5 Cars You’ll Be Glad You Didn’t Buy, According to Doug DeMuro
Written by
Gabriel Vito
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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Doug DeMuro has reviewed hundreds of cars. Some rare, some ridiculous, some worth more than most homes. The YouTuber and founder of Cars & Bids has built a massive following for his entertaining, detail-packed reviews, highlighting what he famously calls each vehicle’s “quirks and features.”
In a YouTube video, he explained that some of the most valuable decisions he’s made are the cars he walked away from. “I’m going to tell you five cars that I almost bought over the years and I’m so glad I didn’t,” he said.
For a guy whose life revolves around cars, this isn’t a list of regrets. It’s a reminder that even dream purchases can be the wrong call and that sometimes, restraint pays off better than horsepower. Below are the cars DeMuro doesn’t regret buying — and you won’t either.
Also here are seven cars DeMuro said are not going up in value.
Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato
When Lamborghini invited DeMuro to Chuckwalla Raceway to drive the Huracán Sterrato, he didn’t expect to fall for it. “Ten minutes into driving the car, I’m like, ‘Okay, I want to buy this car.'”
The lifted, all-terrain Huracán seemed perfect. DeMuro mentioned it was easy to drive, comfortable and one of the last supercars powered by a pure, high-revving V10 engine with no electric or turbo assistance.
But when his order came up, he chose a different dream car instead. “I absolutely love my Countach,” he said. In hindsight, he’s glad. “The market didn’t like them,” he said of the Sterrato. “I could buy one today for less than I would’ve paid new.”
In short, DeMuro is glad he didn’t go with the Sterrato because he chose a car that means far more to him personally and the one he skipped ended up being a financial flop.
BMW E30 M3
After quitting his desk job in 2014, DeMuro found a red BMW E30 M3 in Atlanta for about $40,000 to $50,000. “I test drove it and I loved it,” he said. “I was ready to buy. And I didn’t.”
That hesitation changed everything. The money instead went toward a Ferrari 360 — the car that helped launch his YouTube career. “My whole trajectory could be different if I had made that purchase,” he said.
Ferrari F40
When DeMuro sold part of Cars & Bids, he wanted to celebrate with a Ferrari F40. “I said, ‘Matt, I want an F40,'” he explained. A deal in Belgium fell through and he bought a Porsche Carrera GT and a Countach instead.
“I had saved a half million dollars,” he said. “Then I took the remaining half million that could have bought the F40 and I bought the Countach.” Two icons instead of one. “No regrets,” he added.
Smart Crossblade
The Smart Crossblade — a roofless, doorless microcar with no windshield — nearly became his beach toy. “It would have been a $50,000 car that cannot be rained on,” he said. “I don’t have a garage.”
The novelty wasn’t worth the hassle. “You can’t put kids in it. It would have been annoying, but it also would have been fun,” he said.
Lamborghini Diablo
During his Countach search, a Lamborghini Diablo tempted him until his wife gave him some words of wisdom. DeMuro told a story where “she said, ‘You know, when I look at the Diablo, it seems cool, but when I look at the Countach, it seems like very special.'”
He agreed. “The Countach started the wedge,” he said. “The Countach is really, really, really special.”
Doug admited that if he had bought the Lamborghini Diablo, he wouldn’t have kept it for long. He would’ve enjoyed it for a couple of years, then sold it (“flipped it”) to finally buy the car he truly wanted: the Countach.
The Art of Walking Away
Each car could have been a trophy, but saying no led to something better: a career, a Countach and a garage built on joy, not status.
“All five of those cars could have had a nice place in my life,” DeMuro said. “But in all five cases, glad I didn’t buy it and did something else instead.”
Doug’s list of cars he’s glad he didn’t buy is proof that what feels like a setback in the moment can turn out to be the best move you ever made.
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