Here's How Your Dream Cars Change As You Get Older

You remember what it was like to be a young car enthusiast, right? You didn't yet know what you didn't know, and as such you were smitten with big, loud, go-fast engines, we can safely assume. These days, however, you might be a bit older, a bit wiser, and have some need for a more comfortable or more attainable dream car. Your tastes are more refined, more definitively you, and potentially more affordable. Over the weekend I asked Jalopnik commenters how their dream car tastes have changed as they got older, and the answers were all over the place. 

Some of you have achieved your dream cars. Some of you have met your dream cars and fallen out of love. Even more have had the same dream car for decades. As we get older we need our cars to do different things. Maybe you have a mess of kids that you need to haul around, making something like a McLaren F1 or Ford GT unrealistic. It's great to see everyone responding differently and answering a simple question with some pretty disparate responses. It takes all kinds to build a car community, and I think we have all of our bases covered. 

So, let's dig into the answers here. If you didn't get a chance to answer on Saturday, or you want to let the world know why you love your car, feel free to add your own opinions in the comments section below and we'll get into it!

I used to only love miatas, now I love miatas and sick wagons.

Suggested by Russell Garcia

Miatas are great, but sick wagons are even better. 

I went from wanting a restomod 68' Camaro SS to anything that gets good mileage and won't require shooting the parts cannon at it every year. I want my mechanic to be lonely.

Suggested by Rusty Shackleford

I feel bad for your mechanic, but that's probably a good goal. I could learn a thing or two about that. 

As I've gotten older I've shifted toward choosing driving feel over power or performance numbers. I "peaked" at owning a 6MT CT5V BW, followed by a 6MT G80. I now drive a Fiesta ST and a couple of other older hot hatches and am enjoying this much more than I ever did the larger more powerful cars.

Suggested by NewDirection

CT5-V Blackwing is a pretty great hooligan car, but I found it got old after a few minutes of launches and burnouts. I agree, a Fiesta ST is a much more fun car to drive. 

Ultimately, class consciousness and climate disaster have made car enthusiasm a really tough thing to maintain, and so my car dreams have become much more realistic. These days I'm yearning for a Nissan 300ZX or a Volvo 780 Bertone, maaaaybe if I get lucky I'll someday get my hands on one of the GTS model R32 Skylines that pops up around here from time to time.

Suggested by HakosukaDreaming

These are things I struggle with on a daily basis. Humans are beautifully vast, layered, and delightfully full of contradictions. 

A supercar like the F1 or Veyron would be amazing, but at the same time terrifying (out of my league) and eventually heartbreaking.

If you're buying a sports car on credit, and have to think about the payment, that car is out of your league. You won't be able to maintain it properly, and it will break your heart. After you break the car for everyone else.

Cut your price point in half, and look again.

Suggested by Dan Zivkovic

If a monthly car payment is even a little bit of a stretch, you should not be getting that car, no matter what it is. That's just smart money. 

Yes, I always thought those V8, muscle cars were so cool, now I realize they handle like a boat, and use too much gas! Miata is my favorite car now!

Suggested by Frank lopez

I maintain that an LS-swapped ND-generation Miata is the best car I've ever driven, because it's the best of both worlds. 

When I was in my late teens, I got to go for a ride in a real '68 Hemi Dart. It was terrifying, and I've wanted one ever since. Back then, I figured they'd depreciate to the point I could buy one for a song. Yeah, no. I won't tell anybody when I've won the lottery, but there'll be a loud and frightening hint in the driveway.

Suggested by Rollerrob

Hemi Dart is a really interesting dream car, and one that you have personal history with, which makes it all the better. I hope you hit that Powerball. 

My dream car has always been a F40. I don't fit in them

Suggested by denverdawg123

I don't think anyone actually fits in them, in fairness. 

Same dream, just a little further out of reach each day: a Ferrari 308 or 328.

Suggested by FiveLiters2

Inflation and stagnant wages are a real dream-killer, huh?

Nope. Still the F40.

Suggested by KingDingDong

I don't get it, but I get it. 

My dream car always has been and always will be a 1963 Beetle.

Suggested by Bryan Holbrook

Don't let your dreams be dreams! 

Always was and always will be a F40

No car can be more super.

Suggested by Jb Poeuf

Okay, okay, we get it. 

It's hard to have only one dream car.

Suggested by Music Teacher 17

When presented with a game like this, I often find it's more fun to play along. 

I've always wanted a Miata since they came out (I was about 17 at the time) but I'd never say it was my dream car. I have one now and love that it's a great daily driver runabout, but certainly not a dream car like some sort of high-end exotic. Outside of loving the idea of a 928GTS at some point, I never felt there was some magical car I had to have.

Suggested by BuddyS

A 928 GTS is definitely a magical car, for what that's worth. 

Nothing has changed for me, except one thing – I completely lost the aspiration to make them mine. I had this revelation when I got to drive a few of my bucket list cars. I'd like to have a go in then here and there now and then, but I really don't want deal with owning them.

Suggested by JBJB

Even in your dreams you want to rent a car?

I always wanted an R33 GTR. MotoRex's shenanigans made that unattainable. Then Nissan threw us the Infiniti G35 – Skylines but not GTR.

Then we got the Nissan GTR – which to me is a Japanese car made to look like a French car trying to look Japanese (even though it's not a platform Renault use) with all the same analytics gadgetry of BMWs that made it the Salesforce of cars when we really just wanted Zendesk.

And then I drove it at a test event and it killed my dream. It wasn't fun; it had power but no passion. My NF Sonata GLS V6 was more fun. And better looking. Same with my 93 Camry DX.

Now I can't "dream" for a car because they're all effectively apps with wheels.

Suggested by OB the 2nd

If you think modern cars are just "apps with wheels" you need to drive some more cars. There are certainly a lot of boring ones out there, but you might be surprised that some cars are more fun to drive than an R35 GT-R. 

As a kid, my Dad was in advertising and as part of his job he was automatically getting Hot Rod, Road & Track, and Motor Trend magazines which he would bring home to me. I was curious about virtually all cars and loved everything available up through the 1970's. My dream car as a youth would have been an early Thunderbird or Corvette. As I got older, I have less interest in pre-war cars, classic hot rods, rally cars, drag racers and F-1 cars. As I age, I am settling more into my demographic and have more dreams of luxury/comfort riding cars.

Suggested by Goaway

Comfortable cars are pretty great, I'm not going to lie. 

As a teenager, I dreamt of small, light, British roadsters – top of my list was the Triumph Spitfire. But those dreams were shattered after a few years of owning a 1971 Norton Commando 750 motorcycle, Lucas electrics, oil leaks, and other issues. Then I saw the Mazda MX5 Miata, and after waiting until the NB generation, my maintenance fears were allayed, and I've been faithful to them ever since

Suggested by Radar Lover Gone

When Mazda built the Miata, the goal was basically a reliable Lotus Elan, and I love them for it. 

When I was younger it was probably lambo/ferrari/ford gt – supercar/hypercar. Now I would say it is much more practical, I want reliability, comfort, etc

Current dream – nicest Lexus LS I could afford
Luxury – 9
Comfort – 9
Reliability – 10

Suggested by Taco Extravaganza

That's what I'm talkin' about, man. That's called growth. 

i want a new sienna minivan, and i don't even have kids

Suggested by yourmom

It's van time.