[asethi]

I'm not sure if this is a phenomenon, or this is something only I'm feeling or it's just impact of age slowing me down; but this is something I'm still trying to figure out and hence wanted to share it with you guys and hear what you have to say about this.

So the question on my mind is - does driving a non-fun or non-enthusiast car for few years impact your driving style? Well, it certainly seems to have done so in my case. Also, the definition of fun vs non-fun car is solely my own, and not to offend anyone who believes otherwise. Now let me take you guys through my driving journey.

I learnt to drive on my dad's Maruti 800 in early 2000s and that was my love till I bought my first car, a Maruti Swift diesel, when it was just launched in 2007. Now this is the car that really made me the 'driver' that I'm and no one can deny the fact that this was one of the best driver's cars back then and I was just drooling every time that turbo push got me past even the Hondas & other 'fast' cars. Over next 11yrs we had this car, we together did about 1.4 lakh kms before we had to bid adieu due to mounting cost of repairs and general itch to replace the ageing car.


The Swift at Lonavala


Come 2019, we welcomed a Tata Nexon petrol AMT to be our new companion on the roads. Now, the decision to get Nexon had multiple reasons - first, needed more ground clearance due to general road conditions in & around Bangalore; second, automatic to cope with Bangalore traffic; third, more space requirement; and fourth, Nexon fit the budget well and provided all the features I needed.
Well, Nexon has been great so far, it's very reliable, cost efficient (read cheap to maintain vs Swift). You can judge this from the fact that post 51k+ kms, it's still having original brake pads & tyres, while brake pads in my Swift lasted ~25k kms in general and tyres ~35-40k kms, and except annual service there's hardly any maintenance needed for this steed. Add to that it has been on a cross-country 10k+ kms road trip from Bangalore to Ladakh without breaking a sweat or any rattles to follow, indeed a very solidly built car!


The Nexon exploring Ladakh

But! But, it was not exactly what I felt was fun to drive, at least when you compare to Swift D! No doubt it goes fast, keeps passengers comfortable on long distances and has a sweet music system to keep company, but I always missed something while driving the Nexon, the thrill I felt with Swift wasn't there.

So what was the impact of driving the Nexon for 5yrs? My driving style changed accordingly, I became a more sedate driver; more patient, willing to wait to overtake till the road opens up as it didn't pull like the Swift; no more zig-zag lane changing driving on the highways as it wasn't that great around the corners. In short, most will say Nexon made me a 'cultured' driver.


Well, I didn't realise it until we welcomed our newest ride last year - enter the VW Virtus GT! Now you get the hint?!
Now, I've been driving the Virtus for an year and it's been a complete paradigm shift from Nexon. The car has introduced a new level of 'fun' that was missing in my driving, and this car is so effortless to drive!


The Virtus pacing in the Rann of Kutch

Another thing which has become very clear now, is that I love cars (hatchbacks/sedans) over SUVs and enjoying driving every bit in Virtus. I've hardly driven Nexon over past year, maybe ~15% of the time and it hasn't seen the highways since as everytime we decide on the long drive, Virtus is the default choice.


But! But, I realise I'm not the same driver anymore who would have driven such car to its max potential! I still wait patiently for the overtakes, which I can avoid as this car has enough power in reserve to do quick overtakes; don't push the car or have fun around the corners, even though this car is meant for that; I mean that 'enthusiastic driver' isn't there anymore in me and I'm missing that but I know can't get that back.

So - I ask you this question again, does it happen with you, or it's just the age playing the game with me?

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[electric_eel]

Originally Posted by asethi

So the question on my mind is - does driving a non-fun or non-enthusiast car for few years impact your driving style? Well, it certainly seems to have done so in my case. Also, the definition of fun vs non-fun car is solely my own, and not to offend anyone who believes otherwise. Now let me take you guys through my driving journey.

I think age and maturity makes one a better driver. I am a first generation car owner and learned driving in my mid 30's but I was always interested in cars (well any kind of machines). And I had a petrol Zen to start with which I still believe is a great "enthusiastic" car. Currently I have a Nexon EV which being an EV can be really fast. May be its partly nature and partly age but I started out by putting a lot of emphasis on defensive driving learning about the nuances of it even as I struggled to get good at clutch control.

Also I think there is a misconception that one needs to do all those rash stuff to really enjoy ones car. On an MT, if one wants a higher engine note, just shift late instead of driving at insane speeds. Also techniques like double clutching (not really needed in modern cars but still) and/or rev matching, limousine braking etc are as enjoyable as anything else and can make one a good, safe and smooth driver. Even cornering can become interesting if the target is smoothness. I have always felt that if you really want to enjoy fast corners, one needs a track and not public roads. Indian roads are too unsafe and unpredictable (due to people doing blind corner overtakes) for real fast cornering.

[ambandla]

A friend of mine went from sedan to Kia's urban SUV. Recently when I met him, he said he is disappointed with Kia. His main grudge is about the harshness of these pseudo SUVs. My Etios is 11 years old and I have decided to keep it for another 4 years at least as I have zero complaints with the car. I am going to switch to another sedan for sure (most probably VW's or the Camry hybrid type). I hop I stay in Toyota land.

I keep my gizmos inside my home and I expect my car to be a car first. I want my car to be 'great to drive', not at all interested in 'great to click or great to view the sky' features.

Yes, it may not be a fun car to sit in or it may not have the gizmos and features. Whenever I see current gen bling, my car looks supremely old fashioned. But hey, it has a rev happy engine and easily goes to 130, sometimes 140. Toyota offers amazing service and the quality of components in top notch. My car is fun for me to drive and that is all that matters for me.

[condor]

It's about you as a driver -combined with- adapting to the cars you drive. These days I drive cars that range from 600cc Petrol all the way to a 2800cc Diesel. In between these is a mix of petrol/diesel 800/1200/1300-P/1300-D engines - auto & manual. Equally at home in all these.

[Rodie09]

Originally Posted by condor

It's about you as a driver -combined with- adapting to the cars you drive. These days I drive cars that range from 600cc Petrol all the way to a 2800cc Diesel. In between these is a mix of petrol/diesel 800/1200/1300-P/1300-D engines - auto & manual. Equally at home in all these.

Totally echo what you said here @Condor. One needs to adapt to the car they are driving - I too have a mix of cars right now between petrol/diesel, auto/manual from 800 cc to 2000 cc and they are fun in their own way. Someone who loves driving will derive fun out of most modern cars in some way.

Being behind one wheel and driving a set of four is so much fun anytime!

[GTO]

Couple of thoughts here:

- To me, any car is fun to drive. I love darting in and out of corners with a Swift as much as a 600-BHP machine on the open expressway, calmly cruising in a Tata Safari as much as a Mini Cooper, and taking out an old rattly Jeep on some 4x4 terrain as much as a Porsche Cayman. I've enjoyed driving the S-Presso in MT guise, and also taking my family on a rain-drenched holiday to the mountains in the MG Hector (which many people call a boat).

- Second, every car has to be handled differently, as the OP rightly inferred. When I take my Thar 4x4 out, it's a completely different driving style & speed as compared to my 530d.

- Good thing that, today, enthusiast cars start at under 10-lakh rupees (test-drive the C3 Turbo and you'll fall in love), with many options in the 20-30 lakh segment (e.g. i20 N Line, Slavia & Virtus 1.5s).

[DicKy]

A car's basic setup really plays a big part in how the driver drives it. At the same time, it is a good trait of a driver that he drives a particular stretch of road in the same way, no matter which car he is on.

Cars like the 3 series or Scorpio tends to make a novice driver to behave like a racerboy or bully respectively.

Originally Posted by asethi

So what was the impact of driving the Nexon for 5yrs? My driving style changed accordingly, I became a more sedate driver; more patient, willing to wait to overtake till the road opens up as it didn't pull like the Swift; no more zig-zag lane changing driving on the highways as it wasn't that great around the corners. In short, most will say Nexon made me a 'cultured' driver.....I've been driving the Virtus for an year and it's been a complete paradigm shift from Nexon. The car has introduced a new level of 'fun' that was missing in my driving, and this car is so effortless to drive!....since as everytime we decide on the long drive, Virtus is the default choice.

This is the car part.

Originally Posted by asethi

But! But, I realise I'm not the same driver anymore who would have driven such car to its max potential! I still wait patiently for the overtakes, which I can avoid as this car has enough power in reserve to do quick overtakes; don't push the car or have fun around the corners, even though this car is meant for that; I mean that 'enthusiastic driver' isn't there anymore in me and I'm missing that but I know can't get that back.

This is the age/maturity part.

[rt363]

We call it 'thantha vibe' in Malayalam. (Translation would be dad vibes.)
Jokes apart, It's just that as we turn 30, we get to loose the young characteristics and settle down. That is reflected in our preferences and driving style as well. Lie GTO mentioned, we start enjoying each car in the way it should be and just not blindly hate one car just because it's not a jack of all trades.

[Small Bot]

Others have pointed this out before here. You can basically have fun with any car.

I think the concept of enthusiast cars might vary from decade to decade, and from person to person.

I have always loved driving, though I didn't get to do too much of it in my life. But age has played a factor in my driving too.

I used to drive more rashly in my 79 BHP i10 than in my 100 BHP Brezza. And on the rare occasions when I did drive a much bigger and powerful vehicle via Zoomcar (Endeavour, Fortuner), I drove it quite carefully and professionally.

But it's just how people evolve and mature as drivers, and I don't miss any of my experiences. Though I do wish I had driven more safely in my youth.

Whenever I get to an empty stretch of highway these days, I do let the car rip, but I ensure I don't go beyond 100 or so, because that's the limit that my logical brain insists that I can handle safely - even if the speed limit says 120.

In fact, the miser hidden inside of me now absolutely thrills in eking out the highest fuel efficiency possible in any car I drive, so I subconsciously start coasting when I reach the speed I'm comfortable with.

[100Kmphormore]

The vehicle part is indeed true. From riding a heavy, decently powerful, linear machine to something that is so agile and aggressive that it demands you to do a "present, sir!" everytime before you twist the throttle, others feel slow and too relaxed for their own good. I for one took time to adjust but know to tame the beast if you will. You are in the element. That comes with experience and 3 years later (2 with previous and 1 with present machine), its given me the skills to experiment the long and short of any machine, having experienced both. But fun of driving/riding is what we should never forget, who may be driving whatever.

[Vinod_nair]

If you're a kid of the '60 & '70's and learnt driving in the royal Amby, Fiat, Jeep or Standard Herald with a max power of a whimsical 25/35 BHP wherein one has to pump the accelerator to get the car moving, forget the powerband you just made it from point A to point B.

Ever since the M800 and beyond everything was like a Ferrari to us.

My current ride Tata Nano with about 30 BHP and a 'S' switch for some power boost, I just love the leisurely ride

[ChauhanSaurabh]

Originally Posted by asethi

So what was the impact of driving the Nexon for 5yrs? My driving style changed accordingly, I became a more sedate driver; more patient, willing to wait to overtake till the road opens up as it didn't pull like the Swift; no more zig-zag lane changing driving on the highways as it wasn't that great around the corners. In short, most will say Nexon made me a 'cultured' driver.

Thanks for starting this thread. After owning some of the best drivers car like Polo, Punto and Figo (1.5 tdci with mods) I moved to XL6. This was purely from the fact that I wanted to move past diesels and could not really find anything else as refined in 15 lakh bracket. So by method of elimination and this topping wife's list we picked up XL6.

Totally in line with your quoted text i saw a 180 degree shift in my driving pattern. I knew in advance that this is going to be a slow car. But the sheer refinement, torque converter gearbox and the ride quality this car has, makes it a worthy for highway and city. I no longer try to reach my destination in a predefined time. There is a default sense of relaxed driving with gentle throttle inputs and enjoy the silent, vibration free nature of this engine. I am no more into rapid accelerations and hard braking like with all the hatches I owned in past. Though this car in lengthy but quite easy to drive around city, I have shifted to a much more cultured driver who sticks to lane.

With all of these changes I have realized one thing. For cross country tourer like me there is a sweet spot in terms of speed and driving style, if adopted gives the maximum drivable stress and fatigue free body range. I have done some extremely long trips with this car and my daily driving range capability has gone up with above changes despite the increasing age.
One would say, such changes can be done with any car, but for me it was a slow car that introduced this. So this car has definitely taught me few big lessons in driving.

[mack.mehul]

Originally Posted by asethi

So - I ask you this question again, does it happen with you, or it's just the age playing the game with me?

I think it is more dependent upon what kind of car you are driving. With your post it is clear that you enjoy driving turbo charged cars. In my opinion, some cars are tuned to deliver more power and their handling makes a person drive them harder. On the other hand there are some cars whose engines are tuned for fuel efficiency and have soft ride for the comfort for passengers and thus a person ends up driving them in a sedate manner.

So it all depends on the kind of car you are driving.

[vignesh207]

As GTO mentioned, every car is fun to drive in its own way! And it as OP mentioned, each car's setup changes the way you drive.

I have fun driving my Santro in the city, but not in overtakes or speed but navigating the small gaps and taking roads and shortcuts which have bad roads and which I can't usually do on my other car.

But then, when I'm the first car at a traffic signal and you have at least 200-300 meters of straight empty road ahead of you, I miss the fun in my Santro.

On my Verna Turbo, I drive differently, hit that turbo whenever there is an open road and do quick overtakes effortlessly. And if I'm the first car at a traffic signal, you don't even need to ask what I'm going to do