What's your all time best vehicle investment?

[TexasHusker]

In terms of pure return, and other than exotic cars, I'd have to go with a 1982 VW Scirocco that I bought for my wife. Paid $2200 for it with 120,000 miles. She drove it for 3 years and we traded it in and got $3000 for it.

Pretty cheap driving!

[bigdaddybus]

2004 Honda S2000 bought for $14200 and sold 2 years later for $16500. I miss that car

[greenskeeper]

97 F250 Crew Cab 4x4 diesel

bought used in 2002 with cash

15 years and 200k miles later it's STILL going

Absolutely nothing replace due to failure besides normal wear and tear (tires, brakes, etc)

All original.

[FLA]

got a bright yellow Subaru station wagon from my folks that was 12 yrs old, I think I paid them less than 1k. I drove it for 4 years, back and forth to a college that was 5 hrs away. Then my brother drove it for 4 yrs. We gave it away after that, 225k miles and we'd see the kid who took it still driving it around town for a few more years.

[butler]

My 3.5 years old Chevy Volt.

We leased it for 3 years with $1500 down (which we got back from CA State's clean vehicle program) for $235 a month. In 3 years have used less than 100 gallons in gas. All (two!!) of my oil changes have been free. And...my electricity bill actually went down after we switched to PG&E's EV Plan!! We also got a free EV car charger at the time we got the car!
AND...US Bank reduced the price by 50% when the lease got over since Chevy was out with a new version of Volt by then.

Its a gift that keeps on giving!!

[kork13]

Bought my first car ('89 Mitsubishi Galant -- a real beauty ) in 2001 for $1 and a ride to the airport when the family from whom I bought it moved. I drove it for 2.5 years in high school, then had an accident (other guy's fault & bad roads). Insurance totaled it, paid us ~$2k for it, but we kept it & sold it to a friend as a project car for another $1k. He eventually fixed it up and drove it for another few years.

I'm not an investing wizard, but I think that means I had a 300,000% gain over 2.5 years

[TexasHusker]

My 3.5 years old Chevy Volt.

We leased it for 3 years with $1500 down (which we got back from CA State's clean vehicle program) for $235 a month. In 3 years have used less than 100 gallons in gas. All (two!!) of my oil changes have been free. And...my electricity bill actually went down after we switched to PG&E's EV Plan!! We also got a free EV car charger at the time we got the car!
AND...US Bank reduced the price by 50% when the lease got over since Chevy was out with a new version of Volt by then.

Its a gift that keeps on giving!!

We had a Volt and loved it!

[StormRichards]

80 Camaro

Paid $1,000

Collected $550 from an insurance company for a guy backing his RV into my front end. Sold the car as is for $1,500 about 2 years after purchase.

[cypher1]

Kind of a tough one for me.

Bought my cousin's 2000 Honda CRV (in 2011) with mileage 155k for $1500 after it was totaled. Put another 1500 into it for frame alignment and body work. Drove it for 5 yrs, and maybe put another 600 total for replacing distributor, axle, tie rods/alignment, tune up. Sold it for 2500 with over 210k mileage. Best use of car for the money.

Another year I bought a 2003 Toyota Matrix XRS for 2900 with almost 190K, and only needed a new clutch (cost 130). Seven months later hail damage totals the car, and insurance pays out 6800 before deductible. Before that damage, I would have kept the car for years.

Best advice for any car claim with a possibility of total out; get the inside of car detailed before the inspection.

[JBinKC]

My 1982 Honda civic hatchback which I purchased for $1500 with 86 k miles in 1988 and donated it still in perfectly running order but a rust bucket to a charity in 1999. I drove approximately 160 k on it and besides tires brakes and fluid changed only had a carburetor float repair and in addition got over 35 mpg but the next vehicle ended up to be the lemon from hell.

[cologero]

JEEP WRANGLER!!!!

Bought a 93 Wrangler for $2,500, sold it for $4,000 2 years later. Bought a 2015 Wrangler new for $25K (financed $15K of that). It's worth $25K now 2 years later...and it's nearly paid off!