GRM community poll: who has never owned "the answer" vehicles?

Something with an LS; Working on a 5.3 S10 now

Something with a Rotary; Maybe 15 of them

A Miata; Nope

A P71; More than you can imagine

A Suburban/Tahoe/Yukon; Hell no

A diesel pickup/SUV; Not one

Tracked a Miata for one day and liked it. My FOUR closest racetrack buddies all track and DD theirs and I can see why.

Never owned any of them. Tried to find a good P71 a few months ago, got so frustrated I bought a Focus wagon instead.

aussiesmg wrote: Something with an LS; Working on a 5.3 S10 now Something with a Rotary; Maybe 15 of them A Miata; Nope A P71; More than you can imagine A Suburban/Tahoe/Yukon; Hell no A diesel pickup/SUV; Not one

All the crazy E36 M3 at the compound.and not one.oil.burner? Wow.

Mongo is a 2 stroke supercharged diesel, but no SUV/trucks

I have owned one Ram (90) diesel, great truck just slower than E36 M3. Still regret selling the truck,this is the only (on my ninth truck now) truck I ever regretted selling. Ever. Did I say I regret selling this truck.

I have driven maybe 18 MX-5 over the years and tried to buy three different cars, no luck. But my B.I.L has one so I can get my fix from time to time, unless I buy the 2016

Had the "pleasure" of working on my grandmothers Grand Marques over the years, no love (lot's of blood) lost.

I have driven many LS powered trucks and cars over the years. Never felt inspired to buy a factory car, maybe a swapped something or the other.

I have also driven 20+ rotary car's, love to dive them but never want to own one with more than 10K miles.

Paul

I agree with thinking an E30 or E36 M3 also being "answers" around here, but as far as the others:

LS: No. Never had the budget for one.

Rotary: No. Although I've thought about it. A friend of mine hill-climb races an early RX7. I've always thought the last gen RX7 was a very pretty car. I'd like to have one some day, but it would need to be a 100% stock/original one.

Miata: No. Almost bought one but it turned out to be more of a project than I was willing to deal with at the time. Depressing as I wanted that car so bad and it was really fun for the 5 minutes it ran well.

P71: No. Closest I've gotten was renting a Crown Vic for work once. After that I can understand why people like them. For the job they're designed to do, few cars are better.

Suburban: No: I'm not an SUV fan.

Diesel pick-up: Yes. Had a '95 Cummins extended cab 4x4 5 spd. Bought because my ex-g/f hated my conversion van. Second only to my E30 for being the worst purchase I ever made, although I lost a lot more money on the truck than the E30 (more than $20K combined as both were huge money-sucks).

Honorable mentions:

E30: Yes. Had a '88 325is. Hated that car with a passion. Have no idea what you people see in that POS. Most unreliable car I've ever owned. Felt horrible to drive. Worst shifter feel in any car I've ever had. And every time I drove it, something broke. I was never so happy to sell a car. According everyone on this site, the price I paid was a good deal. That car was such a huge disappointment from the moment I test-drove it.

E36 M3: Sort of. My ex had one when we started dating. She has a major distrust of mechanics so when I discovered a lot of differed maintenance, I spent a lot of time tearing that car apart and putting it back together. After she bought her '03 MCS, she stopped driving the M3 and eventually sold it. Great car, but needy. My nickname for it was "the Christmas tree" since is was (Boston) green and the dash lights were always coming on (SRS, CEL, etc...). Part of me wishes I'd bought the car from her, but it wasn't in the cards at the time. And even back then in '04 when the car was only 7 years old, it felt like it could fall apart around you at any time. Drove great, tho... This car is probably what spoiled the E30 for me. I bought the E30 thinking it would be like the M3 in a smaller package which was too much to ask as it's not.

I drive a Chevy work van with a 4.8 LS. Not the worst work truck engine I've driven, but far from the best. I've spent just enough time around F-bodies to hate them, but I kind of dig late model GTOs.

Never owned anything with magic spinning triangles, but I'd be willing to try. I suspect that it would be a short term relationship.

Never owned a P71 or panther chassis. I'm not a fan of Ford mod-motors, but the overall package has a lot of merit. Every so often I'll see a late model Town Car for crazy cheap. I might take that bait someday.

XJ Cherokees are sometimes mentioned as the 4WD answer. I've never owned one, but I've driven them. I could definitely go for an XJ or 4.0 powered Grand Cherokee.

I've got no interest at all whatsoever in Miatas, mainly because the only open top vehicles that I like are jeep like things, or have only two wheels .

None of the above.

Always seemed like a v8 and a turbo or supercharged (or both) should be one of the answers.

I have never owned any of the OP's choices because "the answer" was never a match for my question.

LS, nope unless the 6.2 Liter in my wife's Yukon Denali counts

Suburban, I have had several, and am in the process of buying a 2005 Z71 for a tow vehicle now.

Cherokee, yep I had a 94 with a lift, winch etc...

Rotary, sort of... I built a 1st Gen RX7 for the 2008 Challange. The rotary was removed and replaced with a BMW M50 engine. (See avatar)

E30, yes I had a nice 1989 325is but sold it when I had my daughter, My wife was convinced that I needed a four door.

E36, I have had several including a 328i sedan, a M3/5/5 and two M3 coupes a 1995 and a 1999.

Miata, entered a 1995 M edition in the challenge this year.

P71, nope but I drove one briefly at work. I typing this post from my 9c1 impala in between calls for service.

Do I get extra points if I owned a diesel Miata?

I've had diesels and several Suburbans. 4 Miatae.

I currently own a Miata with that extra 100 horsepower spoken of.

Well, I'm out. I've had rotary cars (R100, RX2, 2 RX3s, 3 RX7s). I have not had a Miata or P71 yet, but I had a turbodiesel pickup truck that I replaced with an 8.1 liter Suburban 2500 for towing.

None of the answers. I just haven't had the opportunity for one of them to be an option.

LS - bucket list item, preferably swapped into something.

Rotary - no desire, I like pistons.

Miata - not yet, but one my list of "wanna buys".

P71 - no desire, but I'd take a Marauder.

Suburban/Yukon/Tahoe - likely the replacement for the MPV we have now, because towing.

Diesel PU/SUV - no need in my daily life.

I have a Caprice, which the P71/panther was basically a copy of, if that counts. I also have an E30, which, while not on your list, is often one of the answer cars. I haven't had any of the others, and that tends to be because I like unusual vehicles, even if they aren't the most practical. For example, the Caprice (a wagon) takes the place of a Tahoe/Silverado in my fleet of cars, haha.

I have never owned any of these up until my current toy... of course I might now be convinced that the e30 is actually THE answer to all questions.

It just does everything right without complaint or fuss and is a pure joy to drive whether pushing hard on track or just getting groceries. Perfect size, small enough to be nimble and responsive but big enough to haul people and gear in comfort. I recall a recent trip with 3 adults, overnight gear and golf bags for a couple hours with no complaints. I really like things like power accessories, working stereo and A/C in a driver focused orientation. Outward visibility is great, interior layout very nice and they are quite handsome to look at. It definitely took getting used to the relative lack of power but when driven properly it does not really disappoint, I just wasn't used to smooth, climbing power up the rev range as it is my first NA car and wants to be wrung out hard. Disclaimer: I bought a really cheap 325i in order to have a project to tinker with, NOT to just get in an turn the key without incident. It is a classic, almost as old as me and it needs attention and care; something that I enjoy and it is cheaper than a regular therapist. Thankfully, parts are readily available both factory and aftermarket and it is a very easy car to work on without need for a whole shop of specialty items.

I personally find those tiny mazdas lacking in style (ok, they are just plain ugly) and they feel like the cheap economy cars they are. My lifestyle doesn't lend itself to a perpetually dropped top and I would need a bubble to fit a helmet comfortably. Having had plenty of convertibles over the years I really do not care for them in an everyday car; they are noisy, cramped and unable to be secured well... and that doesn't even touch on the laughable sight lines...

Rotaries make me sad that such a cool idea just does not work very well as a solution to powering an automobile. They turn gas and oil into noise but skip the step where torque should be produced.

No need in my life for anything large or diesel powered. I do not haul or tow and never drive enough to worry at all about gas mileage. SUV's and trucks should be limited to commercial use only and not dominate the roads like multi ton dinosaurs...

Driven a few LS powered vehicles and I can easily admit that the power is pleasantly addictive. That being said, I have had similar power from more exciting packages and the cost of any LS would equal a half dozen of my previous rides.

I still kinda want a P71, they are killer utility cars that get things done with ease. Sadly, they are too big for my petite wife and the interior is truly spartan without any thought towards enjoyable ergonomics.

Honorable mention: Turbo Dodge? The challenge results just do not lie. These can be brutally fast and turn pretty well. I personally dig the eighties style, simple mechanical stuff and a little Shelby cache never hurts...

tb wrote: I have never owned any of these up until my current toy... of course I might now be convinced that the e30 is actually THE answer to all questions.

How's it tow?

Can I put 4 engines in the trunk?

Seat 7?

Will people think I'm gay if I drive it?

In reply to SVreX:

I hear they tow 1k-1.5k pretty well, but I haven't installed a hitch, yet...

One engine in the trunk shouldn't be a problem, it is surprisingly large. I would use a commercial vehicle if I ever needed to transport large loads of heavy equipment, not a car.

It seats 4 very well; even my 6'2" 300lb ass fits in the back! For 7 I would call a limo or commercial transport in that extreme scenario.

I don't think sexuality matters much, but I know that ladies love it! They are attracted to men with good taste and clean lines cannot be ignored! It doesn't look like a used bar of soap on wheels like some bright orange car I can think of!

Of course, no vehicle does everything... But some do all reasonable things better than others...

Hmm, I have a few minutes to kill and my answers are the result of a journey.

First car: 1980 SR-5 Corolla- rwd, no power, lot's of fun and I'd love to find one like it.

1977 Pontiac LeMans. POS beater similat to the P71 but no fun to drive. It was white though so people often mistook me for the police.

1991 Eclipse. Only new car I've ever owned, lived at the dealership getting warrantee work done.

1985 Subarust wagon. Beater. No power. Soft chassis.

1985 Dodge Charger Shelby. Reclaimed from some sort of racing career, not a good recipe for a daily driver.

1988 Turbocoupe. Great car, ran like a champ. Did all of it's things well and was good looking as well.

1993 MX-6. V-6 fun car, ran for forever, always wanted another gear.

1985 300ZX. Autotragic, lackluster car.

1993 S-10. Cheap truck, turned a profit when I sold it. The 2.8 v-6 was puny.

1997 Explorer Sport. Actually pretty good. Lasted 200,000 miles until my brother nuked the trans.

2000 Dodge Caravan. People mover, did it well.

2000 XJ. Thirsty, bouncy, slow. But not bad for all of that.

1998 Corolla. The penalty box of cars.

2004 Sequoia. Japanese Suburban. Good at moving people.

2001 allroad. Great car, maybe a bit maintenance intensive, really enjoyed my time with it.

2005 Phaeton. "Best Car Ever" Might be a strong statement but really, just silly how good it was. Terrifying depreciation.

1999 Wrangler TJ. Lift, winch, yellow, etc. First convertible and first dedicated "toy" car.

2004 F-150. Thirsty

2004 Expedition. Good tow vehicle, good people mover.

2007 Passat VR6. Can't find anything better for the money, sounds great, AWD goes no matter the road conditions. Comfortable.

1999 Suburban. Big, cheap, tows, family trips.

1997 Miata. Fun to drive, decent commuter. Modded for autoX and makes me smile to drive it. I'd like to be able to afford to stuff a bigger motor in it but until that day....

So I've had a few of the answers, My current stable is the last three. For those playing along at home see if you can spot where the divorce occured

Never owned a Miata because I find them boring.

Never owned a P71 because I have no need for a sedan, and with that in mind they don't do anything my Supercoupe won't do better.

Never owned a rotary because they're like communism: fine in theory, but suck in the real world.

Never owned a truck of any kind because every autocross car I've ever raced has had room for a set of tires inside the car (even my MR2 and Camaro).

I have owned LS vehicles (Z28 and CTS-V) because they deliver exactly the kind of fun I want.

In reply to tb:

I think you missed my sarcasm...

You said the Bimmer answered all the questions. I was just offering a few that it fails on.

(BTW, those are questions some of us have to ask. I can't call a limo service every time my family of 7 wants to go somewhere).

And for the record... I am not the least bit ashamed to whoop your rental car in my bright orange bar of used soap (even if it does make me look gay)!!

Something with an LS: I've never even owned a V-8 or above, never mind anything with a LS engine.

Something with a Rotary: Yep. I sold my non-turbo FC to DaveEstey and still have a turbo-swapped FC languishing in storage. As much as it pains me (because I like rotaries), I will probably sell it this spring. I simply haven't had the time to resurrect it.

A Miata: Nope. I actually bought my RX-7s because all the Miatas where I live are overpriced, basket cases, rust buckets, or some combination of the three.

A P71: No siree. Have no desire to either.

A Suburban/Tahoe/Yukon: See P71.

A diesel pickup/SUV: See Miata.

I've had three E30's, and E36 M3 and two Miata's, one with forced induction. Not interested in a Crown Vic and my wife's crossover can tow, but I'd love a LSx someday.

In reply to SVreX:

Oh, I understand... just too medicated to actually reply in a silly enough manner to be recognized as such.

I support your god given right to procreate massively but really cannot comprehend that kind of scale and therefore am unable to contemplate a solution that might work for everyone. I know us 2%ers are not really totally welcome here but I think that having someone else drive a livery vehicle IS the answer to moving a small army of people around. I have operated vehicles larger enough to handle that many bodies but wouldn't call it driving as much as transporting.

The salient word in you last comment is "rental"; feel free to dump on a car that I would never, ever actually own for myself. It was a disappointment to me in almost every aspect, but the seats were very comfortable and I used the A/C to great effect. For a freebie, it was better than a penalty box on wheels and I didn't need a whole separate vehicle and trailer to move it about but I am fairly sure it placed me firmly in the heterosexual but "douche-bag" category.

Subjectively, I do not care for the miata and objectively I think that it is clear that they are not even close to the "answer"... everyone talks about how great they are, once you change everything about them...

Something with a Rotary;
Nope
A Miata;
Nope
A P71;
Nope
A Suburban/Tahoe/Yukon;
Nope
A diesel pickup/SUV;
Nope

Something with an LS; Darn 6.0 and a manual but something tells me this does not count.