One of my favorite things about car enthusiasm the way The Autopian practices it is that you aren’t required to be enthusiastic about stereotypical “enthusiast” cars. Sure, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with loving a Mazda Miata or the latest Lamborghini, but there’s nothing that says that you can’t also love cars that were never built or marketed towards enthusiasts. Heck, they might even be practically anti-enthusiast. Pete lusts for a plain-jane Dodge Omni like the one in the topshot, no “GLH model of course” qualification. Which has me wondering: What’s the least “car-enthusiasty” car that you’re in love with?
To clarify this question a bit, we’re not just looking for only the everyday normal cars. We want to know about the cars that no stereotypical enthusiast would ever think of as something to fall in love with. We want to see the people who go gaga over Saturn Outlooks, Chevrolet Captivas, Ford Fusions, Nissan Altimas, Kia Rios, and Hyundai Accents.
I reached a point sometime last year when I realized that I love way more cars than I currently own. So, whenever I thought about a car, bus, truck, plane, or motorcycle that I would at least like to try out one day, I wrote it down in a list. Some of my choices are enthusiast vehicles, which isn’t that surprising. But then I realized that I have a soft spot for lots of non-enthusiast cars, too! Here’s the list as it stands today:
Now, this list is incomplete. As I said, I add to it only when I think of a vehicle that I would love to own or drive one day. I have this sort of idea that one day I’ll run into enough money and storage to just pick any vehicle from the list and buy it. Or, maybe someone will come forward with an offer to drive, ride, or fly one of these vehicles. The list also includes cars I’ve owned before and would buy again.
Some of these vehicles are definitely “me” kind of things, like the buses, German diesels, and the classic International Harvester cabover semi. But, hold on, a Saturn Vue? Yes! I’m not even talking about the slick Vue Red Line with the Honda V6, but the one that’s a sibling of the Chevy Captiva.
Why do I love this thing so much? It’s a combination of its friendly round shape and the Sea Mist Green paint option that was introduced in 2008. Amazingly, the press photos don’t show it, so I had to nab a photo from a dealer. But this paint has an awesome pearl effect when light hits it. Just look at how there’s almost a bit of a gold shade poking through the paint. I have about a hundred cars I’d rather buy before a Vue, but I admit that I stop in my tracks every time I see one for sale on Facebook in this color.
My list has other normal cars on it, too, like the Saturn Astra, Saturn SC1, and an original Kia Sportage. The Kia is probably the weirdest of the normal cars. I’m talking about this little spot utility:
The silly thing about this is that there are far better choices out there for a three-door soft-top mini SUV. I have a Geo Tracker right there on the list! There’s also the original Toyota RAV4. But I’ve always been fascinated with these original Sportages ever since I saw one absolutely conquering a mud bowl in Tennessee. That Kia somehow couldn’t be stopped that weekend.
Not on my list, but will probably be added soon, would be cars like the Dodge Omni, all sorts of Chrysler K-cars, and some American Malaise Era iron. Ah, that reminds me, I need to add a Chrysler Executive Limousine to my list.
Alright, so you’ve seen my list. What non-enthusiast cars would you love to drive one day?
Top graphic image: Chrysler
A blue Dodge Omni identical to the one at the top of this article was my first car. No power steering, no power brakes, no A/C. I was very enthusiastic about it, at the time.
Having rented cars for work for 30 years, I feel like I have driven more than my fair share of non-enthusiast cars of the relatively modern era, so for me it would be all the sundry Eurobox family cars of the 50s and 60s that I haven’t experienced. Sundry Fiats and Renaults, Triumph Dolomites and Standard 10s, that sort of thing.
You guys need to find Mercedes a New Look to drive – they are seriously cool. A lot of work to drive though – no power steering. And the turn signals are buttons on the floor.
My list of misfit cars:
Mid 80’s Charger or Turismo 2.2 with the 5 speed manual (Non Shelby)
Subaru Justy G180’s Isuzu Trooper II (Is it the cheap Land Rover I think it is?)
Suzuki Samurai
Lincoln Continental LSC
Cadillac Cimarron
Plymouth Trailduster
Toyota FJ Cruiser
Mercury Capri (the fwd convertible)
Add to it a 1986 Dodge W250 Sno-Commander. That was a dream truck.
An MDI AIRPod, preferably the original, not the AirPod 2.0.
For sure a 26’ U-Haul, if there’s any remaining with the old V-10. I want to experience pure inertia in driving dynamics and fuel economy. Next would be a high mileage Mitsubishi Mirage
A little over a year ago I loaded up my son’s and his wife’s belongings in Crossville TN and drove them, including the toilet which we had swapped into the rental house and then retrieved before leaving (because we hadn’t got permission to do the swap, and therefore saved the original), to Iowa. So I can tell you some things:
It’s surprisingly comfortable once you’re seated. ABSOLUTELY duck your head on the way into the seat, otherwise you will clunk yourself thoroughly on the Grandma’s Attic forehead of the cargo box.
It’s not slow. It ain’t quick but it ain’t slow. The V10 moves out the big 26 with authority.
It’s drinky. We burned $350 worth of fuel over about 850 miles.
Handling is surprisingly good. Placing the truck in its lane and herding it around the turns is no problem whatsoever. You won’t be doing anything halfway sporting in this thing but the learning curve to confidence behind the wheel is low and short.
The view to the rear is pretty good. Not directly astern of course, but to either side the mirrors are excellent. Good enough, in fact, that on my way through Waterloo, IA I spotted a rare Vixen motorhome coming up from astern from far enough back that I had time to dig out my phone and hand it to my codriver to shoot pictures as it went by. The pix are on Reddit.
It is shockingly low-slung. Forget regular box trucks, this thing has a step-in height comparable to climbing onto a dining chair. And when it comes time to negotiate steep driveways, you WILL drag your ass on the road.
That 26′ talks about the cargo box. The whole rig is closer to 32′. It’s about as big a vehicle as you can drive without a CDL.
I drove one coast to coast a few years ago, and it was quite pleasant.
Handled better than a 69 valiant.
Dodge Monaco Police Car
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3052/2931565191_a7bf4e0006_o.jpg
I miss my dad’s 1983 Olds Delta 88 Royale Brougham. It had a hood like a sun deck and a trunk that could sleep four. So big, so plush, and so quiet you could hear your watch tick.
The pictured Omni/Horizon with the 2.2 L engine and a 5-speed would be great. I’m always attracted to simple, functional, small cars. They handle well and are maneuverable, making them a lot of fun to drive. And simple to service in my garage. I miss cars like these.
I had one of those and I can tell you they’re not “functional” most of the time.
As a non-automotive journalist, I do not have the access that you do. I would think if it’s just a drive for a few days, you could find an enthusiast willing to lend you the car.
I have a personal list that I would like to complete. This is what’s left:
Jeep Wrangler
Corevette
Mustang
911
VW Beetle
The problem is that these cars would take my 4th car spot. That spot has been occupied by a Miata for almost 20 years and it is really hard to get rid of a Miata.
Buick Electra 225, Buick Reatta, Buick TourX, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Probox Wagon, Ford Maverick, Ford Freestyle, Mazda RX-8, Studebaker Hawk, Oldsmobile Aurora, Opel Diplomat, Pontiac Vibe, Honda Accord Crosstour.
I still miss the 1999 Renault Scenic I left behind when I moved to the US.
And the 2015 Jetta TDI wagon I had the bad sense of totaling in 2019.
I think it’s a bit of trick question because after a certain amount of time vehicles turn into to enthusiast cars. Look at the vw bug and the mini. Both peoples cars yet huge enthusiast cars. There is always one or a few guys that are super enthusiast about something that everyone else looked at drove and threw away. Now there are civic people various other economy cars that people are enthusiastic about. You could quite possibly be more of enthusiast for having something others don’t. A good condition normal car can almost be more rare then the some of the fancy stuff sometimes.
I like the mid 2000s hybrids and early to mid 2010s electric cars. Especially the compliance cars. The e golf is way up there. Sc1 are always something I’ve thought was neat because it was bland but interesting. A sky could be ok but they are so junky. I love to drive late 90s early 00s trucks. They still have that truck feel that they refined out but are modern in most ways. I find that balance of comfort and tech very intriguing. I would love some mid to late 2000s Hyundai or Kia beaters. Like a Sportage, xg, original Genesis maybe a Santa fe, Tiburon. Maybe an 05-06 Titian. First gen Xb is always yes but still has a cult following. Early 00s focus wagon I always thought those were neat.
what car doesn’t have an enthusiast though??
My non-performance choices on the “Drive” (not own etc.):
A giant mining truck with tires taller than I am.
Amphib anything
A giant “airporter” station wagon with a plethora of doors
an AWD Justy on a snow covered parking lot (it was fun last time)
a full size RC car in a crash test
Honda Fit (2nd gen in particular). Decidedly unsexy but in my opinion the absolute pinnacle of small, highly useful car.
I’ve always wanted to drive something built before there was an industry standard of what controls go where. A Model T would be amazing, I’ve got a Beetle and would love to drive the second most popular People’s Car too. But anything with weird controls would do, honestly.
I mean, with a sawzall, pvc piping, rope, and duct tape, any car can have weird controls. The world is your oyster!
1982 – 1984 Chevette Scooter 5-speed.
There are a few (mid-90s Town Car, ’70s era big American wagon with woodgrain, first gen Civic), but top of my list is a Taurus MT-5 wagon. I acknowledge it is probably a terrible car to drive, what with 90 horsepower, but I love Taurii, especially the rarest of the rare.
Citroen 2CV might be at the top of my list. I’ve always wanted a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth but one of the lesser Sierras would be fun.
A Volvo 262C Bertone. There’s something about a 240 with a chopped landau top that just charms me, for some reason.
I think that might count as an enthusiast car but I’m here for it! Also 780 Bertone but those lack the vinyl.
Ooh there’s a much more subtle pick! I like it!
I love grandpa cars, like a Crown Vic, or a Buick Park Avenue Ultra (gotta get that supercharged six). I used to get a lot of joy from my late father’s 1988 Country Squire steelside with the carureted 351.
I also love Chevy Sonics for some damned reason.
I drove an ’85 Caprice for several years, it was a fun car, especially with trashed shocks. Absolutely the most fun car I’ve driven in the snow, very controllable when sliding around.
Feel you on both counts! My grandma has a 2002 Grand Marquis and if she gets a new car (she’s 85), I’m planning on buying it, so she can get a bit more than the pittance she’d get on trade. I don’t need it, but it would be cool to have.
The Sonic is actually a pretty fun little car! Had one as a rental for a month, put about 1k miles on it. Loved the motorcycle style instrument cluster. Quiet, comfortable, efficient, easy to live with, and not bad looking either.
I enjoyed driving a forward control box truck. Not just to drive, I would love to get a late ’70s Caprice coupe. Also, any non-domestic econobox probably no later than early ’90s. Domestic ones were cynical junk tossed onto the market like throwing rotted slop to pigs in disgust, but foreign ones were engineered more seriously and, being light and analog, would be a lot more fun to drive than they’d ever look. I’ve only driven a few, but that’s been my experience. I’d like to try out more old Volvos and non-sporting MBs, too, and I’ve only driven one prewar car, a run-of-the-mill ’38 Plymouth, but that was surprisingly fun, so more stuff like that would also be great.
I work in an office attached to a warehouse. One day, we got a shipment after the warehouse was closed. I’ve never driven a forklift before, but I volunteered to unload the pallet from the semi and into the building. It was super-duper fun and I’m still thinking about it, months later.
I worked in a diesel engine remanufacturing company back in the late 1990s and we did all kinds of ridiculously dangerous stuff with forklifts. They are fun. From races, smoky burnouts. 5 people jumping on the back to lift stuff too heavy, sumo style pushing contests. Forklifts are fun.
The ways to die on or near a forklift are myriad.
Something old with non-conventional controls by modern standards like a Ford Model T would be quite interesting
Also, a snow-cat
How about Yugo?
I’ve got a 1931 Model A you are welcome to try out. Forest green with wood paneling bed and matching green roof. Used to be an old grocery delivery truck in downtown Cincinnati. I still start her up and take it out every month or 2.
Thanks, sounds like fun. If it’s still in Ohio, that’d be a long trip from CO though
It is still in Ohio. I live just north of Cincy now. Oh yea that is a trip and a half. Drove from here to Red Feather to stay at a friends cabin after graduating HS. Took us about 26 hours total. Great trip but very boring until you hit the rockies.
For me it’s the ’85 Chevy Sprint for sure. I wish I had driven the turbo version, but honestly even the non-turbo cheapskate econobox version was seriously fun. It was the Mini Cooper (classic) reborn.
For two wheels it would have to be the Vespa 150 Super. The 2 stroke engine felt really spritely with those teeny wheels.
I had a white 87 Sprint turbo throughout my college days in the early/mid 90s. Bought it without knowing how to drive a manual. I miss that car to this day.
This survey is related to the recent surge of Acheiva coverage, isn’t it? I got into it too. “Huh, that doesn’t look as terrible as I expected” I thought when I voted for the black ‘95 in Monday’s Shitbox Showdown. “Wow, there was a spicy version” was my initial take on today’s piece about the SCX, only to find it was more of a mild jalapeño than a Scotch bonnet. Cars like that are exciting in a way, and fondly remembered by some, but far from hyped and not fetching crazy money at auction… if they’re even accepted for auction.
So how do I figure out what’s unloved enough to make the cut? Last year I saw a particularly impressive first-gen Celica and thought it could be kind of like a 105-series Alfa GT for less money. Then I looked for them and found that “less money” was a relative concept. Earlier in 2025 I was looking at six-speed Acura TL SH-AWDs until I decided that too many other people wanted a little too much for them, so I moved on. I guess that means my method for determining a car’s unenthusiasm is by balancing who’s selling them with how much they think people will pay.
-Mitsubishi Mighty Max:
This one has also been in the SBSD this week, and it’s the only one of my choices that I’m actually looking for. They’re not hard to find. Most are sold by people doing normal small truck stuff with them so they’re priced accordingly. A few expensive bagged and underlit examples detract from its claim to obscurity, so this one’s iffy.
-Citroën C4 Cactus (first iteration):
Mechanically it’s a bog-standard FWD crossover-ish thing you might have been assigned at a European rental counter, but I fell in love with its oddball styling and fun interior design. Europeans and South Americans would be better judges of this car’s meh-ness.
-EG Civic hatch:
The challenge here is to find one that hasn’t been loved to death. Oddly, I’ve found a few, so this seems like a qualifying non-enthusiast ride.
-Cadillac ELR:
The Chevy Volt has a cult following, but its fancier cousin is relatively unheralded. Except by the people selling them, most of whom want triple Volt money. Maybe this market will correct itself.
-1970 Plymouth Fury coupe:
In a dark color, no vinyl on the roof. Facelessly sleek, sinister and yuuuuuge. If Bullitt came out a couple years later this should have been the bad guy car. It makes the far more popular Charger look jaunty and inviting by comparison.
I would love to have an ELR, but I want to see if I could stuff an Ecotec in it somehow.
I knew a guy who lost his mind while driving a Fury who took off a piece of trim and beat holes into an import before putting the trim piece back on his door. If you remember the Rick James quote from the Chappelle show… it applied.
If it’s the one in which Mr. James’ asserts that others should not have been granted financial resources… yes. I remember. Other impoverished Gen-Xers and I often blurt a version of that one out when talking about Boomers’ financial decisions.
Oh wait… maybe it’s the one about the superlative qualities of a certain stimulant. So much gold in those Charlie Murphy stories. Either would apply.
This one applied in the case of this particular story from the 80’s.
Went looking to see what ELRs were selling for, and found a bunch of cheap LYRIQs and a bunch with just a few hundred miles, what’s up with that?