If you’re a new driver, then you’re probably not bored with it quite yet. You are, in fact, probably loving the freedom that having a car brings. You might be testing the limit of your car on a track, taking your time cruising along the coast or simply being used as the family taxi.

On the other hand, you might be a driver who has covered their fair share of miles. Sick of the motorway? Tired of giving the kids lifts everywhere? Well, I feel your pain. Not only that, but I’ve got some great suggestions to make your driving feel fun again:

* Buy an old car. I know this might sound nonsensical, but there’s genuinely nothing quite like an old car. If you can’t afford a classic set of wheels (most can’t), then I’d certainly recommend something with bags of character. It might cost you a little more, but it doesn’t have to. Old Mercedes vehicles for instance are known for bags of life (some have recorded over 500,000 miles) and decent levels of power to boot. Even things like old Porsche 928’s are available for a reasonable price – but you might find these cars addictive. Part of the love (for me at least) of owning a car like this is the chance to do a bit of work on it myself, and the pleasure of looking after something that still looks good even though it might be older than I am!

* Sports cars these days are getting cheaper and cheaper. It’s possible to get a Nissan 350Z here in the UK without horrendous mileages for only £12,000. It won’t even have a huge amount of miles on the clock at that price, but will provide you with a vehicle that will more than put a smile on your face. At this price range, there are a wide variety of vehicles that will offer performance – everything from mad hatchbacks with more than 180BHP all the way to practical saloons with a 0-60 of less than six seconds.

* Try driving in the way that you’re meant to according to the highway code (albeit doing things perhaps a little safer than exactly following the book would allow). You’ll find that keeping your distances from the car in front, maintaining correct lane discipline and keeping a high level of visual checks will prove to be far more challenging than your normal slouched driving. This will not only keep you safer but will provide you with some new insight into how other people drive.

* Take an alternative route to work or any other destination, you might be amazed at what you see. I actually work quite a distance from where I live – about twenty miles away. This is a reasonable drive in terms of the time is takes thanks to it mostly being motorway. On the other hand, it’s rather dull really. I once took an alternative route that took a little longer but passed far more green fields and interesting places. This point is especially relevant if you have a satellite navigation (GPS) system that has ‘points of interest’ on it. I found a variety of places when visiting a friend, including a new rural walking route!

* If you drive the car almost every day, then you might well be sick of it, whatever the performance (unless you’re driving something like an Aston Martin DB9). In which case, there is something you can do to really get a better understanding of your car and that is to thrash it around on a track. Here in the UK there are a wide variety of ‘open’ track days where you can take your own car and for a very reasonable fee race it around a track. You car will take on a whole new meaning when you’ve had it up to 100MPH on a wonderfully smooth straight.

Overall, there’s no doubt that driving can at times be a chore. We’ve all experienced the sit in traffic that can be every commuter’s worst nightmare. However, driving can be such a pleasure when you’re on a lovely open road that it can be likened to the freedom of running downhill with your hair in the wind. Enjoy your car safely and look after each other on the roads.

Related Articles

• Xbox 360 Update Bricking Consoles: Now Fixed
• Enjoy the fall
• Famous Cars Through History: Herbie
• Mac the Force Be With You …
• Wii Possibilities