These Are The Slowest Cars You've Ever Owned

While straight-line performance becomes less and less of a luxury with each passing year, it's easy to forget there was a time when turning on the air conditioning on some cars was like pulling a parachute. However, a lack of power doesn't necessarily mean a less enjoyable driving experience. There's a certain relief knowing that you can press the gas pedal to the floor and not immediately blast past the speed limit.

We asked our readers last week to share the slowest cars that they've ever owned. Unsurprisingly, a significant number of responses featured cars from the 1980s and the late 1970s. The vehicles themselves spanned nearly every conceivable category, from coupes and sedans to pickup trucks and vans. The only things they all had in common were that they were all in running order and never reached 100 miles per hour. Without further ado, these are the slowest steeds to grace your garage with their presence: 

My first ever car – a 1987 Nissan Stanza. 5-speed manual, but I think it only made ~90 hp. Turn on the A/C and it was like deploying a parachute! Uphill with a couple of people in it? I'm getting passed by a semi. This car was beyond reliable, I think it made it to close to 300,000 miles before someone ran a light and sideswiped it. I gave that car to my brother 30 years ago and I still have a small spot in my heart for the Super Stanza that would never die, but never win a race!

Submitted by: Xavier96

I had a 2000 Jeep Wrangler with a 4-cylinder and a 5-speed manual. It was slow as a snail, noisy, had the aerodynamics of a parachute, got terrible gas mileage, and I loved every second I drove it.

Submitted by: Very Stable Genius

1981 Chevette 4-door automatic. Uphill, 60mph, or A/C on. Pick 2. I had a 94 Ranger 4cyl 5spd as well, that was underwhelming, but not as slow as the Chevette. It would tow my boat at 65 as long as I was in 4th.

Submitted by: CountyITGuy

A 1976 Datsun B210 with 45,000 miles that I purchased from the original owners. The 4-speed plus ridiculously low curb weight was a blast around town, but maxed out at around 55 on the freeway. Parts were completely unobtainable, so I eventually sold it. The gentleman who bought it grew up in Ecuador and told me stories of piling into his as a teenager with his friend and holding each other's legs up as the floor boards had completely rotted out.

Submitted by: Travis

Datsun B210, hands down. Built from sheets of poorly recycled metal, with a 4-banger that, if I remember correctly, was powered by rubber bands. It was my first official car. I'm guessing it was built in the early 1970s, but I bought it in 1981 if memory serves. The rusting out floor wells gave the impression you were supposed to peddle it Flintstones style. The experience of keeping a garbage ride alive while finishing college taught be a lot about how fix cars on a budget. Next vehicle was slick 1971 Dodge Dart (fastback style) and a sweet 318 up front. Whole other world.

Submitted by: Doug C

My 1991 Ford Ranger with the 2.8 V6 made all of 100 hp and would have been undrivable with an automatic transmission. Utterly reliable and low maintenance with a 5-speed manual, but the engine wasn't up to the job, just like the 90 hp 4 banger that was stock. At least my S10 had the 4.3, which was far superior to any Ford V6.

Submitted by: Ray

I found an engineless 1984 Vanagon Camper in an alley and put a 1.9L grey -market NA diesel into it. I don't remember how 'fast' it would go, but I would never characterize it as fast. The people I bought it from had a similar year Westphalia with the original 1.6l diesel. That had a 'NOSPEED' banner across the top and a bumper sticker that said '4500lbs, 52hp – Do The Math'.

Submitted by: Clay Horste

The slowest car I ever owned was probably my 1979 Mercedes 240D. It was a beautiful car; in dark green, with color-matched hub caps... but it was an automatic and four-cylinder non-turbo diesel. I loved that car. Sadly, someone plowed into while it was parked and totaled it.

Submitted by: Matt Pipes

In terms of acceleration, any of the many diesel 123-body Mercedes that wandered through our garages. Probably a gorgeous navy blue pre-turbo wagon from 1981 wins though. 0-60 in half a minute maybe but 33 mpg forever: uphill, downhill, in town and on the highway. I think top speed was just above 80mph.

Submitted by: OuttaHere

1981 VW Rabbit. Diesel. With 52 horsepower, it could barely make it to freeway speeds by the end of the onramp, which was probably about the same as it's quarter mile time. With a five-speed manual transmission, going up hills on the highway meant redlining it in 4th to get to 65, then watching the speed drop down in 5th, until you downshifted back to 4th to redline it at 65 again.

Submitted by: Brad Waller

My '79 Fiat X-1/9 was never a 0-60 car for sure, but it was absolutely a ton of fun to drive at full boogy! It handled like a go-kart, turning on a dime with a flick of the wrist. Mine had the 5spd, so the highway was not an unfriendly place either. I daily'd it for 2 years going to/from college in Newark, NJ from Northern NJ.

Submitted by: monsterajr1

1988 Nissan Hardbody 4x2 regular cab with the 4-speed manual.

With 324,000 miles on it, she still ran like a top, but the few horses it had to begin with had long left the stable.

Redline was reduced to around 3,500 to 4,000 before it started gasping. 0-60, maybe if it was downhill, and a top speed of around 52-55 before you really didn't want to go much faster.

But the duct tape-covered bench was comfortable, and it had no problem as an in-town runabout for the 6-8 months I owned it ($150 to buy in February only to sell it for $200 in the fall) and I know the next guy used it to learn how to work on cars, so it was in great shape the next spring for him.

Submitted by: potbellyjoe