Lots of car consumers (carsumers™) are single-make buyers, steadfastly loyal to Toyotas or Fords or Hondas or whatever. No big deal there. Repeat model buyers are a rarer breed, but hardly uncommon. Yours truly owned not one but two Dodge Omnis (full disclosure, one was a Plymouth Horizon, but come on). My Dad was a Volkswagen guy for a good bit before going all-in on Toyotas. He started with a used Type 3 which (according to my Mom) made 2-year-old me cry because I saw it belch fire from the exhaust and I thought it was going to explode. That squareback was followed by two consecutive Beetles, but I only remember the last one–a red convertible Super with a black top. Now that was a car. Would Paul Newman lie to you? 
So tell us: which car models have you purchased more than once? Or enough times to extend to near-infinity, like whoever assembled that impressive fleet of Nissan Figaros in the top shot? What made you such a fan–or did you, like, just happen to end up getting two Honda Civics in a row? And FYI, it’s cool if your tale of multiple-models isn’t actually yourself but your mom, dad, brother, friend, weirdo on the outskirts of town … we’re not policing this thing.
To the comments!
I guess it runs in my family.
Not exciting, but I bought two consecutive Dodge Grand Caravans. We pick up a 2003 in 2006, when we were planning a family trip with a friend coming along and realized we did not have a vehicle that could legally transport six people. (My stupid back-asswards state outlawed riding in the bed of a truck; else we could have taken at least 6 more in the back of the Frontier). We kept that one going for about 10 years until the reliability issues started piling up and I did not trust it for long trips with my family. In 2016 we picked up a 2013 Grand Caravan R/T which we are still driving, with about 220K miles. My biggest issue with it is that it is harder and more expensive to find R/T-specific parts, especially the brakes and rear shocks.
If we are counting parts cars, I had three Pontiac LeMans – my 77 Grand LeMans, plus a 72 we bought for an engine swap (400 for my wheezy 350), and a 76 just for the rear bumper. We put my old bumper on it and actually made $200 selling it.
My sister had a rusty 73 MGB, and we ended up getting an even rustier 72 for another engine swap and various chassis and trim pieces.
My dad had a 93 S-15, and traded it in on a 2005 Colorado which he still drives daily.
My grandparents had a succession of Lincoln Continentals dating back to at least 1975, and culminating in a 97 Town Car.
My other grandma had a 74 Cutlass Supreme, then an 85 Cutlass Ciera followed by a 96 Ciera.
Mini Coopers. All F56 generation.
2015 Mini Cooper 2-door (base) in Pepper White/black roof. Manual.
2016 Mini Cooper 2-door (base) in Black. Manual.
2019 Mini Cooper S, 2-door in Starlight Blue/white roof, white racing stripes. Manual.
2019 Mini Cooper S, 2-door 60th Anniversary Edition in British Racing Green IV with a white roof, special edition stripes & interior/badging. Manual.
I broke the string last year by trading in the Starlight Blue ’19 for a BMW 230i (darn you, adjacent-to-our-Mini-dealership-BMW-dealership for loaning out a 230i while receiving final warranty service on the Starlight Blue Mini) in Thundernight Metallic (purple). I miss the manual, but we have the 60th Anniversary Edition Mini we’re keeping so can get my “sometimes I feel like it” desire to roll my own.
That said: of the 4 Minis (F56) we’ve owned: not one issue that was even close to serious or a chronic problem. The ’15 had a fuel pump replacement, which was under warranty. Otherwise: the regular maintenance (and on-time maintenance) kept the vehicles in top shape while we’ve had them.
I’ve owned 3 90s Escorts (2 2-door hatchbacks and a wagon), 2 Mercedes 300Ds (1982 and 1985), 2 Miatas (1991 and 1994), 2 Dodge Dakotas (1997 and 2000), and 3 Saab 9.2xs (all Linears, all from 2005).
In the case of the Escorts, Dakotas, and Miatas, they were bought because the first one was destroyed or had a catastrophic mechanical failure, although in the case of the Miata the replacement was delayed by 2 years.
The first 300D was sold because it was too rusty to keep driving safely, so when I found a much less rusty sub-$1000 one years later I had to buy it.
I owned all 3 Saabarus at the same time, but sold one to a guy on GRM, another had engine issues due to oil starvation, and I still have the 3rd one, at least until corrosion makes it undriveable.
My first car is an 82 Corolla SR5 which I still drive. And I just bought a GR Corolla. Completely different cars, only the model name is the same.
I’ve had 2 accords, a 94 manual and a 2000 auto that I hated and I honestly don’t know why I bought it.
I have every intention of someday getting another Miata, I’ve only had one so far but of my 27 cars it was my favorite. Have to go back to that someday.
My dad has had xx corvettes, I don’t know how many at this point, but he’s had a a C4, a C5 that he actually bought twice, then several C6s, and at least one C7. He’s also had countless GM pickups, and a couple CR-Vs. He’s not very creative haha
I had a Plymouth Horizon. I can’t fathom why anyone would ever own another one of those.
I think the only car I’ve doubled up on is the Saturn S Series. I had a ’92 SL, ’92 SL2, ’97 SL1 (manual), and ’01 SW2. Maybe, just maybe, we can count the Honda Civic, as I had an ’83 HF and an ’06, but they were two completely different cars. I’ve had a Kia, a Mitus, a Chevy, a Pontiac, a Saturn L200, a Chevy Cavalier, and probably a few more I’m forgetting. It’s weird it would end up that way.
We are on our third BMW i3.
First one was a lease. We liked it so much that after we returned it, we went straight to replace it with the cheapest used one we could find. And after a few years, we have upgraded the a newer, nicer one.
The funny thing is that I know at least two other people who are already on their second one…
They are a cool car. Dorky but cool. I’m semi-lurking on them as soon as the price gets affordable for me I might get a used one as my first EV
5 Triumph Spitfires. A Spitfire was my first repeat purchase. They all seemed to need major mechanical surgery prior to every road trip, and frequently in between road trips, too. They were great fun, other than the last, which I never got running before selling it.
2 air cooled VW Beetles. They were great cars for when the malaise era American cars in the driveway wouldn’t start.
4 Dodge Colt / Plymouth Colt / Mitsubishi Mirage. In the 1980s and 1990s I abused the hell out of them and never suffered any mechanical troubles not caused by the driver. All were manual. All were taken out by being hit by other drivers.
5 Chrysler minivans with only one major issue, a broken valve spring at 135,000 miles.
There have been many others, but these are the most notable for long ownership and hard service.
I’ve had other repeats, but I’m unlikely to repeat anything again unless it’s a project car.
I have inadvertently owned two early 2000’s Hyundai Accents. The first was originally leased by my aunt, bought out by my parents, and eventually handed down to me when they didn’t need it anymore. The second was initially bought by my wife as her first car in grad school, and ended up as mine when the car I had won use of had to be turned in, and as she didn’t need the Accent anymore. There will never be a third Accent. I also think I’ve counted that collectively, my extended family has owned something like 30 Hyundai/Kia products since roughly 1990.
Of my own choice, I’ve owned 3 Ford/Mazda hybrids (Ford Escort using the 323 chassis, Ford Probe, Mazda2 using the Fiesta chassis).
My father had three Barracudas.
My mother had a 1983 Monte Carlo and a 1987 El Camino, which are at least half the same vehicle.
With that precedent, it should come as no surprise I have a pair of Fieros
I like what I like, and like things to fit very specific roles. I’ve owned 4 w211 wagons, currently own 2. Summer and winter wagons. And I’ve owned so many of the single greatest car ever made. The MK4 ALH TDI. I think I’ve owned 12. One of them popped up within 100 miles for under a grand, I was buying it. Then would fix it up, drive it around and sell to one of my friends in need of transportation. Currently I have two, one fully track prepped and one bone stock, I loan to the kids around here when they need a ride. Living in a transient area with a lot of seasonal employees, it comes in handy.
I’ve had 3 Fiat 500s, a 2012 pop and two 2013 Abarths. I will absolutely have more Abarths in the future. I love my Giulia, but I love the raw lunacy of the 500 Abarth more. I’m regularly tempted to snag a cheap pop too
In the late 1980’s, I owned three different Fiat 124 Spiders: two 1973s (both maroon) and a baby blue 1974. I have owned at least 10 different 1st generation (1995-99) Dodge and Plymouth neons. Five of those neons had the option code ACR competition package – two of which were caged SCCA/neon challenge race cars. Two of my neons were in the one-year-only Nitro Yellow-Green color. Sadly, I don’t own any of those cars today. I might get another early 124 Spider again some day…
Our progression of cars: 2013 Mazda CX-5 Sport FWD -> 2019 Toyota Highlander Limited AWD -> 2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD.
Bought the 2013 CX-5 new in December 2012 and drove it for seven years with no issues. My wife and apparently thought we were big shots and traded it in on the 2019 Highlander in September 2019. I wanted us to continue the Mazda tradition and get a CX-9, but my wife liked the Highlander more. We got a screaming deal as the 2020 Highlanders were already arriving.
Fast forward to July 2022 and inflation and the downturn in the mortgage market where my wife works have both taken their toll. That $500-a-month payment on the Highlander isn’t as easy as it once was, and we owe significantly less on it than CarMax and other dealers are offering us for it. So, I ask my wife if she’d be content with another CX-5, as she did love her first one before we thought we needed a third row (even though our two small kids fit fine without one). She agreed, we dumped the Highlander for close to ten grand over our payoff, and took home a 2016 CX-5 Grand Touring with 84,000 miles.
Still have it today and it will be paid off soon, and will join my already-paid-off 2016 Mazda6 in making us car-payment-free.
It’s DSMs. Of course it’s DSMs…
A ’95 Eclipse, a ’95 TSi AWD, a ’97 Talon, and a ’99 Eclipse.
Two Volkswagen Golfs — a 2003 and a 2015.
3 Xbs (2 1st gen), 2 Dakota pickups (2000, 2003) 3 Harley Davidson 250 sprints. I still have a 1st gen xB and the 2003 Dakota
2 x 2001 Jeep Cherokee XJs, one Sport (Blue) and one Limited (Black). Both were the primary kid haulers, so I had to let each of them go when they started having multiple issues and our needs changed. I now wish I had held onto the Black one as an extra vehicle.
I’ve bought numerous Sciroccos. A 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1981. I also had a 1994 E-350 and then a 2003 E-350 (van, not Mercedes)
I had an automatic NA 92 Volvo 745 that I sold. Later bought a manual 91 745T. So, technically the same overall model, but in practice very different cars.
3 Honda Fits. Bought a new 2009 Fit Sport 5-speed stick as my daily driver. Still DDing it. Bought two 2015 Fit LXs new for my daughters, who had been sharing a 1994 Accord until I felt they needed more modern cars for commuting and college away from home (can’t beat a Fit as the ultimate college cargo hauler).
One of the LXs is still in daily use. The other was totaled at a stoplight by an uninsured driver in 2019 and replaced with a CPO 2017 Fit LX which is also still driven. So technically that’s 4 Fits.
Have also had 3 Honda Accords: 1978, 1984, and the 1994.
Fits are great! My daughter just bought a 2018 EX and loves it
First new car I ever bought once I graduated college was a Honda Prelude Si. When it came time for my next new car, bought another one. I’ve also had two (used) C4 Corvettes
9 mk2 Jetta/golfs
10 mk3 Jetta/golfs
3 obs Ford f150s
Had a few more of each as parts cars but those don’t really count.
In the early 2000s my parents both daily drove first gen RX7s, and my dad had owned a 79 model back when they were new. Now I’ve had a first gen and a second gen, as well as three different Miatas. I’ve had 3 ZJ Grand Cherokees (cough cough, @DT), and I’ve owned 3 different P71 Crown Victorias. I loved all of these things and would own any of them again. There’s something to be said for variety, but also familiarity.
Oh, and also a W123 and a W126 Mercedes Diesel. A 300D and a 300SDL. The 300D I’ve owned twice, and it has been owned by 3 different friends in between.