I’ve always been cheap when it comes to cars, as long as it has the basic necessities (A/C and Radio) I’ve been happy. A few weeks ago I picked up a 2019 Versa (5 speed) with 49K miles on it from my credit union’s repo lot for 10K; the credit union also offered .99% interest so overall I feel pretty good about the purchase. The simplicity and efficiency has me in straight econobox nirvana and was wondering if there are other weirdos out there like me who just love a good bare bones car that does one thing and one thing only, going from A to B.
Hell yes. High performance engineering is beautiful and fascinating in its own way, but making genuinely simple, durable, reliable, economical cars also requires that spark of human creativity and ingenuity. It’s a warm and reassuring feeling to know the car is your trusty steed and will always start and do what you need it to do. A lighter car with more simple direct mechanical connections through the controls feels fun and engaging to me. Although I haven’t driven that many newer econoboxes, a few of my favorite older ones: