13 Cars Loved By Their Owners
Not all of us love the cars we own, but many gearheads adore our rides. We love how they look, drive, feel, and sound. This doesn’t just apply to performance cars, either; daily drivers are also cars that many of us love.
With so many excellent cars on the market, it’s difficult to pick the ones we love the most. Thankfully, we’ve narrowed it down to 13 with this list.
Here, you will find 13 cars loved by their owners and what makes them so special. We’ve selected them based on the reasons above, as well as the legacy some of these cars have left behind.
Toyota 2000GT
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If anyone is lucky enough to own a Toyota 2000GT, they will tell you it is one of the finest cars to ever come out of Japan. The 2000GT was the first true sports car to come out of the country, as Toyota looked to take on the likes of the Jaguar E-Type with its exceptional two-seater.
The striking design, with its long, sleek hood and short rear end, resembled the Jaguar. Power came from either a 2.0-liter or a 2.3-liter inline-six engine, producing 138 and 148 horsepower, respectively. The 2000GT was so good that the American automotive publication Road & Track compared it very favorably to the contemporary Porsche 911 in 1967.
Audi A2
It might not look like much on the outside, but the Audi A2 is one of the most intelligent cars of the early 21st century. It made its debut in 1999 for the 2000 model year, and the A2 was a compact MPV with a hatchback body style designed to be as efficient and aerodynamic as possible.
Audi constructed the A2 out of aluminum, and that, plus its economical engines, made it extremely good on fuel. Power came from two inline-four petrol engines, as well as a pair of inline-three diesels, with the maximum horsepower being 89 horsepower from the later TDI engines. The A2 was also light, weighing a maximum of 2,271 lbs.
First-Generation Honda NSX
Few supercars have stirred up such emotions quite like the first-generation Honda NSX. The Japanese supercar was introduced in 1990 for the 1991 model year and was in production until late 2005. Power came from various Honda V6 engines, and handling input came from three-time F1 world champion Ayrton Senna, a McLaren-Honda driver at the time.
Honda used the F-16 fighter jet as inspiration for the exterior design and to ensure the maximum visibility possible from inside the NSX. The NSX was ultra-reliable and benefited from Honda’s F1 knowledge when it came to the engine and handling, and the car quickly became one of the most revered around the globe.
Honda S2000
Few sports cars can match the performance, prowess, or reliability of the Honda S2000. The iconic sports car was produced from 1999 to 2009, and it celebrated Honda’s 50th anniversary during its first year of sale. The S2000 has regularly scored highly in owner satisfaction.
Under the hood, the S2000 had an F20C and F22C1 inline-four engine, producing up to 239 horsepower. The S2000 became increasingly reliable as time went on while retaining its excellent performance and looks. The VTEC and its manual transmission stood out, particularly in the higher rev ranges.
Chevrolet C8 Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette has been loved for decades, but things ramped up a notch when the American manufacturer introduced the C8 Corvette. This new generation became the first Corvette to have a mid-engine layout, and it was a game changer.
The handling offered by the mid-engine layout was superb, and other design changes included an all-new aluminum architecture and coil-over springs instead of leaf springs. For the C8 Stingray, power comes from a 6.2-liter LT2 V8 engine producing 495 horsepower.
Nissan Skyline GT-R
Few Japanese performance classics have as strong a reputation as the Nissan Skyline GT-Rs. Nissan produced the Skyline from 1969 to 1973, but the real story began in 1989 with the introduction of the R32. Along with the R33 and R34, the Skyline family became famous for their twin-turbocharged RB26 engines and manual transmissions.
The Skyline was a monster, and the R32 showed that to good effect in GT racing. Its racing exploits earned it the name “Godzilla.” The R32 won 49 consecutive races in Japan and dominated at the famous Mount Panorama circuit in Australia at the Bathurst 1,000.
2024 Toyota Tacoma
It’s not been out for long, but the newest generation of the Toyota Tacoma pickup truck has already become one of the most popular vehicles on the market. Starting at $31,500, the 2024 Tacoma offers some of the best performance on a pickup truck, with the hybrid version producing up to 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque.
There are also enough trim levels for everyone. These start with the basic SR and SR5 versions, with the 2.4-liter turbocharged i-Force engines. Hybrid power kicks in with the TRD Sport i-Force Max, all the way up to the TRD Pro, which starts at $63,900.
Toyota Sienna
Minivans aren’t quite as popular as they once were, but they still have their place in the automotive world. The Toyota Sienna regularly comes out on top in this segment, offering more interior space than most SUVs. The addition of a hybrid powertrain makes it an even more attractive offering.
Toyota has made the Sienna as practical as possible, extending to features such as the bridge-like center console up front and the nice footrests for the second row of seating. Each Sienna has a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine with a pair of electric motors, producing 245 horsepower.
First-Generation Ford Mustang
Anyone who owns a first-generation Ford Mustang will tell you just how good the first form of the iconic pony car is. The Mustang exploded onto the scene in 1964, rattling rivals such as Pontiac with their GTO, thanks to its impressive design and instant performance.
The short deck and long hood made the Mustang a real standout. As did the Ford V8 engines under the hood. The original Mustang has become a classic and one of the most revered muscle cars of all time.
Toyota GR Yaris
Demand for the Toyota GR Yaris has been so high that the Japanese manufacturer has struggled to keep up. The GR Yaris is an incredible homologation special that is the spiritual successor to cars such as the Lancia Delta Integrale and the Ford Escort RS Cosworth.
Power comes from its 257 horsepower 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine, and four-wheel drive ensures the GR Yaris is an absolute hoot to drive. Toyota has also beefed up the Yaris design thanks to bulging arches and new, bespoke bodywork.
Mazda MX-5
The Mazda Miata MX-5 is one of the all-time great sports cars, first introduced in 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show. Since then, the MX-5 has gone from strength to strength and evolved from the pop-up headlight masterpiece of the early 1990s to the stout ND generation roadster it is today.
First generation MX-5s initially had a 1.6-liter inline-four producing 116 horsepower, before later models had a 1.8-liter engine. The latest MX-5 has even more power, thanks to its 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G inline-four that produces 181 horsepower.
Fiat Multipla
The Fiat Multipla might be an ugly ducking, but you can’t deny how practical the MPV was. Fiat designed the Multipla as an MPV to accommodate two rows of three people as comfortably as possible. Both rows had ample room all around, and the large windows and front windshield made the cabin extraordinarily bright and an excellent place to be.
The one downside was the strange design, which isn’t actually that ugly, but it was enough to put a reasonable number of buyers off the car. Fiat redesigned the Multipla for 2004 to make it look more conventional.
Renault Avantime
The remarkable Renault Avantime is a car that was way ahead of its time, thanks to some amazing features. The Avantime was a one-box car with no B-pillars and doors and a double parallel opening hinge system to maximize access to the car. The windows were large to let plenty of light into the cabin, and each one had their sunshade.
The Avantime also had a button that, if pressed, would lower all windows and open the sunroof while keeping the roof sides up for a semi-open experience. Power came from a PSA 24-valve 3.0-liter V6 engine producing 207 horsepower.
