What to do when you lose interest in cars?
Discussion
I'm sure this isn't limited to just me, there comes a point in life when your interest in cars wanes. I've had the usual suspects over the years (and some less so):
VW Corrado
Civic Type R
Focus ST
Vauxhall VXR8 (gotta scratch that itch)
Golf GTI
Currently in a Mk7.5 GTI, the PCP agreement runs out in March 2021. And over the past year my interest in it, and cars in general, has been deteriorating, hell I haven't even washed it in over 3 months! When new I put a Remus backbox on it, but these days I find it more annoying than fun. I don't know if its just due to the events this year making everything seem rubbish, but my kids are now 3 & 7, and I find myself wanting comfort, space and easy driving more than fun & sporty now, to the point I've been looking at the likes of a VW Tiguan as a replacement.
So when this happens to you, do you fight it? Get another 'interesting' car and hope it sparks you again? Or just accept the inevitable and buy a family wagon?
VW Corrado
Civic Type R
Focus ST
Vauxhall VXR8 (gotta scratch that itch)
Golf GTI
Currently in a Mk7.5 GTI, the PCP agreement runs out in March 2021. And over the past year my interest in it, and cars in general, has been deteriorating, hell I haven't even washed it in over 3 months! When new I put a Remus backbox on it, but these days I find it more annoying than fun. I don't know if its just due to the events this year making everything seem rubbish, but my kids are now 3 & 7, and I find myself wanting comfort, space and easy driving more than fun & sporty now, to the point I've been looking at the likes of a VW Tiguan as a replacement.
So when this happens to you, do you fight it? Get another 'interesting' car and hope it sparks you again? Or just accept the inevitable and buy a family wagon?
Try a car you can waft about in, I have often had a rangie or a Merc for family stuff and then enjoy something sporty on occasion....you might find a new interest in super Luxobarges for a bit.
The golf gti is a great car but it is not the raw hot hatch it once was, you could also try something a bit more focussed or something more exotic but older like a Maserati quattreporte?
The golf gti is a great car but it is not the raw hot hatch it once was, you could also try something a bit more focussed or something more exotic but older like a Maserati quattreporte?
You need to try having a car for fun - something smaller, lighter and more tactile, and preferably RWD.
Compact, light sports cars like the GT86 and MX5 are made for the situation you find yourself in.
Also Mk3 MR2s if you're willing to try something older and cheap. Caterhams, Elises and some classic stuff like modified Mk2 Escorts if you want to be more committed!
Compact, light sports cars like the GT86 and MX5 are made for the situation you find yourself in.
Also Mk3 MR2s if you're willing to try something older and cheap. Caterhams, Elises and some classic stuff like modified Mk2 Escorts if you want to be more committed!
Bare in mind I need to cart 2 young kids around in it, so MX5's and the like are a no go.
My car journeys used to consist of Sunday afternoon blasts, drives with mates etc. Now my journeys are the commute to work, and taking the family/dog somewhere at the weekend, hence the pull towards space/comfort etc.
I did manage to combine the two with the Focus ST, as I had the estate version. In reality I probably should have kept it, but I had to scratch the V8 itch and had immense fun in my VXR8 for a year, but lost a small fortune on repairs in that time. After I finally thought the repairs were done the diff started to knocked, so it was PX'd sharpish for the Golf GTI I'm in now.
My car journeys used to consist of Sunday afternoon blasts, drives with mates etc. Now my journeys are the commute to work, and taking the family/dog somewhere at the weekend, hence the pull towards space/comfort etc.
I did manage to combine the two with the Focus ST, as I had the estate version. In reality I probably should have kept it, but I had to scratch the V8 itch and had immense fun in my VXR8 for a year, but lost a small fortune on repairs in that time. After I finally thought the repairs were done the diff started to knocked, so it was PX'd sharpish for the Golf GTI I'm in now.
Been there. In truth pleasure in driving comes from the driving you're doing and what you're doing currently isn't bringing you any pleasure. So get something that offers the "comfort, space and easy driving" that you desire, but don't shell out much as perhaps you'll get the spark back and settle on a better compromise in time.
And in the meantime do a CBT and, if you enjoy it, go for DAS
And in the meantime do a CBT and, if you enjoy it, go for DAS
What I mean is to have 2 cars for you - a practical one for the day-to-day driving and one just for driving enjoyment.
What is key, though, is making time to use the second one for fun. If you don't make an effort to seek out a little bit of fun driving, driving eventually becomes a dull chore.
Something that feels different to drive than your everyday car, say a few £k on a Mk3 MR2 or MX5, that you use on a Sunday morning to spend an hour getting a pint of mile etc.
What is key, though, is making time to use the second one for fun. If you don't make an effort to seek out a little bit of fun driving, driving eventually becomes a dull chore.
Something that feels different to drive than your everyday car, say a few £k on a Mk3 MR2 or MX5, that you use on a Sunday morning to spend an hour getting a pint of mile etc.
Get a shed, even a sporty shed, amazing how much fun you can have when you don’t have to worry about it. I’m on my 57th car, but a £1,500 Audi TT 225 was one of the most fun cars I’ve had in recent times. Anything that bad, it was virtually throw away money.
And don’t get a Tiguan. Wife went from an Evoque to a Tiguan as it was a cheap 2yr lease, it does everything a car should, but by god is it bland.
And don’t get a Tiguan. Wife went from an Evoque to a Tiguan as it was a cheap 2yr lease, it does everything a car should, but by god is it bland.
Swap the car you have for a 1.4 8v single point injection mk3 Astra merit. Run it for a year without any maintenance.
Then look for a C1 for under £1000. Again run it for a year. Come back in 2 years and buy something with a V8 and then after 3 months come back and tell us how you feel ?
I have always said, if you love cars it doesn't matter what you drive, but how you drive.
I once owned a flat 126 as my daily driver, and even used it for business trips of 100 miles.
I drove it flat out everywhere, and to be honest it was a hateful piece of s
t, but i learnt how to overtake. And I learnt when I didn't need to brake. Every car I've owned since then has been better and the fiat taught me to appreciate them.
Then look for a C1 for under £1000. Again run it for a year. Come back in 2 years and buy something with a V8 and then after 3 months come back and tell us how you feel ?
I have always said, if you love cars it doesn't matter what you drive, but how you drive.
I once owned a flat 126 as my daily driver, and even used it for business trips of 100 miles.
I drove it flat out everywhere, and to be honest it was a hateful piece of s
t, but i learnt how to overtake. And I learnt when I didn't need to brake. Every car I've owned since then has been better and the fiat taught me to appreciate them. Get a second fun car if you’ve got space for it.
2nd the idea of mx5 (had mine 8yrs)
I’ve got 2 smallish kids And when I realised I didn’t drive the mx5 much, cuz kids, I bought an Impreza wagon as well - that way the engine warms on the school run then I can get my foot down on the way to work. Ha ha
Legacy if you want more space/ restrained image?
Engines also good to listen too
Or, as above, shed it, drive a variety!
Or trackdays?
Karts?
2nd the idea of mx5 (had mine 8yrs)
I’ve got 2 smallish kids And when I realised I didn’t drive the mx5 much, cuz kids, I bought an Impreza wagon as well - that way the engine warms on the school run then I can get my foot down on the way to work. Ha ha
Legacy if you want more space/ restrained image?
Engines also good to listen too
Or, as above, shed it, drive a variety!
Or trackdays?
Karts?
Edited by jimmytheone on Wednesday 23 September 22:30
mattman said:
And don’t get a Tiguan. Wife went from an Evoque to a Tiguan as it was a cheap 2yr lease, it does everything a car should, but by god is it bland.
I still haven't lost interest in cars, but since around 2010 I've lost interest in new cars - they all seem so capable, but numb. And only buy something like a Tiguan if you really have given up!
If you’ve got two kids, it’s not surprising your time and energy is directed elsewhere. If that’s masking your interest in cars, and in particular if you’re a tinkerer, the two car solution is the way to go, if feasible.
With two kids onboard, my priorities are very different to it being just me and an hour to spare. In fact “me time” with the fun car has become even more important but far harder to come by.
With two kids onboard, my priorities are very different to it being just me and an hour to spare. In fact “me time” with the fun car has become even more important but far harder to come by.
'shed it' has been a consideration tbh, would be nice to not have £300 disappear to VW finance every month. My past 3/4 cars have been expensive & nice enough to warrant looking after, but 2nd in enjoyment to the VXR8 was a MK2 polo i owned around 15yrs back. It was prior to the scrappage scheme, when cars were super cheap. It cost me £150 with 12mths mot & 6mths tax, old 1.3 carb engine, single speaker on the dashboard, zero mod cons, but I bloody loved it! I ran it for a year, then my uncle bought it for £50, a year later I bought it back, must have been washed twice between us, but Christ it was fun having a stty car I didn't are about
tty car I didn't are about Two cars is the answer.
My two:
E-Class diseasel estate for family duties & long work journeys. Boring, yes. Unbelievably comfortable on long journeys, yes. Fun, absolutely not.
Boxster 987S for fun. Actually does put the fun back in to driving, and the wife will get in it, which she wouldn’t with something more extreme like a Caterham (or motorbike).
I’d recommend a similar approach if you’ve got space for two, as most cars now are either very bland, or totally unusable for a family (with exceptions like the M3 and C/E AMGs).
My two:
E-Class diseasel estate for family duties & long work journeys. Boring, yes. Unbelievably comfortable on long journeys, yes. Fun, absolutely not.
Boxster 987S for fun. Actually does put the fun back in to driving, and the wife will get in it, which she wouldn’t with something more extreme like a Caterham (or motorbike).
I’d recommend a similar approach if you’ve got space for two, as most cars now are either very bland, or totally unusable for a family (with exceptions like the M3 and C/E AMGs).
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