Just thought I would share my thoughts and ask for your advice. Being a keen Skoda driver for 15 years I have had some real fun - exploring the countryside in my Rapid 136, cruising the lanes on a summer evening in my 105 Estelle and more recently (since May 2008) going on some trips in my Fabia vRS. I was enjoying it so much that I treated it to uprated brakes and suspension.

However, I just feel that I am going off driving for some reason - and that is sad considering how much fun I had with it in the past. It seems the heavier than ever traffic, terribly rutted roads, motorway snarlups and parking problems spoil it. I seem to be choosing the train rather than slogging down miles of rutted B-roads that used to be fun to drive along. When the road is nice I either have someone up my chuff or someone dragging in front - travelling at the legal limit is but a distant memory it seems.

I last filled up my Fabia vRS in November 2009 with 30 quids worth of fuel and I still have half left. My Estelle evaporates more fuel than it uses. Both are garaged and I keep them waxed and ready to go, but will that ever happen again or is that just a pipe dream?

Just wondered if anyone else felt that the magic has faded from the fun of driving - or have you found a way to keep it alive? Thanks for your thoughts, Ian

I think that sums up anybody who has the misfortune to live here in the UK what you need to do is book yourself a holiday abroad and go and enjoy driving again, or failing that buy a motorbike... then the dawdlers will be a blip in your mirrors

In general peak time driving is nothing short of frustrating.

But when the roads are quiet, theres nothing better. I love those times where i have to go out early/late the roads are quiet, and i can actually enjoy the drive.

move to mid west usa :-)

The last couple of months have drained my enthusiasm too - grey weather, no light, slimy roads, and lots of sunday drivers venturing out in the week rather than face the elements. Every journey has been a slog, especially as my Octy seems to have taken a major dislike to the cold and started to guzzle fuel. Time to look at the thermostat and temp sensor I think.

Just thought I would share my thoughts and ask for your advice. Being a keen Skoda driver for 15 years I have had some real fun - exploring the countryside in my Rapid 136, cruising the lanes on a summer evening in my 105 Estelle and more recently (since May 2008) going on some trips in my Fabia vRS. I was enjoying it so much that I treated it to uprated brakes and suspension.

However, I just feel that I am going off driving for some reason - and that is sad considering how much fun I had with it in the past. It seems the heavier than ever traffic, terribly rutted roads, motorway snarlups and parking problems spoil it. I seem to be choosing the train rather than slogging down miles of rutted B-roads that used to be fun to drive along. When the road is nice I either have someone up my chuff or someone dragging in front - travelling at the legal limit is but a distant memory it seems.

I last filled up my Fabia vRS in November 2009 with 30 quids worth of fuel and I still have half left. My Estelle evaporates more fuel than it uses. Both are garaged and I keep them waxed and ready to go, but will that ever happen again or is that just a pipe dream?

Just wondered if anyone else felt that the magic has faded from the fun of driving - or have you found a way to keep it alive? Thanks for your thoughts, Ian

It's odd you should say this... I've just had similar thoughts recently.

I'm 22, so I've only been driving 4 or 5 years, even though what I'm about to say will make me sound like an old man .

Since June last year I've been commuting to a busy city in my Octavia II vRS TFSI, and it's pretty frustrating spending most of my day sat in traffic! The poor car never gets chance to stretch its legs, and, like you say I'm finding the amount of idiots on the roads just spoil the fun (e.g. the 20mph superminis, hyper-chavs and BMW drivers).

Despite using it to commute, I do molly-coddle my vRS, so just lately in the horrible snowy/slushy/gritty weather I've been getting the train. And my god, it's so nice!!! I just get thirty minutes of listening to my music, reading the paper and playing games on my phone. Bliss.

I was loosing the will to drive!!!

However, last weekend, with the weather quickly clearing up, I decided to go for a blast in the vRS seeing as it hadn't been driven for a week, and it was just what I needed to put the smile back on my face! I managed to find a quiet stretch of country road and had more fun than I've ever had in the car since I got it!

TRACKDAYS!!! Tailhappy, Thats what you need.

Thanks for the comments - I really want to get back into having fun with my driving.

I understand where you're coming from there. I'm just waiting for a chance to give it a good blast out. Weathere looking cold and damp so doesn't look like this week.

I can't put up with the trains. Booking in advance to get the cheap tickets, having to go at a specific time, travelling to train station and on to destination from other train station. Worse is the chavs who get rowdy and often play crap music over their tinny mobile phone so everyone else has to hear it, and the drunks. I'd rather be stuck for half an hour at a standstill on the motorway.

Only thing that puts me off driving is when those aforementioned chavs have their jollies doing criminal damage to my car (not happened to present car as yet but I'm sure it will given time).

Just wondered if anyone else felt that the magic has faded from the fun of driving - or have you found a way to keep it alive? Thanks for your thoughts, Ian

I rarely enjoy driving these days: the daily commute is just a chore with the traffic and the arseholes. I rarely drive at weekends because it's tiresome I do 250-300 miles a week, but only because I have to..

The only time I enjoy driving is if we go on holiday to Scotland. The drive up is usually tedious until you get past the lakes, then things get much better and you start to get some clear roads.

My fabia still has most of a tank of German diesel in it from last September, but that's for very different reasons....

I still find it real fun, even when speed bumps etc get in the way (Real P.I.T.A in the MX5 I'm using now as it's so low!). I also treat the Skoda as a daily driver and it never fails to make me smile when I drive it - Even on the 30mph dawdle downhill from home to the seafront to work in the morning.

However, I just feel that I am going off driving for some reason - and that is sad considering how much fun I had with it in the past. It seems the heavier than ever traffic, terribly rutted roads, motorway snarlups and parking problems spoil it. I seem to be choosing the train rather than slogging down miles of rutted B-roads that used to be fun to drive along. When the road is nice I either have someone up my chuff or someone dragging in front - travelling at the legal limit is but a distant memory it seems.

I guess you've identified the problems, so it seems you now have a few choices - carry on getting stressed by it, give up driving, or look at ways to overcome/avoid the problems. Some thoughts...

- Heavier traffic - yes, this is a problem and if, like me, you live in the densely populated South you're bound to encounter it on most journeys, however, you can lower the risk by travelling at different times, avoid driving past schools/through towns, picking different routes and avoiding motorways where possible.

- Terribly rutted roads - I'm not sure I've seen an increase in these, but perhaps the "uprated" suspension on the Fabia is not as competent on these roads as the older Skodas and has highlighted the problem. If it's too rutted to enjoy, find another route

- Tailgating and slower cars - in both cases overtaking seems the solution. When someone is close to you, get them passed as quickly and safely as you can - they get to travel at the speed they want and you don't have to worry about them behind you so everyone's a winner. Where someone is travelling slower than you *anticipate* when an overtaking opportunity is going to arise and be in a position to take it when it does.

Not sure where in the country you are, but if you're ever round my neck of the woods, I'd be happy to see if the fun can be put back in your driving

Chris

Cheers Chris - I am in Herts.

Just to add that I get the feeling that the meaning of being a keen driver for many I speak to has changed over the past few years. It used to mean understanding your car, how it worked (as in gear ratios, engine design and the best lubricants to use) and then enjoying it along some challenging roads. These days being a keen driver means using second gear as hard and often as possible - cold engine and all. The higher the revs, the keener the driver (or so it seems).