It's a tough world out there right now. Sometimes brand-new cars have major concerns like the recent Ford Focus RS and the worry about head gasket failures. Others like the Alfa Romeo Giulia are seemingly riddled with electrical problems. If you look back into history at some of the most aspirational cars it doesn't necessarily get better.
The Jaguar XJS for instance is the cheapest entry into the V12 game for a reason. MINI Coopers are a bucket of fun, but by modern standards, they struggle to hang out on the highway for long. There are a few gems though. So today we're going to look at 15 cars that are absolutely capable of being daily driven without issue. That means day in and day out they'll wake up and run well. It also means that they'll be capable of doing everything a normal car can do. Go fast enough on the highway, be comfortable, and usually, get a bit of attention.
15 Nissan Skyline
This Skyline, the R31, doesn't get a ton of attention compared to earlier and later versions. It's for that reason that I think it's a brilliant choice here. It's not so expensive that you'll be worried about hurting it either and honestly, parts aren't hard to come by. They're really unique too.
14 E30 3-Series
Tried and true. That's what the E30 is. It is the standard for BMW styling. It's Genesis. It's capable and fun too. Well-kept ones are especially beautiful too. You can have the four-door or the two-door so options are available no matter your needs.
13 Alfa Romeo GTV
The GTV is available for anywhere from $20-80k depending on what you want out of it. Even at $20,000, you're getting an outstanding car too. These are probably the most reliable old Alfa ever made. They're fun to drive, and like the E30 above, they kind of set the standard as to what an Alfa would look like for decades to come.
12 Plymouth Valiant
The slant-6 engine found in the Valiant is widely considered one of the most reliable old-school vehicles you could possibly own. It's so well regarded that unlike most other older classic cars these aren't typically resto-modded. They come in a ton of styles to suit any taste as well.
11 Datsun 280Z
The 280Z is perhaps one of the most striking cars to ever come out of Japan. An honest to goodness answer to the Toyota 2000GT, this little Datsun is a brilliant balance of performance, styling, and comfort.
10 Porsche 911
I've said it before and I'll say it again. There's no more reliable exotic sports car on the planet than the 911. These things just don't break if they're maintained. They're so solid, and they get attention anywhere you go. They normally don't lose much in value either.
9 Chevrolet Corvette
The 69' Stingray is considered to be one of the best Corvettes ever. It walked a tightrope of having to build on the styling and success of the C2 while making a name of its own. They're not crazy expensive either. If I had space in the garage for another toy this might be the one I'd pick.
8 Toyota MarkII Tourer V
Always a sucker for a fast four-door though I'd be lying if I said I didn't also want this Toyota MarkII. This thing houses a twin-turbo six-cylinder under the hood that pushes power to the back wheels only. Sometimes it can seem like its only been recent that Japan has built sedans capable of going up against the Germans. This is proof that they were working on it a long while ago.
7 Volvo P1800
If you want to drive something that's just dripping with style I can't think of a better choice than the P1800. They're reliable, more than capable of keeping up with traffic, and truly one of the prettiest cars that never really carried forward.
6 Jeep Cherokee
Now you'll be hard-pressed to find a cheap but well-kept "Golden Eagle" Cherokee like this one but the Cherokee name has been around for a long while and good examples can be had for less than $10,000. As old-school SUVs become all the rage again, this is a good one to get in for not much coin.
5 Toyota Land Cruiser
Any old Land Cruiser is a good bet. The year doesn't much matter because they're all reliable and classic. Again, you can find numerous versions and variants depending on your personal desires. You can even find gray market ones from places like Brazil.
4 Ford Mustang
I think if you wanted an older version you could find one for a reasonable price too but this generation of Mustang is experiencing a little bit of a lull in pricing right now. With that in mind, it's a wonderful time to jump on one. They're powerful, and they command attention everywhere they go.
3 Mazda Miata
This little car started a whole new genre of cars in America. None before it or after it has been so successful at producing the same results. Cheap, fast, and reliable transportation. Owning one of the very first generation cars that's in excellent shape is going to pay off in the long run too as values are only going to go up for the few remaining unmolested cars.
2 Pontiac Catalina
What a looker. Take a GTO and massage it just a little and this shape comes out. The Catalina is often overlooked but it's super easy to find very good examples for not much money because of that. In addition, usually, for less than $20,000 you can find amazing examples with modern powertrains. Talk about one sexy daily driver.
1 Saab 900
Perhaps one of the most versatile FWD cars ever made, the 900 Turbo is fast, fun, and practical. Look at all the room in the back seat for instance. It's cavernous. The car itself doesn't look bad either. There are very, very few cars even today that have the same sort of presence, performance, and practicality that the 900 Turbo did when it came out.