Todays Quirky Workhorse Cars?

[JPSmit]

Today I was reading Grassroots Motorsports Magazine. They are cleaning up a '77 Saab to use as a Rally Car. I absolutely love the look of it. As I was reading I realized the car is now 31 years old. This got me thinking about some other cars that get referred to lovingly on these boards as the kind of workhorses that go on forever. A partial list might include

Volvo 240 - newest is 15 years old
Mercedes W123 Diesel - 20 years old
Saab 900 - 15 years (older style)

The issue being that these cars are all long enough in the tooth that most working examples are likely to be worn out - especially in the north where salt works its magic.

All this leads to tonights question - what are the quirky workhorses of today? I'm specifically talking about cars that are:

1. Really reliable
2. Not expensive
3. A little unusual

My initial thoughts are that BMW wagons are unusual but not inexpensive, most (if not all) Japanese is reliable but not unusual. Volvos, Saabs, Mercedes, VW don't seem to have the build quality they used to. Saab, VW have had oil sludge issues. Of course there is the foreign ownership issue (Ford/ GM /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif )

Anyway, a long intro to my question, what are the quirky workhorses of this generation?

I'd love to hear

 

[aeronca65t]

This is a really good question and I'd agree that those cars you mentioned are the ~30 years old workhorse "classics" of today.

As for as cars that are future workhorse classics that are quirky, it's harder to tell because so many cars today are sort of amorphous and drab.
Today (let's say cars built in the last 10 years), a car is considered quirky if it doesn't have air conditioning and 6 cupholders.

There are plenty of workhorses, like the Ford Taurus, the Toyota Camry, the Honda Civic, and many more, but none of these are quirky.

Two presently-built cars that are inexpensive and interesting are 10 year old Corvettes and Miatas (the Miatas are downright cheap). But neither of these cars are workhorses in terms of capacity.

The Jeep CJ might qualify, but it doesn't have great capacity.

Same thing with Mustangs.

In terms of quirky, the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight are both odd-looking and "strange" but reliable and easy to live with (and used ones are getting cheaper). I know they are Japanese...I actually think the Japanese build some very interesting and quirky cars, but none or the really cool ones are imported to North America.

My favourite "beater / pizza-delivery car" that might fit in the catagory is the three-cylinder GEO Metro and its twin, the Suzuki Sprint. They were sold (and built) in N. America until 2000, so they might still be considered "current" (sold as a "Pontiac Firefly" in CA and under the Holden name in AUS). For a short while, a three-cylinder, Suzuki Sprint Turbo was sold....a neat little pocket rocket that was sort of like the original Mini Cooper S.

The Pontiac Aztec is quirky looking and just basic GM parts under the skin, so it might qualify as well.

Most modern cars are reliable, but sadly, it takes some real effort to think of any modern cars that are quirky, interesting and moderatly priced.

 

[DrEntropy]

We've the strange romance between Diesela an' Luigi goin' down here. He's almost 30, she's 24. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

 

[JPSmit]

We've the strange romance between Diesela an' Luigi goin' down here. He's almost 30, she's 24. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

Park them away from each other RIGHT NOW! Last time Germany & Italy got together ..... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif

 

[DrEntropy]

I think we're all safe: 'smits declared Diesela is menopausal. She starts out on a hot day with the A/C blowin' cold then begins shoveling HOT air out the vents. Then cold again... Back-n-forth... hot flashes!

...'course mebbe there's nothin' more dangerous than a Teuton female goin' thru "the change"...


Everybody RUN!!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif

 

[zblu]

Had a SAAB 900 '85 hatch, doors closed like a VW, ie you have to open a window to close the door, and beautiful cruisin car at 220+ cliks, and well rust proofed

 

[Steve]

I have one of the aforementioned BMW wagons. A '92, one of the first. They can be found for around 3k or so, higher mileage by now but a great car.

I love the Saabs prior to 1994. They lost their "personality" after that.

 

[Guest]

Today - Scion xB or the Honda Element.

 

[GB1]

I like my heap cherokee.

Pat

 

[vagt6]

I'd vote for the "Heap" Cherokee, too.

You can't go anywhere without seeing one, and they've been in the marketplace for what seems like decades. Used ones can be had for a pittance.

Workhorse, yes. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

 

[JPSmit]

Tragically here they are biodegradeable but I certainly see your logic.

Was thinking about the Element also. Not sure Aztecs can qualify - IMHO they passed quirky a long time ago and settled on bu** ugly. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[Banjo]

Love my Scion XB... I plan on running it into the ground. Quirky, roomy, cheap, good milage.
Other "can't kill it" cars would be any Chrysler with a slant 6, or Ford truck with the straight 6.
VW Rabbit Diesel.... Run forever....
80s-early 90s Toyota Trucks or Celicas with the 20R 22R or 22RE
VW bugs (as long as they diden't rust in 2)
Honda Civic early 90s (3 door) Kind quirky with that tiny tailgate, and scads of fun to drive.
Toyota Previa van! people WON'T give these things up!!! I don't get it! if they still move, people want 'em fixed. Thay're about as quirky as they get. especially with the supercharged mid-mount engine below the floorboards, the all wheel drive, and the optional dual sunroofs.

 

[kennypinkerton]

I always wanted to get a cheap previa and cut the back off to make a el-camino style minitruck.

The VW rabbit truck - diesel
I think the scions are pretty quirky workhorses - all of the local floral shops use the boxy ones for delivery vans.
PT cruiser is kinda quirky and theres bunches of them.
Hondas (civics and accords)just keep going and going
I'll throw my vote in for the Jeep cherokee and add the Chevy suburban