the features I wanted. But I don't like the Forrester as much as I'd hoped and I kinda wish I'd bought the CRV. But I really don't drive much (I've had the Forrester for 3.5 years and it has less than 3000 miles on it), so it's hard to justify getting a newer and more expensive car just for the weekly Trader Joe's run. 

[AbcdeDooDah]

Blacked out Toyota 4-Runner. White.

[TechWife]

A Kia electric Soul. They aren’t being made any more.

[Selkie]

2 hours ago, Indigo Blue said:

I might would test drive a Toyota FJ Cruiser.

That’s my dream car, which I am lucky enough to have.🙂 Got it a few years ago after wanting one for years.

[Indigo Blue]

2 hours ago, QueenCat said:

One that is truly self-driving and safe. That would give me more independence as I age. 

Good point! But self driving scares me, lol.

[Indigo Blue]

1 hour ago, MercyA said:

A camper conversion van with a bathroom. 🙂 

You can join my son in his van down by the river!😊

He's always joking about that.

[Indigo Blue]

1 hour ago, 73349 said:

I don't dream of any particular car, but of features.

• Cup holders tall enough for Klean Kanteens to stay upright in any turn. Stop letting McDonald's tell you what we're bringing to drink.
• Amazing fuel efficiency.
• Probably a hatchback--I like a large opening for the trunk.
• Ultra-reliable.
• No forced technology (OnStar, remote start, etc.).
• Back seats with enough leg room for a six-foot-tall passenger, at least for a 2-hour ride.
• Turns on a dime; fairly small overall & easy to park. (Okay, this is my current car's area of strength.)
• Light gray interior that doesn't show dirt easily but also doesn't absorb much heat.

That pretty much describes my CRV. Well, you could probably do better than that on fuel efficiency. 🙃

Edited March 9, 2023 by Indigo Blue

[Indigo Blue]

3 minutes ago, Selkie said:

That’s my dream car, which I am lucky enough to have.🙂 Got it a few years ago after wanting one for years.

Lucky you! What color is yours?

[Spy Car]

Mrs Spy Car's dream automobile has long been a Subaru Crosstrek. This Christmas we were able to turn the dream into a reality.

We both love the special edition Desert Khaki color (a color of many "moods"), and it is a really fun car to drive. Not too big. Not too small. Suits her perfectly.

Bill

[Indigo Blue]

That is really nice, @Spy Car. Love the black rims and the color. I’m glad she loves it!

[Selkie]

13 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

Lucky you! What color is yours?

Black. It was a real stroke of luck how I got it. My previous vehicle got struck by lightning and totaled. Right when that happened, this FJ popped up on the market. FJ’s usually get snapped up right away, but I was able to jump on it and get it. It was fate, and now I’m keeping it forever!

[Katy]

Mine I already had and sold before kids. It was a 2002 Miata. I loved that car. DH hated it. 
 

[Spy Car]

26 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

That is really nice, @Spy Car. Love the black rims and the color. I’m glad she loves it!

The color is really trippy. It is one of these "modern" (again) flat colors with no metal flake, and it takes on a different look depending on the lighting conditions. I find myself going outside just to stare at it sometimes.

Bill

 

[Indigo Blue]

31 minutes ago, Selkie said:

Black. It was a real stroke of luck how I got it. My previous vehicle got struck by lightning and totaled. Right when that happened, this FJ popped up on the market. FJ’s usually get snapped up right away, but I was able to jump on it and get it. It was fate, and now I’m keeping it forever!

Nice! I would keep it forever, too. 

[Indigo Blue]

6 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

The color is really trippy. It is one of these "modern" (again) flat colors with no metal flake, and it takes on a different look depending on the lighting conditions. I find myself going outside just to stare at it sometimes.

Bill

 

Yes, I know that type of paint. It does have a different look from what we’re used to seeing. It’s strangely flat, but appealing, too. 

[ScoutTN]

I really do not know what I would choose as I have never really gotten to pick a car before. We get the most reliable car we can find that will fit our tight budget. No choices on features. I drive a 2011 Subaru Forester, which handles nicely but is too small, has an uncomfortable seat, cloth seats which I detest, and a meh ride. Dh bought it. I miss my Honda Odyssey.

My preferences:

SUV height. I need the higher from the floor seat and I love the better visibility.

Big enough for 6ft+ adult male to ride comfortably in the backseat for more than a short trip.

I will sacrifice some gas milage for weight and a better ride.

Leather seats with warmers. Preferably tan/beige interior. The light gray shows loads of dirt. 

A light exterior color, not dark or bright.

Paid for. Low miles.

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by ScoutTN

[TheReader]

I really really really really love the look of the old VW Kharmen Ghia (which I cannot spell, but whatever). 

Completely impractical, but I've told DH if ever we win the lottery, inherit a huge sum, sell some stock at an enormous life-changing gain, etc, this is what I'd buy with my winnings. They are just so freaking adorable. 

If we're going realistic/actually practical, then honestly? Our older CR-V is my favorite car we've ever owned. The interior is not in great shape (it developed a mysterious, impossible to locate & thus impossible to repair, leak, so currently has all the carpet out), it runs semi-clunky these days (it's a 2003, after all....), but of all the cars we've had, it's still my favorite. (we bought it new, and then it stayed here while we were in Brazil) So, I'd just maybe get it into "like new" condition again, if such a thing is possible....

 

[Elizabeth86]

I would have a plum crazy purple 1970 Challenger!

[Indigo Blue]

5 minutes ago, Elizabeth86 said:

I would have a plum crazy purple 1970 Challenger!

Yes!

😁

Edited March 9, 2023 by Indigo Blue

[Spy Car]

 

 

As a kid in the 1960s I really had a thing for Jaguars, both the S-type and the E-type (XKE). They still make me swoon.

S-type:

 

And E-type (XKE):

 

Works of art.

Bill

[HomeAgain]

I really like my car.  It's slightly neurotic and nervous, lol, but it has all the features I wanted except one. 

I prefer working public transportation over cars anyway, so my ideal car would be a high speed rail system connecting the large cities in the U.S. and smaller rail systems to outlying towns.

[Indigo Blue]

Edited March 9, 2023 by Indigo Blue

[Indigo Blue]

The new Ford Bronco above is adorable. Never been a Ford person, but I wonder about the durability and reliability of these. They look great. This one is 2023 model. 

Edited March 9, 2023 by Indigo Blue

[Spy Car]

32 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

When I was in 6th Grade (still elementary school in those days) one of the teachers purchased a Toyota Land Cruiser (FJ40) that looked like this:

I nearly died.

Bill

[Corraleno]

56 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

 

 

As a kid in the 1960s I really had a thing for Jaguars, both the S-type and the E-type (XKE). They still make me swoon.

S-type:

 

And E-type (XKE):

 

Works of art.

Bill

Once while traveling from the UK to France, we shared the ferry with a Classic Jaguar club — there were at least 100 cars and they were going to be roadtripping through Europe. Once we were all loaded on the ferry, everyone walked around admiring the cars (and of course the owners were more than happy to talk about them!), and then we saw many of them again as we drove south. There is really no cooler way to tour Europe than in a 1960s E-type Jag with the top down!

[wisdomandtreasures]

A fuel-efficient (like 100 miles to the gallon or more... Hey, you said "dream"!) 15-passenger van that's low to the ground (I test-drove one and it was so high that turning corners made me feel like the whole thing would tip over) and has the back couple of benches taken out so it doubles as a pickup truck for my large mini-farming, bulk-buying family. Oh, and light pink and covered in flowers. 🙂

[Spy Car]

16 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

Once while traveling from the UK to France, we shared the ferry with a Classic Jaguar club — there were at least 100 cars and they were going to be roadtripping through Europe. Once we were all loaded on the ferry, everyone walked around admiring the cars (and of course the owners were more than happy to talk about them!), and then we saw many of them again as we drove south. There is really no cooler way to tour Europe than in a 1960s E-type Jag with the top down!

Green with envy.

The Jaguar XKEs were "popular" here in Los Angeles during the 1960s. For some reason, I used to particularly see them being driven in Laurel Canyon (Hollywood Hills) which at the time was a populated by musicians like Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Neil Young, Steven Stills, Jim Morrison, Frank Zappa, the Momas and the Popas, and such.

These "hippies" drove some nice vehicles.

Bill

 

 

 

 

[Carol in Cal.]

Tesla SUV is my dream car.  In older cars, a mint condition Mercedes 450SL from the early 80s would be so awesome.

But really, I’d be happy with a newer Suburu with snow tires.

[DawnM]

I would love an older Aston Martin.

[DawnM]

Years ago, when I was still teaching in L.A. my student were having a debate.   Half of them thought I was the BMW type and the other half thought I was a VW Bug type.  😂

[Ting Tang]

My dream car is a Volvo.  I used to own one, but now I have to drive an overpriced minivan because I decided it was a good idea to have a big family, lol.  

[rebcoola]

Their has been talk here of buying a classic Kharmen Ghia and puting a viper engine in it that would be pretty sweet.  

The Electirc vw bus for kid hauling but mine wont need it by the time its availble.

[Eos]

Dream car: Citroen 2CV  https://www.motortrend.com/vehicle-genres/citroen-2cv-history-photos/

I had three Saab 96s back in the day, which were the best cars to drive - the "free-wheel" feature made them incredibly fuel efficient plus who doesn't want to look like they're driving around in a giant metal cockroach? (See dream car above) 

The 1969 96 like mine: https://www.lanemotormuseum.org/collection/cars/item/saab-96-v4-1969

My other dream car was one I had a couple of as well: the Volvo 122 "Amazon."  I bought our first one split with Dh (then bf) for $150.00.  https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1966-volvo-122s-2/

You can see the trend.

[Spy Car]

29 minutes ago, Eos said:

Dream car: Citroen 2CV  https://www.motortrend.com/vehicle-genres/citroen-2cv-history-photos/

I had three Saab 96s back in the day, which were the best cars to drive - the "free-wheel" feature made them incredibly fuel efficient plus who doesn't want to look like they're driving around in a giant metal cockroach? (See dream car above) 

The 1969 96 like mine: https://www.lanemotormuseum.org/collection/cars/item/saab-96-v4-1969

My other dream car was one I had a couple of as well: the Volvo 122 "Amazon."  I bought our first one split with Dh (then bf) for $150.00.

 

You can see the trend.

After I graduated from college, and started making some money, I started looking for my first "real" car.

"Real" being a loose concept, as I did look at potentially purchasing a new Yugo. LOL. When the brake lever seemed to bend a bit when I mashed it on my test drive, I decided no on that option.

Then I found a place in Hollywood selling the Citroen Deux Chevaux (2CV). They were quasi-legal, as the shop was importing these in parts and assembling them here in LA. This got around a bunch of laws (evidently). I fell hard for a black and burgundy model that looked like this:

The roofs on these rolled back making them "convertibles." Can't remember precisely what they cost, but it was within my budget.

I very nearly went for it, but then the practical side of me wondered who was going to fix it when it broke? Boy was I torn. But I passed.

Then my Dad found a beautiful MGB GT in British Racing Green. Mint. Absolute beauty. Wood dash and wood steering wheel. Like this:

 

It was a little bit outside my budget, but my Dad offered to pay made up the gap (and was wildly excited about it). But--again being "practical," at 6' 2" (and long in the seat) the MG was really too short. Passing this one hurt.

Finally I found a cherry 1959 VW. Like this:

Drove this Bug for a long time. Loved it.

And I share your appreciation of those old Saabs and Volvos. My kind of cars.

Bill

[Spy Car]

 

@Eos @Indigo Blue When my Mom got rid of her classic 1932 Chevrolet Coupe (with a rumble seat) in the mid 1960s, she got a Renault Dauphine similar to the one below (ours had standard American left-hand drive):

After a few years with the Dauphine, she transitioned to a 1967 VW Bug.

Then, as I was about to enter high school, she was in the market for another car. She was thinking maybe a Pinto (this was when they were new and had not started exploding), but I threw a fit and was successfully able to convince her to get a Peugeot 304 instead.

Looked like this: 

Ours was the silver-blue as above (rather than this green below) but this is a better picture:

In all the years we had this wonderful Peugeot 304, I'm not sure I saw another one on the roads here in LA. The larger 504s were around (not many, but "some"), but we many have been the only family to actually buy a 304. LOL

You can see the trend 

Bill

 

[Indigo Blue]

Thanks @Spy Car. Nice cars. Love the light blue Dauphine!

[Corraleno]

In the early 90s, when I was buying/wrecking/rebuying used Volvo sedans, my dream car was the little Volvo P1800 sports car. My best friend had a dark green one and I was so jealous, I made her promise me that if she ever decided to sell it she'd give me first dibs. Then I drove it and that was the end of that, lol. It was like driving a quirky, unwieldy, tempermental bus, but without the advantages of height and visibility.  But they sure are cute.

[Corraleno]

I did get to own my dream camper — a 1959 Airstream Safari International. It was a rare model that had two twin beds with a bunk above one of them, plus the "dinette" at the front converted to a double bed, so it could comfortably sleep 5 even though it was only 22'. And it had been on one of the official Airstream-sponsored trips through Europe and Africa and had some cool metal badges from that. I sold it due to the divorce. <sob>

It looked like this, but mine was older (this is a '64) and less shiny:

[Spy Car]

12 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

In the early 90s, when I was buying/wrecking/rebuying used Volvo sedans, my dream car was the little Volvo P1800 sports car. My best friend had a dark green one and I was so jealous, I made her promise me that if she ever decided to sell it she'd give me first dibs. Then I drove it and that was the end of that, lol. It was like driving a quirky, unwieldy, tempermental bus, but without the advantages of height and visibility.  But they sure are cute.

I loved the looks of those Volvo P1800s. We had a teacher in high school (who taught photography, when that was still a thing) who had one in that color. I was impressed.

I was unaware they didn't handle well.

Back in the 80s my friend Grace had a Volvo 122S (that she called "Volvina") that she had driven forever. looked like:

 

Not sure why exactly, but "Volvina" no longer had a functioning ignition key, so Grace would start her up using a screwdriver that she kept stashed up in the visor.

I remember one saying, "Gracie, aren't you worried about someone stealing Volvina?" She laughed, and said, "Oh William!"

Volvina was famous in our circle. Beloved.

Bill

[Spy Car]

33 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

I did get to own my dream camper — a 1959 Airstream Safari International. It was a rare model that had two twin beds with a bunk above one of them, plus the "dinette" at the front converted to a double bed, so it could comfortably sleep 5 even though it was only 22'. And it had been on one of the official Airstream-sponsored trips through Europe and Africa and had some cool metal badges from that. I sold it due to the divorce. <sob>

It looked like this, but mine was older (this is a '64) and less shiny:

Mrs Spy Car has always loved Airstreams. Me too.

Bill

[Corraleno]

9 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

Not sure why exactly, but "Volvina" no longer had a functioning ignition key, so Grace would start her up using a screwdriver that she kept stashed up in the visor.

My college boyfriend had an old Volvo with the same issue — he started it by joining some wires together with an alligator clip, lol. He named it Bondo because there was so much body filler.

I was Cuba a few years ago and there are tons of old American cars there from the 50s and 60s that somehow keep running despite the lack of parts. DS and I once found ourselves stranded late at night in an area far away from where the hotels and regular taxis are so we had to flag down a local "taxi" — which is basically anyone with a functional car that tapes a handwritten sign inside the windshield saying "TAXI." They usually only charge a dollar or two for Cubans, vs the much higher prices that the real taxis charge visitors. The car we got in was very early 50s and was literally held together with duct tape and coat hangers. We had to climb in the same side because the other door was wired shut, there were holes in the floor, and the car stalled out several times on the trip. The hotel doormen were super surprised when DS and I emerged from that car, lol! And the driver was pleasantly surprised when I paid him what I figured it would have cost for a real taxi, instead of the dollar or two he expected. 

[Spy Car]

There was a car made in Ukraine in the 1970s that I really like design-wise, although the 40 horsepower is a bit underwhelming 

Introducing the ZAZ-968 Zaporozhets:

 

Unfortunately the ZAZ-968 also attracted the attention of one future evil dictator. Oh well.

 

Bill