Sentinel’s parking lot is filled with hundreds of cars on the daily. Most of the cars are nothing special; bland, boring, and somewhat old. Some in particular I could even go as far to call eyesores, with their twisted bumpers and cancerous rust spots, taking up precious parking space. But among the regulars lie a special group, a small handful of cars that exceed expectations. Whether it’s the fact that they’re expensive, have a built engine, or just embody the soul of Missoula, these cars are some of the greatest that Sentinel has to offer.
2014 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport
This Tacoma, owned by Brady Kolendich, isn’t exactly your run of the mill truck. It’s a TRD, which stands for ‘Toyota Racing Department’. These kinds of trucks are tuned to specific performance options that offer a smoother ride for the driver. Not only is the truck a TRD, but Kolendich went ahead and did some of his own modifications to really make his ride unique.
He stated that he put thousands of dollars worth of upgrades into the truck, including custom lights, rims, a radio antenna, and many alterations to make everything look its best. He affectionately nicknamed the truck Taco, a name wildly popular among other Tacoma enthusiasts.
Taco is a second generation, which is good because the first generation of models had quite a few issues. First gens were notorious for having flimsy frames and plenty of frame rust. The second generations, on the other hand, are renowned for being reliable and more American-like, which is to say they have more power.
Without a doubt, Taco is one of the nicest trucks that can be found squatting around the Sentinel parking lot. It looks mean, and you can tell that Kolendich has put a lot of love into its style.
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2001 Subaru Outback
Speaking of style, next on the list is Alex Henri’s Subaru Outback.
I know what you’re thinking: “Seriously?! An Outback?!” Don’t get me wrong, I fully acknowledge that Outbacks aren’t exactly what people consider to be a cool car, but hear me out.
Henri’s car may not be stylish in the traditional sense, but it still falls into the category of style; to be exact, local style.
When you think of Missoula, what car comes to mind? When you take a grocery run down to the Good Food Store, what car is found almost everywhere throughout the parking lot?
That’s right, a Subaru Outback.
No other car embodies the soul of Missoula quite like the Outback does. It’s practical, has all-wheel drive, can carry your skis up to Snow Bowl, and is super hippie.
Alex Henri, the proud owner of this particular green Outback, has an interesting story to go along with the car. When Henri got his driver’s license about three months ago, he was in need of a new ride, and so his great Grandma decided to give him one.
Hidden away in his great Grandma’s garage was the twenty-three year old Outback itself. For the vast majority of its life the car had sat collecting dust, but at last, the time had finally come to put it to real use.
Henri’s Outback is special because, despite being twenty-three years old, it only has 48,000 miles on it – which is pretty insane considering its age. It isn’t without its flaws, of course, but as far as Missoula Outbacks go, it’s one of the best.
Aside from having a wonderful personality and good miles, the car itself has a certain aesthetic appeal. The color scheme consists of a pleasing shade of deep green on the body, which combines with the woody browns of the front and interior of the car.
Overall, if you want a car that captures the essence of living in Missoula, Alex Henri’s Subaru Outback is the near perfect choice.
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2013 Ford F-150 Limited (Tuxedo Black)
The Ford F-150 series is arguably one of the best to ever be made. The trucks have a high towing capacity, a reasonable amount of horsepower, and plenty of torque.
Colton Hellman’s F-150, as pictured above, is a nicer version of the more common model – it’s an F-150 Limited. The Limited version makes five extra horsepower compared to the base model – 365 as opposed to 360 – and comes with a plethora of extra luxuries like red leather seats, custom badging, and motorized side bars.
And, believe it or not, it comes with a twin-turbo engine.
That’s right, this F-150 has a special kind of engine called an EcoBoost. There are multiple variations of the EcoBoost engine, but the one used in the 2014 Limited is a twin-turbo 3.5 liter V6. Revving the truck sounds extremely satisfying because of the turbo whistling that emanates from the turbo beneath the hood.
The truck makes for a comfortable ride too – I didn’t feel too many bumps while on the road up to Pattee Canyon where Hellman and I did the photoshoot.
The truck is a respectable combination of luxury and power, with a comfortable interior and a great sounding engine.
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Audi A7
The first time I saw this car in the parking lot, I thought it was merely a semi-cool, dirty gray Audi. However, upon further inspection, I found that there were certain markings on the car that implied it had much more to offer than simply being semi-cool.
On the passenger side of the car, there is a badge that reads ‘supercharged’ in purple cursive lettering. If what the badge implies has any truth to it, then this is definitely not a car that you would want to race. Superchargers can increase a car’s horsepower by as low as 50, but sometimes they can increase it by hundreds depending on the type of engine.
I never got the chance to interview the owner of this car, so it remains a mystery as to how much power this car may truly hold.
Purple seems to be the underlying theme of this A7. It’s found on the front badging, the rims, and the right side. The distinct color subtly helps the car stand out from the rest.
The car is a good example of what’s known as a sleeper: a car that looks normal, but actually has a very built engine. You probably wouldn’t want to try and race this thing.
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Conclusion
These are only a few of the cars at Sentinel that can be considered classy, and I acknowledge that I passed up on some stellar options. If I had more time to interview other people I would have done just that, so don’t feel bad if your car didn’t make the list.
These cars add excitement to Sentinel as a whole, especially for those who have an affection for the world of motor vehicles. Depending on who you are, Sentinel’s parking lot is either just an uninteresting expanse of asphalt, or a car-spotting haven.
