I push the little glowing button that opens up my garage door - it creeks open revealing (to the utter horror of my neighbors who have guests over) the slightly faded bright orange paint of my 1986 Yugo GV hatchback. I open the drivers side door, which emits a "creeeeuck" sound that only high quality automobiles are able to produce. I sit behind the oddly angled steering wheel and buckle my safety belt to avoid the nuisance of listening to the seat belt alarms all cars this age have - before I insert the key into the ignition lock. Turn the ignition on, pump the gas once, and crank the engine over - suddenly four busy little pistons spring to life. After a short moment of warm up I put it into first and ease off of the clutch - the little car lurches forward from the mouth of my dark garage, my right foot is in charge of 1116 cc's of pure unadulterated power... that's right 55 horses are packed under the hood of this orange menace.
Out on the road, the little hatchbox is able to keep up and beat other modern traffic it's no contest, the Daihatsu Charades and the Geo Metros just can't compete.
I pull into the gas station, and fill it up - just over seven gallons this time (that'll last me the business week, and you're supposed to use the high octane stuff by the way.) and look around me. All the other pumps are occupied by people who lack the mental capacity to buy something that get's over 20mpg (I live in SUV central - I swear the tanks of those things must take 20 minutes to fill)
I pull out of the station and make my way across town to the "home improvement center" for several bags of mulch to replace the faded gray stuff at home.
The rear seat of the Yugo folds down, so carrying all this in the small car is no problem at all.
I attempt to back out of the parking space - whoops, I missed reverse again - how can all the other gears be so easy to engage, but reverse is always so hard to find?
I leave the parking lot and get on my way home.
At the first red light I pull up next to a real nice Kenworth hauling logs. I blip the throttle and give him "the look" he wants to race too.
The light turns green, I floor it - the little car launches forward, after 15 seconds or so I'm finally a full car length ahead of the Kenny.
I pull into the driveway - the neighbors are surprised and usher their guests into the house out of site of the Yugo.
So maybe the BMW drivers point and laugh, I certainly don't care. And maybe there are about 1000 jokes about the Yugo, and maybe a really determined bicyclist can beat off the line, and maybe - just maybe this is the greatest car ever sold in the United States since the Subaru 360.
I think that the Yugo is great, it might look cheap but that's because it is cheap - but one thing it isn't is unreliable! Yugos are very reliable cars, they will last as long as Toyotas will if properly maintained and are well worth the upkeep.
Amount Paid (US$): 350
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1986