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I couldn't stand the Prelude. That was the quintessential parents-buying-their-high-school-brat-a-car car. All you saw was the Filipinos driving them around playing techno music.
My big thing about cars is the interior; it has to work for me. As I got older I started to care more about the exterior, but the interior is still a deal-breaker if it's crap (i.e. Chrysler's newer models). So, one car I was obsessed with for a LONG time was the Pontiac Bonneville SSE. At the time it was doing things other carmakers were only scratching the surface of: MPH digital readout showing on the front windshield, front and back seat air vents with dedicated flow (meaning the front could blow cold and the rear could blow hot, or left hot vs. right cold, etc), heated seats, digital fuel miles remaining readout, tons of accent lighting, super plush seats, etc. Loved that car. Wasn't pleased when they decided to drop it in favor of the Grand Prix - a decent car, but a pale comparison to the mighty Bonneville, especially in terms of overall interior design.
I think Chrysler was on the right path when they made the 300M. Here was a touring sedan with the right amount of style and size and worthy of a Chrysler name. It did need work to compete better like adding a better performing engine to compete with similiar priced/styled models.
Another near miss was the Pontiac Fiero. Right size and styling but wrong engine and annoying cost cutting trim. Near the end of it's life it began to have the right engine but it was too little, too late.
Buick Regatta had potential but it just landed with a thud even though it was really nice.
I miss the Yugo. I'll never forget on the evening news when they showed video footage of the first Yugo to roll off the ship and it wouldn't start. You make your own joke because there's plenty of Yugo jokes to go around. That's what I miss about the Yugo,...the jokes.
"The real question is... where did all of the big ones go?!"
Yeah, they dropped all the wagons in favor of the mini-van (which I also hate) then the soccer moms decided they needed the humongous SUVs. Then when they figured out that those were no more than duded up trucks, they came out with "crossovers". whatever... bring back the wagons please.
First car I drove was the 70s era oldsmobile vista cruiser. Then a pontiac safari wagon. THOSE were wagons! But single digit gas mileage if you got on them.
I do miss the station wagon (US) or Estate (UK). Even the old Cavalier had a wagon version at one time with a V6 engine. I remember the Chevy lineup of the Chevette, Cavalier, Celebrity, and Caprice and they all had a wagon version. In the Chevette's case it was more of a 4 door hatchback.
Remember the Pontiac Bonneville SSEi? If memory serves me well, it was a 3.8L supercharged V6.
I couldn't stand the Prelude. That was the quintessential parents-buying-their-high-school-brat-a-car car. All you saw was the Filipinos driving them around playing techno music.
My big thing about cars is the interior; it has to work for me. As I got older I started to care more about the exterior, but the interior is still a deal-breaker if it's crap (i.e. Chrysler's newer models). So, one car I was obsessed with for a LONG time was the Pontiac Bonneville SSE. At the time it was doing things other carmakers were only scratching the surface of: MPH digital readout showing on the front windshield, front and back seat air vents with dedicated flow (meaning the front could blow cold and the rear could blow hot, or left hot vs. right cold, etc), heated seats, digital fuel miles remaining readout, tons of accent lighting, super plush seats, etc. Loved that car. Wasn't pleased when they decided to drop it in favor of the Grand Prix - a decent car, but a pale comparison to the mighty Bonneville, especially in terms of overall interior design.
Just so you'll know that your stereotyping stinks, I actually came from a divorced, last of the kids (no money, no patience, no nothing) situation where I not only worked my tail end off during high school in jobs (DECA) but also worked hard to buy that 1984 (in 1988) Honda on my own! I was proud because I paid for the thing and then turned around and sold it for more than I paid for it and bought my cousins 1978 station wagon to not have a burden payment going into marriage!
I'm shocked. A car I always thought of as being powerful and quick (bonneville SSEi) with it's supercharged 3.8L V6 had a mere (by today's standards) 240hp. GM's 3.6L V6 is capable of close to 300hp.
I'm actuly looking for another Mark VIII right now! My pearl white 96 got hit (parked in a parking lot!) by an out of control funiture store delivery truck that jumped the curb. Car ended up ripped into about a 10 degree u. I'm putting that engine in my 95 tbird tho right now.
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, I actually came from a divorced, last of the kids (no money, no patience, no nothing) situation where I not only worked my tail end off during high school in jobs (DECA) but also worked hard to buy that 1984 (in 1988) Honda on my own! I was proud because I paid for the thing and then turned around and sold it for more than I paid for it and bought my cousins 1978 station wagon to not have a burden payment going into marriage! 
