Does your opinion of a car change the more you drive it??

Having owned a number of different cars over the years, I definitely agree that my opinion changes as I drive the cars and get to know them better. I've had it go both ways, and there was little else I could have done to prevent the ones that went poorly. I do a ton of research before buying anything and try to drive as many examples as possible prior to purchase. I've still had a few go badly, and the price paid for the car had little to do with it. Fortunately over the years, I've also learned more about myself and what I want in a car, so I try to focus on that now. My most recent purchase (1986 328 GTS) is one of the lesser expensive cars I've purchased outside of daily drivers, but I enjoy it more and more each time I drive it. The purchase before it was much newer, faster, and handled better, but I got rid of it within a year.

 

Yes, very common as a matter of fact.....I first drove a Ford GT for 15 minutes 8 years ago, thought I didn’t like it so bought something else (the FGT wouldn’t have even made my top 5).

So last year, after hearing people I respect rave about it I decided to buy one despite my previous experience.....and after a year of ownership, it’s turned into a “pry my dead hands from the wheel” keeper. I was very wrong all those years earlier

 

Yup, nature of the beast unfortunately.

Bought a z4 3.0si for a daily drive some years ago, really looked forward to that. 3 months later couldn’t wait to get rid of it!!!

Had a Spitfire mk1, bought as a Sunday toy; just liked the looks; really grew on me and regret selling it to this day. When garage space allows will be getting another as it makes a great contrast to my Ferraris and is just great fun around the back lanes.

 

I've only had my opinion change for the better. I think you can get a real good idea of whether you don't like the car from a longer test drive. I say this because, even though I am among the few who track ferraris, this represents only about 5% (or less) of my actualdrive time. Most of it is driving it on public roads or occasional long drives throughout the country (similar to a test drive). If you do not enjoy that drive (for me, Roma, Hurcan AWD, Maserati GT) then you know that for 95% of the time in the car you will not like it. The cars I bought (911s, 458, F12) were fun and interesting in their own right around town and got even better when pushed. Just my two cents.

 

"You think you hate it now, but wait until you drive it!"

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I out grew my first car, literally! It was a Mk II Spitfire I bought when I was 15 1/2 years old. By 18 I was 6'4" and way too tall for it. It was a great first car and I have had dozens of sports cars since then. Once again I find I have outgrown a sports car. Now I'm 69, still 6'4" but also a bit overweight and find my Scuderia only enjoyable if I'm going twice the legal speed limit, otherwise its uncomfortable sitting in it more than an hour or so and a pain to get in and out of. I recently ordered a Roma as a replacement for the Scud. I know I will miss the Scud but time to move on. Otherwise, I can't think of a car that I changed my opinion of. Some I had for many years, other I sold because something else attracted my interest.

 

Yes!

Ferrari California - love it the more I drive it. Ditto for my 997.2 S Porsche 911, and - strangely enough - our 2006 Honda Ridgeline with 400K km on it. Both of the sporty cars are in for their annual service, and I know when I drive them again after a few weeks, I will say to myself "I missed this car, quirks & all. This is a keeper!"

Our 2020 Toyota Tacoma, which is a DD. Wouldn't miss it if I woke up tomorrow and found it was abducted by aliens. Meh, it's an appliance.

T

 

I have been fortunate to had the chance to drive a few different cars over the years. I have had my 328 for 22 years, and have used it as my measuring tool. The closest that I have come, is racing a 125 cc shifter cart and a 250 cc rotax 2 speed paddle shifted kart,, no buffers and a worked out set of arms same as a long fast canyon drive in a 3x8 every sensation you can imagine on any given road. .I drove a Porsche Boxter, it felt really good, and seemed to be almost as fun as my 328, long term, it was so easy to drive, I would have got bored. I drove a 355 GTS and it felt like my car on steroids, great mechanical grip, with the power assisted steering, the feedback was better than I would have thought. My friend has an 08 twin turbo, with all the fab speed exhaust and the worked ECU, it was motorcycle fast, with the awd, it just ate up corners, it did not have the resistance through the steering wheel that I like with my 328, but the awd had a nice weighted feel through the steering wheel. So far, I think I would take my 328 long term over the cars ive mentioned so far, to me, it just has that 1970s F1 feel engineered in it, and thats what Im really loving, now for 22 years. My long term sports car was an 84 RX7, with a racing beat catless full exhaust system, i had so much fun in that car for the 13 years of ownership, canyon caving all over so cal, and doing donuts and burnouts all through the motors 275,000 miles !!! It was bulletproof . As soon as I bought the 89 328, it was so insane, that I knew I would not be getting back in the Rx7, so I sold it and never looked back. I also had the chance to drive a guys Lambo Countach many years ago, it was small and tight, and blind, so theres that. Back when I was in my 20s, I valet cars at some of the hottest east coast nightclubs, and got to drive all kinds of stuff. I remember my first Jaguar, it was the nicest riding, fastest car that I have been in. Another guy had a first gen M6 turbo, it was really quick, felt heavy. A gentle men used to come in with an 84 308 QV, he would park in the front himself, give us a 20. Finally after a while, I convinced him to let me park it, it was then that I knew that someday I would have to have one, it felt so good, I could not believe it !! 15 years later, I had an 89 328, best of the lot since 76 !! I also drove that Nissan 4 cyclinder sports car, I forgot the name, I was not impressed, same for the 350 Z. The corvettes I have driven were big motors with fat tires and lousy handling. Things changed once they put the transaxle in the rear ahead of the diff. The new supercharged ZR1s have to be insane, but might be boring after a while, so many people are driving them. Back in the 80s, some of the guys would come in with their Peugeots, I thought they were pretty cool, I think they had manual gearboxes in them if I recall, they drove really nice, kind of luxurious in a sense if I remember correctly.If I think long enough I would come up with more. Today I would love to afford a 488, or late gen 911, 08 Lambo Gallardo AWD. For now, it will just be the 328 and the Ducatis and the rest of the stable. Good post, brought back some killer memories for me.

Thank you

 

Taking the passenger seat for the first time in your car usually feels different and gives you a chance to admire your car more in a way,,,

 

My wife and I have always been able to tell everything we needed to know with a test drive. Even if we did not purchase the vehicle we were able to tell others what we liked and what we did not. Of those we bought we always admired the vehicles even more as time passed. When we parted with the cars we missed them always.

Of those in the past, we never stop talking about the original Maybach 57 and our Lamborghini Murcielago. Of those we recently bought, we never stop talking about the 812 Superfast and I am sure we will be equally pleased with the incoming 2021 EWB Ghost.

AEHaas

 

Speaking of the Maybach 57,
I still have it today, I still use it, I still love it.
IMO, it is the last real Maybach breed.
Personally, I don't consider modern Maybachs after 57 and 62 real Maybachs, they are only Mercs with the badge "LITERALLY"!
I guess Mercedes "slaughtered" the brand with MAYBACH packages they offered on their past and ongoing models.
Well preserved ones of only "3000+- " ever made REAL Maybachs, are true gems as I see them.

 

I bought a new Cayenne. Loved it on the test drive. Two round trips to Pensacola and I sold it. Bored me to tears.

I've loved all of my 911’s. And most of my pickup trucks. (My ‘70 Mustang 302 in college was pretty cool too )

I should add...I don’t buy “toy” cars. (meaning: every automobile I’ve ever owned, I’ve daily driven it for transportation)

As I do now with my ‘66 911. 25k miles in 3 years.

if I don’t use something, it gets sold. It doesn’t sit.

 

The CS wasn’t living up to the mystique after a few drives. And then it hit. Just took miles to get the smiles.

 

Bought a Mercedes S Class coupe to be the co daily driver with my 612. Unfortunately within a month knew it was a mistake. Just a boring/lame boat of a car. Forced myself to keep it for exactly a year to “see” if I changed my opinion. Did not and exactly a year after buying it I dumped it. At the same time, 6 years after buying my 612, it is still a joy to drive.

 

Short answer: yes!

930: a don’t-meet-your-heroes car. My dream car. Turbo lag with low compression engine, sub-optimal gear ratios, corner entry understeer all equated to selling it after a few months.

72 911T: only thought and bought as my gateway/stop gap 911. Liked it but didn’t know any better so sold it. Missed it and bought a 69 911S as a race car afterwards. Sorted longhood 911s of that era are among the best driving experiences, I believe.

328: first Ferrari drive. I didn’t get it at first test drive. A week later, went for 2nd drive; this time longer and more aggressively on tight backroads. Light bulb moment. Sealed the deal on first Ferrari.

2nd 328: liked my first one so much and eventually got second one. This time, a pristine low mileage 328. Felt bad about driving it due to miles and original paint/interior/etc. Happily sold it due to non-use. Changed my hobby car purchase criteria. No more garage queens. Must be drivable without worry.

355 Ch: always liked this car but was afraid to pull trigger due to maintenance cost stories. So far, I’ve spent more service/maintenance $ on other Porsches. 7+ years of ownership and still going strong. Driving experience is high watermark for me especially with no ps, Challenge race suspension setup, exhaust etc. May only replace with another 355 Ch with Daytona/Le Mans race history or maybe other street-registered/mid-engine Ferrari race car (but @ >$3M budget).

 

“Does anyone else find that their opinion of a car changes for better or worse the more they drive it?”

I can’t imagine that anyones opinion would be constant with regard to any vehicle.