Do you still enjoy driving?

[jimbouk]

Think I've got a bit bored of my Mondeo (N reg, 1.8). Just seems a bit large. Eats up the motorway miles with no troubles but I think I enjoyed my old Fiesta(P reg 1.3) a bit more (RIP ).

Was thinking about getting a Ford Capri but I wonder whether I'd be better off getting something smaller and more fun like the Mk1 MR2 I've seen locally for sale...

[Nemeliza]

Love to drive my car but stupid traffic can ruin any ones day. If I get too bored I guess I could always turn off traction control

[Rave]

Was thinking about getting a Ford Capri but I wonder whether I'd be better off getting something smaller and more fun like the Mk1 MR2 I've seen locally for sale...

Mk1 MR2? I had one, and they're fantastic. They also rust like it's going out of fashion. Get a good one, then get good at MIG welding, and you may never want another car.

I went through a bad patch a couple of years after passing my test when the traffic and bad driving in London made me so angry every time I went out that I decided to give up and cycle everywhere instead. A couple of years without a car, and the general chilling out that comes with age got me back into it (as did the aforementioned MR2).

Then a few years later I got a job driving a bus for a living- which after I broke my bike also entailed a 10 mile commute by car. Driving the bus with passengers on board eventually got to be frustrating- because you're constantly being cut up, baulked, and generally inconvenienced by terrible drivers. When you've got a timetable to try and stick to that can wind you up something chronic. Driving an empty bus though- especially early in the morning or late at night- is a right laugh; you'd be surprised how hard you can corner a 12 ton, 34' long vehicle. I even got them sideways out of wet corners a couple of times.

As for the car commute- in heavy traffic when I'm late it's stressful, but the joy, as I've discovered, is finding and exploiting rat-runs. On an early morning run in to work, or a run home in the early hours, it's a zen exercise- how little brake and accelerator can you use, how fast can you take a corner whilst still being able to stop in the distance that you can see, how much can you straightline a roundabout or sequence of corners by using every single inch of the road etc.

Yes, on balance, I still enjoy it, but equally I'm glad that (assuming I pass my probation) I won't be behind the wheel of a bus for 7 hours a day anymore. I'd also be interested to see how my car driving technique stands up to the scrutiny of an IAM examiner- I suspect they wouldn't like it, but I haven't even come close to having an accident in a car for the last few years <touches wood>.

[Howard]

What are you planning on doing instead Rave?

And why not fix the bike

[Betty_Swallocks]

30 years and still enjoying it. I've changed my driving style and the type of cars over the years as the road conditions have changed.

Outright performance used to be important to me but with the density of traffic on the roads these days and especially the number of lorries doing 40mph in the outside lane a car that is entertaining at low speeds as well as high is more important.

That's why I have a standard 1600cc MX5.

The performance isn't going to set the world on fire but there is great satisfaction to be had from going round a roundabout at 40 and leaving Mr Sales Rep in his BMW 325 who was previously tailgating a hundred yards behind because he's slowed down to 25.

[Butuz]

Everytime I open the door and sit in - I feel a smile creping on my face I enjoy driving to work, and enjoy driving home again - every day.

I think if your fed up with driving it is time to buy a fun car. The only thing it will cost you probably is money. Fuel economy, high used residuals, lot of luggage space, big back seats etc are all well and good - but they are all mind numbingly boring....

Butuz

[SHare]

Everytime I open the door and sit in - I feel a smile creping on my face I enjoy driving to work, and enjoy driving home again - every day.

I think if your fed up with driving it is time to buy a fun car. The only thing it will cost you probably is money. Fuel economy, high used residuals, lot of luggage space, big back seats etc are all well and good - but they are all mind numbingly boring....

Butuz

Thats exactly how I feel, I had a clio prima for a while which was great fun, no electronics, no fancy brakes, no power steering and a 4 speed box. Great fun but it eventually died and I was beginning to miss creature comforts so I bought an Alfa 147, great fun car, not the quickest car on the planet but makes all the right noises, you get a lovely feeling just getting into it and is just plain fun to drive.