Driving used to be something more than just a way to get from one place to another. Just taking a drive down to the store could be an exciting experience in the right car. The so-called “driver’s car”, which emphasizes feedback and responsiveness to your inputs was a great way to forget about your dull 9-5 life. For those who cared about such things, there were plenty of choices at every budget level. These days? I’m starting to doubt that a true driver’s car even exists anymore in any form.
We’ve engineered the soul out of driving
Modern cars tend to be fly-by-wire affairs where there’s always a computer nanny of some sort between you and the actual mechanical bits of the car. Now, I’m not completely deluded. I understand that safety comes first, and that features like ABS, traction control, and automatic emergency braking are all important developments. At the same time, I can be just a little sad that cars have started driving themselves more and more without us realizing it.
While you might think of something like Tesla’s self-driving mode when I say that, I actually mean all the invisible ways your car corrects you when you’re braking, taking a corner, or accelerating. In a way, it’s almost like letting a baby pretend to drive while you make all the actual decisions. Carmakers have also made it their mission to isolate drivers from the road, so you don’t feel exactly what the car is doing where the rubber meets the road.
Speed is cheap, but connection is gone
I’ll just be blunt—EVs have made speed boring. It used to be thrilling for cars to edge closer and closer to what seemed like impossible acceleration, but thanks to (mainly) Tesla and the nature of electric power, now any old mom’s taxi can be a supercar rocket ship off the line.
Even if you’re looking at ICE vehicles aimed at performance, now these high-end cars have launch control, turbos that no longer leave gaps for mistakes, and you’re just there for the ride off the line. It used to be that to get the quoted quarter mile or 0–60 figures for a car, you had to be quite the driver. Now it’s like flipping a switch and letting the car do all the work.
Technology made us all fast—and all the same
Active suspensions, smart differentials, and sensors galore mean that even an unskilled driver can look properly heroic going through corners because, behind the scenes, a computer is smoothing out all the rough edges. Again, that’s safer, but it doesn’t actually help me become a better driver. In fact, I’m of the opinion that this can lull someone into a false sense of security until they push things to the point where even those automated systems can’t make up for a lack of judgment. And, with the lack of feedback, it’s easier to make those poor judgments because you’re not getting the warning signs that would usually make you back off.
The Issue With EVs Is That They’re Doing Too Much at Once
I just want a car, not a robot on wheels.
The recipe for a good driver’s car used to be pretty simple. If it was a rear-wheel-drive car with the engine in the front, chances were you could have some fun with it. Especially if it didn’t have enough horsepower to really get you in trouble. Now, even that doesn’t tell you anything. There may be some sort of driving mode where things feel a little more lively, but that’s still an experience filtered through systems that are ready to step in at any time.
The last true driver’s cars are on borrowed time
I think it’s no surprise that people are showing more interest in older cars these days. Cars from the ’90s, ’80s, and older may not have been very powerful, but there are quite a few gems that are simply engaging to drive. The closer you move to the present day, the less pleasure there is in the simple act of taking a drive on the weekend and feeling every bump like you’re running your fingertips across the blacktop.
These cars aren’t completely gone, but I think as we move towards EVs, hybrids, and more full self-driving technology, it’s going to become a true luxury. After all, the average person doesn’t actually have an interest in cars themselves, they’re a means to an end.
For now, cars like the Toyota 86, GR86, Mazda Miata, and a handful of other examples are keeping the dream alive for the majority of us who can’t afford a Porsche or some other expensive driver-focused performance car. But, if you find a car that you truly love driving, give serious thought to holding on to it for as long as possible, because that experience is getting harder and harder to find.
