(I Do!)

by Paul Kramer

This is one of those terms that many of us auto enthusiasts take for granted.  However, have you ever mentioned this to your average person who only sees cars as a means to travel from point A to point B (i.e. Prius owners).  The usual response you get is anything from a blank stare to a perplexed expression like a dog waiting for you to throw a ball.  It is such a common vernacular among us car people that we forget that 99% of the world has no idea what we are talking about.

A “daily-driver” (as defined by us car folk) is simply a car that we use for all our mundane day-to-day activities.  This car has to do everything from taking us to work, picking up the kids from schools/activities, shopping at Costco, and driving the family to Grandma’s for Thanksgiving.  Basically, it has to do everything you wouldn’t dare use your “Sunday-drive-to-the-car-show” car for.

Like women who need shoes for all occasions, we really need several daily drivers to fit our diverse lifestyles.  I have taken it even a step further.  I tend to dwell on the idea of the “perfect” daily-driver.  I have even created lists of my favorites as well ranked them in different sub-sects of daily driving.  I think of it as more of my own automotive kingdom classification.   There is the commuting-to-work phylum, which is then broken down into two different families: over-25-miles-to-work class or under-10-miles-to-work class.  From here, you can further segment the list into the “what-part-of-the-country-you-live-in” genus.  For example, let’s say your profile was:

Live less than 5-miles to work

Vehicle will be shaded all day (carport or subterranean parking)

Dress attire is business casual with open-toed Tuesdays and Thursdays

Location is by the beach in Southern California

Work for or own a company that specializes in design and manufacturing of surf wear.

Ok, so what would be a good choice for this profile?  You need to drive something that says you are cool and hip with style.  It also needs to show that you are a trendsetter but not pretentious.  This daily-driver has to be friendly and approachable regardless of age or gender.  Here are some great suggestions:

1947 Ford “Jailbar” ½ Ton Truck with heavy patina, modern drivetrain, and working A/C…no glass-pack exhausts, please.

1971 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Wagon in Viking Blue with the 455 cubic inch engine and rear facing third row seat.

1968 BMW 1600 2-Door Sedan in an unusual period-correct color.  Bone stock with steel wheels and hubcaps are a must.

1969 Porsche 912 in light ivory or any other unforgettable color.  Some mild patina on the paint and chrome is strongly encouraged.

1966 MGB-GT in primrose yellow with chrome wire wheels and very minor visible rust.

Some mandatory additions to any of these choices is to add a Bluetooth radio with hands-free for your phone and working a/c beyond one of those devices that you bought from Skymall that plugs into your cigarette adapter.  These two suggestions will give you all you need to have a competent yet cool 21st century daily-driver.

Ok, so you aren’t this hip fashion designer who walks around barefoot all day and sips wheat grass.  Let’s say you are more of the corporate type that has to commute over 30-minutes in heavy traffic everyday.  You can’t deal with any hiccups from your car.  It needs to work properly every time you turn the key and can be driven at speed with no warming up necessary.  However, it must be fun and a wake-up call to your “car-guy” chromosome.  You don’t want to tie up too much cash in these cars because you need every dime for your “hobby” cars.  So, it is all about bang for your buck.  The following cars will do the trick:

2003 Jaguar S-Type R with over 400hp/400 lb. ft. of torque and less than $10k. This sleeper will embarrass the hell out of any pimply teenage Honda-esque drifter while cuddling you in heated Connolly leather and Birdseye maple wood trim.

2005 Mercedes-Benz CLS500 with AMG package.  It’s a coupe…no, it’s a sedan…hell, I really don’t care how they classify it, it looks cool, it’s practical, and they cost less than a new Scion XB-“toaster” thing.

1995 Volvo 850 T-5R Estate in cream yellow with dark anodized wheels.  These Über-hip Swedish wagons are a favorite among architects and engineers.  It screams practical and needlessly complicated simultaneously.

2005 Volkswagen Phaeton with the W12 engine.  With less than 3,000 delivered to the U.S., the automotive journalists loved these cars and the status-focused American market hated them.  The Real Housewives of Orange County wouldn’t be caught dead in one.  These hand built German masterpiece are basically a Bentley in a plebian trench coat.

1995 Chevrolet Impala SS in any color you can find that hasn’t been pimped out (good luck on that one).  These are truly the modern day Blues Brothers escape car.  Basically, it is a cop car for your average Joe.  With its Corvette LT1 engine and upgraded suspension, all you need is to throw some spotlights above the side mirrors and traffic will part like the Red Sea.

Regardless of your lifestyle, there is an affordable and fun daily-driver out there that is just right for you.  This car will be the kind of perfect that allows you to overlook its inadequacies and fondly call it some offbeat family name.  So instead of leasing another new or certified pre-owned bland sedan like some inborn reflex, have fun.  Put some serious thought into transportation that you will actually like for more than a month.  Or, give us a call at AutoKennel and let us be your automotive therapists.  We can help you with your transition.