my personal headcanons for what cars different mdzs characters would choose to drive in a modern AU
jin guangyao: 2014 BMW 3 series
why: BMWs are solidly reliable luxury cars that retain both their resale value and their function if you invest in their maintenance! a 2014 model is also going to be substantially more affordable than a car you drive new right off the lot. to me this is the perfect compromise for jgy post-legitimization when he’s finally got a little bit of disposable income that he can afford to spend on something higher end, because maintaining a certain image as a jin is important for him.
pre-legitimization, however—
meng yao: 1985 volkswagen rabbit (4 door)
why: because they will go forever. my uncle drove his literally until the axle fell off while trundling into the dealership one day, and i think the car was older than i was at the time. jgy probably still has nightmares about the time it stalled in the middle of a roundabout while trying to drive his mom to an emergency appointment at urgent care. did not have air conditioning, but at least it had heat in the winter.
jin zixuan: 2026 lexus RZ 350e (all electric)
why: it’s an established luxury brand that (to jzx) screams success and comfort, and having the most recent model in the all electric lineup means jzx gets to drive his futuristic, all green status symbol all around town without drawing the same amount of negative attention that he’d glean getting behind the wheel of a tesla. it’s also a relatively normal guy kind of fancy car, which i think he’d value given i think his dad probably has a small fleet of collector’s edition maseratis.
jin zixun: 1973 dodge challenger
why: the dodge challenger is the OG muscle car and i cannot imagine jzn getting behind the wheel of anything else. its beloved by car enthusiasts and collectors and (having driven a later model) it really is a lot of fun to take all that horse power for a drive. unfortunately for jzn’s specific dodge challenger, he knows absolutely nothing about cars or car maintenance, but only a beta male cuck would admit something like that out loud. so he probably hasn’t taken his car in to be serviced in two years. devastating honestly.
lan xichen: 2020 audi A3 hatchback
why: my brain has decided the lans are partial to audis, and imo the 2020 A3 seems like a good model for lxc. at 6 years old it’s not an old model by any means, but it’s beyond the usual timeframe that most people choose to keep a newer car if they’re exceptionally concerned about image. (a lease usually lasts 4-5 years, and most people trade in a car at around the 5 year mark if they’re looking to upgrade to a newer car.) this was one of the first “premium” hatchback cars, if the car bloggers can be trusted, which means lxc can both show up to the office looking like he comes from money, while still looking like he’s got his feet firmly planted on earth.
also he carpools to the office with lwj, who doesn’t drive, and needs to have room in the back for lsz’s youth hockey equipment.
nie huaisang: volkswagen beetle
why: the aesthetic. he also never drives it because 1) finding replacement parts is virtually impossible now and 2) it doesn’t have air conditioning. also he hasn’t renewed his license in 5 years.
nie mingjue: 2016 chevy silverado
why: nie mingjue would not be caught dead in a luxury brand vehicle, even though he can absolutely afford one, and the chevy silverado is the antithesis of luxury. however, i don’t actually think this opposition to driving around luxury as a status symbol translates well into picking a really good pickup truck to drive around instead, because even though the chevy silverado is in general an extremely reliable truck with great durability and (comparatively) great gas mileage, this particular model was also plagued with transmission and electrical problems. maybe dealing with his truck is why he’s so cranky all the time.
jiang cheng: 2020 subaru forester
why: yu ziyuan had nothing nice to say about anyone or anything except the reliability of her subaru, and ever since, that is all jc drives. it may not be the flashiest SUV in the company parking lot, but given its often full of rambunctious teenagers and a muddy dog, it gets the job done and that’s what matters.
wei wuxian: 2006 jeep wrangler (doors missing for mysterious reasons)
why: “it’s perfectly safe lan zhan! the engine has always made that noise”
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