Column: Enjoying an affordable car is still possible!
Don’t get too distracted by all the electronic and Chinese news. Because enjoying an affordable car is still possible. I’m happy to see that around me.
Incidentally, among all the leisure cars that my colleagues drive, there is still nothing electric. Not that this drive excludes driving fun, but as you can see, they are still too expensive and, above all, more functional than cheap petrol engines, which usually also offer significantly more driving fun and character.
Have fun with affordable cars
Especially classics and youngtimers. But you can also have fun in very average cars, I notice that regularly when I rent cars that are as cheap as possible. Then spend a week in a Fiat 500 Hybrid, a C3 or a Panda. These Fiats do well in the rental business and are very satisfying to drive for a regular car. Also on legendary routes like the Targa Florio, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
A Fiat Panda
Colleague Simon Fox decided, for once, not to rent a Ferrari, but to rent a Panda. No, not a classic, because that too is now becoming a cult car, but an ordinary, modern one. Despite its now somewhat expanded shapes (name the original or the first generation of the new), it’s still one of today’s smartest minis in terms of packaging and functionality.
It also rides pretty well enough to pick up some pace if used judiciously. It steers with sufficient precision and if you look closely and always cut corners on time, it follows well. Good anticipation pays off, because then you can limit braking, turn in in good time and give the car time to calm down with its slightly inclined body. And then, as in so many ordinary cars, you seem able to maintain a surprisingly high pace. It’s not a GTI or a sports car, but you can still experience driving pleasure with this affordable car. So much for the panda campaign.
A nice game
Forgive me, but I can still really enjoy those ordinary, affordable cars that make the “real” car enthusiast turn their noses up. The Targa Florio and the beautiful island of Sicily that form the basis of this heroic street race are just one of many slices of heaven on earth accessible to everyone.
The roads around the Nordschleife are also free and those who have gained enough confidence in their driving skills can buy a lap of the Green Hell for a small fee. But the Ardennes, the Vosges or even Scotland are not far away to go crazy with your own car. And that’s a tour for some, a nice game of tearing up for others.