Be ready to discover what I drive as a mechanic and which cars I will definitely not buy for myself!
As a mechanic, I get to see a lot of things, and generally, what I drive is not among the cars that cross the front door of my garage. This is not because I have some specific extra insight, but rather because I get to know cars inside and out.
As a general rule, the best cars are the ones that I do not get to see very often, and being in this line of work has given me an insight into which cars are better than others and what specific cars I am better without than others.
This does not mean that if you have that particular car, it is a problem, but rather that, as a mechanic, it would not be what I drive on a daily basis given a chance.
If you are interested in what I drive and why I chose to keep that particular model despite it being a few years since it was released, along with the certain few cars I would steer clear of due to seeing them too often, make sure that you keep on reading!
Are there any other cars that you would consider unreliable? Do you have any experiences with the cars mentioned that you would like to share with me? Leave all your thoughts in the comments below!
Toyota Camry- and why I chose it
It is better to cut to the chase and tell you what is currently residing in my driveway: a 2015 Toyota Camry.
The reason why this particular car is the one I chose is actually made out of a number of reasons that make this particular model not only the best choice for me but also for everyone who wants to have a reliable and easy-to-maintain car.
The Camry, which will get a 2024 iteration sometime this year, is the best-selling mid-sized sedan in the United States, and it has held this title for the past 21 years!
This is no small feat, and Toyota likes to make this known (along with the fact that their Corolla series is the best-selling car ever made). But what makes it so desirable to Americans? There are two factors that make up the reason why this car in particular has won the hearts of so many people.
Safety and reliability
The Toyota Camry is one of the cars that needs very little repair, along with having a wonderful track record for longevity. Some people are lucky enough to almost never have to make the drive to a car repair shop with this car!
What’s more, it is probably the cheapest car to own in terms of maintenance. Starting with around $160 in the first year, you are looking at a total of about $4,200 for an ownership of 10 years!
Add to it that it is a safe car that came with lane departure systems and backup cameras before they became a standard feature, and you have your reason.
The Camry I have does not have all the new features that Toyota introduced that make it even more desirable (as you can now get it in a hybrid version for both front and all-wheel drive options), yet it still maintains its value.
I rarely have to repair anything on it; it offers a stable drive, and I can always rely on it. When I am due for an upgrade, chances are I will opt for another newer generation Toyota Camry!
But if this is the car that I drive, which are the ones that I would never think about owning? Keep on reading to find out!
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Beetle has been one of the most beloved cars in the nation. While Volkswagen has been coming out with other car models, and some of them are pretty swell, if I may say so, the Beetle had something about it that drew people in.
Despite how popular the car was, this compact car was not made for everyone, and more often than not, you would end up with a lot of issues that came up with it. To put it simply, the Volkswagen Beetle is not an everyday car, and even the slightly bigger versions, while iconic and easy to recognize, are not practical in the slightest.
If you use the car more or less every day, the Beetle has too little space inside due to how compact it is, and if you end up running into issues with the car, the mechanic is going to have a horrible time fixing it due to how small the workspace is.
The car, from my point of view, is extremely impractical, so I would not own one!
Not to mention, the Beetle’s first run was between 1950 and 1979, and then Volkswagen brought it back between 1998 and 2019. It has since been discontinued again, with the company saying they will not be picking it back up. This means that pieces for repair will become scarce soon, especially for more vintage models, while the newest models will also slowly age.
I would not opt for this car model.
Volkswagen as a company has been known as one that makes the “people’s car.” This is just one of the aspects that makes this company so interesting to look into if you are a car enthusiast. This book has been an interesting read, and I am sure it would be a good read for you or a good gift for any beetle enthusiast in your life!
Ford Focus
Ford launched the Focus model back in 1998, and for the past 25 years, it has been a staple of generations.
However, for the fans of this particular model, Ford has had bad news: in 2025, they will be discontinuing the Ford Focus and focusing on fully electric models. It seems like the Ford Focus will only take forward the four generations it already has and leave the future to other models.
I will not be extremely saddened when this particular car model stops hitting the market. While a lot of people appreciated the Ford Focus, these models have always been lackluster when it comes to safety ratings.
When you compare them with other cars in the same class and price range, they fall back, and I do not see a reason why you would choose this particular model.
To add fuel to the fire, no matter how long this model has been around, I have seen many of them cross the front doors of my shop with transmission issues.
This is the main reason why I would not get a Focus for myself: the transmission repairs are not only annoying issues to have to deal with, but they are some of the costliest ones!
Dodge Dart
The Dodge Dart has a very convoluted history, and there are a few of them floating around on the market, but I wouldn’t be too happy to jump on to get one unless you are a fan of vintage cars and a collector.
The original run of this model was between 1960 and 1976, and it was successful enough that back in 2013, Dodge came back with its sedan version. The compact car may have appealed to many due to the nostalgia factor, but even the biggest fans of the car have been disappointed.
Not only does it have poor safety ratings, but it also lacks a lot of the modern features people were looking for even back in 2013. Not to mention, the car has since gotten the well-deserved reputation of needing frequent and, at times, costly repairs, as well as being unreliable.
This is not the type of car I would want to rely on, as I would always be afraid it would break down. So unless you have a vintage model and you enjoy tinkering with it, I would steer clear of any 2013 models.
If you are looking for more insights into cars, I have written more articles on Urban Cars Blog. Make sure you are prepared for the winter by relying on these amazing new model cars that will pass the ice test with flying colors!
