If I know anything about you guys, it is that y’all comment on the things you love. So that means you loved the cheap Oldsmobile Alero with the tragic rear end damage, so I think this next car will fit right into the DT paradigm of cheap and basic daily driver. As a plus this […]
DT continues our countdown of 12 econoboxes that are inspired by this vintage Car and Driver comparison article. The twelve sub $10k (when new in 1992 and equipped with air conditioning, a rear defroster, and an AM/FM radio) cars were ranked by an assortment of college kids, and this next one is number 6. Today’s […]
The Honda Insight wasn’t known as a sporty vehicle, but it did have an available manual gearbox and if you ditch those heavy batteries and swap in a high horsepower K-series 4-banger, you get something that would rule the roads in 1995. Find this 2000 Honda Insight offered for $9000 in Victoria, MN via craigslist. […]
This next car isn’t the fastest car you’ll ever drive or the best handling or the sexiest…but it is the nicest looking used Saturn SC2 I’ve seen in the past few decades. Wait…did they really sell Saturns in the 21st century, I thought that GM subbrand went defunct decades ago, but a quick search reveals […]
u won’t have automatic lane departure warning buzzards (I’m not sure why you’d want a buzzard to peck at your neck when you change lanes without a blinker, but I hear they are friendly birds if treated properly and only molt twice a year) and self aspirating seats (“You can’t never take wound care too seriously” — said the spokeswoman from Toyota at the last year’s Detroit Auto Show) but imagine driving a 30 year old car in 1970. That would have been a 1940 car. Or even driving a 30 year old car in the year 2000 — a 1970 Torino would have been nuts to daily drive in 1999…but you could easily drive this next car every day and not have people calling the cops on you. Find this 1990 BMW 535i offered for $6,000 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.
This next car comes as a tip from Art C who writes: I totally forgot Mazda put a stick in a minivan!! Could be a fun DD for someone to haul around drums or kids or all sorts of bulky items. Yup, only Mazda would put a 5-speed in a car that seats 6 people (7 with the JDM center seat setup known as the Karakuri seating system, which apparently didn’t meet USA crash standards but was good enough for Japanese and ROW). Find this 2009 Mazda 5 Touring offered for $4,400 in East Windsor, CT via craigslist.
These next two cars make for an interesting comparison because they are both front-wheel-drive and equipped with a 5-speed manual gearbox, but the similarities end there. In fact, the thing that makes these car even remotely interesting to compare is that they are sold by the same seller in one craigslist advert. Would you prefer this 2009 Volkswagen Golf offered for $4000 or 1994 Mercury Tracer offered for $1200 in Hartford, CT via craigslist. Tip from ME
You might think that the Honda Element would be an unlikely car to show up on the pages of Daily Turismo, but you might not know as much about the Element as you should. First, the boxy people and gear hauler was available with a manual gearbox and they are simple to maintain. Think of it like an overstuffed Volvo wagon and it makes more sense. Find this 2006 Honda Element offered for $9,700 in Sunnyvale, CA via craigslist. Tip from Matt V.
This next car comes as a tip from Art who writes: Brown, manual v6, 2door wagon, unfortunately of the suv variety but hey…. pretty good looking rig! And the price seems very reasonable if it shows as good as the ad looks. Find this 1999 Chevrolet Blazer offered for $3800 in Old Lyme, CT via craigslist.
The Paul Bracq designed E23 generation BMW 7-series was released in 1977, right in the middle of the malaise era, but it was far from a floating slow boat that induced thoughts of suicide, particularly with a manual gearbox. Domestic cars might have offered luxury in the form of a vinyl top or total isolation from the road, but the German version of luxury involved a properly fast ride with a manual gearbox, taught suspension, and rear-wheel-drive. The only thing you couldn’t get in a late 70s/early 80s BMW was a beverage holder for your giant American big-gulp. Life is full of compromises, I guess. Find this 1985 BMW 735i E23 offered for $4500 in San Rafael, CA via craigslist.