As gas prices, repair costs, and insurance rates continue rising as inflation and the economy worsens, owning a car is more of an investment than a luxury. My 2010 Honda Accord may not look like much, but I love it. I love the boringness of my car, and I love the benefits of owning such a vehicle. I’m here to attest that “basic” cars are the best kind of car for people my age.
On the outside, it looks like every other car on the road ever. If you aren’t particularly invested in car manufacturers, you’d probably bat an eye. Don’t judge a book by the cover, though, because it’s rather zippy. Underneath the hood is a 2.4-liter K24 4-cylinder engine, which produces 177 horsepower and 161 pound feet of torque. It’s not sports-car-levels of performance, but it’s quick enough where I can reach the speed limit without much effort.
The interior upholds blandness throughout. The music buttons are big and easy to read, there’s no flashy screen. The climate controls are simple knobs that go from low to high. There’s no bluetooth, but you do get an AUX port. For me, it’s perfect. I enjoy the simplicity of my car. It’s like stepping into the late 2000s, where screens weren’t so omnipresent, and driving a car wasn’t like driving a tablet connected to a motor. This car is new enough where I can have creature comforts like phone connectivity and cold AC, but old enough where you feel the mechanical nature of piloting a driving machine.
The features of this car are just a sidenote to my overall positive ownership experience. Being a Japanese economy car, it has superior design and reliability. My car is no exception, even after 131,000 miles. Honda and Toyota excel at being the most hassle-free cars to own. I just get in and start driving. Topping up fluids, brakes, tires, and gas are the only things I ever worry about. I don’t have to hope that my car won’t die on my commute everyday.
Lou Feinberg, 18, of Portland, drives a 1995 Toyota 4Runner. It’s big, it’s outward, and it’s powerful. Dependably, everyday, it starts up and gets Lou to work, to the gym, and around the city for errands. What a wonderful testament to Toyota engineering. When asked if he’d rather be driving anything else, he simply answered, “No.”
A huge positive factor for Lou is the timelessness of Toyota design. Decades on, the design doesn’t look too old. On the inside, Lou credits the straight functionality of the 4Runner interior as one reason why he really loves the car. He describes it as the “pinnacle of ‘90s design.” Classic analog gauges and simple knobs create the feeling of a true vintage car while the convenient electric door locks and power windows stave off outdatedness, despite being a 31 year old vehicle.
This 4Runner has a 3.0-liter 3VZ-E V6 engine, which produces 150 horsepower and 215 pound feet of torque. Even after 260,000 miles on the clock, the only repairs that were ever needed were a timing belt change, a starter replacement, and fluids. The engine still roars like it just rolled off the production line.
According to Consumer Reports, Toyota ranks first in new car reliability, and Honda ranks fourth. On the bottom of the list are more “luxurious” brands, including Volvo, Audi, and Mercedes. Even if I drove a more expensive and exciting car, trying to maintain one for as long would be financial suicide. I’d have to put in effort to work on my car, or have somebody else work on it, dealing with more complicated design and more expensive parts.
So even though my car may look “basic,” even boring, the ability to reliably transport me from point A to point B, smoothly and without issue, makes owning such a car one of the smartest, financially solvent decisions that a person my age could make.
