In case you hadn’t heard, we here at Motor1 dot com like cars. We write about them, drive them, and frequently offer our unsolicited opinions about them. Of course, one of the biggest questions we always get is: "What do you actually drive?"
It’s a fair question, considering our entire 9-to-5 revolves around the damn things… and some nights, and most weekends. Friends and readers are undoubtedly curious about what’s parked in our garages, so we figured it was time to show you.
Across our editorial, video, and social teams, our tastes are pretty eclectic. There’s a healthy mix of modern and classic, practical and performance, American and German—and yes, even an EV (gasp). With that in mind, here’s what the Motor1 fleet looks like in 2026.
Adrian Padeanu, News Editor, Europe
- 2017 Skoda Octavia
Yes, I know my 2017 Skoda Octavia is the most boring car of the lot (Editor's note: no, it actually rules), but in my defense, it’s perfect at this stage of my life. I’m just months away from turning 40, and I need something relatively big and practical to haul the family around. I also live a double life as an unpaid taxi driver for my seven-year-old daughter, so dependable transportation is a must.
My wife has a knack for finding bulky items to stuff into the cavernous trunk, which is one of the main reasons I bought the car in the first place. I still think the Octavia nails the ideal body style, blending a sedan profile with the practicality of a hatchback.
I wrote extensively about my beloved Skoda in 2025 after eight years of ownership. It remains rock solid and works without a hitch. The 1.8 TSI engine, with its 180 horsepower, is more than adequate for a family car, but I’m starting to regret not springing for the DSG. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but the sad reality is that a manual gearbox in day-to-day city driving is gradually becoming a nuisance.
I’ve had my fun with a Miata RF (ND2), which I sold a couple of years ago. I’m not ruling out picking up another fun car at some point, but now is not the right time.
Anthony Alaniz, Associate Editor
- 2013 Ford Mustang
- 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis
Getting older means coming to terms with who you are, and growing up in the shadow of the Big Three in southeastern Michigan has grossly warped my vehicular tastes. I currently own a 2013 Ford Mustang and a 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis.
I bought the Mustang new just before I graduated from college in 2012. I had been looking to ditch my 2004 Mustang ahead of becoming a new dad for something safe and sensible, and I was seriously considering a Jetta TDI when this Deep Impact Blue coupe appeared at the dealer I passed every day on my way home from work.
I stopped one night after the dealer had closed and learned it was out of my price range, but I became determined to at least take it for a test drive—for science. I returned the next day, and a salesperson greeted me with the keys and the opportunity to take it out alone, which I happily accepted. Thirty minutes later, I was back, ready to politely walk away and explain that the price was out of my budget, but the associate was eager to inform me that Ford was offering incentives on the car.
It was so much money off that it was cheaper than the Jetta I was looking at, and being a Michigander, I picked the Mustang. Thirteen years later, the Mustang is still stock, and it’s traveled just over 128,000 miles with no issues. I brought my kid home from the hospital in it, and it's our main family vehicle. We most recently took it on a trip to Chicago this past summer. It’s still pretty fuel efficient, too, while being plenty quick for Michigan’s long, straight, flat roads.
It has been in three accidents. The first was when a woman made an illegal turn into my lane, sideswiping the rear passenger side fender. The second occurred when I obliterated a raccoon that had darted into the road—I was going 55 miles per hour, and it caused nearly $4,000 in damage. The last accident happened when I stopped at a stoplight. The driver behind me wasn’t paying attention and slammed into the back of the Mustang.
The Grand Marquis is a very recent addition. I had always wanted a Panther platform vehicle, and I jumped at the chance to buy this one from a family member. It needs some work—it’s leaking power steering fluid and coolant. The HVAC system is also starting to go, and it has body damage.
This will one day become the project car. I don’t have any specific plans for it right now, but when things start to fail, the Grand Marquis is going to get weird.
Chris Rosales, Associate Editor
- 1987 BMW 325is
- 2002 Honda S2000
- 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
Much like any great reader of this fine website, I am diseased. I’m only capable of owning cars (three, to be clear) that are almost entirely stupid, except for my 284,000-mile 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, which I genuinely believe is the greatest car ever made.
But my 2002 Honda S2000, modified to the hilt with motorsport-grade stuff, and my 1987 BMW 325is, which presently has no cylinder head, are both utterly useless. My S2000 isn’t good at anything other than a rage-siphoning, late-night canyon drive. And my E30 hasn’t figured out how to be motive yet.
I’ll start with the crowd favorite: the S2000. It’s a 2002, which makes it the 9,000-RPM, 2.0-liter-powered AP1, and it’s painted in my dream shade of Spa Yellow Pearl. It all started with a test drive on my mom’s lap in 2007, and a Rio Yellow Pearl AP2 in my local Honda showroom. I remember it as clearly as anything.
The salesman, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and jorts, handed me the keys and let me climb around the yellow showroom car. I spent an inordinate amount of time fiddling with my parents’ cars, so I knew to put the key in the ignition and see what would happen. The way that the S2000’s F1-inspired liquid-crystal matrix gauges flashed to life, then swept to zero in a perfectly choreographed dance etched into my mind.
Today, I would be embarrassed to admit how much I still marvel at the dance. Every time I start my AP1, the joy of seeing the car come to life hasn’t faded. And my particular car has every mod I wanted: JRZ RS Pro dampers, an OS Giken 1.5-way limited-slip differential, an AP2 transmission (which has shortened ratios compared to an AP1 gearbox), a CT Engineering intake, Toda Torque-kun header and full exhaust system, Karcepts sway bars, two Recaro Pole Positions, an AP Racing Pro 5000 big brake kit, and every suspension bushing has been replaced with spherical bearings. It is the purest sports car I have ever driven.
I bought my E30 back in June and haven’t had a chance to drive it, mostly because I’ve been nibbling away at it as a project, and the cylinder head is at a head shop. But I got it for $1,000 from a friend, and it's a straight body, clean title 325is, which I couldn’t pass up.
Finally, my favorite car. My 2015 Jetta TDI, which my parents bought new in March 2015, just six months before Dieselgate. I chose diesel for my mom, specifically because of her monster 120-mile daily highway commute. She hates amenities and loves a discreet car, so I’ve developed an unshakeable bond with this gray TDI S. I’ve swapped the engine once, thanks to some, ahem, forgotten maintenance by the registered owners of the vehicle.
It has otherwise been fantastically reliable, delightful to drive, and light on consumables. In 284,000 miles, it has used about five sets of tires, one set of brake pads, and one set of shocks, while averaging about 43 miles per gallon over its lifetime. I even think it's fun to drive, with a soft suspension but reasonably lively high-speed balance, an excellent dual-clutch gearbox, and genuinely feelsome steering.
I will happily spend hours in the thing, and I fully intend to keep it for as long as possible. It’s my forever cheap beater.
Jeff Glucker, Senior Editor
- 1967 Ford Mustang
- 1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TD Wagon
- 1991 Mitsubishi Montero
My daily driver is a 1991 Mitsubishi Montero. The truck is a four-door version with the 3.0-liter V6 and five-speed manual gearbox. Since owning it, I’ve upgraded the truck with Fox 2.0 shocks, BFGoodrich KO2 tires on Fifteen52 wheels, a custom roof-rack from Gamiviti, and even found an awesome JDM-spec Panasonic CQ-VX5500D head unit (Google it, trust me).
The truck has nearly 340,000 miles on the odometer, and I typically use it for camping at 24 Hours of Lemons races. I’ve blown the motor, puked oil out of both front and rear main seals, and jumped it—the jump being the one successful part of that last sentence. Regardless, I love it, and I don’t plan to sell it… unless one of you wants to buy it, so I can buy an old Range Rover.
I’m about to put together my 1967 Ford Mustang project, which I’ve dubbed NONWICK. This car was in the first episode of Roadworthy Rescues on Motor Trend. It sat on a farm in Tennessee for 28 years before it was pulled into television duty. The floors and interior were cleaned up, but that’s about it.
I plan to swap in a 351, T5, and a nine-inch rear end with 3.90 gears. I’ve got the parts, and installation begins this weekend, so stay tuned.
Oh, and I still own my 1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TD wagon dubbed The Wombat. Yes, it’s been without an engine for longer than my daughter has been alive. She’s now 10. But there is an old 5.3-liter V8 just sitting in the engine bay, waiting to be put to work. I’m waiting for more money to show up in my bank account before I can make that happen.
Jeff Perez, Editor-in-Chief
- 2024 BMW 230i
I’ll be honest: I never really fancied myself a BMW Boy. I’ve owned two Subarus (BRZ, WRX) and one Saab (9-2 Aero), but the German automaker didn’t really appeal to me on a personal level. So late last year, when I was in the market for a car I could take on long road trips, a BMW wasn’t at the top of my list. At least, not initially.
My eye was on a Lexus IS500, if we’re being totally honest—a cushy luxury sedan with a gnarly naturally aspirated V-8 and a soundtrack to match. Perfection. But it was out of my price range. Then I turned to the GR Corolla—a car I genuinely love in all forms. But allocations were hard to get, and dealer markups nearly drove me insane.
That’s when I really started thinking about what I really wanted. I wanted something new-ish. Something comfortable and reliable. Something fun to drive but also stylish; as a 33-year-old man, I still care deeply about what the youths think of me. That’s when I remembered the one BMW I actually liked: the 2 Series.
Even though the M240i and M2 were still out of my price range, I remembered being really charmed by the 230i when I drove it briefly a few years ago. After a quick test drive at my local dealership to refresh my memory, I was hooked. I shipped a lightly used 2024 BMW 230i xDrive M Sport from Washington state (shoutout to CarMax) to my home in Florida. Brooklyn Grey over black, just like the good lord intended.
It’s been a great car. Not the fastest or most thrilling thing in the world, admittedly, but it hits all the right marks for me: luxury, looks, comfort, and performance for a pretty reasonable price, and with only a few thousand miles on the odometer. I can’t imagine getting rid of this thing anytime soon—that is, until IS500 prices start dropping…
Maddox Kay, Automotive Social Media Editor
- 1997 Mercedes-Benz SL500
- 2006 Porsche Cayman S
I live in Brooklyn, and most of my day-to-day travels are either on foot, by bicycle, or via public transit. That said, I have a lifelong affliction for old German cars, of which I currently own two.
In a secure, off-site location near a major highway and bridge complex (I’ll let you guess which one), I keep a 2006 Porsche Cayman S and a 1997 Mercedes-Benz SL500, which are both ongoing, drivable projects.
The Cayman S is the culmination of a middle-school dream, down to the launch spec of Cobalt Blue with 19-inch Carrera Classic wheels. It also has 140,000 miles and a headliner secured with bobby pins, which weren’t on the bedroom wall poster.
It rides and handles exceptionally well, and the mid-mounted engine makes a great symphony of induction and exhaust noises from its perch directly behind the driver’s spine. The Cayman performed flawlessly on a 1,000-mile backroads trip to Vermont with friends last August, and I’ve done surprisingly little except change fluids and filters in the 3,500 miles since I bought it.
The SL500 was an opportunistic purchase and an answer to the question: “How bad can it be?” Since then, I’ve discovered that leaking hydraulic convertible roof cylinders are actually what drove Patrick Bateman to madness—but hey, at least it looks pretty with the hard top fitted.
Since the video above was shot, I’ve replaced the underhood pad and hardtop headliner, and fitted a fresh set of Continental DWS06 tires to replace the decade-old BFGs I drove it home from Maryland on. Future plans include servicing the 722.6 five-speed transmission, replacing its conductor plate, and figuring out the soft top’s tendency to stick at half-mast. I also plan on buffing the Midnight Blue paint back to full shine and hope to use the car in my wedding photos and mini-moon road trip this coming summer.
Michael Roselli, Head of Video, US
- 2016 Chevrolet SS
- 2017 Chevrolet Bolt
- 2023 Mazda CX-5 Turbo
This is completely self-inflicted, but I never know how to answer the “what kind of car is that” question I inevitably get each time someone points to my car. It’s a 2016 Chevrolet SS, which I’ve (unsurprisingly) tried to make as genuinely Holden as possible, including the parts, which were somehow available and in stock at various Chevy dealerships around me. I haven’t reflashed the infotainment to remove the one remaining Chevrolet logo that shows on the navigation screen at startup, but I’ve certainly thought about it…
Besides it being a manual with magnetic ride, a full spare, and a sunroof (the only options you could choose on that car besides the color), the wheels are from a GTSR. It’s lowered on Eibach springs, I blacked out most of the chrome—inside and out—and I’ve added Android Auto with a subwoofer that fits inside the spare. Perhaps the best feature about the car was its first owner: my mom. Thankfully, she spec’d it like that from new. Yes, she daily drove it, and yes, she is a badass.
Since I also cover InsideEVs, I wanted to educate myself on EV life and bought a 2017 Chevy Bolt just over a year ago to be my winter car / beater. It has over 150,000 miles on it, so I got it cheap, but it also had the battery replaced under recall three years ago—so it’s basically a brand new car.
I knew exactly what I wanted to change on the Bolt before I got it, so when I did, I got right to work. First was tinting the windows to counteract the fishbowl effect because it seemingly has double the amount of glass as doors. I sourced a set of Chevy Cruze Eco forged aluminum Alcoa wheels from Marketplace and powder-coated them the exact same color as the SS, and also swapped the Chevy badges for black ones I got on eBay.
It’s a fun little car that looks cool, is basically free to own and operate, and it’s surprisingly practical thanks to the hatchback and fold-flat rear seats. The next thing I’ll do is a vanity plate, but I haven’t come up with a great option yet (SKUNK is taken). Let me know if you have any suggestions.
Last but certainly not least, I can’t forget my wife’s 2023 Mazda CX-5 Turbo. It’s a lease, but it’s her third one, and I honestly love it just as much as she does. There’s something to be said about a completely normal vehicle that functions as it should all of the time. Plus, it’s stormtrooper spec, which makes me happy that our vehicle fleet is all visually consistent.
Ralph Hermens, Editorial Creative Director
- 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport
I drive a 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport, which is a fancy way of saying I bought the most basic Wrangler possible and then immediately started fixing that problem. It’s got about 80,000 miles on it, 30,000 of which are mine—and roughly half of those were spent on the unpaved variety.
If I lived somewhere with smooth asphalt and twisty mountain roads, I’d probably be in something much faster and much lower. But Las Vegas is surrounded by desert, rock, trails, and washes that are constantly tempting you to explore them. The Wrangler’s biggest strength is simple: it doesn’t care how bad the road gets—or if it stops being a road entirely.
Yes, it’s a base model. No, I don’t apologize for it. The Sport trim does the job just fine, especially once you start bolting things onto it. There’s a 3.0-inch Rough Country lift (I’m working on it), 35x12.5 tires, Terra Raider Dellium M/T on black GFX wheels, rock sliders, Body Armor 4X4 steel bumpers, an RC 9,500-pound winch, and enough auxiliary lighting to illuminate the desert at night. I’ve also blown a couple of tires along the way, which I consider proof of use, not neglect.
Inside, it’s still comfortable enough for daily duty—CarPlay, backup camera, faux leather, rubber mats, grab handles, and a Rhino sealed hardtop—because even desert toys have to run errands sometimes.
It’s not flashy. It’s not rare. But it absolutely earns its keep—at least until I follow in Maddox Kay’s footsteps and pull the trigger on a Cayman.
Zander Sutton, Social Media Editor (Guy You Fight With On Twitter)
- 2018 Volvo S60
Okay, I’ll rip the band-aid off: I live in New York, so most of my travel is via the 6 train. I know this will upset a certain internet car forum, but it is my truth. Okay, still with me? Good, because I do still have a car.
When I’m back at home or require advanced movement, I use my 2018 Volvo S60. No, it isn’t a Polestar or even a T6—it’s a front-wheel drive T5. But I maintain it’s about as good as premium-compact executive cars from the mid 2010s get.
It costs less to run than a C-Class, has a better interior than an F30 3 Series (fight me), and has more character than an A4. Yes, front-wheel drive, but it has great seats, I can easily reach the mid-to-high 30 mpg range while cruising, and despite having just 240 horsepower, it moves pretty well.
As for modifications… there aren’t any. I’ve put some embarrassing Sweden-related stickers on the trunk (thank you, high school Zander), and there is an obligatory Prancing Moose on the left fender, but aside from those and some pretty bad curb rash, this thing has stayed stock.
Is this car perfect? Hello no! The infotainment is bad for anything that starts with "2018." There is no spare tire, and it likes to get very wheel-spinny when it rains. But I can’t die in it, so like, that’s a bonus.
