Today my car rolled over to 30,000 miles and it inspired me to write this post. I'll give you some background on my S2000. I bought the car a little over 3 years ago from an older gentleman when the car had 7900 miles on it. The car was a 2001, so the miles were incredibly low for the year. I paid a fair price for it and drove it off the consignment lot with a big smile on my face the entire way home.
At first, I was determined to keep the miles low and drive it only on nice days when I could truly enjoy it. I rode the bus to college so it wasn't an issue to leave it parked and ride my bike or walk to the bus. After about 3 months of not really driving it and just commuting when I needed to, I decided to go on a road trip. It was about 700 miles round trip and with it being a new car to me, I was paranoid about any damage and adding miles to the car.
Reluctantly, I packed the car up with all of my girlfriend's and my stuff (which isn't easy in a convertible) and hit the road. Although the car was heavier by about 400 lbs, as I started climbing the mountains and getting to the twisty roads with the top down, I couldn't help but enjoy myself. I had driven this pass nearly every summer so I was familiar with how long the drive felt and how boring it was in other cars. This time though, as I rowed through the gears, I was ecstatic about every corner the entire way across. Once across the pass, we pulled into our destination and I couldn't get over how much fun I had just had. I wanted to unload the car and head back up to the scenic views and the banked S-curves.
After the vacation, I began to look at the car differently. I started to find excuses to drive it despite the weather or where I needed to go. I had fallen in love with driving it and didn't care how many miles I was putting on it anymore. I know this is a common occurrence because there seems to be a large number of sports cars with low miles on them. I understand the idea of keeping a car pristine and low miles if it is a collector car (Supra or NSX) but most other imports are made to be driven. As a depreciating asset, it makes sense to get the most enjoyment out of your car as it continues to lose value every year.
I plan on autocrossing the hell out of the car this summer and hopefully getting to the dragstrip for the first time. I am very grateful for deciding to take that first road trip, as the last 3 years wouldn't have been the same otherwise.
What do you think? Tell us about your first experience with your car that made you fall in love with driving it.
-Matt
4 Comments
Honestly mine was on my test drive, lol. Drove all the way to Bremerton with my mom to take a look at it. Had never driven one or even ridden in one before, but I really liked their style. Anyways, the whole way down I’m drivin my mom’s minivan… you know, big, slow, lots of body roll on every corner, really loose steering etc… Anyways we pull into the dealer and I see it sittin on the lot and i was thinkin it looked so small, I’m so used to drivin bigger cars and that van. I give the salesman my license and he gives me the keys, I practically fall into the car because I’m not used to sitting in something so low. I pull out of the dealer directly onto the freeway and just floor it and instantly get the biggest grin on my face. Drove it around for about 10 minutes and then took it back to the dealer, I was sold. I had that same shit eating grin on my face the whole drive back to Bellingham and I think everywhere I drove the first couple months owning it.
Yea, that first drive home after buying a new car is so much fun. I remember mine like it was yesterday. It was Valentine’s Day and pretty cold out. I still managed to drop the top and drive the 5 miles or so home. My ears were so cold after that.
From then on, I carry a beanie in the car for when it’s sub 50° out. 😉
Lol, so you mean about half the year?
Pretty much… 🙂