Do you enjoy driving? The chances are that if you are reading this article then you have an interest in cars and driving them. Of course that is not a guarantee. I knew a guy who was crazy about airplanes, his apartment was filled with airplane models and he had literature and canceled tickets from nearly every airline in the world. But he had no interest in learning to fly an airplane. For the purposes of this entry I will assume that you are a person who enjoys driving.
Do you like driving on an empty country road that meanders through rolling hills? How about a smooth stretch of road along a lovely beach or lake shoreline? Is it driving out in the desert along a dusty track that allows you to bounce from rock to rock in your off-road squirrel stomper? Maybe your idea of a good driving experience is a wide-open super highway that leads endlessly toward the horizon in a straight line. Or is your idea of happy motoring driving slowly down the boulevard so that everyone can get a good look at you in your candy apple painted dream machine?
I am sure that your idea of an enjoyable driving experience does not include crawling through rush hour stop and go traffic. Do you hate getting stuck behind a clueless driver with one hand on his cell phone and both eyes on his GPS screen as he slowly searches for another latte store? How about that left lane bandit who knows that the national speed limit is 65mph and there is no reason in the world why he should yield his position to faster moving traffic? Have you ever got stuck behind a cattle truck on a hot summer's day when your air conditioning is not working? Or maybe it is having your significant other telling you that you are lost, hopelessly lost, and that the only way to solve the problem is to pull into a gas station and ask for directions.
Is your favorite car to drive a flashy convertible? Do you like buttery soft leather seats, a silent seal against outside noise and a sound system that can reproduce sounds that will make a dog cry? Maybe you like to strap on a sleek sports car that responds to your thoughts before you can turn the steering wheel. Do you like a floaty ride that feels like your car is riding on clouds? Or maybe you prefer a firm grip road that transmits every imperfection in the pavement to your backside? Do you like being perched up high for a commanding view of the terrain or would you rather be slung low enough to fly below the radar?
Are there any kinds of cars you hate to drive? Would it kill you to be seen in one of those funny little foreign jobbies? Or would you never be caught dead in anything from Detroit? Are you an SUV person or a small car guy? Are trucks your thing; four-wheel drive and big knobby tires? Do you like a large hauler for the entire family/carpool/trailer hitch? Or would one of those European micro-cars suit your needs to get you ten miles to the office and back?
The point to this rant is that the definition of the phrase "enjoy driving" has many meanings to many people. If your ego needs to be stroked by a Silver Star emblem on your hood then a shiny new Mercedes Benz will be the only car you can enjoy. If your self-image is of a rugged, outdoorsy, individualist then you need a four-wheel drive rock crusher... just like all the other rugged, outdoorsy, individualists.
I love to drive, but I am more than happy to let someone else climb behind the wheel in city driving. I enjoy a stretch straight, un-crowded of highway, but I would much rather fly in an airliner than drive any distance beyond 100 miles. I enjoy my daily drive to work because it allows me a half-hour to psyche up for my 9-5 job and the evening commute home allows me to decompress from the rigors of the office. But I would hate to drive a taxi in my city because the traffic sucks
My favorite hobby is auto racing. This is my definition of driving enjoyment. A racecar, on race tires, on a racetrack is the most fun anyone can have with their clothes on. But I would hate to drive racecar in city traffic because it is loud, hot, and uncomfortable. Plus there is no stereo in my racecar.
But for me, a daily driver is a household appliance. As long as it starts when I turn the key, the climate controls work and the stereo receives my favorite stations I am 99% satisfied with nearly any production car meant for street driving sold in America within the last 10 years. The difference is tipped when you ask me to spend my own money to PURCHASE any particular car and PAY out of my own pocket for the maintenance to keep it rolling. Then the field of acceptable cars narrows considerably.
My view of the world divides all people into one of two groups: Those who race cars in safe controlled environments and those who have not had the experience yet. No credit for you morons who weave through traffic and drag race from stop light to stop light; you are a menace to society and hopefully you will remove yourself from the gene pool before you reproduce.
Until you have driven at speed in a car that is designed for maximum performance with no concessions for amenities, you can not even begin to form an opinion upon enjoying driving.