How emotionally attached are you to your car?
Discussion
I would certainly regard my 2010 Nissan Note as a faithful old friend, probably because it's the first car I ever bought brand new. It's not exciting, good looking, fast or in any way a 'classic', but six years and 93k miles later, I can't see myself ever selling it, and in the event that it got nicked/smashed up/died of natural causes, I'd be genuinely sad.
Mind you, if my Cayman S went for a burton, I'd be bleeding suicidal.......
Mind you, if my Cayman S went for a burton, I'd be bleeding suicidal.......
I've been attached to most of my car. My first car, a clio, I was very sad to see go.
The 2nd, a mistake, I was not.
The 3rd, a fabia vrs, I loved, it was fantastic but I really really fancied a changed.
So bought the 4th, a newish fiesta st. It's amazing. But the rude is very hard for my commute. I've thought very seriously about getting rid but I'm already attached!
The 2nd, a mistake, I was not.
The 3rd, a fabia vrs, I loved, it was fantastic but I really really fancied a changed.
So bought the 4th, a newish fiesta st. It's amazing. But the rude is very hard for my commute. I've thought very seriously about getting rid but I'm already attached!
I definitely still miss my Scooby.
It was the car I always wanted, and I very much enjoyed owning it for over 4 years. Unfortunately, my commute increased significantly just as the price of petrol went through the roof, so it had to go.
I sold it and bought a 120d, which used half as much fuel but was otherwise a step down. Not a happy day.
It was the car I always wanted, and I very much enjoyed owning it for over 4 years. Unfortunately, my commute increased significantly just as the price of petrol went through the roof, so it had to go.
I sold it and bought a 120d, which used half as much fuel but was otherwise a step down. Not a happy day.
All my previous cars ive found it really difficult to get attached to. Had a Micra as my first car, first car will always be your first so ofc I have rose tinted thoughts about it but I remember hating it at the time (intentionally tried to kill it as an excuse to get something different).
'Best' car was a Skoda Fabia VRS I had for just over a year. It was great, liked the way it drove & was reliable as balls, although I just never clicked with it, I dont know why as it was a lot better than every other car ive owned in every measurable way.
Had a MG ZS V6 which I liked, but died of terminal tin rot before I had even owned it a week, spent 2 months trying to get it back on the road before giving up and selling it to a friend.
Had 2 Subarus which i really WANTED to love as I always loved them as a kid (had a 22b poster in my room, step dad used to have one so its the first car i had been properly hooned in). HATED THEM! HATE THEM! NEVER BUYING A SUBARU AGAIN! Both of them rubbed my entirely the wrong way, hated the way they drove, hated the noise they made, hated the fact that they both had drivetrains made of cheese, dont meet your heros I suppose, wouldnt touch another with a barge pole now.
Had an Alfa, This is the probably the closest I had previously got to being attached to a car, however it was just too s
t to keep. (spent £600 on it)
However both of my current line up I am actually really attached too, I think Ive truely found some cars I like after a somewhat long history. Need to sell one as I cant afford them both though.
Shogun SWB. With the OOOOOLD design 2.5 diesel. Slow, inefficient, brick shaped. Never a car I would thought Id like. Traded my last scooby for it (straight swap) as I just wanted it out of my life. Really clicked with it, almost immediately. Picked it up in the highlands and drove it back to the outskirts of Glasgow, threading it along B-roads at very legal speeds was actually really enjoyable. Being high up I could pull manuevers I would never dare to in a low car, the way it feels its about to fall over when you slam on the brakes never ceases to make me smile. The fat (and st) tyres with no ABS locking up and making every slippery drive extremely dramatic never ceases to make me out and out laugh. And ofcourse the ability to just not give a fk. Potholes, debris, pavements, small children, old biddys in Aygo's you could just ignore them, the high profile tyres soaks everything up even when you whack things at speed. Also it has turned me into an absolute parking deviant, hell sometimes I park it on grass verges or pavements just because I can, it suits them. Im now selling it but im really hoping I can sell it to someone I know as it really is a solid car I love.
And my pug 207 GTI. Only got this a week ago so still has that new car buzz but: its like a new car. Its full of electrics for its age (2008), auto everthing, adaptive steering and all that. I REALLY like it, feels like so much more car than it is and where the Fabia felt like a rattly shopping cart with a van engine in the front of it the pug actually feels like a very substantially built moderately sized hatchback (it drives like a class up, rather than clio RS style zippy go-karting I say it feels more like a Focus ST sized car from behind the wheel, personally I prefer it to the clio although I know a lot of people here will disagree. Although disclaimer: Ive only driven a 182 briefly well I was giving the owner a shot of my fabia, it felt exactly like the fabia to drive. Rattly & unrefined, albeit with MUCH better turning ability. It also helps that I managed to get the pug in pretty much my favourite colour for them, racecar red!
'Best' car was a Skoda Fabia VRS I had for just over a year. It was great, liked the way it drove & was reliable as balls, although I just never clicked with it, I dont know why as it was a lot better than every other car ive owned in every measurable way.
Had a MG ZS V6 which I liked, but died of terminal tin rot before I had even owned it a week, spent 2 months trying to get it back on the road before giving up and selling it to a friend.
Had 2 Subarus which i really WANTED to love as I always loved them as a kid (had a 22b poster in my room, step dad used to have one so its the first car i had been properly hooned in). HATED THEM! HATE THEM! NEVER BUYING A SUBARU AGAIN! Both of them rubbed my entirely the wrong way, hated the way they drove, hated the noise they made, hated the fact that they both had drivetrains made of cheese, dont meet your heros I suppose, wouldnt touch another with a barge pole now.
Had an Alfa, This is the probably the closest I had previously got to being attached to a car, however it was just too s
t to keep. (spent £600 on it)However both of my current line up I am actually really attached too, I think Ive truely found some cars I like after a somewhat long history. Need to sell one as I cant afford them both though.
Shogun SWB. With the OOOOOLD design 2.5 diesel. Slow, inefficient, brick shaped. Never a car I would thought Id like. Traded my last scooby for it (straight swap) as I just wanted it out of my life. Really clicked with it, almost immediately. Picked it up in the highlands and drove it back to the outskirts of Glasgow, threading it along B-roads at very legal speeds was actually really enjoyable. Being high up I could pull manuevers I would never dare to in a low car, the way it feels its about to fall over when you slam on the brakes never ceases to make me smile. The fat (and s
t) tyres with no ABS locking up and making every slippery drive extremely dramatic never ceases to make me out and out laugh. And ofcourse the ability to just not give a fk. Potholes, debris, pavements, small children, old biddys in Aygo's you could just ignore them, the high profile tyres soaks everything up even when you whack things at speed. Also it has turned me into an absolute parking deviant, hell sometimes I park it on grass verges or pavements just because I can, it suits them. Im now selling it but im really hoping I can sell it to someone I know as it really is a solid car I love.And my pug 207 GTI. Only got this a week ago so still has that new car buzz but: its like a new car. Its full of electrics for its age (2008), auto everthing, adaptive steering and all that. I REALLY like it, feels like so much more car than it is and where the Fabia felt like a rattly shopping cart with a van engine in the front of it the pug actually feels like a very substantially built moderately sized hatchback (it drives like a class up, rather than clio RS style zippy go-karting I say it feels more like a Focus ST sized car from behind the wheel, personally I prefer it to the clio although I know a lot of people here will disagree. Although disclaimer: Ive only driven a 182 briefly well I was giving the owner a shot of my fabia, it felt exactly like the fabia to drive. Rattly & unrefined, albeit with MUCH better turning ability. It also helps that I managed to get the pug in pretty much my favourite colour for them, racecar red!
I'm glad that I'm not alone in this and maybe there's nothing wrong with me after all. I've now been driving for the best part of 25 years, I've only ever bought cars that I want (on number 8 now, 2 were written off by other people) and still own the third car that I bought.
Driving a car is a tactile experience, you interact with it. If you have them for a long time and do many miles in them, they become part of your life experience. As others have observed, you associate them with the memories of whatever was going on in your life at the time, be it relationships, road trips, children being born etc.
Most people will never understand any of this. To them a car is a white good, something to be replaced the first time that it throws up a bill or the neighbours have bought something newer. Even most of my car loving friends don't really get it and I have spent years being ridiculed because of it (SWMBO for a start).
I bought my Cosworth with the intention of owning it for a year and then being sensible, 17 years later I still have it. For various reasons, every time I start saving for the replacement gearbox, something happens and the funds disappear to somewhere else that they are needed. It's not been on the road for two years and it lives twenty miles away but it has/does make me happier. My children love it and I honestly can't imagine finally selling it.
Same with the daily driver. The last one I had for 8 years and 110k miles and would still have it, had I not out braked someone.
Anyway, if you have read this far, I thank you for your time and patience.
Driving a car is a tactile experience, you interact with it. If you have them for a long time and do many miles in them, they become part of your life experience. As others have observed, you associate them with the memories of whatever was going on in your life at the time, be it relationships, road trips, children being born etc.
Most people will never understand any of this. To them a car is a white good, something to be replaced the first time that it throws up a bill or the neighbours have bought something newer. Even most of my car loving friends don't really get it and I have spent years being ridiculed because of it (SWMBO for a start).
I bought my Cosworth with the intention of owning it for a year and then being sensible, 17 years later I still have it. For various reasons, every time I start saving for the replacement gearbox, something happens and the funds disappear to somewhere else that they are needed. It's not been on the road for two years and it lives twenty miles away but it has/does make me happier. My children love it and I honestly can't imagine finally selling it.
Same with the daily driver. The last one I had for 8 years and 110k miles and would still have it, had I not out braked someone.
Anyway, if you have read this far, I thank you for your time and patience.
Yes I get attached to some cars. I've owned about 15 now but a few stand out as they have a charm that rises above their subjective worth:
1) Escort 1.6 Ghia, back in 1997 when I was 17: bought from the auction for £240, it was a rot box (holes in the boot, wings, everywhere else), had no ignition lock when I got it, ran poorly and had no brakes. But it was black, and has electric windows. felt a nice upgrade from a clean bog spec. Cavalier saloon at the time which had windy windows and brown interior + beige paint.
2) Gran(d)ada Ghia 2.9. A trade in bought cheap froma mate who owned a garage when I was 17. Totally unbefitting a 17 year old but I drew a lot of pleasure from its barge qualities and torque for effortless wafting, not from its thirst though.
3) Suzuki Forsa turbo, 1 litre, in red. This was a LHD Canadian car, basically a MK1 Suzuki Swift with a turbo lump from the factory, digital dash and stickers from the factory down the side proclaiming all the engine specs. - turbo DOHC etc. This was a real wheeler delaers candidate having a strong backbone but a bit tatty. It flew (think boost had been turned up), and would show 127mph on the digital dash (which was probably a bit optimistic). Felt like a rocket ship, had to sell when I went to uni.
4) Current BMW 330Ci Soft Top. It does everything well, well apart from rear legroom and boot space I suppose, has no rust, and is nice to work on. The fact I keep window shopping on Autotrader then deciding I prefer the E46 says something, and planning to get the bodywork sprayed to remove scuffs is not something I've ever contemplated before. It might be a keeper (possibly with a supercharger kit). Fuel economy on a run is passable at 35-40mpg with a bit of care so I can live with that. It's also fast enough for a bit of a thrill, but not fast enough to get into trouble if having a few seconds of foot down fun (might have to be more careful if I ever fit a SC though). Oh, and it rides well, despite being an M Sport and all the talk you hear about boneshaking rides, a far better ride than my MG ZS was.
1) Escort 1.6 Ghia, back in 1997 when I was 17: bought from the auction for £240, it was a rot box (holes in the boot, wings, everywhere else), had no ignition lock when I got it, ran poorly and had no brakes. But it was black, and has electric windows. felt a nice upgrade from a clean bog spec. Cavalier saloon at the time which had windy windows and brown interior + beige paint.
2) Gran(d)ada Ghia 2.9. A trade in bought cheap froma mate who owned a garage when I was 17. Totally unbefitting a 17 year old but I drew a lot of pleasure from its barge qualities and torque for effortless wafting, not from its thirst though.
3) Suzuki Forsa turbo, 1 litre, in red. This was a LHD Canadian car, basically a MK1 Suzuki Swift with a turbo lump from the factory, digital dash and stickers from the factory down the side proclaiming all the engine specs. - turbo DOHC etc. This was a real wheeler delaers candidate having a strong backbone but a bit tatty. It flew (think boost had been turned up), and would show 127mph on the digital dash (which was probably a bit optimistic). Felt like a rocket ship, had to sell when I went to uni.
4) Current BMW 330Ci Soft Top. It does everything well, well apart from rear legroom and boot space I suppose, has no rust, and is nice to work on. The fact I keep window shopping on Autotrader then deciding I prefer the E46 says something, and planning to get the bodywork sprayed to remove scuffs is not something I've ever contemplated before. It might be a keeper (possibly with a supercharger kit). Fuel economy on a run is passable at 35-40mpg with a bit of care so I can live with that. It's also fast enough for a bit of a thrill, but not fast enough to get into trouble if having a few seconds of foot down fun (might have to be more careful if I ever fit a SC though). Oh, and it rides well, despite being an M Sport and all the talk you hear about boneshaking rides, a far better ride than my MG ZS was.
Edited by Turkey on Monday 22 August 22:51
I suppose I get attached to most my cars in one way or another.
Renault 5 - my 1st car. Got rid as wasn't reliable.
Renault Clio's - spent loads doing up. Got rid as same reasons as above.
Alfa 156 - Loved that car. Got rid as rust was getting to it. Sold it for £300 so it can do a charity rally. It's been off the road since but I just checked it now online and it's just been MOT'd and insured somewhere so someones given it a new lease of life
Mazda 3 MPS - The fasted and best specced car I have owned.
Cars I haven't been attached to:
Citroen AX - was fun owning and abusing it though.
Citroen C1
Vauxhall Vectra - was a boring heap
Fiat Punto - handled badly and wrote it off
Renault 5 - my 1st car. Got rid as wasn't reliable.
Renault Clio's - spent loads doing up. Got rid as same reasons as above.
Alfa 156 - Loved that car. Got rid as rust was getting to it. Sold it for £300 so it can do a charity rally. It's been off the road since but I just checked it now online and it's just been MOT'd and insured somewhere so someones given it a new lease of life
Mazda 3 MPS - The fasted and best specced car I have owned.
Cars I haven't been attached to:
Citroen AX - was fun owning and abusing it though.
Citroen C1
Vauxhall Vectra - was a boring heap
Fiat Punto - handled badly and wrote it off
inanimate yes, but you form a relationship with the quirks and have fond memories of times together.
All cars are unique - clutch, gear change, little rattles, scuffs and marks, and of course any mods you've made.
Memories of big trips and even just a single memorable blast one day all add up to a 'relationship'.
I take photos more now and keep thinking i should create a photobook so i can thumb through in my rocking chair.
All cars are unique - clutch, gear change, little rattles, scuffs and marks, and of course any mods you've made.
Memories of big trips and even just a single memorable blast one day all add up to a 'relationship'.
I take photos more now and keep thinking i should create a photobook so i can thumb through in my rocking chair.
GTIAlex said:
My first car and daily for four years, off the road for three and now sat on its side having a fortune spent on it.
Could probably buy three roadworthy minis for the money its costing but it just wouldn't be the same
True love.
I rarely post anything there though.
Edited by AVV EM on Tuesday 23 August 00:49
AntiLagGC8 said:
If you are going to buy one, now is the time as they are rapidly increasing in value.
It's been a second car for a long time for me and whilst my other half doesn't really like it, I had it before I met her and she's always just accepted it, she doesn't even mind me spending a lot on it! She likes that I have a new car for work duties which we go a lot of places in.
I don't think there is such a thing as being to old to drive a car, its really just about your view of the car (I'm in my mid-thirties).
It's been a second car for a long time for me and whilst my other half doesn't really like it, I had it before I met her and she's always just accepted it, she doesn't even mind me spending a lot on it! She likes that I have a new car for work duties which we go a lot of places in.
I don't think there is such a thing as being to old to drive a car, its really just about your view of the car (I'm in my mid-thirties).
I guess for me my life has always been about having second best. With regards to both cars and girlfriends. I got the money to buy one so why not? Money doesn't buy love. Not true love anyway. How are you with relationship advice? There's a lot I could say but not on here. Also where did you get your imprezza from? Where in the UK and what site did you buy it from?
The MX5...
Well the price of a new engine...into a decent sized four figures, without anything else I have done. It may not be "quick", I used her as a daily for a few years, but eventually other half mentioning "practical" is something the MX5 is not...so the 640D came to take the daily grind. It does mean the MX5 makes me smile more though, the 640 may be a diesel but my heart was glad at least it is a 6 pot in a sea of 4 pots strapped with a turbo...
Well the price of a new engine...into a decent sized four figures, without anything else I have done. It may not be "quick", I used her as a daily for a few years, but eventually other half mentioning "practical" is something the MX5 is not...so the 640D came to take the daily grind. It does mean the MX5 makes me smile more though, the 640 may be a diesel but my heart was glad at least it is a 6 pot in a sea of 4 pots strapped with a turbo...
Not really.
They're just tools for the job of getting from A to B.
If I could afford/store/run a second one, I might save up and buy something I could fall in love with.
Nearly Everyone hates my current Multipla with a vengeance, but it's remarkably frugal, cost very little, and what you can't fit in it isn't worth mentioning.
It's the only car I've ever owned that people want to borrow.
Still clocking more miles on bicycles at the moment....
They're just tools for the job of getting from A to B.
If I could afford/store/run a second one, I might save up and buy something I could fall in love with.
Nearly Everyone hates my current Multipla with a vengeance, but it's remarkably frugal, cost very little, and what you can't fit in it isn't worth mentioning.
It's the only car I've ever owned that people want to borrow.
Still clocking more miles on bicycles at the moment....
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