Why do we love the most basic of driving experiences?
I had occasion this week to hire a car from Inverness Airport whilst visiting Mother-in Law in Brora, north of Inverness. Notwithstanding we had only booked a Vauxhall Corsa, we were given a 2018 VW Golf 1.4 TSI hatchback with just 10,000 miles on the clock. All in all I did 375 miles in this car before handing it back after three days.
The hire car had just about every conceivable extra: too long a list to include here but the principal options were a big Touch screen Sat Nav / Multi Media display with complete interconnectivity with all sorts of devices, USB and Auxilliary ports, adaptive cruise control, lane assist, parking assist etc etc.
The car, whilst only 1.4 litres, was easily capable of maintaining a good pace, and when coupled with the 6 speed manual gearbox, provided enough acceleration to overtake safely and quickly.
Those who have driven in the Highlands will know that the roads are made for enjoyable driving, with good road surfaces, fast winding roads and great scenery along the way.
So, why did I not really enjoy driving this modern well equipped car? Don’t get me wrong, as far as all my previous experiences of hiring cars go, both here and abroad, this was by far one of the best I had ever hired. It was easy to drive, comfortable for the wife and mother-in-law (in the back!) and economical (44mpg) even though I pressed the pedal on lots of occasions. However, I missed the directness which either my Roadster or my 30 year old 911 gives me. Neither of these cars have the vast array of options and assistance which the Golf provided. But, the Golf just didn’t make me smile.
The Morgan is a raw, analogue experience by comparison. The steering is direct, the suspension hard, and I love the challenge of getting the optimum from the car on either a track or on relatively traffic free roads where the Morgan is just asking to be driven hard. It is a visceral experience which modern cars have understandably lost along the evolutionary journey of making each generation of cars “better”.
So, I thought I would just share my thoughts with you!
Happy days!
Last edited by rid967; 06/10/18 06:26 PM.
