What Car Won You Over?
Photo: Honda
We all like to talk about love at first sight, but how often does that really happen? Sure, some cars will shock us all straight out of the gate, but others are an acquired taste — they grow on you with time, chipping away at your dislikes and uncertainties until they become one of your all-time favorite vehicles.
Today, we’re talking about that latter category: Cars that grew on you. Whether you loathed a vehicle upon its release, or were simply unsure of its merits or unconvinced by its marketing, what car won you over with time?
Photo: Honda
For me, perhaps surprisingly, the answer is the FK8 Civic Type R. Sure, I may be Jalopnik’s resident Honda Person now, but I didn’t grow up on The House That Soichiro Built — I was a Subie Guy, one who had never heard the siren song of VTEC.
So when the Civic Type R finally made its way to American shores, I was nonplussed in the American sense. Why was it only front-wheel drive? Why did it have less displacement than an STi? Why did it look like a Gundam? I didn’t get it, and I wasn’t a fan.
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Until I drove one, that is. Suddenly everything came together — the front-drive layout shaved weight, making the Civic light on its feet. The two-liter engine was a modern design, less haggard than Subaru’s EJ25. And it even looked like a Gundam!
The Civic Type R is the car that grew on me the most, from misunderstanding to must-have. But what car most redeemed itself in your mind? Were you a Ford Maverick hater before seeing one on a dealer lot, or did you not get off-roader until you rode in a Jeep? Leave your answers below, and we’ll collect the best tomorrow.
