What does “fun to drive” mean to you?
I’ll totally admit to having fun driving the 900 around all over the place for the past couple of months while the R has had a long holiday, resting in the garage. It’s a hoot to cruise around in the 900, wind-in-the-hair, bumping along at a leisurely pace enjoying the occasional AM station or 1992 era music cassette.
Today I decided I wanted to drive the R. So I moved the 900 and went out to run errands in the Volvo. Wow! The R is FAST. And it’s brakes are very effective. It’s got a ton of leg room, and the stereo is amazing.
Both cars are fun to drive, but in different ways. So you tell me in the comments… what does “fun to drive” mean to you?
Posted by in 20:16:00
“Fun to drive” for me is the Lady Precept S III Clear golf ball. When you connect with this ball - all I can say is “wow!” There’s nothing like that satisfying ping when the sweet spot of your favorite wood connects just right and the ball launches straight, fast and high, landing at precisely the spot you imagined during your set-up routine. I love this golf ball - this golf ball loves me. Check in frequently at http://oldmothergolf.blog.com to read more about my favorite things to drive!
Old Mother, when you said “when the sweet spot of your favorite wood connects just right” I wasn’t thinking or driving nor of golf at all, but that is beside the point… this is a “family” blog. Glad to see you are getting the blog back online.
I can’t disagree about the feeling of hitting a golf ball 275 yards straight down the fairway, I think you were referring to driving cars, so, IMHO ‘fun’ is: Comfortable, powerful, precise handling, brakes that are confidence inspiring, and wonderful mechanical sounds.
For me, “fun to drive” has more to do with where–rather than what–I’m driving. Right now, with my last set of law school finals staring me square in the eye, I’m thinking it would be pretty fun to get that VW campervan and drive 45 mph along 101 in Oregon, surfboards on top and Ben Harper pumping out of the working speaker. You get behind the wheel of the right microbus and you suddenly don’t care about how quick, powerful, responsive, or comfortable your machine is. It’s all good.
Of course, my dad’s ‘02 MR2 is pretty fun to drive. It’s not so long on power, but it handles like a go-cart. Only problem is that it’s so small I have to palm the wheel to turn left or my hand hits my knee and shoves my foot into the clutch.
I don’t know much about hitting the ball 275 yards. Emma tells me it’s fun, but I’ve got a ways to go on that.
Steve, I totally agree with you. Having grown up riding around in a Vanagon (and learning to drive in it) I can attest that the driving experience is not “sporty”, but it is not an unenjoyable experience.
The experience of a road trip can absolutely bring its own kind of fun that has nothing do with driving fast. I’d love to spend a week or two exploring the coastal campgrounds in a camper Vanagon. In that regard, I’d love to to take a leisurely road trip in the 900, though that is fairly unlikely.
Of course, fun to drive can play differently too. The R is a total blast around SIR, but the 900 (or the campervan) wouldn’t be much fun at all around that track!
Good luck with those finals. Have a great trip!
I also would have to agree with Steve - though w/o the vanagon experience. There was a time when fun was all about speed, cornering and what have you. But having been saddled with a range of cars that didn’t rate highly in these categories (diesel citroen c5 was a pretty slow goer, but the ghia definitely had sunday driver written all over it) I’ve instead learned an appreciation for the ride. There is nothing like a nice twisty backcountry rode. I don’t care if you’re at speed or well below it, there is a certain idealic romance to logging more chicanes and switchbacks than miles while the seabreeze or forest scents wafts through the cabin. It is even better with some random roadblock (sheep, cow or buffalo - doesn’t matter) in the middle of the road to keep you on your toes. Driving in these conditions made me forget about radios (that didn’t work), sat nav (which once had me somewhere well into the atlantic ocean and i swear i wasn’t), torque, hp and other modern conveniences we’ve come to associate with our metallic steeds.
Fun to drive is any sort of loaner car without the owner!! (Thanks BSOS!) My Volvo is fun at times, but is also lumbering at times. Generally fun to drive is going along at a pace that is putting a little G-force on the car. but if you have some rental with spongy tires and you’re sutck in traffic, the fun in driving can be trying to hit every pothole and turtle in the road and seeing if you can spin the tires at every stoplight.
But I think motoring is at its most enjoyable when it is an adventure. going someplace new and not knowing what is around the bend or over the next rise is a kick. Some of the best times I have had while motoring have been in rather mundane, pedestrian sort of vehicles, but seeing how far you can push a Renault Megane Scenic into a corner on some alpine road in Switzerland can be every bit as enjoyable as driving a Ferrari on a road where you can’t have any fun (I’m not going to hit potholes or drop the clutch in a Ferrari!)
_Uncle E
(BTW I hate the comments posting mechanism–It repeatedly tells me I have input the wrong code!!!)