[tunedv8]

Really nice thread! Although, filled with a bitter sweet trip down memory lane.

My first ever craving was actually a bike. If I may bring bikes into the equation here, I hope you'll forgive me. Starting this wave of despair would be easier if I unburdened myself by just sticking to two wheels to begin with is what I thought.


1. That bike was a yellow Karizma, '04.



I wanted this to go to college on and all my friends had bikes. When I took my dad to the showroom, he was concerned about the way I gawked at the display bike. He then very quickly whipped out his cheque book and bought me a silver Honda Activa. I cried for a few days.

2. Chevrolet/ Subaru Forester



I remember buying the Overdrive magazine with this road test featured in it. It's no looker but I loved those pillarless doors and the compact Estate - SUV crossover size. Alas, I was 14 and this was unreachable.

3. The Skoda Octavia RS Combi/ saloon



I have banged on about this in my Skoda Kushaq ownership thread. So I'll keep it brief here. These cars were my first wet dream! But, I was 18 at the time and my opinions meant diddly squat at home. Moving on.

4. Ford Fiesta 1.6 S



By golly! What a car I missed! By now I had my own money but by the time I could afford one, they stopped selling those. I'll blame God for the timing.

5. Ford Fiesta global facelift



This car somehow was never in my radar. It was a looker, was a joy to drive and fulfilled my cupholder requirements and had split folding rear seats! I even considered this very seriously and just then, Ford announced their exit!

SO yeah! That's my list!

[tunedv8]

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M

Just 2 for me.

The 2003 facelift Lancer SFX. I was too young for owning one and I graduated when the 2009 Cedia Sports was discontinued.

I recently spotted two Cedias on a used car website. Check it out if you are interested!



It's called Giga Cars.

[Dhar's]

Affordable dream cars which never made it to our garage

1. Honda city VTEC (OHC Type II)
2. Fiat Palio S10
3. Octavia vRS (1st gen)
4. Ford Fiesta 1.6s
5. Fiat Punto Abarth

The one from above list which was later added to the garage
6. Mitsubishi Cedia Sports

[PrasannaDhana]

Only one for me

The Punto Abarth

I have had the pleasure of driving it for about 200 km on the highways though. The way it punches above it's weight should be experienced to understand the awesomeness of the car.

Excellent handling & wonderful engine. What more do we want?!

Loved wringing the car at its limits. I will always remember that day as one of the most memorable automotive moments in my life. Thanks to BHPian Nitninja for the opportunity.

I also liked the Ford Figo S 1.5 diesel. But it doesn't even come close to the Abarth. Both cars were extremely VFM.

[gururajrv]

I would say - I missed looking at S-Cross 1.6D while shopping for Brezza.

Not that I regret buying Brezza. But, it’s the 1.6 that squeezes my heart every time I notice one on road or on the forum! There’s something which kind of tickles the kid in me when I see one nicely modified 1.6. Our forum’s Grease.Monkey’s for example (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...ml#post4369865 (Pandamonium : My modified S-Cross 1.6)) makes me drool for the subtle yet powerful upgrades he’s performed it look delicious!

Well, it would be not fair if I don’t mention the most powerful 1.6 that is our Dr.Naren’s! He’s extracted every inch of torque that engine can deliver without compromising on the integrity of the car at all! He’s set standards for a diesel modification.

So my vote is for S-cross 1.6 which I have missed getting my hands on!

[Reinhard]

Ah an interesting thread! Thanks to the OP for starting it. I think the list is endless for me, but I'll try to keep it short and limited to aspirations within India .

1. Tata Safari Storme VX 4x4 (Had booked and cancelled a Storme EX in 2019, so was quite close!)
2. VW Vento TDI DSG
3. Tata Tiago/Tigor JTP (And maybe Altroz iTurbo now)
4. VW Jetta TDI DSG (it feels affordable looking back!)
5. Suzuki Alto VXI 1.1 F10
6. Renault Duster dCI AWD RXZ (Almost booked in 2019, showroom behaviour literally switched Renault off for me.)

If the things in life remain as they are, I guess the below 2 will join this list soon.

1. Mahindra Thar diesel LX HT TCAT
2. Skoda Slavia 1.5 DSG

And while compiling the list, I was reminded that the real dream cars, all tend to be pricy and not in the "affordable" area.
Above is the list of cars that I might have been able to afford making some sacrifices or taking some loans here and there. Primary deterrent has always been the lack of a proper covered parking space that can fit these cars comfortably (I mean 2 of them at a time, not all!). And its not a possibility to get a different dwelling .

[livetodrive]

Many fellow BHPians mentioned about Abarth Punto which I proudly owned for 3 years and drove 45K kms. Affordable head Turner and a rocket which could stop on my command.
Few cars which I booked but cancelled or missed for various reasons are:

1. XUV 500
2. FORD Freestyle Diesel
3. Duster Turbo Petrol

All above are very close to my heart, the ease of handling them and particularly last two gave such a superior ride comfort in test drives which I still cherish.

[DDIS_RE650]

SX4 Cross 1.6L. I still feel that it is one most desirable car under 15lakhs but did not do well in term of sale.
From early 2000's- I used to like Zen and Baleno.

Among two wheelers - Suzuki Inazuma 250 or any used Yamaha Rx135 or RD.

[Black_Star]

Etios Liva 1.5 Petrol

My family owns the Liva 1.4 diesel, but whenever I see the Etios petrol in dual tone I always have the regret of not buying the 1.5. Dont get me wrong Liva diesel is a great car with amazing torque but bit disappointing in the top end.

Hence still my dream garage is a normal Liva 1.4 for daily use, and a souped up Liva 1.5

[Shreyfiesta]

Five affordable dream cars that never made it to my garage:

1. Skoda Octavia MK1 RS
One of the many sedans that lifted our aspirations in the performance car space in terms of affordability and features was the Skoda Octavia RS which came out in 2004. When the MK1 RS was launched, it single-handedly created a new segment in our market. The power output figure of 150bhp is not much by today’s standards sure, but at that time it was the most powerful affordable cars sold in India. Forget the 100 kmph run in 8.34 seconds, what impresses me is the turbo motor’s ability to be consistent when it comes to passing speed acceleration. As a package too, this car always felt special to me, the equipment list included headlamp washers, electric sunroof, rain sensing wipers and what not. An MK1 Octavia RS in its gleaming Lemon Yellow shade still remains as a dream car to me.


2. Honda City 1st gen
Like thousands before me, a City VTEC is the first thing which comes to mind whenever I think about fun-to-drive cars. With plenty of flawless mechanicals, a first-gen Honda City was definitely a good place to start my life in. The D15B 1.5 City was the first mid-size sedan to break the 100bhp barrier in India. Normal driving won't reveal the true character of the 1.5 D15B unit, but blip the throttle, get the revs to climb and suddenly the car turns from traffic-cruiser to tarmac-scorcher. Even the basic D13B 1.3 City with 90bhp is FAST. The 1.5 VTEC is an absolutely an enthusiast's delight, thanks to the SOHC 16V engine that makes all of 106 ponies and 132Nm of torque. If I find one in good nick, especially the 1.5 VTEC with all the bells and whistles, I would still buy it!


3. Ford Ikon 1.6
The Ford Ikon is an excellent machine in all senses. We had a 2002 1.3 Endura in our family for quite a few years, but never owned a 1.6 petrol. At one point of time, every enthusiast loved the Ford Ikon in its 1.6 ROCAM avatar, which is a bomb to drive. The chassis is the good, stiff and beautifully balanced with pointy handling you don't often find in a front-wheel-drive car. It's so much fun that you tend to forget Ford has nicked things like anti-roll bars and bigger brakes. What the Ikon doesn’t deliver is peace of mind, it isn’t exactly as trouble-free as an Esteem which is now available for throwaway prices in the second-hand market.


4. Chevrolet Forester
To me the Forester wasn't actually a Chevrolet but a Subaru through and through. I loved the frameless doors, a Subaru signature, and the car's rally pedigree shined through the instant you put your hands on the wheel. The steering feel and body control were stunning, and it's hard to believe that this was a quasi-SUV. Even harder to believe was the suspension, which delivered a flat and consistent ride irrespective of the road surface. Talking about Forester's powertrain and roots in the Impreza, it was capable enough. Just like the W203 C-Class petrol, we had to whip it to perform. And even after that, it delivered a not so thrilling 0-100 in almost 12 seconds. Low end torque was very poor, but its steering always put a big smile on driver's face on twisty roads.


5. Fiat Palio 1.6
At one point of the time, Fiat Palio was the natural upgrade for many 800 and Zen owners. The 1.6 GTX was a perfect recipe to play racer boy on weekends. It was the only hot hatch we had in this country back in the mid-2000s, and it fit the bill pretty well. It was good-looking, had a 100bhp engine and brilliant ride and handling. It actually felt a lot faster than what the figures suggested, thanks to the incredible mid-range power delivery of this engine. When not in boy-racer mode, people used to double up as a family car, transporting their wife and kids in complete safety. Before it gets very difficult to source Palio's spares, I’ll buy one, just to keep a slice of motoring history.

[Herschey]

We have had a lot of cars and motorcycles in our family over time but one can't buy the whole wide world. So, there have been some which I so wanted to own but couldn't; some because I was way too young to even drive let alone buy one and then some because I just didn't buy them. But the following two have remained in my memory for more reasons than one.

1) Yamaha RX100 - C'mon Baby Light My Fire



Oh, what should I say about this one, the one to get me hooked on to the world of motorcycles. Back in the late 80s and early 90s, one of my uncle's friend owned one in silver color and I simply loved visiting his place only to catch a glimpse of this crush of mine and maybe catch a ride or two once in a while. In a world flooded with the likes of Bajaj Chetaks, Supers, and Priyas, what was there not to like about this machine which sounded like pure music to the ears of a kid who was quite a few miles away from even hitting his teens. By the time I was eligible and allowed to ride motorcycles, the bike had been discontinued. So I got the Hero Honda CBZ which is love and has remained with me even till now.

2) Ford Mondeo - Style & Substance United



This car came at a time when I had put on close to 2.5 years on my driver's license and I loved the way it looked, both inside and out. While we were out in the market looking for a new sedan, we test drove this sublimely sleek looking car with great performance to boot. The only glitch, it was a CBU and we knew that getting spares may have become a task. We did test the Opel Vectra and Jaguar's knockoff Hyundai Sonata as well but this is the one I liked and wanted to have the most. We eventually settled on the City Vtec but I so wanted to have this one too, if only if I had my own purse at the time. I did have the pleasure of using one for a couple of weeks about 2 years later and enjoyed every bit of the car. The City Vtech, the one I grew to love the most, had to be parted with back in 2013 albeit with an extremely heavy heart.

[shinuak]

Abarth Punto :- Skipped it due to the lack of rear space, lack of practicality etc. But now i feel I should have gone for it and kept like a collectors piece forever.

vRS 230 :- It was definitely out of budget then and would have been a real stretch but dint try much. Another reason being my Rapid was still only 2 years old then. But looking at the car prices now and considering that they don't stack up as a real performance sedan, I think I should have taken the plunge

[no_boundaries]

For me its the GT TDi that was briefly part of my garage that I had to let go.
Though its in safe hands, I really wish I could hold onto the GT TDi forever.

The other vehicle is the Opel Astra. I loved that car and its design however it was never meant to be for us owing to several reasons back then.

I've not had such attraction to any other car so far.

[MaheshY1]

I'm highly value-conscious and a fan of used vehicles. So, I don't regret not buying something as I can buy it later.

My bucket list includes a Merc W124 and Eicher Polaris Multix.





Why Multix:
- 220mm ground clearance (I like vehicles that offer high GC without breaking the bank. My Impulse has about 235mm and the Nano has 190. Beat is 180+ after tyre change)
- All independent suspension
- white number plate (moreover, the Multix doesn't have a commercial image)
- Most affordable pickup
- 4-doors
- removable doors for a buggy look
- reliable and abuse-friendly mechanicals similar to non-turbo diesels in the autos. Especially coming from Eicher; a brand already popular in my village for making reliable tractors.
- Fuel efficient (easily delivers around 25kmpl on diesel)
- suspension tuning from Polaris - the brand popular for making dune buggies; so, it's comfortable and not as harsh as that in vehicles like Chota Haati
- enough space for typical village use like carrying fodder, seeds, fertilizer, pump motor, etc.
- Rear engine rear-wheel drive
- option of later adding an alternator accessory to turn it into a generator

I'm right now on the lookout for a well-priced and well-maintained Multix to add to my garage of light, compact, weird and discontinued vehicles.

Current vehicles:
Beat - Brand and model discontinued
Nano - Model discontinued
Navi - Model discontinued
Impulse - Model discontinued

If the Multix joins, then this will be another 'brand and model discontinued' vehicle in my garage.

The 2017 update of the Multix added a 100 odd cc larger engine but was priced too high to become a commercial success. So, I didn't bother buying it back then.

[NiInJa]

In the last few years, this is the one car that I really wanted to own and could have easily got one. The Avventura had personality of her own. We already had a Linea in our home so I knew what we were getting into.

Couldn't get it as we were not in a 'need' to buy another hatchback and as family was growing, we needed a sedan or a MUV, add to that Fiat stopped selling these beautiful and tough cars.



Picture Courtesy: Motorbash.com