How long do you enjoy that "new-car-feeling" with a new-to-you car?

"Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs" (yowen) 02/05/2019 at 09:38 • Filed to: None

0

54

My mom brought up an interesting point after I bought my new-to-me 2012 A6. She had read an article that said, on average, people enjoy that new car feeling for about a week before it wears off. She mentioned “for you that’s probably longer, right?” I said that absolutely it was.

I’ve had the car for 6-7 weeks now and I still get excited about driving it. Although my commute has become almost as mundane as it was in the car I had before this, but going on leisurely drives, particularly engaging roads or simply being presented with an empty on-ramp is still very exciting to me!

Another realization I had, my Taurus SHO had definitely lost that new-car-excitement after a while. But I was able to rekindle it in a big way by installing a tune on it (which on a EcoBoost 3.5 is a huge jump in power). So I would argue that those of us that modify our cars are essentially buying a new lease on that new-car-feeling.

ps. Yes I had an amazing time playing around in the snow with that car.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 09:49

0

4 months in, still love my TLX.  I think the “new car feeling” though rubbed off quickly though since I have driven so many nice/fast/exotic cars and it ruins the fun of normal ones

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 02/05/2019 at 09:51

0

Yeah, for me the A6 has been the best car that I’ve had the pleasure of regularly driving. It really is a step above my previous cars in almost all categories. That’s probably a lot of what contributes, for me, to the new car feeling lasting longer.

Nick- Professional Car Destroyer > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 09:54

0

It all depends on the car itself.

My Saab? Been almost a year and I love to get in and drive it, I’m still amazed at a 15 year old car with all the features it has, and all the little details.

I’ve had cars where the feeling lasted less than a week, and others where the feeling was the entire duration of ownership.

  > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 09:55

2

I’m due to get my 330Ci back next tuesday. It will have been 7 weeks in repairs. I’ve missed it enough that my excitement level is actually higher now than it was the week I bought it.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 09:56

0

I have had the ST for 5 years now and it is still my new car. I have bought and kept two newer cars since, one being a 2018 model and I don't consider them that new.

TechJunky > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 09:56

0

Bought my car last April, and I still look forward to driving it.  I wouldn’t call it the new-car feeling, as it doesn’t necessarily feel “new”.  But I still get excited about it, I still maintain it and keep it clean like I did when it was new (as much as I can during winter months, at least), and it’s stopped me from so much as even daydreaming about getting anything else.  That’s about as good as it gets for me.

WRXforScience > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 09:57

0

I still think of my BRZ as my ‘new’ car, I bought it in October of 2014 and have now owned it longer than any of my previous cars (I’ve driven it fewer miles than a couple of my other cars but my commute is pretty short).

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 10:00

0

Couple of months for me as I read and reread the manual several times, explore all the features and hidden menus and easter eggs and look up mods (Although I try to keep my vehicles very close to stock) , drive it in all possible conditions weather depending on the season and try it out as a passenger as well.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Nick- Professional Car Destroyer 02/05/2019 at 10:03

1

That definitely made sense, I imagine if I had bought an Dodge Neon that the feeling wouldn’t have lasted for much more than an hour .

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs >   02/05/2019 at 10:04

0

Awesome! I know the feeling, of getting a car back after repairs and it feeling like new again. That’s how it was when I had a turbo replaced on the SHO. It’s funny how imperceptibly   the power seeps away and when they replace it you’re like OH! that’s what went missing!

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/05/2019 at 10:06

0

Yeah, I imagine the ST is the most engaging fun-to-drive car of the ones you have?

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > TechJunky 02/05/2019 at 10:08

0

Tell me about it, keeping this thing clean in Michigan has been impossible, I’ve just had a warm rainy weekend so the caked on ice, snow and salt has been washed off. I’m thinking a touchless car wash on Thursday when it’s warm again, and then I found out about this no-rinse wash & wax that I want to try.

As for not even daydreaming about anything else, that’s high praise! I have to admit I still do that. However it is of things wildly different than the A6. I would really like an off-road capable SUV.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > WRXforScience 02/05/2019 at 10:09

0

Owning it longer than previous cars is probably a good sign! I personally tend to keep cars for 5+ years, so it’s not really a benchmark I can go by, haha.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 02/05/2019 at 10:10

0

Good point about the weather conditions, the snow coming out always re-ignites my love-affair with my cars, especially since having AWD cars. And very much especially with this one as it’s my first RWD-based AWD car.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 10:15

1

Yeah it’s great for year 1 to 3, And then after 3 years the new car itch starts creeping up for me and by the time I am close to year 5 I am on Autotrader/cars.com every hour alternating with my bank account online, calculating my monthly payments emailing dealers.

  > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 10:16

0

Or the first drive after replacing a major suspension component. Or even just a new set of tyres. Love it. Buying new car parts is the only thing that still gives me that little kid “night before Christmas” feeling.

way2blu does a rev update > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 10:19

1

I’ve had this MR2 almost 2 years, and the excitement to drive it has never worn off.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 02/05/2019 at 10:24

0

Haha so true! Before I totaled the SHO I was totally already car shopping. Was I ready though? No. Because I was looking at everything from Caprice’s to Mustangs to Expeditions to Range Rovers, just to name a few .

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs >   02/05/2019 at 10:25

1

That’s a good point. I felt like a hero after doing my own spark plugs, haha. Something as simple as a good wash or deep interior clean is satisfying too. But the new parts is definitely what can reignite that new car feeling.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time >   02/05/2019 at 10:25

0

7 weeks!? Hell, after barely 7 days on vacation and driving rental cars I am so happy to come back and start it up and think “Damn I love this car”

Hope the weather is great the day you get it back so you can go for a well-deserved long drive.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > way2blu does a rev update 02/05/2019 at 10:26

1

Awesome, that’s a great looking car! Is it a daily driver?

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 10:26

3

Unnecessary Car Shopping is a membership requirement on Oppo.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 02/05/2019 at 10:28

0

Yeah pretty much. So is spending countless hours reading build threads, haha. Got a good one? I need fix :P

Nick- Professional Car Destroyer > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 10:30

2

Exactly.

If you have the right car, that feeling should either take a long time to fade, or not at all.

Even if the “new to me” and the giddy feeling goes, you should still feel some kind of attachment to it. To most people the car is just a necessity, they need to go somewhere and do the things, so the feeling fades quick for them.

I think with enthusiasts its totally different.

E90M3 > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 10:35

0

This is one reason I have two cars. The luster wore off on the M3 after I drove it everyday when I was unemployed, or at least it was my only car. Now that it’s back to weekend duty, it makes me smile like the day I got it. That was over 4.5 years ago now. 

ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 10:36

0

If it checks all your boxes; never.

But if you found your self wanting, then you made an inadequate choice to begin with .

PartyPooper2012 > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 10:41

0

True story.

I’ve had many boring cars in my life. You bolt on something new one it... and it’s less boring. You get excited to use that new thing you bolted on or fixed.

Exciting cars can also be boring if the small things in it are broken and significant other doesn’t enjoy being in it.

I have a corvette but heater box in it is broken. Air temperature is hard to regulate because of it. I am getting a new one put in. Maybe wife will enjoy taking rides more...

however, it also has an after market exhaust and its super loud. We can’t talk in that car. 

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > E90M3 02/05/2019 at 10:42

1

I understand what you mean, going on vacation for 1 or 2 weeks kind of does that same thing. Some day I’ll have off-street parking so I can have another car. My current biggest problem is alternate-side parking in the winter. Although I have thought about convincing my dad to let me clear out one of his garage stalls.

  > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 02/05/2019 at 10:43

1

Some parts have been tricky to source. I can’t complain though , I have a free rental for as long as I need it and everyone has been excellent in general.

But yes. A cyclone washed this road last January and it reopened recently. I know where I’m going next week. 

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 10:44

1

From a performance view? Yeah. But I love my truck more.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 10:50

2

I wouldn’t call it quite “new-car-feeling” but 4 years in I’m still looking for excuses to go for a drive.

Chuckles > ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper 02/05/2019 at 10:58

0

I would argue that the feeling you’re describing isn’t the same as the “new car feeling” described above. I don’t think that they are implying that most people stop liking their car after a week. Loving a ca r that you’ve had for years is different because you get much more familiar with it. It’s not better or worse than that “new car feeling,” but it is different.

Also, “But if you found your self wanting, then you made an inadequate choice to begin with" does not always apply. The car you love at 20 might not be the car you love at 30. That doesn't mean it was an inadequate choice at 20, it just means that your wants and needs in a car can change over time.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/05/2019 at 11:01

1

hmm, that is a sweet truck! I have hardly any experience driving older trucks. But I do really like the way they look.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 02/05/2019 at 11:03

1

yeah, those are always fun trips, they typically seem to happen when traffic is minimal and you are on a route other than your daily commute.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 11:05

0

picky picky

functionoverfashion > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 11:08

1

My manual E46 wagon still puts a smile on my face after almost 10 years, every time I drive it. It helps that I put my truck away for the winter, then get excited about driving that again, and switching back and forth between a relatively modern BMW and a Ford pickup designed in the 1950's is really a great way to appreciate them both, and keep up that level of excitement.

Driving a 2012 Volvo wagon a couple days week makes me appreciate the E46, too.

vicali > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 11:09

1

Bought in the end of 2017, still feels like a new truck..

ZHP Sparky, the 5th >   02/05/2019 at 11:09

0

Howdy fellow 330ci owner! What you having done to your car?

I just bought mine last fall. Definitely have the new car feeling...well it’s worn out for commuting duty, but always looking for new outings to do in it. This morning I got to drive it in snow for the first time and actually put those snow tires to the test. Made it up the hill from my house like a champ and got to me to work with not much drama (only the fun kind) .

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > functionoverfashion 02/05/2019 at 11:17

1

Yeah, I bet having that kind of setup is great. I had a rental truck for 2 weeks and it was fun to get into a car again, and it was also fun to get into the truck, it’s a fun switch.

  > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 02/05/2019 at 11:23

0

Fixing all of this from an accident  just before new year’s.

I got so excited to find out it had n’t been written off that I thought I may as well get it perfect while the opportunity is there. I signed off on a full front bumper respray, fixing the one existing dent, and replacing the cracked quarter window trim pieces since one of those windows was to come out anyway. 

404 - User No Longer Available > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 11:24

1

Up to the moment the paint “repair” the used car lot did for me starting to fail.

The Dummy Gummy > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 11:28

0

I’d say it normally is about 3-4 weeks for me. Hopefully, that holds true as I just bought a new car last week.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th >   02/05/2019 at 11:34

1

Oh wow, glad it didn’t get written off! Beautiful car, love that color. Looks identical to mine except that mine is silver and a previous owner ditched the 135s somewhere along the way.

  > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 02/05/2019 at 11:48

0

Thanks! Strange that they’d go for a smaller wheel to replace them. I’m still scouring the local fb pages tying to find a fifth one for a spare. If I pop a tyre currently I’m screwed

way2blu does a rev update > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 11:54

1

I bought it as an autocross/project kind of car, but have proceeded to daily it anyway.

Way2fun not to drive as much as possible.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > The Dummy Gummy 02/05/2019 at 12:07

0

oh? What did you buy?

WRXforScience > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 12:27

0

My first 3 cars were hand-me-downs with well over 100,000 miles. The first two were sold for scrap and the third was traded in for about what it was worth in scrap.

My previous car was a 2010 WRX and I traded it in after replacing the motor due to rod knock (I think a turbo seal let go since I burned through 3qts of oil over a single day).

ZHP Sparky, the 5th >   02/05/2019 at 13:07

0

Yeah I think the current wheels were bought for a winter set up and/or for them all to be square, which I do appreciate. I’m currently in the market for a set of summer rims so I have dedicated sets for the seasons, but I think I’m going to limit myself to 17” wheels, because I don’t want to have to ditch the practically brand new set of pilot super sports that came with the car.

If I could find a set of 135s with decent rubber on them for cheap I’d go for that to bring the car back to factory spec, but those wheels are pretty hard to find and expensive so it’s probably not the best use of my money at this point.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 13:31

0

God that thing is pretty! And I love the snow nose

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > CaptDale - is secretly British 02/05/2019 at 13:33

1

haha yeah, snow, that’s definitely what that is.

All kidding aside, I did quite like how it looked with a good helping of snow on it!

CaptDale - is secretly British > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 14:37

0

Needs rally light ;)

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > CaptDale - is secretly British 02/05/2019 at 15:12

1

haha that’d be sweet + Allroad suspension.

MOARPower > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/05/2019 at 18:45

0

Still have my new to me feeling, going on 3-4 weeks now. Lovin’ it every day.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/06/2019 at 00:37

0

914 and 911 still love.

Volt just passed 14 months. I used to sit in stop and go traffic, so crawling in electric mode was great. Now I don’t have to deal with that as much so I am a bit bored and wish I had a stick.