Let’s face it. Nobody wants to get their brand new car dirty, dented, or scratched. Even more than the fact that your brand new car is in pristine condition, there are just some cars that you couldn’t imagine getting all beat up.
There are even some new trucks that seem just too nice to ever take out to the fields or off the beaten path.
As time goes on this tends to change for some cars. A 2005 Honda CR-V would be the perfect car to give your recent high school grad. It’s perfect for his or her summer commute to and from work or the drive back and forth to college in the fall.
But even a CR-V doesn’t seem to be the type of car that you would expect to see all kinds of dents, pealing paint, and everything being held together with zip ties and duct tape.
There are some cars that are no stranger to all of these plights. They would be gladly pieced together with a little duct tape and some zip ties, and it wouldn’t really bother anybody if they were.
Here’s our list of the top ten cars that can bet beat up but also don’t draw too much attention as they fall apart.
Honda Civic (1983-2011)
The Civic is no stranger and no surprise to anyone as the first car on the list.
That statement about duct tape and zip ties isn’t very far off here. Because they are simple, easy to work on, and easy to “tune”, people do. The result is often less than ideal, but that doesn’t change the Civic’s mind about its will to live.
You can literally do just about everything short of removing the car’s engine before it will decide to no longer run. I’m sure you’ve seen this too. They are everywhere, and it’s the reason that they’re a favorite for anybody who needs cheap, reliable transportation.
We can’t say the same for the newer models… yet. Time will tell whether or not that may change, but for now, we’re sticking with the bullet-proof fourth through ninth generation models.
Subaru Outback (1994-2009)
Photo: Courtesy of FavCars.com
Remember when the Outback looked a little less like a luxury SUV and more like an honest-to-goodness off-road station wagon? I do! A lot of other people do too which is why it’s no surprise to see them now with rust, damaged bumpers, and the dust collected from 10 years ago still clinging to the doors.
It used to be an “adventure lifestyle” car. It was designed for those people who like things such as kayaking, rock climbing, and trail running. I think that’s been lost in today’s version, but you can still get a used Outback today for pretty cheap.
The cars of the past looked better as well. They had a bit of muscle to them. Giant fog lights and even hood scoops proved that it had what it took to get you anywhere you wanted to be.
The car doesn’t look and feel nearly the same today. You can still find a used one though. When you get one, you can take it anywhere. And when you inevitably beat it up, it will be always be ok with wherever you want to go.
Ford F-150/Chevy Silverado/Dodge Ram (Pre-2008)
Go ahead and bring on all the comments… We put these together because they’re working men’s trucks. Everybody loves their own, and each model appeals to someone in a different way. That’s the way it is.
Now that this has been established, everybody expects trucks to get beat up a little. They are, after all, meant for work, right? Despite that notion, we think the new ones just look a little too upscale to be taken off-road. It’s not that you can’t do it, we just don’t think the trucks look like they want it.
I still think the Ram still has the looks that convey a big, brawny, working man’s truck, but I also think that 95% of people will try to keep their pickups in top shape for as long as they can before doing any heavy truck work.
Say what you like but times have changed. New trucks just don’t have the bare-bones, down to earth mentality that made the pickup a working man’s vehicle. Disagree if you like, but there’s a reason that a lot of pickups have just as many bells and whistles as some luxury cars now.
Jeep Cherokee (1984-2001)
The Cherokee didn’t change for a long time. Today, good used ones are sought after for their durability, capability, and aftermarket potential. Even the stock examples offer a rugged package for anybody to enjoy.
The second generation is probably the most well-known Cherokee to grace the roads of America, as well as everywhere the pavement stopped. Consequently, most second generation Cherokees have been well-used to say the least.
Many that are for sale can be found with more than 200,000 miles on the odometer. It’s the perfect tribute to a solid machine that didn’t have any frills. Unlike today’s SUVs, there were very few creature comforts in the Cherokee, which probably helped with the idea that the vehicle didn’t need to stay in pristine shape to be driven.
The new Cherokees are a far departure from the older models. They look sporty enough, but somehow you just know that they won’t last as long. You also may need to be a little worried if you’re rock climbing and the bumper scrapes a little too much. You wouldn’t want to damage any of those sensors now would you?
Chevy Cavalier (1982-2005)
Everybody knows that the Cavalier was the car you just didn’t want. It was cheap, wasn’t exciting, and was pretty bare-bones because it was a GM car that lived primarily in the 90’s.
It was a favorite for those who wanted a car they could modify cheaply. That’s exactly what happened. It’s getting harder and harder to find stock examples so prevalent just 10 years ago. Modified examples are still around, though.
That means something went right for the little vehicle. They turned out to be not terribly unreliable. Even if they went bad, parts were easy to find and were cheap.
The ones that still exist today have probably been through a lot. Nobody cares though. Not even their owners care. They didn’t pay very much to begin with and the car has lasted this long, so what’s the issue? There is none, even if half the car is gone.
The Cavalier was like the Walmart special. It was the thing you got to plug a temporary need, but it turned out to be the item you’ve had in your closet the longest. And who can’t love something like that?
Volkswagen Jetta (1984-2005)
Photo: Courtesy of Edmunds.com
Volkswagen used to be more known for making sturdy, reliable cars than cheating on emissions testing. This reputation is truer of the second generation Jetta than newer ones, but the third and fourth generation vehicles can definitely hold their own.
That fine German engineering did the Jetta well, and again, we have another case of an inexpensive vehicle that was cheap and easy to tune. As a result, this was a popular teen and younger driver’s car.
Most have been bean to a pulp. The Jetta has stood strong. Some used examples have more than 300,000 miles on the odometer, and I have personally seen several second generation vehicles going past 400,000.
With very little complication to make the car unreliable, they just went. Later model years don’t hold up as well and they depreciate rapidly. They may not be the nicest cars out there anymore, but getting a used one may be just as good as getting a new one, even if it has a few of those character lines that we call “dents” and “dings”.
Toyota Camry (1991-2001)/Honda Accord (1985-2002)
Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Blue Book
Ah yes, the classics. We talk about the Camry and Accord a lot as the benchmark for being the normal and boring cars you can get your hands on. The truth is that this helps put them on this list.
Boring and average though they be, this ensures that they’re on the road for years. In another case of “the newer models are just too nice”, it’s not uncommon to see 90’s Camrys and Accords showing large amounts of wear and tear if you happen to come across one now.
They’re getting up there in years. They may not be as popular to intentionally tear apart as the Civics, but the shear amount of usage that these cars get has proven that their long term reliability is second to none.
There are plenty of these still on the roads today. They are a testament to how far good engineering and simplicity will go in the longevity of a car. They aren’t built “Ford Tough” like the trucks on this list, but they refuse to die because of their resiliency and “patch it up” mentality.
Subaru Impreza (1992-2007)
Photo: Courtesy of TopSpeed.com
We would have our headquarters stormed if we didn’t put the Subaru Impreza WRX on here. The U.S. didn’t see early versions of the WRX, but whatever we did get later was good. We’ll also throw in the STi for good measure as the two are different, but still closely related.
It’s not uncommon to go to a car show and see numerous Subarus in various stages of modification. It’s also more common than you think to have several of these, even at a car show, with dents in the hood, the occasional rust spot, and various other wounds from years past.
For most cars at a show, that would be frowned upon or at least not desirable to show off. This isn’t so for the WRX, especially if it isn’t a big car show. The car was actually built to rally race. What better way to show off its credentials?
The WRX is the car that can do it all. It’s not an SUV but it can go anywhere. It’s not really a true sports car, but it kind of is. It doesn’t have the hauling capability of a truck, but it can take a beating. All of them from this era have been there, and it’s easy to see if you take a look at one today.
Toyota Tacoma/4 Runner (1989-2001)
Photo: Courtesy of Best Car Magazine
These are the only two vehicles on this list which, in their latest form, still look like they are designed specifically to do anything and everything. Both look pretty intimidating with their mean front end design and great approach angle.
As capable as the new ones look, the 1990’s models take the resiliency award. They are proven to be bullet-proof. You can see that when Top Gear took a Hilux (the European version of the Tacoma) and tried to destroy it using several methods, including fire. It didn’t work.
There were a lot of these made so they’re pretty easy to find. They are harder to find with low mileage, and the low mileage examples have held onto their value better than most houses. I’ve seen used Tacomas with 300,000 miles or more continue to be listed for $10,000 or more.
They don’t survive by means of brute force but rather through their simplicity of design and good engineering. Just like the Camry, Accord, and Cherokee, the lack of too much tech has been traded for long life and durability. I would say to get one while you can, but I think they will be around for a while.
Volvo 200 Series (1974-1993)
Photo: Courtesy of Fatherly.com
It is said that the Volvo 200 Series sedans and wagons had the aerodynamic qualities of a brick. That couldn’t be closer to the truth. Indeed, the car was probably designed with a brick being the primary inspiration.
The most common of the 200 series is the 240. Offered both in sedan and wagon form, these cars were engineered to be impenetrable fortresses. Consequently, you can still see them every now and then despite some being over 30 years old. They are even beginning to gain “cool” status by some standards.
Volvo used to be, and largely still is, known for their obsessive attention to safety. Without any knowledge of the high-tech materials used today, the 200 series Volvos didn’t need any of that stuff. You could run one into a tree or drive into a ravine and the car would simply bounce off whatever object it hit. Most did.
The scars of years past can be found on the cars that remain. Most have been patched back together to live on today as a reminder that design wasn’t the main concern for the great Swedish car maker.
They don’t look good, but their boxy shape has made them coveted for their insane practicality and “go anywhere” mentality. Several have joined the Million-Mile club, and we don’t doubt that there will be more in the future.
We could really put most used cars on this list. As unreliable as any given car is, you can always find an example of one that has been put through the ringer. Its owner will always claim it’s the best car they’ve ever had. That may be true.
We can’t really put any new car on this list either. Buying a used car takes away some of the mindset that the car has to be kept nice, at least for a little while.
Cars are designed to be driven. They are meant to be used for a specific purpose. The cars listed above have generally fulfilled that purpose but have also gone the extra mile… literally. We have them to thank for sacrificing their parts, paint, and panels to allow us to do everything we’ve done to them.
Only time will tell what other vehicles join the cars above, and we don’t doubt that there will be many. We do however also think that cars aren’t made like they used to be. Simplicity has been replaced with convenience. Technology has taken over simple purpose.
We would love to see manufacturers make cars like the second generation Cherokee, Volvo 240, and the original Subaru WRX, but we know that can’t happen with the rules and regulations in place. We also know that regulations can’t suppress the desire to make a car great.
Plenty of manufacturers are doing it, and we look forward to seeing some of the new cars of today, be the “cars that can handle it” of tomorrow.
