QOTD: What Brand Have You Driven The Most?

By
– Posted on August 23, 2023

The inevitable process has begun.  Tortuous, protracted, and ripe for being done differently, we have began car shopping.  We’ve been putting it off, and will likely drag our feet for a while longer, but our day of reckoning is rapidly approaching.

When / If we find something that delights us (or even tepidly raises our pulse rate) I will undoubtedly approach the acquisition process differently than I have in the past.  Yet there is still that painful period of test driving to see what works.

Last week I stopped by a Volkswagen dealer in the St. Louis area.  It was reasonably close enough to being on my route and the thought of driving two hours for a doctor’s appointment only to drive two hours back was repulsive.  So I figured being repulsed at a dealer fit into the overall theme of the day.

Surprisingly, the experience wasn’t horrible.  I was candid about having just began shopping and how I would not be making a deal as my wife was not present.  It was a wonderful excuse.  Making this experience more bearable was the dealer was pretty desolate (at first) and the salesman did not fit any sort of negative stereotype.

The number of cars in stock at this particular dealer was pleasantly surprising and a truck with more units arrived while I was there.  Upon hearing my requirements in a new car, and how a black interior was a non-starter, the salesman found two different models for me to drive.

First up was a Tiguan SE.  Naturally, it was white, my least favorite of automotive colors.  But this was a pearlescent white, having a very deep luster.

Maybe one can make a silk purse from a sow’s ear.

A screenshot liberated from the VW website

This Tiguan was front-wheel drive and had a cinnamon interior; it was the only Tiguan on the lot not having a black interior.  The cinnamon was a refreshing change over the typical black or gray (or, grey, I suppose, since it’s a VW) interiors found currently.

The second test drive involved a base model Taos.  The automotive gods must have had a good laugh at my expense given this one was also in white.  This Taos wasn’t as pearly as was the Tiguan.

Well, the interior was a compromise.  It seems nearly every Taos has a black/grey combination interior – or at least the base models do.  Also front-wheel drive, it was the pleasantly responsive to the important inputs, making me think of a go-kart.  Is that good or is that bad?  It is likely situational.

For what it’s worth, back in the spring I test drove another sub-compact.  It was a left-over 2022 Jeep Compass.  With a price well north of the Tiguan, I just couldn’t see myself flipping that much coin for a tiny Jeep.

That may have been the first Jeep I’ve ever driven.  It may also be the last Jeep I will drive.

Getting back into my Passat at the VW dealer, today’s question arose.  What brand of vehicle have I driven the most?  It’s a tough question.

Work has allowed me opportunity to drive countless different vehicles over the years, but they have nearly all been fleet grade Fords, Chevrolets, or Dodges – with one lone early 2000s Prius lurking in the shrouds of my consciousness.

The Dodge Dynasty had been ruling the roost of passenger cars when I began my career…

…but had just been dethroned by the thirsty as a wino Ford Taurus.

The last sizable purchase of Taurii was in 2005.

Since then it has been the Chevrolet Impala, most commonly the W-body variety.  If a person likes plain oatmeal, these would be great cars for them.  Naturally, there have been various other minivans, SUVs, and pickups along the way.

Also needing to be considered is what I have owned plus what vehicles others have owned that I have driven.  The list of what I have driven is fairly long but perhaps not the most comprehensive.  Such is life.

But back to my question…If I had to name one brand, it would be Ford.  I highly suspect I have driven more Fords than any other brand.  But it isn’t a slam-dunk victory.  Chevrolet is nipping on its heels.

My having driven more Fords than anything else is a curious outcome as Ford is not currently on my radar for this looming vehicle purchase.

So what about you – what is the brand that surpasses in number all the other vehicles you have driven over your driving career?