It seems that the vast majority of responses have been at the extreme ends of the spectrum; people seem to either love or hate driving. Me, I’m pretty indifferent to it. I view driving as a necessary chore to move myself from point A to point B. And, to be perfectly honest, it seems like a huge waste of time to me.
I mean, there are so many things I’d rather be doing while driving that I simply can’t, because I’m having to focus my attention on moving one huge hunk of metal, plastic, rubber, and glass among several hundreds of other such hunks of metal, plastic, rubber, and glass – all at fairly high velocities (If I’m lucky. Low velocities if I’m not) while making sure that this activity is carried out to the maximum level of safety possible.
This task, in and of itself, is in no way enjoyable to me, and there is no thrill of victory or sense of accomplishment when I reach my destination. Frankly, the sooner someone develops self-driving cars the better, as far as I’m concerned. Then I could turn my attention to something else that I’d actually enjoy, like catching up on the news, or reading a book, or even just looking at the scenery.
But while I don’t particularly enjoy driving, neither do I hate it. No more than I hate having to do my laundry or wash my dishes. However, like driving, I’d be happier if those things could do themselves.
Though I’ll never take a long drive for a long drive’s sake, I like driving, provided that I’m in my own car with music and I like, I’m not late for anything, and I know where I’m going. I love the drive from Austin to Houston; I can’t stand driving when it’s dark, I’m already late for something and I’m squinting at faded street signs trying to work out where the hell I am.
In my Grand Caravan, I prefer the open road. It’s automatic and much bulkier than my regular-cab Ranger, so I like the Ranger better around town. Also, the van only gets 14mpg in traffic, the Ranger 22-to-24–depending on A/C usage.
I must like driving in traffic better than I once thought I did because I drive 110 miles in traffic every other week delivering a free used-car ad booklet to 138 locations and don’t seem to mind it other than whenever I have to take the van due to snowy conditions ( the van is All Wheel Drive and the Ranger is just rear-wheel).
The van’s a nice highway ride, though, with its ample interior room, cruise control, unstressed big V-6. Its fuel economy on the highway is about what the Ranger gets in town.
In general, I like stick shifts better than automatics. I wish someone made a short-wheelbase van, All Wheel Drive, stick shift. Chrysler and GM AWD’s are big vehicles with automatic.
I love driving my '99 Honda Accord LX. Four door sedan, nice paint job, so easy to drive. The autoshifter makes driving so easy and fun. Put it on the highway with Mr. Mister’s “Kyrie” on the stereo, and I’m in heaven.
I love to drive country roads. Especially if I am the only one on the road. Windows down and have the radio at near earsplitting volume. I have an automatic muscle car from the seventies.
I am pretty ambivalent to city driving, although I notice that with increased stress at work lately, I indulge more in the “road rage” phenomenon than I like. I currently commute about 40 minutes every day, which only really bothers me when traffic is truly ugly. My stereo is my saving grace.
My next promotion will be to a job that involves driving all over the region, and I don’t know how much I’ll enjoy that driving. I tend to get a little tense when I drive around areas I am unfamiliar with, within the urban landscape.
Having said that, I love road trips. My most recent vacation was with a close friend, down Highway 101 from Astoria, OR down to the redwoods in Northern CA and back to Vancouver, BC. We loved that so much, we are planning on doing another road trip in the future. When? Where? To be decided.
I currently drive a 5-speed manual Honda Civic, which will be retiring soon. If the money is there, I would love to replace it with a new Mini Cooper - they look like a lot of fun, and maybe even easy on the gas.
I love driving.
I drive a 2001 Corolla Sport with manual transmission. I used to drive an 84 chevette until last month.
I learned how to drive using automatic and my dad taught me last year to drive stick when I got a job driving for Toyota and I fell in love with it. I can’t stand driving automatic, but there’s only certain standard cars I like driving. I won’t drive an older car thats standard because they piss me off.
As I mentioned, I love driving. I HAVE to drive if I can, I’m too paranoid of other people driving. I admit, I’ve had my close calls, who hasn’t? But when it comes to going behind the wheel and having it turn into one giant close call everytime you move the vehicle…get off the damn road. My friend for instant likes to think she’s a very good driver. Now I took driver’s ed with her, she failed her liscence 3 times. Good driver? I don’t think so. I on the other hand, got 100% on my test. I’ve yet to be in an accident that was my fault, although I have been rear ended because people are idiots. I’d like to consider myself a pretty good driver.
People hand me their keys for their cars all the time because I am the worst backseat driver there is. I’m clostriphobic in coupes when I’m in the back seat, so I have no choice but to have shotgun or drive.
They also gives me their keys because they trust me. I drive the shuttle van at Toyota so people’s lives are in my hands. I don’t fuck around with driving unless I’m by myself, then I’ll race, drive agressively, etc.
Doesn’t matter where, city, backroads, highways, towns, etc, I love it to no end.
Love it! Love it! Love it! But then again, I love to travel period.
What do I drive? 1978 Silver Anniversary Corvette. (4spd) Not very economical, but it’s a love affair I have had since I was 3 years old.
Just me, my dog and the road. I’ve driven cross country with the dog three times. Since he can’t read maps I leave them at home.
I don’t know that my joy of motoring is because I drive a manual transmission because I got just as much if not more enjoyment from my 1982 Corvette.
Alas, since I love driving so much and have a less than travel friendly car, on order as we speak is my Mini Cooper S (6spd). It may not have the roar of a vette, but it comes pretty close in the “ahhhhhh” dept.
Hate it. But I live in SoCal so I can’t avoid it. Would love to be able to use public transportation. And I can’t wait until cars can drive themselves.
I love driving, providing I’m not trying to find some obscure location in a place I don’t really know. One of the things I hate about Austin is that somewhere along the way, some jackass decided that not every street needed to have street signs, so it can get pretty damn near impossible to find some places unless you really know the area.
Outside of that, I just love it. I’m getting used to a new car, but in my old car, I just loved taking fast turns on windy roads. I worked hard at learning how to control that car just right, and took every advantage I could at that. Overall, I’m a good and safe driver (always use my blinker, keep a big distance between me and the car in front, watch the roads) but I was bitten by the speed bug a while back, so I do admit, I always go a little faster than I should. If I’m not at five miles over the limit, I just feel like I’m standing still.
But yes, driving for driving’s sake is a good past time, and driving is just a great feeling overall.
