Don’t make any white car jokes, I don’t think I can take another one. This collection of versatile cars is a somewhat odd collection, however, with a set of wheels for most occasions. Which most speaks to you? The fun-in-the-sun Cavalier convertible? The formerly posh 5-series touring? Or the rev-happy Integra?
Or perhaps, if you’re not in mood for a white car, you can remember Audi’s US renaissance with a control-arm eating, coil-pack frying A4 in metallic taupe. It’s between the Bimmer and the Acura for me. Each of these cars, other than the Bimmer, needs a complete write-up. Anyone who feels qualified is therefore encouraged to submit a piece.
The presence of a Cavalier in a driveway that also includes an Acura, a BMW, and an Audi is somewhat confusing to me. Which one of these things is not like the others… I’d take the 5-series, though. The Audi and the Acura are probably both more enteraining drives, but I love a wagon and the E34 is from BMW’s “timeless” era.
And what’s the other silver car lurking in the background? Acura, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet… Perhaps a Dodge? Daewoo? Not the right shape for a Daihatsu, Datsun or Delorean…
Probably as a dirt cheap convertible, cheap to buy and maintain. It may be a POS, but at least its a cheap POS that lets you drive with the top down. And when you have a couple other daily drivers, who cares?
It looks to me like an Ice Blue 2004.5-2007 Kia Spectra back there
Yep, I’ll second it being a Spectra.
Given that you specified 2004.5, I’ll guess you meant Optima, which is my guess.
Nope- I meant Spectra. Optima had a 2006.5 not a 2004.5.
Yeah. It’s way too small to be an Optima, plus the Optima has a pillar in back door windows, and roof line is way less rounded.
Cavalier convertibles were made at the Lansing Craft Center and are better-built (if not better in materials quality) than tintop Cavs.
The silver car’s just a Honda Civic.
I’d take the 5-Series, then the Integra. They both speak to different moods of mine, but I’ve I’ve wanted an E34 5-Series – in sedan or wagon form, since I was a kid.
Perry, if no one else volunteers, I’ll be glad to do a write-up on the Integra 😉
My folks briefly had an E34 525i sedan when I was in high school, it was a beautiful car, everything you hope they would be, even though it was going on 10 years old at the time.
Not overwhelming powerful, but smooooth, and the car was comfortable, stable, well balanced. Just a perfect “sedan”. Right sized, easy to see out of, simple, high quality interior.
I was once allowed to borrow it for an 8 hour round trip to the BMW factory & museum in SC (a big deal for a 17 year old relegated to an old Chevy every day), a perfect highway car as well. I absolutely fell head over heels for all thing E34 on that trip. If it hadn’t been written off in a wreck, I’m sure they’d still have it.
Go ahead; I had one in high school–what an engine.
I’ll put it on my “posts to write” list. I have a few others already in the works, but I’d enjoy doing a 2nd-gen Integra one soon.
I’m all about affordable fun. Pass the keys to the Integra, please.
Lets see…… I think I would have to take the Cavalier over the rest. The Integra is probably full of hidden rust like all of the Honda/Acura of that era. The BMW and Audi are also out for me, they are probably money pits at this point in their lives anyway. (remember the most expensive car you will ever own is a cheap German luxury car)
The Cavi for all its craptastic virtues, is more reliable the then the Audi and BMW and when it broke it cost less to repair. Plus you really don’t find that many convertibles at its price point when new.
I will write up the 1995-2005 Cavalier if nobody else wants to.
I’d like to see that. It’d be interesting to hear the positive case for a car that’s easy to hate.
Make no mistake the cavi and its sister car the Sunfire are not exactly the worlds greatest cars but they were built to serve a purpose(cheap wheels for folks that need a new car and money is a factor and I think GM was using them for CAFE(MPG) compliance to balance out the bigger cars in the line up)
There is a Cavalier(not convertible though) on the lot I got my Lesabre from, I will take pics of it and write something on the 95-05 J bodies.
Whenever I’ve had a chance to chat with tow truck operators, I usually ask them, ‘What model do you tow the most?’. In the last 10-15 years, I’ve perhaps posed the question 5 times. And at least three times, they’ve said the Cavalier/Sunfire. In spite of a low initial price, I think there are more reliable choices out there. Granted, the volume of Cavaliers out there played a role too.
It seems the Cavaliers I see now are either really rough and scabby looking or in perfect condition, with ALL coupes falling in the first category. I suspect the nice convertibles were summer-only “toy” cars and the nice sedans owned by elderly Chevy loyalists.
The tow operator’s experiences may be true, but I feel there’s always more to the story. I’ve got a 17 year old Cavalier that’s on it’s last legs mostly due to rust, but for 260,000+ miles it’s been a reliable runner. It’s had a few problems, to be sure, but most cars this age and mileage will. I will say that the drivetrain (2.2 pushrod and 4T40 autobox) is about bulletproof with regular maintenance. It has to be the least expensive car I’ve ever owned with regards to purchase, maintenance and insurance. It survived 5 years commuting with me, and my two daughters, the younger of the two still drives the car daily.
Refined? No. Basic? Yes. Sturdy? Yes. Is that what I wanted? At the time, yes. My kids were in the height of their activities, I drove a lot more back then and needed something good on fuel and fairly roomy and utilitarian. This car fit the bill. That it was a coupe was just icing on the cake.
Leon, I would respectfully like to offer my assistance for your J-body article. I’ve owned a couple of them in addition to other family members. Contact me if you’re interested.
Surprising to see all that white in what appears to be a non-Sunbelt driveway. Someone said elsewhere that Japanese consider white a lucky color. They’re right in this sense: it ages well under the sun & won’t burn one’s fingers either. I’ve seen sun-faded metallic & black cars, & they aren’t pretty.
I believe ( and so does my Japanese wife) that you are misinformed about white being a lucky color. If anything, white is associated with funerals there. Anyhow, the Japanese aren’t particularly superstitious these days.
I was curious though, and so I pulled the DuPont Automotive Color Popularity report. Although it’s supposed to be annual, the latest I could find is from 2012.
It appears that white or white-pearl is the most popular color globally, pulling somewhere around 25 percent of the market, plus or minus a few points, in every major market -Europe, Japan, and the U.S.
I wonder if the distribution in the U.S., although 24 percent overall varies substantially by region (with “warmer” colors in the North and “Cooler” colors in the South.
http://us.vocuspr.com/Newsroom/Query.aspx?SiteName=DupontNew&Entity=PRAsset&SF_PRAsset_PRAssetID_EQ=125016&XSL=PressRelease&Cache=True
And yet, white is traditionally the most popular car color in Japan.
I wonder if part of the reason that a large % of cars sold are white is due to fleet use.
Wow what a smorgasbord of vehicles and that weird 1970s house is the icing on the cake for this bizzare photo. If the Integra is a hatchback I’ll take it even though it is not a 5 door. I rather have a Solar a or LeBaron Convertible if I had less than 5 grand to spend.
I’d go for the roomy load carrier the BMW wagon Cavaliers arent well reguarded here even with Toyota badging they are virtually free to good homes, I had a Honda Prelude dont want any more Hondas thanks all the same, but something for carting loads would be handy.
5 series hands down.
I still miss my first and only, to this day only white car to this day. Not a hot rod or a luxury cruiser, just a plain transportation appliance. a 1998 V6 3.2L Chevrolet Lumina LS.
Got trashed by a hit and run driver while parked. Totaled. I then got a Saturn l100 SE, silver. I wanted white but none to be had in 2002. I still drive that car, 98,000 trouble-free miles.
Yawwwwwwn. 🙂 Actually, I really liked that second gen Integra. But not if it’s an automatic.
I remember when A4s were the (leased) car of choice for the young, up and coming professional. Then they seemed to disappear overnight. Your description indicates that maybe they were not all repossessed. Oh well, the newest Audi will be durable. Right?
Based purely on personal observation, VAG cars seem to have BY FAR the shortest lifespans on the road. Remember how many MKIV Jettas you used to see? Far fewer today, although granted they haven’t disappeared (unlike the MKIII). Same goes for these A4s as mentioned. And when was the last time you saw one of those round-trunked A6s, or an A8 from that vintage?
When was the last time I saw an older A6? About 3 PM today.
I have a 2001 Audi A6 Avant as one of my daily drivers. It has about 140k on the clock, and has been as reliable as a top. The only issues with it have been fit and finish. The 2.8 is a tad pedestrian, but it’s served me quite well.
My other daily driver is a 1995 LeSabre with 216k miles. It’s as reliable as the Audi, but cheaper to maintain (Parts for an H-Body are way cheaper).
Both deserve a CC article that I’ll have to write this winter when things slow down.
Even though the Buick is cheaper to upkeep, the Audi isn’t a bad car at all. I’d have another. Just do the Timing Belt/Water Pump change every 100k miles, and enjoy the ride.
Of course, if you can’t afford a $1500 service every 100k miles, a cheap LeSabre may be a better choice.
My heart picked the Audi. My head picked the Buick.
Old Audis are often very cheap here, I guess theres a reason for that.
I mentioned above that I had one in high school. A very fun car in which to get acquainted with second and third gear and the (overly conservative) redline. It made my friends’ 16-valve VWs seem gritty, though their cars’ meatier steering and balance appealed to me more back then. Nothing a thicker anti-roll bar and well chosen shocks and springs can’t fix, of course.
I recall looking at them in the early 90’s when I had my ’86 GTI after college. I really liked the smooth and rev-happy engine and all of the controls felt great to the touch. The GTI was grittier, you are correct, but did feel a bit more solid (stiffer may be a better word).
An easy decision; Integra, please. All ribbing about white cars aside, white was the most popular color for many years during the period these pictured cars were made. I had 2 myself.
I once owned an Integra of the generation pictured here. Mine was a 4 door sedan with an automatic transmission.
Rust? Yes it had rust in the rear wheelwell arch, but it never worsened in the 4 years I owned it. Plastics inside and out were a small problem. Care had to be taken when removing and replacing things like headlight or side marker bulbs. Push too hard on the now brittle with age plastic and a bulb holder could become useless. EVERYTHING else about these cars was rugged and hard wearing. The upholstery in my 3 Civics was starting to fray at 150 thousand miles…my Integra? Undamaged at over 200 thousand miles.
Like many Japanese cars of the late 80s/early 90s the automatic transmission was bullet-proof, BUT…slow to downshift and left me feeling like my Integra was pulling an anvil behind it.
I also owned an 80s Cavalier. That car had steering with no feel, an interior that rapidly faded to 4 shades of grey, and plastic parts throughout the interior that broke/shattered.
My choice of white car? The BMW or Acura.
What was the torque figure, 121 lb-ft at 5000 rpm or something like that. Definitely meant for a stick. At that time, only the Legend, Vigor and Accord didn’t feel totally slow with an automatic, but still… there’s a reason I like GM’s fwd cars–torque.
In Freehold NJ, just about every other car you see is white. Look in any parking lot or mall.Although some cars do look good in that color, I`m not really too wild about it..As far as these parked cars are concerned, I`m not really cowed by any of them, but I`d take the convertible if it was offered to me. A bland color for sure, but at least it might be fun on a nice day.
What a crashing bore of a driveway. I’ll take the dark red convertible in the background of the second photo.
That is an inspiration for a QOTD: Which color is a deal breaker for you?
I started to bite on this, but that’s a REALLY good idea. Ill save my real response for if its ever posted. But lets just say that boring will turn me right off.
Already owned an e34 wagon, avoid them unless you know a mechanic that will do everything for you, for free….(parts are affordable tbh) and they aren’t really that much fun either. The cavalier and audi are about as interesting as a typical monday at work, so I guess that means I get the well built, well handling cramped rev-happy car that will rust to pieces any day soon 🙂
Wow, somebody likes consistent colors in their fleet! My favorite is the 5-Series wagon. Those are pretty rare. I only recall seeing one in the past 10 years, it was a slightly ratty dark green one.
I’ll take the white one.
What you really want is a white White, right ?
If the Road Boss is as good as the Field Boss we have, I’d have a White in a heartbeat.
In white, of course.
Wow. I’ve not seen a White that old in quite some years. Nice!
Touring in any colour but magic happens purple.
I’d probably take the Audi, then the Acura, then the 5-series, followed by the Cavalier and then the Kia or whatever it is.
The beige color on the Audi is called Melange if memory serves correctly.
Yes, the Audi color is called melange metallic, a gold tone. Used to have a MY 2000 A6 in that color.
*Any* late 80s/early 90s hatchback, manual shift Honda wins over anything else on 4 wheels, regardless of price.
….ummm….I’ll have the Acura…
I wholeheartedly disagree…so does your avatar.
I wholeheartedly disagree…so does your avatar.
The avatar is a tribute to the last generation senior AMCs, which, based on a few thousand miles driving them, were a better driving car than what the big three were churning out at that time.
As a daily driver, nothing from 45 years ago can hold a candle to the cars produced 20 years later.
If the wagon in that pic had been a Mazda Protege 5, rather than a Bavarian money pit, I would have hesitated a moment, but still gone with the Acura.
@Steve: This 1987 Buick Grand National would like to have some words with you.
@Steve: This 1987 Buick Grand National would like to have some words with you.
A Roger Smith era rust bucket? *shudder* I saw how fast cars dissolved in the 60s and 70s, but 80s GMs in Michigan broke new ground in being biodegradable. Spectacular, how they would rust, not only in the usual lower fenders and rocker panels, but all the edges of hood and trunk, and random spots all over the body.
Out here, they don’t seem to rust at all. But, we’re in a dry climate. If I were in the Rust Belt, I don’t think I’d own any 30 year old car.
But, if we’re using “Any Late 80s/Early 90s car”, I’d take a jellybean LeSabre. I have a 1995 with 216k miles. No rust, reliable, and a great all-around car that’s easy to keep going.
Plus, I don’t have the whole “Late 80s Honda vaccuum hose issues”.
But, if we’re using “Any Late 80s/Early 90s car”, I’d take a jellybean LeSabre. I have a 1995 with 216k miles. No rust, reliable, and a great all-around car that’s easy to keep going.
You’re lucky you are in a dry climate. Around here, LeSabres of that vintage were notable, by about 2000, for having the rocker panels completely gone.
Plus, I don’t have the whole “Late 80s Honda vaccuum hose issues”
OK, I’ll give you that one. I had enough issues with the vacuum powered stuff on my 67 Thunderbird, at 5 years of age, to appreciate weathered and split rubber hoses. Honda must have gotten over that notion, because my 98 Civic hatch gave excellent service over 15 years. Never any rubber hose issues.
I’ll take the BMW.
It must have been 6 years ago when we were visiting a friends family in Atlanta during spring brake. I made a deal with my wife that I will take her anywhere she wants to go except for one day which i will do whatever I want to do.
I used my day to go to a used car dealership that specialized in BMW’s. They called themselves the Bimmerguys. Sam was gracious enough to let me try 3 different BMW’s even though chances of me buying were slim.
There was a 5 series Touring. I experienced it as an wonderfully comfortable ride with plenty power and telepathic steering.
Next was a convertible that had some issues but still showed its potential.
Last one was a 330 Coupe: the lightest body stuffed with the biggest engine they could shoehorn into the bay. Wow! That was the ultimate driving machine.
That made for a great day. I am still thankful to Sam for that.
Wow tough call! I wouldn’t want to have to pick from this bunch but the question definitely made me think! No clearcut winner here for me, but definitely some solid losers. Im sure the ‘choice’ is for the white cars, but that audi and powder blue sedan may be IN the pic, but definitely off the menu for me. Sedans=FAIL. Those don’t even move the needle on my meter.
The Cadaverlier is the weakest link. Not a great platform, and Im no fan of chevies. Not too high on ragtops, unless we’re talking old school bobtail 4×4’s, big low ’60s sleds, or roadsters. Compact ragtops say ‘chick car’ pretty loud and while Im a very secure dude, I wouldn’t wear a pink halter top any more than Id drive that Cavvy.
2 door coupes are my bag. Whether we’re talking beefy Detroit muscle, or agile high revving sports coupes that’s my top choice in ‘regular’ cars. The Integra has the most potential for fun, but like Leon said, this is a smorgasboard for rust mites. If its a manual, great driving experience. Slushbox with 4 cyls…no way, no how no thanks. AND Ive never been too crazy about Japanese cars in general.
The BMW is the reluctant choice for me. If a coupe is out of the question then Im good with a sporty wagon. A slight penalty in the style department but a huge gain in utility makes it a livable compromise. A stick would obviously be the best, but even a I-6 automatic is at least tolerable to a degree. Some of these had small V8s if memory serves. So that’s where Id pull the trigger.
A couple of pictures that just say “College Town”
Depending on the circumstances, I’d be interested in driving the BMW or the Chevy, but I don’t see anything there I’d really want to own.
I’ll take the BMW…as a previous post said, timeless.
FWIW, I love white cars. After silver, they well show the designer’s intention in the overall design. We have a white, black, and two silver cars. We’re very boring I guess.
When clean, the black car is by far the sexiest…