It’s a common cliche to reminisce on cars that simply got away from you. The $500 RX-7 that went to scrap, the reasonably priced E30 3 Series that sold before you could get there, the squarebody truck you just didn’t have space for. However, it’s about time we put a spin on it: Not the cars that got away, but the ones you walked away from. Today, I want to know about cars that you almost bought before deciding to spend your hard-earned cash on something different.
Weirdly, both cars in my current stable have been my top picks. However, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t close to buying something else before. See, about three months before I bought my Infiniti G35, there was a trade-in at work that I was trying to justify selling my Crown Vic for. That car? A blue Buick Estate, complete with woodgrain and aluminum wheels.
It was in much better shape than my Crown Victoria, felt more lavishly appointed than my Crown Vic, had the cargo space for carting a lifetime of detritus across the continent for college, and was just an absolutely magnificent beast. However, for whatever reason, I just decided to instead fix a few little things on the Crown Vic and aim it east. It made for an entertaining road trip, and just barely got the job done before suffering a series of dramatic and entertaining failures that led to me moving on into the world of sports sedans.
Do I still love these B-body wagons? Absolutely, but I don’t regret passing one up. In a way, I’m happy that the big Buick didn’t work out, as the opportunity that opened up a few months after that led to me learning how to heel-toe, learning how to enjoy a somewhat powerful car without getting into trouble, meeting a whole bunch of people, and in a way, becoming who I am today.
So, what’s a car that you almost ended up with, and what stopped you from making the move? As ever, I’d love to hear your answers in the comments below.
(Photo credits: Buick)
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Datsun 510 4-door.
Neighbour gave it to me for free, my dad refused to help me get it running, and I didn’t have the knowledge or skill at the time. I’m STILL bitter about it.
I’ve wanted a Volvo 1800es since I saw one in person while accompanying my bil on a BMW wagon buying trip. I even had Jason draw me one in Rootbeer for my membership birthday gift. I had the cash to buy a decent one, and started lurking on the forums checking for failure points. Then I realized that a decent one meant I shouldn’t beat hard on it—and I don’t have a garage to keep one/work on it.
So, when my nephew’s Z3 M Roadster came up for sale, I grabbed it
In 1989, I had an opportunity to trade my shitty 1986 Chevrolet Celebrity for a creampuff 1984 Buick Electra Park Avenue. I would only have to toss in $500 cash to complete the transaction. Yet, I hestitated bit too long: the car was sold by time I made up my mind and came back.
Then, the paint on my Celebrity disintegrated (due to the delamination issues common amongst the metallic paint in certain colour during the late 1980s and early 1990s), killing any remaining value the car had. That and lot of mechanical issues that showed up like Whack-a-Mole game. I ended up selling the car for $75 to the junk yard dealer.
I currently daily drive a 5th gen Camaro I bought in 2013 (actually ride my bike to work most days for the exercise). It’s a really long story I have shared on the other site and also on camaro5.com but here is the abridged version-
I live in Beijing, China and since 2007 I was driving a Hyundai Tiburon I bought new. However, it was such a slow car I decided I wanted something more sporty and back in the US I have a 2003 BMW Z4 (E85) and absolutely love it- still to this day. I went car shopping and found a BWW Z4 coupe (E86) that was just perfect.
In China you can’t just buy a car, you need to have a license plate first so I had to get rid of my Tiburon and transfer the plates. Should have been easy enough but I don’t know the law that said my visa needed more than 6 months validity and mine was less so I was unable to go through with the purchase, which left me with out a car because I had already got rid of the Tib.
After a few months I got my visa renewed and went back but the car was sold off by then. Continuing to car shop I came across a Camaro. Having always been a fan of muscle cars, and Camaros in particular I decided to go that path, never thinking that it would be possible to get a muscle car in China. 11 years later here I am still driving the Camaro and a proud member of the muscle car club and frequent track day participant. My car has been in car shows, and magazines and I am so glad that I didn’t get a second Z4.
I would have loved that car, but it doesn’t carry the same weight (pun intended) as the Camaro does, culturally or historically. The Camaro has also helped me to be more social and helped me make many good friends since I’ve had it.
I love the idea of rolling around Beijing in a Camaro.
It’s been amazing and life changing. I have some great photos of it parked in front of the forbidden city, by the great wall and other landmarks where it looks totally out of place. The Camaro Community in China and the American Muscle Car Club here are really tight too and we do a lot of events.
1987 Pontiac Fiero GT!
But I am going to catch one at SOME time, I’ve had many strange and/or unreliable cars, so I think I can manage one.
Found out recently I don’t fit as well as Michael J Fox in a DeLorean, so that one’s off the table:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C-aXCyji2Zd/?igsh=MTVycTU0MHB5YjZ1Zw==
The one I regret is a Ferrari F355 Berlinetta w 6-speed. I was shopping them around 2013 or so. They could be bought at the time in region of $60k-ish in good shape and relatively low miles. Ratty ones were in the high 40s. I ended up not getting one because the major 4 year service cost scared me. People said it could be up to 40k since it was an engine out affair. About 9 years later, I learned that the major service can be done way cheaper than what people were talking about in the forums/websites. Unfortunately, by the time I learned that, the prices went into 150k+ territory.
Was extremely close to a slightly used Rivian RS1. But there was a loud wind whistle the selling dealer couldn’t eliminate from the passenger window. My wife said absolutely not. Probably why it was there with only 1,500 miles on it. Ended up in an XC90 PHEV. Not nearly as cool as the R1S but the seats are much much better.
I had the money in hand. I had one in mind. I had talked to the owner. The price was acceptable and the service records extensive. I had gone into it from the start intending to buy one. And then instead of an Esprit V8 to replace my 911, I bought an Elise.
When I bought my 911 to replace my ATS it had won out over a C6 Grand Sport and an Esprit V8 (they were much cheaper in 2019) even though I went into the car buying process planning on buying a Corvette.
When I bought my ATS to replace my Seville it was a dark horse out of nowhere suggestion that was the victor over what had been a locked up competition for) between a 2003 C5 and a 996 Targa (mainly because the 996 sold in the two days between when I test drove it and when I was able to get back over to where it was to buy it).
When I bought my C4 it was a locked struggle between getting it and getting a somewhat higher mileage 2002 C5.
I’m currently in the eternal struggle when replacing my C4 with what, again, was initially an already won competition in favor of (finally) a C5 vs an R171 SLK55; but now has X150 XKR in the mix.
I may never actually manage to buy a C5 Corvette.
I decided on three dealbreakers and one preference before buying my current car: 1) Minimum four doors and seating for minimum four grown-ass adults in comfort. 2) No trucks, no SUVs, no CUVs – I want a damn CAR. A sedan, a wagon, a hatchback, it doesn’t matter, but it absolutely will not be a truck, a truck derivative, nor truck-adjacent. 3) No black, no white, no silver, no gray. It has to be a color. Preference: hauling ass would be nice, but not required. So, basically, a damn unicorn. It sounds pretty hard, and in 2023, it was even harder than it sounds. (For a moment, I briefly considered grabbing the first solid non-cop/taxi civilian Panther I could find that met the requirements.)
The car I almost bought: a clean, absolutely loaded, one-owner 2010 Buick Lacrosse CXL, in Red Jewel Tintcoat. Beautiful car, but I was hesitant. I had no problem embracing my inner old man, because my outer old man was 51, but I just couldn’t pull the trigger – somehow it wasn’t the one.
The next week I drove a blue slate 2012 Infiniti G37X. It’s parked in the driveway. I fell in love immediately. What a helluva machine that thing is. Before I drove it, I forgot that a G37 sedan is just a G37 coupe, as in, a 370Z’s cousin, with a trunk and two extra doors. Then I got behind the wheel for the first time and saw those flared fenders, which gave me feelings in places. Then I drove it.
Not only is it blue, but it’s as loaded as the Buick, save for not having ventilated seats (the main thing that kept the Buick in the running, a HUGE selling point where I live; greetings from Florida Man). And that’s aside from being by far the fastest goddamn thing I’ve ever owned in my life. Dear God. Handles like it’s on rails. 90mph on the interstate feels like first class at 30,000 feet. It fits me like a good suit. It does exactly what I ask it to.
The only drawback? The way I, a muscle car/sports coupe/”four doors are at least one too many” guy for life, feel like a dope for turning my nose up at sports sedans for so many years. I call my car a “dad rod.”
I test drove one of those Infinitis. Same year and everything, but gray instead. It almost won me over, but it was missing just one thing that caused me to skip it… with every gear shift, I felt more and more repulsed. Too bad it lacked a more sophisticated transmission.
In 2001, after giving up my white 1997 TJ for a more practical car, in less than six months I wanted a jeep like vehicle…and almost ended up with an Isuzu Rodeo…fortunately the dealership didn’t have what I wanted, and after many false promises of the salesman (I’m pretty sure it was Joe Isuzu himself!) he would find it shortly, I went back to the Jeep and bought Blue, my 2001 TJ sport that I still drive today! While the rodeo would have still been a cool vehicle, and there was some after market support, I just don’t think it would have came any where close to Jeep! So glad Joe Isuzu couldn’t get me the rodeo I wanted!
Not current, but before I went to university my younger brother had a VW Rabbit which was a complete and total POS. He took it to a European car specialist who was a wizard with Euro cars. The car wizard always had several interesting cars for sale. Over the years, I passed on an Alfa Romeo 1750 GT and a Fiat Dino. I had convinced myself that Euro cars were like the plague after experiencing a BMW 325is. I would probably have regretted owning either one, but look back wistfully at the lost experience. The specialist was never able to get that POS VW to run properly.
This Rabbit sounds familiar. It wouldn’t have been a brown 1978 four-door, would it? Because it did the same for me.
Nope red, I recall reading somewhere that carburation on the early models was a problem. That car couldn’t or wouldn’t hold a tune for more than two weeks. Drove the German guy who ran the place nuts trying to make it work. He owned the Alfa which was a beautiful car that ran like a swiss watch. He was always pestering me to buy it every time I dropped my brother off to pick up it VW. My brother eventually sold the Rabbit and bought a gen 1 Civic.
In late 2021 before I put the deposit down on my Ford Maverick Hybrid, I was looking hard for a low mileage Mazda 5 Touring. This was to replace my aging-but-still-fine Honda Fit. I’m a sucker for cars with clever engineering/packaging.
Came here to say I learned to drive on a white/wood 1985 Olds Custom Cruiser station wagon. Loved that car! I loaded a lot of things in it including a hovercraft I built in high school with a top surface made of a 4×8 sheet of plywood!
Came really close to buying a Cornflower Blue Rabbit edition GTI. Missed out on it because I wasn’t ready to buy. Ended up with a Golf Alltrack instead.
My current Tacoma is a hand-me-down from my FIL. Before that, I had gone to a lot to look at a mint TJ wrangler. Drove it around the block and was quickly disillusioned. I was shopping with my parents and my mom noticed a stick-shift Tacoma on the same lot. I came home with the Tacoma 🙂
I had figured there was no way I was going to be able the car I really wanted for a reasonable price , so I was positive I was going to end up with the commentariat’s seemingly least favorite car (Integra A Spec 6MT), when the opportunity to get a Type R at MSRP unexpectedly dropped into my lap, so that’s what I got.
I almost ended up with a 1987 Caprice Estate as a first car. Grandpa wanted something smaller as he was getting older. Smaller for him was a H-body Buick LeSabre. He traded in the Caprice on the Buick about two months before I got my license. My first car was an A-body Olds Cutlass Cruiser with the Iron Duke/3T40 powertrain. A much better choice for a teenager thanks to being gutless and better on gas.
The Olds was rapidly returning to the earth so a different car was procured. It was a choice between a pre-Hyundai Kia Sephia or a stick shift Hyundai Elantra wagon. After getting insurance quotes for both vehicles, the Kia was eliminated. The Hyundai turned out to be a great little car.
When I was looking for my current ride I really liked the RX8, but horror stories about cars on second and third engines under 100,000 miles kept me away. Also looked at similar era WRXs. I drove one and was kinda underwhelmed, don’t meet your dreams or whatever they say.
So I passed on those, then I drove an IS300 and was smitten, started looking for the right one and shortly after found it and am still driving it.
Another Jeep Wrangler. Because of Stockholm syndrome or something. Finally came to my senses and picked up an outgoing Lexus GX while those were still on dealer lots.
A champagne carolla.
Not actually, it would have been silver. Instead I bought a heavily discounted loaded Italian Trailhawk Jeep (round headlights edition) in yellow, dealer owned (used as a service loaner for 3000km).
There is no aftermarket oil filter available in North America. This is just one of the many pieces of stupid I need to live with, in addition to the you know, Italian-ness. Surprisingly comfortable seats.
Somewhat off topic but one of those B body wagons with a current 6.2 LT (420hp/460tq) and 10 speed auto swap would be one sweet package.
Needed a reliable new travel appliance during Covid. Wanted a CRV but they were impossible to come by. Ended up with a RAV4 Hybrid Limited.
Turns out I love air conditioned seats. I’d have never sprung for such an option if we’d been in a normal vehicle market; now I’m afraid I’ll never buy another car without it.
Yeah once you taste that fruit there is no going back.
I think of it less as “tasting the fruit” and more like “keeping the fruit refrigerated.” But you’re absolutely right – it would be pretty hard to go back!
A 2011 FR-S. I drove it, and it was fun, but then I drove the 2011 Mazdaspeed3 on the lot next door.
The MS3 immediately attempted to kill me by torque steering me off the I5 on ramp in second gear, which made me laugh. I bought it instead.
2005 Pontiac Grand Prix with the supercharged 3800. Pulled like a locomotive on meth. But no sale, the A/C needed way more than a recharge.
1972 MGB GT – car of my dreams back then. Somehow my wife turned that into a pop-up camper which we rarely used
I think you were supposed to turn that house on wheels into a home on wheels a bit more often
After I got married, my electric blue Z-24 convertible turned into a first generation Honda Odyssey. I feel your pain.