One difficult aspect of being a car enthusiast is being hopelessly in love with a car that you know you shouldn’t buy. You may think about this vehicle often and maybe even have an example saved in your Facebook Marketplace list, but you just can’t get yourself to buy it. Maybe the car you want is known for its performance but is also known for emptying its owner’s bank account. Maybe you work one of those jobs or live in one of those places where you’re expected to drive a certain kind of vehicle. No matter the reason, what car do you want to buy but are too scared to actually follow through with?
Some of you see me as a bit of a fearless collector. Currently, I own a Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI, a retired transit bus, a couple of BMWs, and a Suzuki RE-5 rotary-powered motorcycle. Any one of these vehicles can bankrupt a person when they break, but I’ve rolled the dice on them. Thankfully, if these vehicles ever do break on me, I could either just sell them or wait until I can repair them. I don’t need to depend on any of them to get me around.
With that said, there are cars I want, but keep myself from buying. Ironically, one of those vehicles is a Volkswagen with a 2.0-liter turbo four from the late 2000s and early 2010s. These cars are notorious for timing failures. I mean, Jason’s wife’s Tiguan had a timing failure, even though Jason knew the crossover was a bomb just waiting to blow.
It’s a shame because so many cool cars came with that engine from the Holy Grail Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen SEL to the surprisingly capable Tiguan 4Motion. Of course, don’t forget that there are a lot of cheap GTIs with those engines But even I am too scared to pull the trigger.
While we’re on the subject of sketchy VAGs, another vehicle I want to buy but stop short on is the Volkswagen EuroVan. I’d love a EuroVan MV Weekender as a sweet factory camper, but I keep reading reports about automatic transmission failures. This wouldn’t be an issue with a manual transmission, but we didn’t get higher trim EuroVans in America with manual transmissions. It was hard enough to find a B5.5 Passat that didn’t have a dying transmission, so I’m not sure how quickly I want to repeat the process with a van.
Yes, all of this is patently ridiculous when you remember that I own a Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI and used to own a Phaeton. Both of those cars are known to break catastrophically, costing their owners piles of money. In my silly head, at least those vehicles are special enough to take the chance on, whereas a Tiguan and a GTI are cool, but not exactly V10 TDI cool.
Another vehicle I want but am too scared to buy is an old Land Rover Discovery. I’ve heard enough horror stories from David Tracy and Rob Spiteri that I have yet to buy one. Yet, I’m still allured by a Disco’s off-road capabilities and excellent style.
Alright, so you know my fears and the vehicles that make me toss and turn at night. Seriously, I’ve lost sleep over buying a EuroVan once. Are there any cars that do that for you? What do you want but are too scared to buy?
Cadillac XLR. An early and thus pure embodiment of their “Art & Science” design that got watered down as the years went by. Not the XLR-V, I want that original egg-crate grille and not the mesh.
Unfortunately, to give one the attention it demands, I’d need to be a wealthy masochist and I am neither of those things. https://www.theautopian.com/the-cadillac-xlr-was-more-than-just-a-neutered-corvette/
A Rivian R1S. We need a new family hauler and I’m so attracted to them. However there are no repair facilities in Wisconsin and that freaks me out. I can’t go without it for weeks at a time if it needed to be sent out for a repair.
Also any first year model of a vehicle. After working for a tier 1 supplier and seeing the amount of changes from day 1 to day 365 I’ll wait till things are smoothed out a bit.
Ferrari Testarossa- Just because of the known expensive parts/maintenance. One of my favorite car designs though so if $ was no object then I wouldn’t be scared and would buy one
See also Lamborghini Countach
Oh that’s easy, VW Phaeton W12. Too Many things could go wrong.
Jaguar XJS V12
beautiful car, huge smooth engine that’s supposedly great up until it explodes
I really like the looks of the cars that VW is making these days, but I’ve heard so many horror stories that I don’t think ever would buy one. Still, when I’m walking down the street sometimes I’ll see a Tiguan or even a Passat wagon and they just look so good to me.
Any Aston Martin DB
I own a B5 S4, I can handle anything.
People are gonna hate me for this, but an ’86 Yugo GV came up for sale a few hours ago on Craigslist. I know it will fall apart, but I am drawn closer ;-;
How bad can it be? Wouldn’t it be like keeping a lawn mower running ?
Hate you??
we are here to support ruinous car decisions.
do it—and definitely bring it to Cars & Coffee!
Here’s the thing if you were curious https://fayar.craigslist.org/cto/d/bentonville-1986-yugo/7726892088.html
Land Rover LR4 5.0 V8 just awesome seating position, useable third row space, amazing visibility, and strong power. I just can’t risk having it in the shop for weeks on end.
I’ve often thought about buying one and keeping a $10K fund in the bank but fear I’ll run through that too quickly, even on a well maintained one.
Seriously if you can afford it, find one where the timing chain has been done, keep the 10k buffer and send it. Once the chains and the coolant pipes have been replaced you’ll be fine for quite a while.
I’ve got a SCV6 Disco 5, and while not as gloriously boxy as the 4, it’s still just so darn charming, comfy, quiet, still has the excellent Disco seating positions and most importantly – makes glorious supercharger noises. I’ve had a WK2 Grand Cherokee and a Touareg and the Rover is just a hilariously better all around SUV.
Recently took it in for a CEL and the tech heard timing chain rattles. Apparently could move the timing chain with his finger. Carmax Maxcare covered a full timing rebuild. They also cracked one, or both, can’t remember, of the coolant pipes so got those replaced as a bonus. $4500 warranty paid out over $10k.
I’d do it again the Discos are just that charming.
Classic Rolls Royce.
I desire ultimate luxo-barges.
Oh man, Italian stuff. I’ve driven Fiat Abarths and Alfa Giulias and I absolutely love them but I am not a big risk taker and I can’t bring myself to risk car level funds on something that may cost so much to fix all the time or become a paperweight.
Such a great question. Any British iron from the late 60’s to the 2000’s. But to be more specific, a 1976 Range Rover Classic. And to be picky, can I have it in 2-door flavor please?
I’d love yet fear an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifolglio because of its cost and reputation. She’s a vixen of a car with a mean reputation for breakdowns and a high cost of maintenance. Plus I have absolutely no use for a sedan as they are way too limiting.
I also yearn for a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 Power Wagon regular cab long bed. Again, I can’t afford to feed it (12 mpg) and tires would be roughly $1,000 a pop!
A Citroën DS because of the hydropneumatic suspension. The DS’s design/styling is bonkers by contemporary standards — maybe it was bonkers back in the day, too — and because of Martian styling I would drive it daily with an enormous grin on my face. But a 50 or 60 year-old car with hydro AND pneumatic suspension would also make for a stressful commute — “This thing going to pop a line today?” — so maybe that grin would be through clenched teeth.
Someone tell me the suspension parts are unobtanium so I stop thinking about a DS.
Hydraulic high pressure lines are like brake lines on regular cars (only styrdier) and you don’t drive around worrying about them “popping” do you?
It’s the low pressure return pipes and hoses that usually leak, due to bad maintenance. Easy to fix. It’s not something other cars have, so a lot of people in the old days didn’t think about checking them also. Hence the bad reputation.
Hmm. Maybe a DS isn’t such a bad idea. I can’t tell if your reply is helpful or hurtful to my cause. Someone talk me out of looking for a DS.
They ARE built from thin southern european steel, and with moisture traps, like Alfas and Lancias, and nothing like Mercedesses and Volvos, so get one from some dry place.
As one who has owned four successive and quite reliable BMWs over the past 25 years, I am far too chicken-shit to own a true M car. This is not least because I have a good friend who owned an E90 M3 and I know what a hard time his wife gave him regarding its many expensive trips to the shop. I’m also too scared to get a Porsche because I know what my wife would say regarding its many expensive trips to the shop.
I’m going with the Phaeton. I don’t love big cars, but I’m big enough and getting old enough that comfort is starting to seems worth making that tradeoff.
And living in – at least for the Bay Area – more of a working class/middle class area, what appears to most to be a 105-110% scale Passat shouldn’t draw too much attention.
Less specific than others, but: a older convertible. I’m too chicken-poop to take the plunge on a seasonal vehicle like that, but the first car I ever looked at buying for myself was an ’80s Rabbit convertible and I regret it ever since.
Honourable mention: an Harley. I’m afraid of the damage to my reputation.
Old-school BMW 8-series with the v12. Such an incredible looking car, and everything I’ve heard is they’re amazing to drive, but christ on a cracker, I’ve got a newer, cheaper beemer and my wallet bleeds every time a mechanic gets within a city block of it – I can’t imagine what adding another 6 cylinders would do to those bills.
Mercedes, your question brings to mind Mercedes, several in fact. Any of the big older Benzes with “600” somewhere in their name come to mind immediately. Ditto for any mention of “AMG” and/or “twin-turbo”.
The older Mazer 4-doors (sorry… Quattroportes) that seem to grow cheaper by the day come in a close second.
Rounding out the bunch would be any later model Audi A8Ls that are currently dipping under the $20K mark. Such beguiling looks, but I just can’t.
Honorable mention goes to the Cadillac XLR. It’s a personal dream-car I think I just may be able to own at some point, but the cost of a set of tail-lights has me thinking maybe I’ll just pick up a nice Allanté instead.
A few years ago I needed a diesel estate, for work and for kids bikes etc, budget £2-4k.
What I REALLY wanted was an Alfa Romeo 159ti. But reliability reports were v bad. So I got a Golf, which is by far the most reliable, took all the abuse thrown at it, car I’ve ever had. It cost £2400 with 100k miles on it. I had it four years, added a further 90k miles and it needed NOTHING other than tyres, brake pads and wiper blades and I sold it for £750.
But I wish I’d bought an Alfa 159ti.
Oh, I instantly know the answer to this one: Ferrari 355
To this day, I think it’s one of the best looking Ferraris. And the sound of that engine. Whew.
For a while now I’ve been fortunate enough to be in a position to be able to buy one of these as a toy (even with the recent run-up in values). But dear god the cost of ownership scares me to death so I’ve never even come close to pulling the trigger.
My Father-in-law has one, loves it, but is getting ready to sell simply because maintnence/repairs are such a nightmare.
Sigh, I’ve unfortunately heard this before. Too many poorly-made parts; too many engine-out services required.
Joining on the VW bandwagon, I’d absolutely love a Corrado VR6. However, I’m scared for my bank account if I get one. Although I don’t know how reliable they are — I think I’m just generalizing a fear of old Volkswagens.
Anything that needs a payment.
Name checks out . . .
Hell yea it checks out!
The Audi S8 with the V10, there is a reason that they are all sold when the cam belts have to be changed.
Any BMW M with the NA V8 or V10. Rod bearings as a normal wear item? The V10 with manual would be glorious while it lasted.