These Are The Cars That Changed Your Perspective On Cars

We all have preconceived notions about the world of cars. Maybe you think EVs are boring, or that drifting is an uninteresting waste of tires. Both those thoughts are completely wrong, but I’m not going to be the one to convince you of that — it’ll take a car. On Monday, we asked you for the cars that changed your opinion on cars, and today we’re sorting through your answers. Let’s see what you said.

2 / 17

I owned a Nissan Leaf for a few months, and it changed my opinion about electric cars in two ways.

One was that EV’s are definitely inevitable. The car, even at the bottom of the EV world, was pretty good. I really liked how smooth and quiet it was. There was zero maintenance. It was sort of quick off the line, enough to be entertaining.

BUT

Electric cars are gonna be boring. It was an appliance of a car in a way that even a base Camry is not. There was zero drama to the acceleration. It’s the only EV I’ve ever driven, and not a great example, but damn. I sold it and bought a manual BMW e46.

It’s funny — I was just in an EV yesterday, and I was reminded of how much fun I have driving them. There are definitely some electric cars out there that are absolute joys to drive, and they don’t even have to be incredibly high-performance. Check out an EV6 or an Ioniq 5 for a better taste of the future.

Submitted by: Unacceptably Dry Scones

3 / 17

I grew up a huge car enthusiast. I still kinda am, but what really changed my perspective on them was driving in traffic on a long commute in a 2006 Toyota Prius.My commute was 2 hours, 30 minutes in one direction on a good day in LA and I did this for a year and a half. Five days a week I would throw away 5-6 hours sitting in a car, which gave me so much time to contemplate both my existence and the reason why traffic is so bad. At first, I was thinking, “you know what would help? If they widened the freeways and made more lanes.” This was often sprinkled in with thoughts like “there are too many damn cars on the road” or “I can see why smog is so bad now.”But then it hit me. “Why is traffic so bad?” It’s not that the US didn’t build to current car capacity, it’s that you need so much road, so much room to accommodate all these cars, from where we park to how we get to those parking spots. Hell, for all the parking there is, you are NOT guaranteed a spot when you get there! All these single-occupant vehicles taking up so much space to individually get where they need to go and we all just got used to taking our cars because 1) everything is too far apart and/or 2) there is just no other good alternative.A Prius didn’t stop my obsession because it was boring or dull. But what I did with it made me realize that wherever we can, we shouldn’t be driving. I now ride an e-bike to work (which is now less than 5 miles away) and REFUSE to get in a car unless absolutely necessary.

Welcome, friend, to the world of NUMTOTs. Cars are great, but car-centric infrastructure is terrible.

Submitted by: Lil Xanos

4 / 17

The Dodge Charger, with just the regular R/T 5.7 hemi.

I had never spent any time in one, but popular belief and common memes on the internet told me it was an awful car. Too old, too heavy, not fast, lousy interior, only good for straight line (and in 5.7 guise, not even good for that)

Then I borrowed one for a weekend. I get that everyone has their opinions, but boy was I wrong about going with the flow on that one.

The seats fit my frame better than any car Ive ever been in. The torquey V8 and 8 speed just felt so relaxed, almost effortlessly getting up to speed, as someone used to tired 350 v8s and Jeep I-6s in my everyday drivers, I was just giggling at how this thing moved without even working.

And on the backroads, with the trans in manual, it was as entertaining of a dance partner as I needed, it’s definitely no track car, but there was no way I could get close to its limits doing even 20 over the legal speed.

It carried me, the wife and kids around all weekend with all our stuff in perfect comfort, and It wasnt even hard on gas.

It was just a big, happy, relaxed sofa on wheels that liked to rev and make noises. I get that it sucks at a lot of things compared to a lot of other cars, but It was amazing at something I havent seen in any other car: Being the automotive equivalent of the living room during a super bowl party.

It taught me that some cars will entertain you in ways you never expected, you just have to experience them with an open mind.

“What if a La-Z-Boy could do a thousand miles an hour” seems to pretty much be the American approach to carmaking. It’s served us well so far.

Submitted by: Caddywompis

5 / 17

I used to be one of those people who was like “nothing but American V8s, please”. Then the Tesla Model S started to become popular and I was pretty fed up with gas prices, so somehow or another I did a test drive. A year later I ordered a Model 3, which got delivered a couple years after that. Now I’ve been ruined for gas cars. I truly believe the Model 3 / Model Y is the best daily driver money can buy at any price. Basically all electric cars are like rocket ships, and beat the pants off most performance cars of yore. Later this year my wife is replacing her car with an EV too, so we’ll be a household of zero gas daily drivers. Still have my V8 Pontiac G8 more or less collecting dust, and my rally car Fiat 500 project car, though I would love to build an electric rally car in the future.

I finally rode in a Model Y yesterday, as a Lyft around Manhattan. If you love the 3/Y, I’m happy for you — the powertrain, at least in city traffic, had that EV pull I love so much. But, when it comes to the little quality-of-life things like sound deadening and suspension tuning, I confess it seems a step behind some of the more established carmakers’ EVs.

Submitted by: StalePhish

6 / 17

I grew up with a father that was a gear head and a body man. My childhood is flooded with memories of car shows and powerful muscle cars. Naturally, I have a deep rooted passion for classic muscle cars as a result of my upbringing. However, once I turned 16 and was able to help shuttle cars to my fathers body shop, I quickly came to love 80's and 90's Japanese tuner cars. I think the one I grew most attached to was the Honda Prelude, especially the 3rd gen Si with 4WS. There was just something about the style, size, ergonomics, and handling that I loved. I later went on to own several Preludes, Civics, CRX, and Accords. My first car was this 1986 Prelude, which I bought with light front end damage. My father and I repaired it and did a color change to this teal blue off of the RS Camaro’s of the area.

Come, join me in the Honda-badged light. Somehow I’ve managed to never actually own a Honda, yet they’re one of my favorite car companies.

Submitted by: Rasky

7 / 17

My first motorcycle, an SV650 completely changed how I viewed cars forever. Growing up my dad had a manual Saab 900 and a Ducati st4. My first car was a VR6 GTI with a stick, and the torque was fun to learn to drive manual. But a beater 1600 dollar 01 Suzuki just rewrote my brain. The light weight in corners, the directness of the throttle and sound of the carbs.

I’ve had an R6 which was fun to rev to the top and my dad has an Aprilia Tuono, which is the fastest I’ve ever gone. Neither had the same low horsepower, slow car fast, fun of the SV.

I love cars still. I’ve owned and modded an NA miata and four Hondas. And the 2nd gen Fit is probably one of my favorite cars. It just needs a k swap to top the SI that I had. But no fast car has ever impressed me after riding a motorcycle. Anything over 150 commuting horsepower and I’d rather be flying on two wheels.

An SV650 was my second-first bike, after a ‘78 Honda CB400 that never ran right. It scared the hell out of me and I sold it after one ride. I probably should’ve just gotten used to it, but that jerky throttle really threw me off — and felt like it wanted to do so literally.

Submitted by: Enzoro

8 / 17

Growing up in th ‘70s/’80s my brother and I had all sorts of automotive cues in our lives. Our uncles had hot rods and souped up Mustangs. We had a vast collection of Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars. We had a joint subscription to Road and Track. Our parents were pretty interested in cars, racing, hot rods, etc...

But, the one thing that made me fall in love with cars, that showed me cars could be art and that they could be anything you dream up, was the Ferrari Modulo.

I first saw it at probably 7-years-old in a book that I think was call “The Automobile”. It was published in 1971 and the Modulo was in a “future” section. I fell in love. To this day it’s the car that fills me with nostalgia and wonder.

When Glickenhaus bought it a few years ago and turned it into a running car, my heart leapt. What I would give to see it live and in-person, driving.

It’s like if Wet Nellie was a shuttlecraft. That is to say, this is the platonic ideal of car design.

Submitted by: JohnnyWasASchoolBoy

9 / 17

Driving a Porsche Taycan completely shifted my perspective on how enjoyable electric cars could be. My previous experiences with them came from driving Nissan Leafs and Tesla Model Ss. The Leaf was interesting as it was my first time in an EV that wasn’t a go-kart, but its limited range and Versa bones kept it from standing out. It felt like a newer version of an “old format EV” - intended solely for light commuting. The Tesla was impressive, but very “one note” - its insane acceleration was hard to enjoy when it was accompanied by flat, unsupportive seats and numb controls. The build quality felt very half-baked and at the time, I actually thought Tesla would be another novelty company that came and went while the rest of the industry moved on. While I’m not a huge fan of the cars or the company, I applaud Tesla for motivating the industry to take alternative power solutions such as electricity seriously. The Taycan was the first EV that felt properly well rounded and luxurious, and the first that showed me that there was something out there for enthusiasts still.

I’m copying and pasting what I wrote when I first drove one almost exactly three years ago to the day.

——-

As a life-long, die-hard gearhead, I think I’ll always have some reservations about electric cars. The simplified mechanics of propulsion can diminish the unique characteristics and differences among fuel-powered cars with various engine configurations, displacements, and aspirations. The lack of audible feedback from a firing engine takes something away from the experience of driving, and large batteries, no matter how much their tech improves, add significant weight to any car they find a home in.

With all of that said, I’m blown away by how well the Taycan Turbo delivers on that driving experience. The instantaneous thrust will never get old; floor the throttle at any speed and you’ll get the same immediate jolt that you’d get from a dead stop. Instant torque delivery is a signature of any electric car, but the manner in which it gets on with all that power is the real stand-out here.

The steering is beautifully weighted and offers very natural feel for road texture and weight transfer, despite the Taycan’s 5,132 lb curb weight, and the brakes are strong and solid without any of the surge associated with regenerative braking systems. There’s also a cheeky little Electric Sport Sound option which plays a Tron-like whir as you drive, and I find that actually helps with the perception of speed given how rapidly this car accelerates. It’s very easy to lose track of your speed when there’s no noise.

I’m glad to see how established manufacturers are taking on the realm of electric vehicles. If this is indeed the future, I have high hopes that automakers will keep making improvements that lead to more unique driving qualities that distinguish their cars among one another.

More than anything, I’m fortunate and thankful to be able to experience the latest & greatest in automotive technology.

A Taycan is a bucket-list car for me, simply because of how fun I think it would be — a company that truly understands the luxury-sports market, adopting a technology that’s perfect for acceleration, speed, and smooth, quiet comfort.

Submitted by: Aldairion

10 / 17

Volvo 444.

double digit horsepower can still be tons of fun.

I grew up in the late 90’s/2000’s… being from the Bay Area, I see all sorts of really fancy cars every single day, along with the transition to electric. We live in an era of “more horsepower must equal better.” But honestly there’s something special about a tiny little car that barely weighs 2000lbs with a tiny little engine that that barely puts out 85hp on a good day with a tailwind. You really need to be in tune with what you expect from the car…. You have to anticipate the slowdowns on hills, and be as smooth as possible in turns as to not lose momentum. You need to be way more in tune with your car and engine temp. does the engine seem/feel off? Pull out some tools and double check air flow between carbs, add/lean fuel, etc. with a 1.6l engine I also get somewhere between 30~35mpg in my 1958.

Also… it’s not about how fast you get there… it’s about how good you look getting there.

It’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. Doubly so if that slow car is absolutely gorgeous.

Submitted by: redneckrob and his flock of Volvos

11 / 17

The Chevy Volt.

I was driving a CTS-V at the time and was spending $50 per week on gas and $1400 per year on tires while only making it to the track once or twice.

“You gotta pay to play” is the old saying and it is true.

I got sick of paying to NOT play and traded in the V on the new Volt. Suddenly the challenge of trying to eke out as many electric miles as possible on my daily commutes was way more entertaining than having 560 angry horses guzzling gasoline.

I’ve owned 5 GM Voltec vehicles and now I own a Volvo XC40 BEV.

I absolutely love EVs and have no desire to go back.

Hypermiling — chasing down every tenth of an MPG — can sometimes be as exhilarating as chasing tenths on a track. Certainly a lot cheaper to do, too.

Submitted by: RoRoTheGreat

12 / 17

Much like you, @stevedasilva, I cut my teeth on rwd cars, from late-60s and 70s big-blocks, to LS Chevies and V8 trucks. In 2002, I sold my ‘92 V8 Dakota and picked up a brand new Accord coupe with four-cylinder five-speed manual. That car was a blast, despite being severely underpowered, very comfortable, refined, economical and reliable. It was the last vestige of Honda’s Golden Era.

A friend of mine purchased a brand new V6 Pontiac Grand Am at the same time. I rode in it with her, and it was rough, loud and vibrated like heck compared to the refined Honda.

This generation Accord may be the ultimate daily driver — a good size, perfectly comfortable, good on gas. Buying one was a great call on your part.

Submitted by: Grasscatcher2

13 / 17

Chevy Aveo: Taught me that they still make shitboxes.

Mitsubishi Mirage: Taught me that shitboxes can still be fun.

Look at this fiesty little guy. That’s nyoom incarnate right there. Of course it’s great to drive.

Submitted by: Modusoperandi

14 / 17

Ford F350 King ranch Dually. All the “he must have a small penis” jokes I thought the only good thing about these trucks were that they were big. but I had to drive one for a landscaping job at a campsite and Holy crap I get it. I get everything. The luxury/comfort. having all of the space on the INSIDE of the truck it was like I’m in a living room! fantastic! also the torque of the engine it is relentless. Like nothing will stop you from moving forward, it’s hard to describe driving something with that much torque, Towing massive trailers and campers with ease. You don’t even notice you have the 40 foot camper behind you it’s scary that you can almost forget it’s there! There is practically nothing better suited to racking up thousands of miles on the interstate. While the Penis Jokes are funny, I get why these trucks are desirable in the first place.

The problem with trucks of this size is that their interior comfort comes at the cost of being an exterior hazard. Their sheer size creates considerable blind spots, their weight damages roads and spews even more tire microplastics out into the world. They’re great for their owners, and terrible for the rest of us.

Submitted by: bassracerx

15 / 17

This sounds dumb, but modern turbo engines with wide torque bands. Until recently, the newest turbo I drove was my 93 rx7. While the staged turbos make it more even on acceleration than any other car of the time, there is still some of that “boost kicks in slam into seat” feel. 70s and 80s turbo engines date even worse.

Hop to 2019 and drive a new turbo engine in a Mercedes that offers full torque from 1500-4500 rpm, and it changes everything. No more uncontrollable widow maker increases, just ass to seat power. That being said. I’m sure EVs will end it, but I was NA muscle car for a generation, but I’m probably going small turbo with the widest and funnest power band for my next and potentially last gas car.

Modern turbo engines are torque monsters, but there’s something fun about old, peaky powerbands too. It all depends on what experience you’re looking for.

Submitted by: JustAnotherOtherBurner

16 / 17

Being a millennial, I didn’t have much experience with “vintage” cars. I cut my teeth on fuel injected cars with synchonized transmissions, not knowing the luxuries I had. One day I had the opportunity to drive a 1965 Mustang Fastback that still had the carburetor and manual steering/brakes.

It was awful. I can’t understate how un-enjoyable it was to drive. It was such an enlightening experience for me that it pretty much ruined any infatuation I had with classic cars. Anything pre-1980 that hasn’t been restomodded, no thanks.

They don’t make ‘em like they used to. That’s a good thing.

Submitted by: modularfordfan

17 / 17