zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
Ten Cars That Are Great To Drive, But Terrible To Own
Ten Cars That Are Great To Drive, But Terrible To Own-December 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:04

I would do anything to drive one of these cars, but you couldn't pay me to own one.

With 600 hp and 738 ft/lbs of torque in a big, luxurious coupe the Mercedes CL65 AMG is a bit of a riot, but the only thing more eye-wateringly expensive than the maintenance is the depreciation.

A cheap used one is a tempting proposition, but small problem that wouldn't raise an eyebrow in a normal car can total an AMG with a V12.

Suggested By: , Photo Credit: Mercedes-Benz

9.) McLaren MP4-12C

You'd think a McLaren 12c would be amazing to drive and own but reader can tell you why you may not want one.

"1) Soooo many teething issues well reported, from failing electricals to foggy lights to doors that won't open and blown transmissions. On top of that, several advertised features, specifically on board cameras and the Sat-nav system were either never delivered, or in the case of the sat-nav, were delivered more than a year after launch, and customers were asked to shell out more for it!

2) Depreciation is BRUTAL - every owner I know is out $100K+, whereas a 458 a year on is basically par.

3) McLaren basically acknowledged all the problems with the 12C by coming out with the 650S, thereby exacerbating the depreciation of 12Cs."

Suggested By: , Photo Credit: McLaren

8.) Citroën SM

The SM is one of the most beautiful, luxurious, and comfortable cars ever made. It's also one of the most fiendishly complex with it's unreliable Maserati V6 and hydropneumatic suspension.

Basically, a Citroën SM is takes all the things that were great and terrible about the Citroën DS and the Maserati Bora/Khamsin and wraps them in one car.

Suggested By: , Photo Credit: Citroën

7.) Rental Car

Did somebody say handbrake turns? They're an absolute blast, at least when you're not paying for all the damage you've done by hooning the living daylights out of them. Don't ever buy a car from a rental lot.

You wouldn't want to own a car that everyone and their mother has beat on mercilessly.

Suggested By: , Photo Credit: Chrysler

6.) Lotus Elise

The things that make the Elise great for spirited country road driving–tiny body, light weight, non-power steering–make it a terrible daily driver proposition. Oh well, at least the Toyota engine is reliable!

Suggested By: , Photo Credit: Lotus

5.) Ariel Atom

Take everything that's great about an Elise and make it better, while taking everything that's bad about an Elise and make it much worse. That's basically the Ariel Atom in a nutshell.

If you buy an Atom, buy a truck and a trailer as well.

Suggested By: , Photo Credit:

4.) Alfa Romeo Montreal

Alfa Romeos are stunningly beautiful to behold and even better to drive, but ownership can be a dubious proposition at best. None have a higher ratio of great to drive/terrible to own than the Montreal.

Alfa's fuel injection system was a nightmare in any car, but especially bad in the Montreal's 2.6 liter quad-cam V8. At least you have something beautiful to look at when it's inevitably broken.

Suggested By: , Photo Credit:

3.) Jaguar E-Type

This list could have easily been ten old british cars, but the E-Type really takes the cake. It was the fastest car in its day and it's still no slouch now, but only on one condition – it has to be working, which 90% of the time it won't be.

But then you see one and you still ache for one, despite all the bad things you may have heard.

Suggested By: , Photo Credit:

2.) Mercedes-Benz 600 Grosser

When people talk about how relaxed and comfortable a Mercedes can be, they're talking about this car. It's truly .

Oh, and if you break one of the hydraulic window switches it'll set you back $11,500. Also, nearly everything in the car is powered by hydraulics, so good luck!

Suggested By: , Photo Credit:

1.) Bugatti Veyron

Of course the Veyron–being one of the fastest cars ever made–is fun to drive, but have you seen the maintenance costs? Reader put them together for us and they're a little on the expensive side:

"Oil change: $21,000

Tires: $30-40,000 (Bugatti recommends changing them every 2,500 miles)

Annual routine maintenance: $20,000

Insurance: $2-3,000 per month"

I guess someone who can afford a Veyron in the first place can afford the maintenance, but .

It finally happened - you're a freaking multi-millionaire and want to spend your hard-earned cash…

Suggested By: , Photo Credit: Bugatti

Welcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!

Top Photo Credit: Bugatti

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
One of the calling cards of today’s Plymouth Colt is its “Twin Stick” overdrive gear change, which gives the car eight speeds going forward and two in reverse. Let’s see if this project car has anything else to offer. Just as Goldilocks discovered when appropriating Papa Bear’s lifestyle and...
Dec 13, 2025
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
The seller of today’s Caddy claims they should be selling it at auction but says who’s got time for that? Let’s see if we have the time for this custom convertible at its non-auction price. Many of you agreed that the $950 asked for yesterday’s was “chump change.” Even...
Dec 13, 2025
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
According to its seller, today’s Nissan 4X4 shows “pride of ownership.” Let’s see if it would take swallowing one’s pride to pay its asking price. Opinions were split on how well the design of yesterday’s has held up over the years. Some of you commented that the design still...
Dec 13, 2025
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Let’s cut right to the chase: buying a is not a good idea unless you have deep enough pockets for the upkeep. For those not in the know, they’re sirens. They draw you in with their premium Italian image and sweet songs of and then go in for the...
Dec 13, 2025
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
The (and Tacoma) have a death grip on used values. It’s been this way for years. Go ahead, go try and buy any TRD trim that’s a couple of years old; it’ll cost you as much as a new one — not that you could buy a new one...
Dec 13, 2025
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
Today’s Mustang is being sold by a towing yard, which means it’s probably a lien sale. Let’s see if this clean title convertible is priced to put a new buyer on the hook. The general consensus on last Friday’s was that it would be the perfect car for someone...
Dec 13, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved