Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

What cars have you owned before your Model 3?

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Not deficient, EFFICIENT with your money and vehicle purchases - good traits that many of us don't seem to possess! :D
This is true. I’ve actually made money on my vehicles. May have to keep the Tesla a long time to keep this tradition up! (or count TSLA future gains in my calculations)
 
Geo Storm
1999 Jeep Wrangler. Modified it. Was in Four Wheeler magazines Top Truck Challenge.
Hummer H2
1966 Ford Mustang
1973 Jeep CJ5. Frame up restoration
1975 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow
Jeep Commander.
Porsche Panamera
Jaguar XF
BMW X6
Tesla M3

upload_2019-3-12_20-28-58.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: coleAK and GregRF
1969 VW Beatle (It was born the same year I was LOL)

1979 Datsun 280ZX

1987 Toyota SUPRA Turbo (my first dream car )

1995 Nissan Maxima (got rear ended ,so got another Maxima with all the options)

1998 Nissan Maxima SE (just sold this last month with over 300K)

2004 Mazda Miata MX5 (Red, 6 Speed with the full factory body kit) Was hard to sit in this convertible & not have a huge smile on you face
They say everyone should own at least one convertible in their life, and I loved every year of this one.

2011 Honda Odyssey (when the twins were born) sold the convertible a few years after buying this

2018 Tesla 3 MR (sold the Maxima to make room)

ALL my vehicles were bought used (Other than the Tesla) , and the convertible was just a few months old , so almost new.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DR61
Agreed about the negativity thing. I know product forums naturally gravitate towards it, but sheesh...

Anywho, what fun! My list is certainly not as extensive as others...

1984 Isuzu P'up (5-speed diesel)
1970 Ford F-250 "camper special", ditched the camper part
1995 Ford F-150 Lightning
2002 Ford Focus SVT
2005 Ford Mustang GT
2012 Honda Odyssey
2018 Tesla Model 3 (in sig)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dana1
1975 Datsun B210 (cheap, good mpg, and easy to work on myself, so slow I was frequently passed by semis on the highway even going uphill)
1986 Honda CRX (standard not the S, good mpg, good handling, probably a death trap)
1991 Eagle Talon Tsi (junk, POS, waste of money)
1999 Honda Prelude (awesome, great cornering/handling, pretty quick)
2004 Infiniti G35m Coupe (meh, should have kept the Prelude, several electrical problems)
2011 Leaf SL (good except for the battery life)
2018 M3 LR RWD PUP EAP (by far the best car I've owned)
 
Also including the wife's since we got married:

1982 Olds Omega Coupe
1969 Pontiac LeMans Convertible (350 / 2bbl / 3spd auto with slap factory shifter)
1984 Toyota Celica Supra (5 MT) - Stolen
1991 Nissan 300ZX 2+2 (5MT)
1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo V8
2001 Nissan Pathfinder LE 3.5 Navi
2001 Volvo S40
2004 Volvo V70R - Modified - Geartronic. If it was a 6MT I might still have it.
2007 Acura MDX Tech
2011 BMW 535i (F10) - Most disappointing in the whole group.
2014 Porsche Cayenne Diesel - Wife's Current. May bury her in this car, she loves it that much.
2014 Lexus GS 350 FSport RWD
2013 Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet - Current Weekend Toy
2017 VW GTi Sport DSG
2018 Tesla Model 3 LRAWD - My Current
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dana1
Here's mine:
Fiat 124 Spyder 1600
Porsche 914/6
Audi Fox
Mazda RX7 GSL-SE
Infiniti Q45
GMC Suburban
Acura NSX
Acura NSX-T
Infiniti I30 (bought originally for my mom)
Genesis R-Spec
Tesla Model 3 AWD 19"
Tesla Mode 3 LR RWD

My girlfriends over the years have had some obsession with poor quality Fords. The list is:

Ford Pinto
Ford Mustang II (replaced screws that came out every Sunday - a ritual)
Ford Tempo (ate belts)
Ford Explorer (in accident - rolled 5 times. Google For Explorer rollover. There is a lawyer who makes his living on those cases.)
Ford Mustang (2013 Pony package. Best of the above Fords. Not a very high bar. Ford Sync stinks.)

The Mustang sold recently since I got the second Tesla. Girlfriend drives that and is paying for it so title will eventually transfer to her.
I think I have the Genesis sold. Only cars close to being as much fun as the Teslas were the NSX's.
 
1978 Plymouth Sport Suburban (Fury III Woody wagon): 383 c.i. V-8 9-passenger "Land Yacht" a.k.a. "The Beer Wagon" Teenage car shared with my older brother and mom. My high school friends STILL ask "What happened to The Beer Wagon?" 40 years later. Lasted 100,000 miles of brutal teenage boy bashing until it died in the hands of a fraternity brother.

1975 Chevy Impala Caprice Classic (used): My dad insisted I buy an American car since he had to co-sign for it (I just graduated from college). Absolutely the WORST car I've ever owned. Valves and transmission gone at only 30,000 miles. ~ 12 mpg

1980 Audi 5000 S diesel: 5-cylinder NON-turbocharged diesel with 5-speed manual transmission. SLOWEST CAR SOLD IN THE U.S. in 1990. Only 90 hp = 0 to 60 in 19.5 seconds YES that's correct. Start counting in your head "Thousand One, Thousand Two" and picture yourself getting on every freeway offramp doing ~ 30 mph at full throttle... BUT it got 30 mpg city and 35 to 40 mpg highway. Belched black diesel soot like crazy under full throttle (think smokescreen). Vanity Plate "Zoom By" as a joke. BULLETPROOF for 170,000 miles in 5 years, although it needed an 8 quart oil change every 1,500 miles (110+ Arco Graphite oil changes). Sold to a friend of mine who drove it another 100,000 miles before selling it to his friend.

1985 Mercedes 300SD Turbodiesel: 190,000 miles of pure driving pleasure. First car sold in U.S. with ABS, airbags and diesel "trap oxidizer" (= no black soot exhaust). Amazing power for a diesel, especially up hills and at high altitude from it's enormous "truck size" turbo which had lots of "turbo lag" if you lifted off the throttle. 20 mpg city / 25 - 30 mpg highway.

1990 Jeep Cherokee Limited: ex-wife wanted one as a "grocery getter" so I agreed to buy one IF I got to take if 4-wheeling. OMG this Jeep could go anywhere once we lifted it 6" and put on bigger 33"x12.50" tires. Took it to all the knarly trails in Moab UT, Rubicon Trail in CA, and Sledgehammer at King of the Hammers (Johnson Dry Lake) CA. 15 MPG downhill with a tailwind but WOW the places it took us.

1995 BMW 740iL: Great car, especially for my commercial real estate client tours. Gobbled Premium fuel like millennials gobble FakeBook, InstaSpam and Fake News.

1999 Corvette convertible: Triple black. Lots of fun but would run out of fuel due to faulty dual fuel tank / transfer pump parts. Chevy refused to install updated parts so I made them buy it back under CA Lemon Law.

2001 Corvette convertible: Red with black top. Much better car with the new fuel parts so it didn't run out of gas. Unfortunately got T-boned by a truck at 40+ mph... then insurance company and Chevrolet dealer insisted they could fix it by disassembling the front HALF and cutting out & replacing the driver's frame rail and entire front clip. $28,000 later it came back with the frame twisted and the Chevy dealer told me to sue them if I wasn't happy. Fortunately this car was leased through GMAC so I turned it in tweaked... and there was nothing they could do about it because I'd had the repairs done at a Chevy dealer.

2000 / 2003 / 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland: Fabulous 4WD SUV that was unstoppable in snow and survived two teenage kids who bought them from me. 15mpg city / 19 mph highway with 32" tires and 2" lift. Put 4" lift on the 2000 and it survived two teenage boys. Tried to lift the 2003 and 2004 4" but got the dreaded Jeep "Death Wobble" so lowered them back to 2" lift.


2003 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Tomb Raider Limited Edition: Kenne Bell supercharged + Currie Enterprises built with 35" tires, 4" suspension + 1" body lift to go on all but the most insane trails... and drive on the highway. 12 mpg with a tailwind going downhill but OMG so amazing rock crawling or floating over rough roads. Still have it but probably going to sell this year since we've driven all the fun 4WD roads... and the Wilderness Area designations have closed most of the ones our family loved and frequented. Google "Surprise Canyon" in Panamint Valley and "Lemoigne Canyon"in Death Valley. https://JeepSpace.JeepForum.com/BrokerDon

2006 Corvette Z06: Street legal track car. 505 hp 7.1 liter V-8 super-light carbon fiber / aluminum / titanium / magnesium construction = 3,100 lbs. = 0 to 60 in 4.0 seconds and 200 mph Drove like it was on rails (think rollercoaster). LOUD, rough ride. Stupid FAST and dangerous if you didn't know how to drive it. Took a 3-day professional driving school at a race track so I could drive it fast AND safe. LOTS of GM quality control issues: MULTIPLE Active Handling System FAIL (6 weeks in service), valves / intake / exhaust improperly machined requiring the ENTIRE "top end" of this race motor to be replaced. Absolutely a blast to drive fast but a PITA to drive around town (6-speed manual transmission with a HEAVY race clutch) 19 mpg city / 26 mpg highway Sold to a GM engineer from Michigan who wanted a relatively low mileage one-owner Z06 that already had the "top end" replaced.

2011 Winnebago View 24K RV (Mercedes Sprinter 3500HD chassis): Amazing "condo on wheels" 2nd home that has taken us to remote places including two EPIC road trips: 12,000 mile / 75 day) SoCal to Alaska / British Columbia and 19,000 mile / 127 day SoCal / Trans Canada (westernmost point on Vancouver Island to easternmost point of Newfoundland). 14,000 GVWR 327W solar 3.2Kw diesel generator sleeps 6 15 MPG... same as our Jeep Grand Cherokee !!! Tows our Jeep Wrangler effortlessly too.

2012 Toyota Prius Four: Great vehicle. Wife loves it because it is so small and nimble. 50 MPG but S_L_O_W and sounds like a "leaf blower" when you ask it for more power. Reliable & cheap (bought it used in 2012) but SOUL-LESS. Replacing with a Tesla Model 3 or Y when we sell our Jeep Wrangler that's occupying our 2nd charging space.

2015 Tesla P85D+: Replaced BOTH our 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland SUV and 2006 Corvette Z06 sports car. AbSoFreakinLutely LOVE it since it's MUCH faster and ~ 85 MPGe. CRAZY. Free Supercharging probably makes my actual MPGe > 100+ MPGe. It also allowed me to drive in the HOV lanes and still provides FREE 91 Express Lanes (toll road) access. Had the relatively rare sporty Plus Suspension... and then I got Tesla to upgrade from Insane to Ludicrous. 0-60 in ~ 2.9 seconds and LOTS more power 30+ mph.
 
1987 Toyota SUPRA Turbo (my first dream car )

My parents had an 1986.5 Supra (the first not to be a Celica Supra, BTW) naturally aspirated with the 5 speed manual and TEMS (dubbed Totally Enigmatic and Mysterious Suspension by Automobile Magazine). Two-tone blue with blue interior. It's the car I learned to drive stick on and was a lease. We ordered the '91 300ZX (for the record, I wanted a Dodge Stealth, thank goodness Dad didn't listen to me) and it came in 2 weeks before the lease on the Supra was up which meant I got to drive it to high school for two weeks. Boy did that increase my popularity.

Later I had the '84 Supra in college that I bought with 213k miles on it and had almost 260k when it was stolen. Bought from the first owner who had it from 1984 until 1994 and had a giant highway commute that he drove it on every day. Did the clutch at 251k and found out it was original! Car had automatic climate control and three chamber air bladder lumbar support that you inflated with a hand pump like a blood pressure cuff. In 1984. I could almost stop the car in first gear without letting the clutch out and keep going over speed bumps and stop signs, that car had so much torque. What a great car. Toyota was just hitting their stride then.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dana1
Geo Storm
1999 Jeep Wrangler. Modified it. Was in Four Wheeler magazines Top Truck Challenge.

View attachment 385883

Here is our family "grocery getter" 1990 Jeep Cherokee. Ex-wife was not amused. Kids absolutely LOVED it!

P.S. Yes our Jeep made it up the rock on the right picture with both ARB AirLocker axles locked and tires aired down.

LEFT: Golden Crack in Moab UT

RIGHT: USFS road 3N34 near Dishpan Springs obstacle on "Jeep Road" from Lake Arrowhead to Big Bear. Yes that's how the "road" is shown on the AAA map. :cool:
Moab_Golden Spike_Golden Crack.jpg
Arrowhead_Deep Creek_Rock Lauch.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dana1 and coleAK
Here is our family "grocery getter" 1990 Jeep Cherokee. Ex-wife was not amused. Kids absolutely LOVED it!

P.S. Yes our Jeep made it up the rock on the right picture with both ARB AirLocker axles locked and tires aired down.

LEFT: Golden Crack in Moab UT

RIGHT: USFS road 3N34 near Dishpan Springs obstacle on "Jeep Road" from Lake Arrowhead to Big Bear. Yes that's how the "road" is shown on the AAA map. :cool:
View attachment 386094 View attachment 386095

Love Moab.

upload_2019-3-14_12-23-19.jpeg
 
Counting broke high school cars?

1984 Plymouth horizon
1983 Nissan/Datsun Maxima (half the car said Nissan, half said Datsun)
1998 Pontiac Trans Am - extensive bolt-ons, cammed out, noisy, aggressive manual batmobile
2006 Pontiac G5 Meh
2007 BMW 335i - did the Euro delivery so I drove it on the autobahn, that was fun. Nice car but I didn't keep it long enough to worry about BMW upkeep costs
2014 Toyota highlander - definitely a "dad" car but had the typical Toyota build quality
2018 P3D+ :)
 
  • Funny
Reactions: Dana1
1989 Honda Civic HB 1.3
2000 VW Golf V6 4MOTION
2005 Audi A4 3.0 TDI quattro
2010 Audi A5 2.0 TFSI quattro 2dr
2012 BMW 328i xDrive M Sport
2014 BMW 430d xDrive M Sport
2016 BMW 120d xDrive M Sport (after Model 3 reservation 2016-03-31)
2019 Tesla Model 3 Performance (ordered 2019-03-15)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Zcd1
2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee (owned 2009-2013) owned
2014 Mercedes C250 (2014-2016) lease
2015 Mercedes C300 (2016-2017) lease - new job so had to dump early for more miles
2018 Infiniti Q50 Sport (2017-Oct 2018) lease - sold privately for about a $500 loss to get the Tesla before the tax incentive cut in half
2018 Tesla Model 3 RWD LR (Oct 2018 - Now) financed
 
The Model 3 is one of the most "normal" cars I've ever owned, take a look at my history:

98 Mitsubishi Mirage (fully built into an Evo rally car. Still own this!)
76 Classic Mini
93 Mazda RX-7 FD
06 Lotus Exige
65 Mustang 289 (still own)
03 Audi S6 Avant 6-Spd
06 Impreza STi
09 Impreza
86 Porsche 944
91 Acura Integra
93 Autozam AZ-1
93 Honda Beat
92 Mitsubishi Dangan ZZ
93 Lancia Delta Integrale Evo 2 (still own)
55 Beck 550 Spyder
 
  • Like
Reactions: coleAK