What New Car Would You Buy for Your Parents if Money Wasn't an Issue?

Photo: Nissan

With new cars as expensive as they are these days, being able to afford to buy one for yourself can be its own challenge. Especially with the threat of layoffs seemingly hanging over everyone’s heads. But limited finances and precarious employment situations have never stopped enthusiasts from dreaming about what cars they’d buy if they no longer had to worry about money.

Maybe you’d fill your dream garage with every hypercar you could get your hands on. Maybe you’d start a vintage Porsche collection. Maybe you’d pick up a customized luxury Sprinter and pay someone to drive you everywhere you want to go so you never have to deal with traffic again. Everyone’s got different dreams, and that’s OK.

But in this hypothetical scenario where you can afford 47 air-cooled Volkswagens, you can also afford to buy nice things for other people, like a new car for your parents. Assuming they’re the kind of parents you’d actually want to give something nice, that is.

Personally, I think my parents need a sports car. They can both drive stick, but for as long as they’ve been alive, they’ve stuck to what’s practical. Does my dad actually like his 2012 Hyundai Sonata? No, he does not. But Hyundai replaced the engine a few years ago, so why would he get rid of a car with an almost brand-new engine just because he wants something more comfortable with a transmission that isn’t garbage? Although a few years ago, they did go a little wild and buy a 2015 Lexus CT 200h.

But at the same time, if I gave them a Bugatti Chiron and paid for all the maintenance, I don’t think they’d actually enjoy it. Even a new Corvette would be too loud and inconvenient for them. But the Nissan Z? That seems like a car they’d love. Can you find better cars for the money? Probably. But they’d appreciate the styling, and it’s got a Nissan badge on the hood so it’s not too fancy or pretentious. It would just be a fun car they could even drive daily if they wanted to.

What about you? If money was no longer an issue, what new car would you buy for your parents? Let us know down in the comments.