These Are The Best Automotive Decisions You've Ever Made

Feb 27, 2024

Earlier this week, I asked readers what were the best automotive decisions they ever made. While there was a steady stream of comments that praised beloved cars that were bought below the expected selling price and stood the test of time, other types of responses were just as impactful. People decided to learn skills that better their experience as car owners. Others took the choice to sell certain cars to better their day-to-day lives. Here are the best responses:

2 / 15

Ditching my ‘12 Golf TDI 3-door. I never used the sport mode once, and the mileage never approached what was on the sticker, and absolutely tanked when the temps dropped below zero, not mention sitting in a freezing ass car for 10 minutes waiting for it to warm up. Availability of diesel and the mess the Neaderthals that use the pump always left when I did find it, meant wearing gloves or having stinky hands (forget about fast food) and often fuel tracked onto the mats and carpet. With penalty at the pump for the price of fuel, you never benefit from the additional miles you make (during the warm months only), and of course as we all now well know the car was a super-polluter and the brochure was nothing but lies. Never hated any car I’ve owned more.

Submitted by: Scott Satellite

3 / 15

Best decision was the purchase of my 2016 Focus RS. After 9 months of waiting for it, then watch it be unloaded from the transport, I’ve been in love ever since. Amazing little car to whip around and spank some ass of much more expensive and powerful cars. Also, after 7 years I’ve only lost about $5k of value. Now my kids drive it too, when I am not.

Submitted by: PearlJamFan

4 / 15

Purchasing a leftover 2019 G70 in 2020 when interest rates were bottomed out. I travel for work, all road trips in the 6-10 hour range. I was at a crossroads, keep doing these miles in my truck and hit 150k miles at the point I am now then trade in for another truck (a truck is an a necessity for our property, hobbies, and winter terrain), or pick up something that I could use for work trips and let the truck just do truck stuff.

The G70 was a stick and I scored it for almost 20% off MSRP. So far, with mileage reimbursement, the car has paid for itself, I still have 2 more years of bumper to bumper and 7 years of powertrain warranty, and my truck has a little over a 110k on it and holding up well. Having the G70 means I don’t need the truck to be 100% reliable, I would be comfortable letting it rack up to 200k miles since it is not the vehicle I take on work trips. I have avoided the replacement cost of the truck which right now is almost 60k to replace what I have.

That the G70 is exceptionally comfortable on the highway, reasonably fuel efficient, and has great lane centering is just a bonus.

Submitted by: Ex-Parrot

5 / 15

My best automotive decision was putting a deposit down on a Rivian R1T. They had just started shipping the vehicles in Sep 2021. I wasn’t in the market for a new car but a friend of mine who works at Rivian came over in December 2022 with a company vehicle so i got to check it out in person. Everything was so well thought out on it and the specs and tech were impressive so I thought to myself the deposit is fully refundable and they’re 1 year out backlogged so who knows maybe i’ll be in the market then. Fast forward 3 months and the price jumps 20% but pre-march pricing would be honored so i pretty much have to buy it when one becomes available even if it’s just to flip. Jump forward another 3 months and gas prices are at an all-time high, but what’s this? Rivian magically had a vehicle availble for me so i said “yes please.” First new car I’ve ever owned (previously had a 2015 Volvo V60 R-Design and a 2005 Infiniti G35 Sedan with a manual transmission), and the best car i’ve over owned in terms of spec and capabilty. Oh and my work offers free charging so even though it’s a pricey vehicle, the gas savings definitely helps offset my monthly payment.

Submitted by: Ted Yang

6 / 15

1. Biting the bullet and learning how to drive manual by buying a new manual car. I had had a few sessions driving kind friends’ cars here and there. I bought a 2011 RX-8 R3 new, sight-unseen (saw internet dealer ad for 2k less than what the local dealer was asking for). It had about 100 miles on it, unloved for over a year a Maine dealer. The dealer was worried that I would buy it because he said he didn’t fit into the Recaro seat.

I rented a car (happened to be a Mazda6), because the dealer didn’t want to drive it all the way to my house but was willing to meet me half way. As I had already given my information to the dealer on the phone, I only had to walk around the car and sign the paper. This was the smoothest, most B.S.-less buying experience I have ever had. I stalled it a couple of times on the way home but was otherwise grinning like an idiot.

2. Selling a 2017 340i manual after 1 year, 5,000 miles of driving that soul-less machine. I had wanted to keep it because #manual and was hesitant about the big depreciation hit. It didn’t have any typical BMW traits - steering was artificial, gave me a year of completely trouble-free ownership. I bought a Macan GTS instead, and the auto did not taint the joy of driving one bit.

Submitted by: DLu

7 / 15

Best automotive decision I ever made was finally ditching the manual transmission and just driving an automatic. Part of this was admitting that I’m at a place in my life where the only thing exciting I want to happen on a drive is inside the car with me- good company, good music, whatever.

My car is what takes me to the exciting places. Places where I can go camping, ride my bike, paddle my boats. My car is not, in and of itself, exciting. Because the other part of the decision to get an automatic was that it’s OK to have a car that’s just reliable and a little boring. Because if the last 10 years have taught us anything, it’s that we really do not need everything to be exciting all the time forever nonstop. I have not regretted this decision even a little.

Submitted by: Buckfiddiousagain

8 / 15

Modest but amazing score:

Bought my 2018 Buick Regal Tour X Essence in December of 2018 for $10K off the sticker price of $40,500. Rolled in a trade in ‘12 Toyota Camry with 75K miles and walked away with a $23K brand new German made AWD turbo wagon.

Still the best car I’ve ever owned and by a huge margin the most quiet, comfortable car I’ve ever owned.

Submitted by: kbpollox

9 / 15

I have 2 best decisions. Most recent was a 2000 Honda Insight 5-speed for $500 during the pandemic. Needed brake lines, tires, and a good cleaning. Hybrid battery was supposedly dead. Replaced the brakes and tires cheap and had a running driving car that got 50 mpg for about $1500 total investment. Dug into the battery and discovered the high voltage fuse had died, spent the $50 for a new one and carefully recharged the battery, been living the fully working hybrid life since and have easily seen 65mpg on the interstate now. Registration, insurance, and obviously fuel costs are so low that it just seems foolish to get rid of it as a commuter. Great buy!

Other was a gen 2 Viper GTS in 2017 just before they announced they were discontinuing all Vipers. Always wanted a Viper and used prices were comparable to a new Camry at the time. The choice was obvious and values have climbed since if I ever wanted to sell, which I have no plan to. Also not nearly as scary to drive as reports lead you to believe. Good tires and a proper alignment do wonders to make the car predictable and a peach to drive.

Submitted by: MrAcoustics

10 / 15

This one is easy - paying $4500 for a 2008 Base model Honda Fit with a 5 speed. 105,000 on the clock. This was in 2018. Since then, I’ve lost count how many times I found myself relying on the amazing design features unique to this vehicle.

I’ve used it to haul a massive Epilog laser cutter, a full-size fridge, a full size Miter saw on on a collapsible stand, countless wood studs, plywood sheets, ladders, and all sorts of other awkwardly proportioned shit as I worked on building out the interior in my new place. The cargo bay took it all. ...albeit the fridge was playing peekaboo out of the trunk on the 405.

And then, a car wash and a simple vacuum later - seats go up, and suddenly I’m on a 2 hour drive with my wife and two friends! We’re going from LA to the mountains on New Years Day! Slippery roads? no problem. TCS and ABS sorted it all out as a team effort just fine. Had they not - I’m still not worried. the Fit’s roof will support its weight upside down. And in any right-side-up collisions - the interior is shrowded with airbags: can’t throw a racketball in there without hitting an SRS stamp.

Fast forward six months, and we’re on our annual roadtrip! And not a short one - it’s taking us from LA to Zion, through the Utah canyon country, down to Sedona, and back home by way of the 10. On the last leg of the trip, I fill up in Phoenix for $25 (this was 2020, things were different), and the car is just about on empty as we pull into our local Chevron here in downtown LA. $25 to cross a whole state!!

And if nothing else, as I’m simply running errands around the charming roads winding through the hills of east LA, without any weight in the back, and with the 5 speed stick, this thing is an absolute rally group B wannabe! Even the countless potholes our neck of the woods is famous for are of no bother for the little Fit, it zips around them like a gokart, or takes them in stride - the car is light, suspension doesn’t mind. Tires? $75 ea at Sears.

All stock, ran when parked, runs right now, will run for as long as it’s in my possession. I fully intend to keep it for decades. And 20 years from now, and realistically on its second L15, I look forward to teaching whatever kids we will have how to drive in it.

The Fit is Go.

Submitted by: 0L0iD

11 / 15

It would have to be my car purchases in the 2009-2011 time frame. 2009 i purchased a used 2003 Pontiac Vibe base manual trans. manual everything, including windows and locks. bulletproof reliable and fuel efficient. Was a great car for kids and activities. I got it for $5900 with 55k miles. Drove it to 115k miles and sold it for $5600. Only ever needed oil, tires, brakepads. Only had to sell it in 2013 cause i broke my left foot and needed an auto. But once kids werent so little in the year 2011 I added a 2000 Honda S2000. 90k miles one owner, interior pristine got it for $9900. So seriously two car garage for $16k. The S2000 was a kid free zone except for on the kids birthdays when id pick up my daughter from elementary put a crown and a feather boa on her and we’d drive through the neighborhood top down. lots of good memories

This is the Vibe after 115k mi

Submitted by: boneheadotto

12 / 15

I made the same good decision twice. I was living by myself in a townhouse with a tiny two-car garage and commuting on the subway. One morning, I woke up and realized that I had two cars and two motorcycles and was struggling to meet my self-imposed minimum of 2,000 miles per year per vehicle. I sold one car and one motorcycle and congratulated myself on my mature decision. A few years later I did it again. This time the lesson sunk in and I have never owned more than three vehicles at one time since then.

Submitted by: codfangler

13 / 15

My first new car: 1990 GTi. I’d already gone through 4-5 cars since getting my license in 83. My GTi replaced my high mileage 81 Audi Coupe GT, a car I loved but was starting to cost me in repairs. The GTi was super fun, very practical being a hatch and economical on gas even when whipped. Got a set of steelies and dedicated snows and the GTi was unstoppable in all my northeast ski trips. I would have kept it for more than the 3yrs and 60K miles I did with it, but some thief thought otherwise and removed the car from my possession.

Submitted by: Monsterajr

14 / 15

How I never sold my college car: a ‘69 Dodge Charger

Yes, the other car in my garage is a ‘69 Charger—now resto-modded. All-time styling masterpiece. All-time iconic muscle car. All-time popular culture star car. Talk about democracy in action: like EVERYONE goes nuts when they see it. Men have begged me to buy it.

But when I put my foot in that tricked-out 440 and it roars to life...I swear to the effing car gods, it’s like no other automotive experience than to hang on as a real-deal muscle car just keeps accelerating to infinity and beyond. It’s ungodly—a machine shouldn’t be this visceral. Point being the cachet of what the car is and can do makes it unsellable—too cool to ever let go.

Submitted by: the1969DodgeChargerFan

15 / 15