Your first car.....

Drove my parents' cars (2004 Dodge Stratus and a 2000 Ford Windstar minivan) for a few months until I bought my 1993 Ford F-150 off my grandparents for $500. I love(d) that truck. Took me everywhere for about five years and was basically my best friend during football season.
Didn't do great on gas and the engine has a bad habit of cutting off, so my dad got me a 2001 Chevy S-10 as a college graduation present, so that's what I've got now. My brother has my F-150 now, so I still get to drive it sometimes.

 

73 Buick LeSabre first car I drove. 1983 Nissan Sentra 4 speed stick first car I bought (new).

 

It's a long way to Richmond, headin' north on 95.

 

My first car was the family hand-me-down 1983 Chevy Chevette Scooter. Not the best car, but it certainly had character. Cool thing was I could tell non-car friends I had an '83 Vette and they assumed I meant Corvette (there were no Corvettes in 1983). Until they saw my car, at least.
First car I bought, with help from parents: 1993 Saturn SL1. Not bad, but it had two common early Saturn problems: it burned oil (bad oil rings, kind of ironic), plus the transmission had a common problem called Reverse Slam. You'd shift into reverse, it would be in neutral instead. You'd have to tap the gas, at which point the car would slam into reverse. But I learned to change oil and do other maintenance on that car.
First car I bought on my own: 1994 Saturn SC2. Little coupe with pop up headlights, sunroof, twin cam motor. Handled like a go-cart. Wasn't overly powerful, but it was light and quick. Didn't burn oil, no transmission issues, great mileage, awesome seats. I entertained my older niece and nephew (toddlers at the time) with the pop up headlights for hours. Motorized belts stopped working (thank goodness). Only problem: the bright teal color. I blacked out the taillights, got a bra, but still couldn't get over the color. Wish I still had that car, especially because when I got married we shared a 1999 Chevy Metro.
Now we have a 2005 Chevy Malibu Maxx (hatchback, or sedan with an extended roofline, as Chevy calls it) and my dad's old 1995 Honda Civic.
Yesterday, I realized the benefits of owning a 22-year-old car: a bunch of stuff fell in the garage and hit the right front door. Left an ugly scratch and folded the mirror back (it popped back). But it was just another battle scar. I got to work and saw my co-worker's new Mazda CX-5. If I had a new vehicle and stuff fell on it, I wouldn't have been so calm.

 

Me. My friends called it my hearse. But I could haul a crapload of stuff in that hearse. All the seats folded down, including the passenger seat, which was great when I moved. I also fit 7 people in that thing more than once.

 

1994 Buick Skylark 4-door in cherry red and silver

I got it in 1997. It was mom's car, then she bought herself a new car. I held on to it until 2002, then bought a new Chevy Cavalier. The Skylark's engine was in good shape, but the electrical in the steering column was fucked. Plus, had a busted vent window in a rear door. Plus, the steering wheel fell off once while I was driving. Still can't believe I survived that one.

 

You mention changing oil. Funny, but nowadays no one needs to know such things. My father, far from a gear head, could still do a lot of basic maintenance on his car. Nowadays if ya just take the car to jiffy lube every 5000 miles, you're pretty good. And of course the check engine light alerts ya to all minor problems, including low oil. Can't tell you how many tires ive changed in my life, a lot, but I know plenty of people, men and women, who've never done it. What self respecting man calls geico road side service for a flat tire? But I know guys who do.

 

One of the first things my dad taught me when I got my licence was how to change a tire. It's come in handy on several occasions including rescuing friends with flats. And of all the car maintenance items, changing a tire might be the easiest.

 

I let AAA change the tire. I pay for the service for a reason.

 

1988 all-white (even the wheel covers) with blue interior. Was my mom's user car.

1990 red Ford Mustang. Was my dad's used car.

1995 red Chevy S-10. $3,500 straight cash, homey. $1,000 in replacement of water pump and head gasket in backwoods Arkansas meant...

A 1-year old red 2002 Ford Ranger XLT I drove for 8 years but less than 100k miles before the transmission gave up on third gear and reverse. Sold it for $1,000 on Craigslist.

Current: 2012 blue Ford Focus SE bought new. Pretty solid car.

 

1986 Plymouth Duster. Got it when I turned 16 in 1993. Had it until I graduated high school in the summer of '95.
I remember my '92 Civic more fondly since it was my college all the way into marriage car, but the duster had some highlights.