I do enjoy driving but only when the traffic is light and if in the right car. If I could I'd have someone drive me around in a Bentley or a Roles Royce For the mundane day to day trips like shopping etc.

Do you like your own car? Do you get in it and look forward to the journey? Is it suitable for all your needs and worth whatever you paid or are paying for it ? Or is it the bane of your life, a needed but irritating financial burden? Presumably most people who'd hang around a motoring forum have at least some enthusiasm for the subject. I've had a lot of cars, 40 or more at the last count, but then I am a bit old. Some of them have been quite nice things, others more utilitarian, some were thrilling to drive, others were more of an effort. However, the common denominator for all of them was that I'd still rather have had them than not. To this day, despite decades of having to cover substantial annual mileages, by and large I still get a good feeling when I turn an engine on in preparation for a journey, I look forward to the feeling of driving and still enjoy it. Do you still like driving, or if life allowed you to do without your car, would you rather not bother?

I'm with you on all those sentiments - perhaps more so because I'd be so attached to cars it always took years to choose a replacement, so not so many as 40. And several of them I'd have kept longer but my needs changed. When I look back, I changed a couple "too early".

As an enthusiastic petrolhead, I enjoyed the early part of my career when I was doing 50,000/year but gradually reduced until I hated driving by the time I retired - but 2 years retirement without the time pressures of "normal" life has got the enjoyment back - now, my idea of a nice drive is the 600 miles up to NW Scotland towing the caravan, puts a huge smile on my face.

Even though it's nothing special, three years of all weather motorbiking a while back still make me appreciate being able to drive when it's cold wet and grim outside.

I'm a little attached to it as well, but that always happens to me with vehicles I end up keeping a while.

Good topic.

I've probably had approaching to 20 different cars in the time I've been driving and would like to think I've got a fair few more to come.

Like RT there have been a couple of cars I think I let go too early and only 1 car I didn't like at all. So, on balance I've been pretty happy with most of the cars I've owned and driven and yes, I still look forward to driving. Like others on here I get increasingly frustrated by congested roads and am lucky enough to be able to choose the time I venture out each day for work (either very early or leave it until the rush hour traffic has died down a bit).

Excellent thread :)

I've been a petrolhead since I used to 'help' my dad work on his motorbikes when I was a schoolboy, and I still get that good feeling when getting behind the wheel (and triply so when I take out my bike).

My current car (facelifted Volvo V60 D4) is not quite my overall favourite - the engine is definitely the best I've had in any car I've owned, but my previous 2011 V60 had a slightly smoother, calmer ride quality in all conditions.

If I could put the D4 engine into the 2011 chassis, that would be all the car I'd ever reasonably need. Apart from an early Jensen Interceptor III for high days and holidays :)

Great thread - many thanks Alby.

It's good to know that there are still some of us around who still enjoy driving, even when doing high mileages as you do.

I managed to enjoy it even living near Reading where traffic gradually got heavier; but enjoyment has greatly increased now that we're living on the Dorset / Somerset border, with less traffic than there was in Berkshire 40 years ago. On Sunday I drove 5 miles on country lanes to play the organ in a neighbouring village, and saw no other cars on the way there, and one on the way back (and three groups of horses).

I also think that you have to like your actual car, as well as the idea of driving. I've only had 20 cars in 45 years of owning cars (aboiut 12 more if I count SWMBO's) - although that's still quite a few! I've made the wrong choice only twice: the Chrysler Horizon (ferociously heavy steering and that awful Simca engine - should have paid a bit more and had a Golf) and the diesel B-class (should have had the petrol). I think there are plenty of cars out there which are fun to drive, whatever one's budget.

Let's hope we can all carry on for a bit longer.

I still love driving, at least when not in a hold up. Fortunately I no longer have to "be somewhere" every day starting and ending at the busiest travelling times.

Time was when the enjoyable part for me was "making progress". Now that any kind of enthusastic approach is quite likely to mean points on licence, my enjoyment comes more from driving as well as possible - journeys seem to go much quicker when one is absorbed in the process.

I bought an old MX5 3 years ago, just for enjoyment. No more than nippy, but sitting 6 inches above the road and a reasonably firm ride make it seem fast, and I love its directness compared with my everyday car. I'm sure I enjoy it much more than I could a much more powerful machine; I had a go in an F-Type roadster last year with 380PS and frankly stunning performance, but really it was an exercise in not pressing the accelerator - utterly pointless on real roads except as a status symbol for thise who want one, and I don't believe I am only saying that because I haven't a spare £60,000 to spend on it.

Do you like your own car? Do you get in it and look forward to the journey? Is it suitable for all your needs and worth whatever you paid or are paying for it ? Or is it the bane of your life, a needed but irritating financial burden?

Do you still like driving, or if life allowed you to do without your car, would you rather not bother?

I've liked all my cars, I wouldn't have bought them otherwise. There are aspects of them I was disappointed with, but I don't regret any of them. I have usually bought something practical, but with more of an interest in the engine configuration.

One thing I have never done is bought a medium Golf sized hatchback. I have come close, but always ended up with large hatchbacks or estates or saloons. Strange. It will always have to be fairly practical though.

I would never let a car be a financial burden now. In the past I have had the odd loan, and hated the fact that it was sitting there losing money while I was still paying the interest. I get a kick out of spending increasingly smaller amounts on cars that still have lot's of life left in them, one of the advantages of modern cars. And not having the worry of the odd ding here and there. It's very refreshing, and it'll probably be the way I continue my motoring from now.

Enjoying driving depends a lot on where you live, and how far your commute is. I'm lucky in that I have some nice quiet country lanes that are off the beaten track, despite living in the South East.

And Scotland, well, that is driving nirvana.