Do you grow out of certain types of car?

[LeighW]

VinceFox said:

Interesting question.

I love lancer evos, but i'm 41. I feel like it's a style of car for younger blokes with a taste bypass. Shame as theyre brilliant to drive.

At 30, I sold my WRX and bought an Evo 7. I turned 40 this year and bought a Jag XJ. Upstart to old fart in ten years...

[VinceFox]

LeighW said:

At 30, I sold my WRX and bought an Evo 7. I turned 40 this year and bought a Jag XJ. Upstart to old fart in ten years...

How would you feel driving an evo in your forties?

[LeighW]

VinceFox said:

LeighW said:

At 30, I sold my WRX and bought an Evo 7. I turned 40 this year and bought a Jag XJ. Upstart to old fart in ten years...

How would you feel driving an evo in your forties?

A bit of an arse if I'm honest. That said, I tend not to care so much what other people think these days. I get the 'old man car' jibes about my Jag, but I'm not bothered, it's a lovely thing to waft about in.

[swisstoni]

I like my cars for what they are in themselves. They aren't an extension of me (fnarr) and I'm not interested in making a 'statement' with what I drive. They just happen to get driven by me.

In fact I wish I could be that un-self conscious when not in a car.

[s m]

I still enjoy driving a hot hatch and an old sporty saloon. Can't say I really worry that I haven't got an older persons Audi or MPV ( or whatever is supposed to be suited to my age ).

[Ordinary_Chap]

VinceFox said:

LeighW said:

At 30, I sold my WRX and bought an Evo 7. I turned 40 this year and bought a Jag XJ. Upstart to old fart in ten years...

How would you feel driving an evo in your forties?

I'm 33 and drive an RB5 and love it. I don't worry too much about what people may think as I choose what works for me and not what works for them. Besides these cars have a truly terrible image if you worry about that sort of thing. Mine is gloriously anti-social with its breathing mods, pops, bangs and flames although its fairly quite on part throttle.

After 30 I also have to say love the idea of bargain motoring. The Impreza really costs very little from my salary, yet is ballistic and brilliant to drive.

I have to say as much as I love the Impreza I may trade it for a comfy 3 series or similar at some point in the near future or maybe I will run two cars.

[Jaaack]

I'm 19 and drive a Honda Accord saloon. Although it's a Type-R it's still pretty unusual for someone my age. Get ripped all the time for my 'grandad car'. Yeah, you go have fun with your 'rapid' remapped generic VAG

[VinceFox]

I have an e36 evo and must admit, i feel a little old for it.

[CB2152]

Jaaack said:

Get ripped all the time for my 'grandad car'. Yeah, you go have fun with your 'rapid' remapped generic VAG

I had the "old man car" comment about mine from a chap at work not too long ago. After going along a motorway 4 up with a full tank and still being able to comfortably out-accelerate him (1.8 non turbo VAG saloon with just him aboard) I think he changed his tune.

[chrisw666]

I think I grew out of my Puma over the summer and replaced it recently with a grown up car.

I'll probably never buy another hot hatch but still fancy an Impreza at some point and will one day own a sports car I barely get time to use.

[zygalski]

I'm 40 & still enjoy the hot hatch as a daily.

[Art0ir]

Baryonyx said:

It tends to be cyclical. One minute, you want refined comfort, the next you want a hooligan than loves being thrashed.

Exactly this. Hopefully the next place will have room for 2 cars.

[Speedracer329]

Yes I think you do, I am thinking of a change in cars next spring & what I want is another MR2 Turbo. I have had a couple & I think they are brilliant cars, but I will be 57 by then & sadly I think I will be too old for one now :-(

[matthias73]

At 18 I loved my pug 406.

Hate hot hatches, really wouldn't want one.

Saloons or coupes for me.
Or a FFRR.

[Art0ir]

Regarding Imprezas/Evos, I'm one of the youngest of the owners that I know personally. The Subaru owner's clubs/forums locally are mostly populated by 30/40 year olds. I imagine it's down to the prohibitive insurance costs.

[james280779]

I bought a 406 coupe 3.0 v6 se brand new at 19, back then finance wasnt really an option to most people so alot of older cars about (in my area). I got alot of stick and it was keyed a couple of days later. I owned for 10 years before emigrating. Now I just bought an old diesel 406, not the same so will be upgrading back to a coupe soon

[Bibbs]

In my 20's it was mainly Japanese 2 seaters with characterful engines and manual boxes.

In my 30's it's been mainly been proper 4x4s or big v8s with auto boxes.

[BorkFactor]

I never really "got" the whole hot hatch thing, I am currently running about in an Astra 2.2 SRI (ok, luke warm at best, but still) and as much as I like it I really want my E46 back.

The Astra is more practical and pretty much as quick once you have it going, but I like saloons and don't like the "airy" feeling of hatchbacks.

Stuff like a Focus ST / RS or an Astra VXR holds no appeal to me at all.

I am 21 FFS

[aarondbs]

I'm not sure its about age.. I think maybe its more about having been there and done it. Take a Scooby, they are accessible performance cars which (were) a step above hot hatches. People learn to drive, buy a first car, buy something a little faster, upgrade to a hot hatch, then bought a WRX. Then kids come, priorities change etc..

Buying an STi or WRX now would feel silly for me...because of the above certainly, but also because the Subaru has such poor associations....and its that that I wouldn't want associated with me... Not age.

I do fancy an Evo though... Maybe a 7 or 8.

[marcosgt]

A friend of mine is often telling me what a 'ridiculous car' my RX8 is.

But then she agonised over trading her Focus for a Peugeot 206CC because she didn't want to look a 'ridiculous old woman' when she was in her late 30s!

It's noticeable that a lot of retired men drive sportscars, but that's often simply because a) the kids have left home and b) they've got a bit of cash from the pension or endowment! Of course, people label them 'mid-life crisis'.

I've had my Marcos since 1989, but I know if I get it out now, some people will thing I'm a sad old git trying to reclaim my youth, but why should you care? To many people spend too much time judging other people.

Back on topic, I think you do. I loved my Renault 5 GT Turbo and my Ford Puma, but when my daughter got a Puma, whilst it was great fun to drive, I really couldn't see my back in one full time and I long ago decided that driving a R5GTT would probably ruin all my fond memories.

I will probably buy a saloon or hatch next, I even toyed with the idea of a small estate car, as scuba gear takes up a lot of room! I just need some more space.

I'd quite like a Subaru, but again, I can't ever see me driving something with giant wings any more (unless I win the Euromillions, in which case I'll have a F40! )

Some years ago, I briefly had an S Type Jag as a company car. It was a hateful piece of junk and I dumped it and bought myself a Skoda Octavia vRS instead, which was a million times better. However, I often find myself looking at XFs these days!

M.