It’s an interesting question, isn’t it? If you needed a car and had $15,000 to spend, what would you purchase? This is something the folks at Hagerty.com/media recently pondered, and their list has a number of winners on it.

Now, there is a caveat to the ponderance. For instance, if you needed to tow, you’d likely be searching exclusively for pickups. If three rows of seating were a necessity, then an SUV would be the primary candidate. Still, Hagerty’s “If We Needed A $15,000 Car” article cuts through all of that and offers an entertaining variety – although perhaps with a little too much minivan for most enthusiasts. The non-minivans that made the list, meanwhile, are nearly all winners.

First up for our favorites, the W124 Mercedes-Benz sedan with the six cylinder. “They’re plentiful at that price, comfortable, stylish, and relatively safe for the era,” wrote Hagerty Media’s Eric Weiner.” With consistent maintenance, they’re sturdy, and though parts are expensive, they’re widely available. Seating for five, and a generous trunk. What’s not to love?”

Not sporty enough? Hagerty’s Joe DeMatio delivered the obvious answer: “I would get a 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata NC, the last model year of the often overlooked and utterly superb third-generation Miata.”

Didn’t like the Mercedes pick but need to move more people and stuff than a Miata allows? For that, Greg Ingold came to the rescue with a cult classic: “Balancing fun with everyday needs, I’d go with a Volvo V70R. A 300-hp Turbo five-cylinder, AWD wagon with the ability to row your own gears? Sign me up!”

What other cars made the list? A few fun ones, like one that is arguably (albeit only mildly) more practical than a Miata, with another coming with a mid-mounted engine and budget Pininfarina styling (if you squint from a distance).

The entire Hagerty.com/media article can be found here. It’s a fun read.

Photo courtesy Volvo