9 Cars We Irrationally Love

What exactly do automotive journalists do when you put them in together in a room? The logical answer is complain about their last hotel room, or the size of the prawns at dinner, or the inability to get a first-class upgrade during their last manufacturer-sponsored event. But no, we don’t do that. (That’s what posting on Instagram and Twitter is for, obviously.)

But seriously, we asked the folks here at Hagerty Media about cars they irrationally love. Like a moth to a flame, they couldn’t resist sharing their thoughts and experiences to prove their irrational adoration for certain hunks of automotive iron. How ungrounded are these choices? You tell us in the comments.

1990-94 Nissan Pulsar GTi-R

Is there anything more irrational than loving a car you’ve only driven in a video game?
The Nissan Pulsar GTi-R in Gran Turismo takes the cake for me. It comes with items you rarely find in a car of this size, like a large (2.0-liter) four banger with turbocharging and all-wheel drive. With aftermarket modifications, this Nissan starts punching far, far harder than its demure size suggests.

When you need to dominate the short races in early stages of Gran Turismo (as you start off with very little money) this homologation special makes you a hero quickly and cheaply. And that makes it a rock star in my eyes. — Sajeev Mehta

Rental-Spec Toyota Camry

I made the joke to a colleague the other day that I may be a bad car journalist because I like boring stuff that won’t strand me and vaporize my wallet. A car that I irrationally love? The Toyota Camry. I’m 30 now, and over the last few years I’ve really come to appreciate predictability.

The Camry is, by my own words, “ruthlessly competent.” Sure, a great driving car with a few ornery habits can be entertaining, but only when you won’t get jammed on a roadside by them. When it comes to hoovering up miles, it’s hard to go wrong with a Camry, and for that reason, it’s earned a ton of respect from me. — Nate Petroelje

Grumman LLV

Never driven one, will likely never own one, never talked to someone who put miles on one, but something about the Grumman LLV has me captivated. It could be that a lot of fun motorcycle parts arrive in the back of one, or that I daydream about how it would be the perfect around-town motorcycle and bicycle hauler.

The LLV is small but designed to fit things inside with a low load height, enough power to run with traffic, and is sized for some hilarious paint scheme opportunities. This is a vehicle designed for one specific purpose and I find that charming, even if my attraction is wholeheartedly irrational. — Kyle Smith

Two Unexpected Race Cars

I irrationally love two oddball race cars. In 2020, a team I used to race with, RBank Racing, took a Honda CRX and a Saab 9-3 to Indy for a pair of eight-hour Champcar Endurance Series races. I’d driven both cars before, but this was the weekend where I came to really appreciate them. On that Saturday, I had the opening stint in the Saab and took it from 37th to second, behind a 944. We ultimately finished fourth overall due to some brake issues late in the race. At the time, the Saab fit the rules of the series quite well—it made great power, was comparatively fuel-efficient, handled just well enough, and was a breeze to drive. Almost no one (besides us) bet on Saabs, but they just flat-out worked at that time in that series.

The CRX was everything the Saab wasn’t, as it was always trying to crash you. If you were on the throttle, it was all understeer, and when you were off-throttle the back end always wanted to come around. I have never been so busy in a race car, and emerged from the CRX exhausted but smiling. I ended up turning a lap within about a second of my time in the Saab. I can’t think of a more different and quirky duo, and I fell in love with them both because of it. — Eddy Eckart

Honda Fit

Gotta be the Honda Fit for me. So basic, so unassuming, so utilitarian. Its most recent generation in the U.S. got away from the lightness and tossability that once made it such a surprising joy to fling around, but I still love it.

In the U.K., where it is known as the Jazz, the Honda Fit is known as an old-lady car. But who’s laughing when you can fit a grandkid and a big pile of grocery bags and still steal a barely-there parking spot? I crave a Fit for the sheer ingenuity and dedication to solving the problem of “affordable city car.” — Eric Weiner

Chrysler Crossfire

I have no good reason to like it, and I’m embarrassed to even admit it, but I have a soft spot for the Chrysler Crossfire. I have no particular loyalty to Chrysler, nor do I particularly like the Mercedes SLK platform underneath, but every time I see a Crossfire I let out a little “ooh.” Mainly, it’s the Art Deco details and the rear end that’s part goofy, part sexy. — Andrew Newton

VW Passat Wagon (B3)

My irrational crush is the Volkswagen Passat wagon—the B3 model offered in the U.S. from 1990 to ’93. The B4 that followed is essentially the same car, but for some reason I’ve always liked the blank, grille-less front end (IS THAT AN EV?!?), and I will never not appreciate the functionality of a boxy wagon with juuuust a touch of Euro flair. You could get them with the VR6, and in Canada they were offered with Syncro all-wheel drive. Practical and fun! — Stefan Lombard

3/4-Ton Diesel Pickups

I do not need a diesel truck with 450hp. I do not enjoy towing. I stopped toting around a Bobcat skid-steer when I got a job at a magazine and stopped working for my dad’s fence business. Still, every time I get behind the wheel of a modern turbodiesel pickup, I get it. The torque is effortless, the fuel economy is kind of not terrible, and modern truck interiors are nice. I’m forced to remind myself of how much more maneuverable and affordable mid-size pickups are and how I don’t need the $10,000 diesel option.