Thread: You Are What You Drive

I drive an '01 Jeep Cherokee. I think that means I'm a square...

We have two diesel VW New Beetles for our company and mine's even one of the butt ugly green ones. I could care less what I look like in it. I've always used the "flower vase" as a pen holder. Leather heated excellently supportive seats, manual transmission (a huge plus for me), close to 50 mpg and has plenty of pep. Plus the low torque engine makes for purring on the road rather than my last company car, a Honda civic 4 cyl that sounded like a swarm of mosquitoes at freeway speed.

My wife has always emphatically held a belief that the big jacked up pick up trucks are driven by short men. She's even pointed out many many cases that support her theory to me when we see the drivers of such vehicles step out.

Chris L

Originally Posted by Spike J

I mean six foot off the car in front's rear fender is plenty of room. Especially at sixty.

I actually find there there are enough tragic wrecks without me causing one by driving like a hypercompetitive jackass by not allowing 2-3 seconds of following room for me to brake in case something unexpected happens.

but, hey, I'm American, obviously I don't know how to drive.

I dread driving to work every morning...(Denver metro)...anything will cause a delay - snow, rain, large dust, a shoe on the side of the road. I have seen the following while driving:

-reading the newspaper
-putting on make-up
-reaching into the back seat for something and not looking at the road
-talking to the passenger - and looking at them while doing it
-wearing headphones

We also have the people:

-that think they are cops and will drive at or 1 mile an hour under the speed limit in the passing lane to "force" you to do the same
-that think merging into 75 mph traffic at 45 is safe
-that slam on the brakes when approaching a cop - on the other side of the median (yep, those "high-jumping" patrol cars are a menace...they just jump over the median and chase you down to give you a ticket)
-that panic at the approach of any emergency vehicle

I have classified many of my fellow drivers:

NDMFs (Non-Driving Mother@$&#@%s

CIV - C#@t in a Van (can apply to both sexes)

DGSW - Death-grip on the Steering Wheel (people who are terrified of their vehicles)

The police really only ticket for speeding...I'm not sure they would know what to write for:

-failure to yield
-failure to signal
-failure to maintain speed
-following too closely

I think the cops should be able to stop folks who are talking on their cells and smash the phone on the pavement - followed by a $1,000 fine.

I learned to drive in high school and from my mom and dad.

Vehicles:

1968 Oldsmobile 88
1975 Mercedes Benz 200 (completed my driving instruction in Germany)
1984 Saab Turbo
1987 Saab Turbo
1966 Mustang Convertible (red w/ white "Pony" interior)
1989 Toyota 4X4 pickup (little truck that could)
1995 Nissan 4X4 pickup (piece of crap)
1997 Isuzu Trooper (awesome vehicle - why they stopped making them, I have no idea)
2001 Isuzu Trooper
2003 Ford Explorer
2003 Hummer H2 - I bought one to see what all the fuss was about - a monstrous piece of **** - pure marketing. Handled like crap, interior was plastic like a computer monitor, noisy, no room, poor control array, poor field of vision. I got rid of it ASAP. I now must agree that those who swear by H2s must be compensating for some other shortcoming. It should be the poster child for why Detroit is in the ****ter. All I could think of was the "SUX" vehicle advertised in "Robocop".

2007 Acura MDX
2009 Audi Q5

While Americans view driving as a "right" and love cars...I would say a majority are ignorant of how their vehicles work. They put gas in it - maybe oil if they remember - and other than that, they act like they are sitting in their living room - no one else on the road, completely oblivious to their surroundings.

If the light rail ever makes it to my town, I'll take that to work...

Oh man, don't tell me that. Shoe in the road? I'm probably going to be driving that soon and that doesn't bode well. I'm fairly positive that if anything about my life gives me health problems, it's going to be getting angry whilst driving. Occasionally I wish I had a PA system so I could share my spewing filth that the stupid drivers are causing me, but I can see that only ending in trouble.

I hate people that slam on the brakes for police that are stopped with another vehicle, ESPECIALLY if the officer is out of the car. He/she's busy!!! Stomp the gas if you do anything, y'know? I'm a fan of getting as far away from the police as possible when driving. They just make people stupid and slow (we've all seen the cruiser going 55 in a 70 and no one has the brains to pass him).

I drove a 1985 Audi 80 GT/E (2 door but not coupe)-see my avatar. Until last september, when a 12 ton truck hit me, and the car was wrecked.

Now i drive a 1988 Audi 200. Hope this will last a bit longer (i bought the Audi80 2 years ago.)

I've owned a few cars. My first car was an Autobianchi which was an Italian manufacturer which was eventually taken over by Fiat/Lancia. Then I owned a Saab 99. VW golf tdi, Toyota corolla, Ford escort convertible, Volvo 740, Suzuki Jeep, VW passat and the past 6 years I'm truly enjoying the most trouble free and fun car to drive with in the west. The wife got a Volvo c30 which is also a true gem to drive with. But my Mazda Miata is zoom-zoom trouble free.

Nice wheels, Max, and thanks for sharing pictures of her. I think it's likely that I'll get a Miata as my next car... unless this Subaru/Toyota RWD car they're talking about actually happens.

I had an '01 SE Miata in BRG, and to date that is the only car I regret selling. I must say I have not washed, waxed, or worked on myself, any car I have owned since. Fun car, I used to take that car to the Miata Class SCCA events on weekend.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

I think it's likely that I'll get a Miata as my next car...

Like ray said... extremely fun car to drive. Besides the regular maintenance this car has truly been trouble free and hasn't cost me a dime except a few changes like the Enthusa NB XR exhaust and AEM air intake. I'm lucky to basically drive 9 months of the year with the top down. Highly recommended.

Here's what nice weather and nature can do.

Los Angeles national forest, CA