Name a cool car that's practical.

[SteveSS]

I have always noticed an inverse relationship between cool cars and practicality. For a car/SUV/truck to be really practical it needs to have 4 doors, get good gas mileage, be reliable, be safe, not overly expensive, and go at least 80 miles an hour (for passing.) Big B bodies come pretty close but I don't think you could really call them practical.

The coolest cars are 2 doors, no back seat, and are focused on high performance. Can you name one that is both practical and cool? I saw some old cars 30s/40/s/50s in a parade that were HUGE but had tiny interiors.

I suppose you could call certain race cars practical in a sense because they do well at what they were designed for, but I mean a street car.

 

[Runcharger]

1966-67 Charger, 1967-8-9 Fastback Barracuda. More the Barracuda with an LA engine and tall gears. 4 seater when you need them to be, fold down rear seat when you have cargo. Good fuel mileage, almost bulletproof mechanical, good looks are a bonus.
My personal fav, 1968 Formula-S, 340. 4 speed, manual disc brakes. Like the ad says "beat it".

 

[33 IMP]

Current Charger with four doors, and as much engine as you want. I want a hellcat version, but a scat pack might suffice.
Hellcats and scat packs are cool, even with too many doors.....

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

I’d say Datsun 280zx. I’ve hauled a Queen size mattress in mine.

Ac, heat, 20 miles to the gallon, daily driven for 2 years.

 

[eldubb440]

my 01 Durango......

V8.....check
4WD.....check
4 doors.....check

clean, dependable, and rust free

and plenty of room for the boy

 

[JJ383RR]

I had a 94 Dodge Shadow, 5 speed , 6 cylinder, hatchback. Fun to drive, and I hauled my music equipment with it. Bass amp, guitar, keyboard, and small PA. It was fun loading it, nobody believed that I could fit it all in there

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

nobody believed that I could fit it all in there

 

[ksurfer2]

Caddy CTS-V Wagon

 

[Triplegreen500]

Wagons.

Period.

You can't beat the weight transfer at the track - 4' of car behind the rear axle (on my '72 Satellite, anyway), all the way to the roof? Hit it...it squats...and LEAVES.

That CTS-V was a beast. If only Ma Mopar hadn't killed the Magnum, pre-Hellcat....

I love my '72 Satellite wagon. Factory 318/904/8.75 SG 3.23's. Fun at that point. REALLY fun when I swapped in a MP 360/380 crate motor and a reverse-manual 727! Drove that car everywhere - MD to FL repeatedly for vacations; all over the place for random college stuff; down the track more times than I can count (solid low-13/hi-12 second street car). Carries a 4x8 sheet of plywood with the back seat folded and the tailgate closed.

Just got 'er running again last night, actually. Installed a new fuel tank, new carb, new battery, and got the ol' LA 360 (the crate motor is long gone) fired up for the first time in about 8 years. Ran it through the gears on jackstands, everything moves and works like it should...have to replace one brake line (snapped when removing the LR backing assembly to get the fuel tank into the quarter panel), bleed everything, fill the fuel tank and make sure all the lines are still good (currently running on a 2.5 gal can next to the radiator)...put it on the ground, and start driving it again. Sort the chassis/brakes...and keep collecting bits to swap in my Gen3 Hemi.

I will say, my 1990 factory-turbo Voyager minivan is kinda cool and fun, too. As were the Roadmaster and Caprice wagons that came factory with the LT1 back in the day.

 

[Don Frelier]

Sorry but the roadmaster and caprice wagons were not cool.
They were horrible looking.

 

[Triplegreen500]

Throw a set of rims on it and some Impala bits, and they clean right up....

 

[Tony Tee]

78-79 MAGNUM XE or GT. It's a b body! You can still find a cheap one. Not a 4 door. not very popular. Not the best mileage either. But with a little work it can be made practical and fun!

 

[BB BELLA]

R/T AWD will be fun again

when I get the motor back in!

 

[Cranky]

Sorry but the roadmaster and caprice wagons were not cool.
They were horrible looking.
View attachment 1417610

I didn't like the looks of the Shamu either plus, iirc, they came with General tires and back then they were junk.

 

[dadsbee]

Cool and practical.. my Wife's AWD Challenger. Goes better in the snow than my truck! Also carries a LOT in the trunk and if you load it right up almost my truck capacity.. LOL

 

[33 IMP]

2nd on the CTS-V wagon. I don't like the looks of the coupe, but I know someone with a wagon . I hope he sells it to me when he quits driving (pretty sure he's in his eighties,. If he's not, he's close....)

 

[68BabyBlue]

My first, second, third, and current GTX were all used as daily driving family cars by their original middle aged owners. Number one was ordered with the rare bench seat and a column automatic with that in mind. Number two was originally supposed to be a Sport Satellite, but the salesman talked Mr. Bender into the GTX package to get the free automatic transmission. Number three was a loaded A/C car used as a daily driver for the original owner's wife for 22 years. It had full wheel covers and white wall tires. The of wife of the dealer who originally owned number seven drove Imperials and Chryslers to the office, but used the GTX for grocery shopping because it was easier to park.

 

[Dave6T4]

I used to have a 2005 Dodge Magnum R/T wagon with a 5.7 Hemi. I thought it was a cool looking car (with the exception of the van- looking nose). The Hemi gave acceptable fuel mileage on trips and driving to work (about 28 mpg. to Canadian gallon), because of cylinder shutdown. With the seats folded down, it could swallow a lot of cargo. We once brought a new dishwasher home in it. When I was renovating my basement, the guy at the lumberyard was always surprised how much stuff I could get in my wagon. Saved a lot of delivery fees. With the seats up, it made a comfortable long-range cruiser. The Hemi always had lots of power to handle merging traffic, and other fun. Howerever, after I had two knee replacements, I found it difficult to get into and out of it. I traded it for a 2015 Durango for ease of entry and exit. I was sorry to see my Magnum go.

 

[azblackhemi]

Any Mopar wagon is way cool and practical. This one will haul lots of people or cargo and look damn good doing it!

 

[Triplegreen500]

yeah, I had an '05 Magnum R/T as well. The '08s had a nicer nose, I'll admit. But I loved that car. SLP Loudmouth exhaust and you could HEAR the cylinder deactivation kick in! Unfortunately it was t-boned at 36k miles...but it is the Gen3 Hemi donor for my '72 Satellite wagon...