I've driven at LEAST 100 cars, probably a lot more. I always end up driving, and I've driven friends' cars, relatives' cars, etc. I also used to go to dealerships and test drive cars for fun. I've forgotten about more cars that I've driven than I remember by far.
Oh geez- two years of valeting means I've driven a lot of cars. Figure 3 a day, twice a week for 104 weeks plus probably fifteen or so 30 car days and I'm at around 1000 once you knock off duplicates (I know I valeted the exact same rental car multiple times on multiple occasions), being conservative. I'm pretty sure I drove every Corolla and Impala in the Tucson car rental fleet from January 2011 to December 2012
Hmm, let's see....
2009 Ford Focus (currently own)
2009 Chevy Cobalt (test drove)
2009 Nissan Versa (test drove)
2008 Toyota Prius (test drove)
2012 Nissan Sentra (Father's car)
2009 Nissan Sentra (Father's car)
2005 Nissan Sentra (Father's car)
2004 Nissan Quest (Mother's car)
2007 Nissan Murano (Mother's car)
2010 Nissan Murano (Mother's car)
2004 Dodge Stratus (city car, from previous job)
200? Chevy Impala (city car, from previous job)
1996 Ford Explorer (city car, from previous job)
1994 Chevy Blazer (city car, from previous job)
200? Ford Windstar (city car, from previous job)
???? Chevy Tracker (city car, from previous job)
200? Chevy Impala (city car, from previous job)
200? Ford Escape (city car, from previous job)
199? VW Jetta (for drivers' ed)
That's... 19, although I may have missed a couple somewhere.
Vehicles I've driven:
1999 Ford Contour (currently own)
1988 Honda Prelude (owned 1993 to 2000)
1984 Ford Tempo (owned 1987 to 1993)
1980 Chevy Monza (brother's car 1980 to 1988)
1984 Honda Civic hatchback (sister's car 1984 to 1996)
1984 Buick Skylark (sister's car 1987 to 1990)
1988 Toyota Celica (sister-in-law's car)
1990 Saab 900 (friend's car)
1977 Chevy Impala (parent's car 1977 to 1990)
1975 Buick Century wagon (parent's car 1979 to 1987 - I traded it in towards the 1984 Tempo)
1977 Pontiac LeMans wagon (parent's car 1978 to 1979 - was totalled in wreck)
1971 Pontiac Catalina wagon (parent's car 1971 to 1979 - brother traded it in towards 1980 Monza)
Multiple 1994-1998 Ford Taurus sedans (test drove two, others were employer's motor pool cars)
Multiple 1981 Chevrolet Cavailer sedans (employer's motor pool cars)
Multiple 1980 Chrysler K-Car sedans (employer's motor pool cars)
Multiple 2006 Honda Civic sedans - both hybrid and CNG versions (employer's motor pool cars)
1987 Toyota Corolla - one time rental (was in LA on vacation)
1992 Oldsmobile mid-sized (I don't recall the model) - one time rental (water pump on 1988 Prelude failed)
1974 Dodge Dart (driver's ed car)
1977 Nissan Datsun Honeybee (driver's ed car)
And last, but not least, 1991 Ford F250 with bucket truck attachment (employer's truck used for a special work assignment -and yes, we did need the bucket truck to do the work)
Around 2000. Being in the transportation business in various capacities led to that number being so high.
Rick
Gosh, let me try to quantify non-valet cars/cars I drove too briefly to matter- only vehicles I've gotten to, lets say 40 MPH or have driven at least 30 minutes in
Let's clump-
Cars I've had title to
1. 2002 Jeep Liberty
2. 1997 Ford Escort
3. 1990 Dodge Colt
4. 1976 Subaru Wagon (don't ask)
Rented cars
1. 2010 Ford Fusion
2. 2009 Nissan Cube
3. 2009 Chevy Malibu
4. 2010 Hyundai Elantra
5. 2010 Chevy Cobalt
6. 2011 Hyundai Accent
7. 2011 Hyundai Accent #2
8. 2012 Chrysler 200
9. 2012 Kia Soul
10. 2012 Ford Fusion
11. 2010 Ford Fusion #2
12. 2007? Chrysler PT Cruiser
13. 2012 Ford E-350 Uhaul
14. 2003 Ford Windstar
15. 2003 Ford Windstar #2
16. 2005 Ford Escape
Family cars
1. 1972 Ford F-150
2. 1969 VW
3. 1973 VW
4. 1997 Jeep Wrangler
5. 2003 Volvo XC90
6. 2002 Jeep Liberty #2
7. 2008 Lincoln MKX
8. 2001 Honda Accord
9. 1985 Chevy S-10
10. 1990 Range Rover
Work cars
1. 1978 Chevy C/K
2. 1987 GMC Suburban
3. 1995 Chevy Suburban
4. 2001 Chevy Suburban
5. 1993 Jeep Cherokee
6. 1999 Chevy Express
7. 1999 Chevy Express #2
8. 1999 Chevy Express #3
9. 1999 GMC Savana
10. 1994 Mercury Sable
11. 1993 Ford F-350
12. 2010 Dodge Avenger
13. 2012 Ford E-350
14. 2000 Chevy C/K
Friends cars:
1. 1990 Toyota Truck
2. 1993 Toyota 4Runner
3. 1989 Toyota Camry
4. 1994 Geo Prizm
5. 2006 Mazda3
6. 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager
7. 2001 Ford F-350
8. 2001 Honda Civic
9. 2005 Ford Ranger
10. 1999 Chevy Suburban
11. 1986 Pontiac 6000
12. 1993? Subaru Legacy
...I know I'm missing several, and that doesn't count moving cars around parking lots or very short runs or things like that
Quote from: corco on February 27, 2013, 06:55:46 PM
Oh geez- two years of valeting means I've driven a lot of cars.
Being a valet/lot attendant, service advisor, and service manager at a few car dealerships meant driving lots of cars from one lot to another, delivering them, test-driving, re-fueling, et cetera.
I've made a partial list of interesting and odd cars (not much of a truck/SUV person):
2008 Audi R8
2007 Audi RS4
2004 Audi RS6
2001 Audi S4
2006 Audi S4
2006-08 Audi A3
1996-2008 Audi A4
1996-2008 Audi A6
2006 Audi A8
2007 Audi Q7
2000 Audi TT
1996 Dodge Viper GT-S (okay, basically took this for a slow trip around the parking lot)
2002 Mercedes-Benz E55
1996 Mercedes-Benz E300
1996 Mercedes-Benz S420
1992 Porsche 911 Carrera 4
2001 Porsche 911 Cabriolet
1998 Porsche Boxster
1986 VW Scirocco
1973 VW Beetle (I suppose the most rusted-out vehicle I'd ever driven)
2003 VW GTI
1997 Chevrolet Impala SS
1967 Ford Mustang GT-A (I guess the oldest car I've ever driven)
2010 Ford Mustang GT
2001 Ford Excursion (only because it's the largest vehicle I ever drove that didn't come from U-Haul)
1990-2007 Lexuses of all types...about 30 different body types and/or engines
[ES 250, ES 300 (3 types), ES 330, RX 300, RX 400h, LX 450, LX 470, GS 300 (3 types), GS 400, GS 430, GS 400h, IS 300, IS 350, LS 400 (3 types), LS 430 (2 types), LS 460, SC 300, SC 400, SC 430]
1986 Toyota Supra
1997 Toyota Supra 15th Anniversary Edition
1984 Toyota Corolla (Hatchback, and 4-door)
1986 Toyota Camry
2002 Toyota Camry
2007 Toyota Camry
2012 Toyota Prius
2004 Scion xB
2006 Scion xA
2007 Scion tC
2008 Mazda RX-8
1990 Honda CR-X
2005 Honda S2000
2004 Honda Insight
2007 Honda Civic Si
2005 Nissan 350Z
1988 Nissan Maxima
1995 Infiniti Q45
2004 Infiniti Q45
2007 Infiniti QX45
2005 Bentley Continental (with a low/flat tire!)
2007 BMW 650i
2007 BMW 328i
2001 BMW 325i
2006 Subaru WRX
2010 Hyundai Genesis (both the coupe and sedan)
1996 Saab 900 turbo
2007 Mitsubishi Evolution
1987 Mitsubishi Starion
1990 Chrysler TC (probably the most unusual joint-venture car I'd ever driven)
1989 Yugo GL (yes, I drove one...girlfriend had one)
- all in the family -
1996 Mazda Miata (borrowed for a week)
1995 Saturn SL
1991 Geo Metro (wife had one of those)
1986 Acura Integra
1990 Acura Integra GS
1993 Ford Probe V6
2002 VW Passat V6 (wagon, automatic)
2003 VW Passat V6 (sedan, manual)
2012 VW GTI
1987 Dodge Sundance
1995 Ford Contour
1985 Ford Escort
1992 Ford Escort
1988 Ford Mustang GT
1996 Mercury Grand Marquis
1993 Mercury Villager
1996 Honda Civic
1985 Pontiac Grand Am
2004 Toyota RAV4
2009 Toyota RAV4
1998 Toyota Corolla
- own, or owned -
1988 Honda Accord LX
1990 Eagle Talon TSi
1995 Dodge Neon
1993 Toyota Corolla
1994 Lexus GS 300
2000 Honda CR-V
2009 Scion xD
2012 Mazda 5 GT
- rentals/loaner cars -
2006 Lexus RX 330
2006 Lexus GX 470
2007 Lexus GS 350
2007 Lexus ES 350
2007 VW Jetta SE
2009 Lexus IS 250
2011 Hyundai Elantra
2011 Hyundai Sonata
2012 Mitsubishi Galant
2011 Nissan Versa
2011 Nissan Altima
2013 Nissan Altima
2012 Nissan Maxima
2012 VW Jetta
2012 VW Tiguan
2010 Chevy Impala (worst car still made)
2010 Chevy Aveo (would rather drive this, seriously)
2012-13 Chevy Cruze
2013 Chevy Camaro SS (free upgrade!)
2010 Chrysler Sebring
2011 Chevy Malibu (a sports car by comparison, compared to the Impala)
2011 Toyota Matrix
2011 Toyota Corolla
2010 Ford Focus
2012 Ford Focus
2012 Ford Mustang (V6)
2011 Ford Escape
2012 Ford Escape
2011 Ford Crown Victoria
2011 Ford Taurus
2012 Ford Fusion
2013 Ford Fusion
2011-12 Dodge Charger
2011 Jeep Patriot
2011 Jeep Liberty
2012 Fiat 500
2012 Dodge Avenger
2012 Kia Optima
2012 Mazda 2
2012 Mazda 3
2012 Mazda 6
2012 Mazda CX-9
...and lots of trucks (a couple of Mitsubishi FUSOs), vans, minivans, SUVs, rental cars, average customer stuff, cars in which I had absolutely no idea what the model year was, and other basic transportation stuff I've owned and/or forgotten about. Looking back, I've never really driven any old Detroit iron nor true muscle cars. And I haven't driven anything on a race track.
My own cars:
1984 Oldsmobile Omega
1989 Honda Civic
1999 Toyota Camry
Parents and Siblings cars:
1989 Econoline van
1988 Toyota Camry wagon
1995 Toyota Avalon
1998 Toyota Corolla
1998 Toyota Avalon
1999 Volkswagen Passat
2000 Toyota Tundra
2002 Ford Focus
2004 Toyota 4Runner
Other cars:
1993 Chevrolet Blazer
1995 Ford F-150
1998 Oldsmobile Delta 88
1998 Mercury Sable
2010 Toyota Camry
While not cars, I have driven various emergency vehicles on the fire department, including various 2006-2010 Ford E-350/Horton ambulances, a 2002 Seagrave fire engine and a 2011 Pierce fire engine.
My unimpressive list:
Cars I've owned:
1997 Honda Prelude Type-SH (MT, project car)
1993 Honda Prelude (MT, current DD)
1995 Honda Prelude (AT, deceased)
1991 Honda Prelude (AT, black, first car owned, now my dad's)
Family's cars:
1991 Honda Prelude (AT, red, dad's)
1991 Honda Prelude (MT, dad's)
2000 Mercury Villager (AT, dad's)
2000 Honda Civic (AT, brother's)
1992 Honda Accord (AT, brother's)
1995 Ford Ranger (MT, dad's)
1994 Ford F150 (AT, dad owned, I drove before I bought 1991 Prelude)
20xx Infiniti G37X (tiptronic, mom's. Stepdad also has a G37S but I haven't driven it)
200x Nissan Altima (AT, mom's)
Other:
2010 Honda Civic Si (test driven)
2003 Honda S2000 (MT, friend's)
200x Honda Accord Euro-R Acura TSX (AT, test driven, would have bought if they didn't want 26k for it)
2007 Mitsubishi Lancer (AT, test driven)
2004 Toyota Solara (AT, test driven)
That currently puts me at 18, but I may have forgotten one or two.
Hard to answer that because of rentals. But I can think of the following off the top of my head.
Cars I've owned (all manual shifts):
1977 Ford Granada
1982 Honda Accord (previously my father's; learned stick on this car)
1986 Acura Legend
1997 Honda Accord coupe
2004 Acura TL (current car)
1988 Mazda RX-7 convertible (current car; previously Ms1995hoo's, sold to me before we got married when we got her the RSX noted below)
Family members' cars:
2003 Acura RSX Type-S (Ms1995hoo's current car)
1988 Volvo 740 GLE (Mom's car when I was in high school/college)
1991 Honda Accord (Dad's, bought when he sold me the '82 Accord)
1974 VW Beetle (younger brother's, bought from a HS teacher; he still owns it; I managed to hit 90 mph in it once)
1996 Volvo 850 (Mom's, replaced the 740 after the engine blew up on I-66)
1996 Honda Civic coupe (my brother's; he no longer has it)
2004 Acura TSX (Dad's current car, replaced the '91 Accord)
2010 Volvo S80 (Mom's current car, replaced the 850 after the engine blew up on–seriously–I-66....Mom needs to stay off that damn road)
I have not driven my brother's current 2005 Civic nor my father's 1998 Acura RL (the latter not that I can recall, anyway, and the Civic is such a pigsty inside I'd rather not drive it)
Friends' cars–don't know model years:
A late-1980s Toyota Camry
An old dinosaur of an Oldsmobile belonging to a parent in our Boy Scout troop
A late-1980s Jeep Cherokee
An early-1990s Honda Civic wagon
Some sort of tiny white hatchback, no idea what it was but it belonged to my boss one summer and I almost crashed it when a truck ahead of me dropped part of its load on the 14th Street Bridge
Car dealer service loaners:
Several Acura Integras back in the 1990s
A 2003 Acura TL
A 2012 Acura TSX
Maybe some other Acuras
Office car:
Late-1980s Jeep Cherokee with US government plates and sirens (didn't get to use the sirens and flashing blue lights, though)
Rentals (no idea what model years):
Piece of crap Ford Escort (paid for by insurance of other driver who rear-ended me)
Various Chevy Malibus
Various air-cooled VW Beetles in Cozumel
Strange thing called a "Beach Boy" in Cozumel (I'll try to find a picture tomorrow–it looked neat but was very difficult to drive)
Various Geo Trackers in Cozumel
A Nissan Tsuru sedan in Playa del Carmen
Ford Mustang convertible on Kauai in 2003
VW Passat turbodiesel (right-hand drive 5-speed manual) in Scotland in 2006
Vauxhall Vectra turbodiesel in England in 2007
Dodge Charger on a football trip to Wyoming in 2007
Toyota Prius on a trip to the 2008 Gator Bowl
Two Penske rental trucks in 2001 when I moved into my house
Various cargo vans when hauling furniture at various times
I also recall moving a Volvo 740 wagon for a guy at Duke once–the Volvo was blocking my car and it had a manual shift and he couldn't figure out how to put it in reverse. I took a look and figured it out (lift the collar below the shift knob), so I moved the car and then showed him what to do.
I'm positive there have been other rentals on business trips that I simply do not remember.
Also drove a Mini Cooper back in 2005 on a test-drive the day we got Ms1995hoo the RSX. She was interested in a Mini, so we drove one, but I insisted she check out some other cars first and we found the RSX at a nearby CarMax. The Mini was fun but the interior was lacking in several respects, most notably the moonroof shade not being opaque (such that even though it was only May, the AC was struggling to keep the car cool enough).
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 27, 2013, 11:22:36 PM
1974 VW Beetle (younger brother's, bought from a HS teacher; he still owns it; I managed to hit 90 mph in it once)
I believe you. My mom had a '71 (I think it was a '71) Super Beetle and I got it up to 85 on the interstate and I still had pedal left. I didn't want to blow up my mom's car so I didn't push it any harder than that but I'm sure it would have easily done 90 if not faster.
Family cars:
1998 Chevy Silverado
2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette
2002 Honda CR-V
1993 Chevy Suburban
1993 Pontiac Bonneville
~2003 GMC Envoy
Rental cars, used through college:
2012 Hyundai Sonata
a couple of recent model Dodge and Chrysler minivans
Friends' cars:
~2010 Toyota Corolla
~2010 Chevy Impala
Quote from: Stalin on February 27, 2013, 11:45:12 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 27, 2013, 11:22:36 PM
1974 VW Beetle (younger brother's, bought from a HS teacher; he still owns it; I managed to hit 90 mph in it once)
I believe you. My mom had a '71 (I think it was a '71) Super Beetle and I got it up to 85 on the interstate and I still had pedal left. I didn't want to blow up my mom's car so I didn't push it any harder than that but I'm sure it would have easily done 90 if not faster.
My brother claims he's pushed it to 100 mph (which is where the speedometer tops out), but I felt like it was struggling at 90 and, as you say, it wasn't my car so I didn't want to cause any damage. It felt too fast as it was and I backed off fairly quickly after I hit 90.
BTW, this is the promised picture of the "Beach Boy" I mentioned before (parked at Mezcalito's on the east side of Cozumel in October 2002 with me in the driver's seat). It'd be illegal in the US due to the lack of seatbelts (among other things). Not an easy vehicle to drive, either; it had a rear-mounted air-cooled VW boxer engine just like the Beetle, but this thing was a whole lot heavier than a Beetle and handled poorly. In the Beetle you don't much miss power steering. In this thing you did. It was neat to drive one time as a curiosity, though.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi31.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc378%2F1995hoo%2FMedrivingtheBeachBoy_zpsd9153523.jpg&hash=0934b032bd13d1b4e7166c1e163bbdf3bfae4595)
Also.....I never drove it, but I'll stick this picture here anyway. A guy who lives down the street owned this, though he sold it a year or two ago.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi31.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc378%2F1995hoo%2FMiscellaneousOctober2008005.jpg&hash=4e2b2e20781f2d3af2d88e57bbbd911b66bb6952)
given my quantity of rentals... at least 200.
I've never rented a car, and I've never driven a company car. All the cars I've driven were either friends' cars, friends' parents' cars, relatives' cars, or my own cars. The vast majority were just friends saying "Wanna drive?"
1979 Dodge Aspen- My first car in 83.
1984 Ford Mustang- 1985 to 1990
1990 Chevy Berreta- 1990 to 2000
2000 Chevy Blazer 2000 to present.
The last two decades I was lucky to have these vehicles last longer as they were brand new cars when I bought them, and kept up mostly on them.
2001 VW Jetta TDI (dad's)
2000 Chrysler Neon (mom's... yes, Chrysler, not Dodge)
???? Ford Taurus
2007 Nissan Maxima (grandfather's)
1992 Honda Civic DX (first own car)
2006 VW Jetta TDI (dad's)
200? Chevrolet Cavalier (girlfriend's)
2005 Honda Civic (friend's)
2009 GMC Sierra (friend's)
200? Toyota Camry (Steve's)
May have missed one or two...
I've driven quite a few - worked at an auto auction one summer as one of a handful who could drive a manual transmission. I could never remember all of those. (M = manual; A = automatic)
Parents':
1981 Dodge Aries (M) - family then dad's
1993 Dodge Spirit (A) - mom's
1996 Dodge Grand Caravan (A) - dad's
2002 Chrysler 300M (A) - mom's (K.I.A.)
2003 Chrysler 300M (A) - mom's (current)
2009 Dodge Caliber (A) - dad's (current)
(Believe it or not, they've only had two other vehicles - two different 1973 Plymouth Dusters, one K.I.A. We tend to be "keepers" - buy new and keep for a while.)
Mine:
2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser (A)
2011 Dodge Caliber (M)
Work (in no particular order):
1996 Mercury Villager (A)
1995 Chevrolet S10 (M)
199? Mitsubishi Truck (M)
1996 Dodge Dakota (A)
199? Nissan Truck (M)
1993 Ford Escort wagon (A) aka "The Mudpuppy"
2002 Ford Ranger (A)
2006 Ford E250 (A)
2002 Chevrolet Silverado (A)
2003 Chevrolet 2500 (A)
1998 Chevrolet S10 (A)
199? Chevrolet 3500 HD daulie (A)
199? Chevrolet Astro (A) aka "The Rastro"
199? Ford F350 Club Wagon 4x4 (A)
199? Ford Escape (A)
I don't remember all the rentals, but here's a few:
Hawai'i:
Dodge Neon (A)
Chrysler PT Cruiser (A)
Chevrolet Malibu (A)
Chevrolet Cobalt (A)
Cozumel:
VW Beetle Convertible (M)
Other notable:
Chevrolet Cruze (A)
Ford Escape (A)
Nissan Maxima (A)
Others:
2007 Nissan Versa (A)
2011 Nissan Versa (A)
2003 Chevrolet Tracker (A)
There are several others I just don't remember well enough.
Family:
1990 Chevy Lumina
1997 Ford Mustang GT
1998 Mercury Villager
2000 Ford Focus (used for my driver's test)
1995 Ford Freestyle
1998 Mercury Mariner
1998 Ford Escape
Driving School (still young enough to remember):
199x Chevy Camaro
199x GMC Jimmy (biggest POS I ever had the displeasure of being behind the wheel)
Friends':
199x Chevy Cavalier convertible
2007 Chevy Cobalt
Rentals (for work...we don't own company cars)/Loaners:
2009 Chevy HHR (work)
2010 Chevy HHR (work)
2010 Chevy Malibu (work)
2010 Dodge Charger (work--had a fun time driving home at night with my construction lights on the roof (yellow LED mini-bar in a clear housing). Had a nice space cushion the whole ride back on the Interstate :biggrin:)
2010 Ford Focus (loaner)
200x Chevy Impala (loaner)
2011 Ford Fusion (loaner)
2011 Ford Escape (loaner)
2011 Ford Mustang convertible (2x) (loaner...helps to be friends with the service manager)
Mine:
2002 Ford Focus (first car I took over 100K)
2010 Ford Fusion
Didn't get to drive it, but worth noting I got to ride in it: 2005 Ford GT when it came to our University Engineering Expo that year
For those of you who have driven valet service:
Have you ever had a customer drive up with a three in the tree?
Column shifters suck, anyhow. Drove a few old Dodge-Chrysler-Plymouths with that old legacy 3-speed autos. Neons were cursed with them, so one's driving experiences with them are based largely on whether the owner/driver had a manual or automatic one.
Although, being a valet at a luxury car dealer might mean an extra five or ten in your pocket. I typically insistedon bringing up my customers cars after a repair for that reason (although quality control is also important).
QuoteHave you ever had a customer drive up with a three in the tree?
Yes- in a '57 Chevy that was in decent but not show condition. I drove it around and put it on our front circle. The guy was super chill- he didn't seem concerned at all that we were going to valet his car and didn't even ask to have it put it on the front circle as people with nice/rare cars often do (I offered to put it there because it was going to be a busy night and that was one of the coolest looking cars we'd get- I think we also got an NSX and a DB9 that night and also because we had some new guys working whose driving skills I didn't know totally well yet and I didn't want them getting down to the lot and not knowing what to do)- I just confirmed the shift pattern with him and all was good. I wasn't around when the car came out of valet, so I don't know whether we pulled it up or just gave him his keys.
Oftentimes when people have cars they think are nice they'll try to park the car themselves in the front circle, which I'd usually let them do for $50 minimum depending on the situation, or they'll ask us to leave it or park it ourselves in the circle but give us the keys, which I'd usually let happen for $20, since the risk is less on our end (if there's a fire we need to get the cars out of the circle)/we can move it a couple feet forward to get more cars in if we have the keys. This guy was chill though- just tossed us his keys and went in.
Being near Mexico, at a hotel that rich Mexicans often came up to stay at on the weekend to go shopping, I also got a Peugeot 307 once, which has to make me one of the only US citizens to ever drive a Peugeot 307 on US soil. I think every other Mexican car I drove had a US counterpart- like I said they were wealthy Mexicans, so lots of Ford Lobos (F-150) and Suburbans. We had a couple A-Classes, a SEAT, several VW Classicos (revised 4th gen Jetta), and even a few Tsurus while I was working, but I never drove any of them.
If valet business were more consistent...damn, I miss doing that job. The problem is you'd make $200 one night and then $10 a night for the next two weeks.
Oh my....cars I have owned...
1972 Ford LTD Country Squire
1969 Caddy Eldorado (Called it Galloping Dominoes....if i didnt have mechanical issues in 7 drive hours, i would within 11)
1986 Ford Taurus
1988 Ford Taurus
1989 Oldsmobile Cutlass
1997 Chrysler Cirrus
2004 Ford Focus
2007 Ford Taurus (current car)
Family cars i drove
1974 Volvo
1981 Volvo (Mom HATED that car)
2004 Mercedes (NICE car...sold it after Mom passed because i didnt need to extra insurance payments, the worry of expensive repairs, and the hood ornament constantly being snapped off by punk kids)
Rental
1989 Chrysler.
Not an impressive list given my age.....
Cars I've owned...
1990 Toyota Camry 5 speed
1986 Chevy Celebrity (my dad sold me this car for $1 when he bought a new car, got a year out of it)
2000 Nissan Maxima 5 speed
2006 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V ( current car)
Friends/Relatives cars...
1979 Chevy Malibu Classic (grandma's car)
1986 Chevy pickup (dad's truck)
1986 Audi Quattro (best friend's old car)
1984 Chevy Camaro (friend's old car)
1998 Pontiac Grand Am (best friend's old car)
2003 Ford E250 (best friend's work van)
2012 Cadillac CTS-V sedan (best friend's play car...it's a blast to drive!)
2002 Honda Civic (girlfriend's old car)
2012 Hundai Sonata (girlfriend's current car)
2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid (step mom's car)
2005 Nissan Altima (dad's car)
Rentals...
1999ish Ford Escort
2000 Ford Taurus
2003 Nissan Altima
2006 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD
2007 Mitsubishi Lancer
2008 Chrysler Minivan
2011 Honda Accord
2012 Chrysler Town & Country Minivan
I'm old. Over the years I have had jobs where either I had to get a car out of the motor pool, or fly somewhere and then rent. Combined with multiple vacations with rentals, test drives, U-Hauls, and a sad proclivity to trade cars too often, I'm sure its in the hundreds.
My dad gave me a shell of a '55 Bel Air 2 door hardtop when I was born, so I guess technically that's my first car. My second car was my '62 Ford Galaxie 500 2 door hardtop that I still have. Third car was a very underpowered V6 powered '78 Mustang II fastback. At the same time, my dad had a '75 V8 Mustang II with a 302/5.0 in it that would smoke the tires for 50 feet. I was 14 when he owned it, so I had a lot of fun peeling out in that one. My grandparents had a nice '85 Impala sedan with a surprisingly powerful 305 V8 with a 4bbl carb. Then they had a very nice '86 Cutlass Supreme that was like new (this was in 1994) but was dog slow (307/5.0 Olds Rocket V8) and then a 1995 Taurus 3.0. They also had countless Volkswagen Beetles and Super Beetles that I drove (at least 5) and a '73 VW Type 3 Fastback (look it up.) My mom had a '75 Granada sedan during this time period as well as an automatic Geo Metro that I think was an '89. My next car was a 1980 Mercury Cougar XR7 also with a 302. It wasn't nearly as quick as the Mustang because it had a first year AOD transmission (stay away from AODs until 85 or so) but I remedied that by installing a C4 which made the car much peppier around town. Then I drove my dad's '86 Suzuki Samurai, '85 Buick Sky Hawk 4 speed, and '83 Ford F100. My next vehicle was a '77 Ford pickup with a 302 (see a pattern?) and fucked up 3 on the floor, then I bought a '93 Probe 5 speed, then a '91 Mazda 323 5 speed, then my current car, a '98 Chevy Cavalier. My sister has had a 90something Lumina sedan, a 90something Geo Storm (surprisingly fun to zip around in,) a '97 Plymouth Neon that I put tens of thousands of miles on, a POS Camry that she had for about a month, an '03 Mustang V6/5 speed, and now an '05 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
I've also driven many of my friends' cars: many miles on my friends' '89 Cutlass Supreme, '91 Cougar XR7 5.0, 199something Buick Century, various Durangos, an ugly '97ish Taurus, a 90something supercharged Buick Riviera, a wimpy Scion XB, a horrible '77 Monte Carlo, an equally bad 80something Ford Fairmont coupe, a '74 GMC half ton with a 454 in it, a turbo Saab that was way past its prime, a VW Jetta of some sort, a horribly underpowered '90something Dodge Ram V6, and other cars that I've forgotten about.
I've also driven many cars once or twice and I can't begin to remember all of them. I test drove cars for fun back in '92 and I drove several sporty cars. My favorite was a front wheel drive (I also drove the AWD but the FWD was more fun) turbo Eagle Talon.
If I had a bank account that could keep up with the Talon (it didn't at the age of 20), I would have enjoyed keeping it. I dumped a lot of money on a short block when the timing belt broke well short (on time and mileage) of its replacement period, but after the warranty. I've had a negative feeling for Mitsubishis since then. When I realized it need another three grand in repairs after it was running again, I traded it in. But it was a seriously fun car to drive, and was competent in a straight line and very agile on dirt roads thanks to AWD. There was nothing like it for sale at the time.
I've heard negative things about Mitsubishis/DSMs for years, such that there's even a joke that "the only realistic thing about The Fast And The Furious is that the DSM breaks in the first race." Of my three Preludes, I would say I enjoy the 1993 model the most because of the manual transmission. The 91 feels like a go kart, while the wrecked 95 had a VTEC engine that peaked at 220 HP (an eye-popping number for a normally aspirated 4-cylinder from the 1990s), an I'm thinking of getting one like it for my 93 down the road. My dad's 1997 Prelude is bigger and feels more like an Accord, and his 91 has a blown engine so I've only driven it once.
Own cars:
2007 Ford Mustang Pony Package convertible (2007-present)
1997 Ford Crown Victoria LX (1996-present)
1976 Ford LTD Landau coupe (1993-2010)
1989 Chevy Caprice Classic (1992-1996)
1985 Mercury Grand Marquis LS (1988-1992)
1976 Ford LTD sedan (1985-1988)
1974 Chevy Impala 4-door hardtop (1984)
1969 Ford LTD Brougham 4-door sedan (1982-1984)
Family/relative's vehicles (father, mother or older brother) since 1982:
2001 Ford Escort (mother's)
2007 Ford Escape (father's)
2003 Mazda B2300 SuperCab pick-up (brother's)
1990 Nissan Sentra coupe (brother's)
1998 Ford Ranger (brother's)
1996 Ford Ranger (brother's)
1990 Ford Crown Victoria sedan (brother's)
1995 Ford Taurus wagon (brother's)
2004 Ford Escape (father's)
1994 Lincoln Mark VIII (father's)
1994 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4-door (father's)
1987 Lincoln Town Car (brother's)
1969 Ford LTD coupe (brother's)
1988 Ford Country Squire (brother's)
1983 Chevy Caprice Estate wagon (brother's)
1990 Ford Thunderbird (father's)
1983 Ford Thunderbird (father's)
1994 Ford Escort 2-door (mother's)
1987 Ford Escort GL 4-door (mother's)
1970 Pontiac Tempest 2-door hardtop (brother's)
1984 Buick LeSabre sedan (brother's)
1989 Ford F-150 XLT Lariat (brother's)
1985 Olds Delta 88 sedan (brother's)
1972 Buick Centurion convertible (brother's)
1979 Mercury Cougar XR-7 (brother's)
1986 Ford Escort LX 2-door (borther's)
1979 Olds 98 Regency coupe (brother's)
1978 Olds Cutlass Cruiser wagon (brother's)
1972 Ford Galaxie 500 4-door sedan (brother's)
1976 Mercury Marquis sedan (brother's)
1978 Ford LTD Landau sedan (brother's)
1974 Mercury Marquis Brougham sedan (brother's)
1972 Buick Skylark 2-door hardtop (brother's)
1973 Chevy Caprice Classic sedan (brother's)
1971 Ford LTD Brougham coupe (brother's but originally mother's)
1977 Ford LTD II sedan (mother's, used this car for my driver's test)
1983 Ford Escort 2-door (father's)
1977 Ford Econoline van (father's)
1979 Ford Econoline van (father's)
1972 Ford Pinto wagon (father's, 1st car I learned how to drive a stick (manual))
1972 Ford Country Squire wagon (brother's)
1971 Chrysler Newport (brother's)
Friends' vehicles since 1984:
2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser 4-door
2009 Chrysler 300
1994 Ford Crown Victoria
2007 Pontiac Vibe
1998 Dodge Neon sedan
1990(?) Dodge Dakota pick-up
1987 Chevy Cavalier Z24 convertible
1985 Lincoln Town Car
1974 Ford LTD Brougham coupe
1977 Honda Accord hatchback
1994 Ford Thunderbird
1980 Ford Fairmont wagon
1981 Ford Fairmont sedan
Rentals (excluding moving vans) since 1982:
2012 Ford Focus SE hatchback
2011 Chevy Aveo sedan
2011 Dodge Charger
2010 Kia Optima
2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser
2008 Mercury Sable
2008 Mini Cooper coupe
2008 Mazda Miata convertible
2007(?) Audi A4 sedan
2007 Ford Focus sedan
2006(?) Hyundai Accent coupe
2005 Chrysler Town & Country
2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
2007 Chevy Cobalt coupe
2004 Subaru Outback wagon
2004 Toyota RAV4
2004 Chevy Cavalier sedan
2002 Ford Mustang coupe
2002 Nissan Maxima
2001 Kia Sedona
2002 Chrysler Town & Country
2002 Ford Taurus sedan
1998 Mercury Mystique
1995 Lincoln Town Car
1990 Mercury Sable sedan
1997 Ford Contour LX
1987 Ford Escort wagon
1983 Dodge Diplomat (first rental under my name)
1984 Buick Regal wagon (father rented)
1982 Mercury Zephyr coupe (mother rented)
Company/work vehicles since 1985:
2009 Toyota Prius
2008 Toyota Prius
2005 Ford Escape
2004 Ford Taurus
2003 Chevy Impala
2002 Mercury Sable
2001 Ford Taurus
1999 Chevy Lumina
1998 Mercury Sable sedan
1996 Ford Taurus sedan
1992 Mercury Sable sedan
1992 Ford Taurus sedan
1990 Chevy Corsica hatchback
1989 Ford Taurus sedan
1991 Ford Club Wagon (extended length)
1989 Ford Club Wagon (extended length)
1989 Mercury Grand Marquis LS sedan
1988 Mercury Grand Marquis LS sedan
1985 Chevy Astro
1982 Dodge Ram (1500(?)) van
1984 Audi 4000 sedan
1984 Chevy S-10 pick-up
1983 Toyota pick-up
1982 Ford Escort 4-door
1981 Ford Escort wagon
-1999 Oldsmobile Aurora (mom's old car)
-2007 Chevrolet Impala (mom's current car)
-2010 Ford F-350 (dad's current truck)
-2007 Nissan Sentra (my current car)
Cars my family have owned:
2009 Hyundai Sonata (my car)
2004 Suzuki Forenza (older son's car)
2000 Mercury Villager (wife's old vehicle, now younger son's vehicle)
2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid (wife's current car)
2001 Saturn L-200 (my old car)
1993 Plymouth Sundance (wife's old car)
1988 Chevy Cavalier (wife's old car)
1994 Geo Prizm (my old car)
1984 Chevy Chevette (my wife's car when I met her)
1987 Pontiac Sunbird (my first car)
Parents' Cars
1982 Nissan Sentra (mother's car, long ago)
1984 Nissan Pulsar (father's car, long ago)
2006 Jeep Liberty (stepfather's vehicle until he passed away last September)
Various rental cars, including 1987 Lincoln Town Car on our honeymoon. Most of the others were not that memorable . . .
A bit of a bump. My dad and I have each acquired yet another Prelude; he bought a red 1991 while I traded my 1991 to him for use of parts; I got his 1997 in return.
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/468273_10201037781927972_1471923215_o.jpg)
Also drove a 2010 Civic Si on vacation last month.
Parents
1964 Pontiac Catalina Convertable
1968 GTO Convertable
1973 Monte Carlo
1977 Monte Carlo
Then I moved out and lost track
For me:
1971 Impala Convertable
1972 El Camino SS
1983 Coupe Deville
1985 Eldorado
1985 Olds Toronado
1989 Lincoln Town Car
1995 Grand Caravan
1999 Grand Caravan
1992 Fleetwood Brougham
Cars I've owned, or in one case a family car:
1972 Datsun 1200
197x Datsun B-210 (my sister's car, which I occasionally drove)
197x Datsun 510 (bought used, the no-fun automatic version I drove while in college)
197x Plymouth Valiant (bought used, first car since I moved to the D.C. area)
1986 Honda Prelude
19xx Toyota Corolla (cheap used car, short-lived replacement for the Prelude, which I had to sell to qualify for a mortgage)
1982 Honda Accord (bought used, I added 180,000 miles before it died at 282,000)
1996 BMW 328i (194,000 miles, before it was totaled by a drunk driver)
2006 Nissan Titan pickup (still own it, almost 120,000 miles)
2008 Toyota Prius (still own it, almost 130,000 miles)
I've also driven many rentals, almost all of them forgettable. The most memorable one was when the Thrifty rental counter at the San Francisco airport said they were out of the compact cars I had reserved, they asked if I could drive a stickshift (yes), and would I mind terribly much if they let me rent a Shelby Turbo at the same price (fine with me!). Another was the Ford Explorer, with Firestone tires, I drove to explore Nome's mostly unpaved and isolated highway network. That was in 2001, just after a controversy about Explorers rolling over and/or their Firestone tires failing, but I got by just fine.
Excluding rentals, I've driven the following cars:
- 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme convertible (my father's car)
- 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais (my first car)
- 1994 Honda Accord (my wife's car)
- 1994 Ford Explorer (my second car)
- 1998 Cadillac STS (my mother's car)
- 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe (my second car)
- 2006 Ford Five Hundred (my wife's current car)
From what I can remember right off...a paltry 28. I'll add a 29th should I decide to rent a car when I go to California this summer or fall.