Oppo Question: Do You Let Your Friends Drive Your Car(s)?

"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
04/23/2014 at 17:03 • Filed to: None

So I've read Doug's article and watched the video, and besides developing a little crush on the lady in the top left picture, I started to wonder whether I would be brave enough to do such a thing, or not. Short answer? Probably not.

See, I really love my cars. They usually are on the lower end of the used car scale but they were the best I could afford at that moment, and I do my best to keep them in good shape. A tiny scratch would haunt me almost forever, especially if it wasn't done by me. I only have liability (plus all things glass) so insurance wouldn't pay to get it removed, and I wouldn't be able to bring myself to have them actually for it, even if they offered to do so.

This brings me to my next problem (?). I am usually a nice guy, and try to help my friends wherever possible. After all, that's what friendship is for, I think. So if they approach me with a request that involves my car, I am always happy to chauffeur them around, and I have yet to say no to a request to borrow my car. But all them know me well enough to only ask when they really are in a pickle. They know that I sweat blood until I have the keys again. I just don't like it, and they know that.

TL;DR: I very seldomly let very close friends drive my car, but I prefer not to. How do you handle this kerfuffle, especially if you have a really nice car, and friends want to test it out?

DISCUSSION (39)

jkm7680 > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:06

Motorcycle- No (Unless they ask)

Car- No

Anything else- Yes

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:07

I have done so, when I bought my SHO I actually let my girlfriend at the time drive it quite a lot, even w/o me in it (wow that was hard to do), I figured I'm marrying this girl, I might as well get used to her driving my car. Thing is, I didn't end up marrying her. But she never crashed my car, so there's that.

crowmolly > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:07

Yes. My friends and I respect each other and each other's stuff. If something were to happen I am sure they would deal with the situation accordingly. But I don't think it would ever come to that. We tend to drive each other's cars more carefully than the owner would.

lone_liberal > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:08

I do, but I don't drive other people's cars unless I really have to. I do make exceptions for my parents' truck but those are my parents so they don't count.

jlmounce > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:09

I'm quite the opposite actually. I let me friends drive my cars all the time. Complete strangers I would need to at least be in the car with them. That usually happens if I'm selling a car.

Having performance cars, and driving them as such, my good friend Cody and I would always use each other's cars. Heck on occasions if we were out and about, we'd simply swap cars for a bit. It was always the same thing when we returned them. "Did you treat it right?" By which we meant did you drive it like it was intended.

Like Doug, I have no issues with sharing what I have. Especially to people that may not be as privileged. I'm not at a Ferrari ownership level, but I've had some nice cars and I do enjoy sharing them.

With that said, If I was not in a financial position to replace a car when needed, I'd probably be much less sharing of it. The last thing you want to have happen is for somebody else to total your vehicle and be left to pick up the pieces. That can effect your livelihood real quick.

Jayhawk Jake > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:09

If they want to drive it, they can drive it. I encouraged one friend to drive mine.

It's a car. I just give a 'you break it you buy it' sort of disclaimer and go on with my life.

Would I let a friend BORROW my car, without my supervision? Only in certain circumstances, and only with friends I really trust. But a quick spin with me in the passenger seat? Absolutely! In fact, I'm inviting any opponauts that want to drive my car to let me know and we'll do it

SVTyler > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:10

Hell no, my friends are fucking idiots. Granted, only one of them knows how to drive stick, but that's not the point. I wouldn't trust them with a pair of scissors, much less my pride and joy.

HammerheadFistpunch > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:10

I have been lately. I like to let other people experience the sensation of going slowly 90's style.

Dunnik > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:11

Depends on the friend.

Depends on the car.

Garrett Davis > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:12

I let one of my co-workers drive my Focus ST yesterday, and so far he's the only one besides my dear old mother who has driven it besides me. I have only a few friends who know how to drive stick, one of them just lost his license (DUI), and the other is a fucking madman.

I'm trying to teach my lady how to drive stick on my BMW before I sell it, though. If something happens, she's got to know how to drive my car.

Frosted > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:14

No. I don't even have friends to let drive my car anyway. grumpycat.jpg

BeaterGT > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:14

Rarely do. Then when I sell the car, I really hear it..

DollaMoneyAve > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:14

Never, ever.

thedevilinside > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:15

Nope, never. Never will either. There is no good reason too. I also don't drive others' cars unless there is a special reason.

MonkeePuzzle > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:17

that lady at the car wash stalled it three times in front of me, so friends yes, but service people make me nervous

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:23

I've figured out the best way to avoid this problem: both my cars have a weird extra pedal. If someone asks if they can drive my car, I say "Sure! Do you know how to drive stick?" 97% of the time, the answer is no. For the other 3%, I give them my keys and a cookie because they win.

camaroboy68ss > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:23

only my patents and grandpa have driven my cars(I can drive any of my grandfathers stuff though). None of my friends have driven my car mainly for the fact that they can't drie a stick and have never driven anything with more than 250hp (and they think that's really powerful). I could see someone driving my 68 since its more tame but I will never let anyone borrow it. Bad family experience with letting someone borrow a car and getting a blown up motor in return. I will never let anyone drive my 33 ford due to it being a handful and most parts are almost impossible to replace if damaged.

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:30

To quote my own response to Doug's post:

It's odd... I'm very free with the keys of my 6-month old Mazda3, and will hand them out to anyone (who can drive stick) and I'm cool with it. There are even a couple of Opponauts who have driven her.

On the other hand, I'm a lot more selective about who I hand the Fiat keys to, because she's not completely mechanically sound, and I don't want the emotional responsibility if something were to happen. Give it a couple more months, when I've got the mechanical maladies worked out, and I'll be as liberal with the Fiat keys as I am with the Mazda.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:31

If I know the person can drive a stick and I know they're a decent driver, have at it.

My girlfriend's parents are currently visiting and her dad is driving around in my car RIGHT NOW. He admitted that he hadn't driven a stick in a few years and asked for me to go for a short drive with him last night, just to make sure he got to know the car and was comfortable with it - which I respected and really appreciated. He did just great and I learnt about all the cars he had back in the day - mostly sticks until a few years ago, so no worries at all.

Team6.1 > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:33

I have an old beater suv that is the designated bar car sober driver moving loaner etc. anyone can and has driven it. It's beat to hell but that's what it's for. No one has driven my mustang besides my dad when I got airlifted so he had to go get the car. It's a lot of engine and I don't want anyone to do something stupid and fuck up a new to me car. No one has driven my jeep. It's old and beat to shit too. But it's also lifted 4 inches with no sway bars, locked front and rear, tires usually at low psi, and is a handful actually.

Klaus Schmoll > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O)
04/23/2014 at 17:34

Nice! But won't work over here.

jariten1781 > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:36

My car-friends and I will swap cars somewhat regularly. My friend friends for the most part can't drive stick and if they can they would be way too nervous driving my stuff to enjoy it anyway. There is zero overlap between the two groups.

BoulderZ > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:39

Had to think about this a bit. Both of my cars are manual, so that eliminates a lot of requests right there. Before I rebuilt it, I let a few people drive my truck. I wouldn't let anyone drive it now; it's a handful and I have too much blood, sweat, tears and dollars in it. I will never let anyone else drive my Z. I rebuilt it from a bare unibody, making every modification I wanted and refinishing everything right down to replating the fasteners. Seriously, I wired and numbered every fastener, got the yellow zinc re-done, and put them back in their correct spots. 6 years of work. I drive it and enjoy it, even take it to the track, but if I screw up and break a part that costs a ton and takes months to source, it's only my fault/problem. And if it breaks and leaves me at the side of the road waiting for a tow truck, then that's only my fault/problem, too.

Saracen > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:47

Yeah, if it's someone I trust as a good driver, who I know can (competently) drive a stick.

OPPOsaurus WRX > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O)
04/23/2014 at 17:47

Yep, except I had to teach my wife

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 17:48

Since my newest car is a stick(Focus ST), and very few of my friends know how to drive said stick, I don't let them drive it. I do have a select group of friends I can trust to drive my car should something happen. I'm also OK with teaching/showing my friends how to drive stick, provided that it's in a safe area with no cars or people and plenty of space to move.

Scary__goongala! > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 18:15

Only one or two have, the rest haven't asked.Its not like they can drive it fast enough for something bad to happen(w123) lol. But its not a car noncar people pay attention to anyway.

Ferrero1911 > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 18:50

I've never had anyone ask to borrow my car, and most of my friends can't drive a stick anyways. Only two people other than me and Bird have driven my car. One is a good friend who I'm sure can drive it better than me (he liked it). The other was a coworker who went out and bought her own Abarth two days after driving mine around the block to see if she liked it. It wasn't even a real test drive! We didn't even make it to 3rd!

I would've let some borrow my last car, but with this one I don't think I would. I would let someone drive it if I was in the car and they knew how to drive a stick.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 18:55

She is cute...

I suppose it's never actually occurred with me. You have to be 25 for most insurance policies to let you drive other people's cars, and most of my friends are around my age so no dice there.

I've let my mum borrow my Alfa occasionally, despite her track record with pranging cars. That's mostly because I've got to do something that involves taking her car off the road for maintenance though and she's got little choice.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 19:02

I will let anyone drive mine that i know. I usually have to ride with tho. Weird thing is not many people ask to drive it.

RotaryLover > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 19:26

I did, but only those who I've seen driving already. The NC tho...no one will except a select few that I can count on one hand, including some oppo members if it ever happens.

I hoon, therefore I am > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 19:29

I have no issue with it. The nova can be hairy, what with a stupid-tough clutch and 500+ hp on tap. The BMW and Mazdaspeed 6, however, are meh. They just need to know how to operate a third pedal and not be too drunk.

B_dol > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 19:58

I have let about 10 people drive my FR-S, only two without me in the car. It's the best way to spread car enthusiasm and I often get to drive cool things in return.

midengineer > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 20:49

My critieria is as follows:

1) I know that you are a responsible individual.

2) I've never seen you be a bad driver.

I'm not too picky but I have close friends who I would NEVER let drive my car; on the other hand I had a good friend from England who didn't have a DL drive my car so I'd like to think I'm decently lenient.

Agrajag > Klaus Schmoll
04/23/2014 at 22:22

I've never been asked by a friend if they could borrow a car, but I've let a few drive them just cause they wanted to. With me in the car of course.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > Klaus Schmoll
04/29/2014 at 22:23

Or here... :p

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > Klaus Schmoll
04/29/2014 at 22:32

Drive it all by themselves...? Probably not. My colleagues either can't drive at all, or are very novice drivers, not quite used to their own cars yet. Even the ones who are a bit more at will behind the wheel (hehe... so funny) drive smaller cars with significant less power than mine. I know my car's not exactly a supercar, but it's quick when compared to their 1.0 liter compact hatchbacks, not to mention the noise, the very harsh ride, the heavy clutch and the engine, which prefers high revs and is all kinds of quirky in the low range, specially when cold.

marshknute > Klaus Schmoll
04/30/2014 at 03:28

I used to be generous with my keys, but won't be anymore. All but one of my friends have driven like normal people. They might have accelerated hard, but they shifted at 3-4K rpms, cornered at sane speeds, and respected my car. The last person to drive my car (e46 330xi) drove it like he stole it. He redlined it several times (something I've never done in any of the 3 cars I've owned). He cornered so hard around a hairpin that he induced a bit of oversteer (in an AWD car!). He also took a racing line through the roads of Schenley Park (racing line = wrong side of the road).

So now I have to REALLY trust anyone who wants to drive my car before I give them the keys.

quarterlifecrisis > Klaus Schmoll
04/30/2014 at 15:30

I'm a little late to the party, but hey, answers are answers. Generally, yes. This past Saturday I let a guy I'd known for a couple days use my Vette to go take a friend to the airport. It was the simplest thing to do at the time. Most of the people that have driven my car have the common sense to not do something stupid. And if they do, they know they're on the hook fo rit.