What's your daily driver? What do you like and dislike about it? Example:

Primary Car: 2014 Ford Taurus SHO

Likes:

~Receives lots of compliments from strangers, who weren't even aware that Ford still builds the Taurus.

~It's quick! 0-60 in the low fives, and great mid-range acceleration. Entering crowded interstates off of short entrance ramps is a no-brainer!

~All-wheel-drive makes bad-weather driving easy and confidence-inspiring, even with V-rated all-seasons on all four corners.

~Stable, predictable handling, quick steering and strongish brakes. Last year, I literally had to dive for the weeds when some teen doltette coming out of a blind curve thought that it was more important to text one of her girlfriends than to keep her Honda Accord on her side of the road. No damage to car or driver. I definitely would have been tits-up if I tried that move in one of my old SUV's.

~Comfortable and quiet interior. Combined with a massive trunk, it's a great interstate car.

Dislikes:

~You just can't see out of the damn thing. High beltline/low roofline/very high decklid height makes seeing anything behind you, particularly directly behind, a hit-or-miss proposition. Sometimes literally...

~It has it's appetites, preferring to snack on V-rated 45-series rubber, and attempting to run it's twin-turbos on anything less than 91-93 octane is almost sacrilegious.

I'm driving my 013 VW Jetta Diesel sportwagen with the six speed manual. The suspension is a little squishy for my taste but in a pinch it will handle whatever I give it. The wagon feature is perfect for me and the fuel economy is outstanding.

Its really tinney though compared to the bank vault like Mercedes.

It is basic by todays standards (reminds me of a 240D) but it will really hustle when the turbo kicks in, fastest Diesel I have owned by far.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

'74 280C, old, slow (comparatively), gas sucking, needs paint.

Reliable, solid, paid for, gets looks from people in the know, not afraid to drive it anywhere.

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“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now

99 exploder sport. It has a large appetite and a small stomach, meaning it needs to visit the snack bar every 220 miles which is annoying. 2 doors are annoying with a kid. Impossible to get right torsion bar camber issues smokes the inside of the front tires.

On the plus, comfortable, good visibilty, and utterly utterly reliable. 4x4 unstoppable, and excellent cargo capacity. I said when i bought this thing from a friend i would get rid of it when it ceases to deliver. Years later its trundling along.

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This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

'95 BMW 540i. Great engine, durable build quality, comfortable seats. It had a little more body roll than I liked, so I swapped in a set of M5 swaybars.

Downsides: Power steering system leaks a bit, and Pentosin CHF11S hydraulic fluid is not cheap. It's starting to show the effects of 20 years in the rust belt. And I wish it was a 6-speed manual.

93 300te 4matic. Boringly reliable. I have it fully loaded with appliance parts and equipment. Very comfortable despite my 50-100 mile a day runs. Gets almost 20 mpg despite mostly city driving and loaded with stuff

Cons- I desperately need a front axle for my 4matic to work properly. Made of pure unobtanium

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Eugene

10 E63 AMG
93 300te 4matic
07 BMW X3
14 Ford F-150 Fx2

my DD is a 2016 mazda 6 with a 2.5L and 6 speed manual.
Its fun to drive and handles pretty well. It also carries all I need to carry and I have been able to get 43 mpg if I try.

Lately its been pinging a bit and the dealer claims to not hear it. It also is a bit noisy in terms of cabin noise.

I still love it though.

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

81 240D four speed manual. 329000 and counting. I'm the sixth owner. What I like.

The overall tank like solidity. The perfect classic design. The perfect sitting position and huge steering wheel. The general brilliance of the thing. Even if I acquire another car in future I will never sell this. It's the best car ever made.

Dislikes. Unfortunately some of the previous owners didn't exactly keep up on the maintenance. It leaks from every conceivable gasket and location where these things can leak from. Including power steering pump and oil filter housing. I have a large cardboard with an oil pan under the engine that I have to clean every couple of weeks so it doesn't overflow!

My previous 81 240D had been better maintained and was in mechanically far nicer shape. I learned my lesson when I got rid of that one which I why I know that no matter what happens I'll never sell this.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

Fiat Abarth

My current DD is a .gov issue 2006 Dodge Dakota, crew cab(?)

what I like? It has survived the desert for 10 years - dust is everywhere, suspension is shot, A/C comes and goes. But this thing pretty much starts, shifts through 4 gears and goes where I point it.

It is by no means refined, the cheap plastic is everywhere (I had to epoxy the a-pillar trim back together - the mounting holes ripped out. Most of its time is spent under 45mph and drives less than 15 minutes, so getting 10mpg isn't wrong. We had to 'rig' one of the vent door so it would stop clicking- there is probably a better fix, but its not worth messing with.

If I needed a truck, and only a truck, that wasn't for lots of long haul duty, I'd grab one of these Dakota's real quick - prices are cheap too (for a reason I'm sure..)

-John

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2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)

04 Honda Element AWD

Pro: dirt cheap to operate and maintain.
I can get three 200lb. goats in the back or 4 bales of hay
resale is silly high if I'm ever stupid enough to sell it
In 198K miles it's only needed regular oil changes and one power window motor.
Timing CHAIN
Superb on ice and snow
Con: road noise
less than stellar mpg
I can't think of anything else

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

2002 Hyundai Centennial (Equus)

Likes
~Comfortable ride. Feel far more rested and relaxed while driving.
~It's different. The only one in the country!
~Maintenance. Parts are FAR cheaper than aftermarket Benz!
~Quality. Very impressed with the leather and weight of the car.
~Reliable. Pretty much a Santa Fe/XG300 in a fancy costume.
~Respect. Aggressive drivers don't tailgate or flash their lights at you.

Dislikes
~Power. Moves nicely but could use a little more punch.
~Waiting. Cheap parts, but take 7-10 days to get them at the dealership.
~Thirsty. Best tank has been 23.5MPG, prior to maintenance. We'll see.
~Looks. Does not have the presence of a similar Toyota Century.

It has its quirks, but those are due to minor neglect by previous owner. I like that they tried hard to build a worthy luxury car for the Korean market.

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[GONE] - 1995 Mercedes E300 Diesel - 130k miles - Smoke Silver (702) over Mushroom leather (265) - Bladder blasting, coast-to-coast work machine.

2016 Jeep Compass Sport 4X4 2.4L

Pros
-Sporty feel to the wheel
-Better MPG than previous vehicle...last tank was 25.4 MPG
-Small enough to zip around in traffic, high enough to not feel too small
-Rear seat leg room...adult kids say there's more knee room than previous vehicle
-Large enough for what I need to carry
-Controls are within reach and easy to operate
-Primarily FWD with RWD kicking in as needed. Has electronic transfer case that locks power equally between front and rear axle.
-4 wheel disc brakes
-Front seats fit my back without adjustment needed
-Very tight turning radius
-6 speed transmission
-Uconnect stereo that connects to my phone via Bluetooth for music streaming and phone calls
-4 - 6X9 speakers provide good amount of bass

Cons
-Lots of plastic interior parts
-Road noise
-Not as much pep as I'd like at higher speeds
-Not as smooth feeling as previous vehicle...you feel every nook and cranny in the road
-Stock radio not loud enough
-Stock speakers need tweeters

So far, I like the Jeep. I'm hoping for a decent amount of snow this winter so I can test it out. I picked up a set of 16" steel wheels from a Patriot for free, and am in the market for a decent enough set of snow tires...just deciding on the size I want. The Compass came with 17" aluminum rims that are guaranteed to get screwed up in the salty mess. I plan on swapping out the stereo and speakers some time in the Spring. I love the bass from the speakers, but I need my clear highs that are missing. I love being able to stream my music from my phone, and have added a larger card to the phone to hold all the music I need for trips to Ohio and back.

All in all, I'm happy with the purchase so far. I'm waiting on the dealership to call and tell me they have a new passenger side seatbelt connector, since the current one refuses to acknowledge that the belt is clicked when a passenger is in the seat, causing the light and bell to chime. FCA is also making good on something the salesman promised me...a rear compartment retractable cover, or tonneau cover. I told the salesman I wanted one, and he said he'd do his best to get it. I didn't care if he had to order it and tack the price onto the price of the car...but he never got one, and then told me that it would cost HIM $300 if he took one from a car on the lot. After a complaint to FCA, they made a few calls and one has been ordered and is on the way to me, at no cost.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

my 99 s320,I won't buy anything with aluminum block,or a timing belt engine.I put never engine in my car.

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

My personal daily driver has to be totally utilitarian. As long as it remains totally reliable I keep it. Essentially I buy very low milage cars to use as beaters. Usually with 20-30 thousand miles on them.

I am going to abuse them and carry all kinds of tools and junk in them. At my age you are not going to break many old habits anyways.. When treating a car like this I also try to keep the yearly depreciation factor as low as practical.

Seems to work out at about 500 a year on average or actually less depending. Mechanical maintenance although there usually is little I do. I noticed the other day that the brakes need a look and the rubber timing belt is getting due as well on the current one.

Plus the families two dogs generally make it hard to keep it clean. We keep the wife in pretty new cars that I steal from her on occasion. Of course no dogs or accumulation of anything is allowed with her wheels and it is spotless in comparison to mine.

The cars that I like the driving sensation and handling aspects tend to have issues far more often then cars selected for utilitarian use.

Usually utilitarian vehicles lack adequate noise insulation in the body shell and the driving experience is not there either. All they do is beat walking basically.