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.
It’s interesting that an article with a few comments being made against it even being written also has one of the highest reply counts of any in recent months… Does seem like Chrysler Crossfire may deserve a Venom Vellum or something if that hasn’t already been done?
Some Hagerty staffers named their personal pick of a car they “irrationally love”. The whole point is cars most, the hobby, the market, etc. don’t respect or see as collectible. Several of the mentioned-in-article vehicles will at least make it to “niche collectible” status (not necessarily investment).
Right on.
Hands down, the Honda Fit. It does the job without complaint or failure.
Yup. Irrational. I have a few as well but I don’t tell anyone.
1972 Pinto,
I once saw one with a 302 shoehorned under the hood, -ooh I soooo I had to try that myself.
Someone in our high-school shop put a v6 in a pinto, it was amazing, but I wanted 8 baby pistons to feed.
My parents owned a cab company, so we were always swapping engines (cabbies were never smart enough to check their oil) burnt up motors.
We’d usually pull the large v8s out and replace em with sixes,
So a transplant looked easy.
I found a victim 72 pinto 4 speed with the bigger German 2.0 litre.
started looking for the transplant parts.
Drove the pinto around with the intent of destroying the engine in mind.
Soon discovered the throttle linkage was too slack, (wouldn’t open the secondarys on the carb) after I fixed that she was a screamer, cheapest car I ever drove, great mileage, and the cops never looked twice at someone in a yellow pinto.
once I sheared the timing belt (doing burnouts)
Walked to an auto parts store, slipped a new timing belt on,
away I went -amazingly no engine damage.
Eventually I rolled the car before my V8 dreams came true,
I was back to driving my bigger pony (mustang)
I noticed the Crossfire garnered numerous mentions in this reply section, so I thought I would throw in my two cents….. I saw a blip in a car magazine in 2002 and wrote a letter to Chrysler to see what I could learn. I eventually received a nice little collection of Crossfire promotional material that included a DVD. I ended up owning an NA exactly like the one at the top of this article and an SRT6 the same color as the one in the article. They both came with a very nice three piece set of matching luggage with the corresponding badges used on the cars. It was those little details that intrigued me about the cars. As an example, there was a slightly raised peak that ran from the front bumper to the rear. They didn’t stop there, but ran the same peak across the dash, over the shift knob, the center console and the headliner! I took the SRT6 to a well known tuner in Texas who gave it a little over 400 HP without changing driveability. I surprised many a modified import during my 11 years of ownership. I had zero issues with either of the cars. A bonus is a dedicated forum group.
I used to work on the LLV’s back in the 90’s. Kind of neat. Easy to work on and simple. Wouldn’t want to freeway travel with one and they don’t have A/C, (at least the ones I worked on in Michigan). I watch one of the local scrap yards crush them. I don’t think USPS wants them in the hands of the public. Some of them are from the late 1980’s and still in service! I always thought it would be a blast to create a motorsport using them as bumpercars on ice.
You didn’t include some of my favorite late model GM cars. I loved my 06 HHR LT with the 2.4 engine, lots of low- end grunt and great MPG. Mt replacement of the HHR was a 2018 Buick Regal TourX. Turbo power, low slung, extremely cool and great MPG.
I also have a 06 Ford F250 XLT 4WD, diesel. How does that guy get 20 mpg? Mine is used for the cabover camper, car trailer or RV trailer and the mileage is about 9 MPG.
OI had a 2005 black Crossfire SRT that I bought in 2012. It only had 15,000 miles on it. The car was a showstopper alright and never failed to turn heads. I recall one time I was stopped at a traffic light. A guy pulled up and asked “who makes it?” I called back, Chrysler. The light turned green and the guy just sat there looking speechless. I sold it to a friend in 2017 with 22,000 miles on it. There was nothing wrong with it, but I was convinced that, being a Mercedes under the skin, when it finally did need a repair it would be unbelievably expensive. My friend drove it for several more years and it never did have any issues.
Always thought the Crossfire had the front end of a Pacifica (I had one) and the back end of a Marlin (my Dad had one)
I use the Grumman LLV as my daily driver at work for the Post Office. The trucks are amazing. Still hanging in after 30 + years. Love the right hand drive and sweet turning radius. Unfortunately they break down often!!
Funny how we remember the good and avoid talking about the bad …..
I had a girlfriend who owned a Crossfire.
It had wonderful mechanicals and that is where it ended.
The whole rear view is a total blindspot, and the quality of the interior – from the door handles to the controls, to the exterior trim, has the appearance of the quality of a cheap child’s plastic toy.
The BMW built Mini Cooper falls in the same class of poor quality – astonishing when you consider the finish quality of BMW’s mainstream vehicles.
Key words: irrational love…
’97 F250 OBS 7.3 172k miles. I will drive it forever.
Any car where the drivers head is closer to the rear wheels than front wheels (ie: Crossfire) seems to trigger this irrational lust. BMW Z3 & Z4 (Alias “Clown Shoe”) are good examples. “Rail” dragster is another.
Any Moto-psychologists out there care to comment?
It’s the mullet syndrome: business in front – party in the rear!
Thanks for posting my comments, may I add that I look forward to going back to Palm Desert this winter, first year in 12 years I don’t have to drive, I think I will miss it, love driving and seeing all the beautiful countryside, two days before I left I picked up an 89 560 SL in Signal Red, mint condition, lady owner since new and all service records came with it, I wanted one of these gorgeous cars since I was a kid and now I finally got one, just one more car to buy and I have filled my bucket list, anybody have a Bentley GT V8 convertable they want to part with.
I always liked the Subaru XT and RX from the mid to late 80s. The XT was not uncommon back then, the RX was pretty rare – today they are both virtually extinct. They ran so good, looked so different than anything before or after them, and were great in snow and bad weather. Rust was the only thing that could kill them.