Sigh...I hate driving an unfamiliar car.. (1 Viewer)

[DeathStar1]

Case in point, I usually get nervous while doing so, because I don't know the ins and outs of the vehicle. But, I needed to make a trip to KMart for some CDR's today, so I had no choice.

I left at about 7 PM, travelling down Rt 35 in Toms river, when I was going across the Toms River bridge. While trying to be on the lookout for any bicyclers on the shallow right side, I notice this car slow down to get along beside me, and this guy yells something out to me. I didn't make it out, so he waited to slow down again. This time, it sounded like, "Your liscence plate is just about to fall off. It's dangling like a thread."

I yell a thanks to him, and tell him I'll pull over to check it out. I turn into the next available parking lot, and check the plate. Perfectly in position. Front and back plates wouldn't move an inch.

Sigh...Now I'm wondering what it was he was trying to warn me about, and it's grating my nerves wondering if I hit something in the road :/...

 

[Ken Garrison]

Try driving a Toyota Van for a while, then go to drive a regular car. You'll like the Toyota Van better, because in a car, you'll have to deal with the nose in front. I drive a Toyota Van and when it breaks down and I have to drive my mom or my dad's car for a while. And it can be a PITA for the first few miles. So, I prefer sticking with my Van for a while.

 

[Charles J P]

Yeah, its just a comfort level thing and knowing the physical and performance limits of the car. I travel for biz, and I hate driving rentals. I drive a pretty small wagon, so my main beefs are, the car is usually larger than mine, more floaty, takes longer to slow down, etc, plus my car has no trunk, so when I back up, I know that unless my back window is about to hit the object, I have room left. Any way, the best thing to do when your not driving your own car, is to take it easy. Dont push the limits.

 

[Leroy]

While my new Ranger pickup was in the shop(4 times for a total of about 28 days in the first 2 months of ownership, but that's another story) I had to adjust and re-adjust to the following:
Ford Focus
Dodge Neon
Mercury Sable
Chevy Malibu

It was hardest on my back, having to constantly find the right seat position from car to car.
I'm sooooooooo glad to have my truck back and in working order.

 

[Ken Garrison]

I hate them puny cars that make you feel like you're sitting on the ground driving. I like my Van. Engine's under my ass instead in front, it has a huge windshield, and I can see a lot better in it than in my mom's Concorde and my dad's Lumina. First time I drove that van after driving them cars for a while, took me about a half an hour to get used to driving the van. Then when I parked it for the first time, I was WOWed at how much easier it was to park because of the location of the front wheels. My brother is getting a 1985 Tercel Manual. It's a butt ugly car, but I wonder what it's like to drive that. I never driven a Manual. I'd like to learn. My mom is kinda nervous of my brother getting a Manual. Well, you gotta learn sometime. I hear once you learn a manual, it becomes second nature, and when you go back to an automatic, you'll be reaching for that clutch when you need to stop.

 

[Shane Bos]

I started driving a 1990 Chev lumina mini van, the one with the space ship front end that took awhile to get used to as you can't see the front of it. I got to the point where I could park it and tell you that I had 6 inches between me and another vehicle and I would be within 2 inches.
Then I went to a 1980 GMC 3/4 ton van with a very small front end but a very long back.
So now my Dakota is a breaze to drive.

I love driving diffeent cars cars it's exciting especially new ones.

Driving my Dad's 2000 Ford 1ton dually crew cab 4x4 is the most fun though. So much power in that 7.3 litre turbo diesel.

 

[Tim Hoover]

I own both a Mustang GT and an old Plymouth minivan. It's quite a shock to the system when I switch between them.

 

[Greg Rowe]

I recently bought a 2002 toyota Celica. I used to drive an 88 Chevy Beretta which my wife now drives (soon to be replaced). Whenever I drive the beretta, or ANY other car it feels like I am driving a truck. I feel like I am sitting in a regular chair, and the dash on these other cars drop straight down.

I love tiny little cars that ride low to the ground because they are very fun to drive. The only thing I hate is that it is impossible to see around the extremely popular XXXXXXXL SUVs and minivans. Oh well, you can't have everything.

 

[DeathStar1]

>>
I love driving diffeent cars cars it's exciting especially new ones.
>>

Well, in my case, I'm driving a 10 year old Ford 150, that has, I beleive, 120,000 miles on it since it's a buisness car that does alot of travelling.

When I first started driving aronud 1996, I was used to driving big cars. My car of choice was an old station wagon we had. But one we got rid of that, I've been driving Explorers, and more recently, an Escape wich is, of course, a bit more powerful(in terms of pedal response), and smaller in size.

Getting used to the turn of the big truck again gets on my nerves a bit...

 

[Scott Van Dyke]

I offered to drive my buddies' car through town late one night with a few drinks in me. It's a red Beretta. I knew the area better. A cop pulled me over, and I blew a .10

That's the last time I do that favor.

On the bright side, my buddy cut me a check out of guilt for $200. He wouldn't let me refuse it. That was nice.

 

[CarlS]

I recently had an accident in my Volvo S60 and I am trying very hard to get used to a rental Camry.

Aside from the speed/handling issues, this car just doesn't brake well at all. And the seats are not very comfortable either. I don't know how Toyota sells so many of these cars. Makes me appreciate the S60 more.

 

[Francois Caron]

I don't own a car so whenever I need a set of wheels, I rent. The big advantage is that you learn to adapt quickly to new surroundings. Granted I still have a few minor driving "weaknesses" (parallel parking is often a bitch because I always oversteer), but these are global weaknesses not related to the type of vehicle that I happen to drive.

So what do I like or don't like to drive?

I hate mini-vans and SUVs. Now I can understand the need for such a vehicle especially among you suburbanites, but these vehicles feel as if I'm driving a truck! As mentioned, it can be very difficult to judge exactly where's the edge of the vehicle, making it difficult to park the bloody thing! There's also their vulnerability to roll-overs (hasn't happend -- YET!).

Subcompacts are practical for driving in cities full of narrow streets, but their usefulness on the highways is severely limited, especially passing power. Plus they're not reputed for their comfort. Some models where I rode as a passenger left knots in my back!

Large cars are definitely out! The suspension on these things make you feel like you're riding a boat! Also, I can feel the "grandaddy wrinkles" forming on my face!

My favourite cars are in the compact-intermediate range. Small enough to park on city streets, but large enough for comfortable highway driving. Also, some models have surprisingly generous rear leg room for such compact cars.

Best rides:

- Toyota Camry. Definitely a highway car. Used it on a business trip and was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable and maneuverable it was without feeling like a boat.

- Pontiac Sunfire. Now this was a surprise! It's basically a compact car, but it drove very well on the highway! The interior was roomy enough for my needs without feeling cramped.

Worst rides:

- I believe it was a Buick LeSabre, I'm not 100% sure. What I DO remember is this is the car that made me feel the oldest! Driving this thing was no fun either. It simply didn't feel right.

Overall, none of the cars were a problem to drive right off the lot despite the generous variations in steering and braking response. But as I've said before, I adapt quickly to varying conditions.

 

[Kevin P]

I own a '98 Saturn SL2, 5 speed, a modest car by any stretch. Still, I love it. Last time I had to drive my wife's car (a Mazda 626), it felt big. Not huge, but big compared to my nimble Saturn. The 626 is a fun car, but I've gotten used to an even smaller car. Also, I jolted the passengers a couple times when coming up to stop signs as I reached for the "clutch" and hit the brake with my left foot! I don't drive automatics very often these days!
Before I had the Saturn, I had a Ford Taurus. It was such a piece of s&*t I was frequently renting cars when I took it in for service. I had rented everything from a Ford Aspire (sardine can!) to a Tercel (a fun car with the manual tranny, but still pretty tiny) to a Camry (didn't care for it, I found it uncomfortable). One car I rented in the early '90s while on vacation that was a pleasant surprise was the Corolla. I always enjoyed driving Corollas. Of course, it's small too, though not much smaller than the Saturn I have now.
KJP

 

[Ken Garrison]

When my van was acting up and had to drive my mom or my dad's car, I always ended up HOT RODDING them because I'm so used to giving my van a lot of throttle to get her going because of only having 4 cylinders. Even when I got used to driving those cars, I always hot rodded them because I like to hear the roar. I had to drive my dad around in his car until he got his license renewed. He always laughed at me. "HOT RODDER!!" I usually don't floor my van when I get out on the road. I only floor it when I have to get out on the highway where it starts as a really big hill. My transmission is pretty rough too when I have it floored. Kinda like this. First gear. After about 30 MPH+ it shifts to second, causing it to jerk forward a bit and my MPH goes up 5 quickly. Then I release my throttle a bit and it quickly shifts to 3rd, then 4th. Kinda skip shifts. LOL I do prefer driving my van at the moment. Kind of a PITA to re learn driving my parents' cars. They are a LOT different.