These Cars Should’ve Been TERRIBLE… So Why Do We Love Them?
About this episode
Nissan loyalists trade stories about loving “wrong” cars anyway—starting with the Nissan Cube, remembered from a snowstorm loaner run where the tiny, e-brake-happy hatch felt like a go-kart. They also revisit oddball Nissans like the NX2000 and discuss the FX50 as a weirdly practical V8 sport SUV. The conversation expands to underrated Toyota and Honda-era quirks, including the Celica GTS and the appeal of high-rev, six-speed fun despite weaker handling. They add guilty-pleasure off-road picks like the Suzuki V-Ecross and wrap with a sleeper nod to the 2017 Accord Coupe V6 manual.
Some cars are supposed to be bad…. No car enthusiast ever woke up thinking “you know… the PT Cruiser actually isn’t half bad”…. or did they?
On paper, they miss the mark. Weird styling. Questionable performance. Odd positioning. Maybe even straight-up hated when they launched.
…but then you drive them.
In this episode of the Konig Behind the Wheel Podcast, we dive into the cars that should have sucked—but somehow didn’t. The unexpected heroes. The guilty pleasures. The cars we shouldn’t love… but absolutely do.
We’re talking about machines like the Dodge Neon SRT-4, the cult-favorite Nissan NX2000, the bizarre-but-brilliant Infiniti FX50, and more that completely defy expectations.
Why did these cars work when they shouldn’t have?
What made them fun despite their flaws?
And are we all just lying to ourselves… or were these actually great?
If you’re into underdogs, hot takes, and cars that don’t make sense—but somehow do—this episode is for you.
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The post These Cars Should’ve Been TERRIBLE… So Why Do We Love Them? appeared first on Konig Wheels Behind The Wheel Podcast.
Nissan Cube
"So starting off, we all know I'm a die-hard Nissan guy and I always love tripping people up. I have a massive infatuation with the Nissan Cube."
The Nissan Cube is a small Nissan that looks really different—more boxy than most cars. People either love that style or hate it, but it’s also fun and easy to drive.
The Nissan Cube is a quirky, boxy compact car known for its distinctive styling and practical interior space. It became popular with enthusiasts who like unusual designs and easy-to-drive, city-friendly dimensions.
e-brake
"And on the weekends, we didn't have a shuttle driver. So I got tasked with driving customers home on Saturday mornings... caught in a snowstorm at the dealership with this car and I'm driving this thing around the back a lot, ripping the e-brake..."
The e-brake is the parking brake. In some cars, using it briefly can make the car feel more playful at low speeds, like a quick little slide.
“E-brake” is short for the electronic or mechanical parking brake, depending on the vehicle. In enthusiast driving, pulling it can help create a playful, low-speed slide or quick rotation, especially in light cars.
T-tops
"No idea, no clue, but I just remember them being pretty unique. I think it had T-tops to it, didn't it? Yeah, if I remember correctly, it had T-tops."
T-tops are roof panels you can remove. With them out, the car feels more open to the air, kind of like a partial convertible.
T-tops are a roof design with two removable roof panels, separated by a center “T” shaped support. They’re often associated with sporty cars because they create an open-air feel without fully removing the roof.
digital dash
"Yeah, if I remember correctly, it had T-tops. I think it also had a digital dash, which was... Oh, really? If I remember correctly, it was like kind of like similar to the 85-300 ZX1..."
A digital dash means the instrument panel is shown on screens instead of classic needles. It was considered more “techy” and modern when it first appeared.
A digital dash uses electronic displays (rather than traditional analog gauges) to show speed, RPM, and other information. In the 1980s/1990s, digital dashes were a big styling and tech statement, and some models offered them as options.
oddball niche cars
"I barely remember that car was such a flash in the pan. And as you said, it's kind of an oddball thing. Nissan tends to do that, though. You'll find like these really weird, like, nichey cars that they made."
They’re talking about cars that were a little weird or not what most people asked for. Even if they weren’t popular, some people still end up loving them.
The speaker frames certain Nissan models as “oddball” and “nichey,” meaning they’re unusual choices that didn’t become mainstream. This concept helps explain why some cars can be “terrible on paper” yet still develop a loyal following.
Infiniti FX50
"But in that same vein of things that nobody asked for, I actually like the FX-50. And that was the FX-35, but with the 5-liter in it. It looked a little weird because it had like the kind of like bug-like headlights."
The Nissan FX-50 is the V8 version of the FX crossover. The speaker’s saying it’s basically the same idea as the smaller FX, but with a bigger 5-liter engine, which makes it feel more powerful and different.
The Nissan FX-50 is the V8-powered version of the FX crossover line, and the speaker emphasizes it’s essentially an “FX-35 with a 5-liter” engine. They also describe it as sharing the “G37” underpinnings while delivering a V8 character, which explains why some people still like it despite its oddball styling.
Infiniti FX35
"And that was the FX-35, but with the 5-liter in it. It looked a little weird because it had like the kind of like bug-like headlights."
The FX-35 is the smaller/less powerful FX model. The speaker uses it to explain what changes when you move up to the FX-50.
The Nissan FX-35 is the V6-powered counterpart to the FX-50. In the transcript, it’s used as a baseline to explain the FX-50 upgrade—same general platform/idea, but with a larger engine and different character.
sport SUVs
"We already know that I have like an obsession with some sport SUVs. And that kind of falls in that same category before they kind of became popular."
Sport SUVs are regular SUVs/crossovers, but made to feel more fun to drive. They usually have stronger engines and sportier handling than typical family SUVs.
“Sport SUVs” refers to crossovers/SUVs tuned for driving feel—often with stronger engines, sport-oriented suspensions, and more aggressive styling. The speaker is placing the FX-50 in the timeline before these became mainstream.
fixed up (custom wheels, drop)
"And it's interesting too. You don't see a lot of, at least I haven't seen a lot of them fixed up like, you know, the wheels, maybe a drop, things like that, but nothing like too far."
They’re talking about typical car mods: new wheels and lowering the car (“a drop”) to change how it looks. They’re saying they don’t see many of these cars modified that way.
The speaker mentions seeing cars “fixed up” with “wheels” and “a drop,” which refers to common enthusiast modifications: aftermarket wheels/tires and lowering the suspension for stance/handling. The point is that these cars aren’t heavily modified in the wild, so they often remain stock-looking.
Nissan NX2000
"Like don't get me wrong. Same with the NX2000. I'm sure there's like a club that has, you know, a ton of them and stuff. I just haven't seen them very much."
The Nissan NX2000 is a smaller, less common Nissan sports car. Even if you don’t see many on the road, there may be enthusiasts who keep them around.
The Nissan NX2000 is a small, niche Nissan sports coupe/2+2 that’s known for being uncommon and having a dedicated enthusiast base. The speaker suggests there may be a club with many of them, even though they personally don’t see many.
underrated
"I feel like that would kind of flew under the radar. A lot of people, um, underrated that one."
“Underrated” means people didn’t pay enough attention to a car. The speaker thinks the Celica deserved more credit than it got.
“Underrated” is an enthusiast term meaning a car didn’t get the recognition it deserved—either because it was overlooked by buyers or because its strengths weren’t widely understood. Here it’s tied to the Celica’s styling refresh and its competition.
six-speed
"And so that one had, um, a six speed, which was pretty cool, especially because, you know, when, uh, the DC Integra was, was, was new, that was one of the only things I didn't like. I wish I had a six speed instead of a five speed."
A six-speed means the car has more gears to choose from. That can help the engine feel stronger and keep it in the right rev range.
A six-speed manual transmission gives more gear ratios than a five-speed, which can improve acceleration and keep the engine in its power band. The speaker specifically likes that the Celica GTS had a six-speed, contrasting it with the Integra’s five-speed at the time.
red line
"It had a high ribbon engine, right? It was like 8,000 or 8,200 RPM, uh, red line. It was pretty high."
Redline is the top safe RPM range for the engine. The host is saying this car likes to rev very high before you’d hit the limit.
Redline is the maximum recommended engine RPM; going past it can risk engine damage. The speaker describes the Celica GTS as having a high redline (around 8,000–8,200 RPM), which is typical of engines tuned to rev freely rather than make low-end torque.
no torque
"Um, no torque, right? But most of the 1.8 liters of that era didn't have torque anyways."
Torque is what makes a car feel strong when you’re not revving much. The host is saying this engine didn’t have much low-end pull, so it feels better higher in the rev range.
“Torque” is the twisting force that helps a car accelerate, especially at low RPMs. The speaker says the Celica GTS had “no torque” and explains that many 1.8-liter engines of that era didn’t produce much low-end torque, which aligns with the car’s high-RPM focus.
front suspension
"It wasn't that advanced. And up against like the DC Integra and the RSX type S, like kind of as the transition happened there, both of those were known for being really, really good handling cars..."
Front suspension is what helps the front wheels stay planted and ride smoothly. If it’s simpler or less advanced, the car may not handle as sharply or feel as “tight” in corners.
Front suspension is the system that connects the front wheels to the car’s body and controls how the tires contact the road. When the speaker says it “was not that complex” or “not that advanced,” they’re implying the Celica’s front-end geometry and design likely limited its handling refinement.
shifters
"both of those were known for being really, really good handling cars and, you know, great shifters. The Celica didn't really have that."
“Shifters” here refers to the feel and quality of the gear lever and shift action in a manual transmission. Enthusiasts often judge a car by how precise, notchy, and satisfying the shifter feels, not just by horsepower or acceleration.
body kit
"Was that the one that very like near the end of its lifespan, they, they started selling it with like the really aggressive body kit on it? Yeah..."
A body kit is a set of add-on parts that changes how the car looks, like bumpers and spoilers. They’re saying the car later got a more aggressive styling package.
A body kit is a set of exterior pieces—like bumpers, side skirts, and spoilers—installed to change the car’s look. The speaker mentions an aggressive body kit near the end of the Celica’s lifespan, implying a factory or dealer-style styling package.
fake exhaust tips
"the bumper had probably the first time I ever saw one of the fake exhaust tips as part of the bumper... it was literally a piece of plastic like painted to look like a muffler tip on it."
They’re talking about exhaust tips that look real but are basically just decoration. The car may not actually route exhaust through them, so it’s more for looks than sound or performance.
“Fake exhaust tips” are decorative exhaust-looking outlets that don’t actually connect to the exhaust system. The speaker describes a bumper with plastic tips painted to resemble real muffler outlets—an example of styling over function.
aftermarket
"it didn't seem like I had the, the biggest aftermarket, you know, there was stuff out there, but not nearly as big as a Honda stuff."
Aftermarket means upgrades you buy after the car is sold—like performance parts or cosmetic mods. They’re saying there weren’t as many options for this car as there were for some Hondas.
Aftermarket refers to parts and accessories made by companies other than the original manufacturer—like wheels, intakes, exhausts, and body kits. The speaker is saying the Celica scene had fewer aftermarket options than the Honda crowd at the time.
Honda
"but not nearly as big as a Honda stuff. Honda stuff at that time was, was huge."
They’re saying Honda had a much bigger aftermarket scene. That means more people made parts for it, so it was easier to find upgrades.
Honda is mentioned as the benchmark for aftermarket support—meaning there were more parts, more community knowledge, and more performance options available for Hondas than for the cars being discussed. This is a common theme in enthusiast circles: some platforms get a huge aftermarket ecosystem.
murder it out
"Okay. I've always wanted to make it look like one of the old Chevy sales vans, I guess you would say, like an old, like, murder it out, make it, you know, look slammed, slam it down, get some good power out of it,"
“Murder it out” means making the car look really dark and stealthy, usually with blacked-out parts. The goal is to look tough without advertising performance.
“Murder it out” is slang for making a car extremely dark—typically by going for blacked-out trim, dark wheels, and often tint—so it looks stealthy and aggressive. The speaker connects it to sleeper styling: it looks cool and non-threatening, but not obviously fast.
sleeper
"and have it almost be like a sleeper. Because nobody's going to expect, no one's going to expect it to be fast."
A sleeper is a car that looks normal, but is actually fast. The fun is surprising people who don’t expect performance.
A “sleeper” is a car that looks unremarkable or even plain, but has performance that surprises people. The speaker’s plan is to combine stealthy styling (van-like, murdered-out, slammed) with real power so others don’t expect it to be fast.
four speed automatic
"but I hated the engine platform, you know, and obviously a four speed automatic is not what that car desires."
This means the car uses an automatic transmission with only four gears. Fewer gears can make the engine work harder and can make the car feel less quick.
A “four speed automatic” is a traditional automatic transmission with four forward gears. Compared to modern multi-gear automatics, fewer gears can mean less optimal engine speed during acceleration and cruising, which can hurt performance feel and efficiency.
V8
"I'd be okay with if, if we could just put a, you know, a smallest placement V8 in it with a, you know, a little four speed manual transmission."
A V8 is an engine with eight cylinders. People often like them because they can feel strong and punchy when you accelerate.
A V8 is an engine with eight cylinders arranged in a “V” shape, commonly associated with strong low-end torque and a more muscular driving feel. The speaker is imagining swapping in a small V8 to make the car feel more powerful and fun.
Hellcat
"...a guy a couple years ago that did a Hellcat swap or whatever..."
Hellcat is a Dodge performance model/engine family known for being very powerful. The speaker is using it as shorthand for “a huge power upgrade.”
Hellcat is Dodge’s performance branding associated with high-output engines, famously supercharged. In this segment, it’s used as the example of an engine swap that would give the discussed car far more power than it came with.
Chip Foose
"...Like I know that it was helped developed by like Chip Foose and the guys over there."
Chip Foose is a famous car designer. They’re saying he helped shape the car’s styling, which is why it looks so cool.
Chip Foose is a well-known automotive designer and TV personality associated with custom car design and fabrication. The speaker credits him with helping develop the car’s styling, which explains why the vehicle has such a distinctive “classic” look.
bigger wheels and tires
"So, you know, lift and, you know, bigger wheels and tires, the whole thing."
Bigger wheels and tires help the car grip better and clear obstacles. They can also change how the car drives, so it’s not just a cosmetic upgrade.
Bigger wheels and tires are a common off-road mod to improve traction and ground clearance. Larger tires can also change steering feel, gearing/acceleration, and ride comfort, so it’s usually paired with suspension and alignment considerations.
BMW
"He's a BMW guy. He's into BMW trucks and stuff like that, but this is his guilty pleasure..."
BMW is the brand the brother-in-law usually likes. The host is pointing out that even though he’s into BMW, he still enjoys this Suzuki for its off-road oddball charm.
BMW is referenced as the brother-in-law’s main automotive interest—he’s described as a “BMW guy.” The contrast helps frame the V-Ecross as a different kind of passion purchase, driven more by community and off-road fun than by brand loyalty.
light bar
"...this cool thing where he's like, oh, I can get a light bar, I can get all these things..."
A light bar is an extra set of bright lights you mount on the front of the car. People add them to see better on dark trails or off-road roads.
A light bar is an auxiliary LED bar mounted on the front of a vehicle for extra visibility off-road. It’s a common aftermarket add-on for overlanding and trail driving, and it fits the “build it for off-road” theme of the segment.
Honda Pilot
"I have a Honda pilot that's just by my daily. I don't know, a couple hundred thousand miles. I haven't done anything to it,"
The Honda Pilot is a family SUV. The speaker is using their Pilot as an example of Honda reliability, saying it has a lot of miles and hasn’t needed major work.
The Honda Pilot is a midsize three-row SUV, and the speaker mentions it as their current daily driver with very high mileage. This is used to reinforce the broader point that Honda powertrains can be long-lived when maintained.
V6
"of the V6s. I hate to get off on a tangent slightly, but I feel like that time period between Nissan's V6s, Toyota's V6s, and Honda's V6s, they were all on their A-game."
A V6 is a type of engine with six cylinders. It’s called a “V” because the cylinders are arranged in two banks that form a V shape.
A V6 is an engine with six cylinders arranged in a “V” shape. The discussion is about a specific era when Nissan, Toyota, and Honda’s V6 engines were considered especially well-engineered.
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