The Cars You Thought Were Way Cooler Than They Actually Were When You Were A Kid

Kids are goofballs. Even the smart ones have absolutely horrible takes and opinions, and I'm sure you were no different. I know I wasn't. I had some truly dreadful car opinions, including thinking that there were some cars that were way cooler than they actually were. That idea is what brought me to the question I asked you all last week.

I wanted to know what otherwise uncool car you thought was actually cool when you were a kid. Unfortunately, you goofballs didn't pay attention to the fact that I specified that your submission wasn't supposed to be a car that was meant to be cool and was disappointing only for being pitifully down on power. Because of that, I disregarded a great number of answers. Luckily for me, enough of you actually paid enough attention to the prompt to answer correctly, and that's what is represented here. 

Anyway, that's enough out of me. How about you all head on down below and check out the meh cars your fellow Jalops thought were cool as kids? If you're looking through the list and think these cars are still cool, I've got bad news for you: you're not as interesting as you think you are, Quirk Chungus.

VW Beetle. When I was a kid I thought they were magical from the chirpy exhaust to the weird convertible top that looked like a giant pillow, I thought they were some magic garden conveyance. Even the buses were something elves must drive 🥰

Submitted by: Jimboy II, The Sequel

I have never, ever been into the PT Cruiser. I have always turned my nose up at it like a total snob. But it will definitely go down as something nostalgic for many.

No, my shame is that I really liked the original Ford Taurus as a kid. That's what I said I would drive when I grew up. It looked so futuristic. I knew really nothing else about it, just that it looked like the future.

Submitted by: Poorsche

I'm not sure I should admit this... The Cadillac Cimarron tripped my trigger for some reason. But my real answer as I still kind of want one is the Renault Alliance GTA. I think they were like a GTi but with an aftermarket aero kit. The ad for them boasted it being able to pull .87G on the skidpad.

Submitted by: Clay Horste

1993 Pontiac Bonneville. I remember a neighbor buying one, and it was the first car I remember that wasn't a box with the same headlights.

Submitted by: bb1313

Growing up in Orlando, one of my favorite family outings was the yearly Orlando Auto Show. Me and my younger brother would compete on how many owner manuals we could score in a day. Coming in to the Chevy exhibit I saw it. The brand new Lumina. It was glorious. I quickly scored a fold-out brochure that stayed on my bedroom wall through high school. The Heartbeat of America indeed.

Submitted by: Mark Savage

1988 Buick Regal Coupe

It was when they switched to FWD and unibody. I was a kid and thought it looked so modern and an entirely new way of design with small details like the door handles hidden in the B pillar area. The old model G body was a REAL car. They went out on a high note with the GNX in 1987 so it was a hard act to follow but the 88 was a shell of the old model that dated back to 78.

Submitted by: Tex

Seconding the PT Cruiser choice here – I remember going down to Tampa to visit some family when these first came out, and we were at the rental counter. I asked my dad if they had anything cool, and the employee smiled and handed us the keys to a brand new PT Cruiser.

Cousins thought it was the coolest car they've ever seen, and we were the talk of the neighborhood!

Submitted by: wpudvah

The Geo Storm. It looked so cool when it came out. Wasn't until later I learned it was an Isuzu Impulse that GM gutted and tried to sell over here with base everything.

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Geo Storm. My cousin was maybe 3 years older than me. He bought a new black Geo Storm (manual) when it debuted in 1990. He took me for a ride and I was smitten. I distinctly remember thinking how "fast" it was. 30+ years later, I still love this car and occasionally find myself scanning the interwebs for a low mileage GSi trim for sale.

Submitted by: Matt G. & Gerbs17

I remember liking the styling on the 2000 Monte Carlo when it came out. I looked fast in my mind's eye at the time but man has that design not aged well. The headlight shape is unusual and the squared off rear does not connect with the curves of the side profile which in turn does not connect with the squinty front end. Also, the interior is made of enough plastic that I'm sure any that have survived to this point creak, groan and rattle while sitting still. This thing did not compare to anything Japan or the Germans were making at the time.

Submitted by: PontaicAttack

The early 90's Pontiac Trans Sport van. Mainly because I was a child of the 80's, teen of the 90's, and a Star Trek: The Next Generation fan, and the early models of the Trans Sport always reminded me of the TNG shuttlecraft, even though they were nicknamed "the Dustbuster."

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Runner-up: first-gen Pontiac TranSport. Yup, a GM Dustbuster! The vertical taillights high up near the roof blew my little mind. ;)

Submitted by: Steve Mahan & GM R

Not sure why, but I thought the AMC Pacer was awesome. It was very different than all the bloated barges floating down American roads at the time.

Submitted by: Sean