The Most Underappreciated Cars

[AxelTheRed]

We already had a thread for the most overrated cars, so I thought we should also have a thread for the very underrated or forgotten cars and companies thoughout history.

Personally, its Pierce-Arrow that gets the gold star for the greatest forgotten US automotive treasure. The cars equaled the prestige of Rolls-Royce and Duesenberg and were popular with foreign royalty (the rulers of Japan, Persia, Saudi Arabia and Belgium owned Pierce-Arrows). But, like so many other car companies, it disappeared during the Depression.

[Cory Wolfe]

During the biiiiiig C&G crash, I made a thread about underappreciated Pontiacs. I think that was on Modern Driver... Hmm...

[04monteintimidator]

AMC gets the nod from me... everyone remembers the Gremlin and the Pacer... but they all forget about the Javelin, the AMX, the Rambler and the whole Jeep brand... for the few years they survived under Chrylser they actually conrtrolled more than Chrysler did, their designers were designing the cars, their engineers were building them, but then something happened and Chrysler abandoned an automaker who IMO wouldve fared much better than Plymouth in the 90s and the present

[Northstar]

The GTO!

[FAPTurbo]

The GTO!

+1

[Flybrian]

The late supercharged Regal GS. Truly brought horsepower to the midsize family sedan with 240hp/280lb-ft of torque, leather, traction control, Monsoon sound, large trunk, roomy cabin, and triple-sealed doors for ~$25,000 in 1998.

[91z4me]

You gotta have the Lincoln LS on that list. Nobody appreciates that car now. They are a steal for a sophisticated RWD sedan!

MN12 Thunderbirds as well as the T-bird Super Coupes as well. Also don't leave out the Lincoln Mark VIII.

Then there were also the original S-series Saturns.

[rosserman]

I would say the thunderbird turbo coupe also. another would be the chevy luminas (not the APV). Most people refer to those cars as crap. I know several people who have those cars with well over 200K on the clock.

[american_revolution_2005]

Dodge Dynasty and Hyundai as a company now are underrated. Our Dynasty was a trooper and Hyundai is great now but it wasnt then and people dont forget that.

[Ravenfreak13]

You gotta have the Lincoln LS on that list. Nobody appreciates that car now. They are a steal for a sophisticated RWD sedan!

MN12 Thunderbirds as well as the T-bird Super Coupes as well. Also don't leave out the Lincoln Mark VIII.

Then there were also the original S-series Saturns.

YAY someone agrees with me....S-Series are little troopers....they may not be loaded...but hey are reliable.

[capriceman]

GM 350 Diesel If you drive them normal they last until some one drives 80 mph and blows the gasket

Duramax, Powerstorke They are on par with Cummins

The Edsel

Sprint/Geo Metros

all Domestic Mid size cars

Oldsmobile

Mustang 2

[regfootball]

I would say the thunderbird turbo coupe also. another would be the chevy luminas (not the APV). Most people refer to those cars as crap. I know several people who have those cars with well over 200K on the clock.

My brother in law had a tbird turbo. It is possibly my most favorite car he or I have had. That car was classy and sophisticated (Ford USED to build them like that?).

I think my original SHO was underrated. 89 SHO. But it did get some good press.

My dad's 89 Deville was a tremendous car. That was underrated, just that it was a solid stately car.

Edited January 1, 2007 by regfootball

[MyerShift]

Hmm, I would say:

The K-Cars and Their Spawn

[daves87rs]

Ford Tarus- Short of trans issues, I still see quite a few on the road...

95+ Cavalier/Sunfires- Good motors, many still on the road. As long as you don't find the whole dash moving as annoying....

Crown Vic/ GM- funny how people make fun of them until they drive one...long lasting..cozy....

Saturn S-series-no Hp, but easy to abuse, motors will go past 150k pretty easy....

I'll come back with more...

[rosserman]

Hmm, I would say:

The K-Cars and Their Spawn

werd... my 89 lebaron was a trooper. i did everything short of draining the oil to kill it and it just kept on going.

[capriceman]

the 2002 Thunderbird man i want to drive one

Edited January 1, 2007 by capriceman

[MyerShift]

werd... my 89 lebaron was a trooper. i did everything short of draining the oil to kill it and it just kept on going.

Right on! I had a 1993 LeBaron convertible with the Mitsubishi sourced V6 for a while, andit was a very nice little car. Only got rid of it because my mom got it for me, got pissed at her, told her to sell it, and then lived with my dad for like 9 months. I suppose that's all as well though, it was a very noticeable periwinkle blue with a white top. Very feminine, no way around it. But, I loved it none the less.

[PurdueGuy]

Saturn S-series-no Hp, but easy to abuse, motors will go past 150k pretty easy....

don't need a lot of hp in a 2400 lb car. The twin cam S-Series are very peppy cars, 35mpg highway (multiple owners report higher real life), polymer on space frame construction holds up well (considering the car's size & weight) in an accident, automatic trannys had spin-on filters, so changing the tranny fluid & filter is as easy as changing the oil, plus the cars are very easy to work on.

Not that I'm biased...

[Ravenfreak13]

don't need a lot of hp in a 2400 lb car. The twin cam S-Series are very peppy cars, 35mpg highway (multiple owners report higher real life), polymer on space frame construction holds up well (considering the car's size & weight) in an accident, automatic trannys had spin-on filters, so changing the tranny fluid & filter is as easy as changing the oil, plus the cars are very easy to work on.

Not that I'm biased...

Even our single cam 100 hp is peppy...i have a lead foot though...but the car moves...except the transmission doesnt shift smoothly. it goes and then it feel like the engine goes in turbo mode and the car picks up speed fast. i love the sound though

[daves87rs]

don't need a lot of hp in a 2400 lb car. The twin cam S-Series are very peppy cars, 35mpg highway (multiple owners report higher real life), polymer on space frame construction holds up well (considering the car's size & weight) in an accident, automatic trannys had spin-on filters, so changing the tranny fluid & filter is as easy as changing the oil, plus the cars are very easy to work on.

Not that I'm biased...

Yeah, yeah, I know.. :AH-HA_wink:

and they don't rust...another plus...

I'm really thinking that the replacement for the wagon is going to be an S-series...

Though I'd pefer one with an air bag (95+)

[daves87rs]

Even our single cam 100 hp is peppy...i have a lead foot though...but the car moves...except the transmission doesnt shift smoothly. it goes and then it feel like the engine goes in turbo mode and the car picks up speed fast. i love the sound though

Yep.

[2005 EquinoxLS]

The 2000-2007 Monte Carlo. People berate it for being FWD but I liked mine in the time I had it. Everything doesnt have to be RWD to be any good.

[american_revolution_2005]

I also think the early Cavaliers, with the 2.0L or even the 2.2L are reliable. I may try to find a wagon model because they are really cheap on insurance up here.

[daves87rs]

The 2000-2007 Monte Carlo. People berate it for being FWD but I liked mine in the time I had it. Everything doesnt have to be RWD to be any good.

Fun to drive..

[Intrepidation]

The MG SV

Sure they never sold it here, but I always though it was a hell of a cool car.

[Sixty8panther]

G-body four doors from the 80s... sure they're not as cool as the

2-door G-bodys but they're still great RWD, BOF cars that will

swallow a 454/B/O/P 455s & what came after was disgusting in

comparisson becasue of the FWD & lack of V8 power & the trans-

verse mounted motors.

XP: Check out the file name of this pic...

[Sixty8panther]

Or how about this?

[american_revolution_2005]

The RWD Buick Roadmaster, Caprice Wagon, and the Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser are all underappreciated. Especially now when they will be collectors because they were the last of the large RWD wagons. I just saw one for $500. It was for sale for $1500 about 2 months ago but nobody wanted it but now they want to get rid of it. It is a 1991 Buick Roadmaster with the wood panels and it didn't look it too bad condition-wise. 1991 Buick Roadmaster

[Flybrian]

The RWD G-body wagons are really just horribly cheap-looking cars regardless of whatever badge is on the grille. The coupes and sedans have a tangible stately aire about them and are classy in their formality. But the wagons? Eww.

[american_revolution_2005]

I love the wagons. There was an article in Motor Trend Classic saying these will be future classics.

[Carguy]

Corvairs--1930's Tatras--Opel GTs--1949-53 Chevrolets--1938-40 Grahams--Mustang II's--Nash Metropolitans--Late 1940's Hudsons--1961-63 Ford Thunderbirds--Studebaker Avanti--Pontiac Fiero--First Pontiac Tempests-----To many to list!------This is fun!

[Cory Wolfe]

I have to say it... Millenias. Being compared to rocks and shoes, they just get no respect.

[MyerShift]

Buick Skyhawk and Oldsmobile Firenza, perhaps?

Mine certainly was a good little car.

Yay for the senior J-bodies!

Sure, they didn't do anything for their marques' image, but they sure seemed better to me than the Cavalier/Sunbird they shared their architecture with. Skyhawk T-Type, anyone?