Automotive Guilty Pleasures

[Michelin Man]

On the subject of the Ford Cougar; since it's being discussed in this weeks GTP Cool Wall, I've always been fond of the Cougar, despite the fact it was based on the Mondeo (which is by no means terrible IMO), and build quality was iffy at times.

Nonetheless, alway's liked it, I think GT2 is partly to blame for that . And of course, it's at it's best in 2.5 Duratec V6 form

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

Someone talk me out of buying one.

 

[Obelisk]

View attachment 626179

Someone talk me out of buying one.

Don't buy it.

 

[Michelin Man]

Don't buy it.

No, buy a Subaru Justy instead

 

[Johnny1996]

View attachment 626179

Someone talk me out of buying one.

I will. Provided that means that I can buy it instead.

...

Why the hell do I like that so much!?

I'm a diehard American muscle guy. I'm not supposed to like stuff like this.

 

[MedigoFlame]

On the subject of the Ford Cougar; since it's being discussed in this weeks GTP Cool Wall, I've always been fond of the Cougar, despite the fact it was based on the Mondeo (which is by no means terrible imo), and build quality was iffy a times.

Nonetheless, alway's liked it, I think GT2 is partly to blame for that . And of course, it's at it's best in 2.5 Duratec V6 form

View attachment 625648

I actually liked these as a kid. I still have a soft spot to this day and never see them on the road anymore. There was one a couple blocks away from my parents house. Now I'm curious if it's still there, haven't walked through the neighborhood in years. Did consider one as first car too.

 

[Brutaka]

My favorite Miatas:

1. NB
2. NA
3. 124
4. ND
5. NC

 

[homeforsummer]

Someone talk me out of buying one.

No. Buy one.

Thought of another of mine:

Somehow the appeal of these has increased recently as Jaguar desperately strives to be modern and sassy and has instead ended up producing a bunch of cars that feel like German ones only not quite as good. The X-Type might have been a bit self-consciously retro and olde-worlde Jaggish, and now seems a bit uncool because of it, but ultimately it was just a pretty good car. Given everything else in this class has since become quite ostentatious, it even seems fairly understated these days.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

After being across the pond:

Outside of the Cactus, I found this was one of the vehicles I was most often checking out. The mix of a higher ride height and that aggressive one-box shape is quite striking compared to the average North American minivan. I think Renault would sell boatloads here.

Ah, turn-of-the-century Volkswagen. Where overly-complex was the bare minimum. A humdrum exec gets a unique W8 engine, a supercar doubles down on that (with four turbos strapped on), and even an Audi wagon gets a V10 putting down nearly 600hp.

The W8 Passat was handsome in that sort of slightly anonymous way. It was a design book Ford of North America cribbed heavily off of during that time (with the infinitely more boring Five Hundred). There's no rational reason to want the car — there were better cars in its class — but it remains a curio in automotive history.

 

[homeforsummer]

Outside of the Cactus, I found this was one of the vehicles I was most often checking out. The mix of a higher ride height and that aggressive one-box shape is quite striking compared to the average North American minivan. I think Renault would sell boatloads here.

Do like the new Espace. Have travelled in the back of a few on events and they feel quite special from back there.

with the infinitely more boring Five Hundred

Always thought it a great shame that the production car looked so dull, given how brilliant the 427 concept that spawned it looked.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

yes, I also like the final generation of the Mercury Cougar. Just for the styling and nostagia reasons as it was the first car I drove in GT2. I actually use to drive it a lot in arcade mode when I was little.

 

[Sage Ages]

It's a Civic, it's not a hatchback, and it has a tiny single cam motor instead of the precious B16A engine that God intended this vehicle to have.


And that's the way it should be.

 

[SPhilli911]

I wouldn't admit this to anyone in person, but I want a Suzuki Samurai. And a matching wind breaker.

"Honey look, an avalanche is coming right at us!"

 

[TexRex]

 

[Greycap]

Thought of another of mine:

*Jaguar X-Type*

I actually wouldn't mind an X-Type myself, and I'd go a step further in wanting it to be a wagon. Always liked the looks and despite being related to the Mondeo of the time it apparently drives quite a lot better.

 

[TexRex]

I'd go a step further in wanting it to be a wagon.

It'd have to be for me. At least the wagon does away with half of the melting-at-both-ends appearance (something the CLA suffers from tremendously) of the danged thing.

 

[homeforsummer]

Marketing guy: "We need a side graphic for the car. Think of anything good?"

Designer: [Scribbles marker]

Marketing guy: "Perfect"

It'd have to be for me. At least the wagon does away with half of the melting-at-both-ends appearance (something the CLA suffers from tremendously) of the danged thing.

I actually prefer the saloon. Wouldn't say it's nearly as melty as a CLA, and in the right colours (darker ones, preferably) it can look quite handsome. Trim is also important though. The X-type can look a bit olde-worlde-British with chrome bits all over it, so the sport models with body-colour grille, window trim etc (as in the picture I posted) work a bit better.

 

[Legro]

I went through a brief phase of looking at buying a 4WD V6 X-Type last year, when I decided that I needed something bit more suitable for our winters, but eventually gave up with the idea after getting a rather good deal on a Cooper S MINI. This could have been slightly influenced by my earlier consideration of a Rover 75, which is quite similarly styled car.

Speaking of the 75, it definitely does count as a guilty pleasure for me.

 

[titleguy1]

I don't know alright

 

[MisterWaffles]

I don't know alright

I personally think the 2015 version looked the best.

 

[homeforsummer]

Speaking of the 75, it definitely does count as a guilty pleasure for me.

Been there, worn the flat cap:

Genuinely good cars. Mine wasn't, since I strongly suspect it'd been a minicab at some point, but I'd happily buy another. V6 and auto preferably, rather than diesel and manual. Too many other things I want to own first though before I return to a car I've already had (ignoring I did that already with the MX-5).

 

[SlipZtrEm]

It'd have to be for me. At least the wagon does away with half of the melting-at-both-ends appearance (something the CLA suffers from tremendously) of the danged thing.

Ah, it's such a huge shame the CLA Shooting Brake isn't sold on this side of the pond. Saw a few last month and it fixes what I believe is the major issue with the car's looks: the droopiness.

...

The first-gen Solara. I have a soft spot for these after reading a review in one of the first car magazines I had as a kid. Bland 90's Japanese styling that made the contemporary Accord Coupe look daring, but to 12 year-old me, it seemed like a classy way to get around. Probably runs forever, too.

 

[Zyla]

Ah, it's such a huge shame the CLA Shooting Brake isn't sold on this side of the pond. Saw a few last month and it fixes what I believe is the major issue with the car's looks: the droopiness.

...

View attachment 632927

The first-gen Solara. I have a soft spot for these after reading a review in one of the first car magazines I had as a kid. Bland 90's Japanese styling that made the contemporary Accord Coupe look daring, but to 12 year-old me, it seemed like a classy way to get around. Probably runs forever, too.

Love the first gens! But man is that some monster truck height. lol

 

[Johnny_Clash]

I wouldn't admit this to anyone in person, but I want a Suzuki Samurai. And a matching wind breaker.

"Honey look, an avalanche is coming right at us!"

Absolutely zero shame in wanting a Samurai. I should find a matching wind-breaker, though.

 

[Michelin Man]

The 1st gen Kia Pro-Cee'd

Don't really now why, but I've always had a bit of a hankering for the original Pro-Cee'd, always quite like the way they looked, thought it was quite a stylish thing.

 

[Zyla]

-

 

[MedigoFlame]

Ah, it's such a huge shame the CLA Shooting Brake isn't sold on this side of the pond. Saw a few last month and it fixes what I believe is the major issue with the car's looks: the droopiness.

...

View attachment 632927

The first-gen Solara. I have a soft spot for these after reading a review in one of the first car magazines I had as a kid. Bland 90's Japanese styling that made the contemporary Accord Coupe look daring, but to 12 year-old me, it seemed like a classy way to get around. Probably runs forever, too.

I've considered a first generation Solara as a winter beater, but....the majority of them on craigslist are rusted out here in Maine.

My boss got a Genesis G90 (formerly known as the Hyundai Equus) as a press car this week. I was genuinely impressed by it. Can't help but think of people still disliking Korean cars, but the G90 feels like it could be on par with the more expensive rivals. Unfortunately, I don't think it'd be the second coming of the Lexus LS.

People will say it just looks like a copy of this car or that car, but, I really like the way the rear looks on the G90, gives it some class.

 

[MedigoFlame]

Apologies for the double post, but I suppose a month's difference is okay?

I don't know why, but I quite like the Toyota Prius Prime. I'm sure the Prius has been mentioned here before. But the current regular Prius is just downright hideous. On the other hand, the Prime is actually quite attractive. Especially in grey.

 

[ToyGTone]

Apologies for the double post, but I suppose a month's difference is okay?

I don't know why, but I quite like the Toyota Prius Prime. I'm sure the Prius has been mentioned here before. But the current regular Prius is just downright hideous. On the other hand, the Prime is actually quite attractive. Especially in grey.

This is probably the best looking prius IMO.
This is what the regular prius should have looked like, not that ugly crap we got.

 

[Razor440]

It still reeks from that Prius aesthetic. Still prefer the first gen over anything else with the Prius name.