Tata Nexon to Volkswagen Virtus; Does your car alter the way you drive?

The 2007 Maruti Suzuki Swift diesel 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

BHPian asethi recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

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?

Here's what GTO had to add to this discussion:

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).

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