Not Enjoying Driving Anymore
Discussion
I whole heartedly agree with everything that has been said about the roads, traffic, poor drivers etc etc.
However there’s one other factor. Very few new cars are “ fun” .... most are simply bland/boring inside and out. The newest car in our fleet is my daughters 9 year old plate Mini Cooper, it’s a decent place to sit and steer. My 2005 Noble is always fun, looking at it driving it, or being asked about it at petrol stations. The 2007 XJ (see Readers Cars ) I’ve just bought last week for a tenth of its new price and driven 578 miles back from Scotland in and was a pleasure just bloody stroking it.My Rover 75 is fun because it’s worth 500 quid but has a V6 and everyone takes the piss, but it’s comfy and I leave it anywhere not caring.The 190K mike Disco 3 is like an old mate as it’s earn’t it’s crust several times over.
Pleasure from cars and driving can be found, you just sometimes need to look in a different direction, and be in the right vehicle rather than something that isn’t remotely interesting and designed to do everything averagely.
However there’s one other factor. Very few new cars are “ fun” .... most are simply bland/boring inside and out. The newest car in our fleet is my daughters 9 year old plate Mini Cooper, it’s a decent place to sit and steer. My 2005 Noble is always fun, looking at it driving it, or being asked about it at petrol stations. The 2007 XJ (see Readers Cars ) I’ve just bought last week for a tenth of its new price and driven 578 miles back from Scotland in and was a pleasure just bloody stroking it.My Rover 75 is fun because it’s worth 500 quid but has a V6 and everyone takes the piss, but it’s comfy and I leave it anywhere not caring.The 190K mike Disco 3 is like an old mate as it’s earn’t it’s crust several times over.
Pleasure from cars and driving can be found, you just sometimes need to look in a different direction, and be in the right vehicle rather than something that isn’t remotely interesting and designed to do everything averagely.
Jbeale96 said:
MorganP104 said:
If we're done slapping each other around the chops, I might be able to offer some constructive advice. 
Whenever my circumstances change, I often find changing my car to fit the circumstances helps. On the occasions where I've tried to make my car at the time fit those new circumstances, it's never worked out as well as I would have liked.
For example, I had a lovely Alfa Romeo 166 V6, which I liked very much. Then I got a job with a 100 mile round trip commute (I previously worked around the corner from home). The fuel economy of the Alfa became a pain, to the point where I stopped enjoying the car. I chopped it in for a MkV Golf GT 2.0 TDi DSG, which would return 60mpg on my commute, but was still entertaining enough to put a smile on my face at the weekend.
If I were doing 130 miles a day in a Citigo, it would take me about a week to become VERY pissed off with driving. Sounds to me like you need a barge. Get yourself over to the definitive thread on the subject - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Hope this helps.
You've just given me a potentially dangerous idea....Whenever my circumstances change, I often find changing my car to fit the circumstances helps. On the occasions where I've tried to make my car at the time fit those new circumstances, it's never worked out as well as I would have liked.
For example, I had a lovely Alfa Romeo 166 V6, which I liked very much. Then I got a job with a 100 mile round trip commute (I previously worked around the corner from home). The fuel economy of the Alfa became a pain, to the point where I stopped enjoying the car. I chopped it in for a MkV Golf GT 2.0 TDi DSG, which would return 60mpg on my commute, but was still entertaining enough to put a smile on my face at the weekend.
If I were doing 130 miles a day in a Citigo, it would take me about a week to become VERY pissed off with driving. Sounds to me like you need a barge.
Get yourself over to the definitive thread on the subject - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...Hope this helps.
What im absolutely not under any circumstances going to do is find a 20+ year old reliable barge and couple it with a classic policy that covers commuting
Being young and having an accident on your record really sucks in terms of regular insurance!
Anyway, it was cheap as chips, even at just eight years old, and the insurance was less than an average C-segment hatch, despite being good for 140 mph. It wasn't sexy, but it got me up and down theM5 from Wiltshire to Plymouth in comfort and luxury that someone my age had no business experiencing.
Get a quote for - say - a mk1 Volvo S60 2.0T (or S80!); it may surprise you.
Mr2Mike said:
SpeedySpeedBoy said:
I'm not enjoying driving because of those undercover police who will pull you up and report you for overtaking on a double white line or whatever even though its 2pm in the morning on open roads. I'm always worried about having any fun now because of these undercover types. Driving has become an excruciating experience.
So don't cross white lines perhaps? If you find that excruciating then maybe find a different source of fun.mrbarnett said:
When I was 20 I bought myself a Saab 9-5 2.3 LPT with 170 hp and a fair whack of torque. It was a great old barge in a softly-sprung, super-comfortable way that's now so unfashionable. If memory serves, it had 225/55 R16 tyres.
Anyway, it was cheap as chips, even at just eight years old, and the insurance was less than an average C-segment hatch, despite being good for 140 mph. It wasn't sexy, but it got me up and down theM5 from Wiltshire to Plymouth in comfort and luxury that someone my age had no business experiencing.
Get a quote for - say - a mk1 Volvo S60 2.0T (or S80!); it may surprise you.
Trust me.... it won't anymoreAnyway, it was cheap as chips, even at just eight years old, and the insurance was less than an average C-segment hatch, despite being good for 140 mph. It wasn't sexy, but it got me up and down theM5 from Wiltshire to Plymouth in comfort and luxury that someone my age had no business experiencing.
Get a quote for - say - a mk1 Volvo S60 2.0T (or S80!); it may surprise you.
ryanthescot said:
a commute is rarely ever fun imo, unless it's over some REALLY good, quiet roads.
in fact i'd say i no longer enjoy road driving half as much as i used to since i started doing track days/autotests/targas/drifting. if i were you i'd pick up a cheap mx5 and start doing 'fun' driving that doesnt require a public road.
LOL, i used to have a 15 mile commute on empty back roads (advantage of starting shift at 07:00) and it was a blast, even finishing a night shift I never felt sleepy. Roll forwards 15 years to a 20 mile commute on the M6 near preston. Nightmare, always tired after a nightshift, had two near misses.in fact i'd say i no longer enjoy road driving half as much as i used to since i started doing track days/autotests/targas/drifting. if i were you i'd pick up a cheap mx5 and start doing 'fun' driving that doesnt require a public road.
Now have a 7 mile commute and its fun in my 1.0 polo or my 3.2 carrera but not in the same league as the run from Bayston Hill to Ironbridge on the lanes.
Have to go for a blast on the moors on a weekday when everyones at work.
One thing I have really noticed, I dont enjoy the cross country drags much going north/south as they are inevitably covered by cameras etc, but east/west between Lancaster/ N Yorkshire is still fun. Drove the lad to Scarborough to start Uni and had a fun blast back Leyburn/Ingleton way.
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