In the world of "four-door coupes" and "dynamic sports activity vehicles" that are just lifted wagons, it's nice to know that these ten cars are out there as rolling monuments of automotive honesty.
10.) Subaru Impreza
stoke knows what Subaru put on the label:
Hello, I'm here to move you and your stuff around, regardless of weather or road conditions.
Or, with more power:
Hello, I'm here to rip your face off, regardless of weather or road conditions.
Suggested By: stoke
9.) Volkswagen Passat Wagon
It's a family car done the executive style. deekster_caddy loves that:
I've got to say our Passat Wagon is exactly what it's supposed to be. It's utility when needed, pack for summer vacation when needed, roof racks when needed, and it's quick enough but not _FAST_, it's pretty fun to drive but if you push it you can feel it's size. It looks aerodynamic and it is, as a result it gets great highway milage too (30 without trying very hard, better if you want t0).
No super fancy features besides the heated seats and power windows, with the exception of the power hatch - that's unnecessary in this car and sometimes annoying. Otherwise this car is very honest about what it can and is supposed to do.
Suggested By: deekster_caddy
8.) Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W124)
Forget the W123, this is the car that moved all the important people around the cities for more than a decade without ever trying to be flashy. That's why themanwithsauce trusts the Germans:
It's a big slab of granite where the german engineers were NOT told to "go nuts". There was an element of forward thinking and they wanted to be the highest quality automobile on the road. Forever. Simple technology honed to perfection. Your E-class will look good when you park in your reserved spot at the office, but it will also get you home if the east germans decide "Herr Schwarzenhosen" (Mr. black pants) is a bit too smug in his sedan made of metal and not leather and cotton and want to pelt you with rocks and tools and whatever else they can find.
Oh sure, there's plenty more the W124 can do like the wagons that serve as the most reliable family hauler as long as you stick with the old inline-6. Diesel variants exist to save fuel and sound like a dump truck. And porsche screwed in a high output V8 which AMG then tuned to turn the W124 from a slab of granite to a slab of granite launched by a battleship's main cannons. But at it's heart, it is exactly what it looks like - 2 tons of Deutschland.
Suggested By: themanwithsauce
7.) Dacia Logan
Renault used its parts bin to create the cheapest sedan you could get in Europe. No power anything, but reliable technology and that new car smell from A to B in the first month of ownership.
They sold, and nobody complained about the plastics.
Suggested By: TwinCharged - Hong Kong Jalop
6.) Cadillac Eldorado Fleetwood
Any big Caddy built from 1976 to 1996 gave you exactly what you expected. Cadi-Lackadaisical is a happy customer:
This looks like it should, drives like it should, is as floaty as it looks and as comfortable as it seems. Uses as much gas as you'd expect to boot. Pretty much every assumption made about these things is correct. So I bought another..
Suggested By: Cadi-Lackadaisical
5.) Honda Accord
If you were looking for a sedan that didn't suck, this was it, and the world got around quickly. DennyCrane had a '95:
It was a great car. It was honest. Every problem it had, it let me know. It was fun to drive, but it didn't put on airs that it was sporty. It carried a bunch of idiot teenagers in its spartan interior and took the abuse without complaint. Even though the car I have now has more power, weighs the same, carries more stuff, gets better gas mileage, and is somehow cheaper to insure (I'll never get that part...), I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for the fifth generation Accord.
Suggested By: DennyCrane
4.) Chevrolet Suburban
It's a big fuckin' SUV, no more, no less. willkinton247 was pretty much conceived in one:
It's huge, and it doesn't apologize for it. My family owned I think 4 or 5 Suburbans (and 1 Yukon XL) over the course of my childhood, and they were perfect.
My dad was a contractor and he used them to haul all of his work stuff around. He liked it better than pickups because no one could steal your stuff by just taking it. He'd fill it with tools, lumber, or anything else he needed to, hitch his trailer up to it to carry bigger things, and then when it was time for vacation, he'd throw the third row back in there, and we kids would pile in and drive in great comfort for 8 to 14 hours, sometimes while pulling the boat. It did absolutely everything we needed it to, and there's a reason why the Suburban holds a special place in my heart.
Suggested By: willkinton247
3.) Mazda3
It's smiling because you will too. It was engineered to do that to you. Ravey Mayvey Slurpee Surprise:
Because you aren't the greatest driver, but hey, if you want to drop a gear and give it the beans, I will smile with you all the way. If you don't, I'll just be here being practical.
This is true, as much as I can't wait to replace my 3 with something a little more on the luxury side with more power. I am going to miss it when it is gone.
Suggested By: Ravey Mayvey Slurpee Surprise
2.) Nissan Sentra
The 1992 Nissan Sentra was so honest about itself that they still build it in Mexico and Asia as the Nissan Tsuru, because why the hell not. Gamecat235:
Such a... car. A breeze to work on, rather reliable as a vehicle and, if you had on in SE-R trim, powerful enough to really be fun. But still... just a car. =)
Suggested By: Gamecat235
1.) Volvo 740
If you think the 200 Series was a honest workhorse, know that the 700 was even better. These Volvos need less explanation anywhere in the world than a can of Coca Cola. e30s2k:
Not trying to be overly stylish or luxurious, just built like a rock and gets your college freshman to school and back at 40mph every semester*
*transmission may occasionally fall off on the highway (true story).
Suggested By: e30s2k
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Top Photo Credit: GM