theredcar: Apparently women are more tolerant of crappy cars. That must be why I always see women in their 20s driving Cavaliers in various states of disrepair...the worst part being that a busted Cavalier isn't much better than a functional one (which is a bit of an oxymoron).
 
Anyway, let's see my past history.
 
First car was an '87 Buick LeSabre sedan. Got it for $500 and the only thing wrong with it was a bad break line and tie rods. Can't complain. Boring, spartan reliability for an older car.
 
Second car was an '89 Acura Integra. Wow...what a piece of work this was. It had almost 300k on the body and only 100k on the "new" engine. The only reason I bought it was because it came from a friend and I got it el-cheapo. At one point, it had a gas leak before I owned it and the whole cabin stank of gas...driving was a heady experience. Anyway, I think something was up with the clutch because it regularly hated 3rd and 5th gear. Not fun for someone new to driving manual. Ever try driving on the highway in 4th? Not fun. I attribute some of this car's failings on me for not being good with a notchy manual that probably needed some TLC before being on the road.
 
Third car was a 2000 Corolla VE. I blame the Acura for pushing me to buy this one. The only mechanical problem I had with it wasn't really a problem...the check engine light came on due to a loose gas cap...I blame myself for shelling out $70 to confirm that one. Besides that, very, very boring car. The best part about having a VE trim level was that you got a sweet three speed automatic in it. Apparently, even AC and radio were options on that trim, though I haven't confirmed it. As a result of the primitive tranny, this thing got maybe 24 in town and as low as 29 on the highway. Very weak.
 
Finally, my current car, the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback. Essentially a Lancer wagon, I like this car the most out of all my previous vehicles, which is sort of a duh thing. Great utility/versatility, pretty good mileage (22, sometimes 23 in town and as high as 31-32 on the highway) with a punchy 2.4 liter 4 cylinder. Dead reliable so far (30k miles). My only real complaint is that the paint and clear coat quality is pretty bad. The interior materials, while good in some spots, aren't the best in others. The arm rest is hard, hard, hard, as well as the center console arm rest. Also, for some reason, it didn't have cruise on it. Besides that, great car.
 
Edit: C'mon. We all know that the Aztek was just ahead of its time! (I'm half serious on that one)