Selling These Cars Made Our Readers Feel The Most Free

Whether it's brand new or just new to you, every car you buy should theoretically be better than the previous one. Perhaps not objectively, but you tend to learn what you like and don't like about a car while you own it, and it would be nice to think the next one would be an even better fit for you and the kind of driving you actually do. You liked that car enough to hand over your hard-earned money for it, so it better at least deliver something good. 

Sadly, in reality, you never know how car ownership is going to go, especially if you're buying something that somebody else previously owned. Even if it started as a great car, sometimes you end up feeling trapped, and the only way forward is to make it someone else's problem. Which is why, last week, we asked you which cars made you feel the most free when you finally sold them. Turns out, lots of people know the feeling of relief that washes over you when that problem car is finally gone. So let's take a look at some of the most popular responses.

2001 Audi Allroad – was a fantastic car to drive but it was bleeding me dry $1000 at a time. It had been abused before I bought it, which is why I have bought new since.

I didn't sell it, though, I gave it to my ex-wife. Who then promptly crashed it while driving distracted.

Suggested by: Rob-gittins

2017 M340i manual.

I bought it new with a great discount.

On paper, it seemed like a great car. It was my first BMW, so I test drove it with rose-colored glasses.

After a year of driving it, it just felt I was piloting around an appliance. It was quick, it had a great chassis setup. The steering was the main culprit. At street speeds, even twisty New England roads, it was numb. Roads that I used to look forward to driving on became boring.

I didn't want to get rid of it because we all know how much it depreciates. It was, even in 2017, one of a few manual cars available. I even bought winter wheels because I thought I wanted to keep it for a very long time.

I finally sold it a year later because I stopped enjoying driving. I was so relieved after that darn thing was gone.

The worst part? I traded in my RX8 R3 for that stupid thing.

Suggested by: DLBedford

2009 Dieselgate Jetta TDI. It was becoming a showcase of CELs and electrical gremlins at 38k miles, and then the VW malfeasance came to light to soil the charm of the car even further. Traded it in on a Tacoma and never looked back.

Suggested by: BuddyS

My '09 CTS. It had a timing chain issue at 100,000 miles that I just barely squeaked into the manufacturers extended warranty after much fighting. I needed a larger vehicle because baby seats to NOT fit in the back seat, despite being a full size sedan. Listed it for sale, the exhaust rusted off 2 days before a planned sale, I patched it as best I could, and sold it. 2 days later the buyer said the exhaust "fell off". I gave them $200 back to cover that cost. 1 week later they messaged me and said the Transmission "dropped out of the car". I did some later Googling and found that the transmissions were known to fail on those cars about 115,000 miles in and I sold it just before that marker. For all I know they couldn't been Neutral Dropping the bejesus out of it, but I was VERY glad to have dodged that bullet.

Suggested by: Mr. Rick

2010 Chrysler Town and Country. Parked it at the beginning of the pandemic knowing it needed a little work. Then didn't move it at all for almost a year. When I tried to move it, both rear calipers were seized. Just brute forced it to a shop knowing everything needed replaced. They did that for me but also informed me that the transmission was leaking a bit. As was the oil pan. And the head gasket. And the AC didn't work. Second gear was... questionable. So... what did they want me to do? I was already in it for the brakes, so I just said button it up and we'll see what happens.

I contacted a dealer to get a new van in early 2021. That was going to take a while. So I drove a time bomb for about 3 months waiting. Took delivery of the new van (they were not interested in taking the old one on a trade) and then got a per-pound price on the old van. Guy showed up to get it on the truck and it wouldn't start. So we pushed it out where he could get it lined up on the flat bed, he winched it up and away she went. Best relief of my life seeing that no longer be my problem.

Suggested by: AdamBarts

Probably my 1995 Eagle Talon TSi AWD. The Talon was the first real Japanese performance car. I bought it around 2005. I had Fast & Furious inspired dreams of turning it into an AWD turbo monster, until I discovered 3 things: it was quick enough and handled great for street use when it was running, it was hard to get regular parts for (20 years ago), and a decade of Wisconsin winters had turned most of the underside to rust. Even minor maintenance turned into a battle with broken bolt heads, stripped nuts, and disintegrating structural components. I think I spent 2 weeks trying to replace an O2 sensor that was rounded off and self welded in place.

A friend made me an offer for it out of the blue, and I sold it. I didn't want to let it go, but I had several other much newer cars and felt bad because the DSM hero spent most of its time sitting in my driveway under a car cover. He enjoyed it for a few weeks, put some work into it, and sold it for a nice profit to a high school kid. 3 days later it burned to the ground. No idea why it burned. I wish I could have preserved it, but I also feel like I dodged a bullet.

Suggested by: GrannyShifter

2000 Mercedes CLK 430 Cabrio. It was a blast to drive and I loved the car, but it was getting older and the repairs were getting more difficult and more expensive. The series of hydraulics and cables and prox switches to get the top to retract was a time bomb for me

Suggested by: DonS

'97 Land Rover Discovery. Loved that thing but it terrorized me constantly. Drivers side door stopped working so I had to get in through the passenger side. Final straw was when the anti-theft lockout decided that I was trying to steal my car and locked completely. Probably a good time to mention I didn't have the key to the door because of previous repairs so the only way I could get in was with the remote. Long story short no one I called could actually get into the car, not pop-a-lock or anyone. Had it towed to a land rover dealership and they had to BREAK THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW in order to get into the car. I listed it on craigslist immediately after I got all the repairs done.

Suggested by: Drifting Narwhal

2006 Mini Cooper S JCW. Purchased it used in 2023 with a fair bit of deferred maintenance, including immediately replacing the clutch at great cost. It was a fantastically fun car that sounded amazing with a smaller SC pulley, but it managed to break almost every time I got on it hard. From the timing chain to axles, it was literally one thing after another. Finally sold it to a masochistic friend who's into BMWs, so he understands pain, and he has it to this day.

Suggested by: AndrewAddsLightness

My JDM 1998 Subaru Legacy GTB. I loved the car and driving it was a blast, but with the twin turbo setup and scarcity of parts to convert it to single turbo, I had anxiety just looking at it.

Suggested by: Jeb.