Driving has suddenly turned punishing

I still enjoy long driving trips, but we're tending to go for shorter days and stopping to see more things along the way rather than just a banzai straight through. My wife doesn't care for the long trips anywhere near as much. We drive from Washington to Phoenix once or twice a year. The route makes a big difference - going through eastern Oregon and Nevada or east of the Sierra in California is great, almost no traffic. Taking I-5 through California is awful, never get to settle in and just drive. This year we took the really long slow way back, all the way up Highway 1 along the coast.



No issues yet with comfort, although we usually drive my Tacoma pickup so it's easy to carry camping equipment and mountain bikes - but not exactly a luxury ride. Audio books also make the miles fly by.


Looking at a long driving trip as far north as possible in Canada this year - that will be a long one, but we'll take a few months for that.
 
I haven’t driven or even ridden in a current model, but our old (2008) Honda Pilot is a great road car. No problem cruising at highway speeds for 8 hours or so. At 170,000 miles it is just as nice as when new.
 
Out of Steam said:
We're just a few months into retirement, having moved away from our old home this year. I've always been comfortable with long-distance driving (up to 500 miles one-way), and we have taken several road trips this fall.

This week's trip was just punishing, even though we were less than 300 miles from home. Weather and traffic were both OK. Having moved away from the Northeast Corridor, highway speeds are much faster on trips to the south, often over 75 mph. Both road noise and ride quality (too soft/floaty) were issues, and I ended up limiting my speed to about 70 mph. The only vehicles I passed were box trucks and boat trailers.

My current car is a 2015 Subaru Legacy with just over 120K miles; the tires have about 40K, and look like they could go another 20-25K. I've never loved the ride, but found it well-suited to my old commute, and had planned to keep it about two more years. Our adult daughter has always found this Subaru quease-inducing.

I certainly didn't plan to buy a car in my first year of retirement, and am concerned that a more comfortable replacement would be $30K plus, even a couple of years old. I'm not sure I like our current car enough to spend money on tire/strut/suspension changes for comfort reasons. Renting a newer/quieter, perhaps luxury, vehicle for our next road trip seems like a reasonable thing to try.

Though I'm not really sure it's a car issue, perhaps it's anxiety or environmental sensitivity instead. I rejected an otherwise-suitable house during our pre-move search because of a low hum from an industrial area not far away, which my wife didn't notice at all.

Has anyone else had a sudden change in attitude towards driving at retirement? Or am I feeling an entry in the Blow that Dough thread coming on?
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I just went through this with a 2016 Honda CRV, the road noise drove me nuts. It was a lease and I couldn’t wait to get rid of it. We leased a Mazda CX-5, seems quieter and the ride is better.

One thing I’ll say is that as I age even little noises seem to be exaggerated. My hearing seems to be failing a bit trying to pay attention with group conversations but little noises around the house drive me crazy. Wife doesn’t seem bothered by any of it. I guess that’s her selective hearing gift.
 
SonofCohoes said:
I just went through this with a 2016 Honda CRV, the road noise drove me nuts. It was a lease and I couldn’t wait to get rid of it. We leased a Mazda CX-5, seems quieter and the ride is better.

One thing I’ll say is that as I age even little noises seem to be exaggerated. My hearing seems to be failing a bit trying to pay attention with group conversations but little noises around the house drive me crazy. Wife doesn’t seem bothered by any of it. I guess that’s her selective hearing gift.
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+1 on the Mazda CX-5.
I am done with Honda, but more about my experiences with 2 of their dealerships.
 
Out of Steam said:
Has anyone else had a sudden change in attitude towards driving at retirement? Or am I feeling an entry in the Blow that Dough thread coming on?
Click to expand...

I vote for "blow that dough". In retirement I am enjoying driving in comfortable cars. The loss of the ability to drive will be a major blow to my independence, so I intend to drive as long as I safely can.

This morning I drove to the Toyota dealership to get a car its regular maintenance. It is less than a mile from the location of my former Megacorp office that I used to commute to. I scheduled and early morning appointment so drove during the rush hour. Despite the traffic I felt calm and relaxed. Perhaps the combination of both a comfortable car, not having an urgent need to be anywhere and not worrying about job/career issues made the difference. :)
 
I know they are pricey but my 2015 Lexus RX 350 SUV is the quietest most comfortable car I have ever ridden in. We went on a long trip in it last summer and it was a joy.
 
pb4uski said:
Interesting. We have a 2016 Outback and it is a great road car.
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Same here - we just returned from our annual 1500 mile (each way) trip with our 2017 Outback with no problems at all. In 2018, we did a 3-week, 4000+ mile trip from the East Coast to Yellowstone and back (with many detours) and thoroughly enjoyed it (I'm the only driver on these trips)
 
Granted, my Prius is not cushy, and is only “quiet” on very smooth pavement, and my creaky back, hips, and knees get cranky after about eight hours, but the major problems are more external:

- Overcrowding. One example is I-40 between Little Rock and Memphis. Traffic from I-30, which ends in LR, merges with I-40 going east, and just west of Memphis, I-55 dumps some of its traffic going west. Another is I-65, which is great in KY, with six lanes, but north of Nashville, at least, all the way to the KY border, and beyond KY in IN it’s only four lanes (though IN is slowly widening it, at least to Indianapolis), which results in too much traffic in close proximity, requiring one to be constantly alert, causing extra fatigue.

- Too many trucks, many apparently driven by folks who shouldn’t be... Trucks passing, at precisely 0.5 mph faster than the passee, thus clogging traffic for several miles. And often the trucker trying to pass will decide to cut you off, rather than wait ten more seconds for you to pass. And, aside from trucks driving too slow, and clogging the passing lane, you have others trying to drive eighty...

- Hate to complain about repairs or adding capacity, but miles and miles of barreled/barricaded down to one narrow, uneven lane driving is both nerve wracking and dangerous.

- Crappy or non-existant signage. Nothing like having to do a kamikaze lane change because your exit is to the left...

At least on the “open” road, you can set the cruise, and relax a bit.
 
HFWR said:
- Hate to complain about repairs or adding capacity, but miles and miles of barreled/barricaded down to one narrow, uneven lane driving is both nerve wracking and dangerous.
Click to expand...

Sounds like it is time for states to start adding special taxes for Hybrids and Full Electrics to fix the roads so that they can participate in their renewal.
 
Trucks barreling past me...I like the states that limit commercial trucks to 60 mph...
 
HFWR said:
Granted, my Prius is not cushy, and is only “quiet” on very smooth pavement, and my creaky back, hips, and knees get cranky after about eight hours, but the major problems are more external:

- Overcrowding. One example is I-40 between Little Rock and Memphis. Traffic from I-30, which ends in LR, merges with I-40 going east, and just west of Memphis, I-55 dumps some of its traffic going west. Another is I-65, which is great in KY, with six lanes, but north of Nashville, at least, all the way to the KY border, and beyond KY in IN it’s only four lanes (though IN is slowly widening it, at least to Indianapolis), which results in too much traffic in close proximity, requiring one to be constantly alert, causing extra fatigue.

- Too many trucks, many apparently driven by folks who shouldn’t be... Trucks passing, at precisely 0.5 mph faster than the passee, thus clogging traffic for several miles. And often the trucker trying to pass will decide to cut you off, rather than wait ten more seconds for you to pass. And, aside from trucks driving too slow, and clogging the passing lane, you have others trying to drive eighty...

- Hate to complain about repairs or adding capacity, but miles and miles of barreled/barricaded down to one narrow, uneven lane driving is both nerve wracking and dangerous.

- Crappy or non-existant signage. Nothing like having to do a kamikaze lane change because your exit is to the left...

At least on the “open” road, you can set the cruise, and relax a bit.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen open road in years. Traveling up and down 95 from NY to NC is a drag.
 
HFWR said:
Try west Texas. Mile and miles of miles and miles...
Click to expand...

I'd rather have miles and miles than that abuse of driving down I95 or even I75 now that I'm older. Same roads with more and more traffic. I will certainly admit that I was wrong when I swore off flying a few years back.
 
>> Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeWras View Post
We're on pins and needles here!
Here you go - and looks like it isn't a 2017...:

(link) New auto safety tech - do you use it?>>

Sorry I didn't answer - I don't check the forums on a regular basis. I honestly didn't think it mattered. As you can read on the link, I had very specific criteria and what matters to me is not necessarily going to matter to anyone else.

1) I love to drive. And I love to drive fast. Yeah, I got a speeding ticket while I still had my learner's permit, LOL. Fortunately, most of us drive pretty fast around here anyway (snicker).

2) Apologies, it is indeed a 2018 model. I test drove it twice in 2016/2017 while doing research but the Sync3 infotainment system was not going to be standard until the 2018 model. Some of the later 2017 models did have the Sync3 system installed but the dealer couldn't guarantee it for me.

Thus, although we had the funds in early 2017 all ready to purchase, we had to hold off until the 2018s started arriving mid-year. Even then, because I did not want the extremely popular moonroof, I had to special order the SUV so it took another 2 mos. before we finally received it. So altho it is a 2018 model, we purchased it in 2017.

3) It is the Ford Edge Sport (now replaced by the Ford Edge ST). Twin-turbo V6 with 315hp and 350 pound-feet torque. In Sport mode it goes 0-60 in 5.7 seconds. If you lived in the hills, where all the freeway entrance ramps start with a 90-degree turn and then go uphill for less than 250 feet before merging into traffic going 65 mph in the slow lane, you'll understand that the 157hp 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe and 247hp 2010 Ford Fusion we owned previously were quite a bit frustrating!

Safety features (specifically called the Technology Pkg) were extremely important to me. Thus I dumped the moonroof (which I dislike anyway) at $1200 for the Tech Pkg, which was the same cost. A much better use of our funds, IMHO.

Safety features:
• rearview camera
• Ford MyKey, which lets you set speed and volume limits for secondary drivers
• blind spot monitoring
• rear cross traffic alert
• 180-degree parking camera systems (front & rear)
• forward collision warning
• automatic emergency braking**
• automatic high beams
• rear parking sensors
• parallel park assist
• lane keep assist
• adaptive cruise control
**AEB on the 2018 Edge is not an automatic system; it is actually an automatic warning system. I prefer this, as true AEB systems can suffer from annoying "false alarms"

Also:
- 1-Touch Memory seat positions (including steering wheel position) for up to 3 drivers; EasyEntry seating once engine is turned off. When the car is started again the driver's seat returns to the last position used.
- Voice Commands on Sync3 infotainment system (leased from BMW/VW, I believe). Not quite as good as Hyundai's newest system, but much better than Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Mercedes, or Lexus (yeah, I test drove those, too).
- Actual dials/rocker bars for the most commonly used actions: temperature, vent speed, heat/AC/defrost - or, you can use the Voice Commands.
- If you live in Mediterranean climates, you will soon discover that on long trips, heated seats are a very minor feature but AIR-CONDITIONED seats are a lifesaver! Now I wonder how I could ever live without them, especially on jammed-up freeways (which fortunately, we don't have to encounter much, being retired).
- Remote hatch open/close. Yes, you can do the stupid foot wiggle thing, but why? Then you have to get out of the way before the hatch hits you - because if it even lightly bumps into something, the safety programming stops it dead. Then you have to fiddle with the close/open to reset it. Far easier to just use the fob, which works from 25' away.
- Remote start. I LOVE this feature. I warm up the car for a few minutes before we start driving, because we literally live 2 blocks from the freeway; as I mentioned above, it's 65mph to enter and I'm at 75mph within two lane changes.

The Sport mode handling is amazing. The Sport has almost no "sway" when cornering - in fact, it dives into curves like a sportscar. Our best friend loves cars, trucks, and motorcycles. I let her take the Sport out onto a back country road and she could not believe how fast it could take that windy road!

She was throwing it around like a Miata and I finally had to mention that ummm, this was in fact a 5,000 lb., 6-foot tall SUV she was driving (I think my spouse had his eyes squeezed shut by this time, sitting in the back seat).

The Edge is built on the Fusion platform. Well-tested and above average reliability. The Ecoboost engine has been also well-tested in the Ford truck line.

One thing to keep in mind regarding ANY new car - statistics on reliability include complaints about the infotainment systems, and apparently those now do form the majority of complaints. So make sure when you test drive that car, you are comfortable with using the system, including WHILE you're driving.*

* I assume most new cars are similar to the Edge; certain features are disabled once a certain speed is reached. For example, you can change various controls on the GPS system, but you cannot enter a new destination unless the car is in Park, thus avoiding driver distraction.

Best of all, I love the color (and so does everyone else who sees it). Kind of a metallic caramel that changes slightly according to the light:
2018-Ford-EcoSport-Canyon-Ridge-Exterior-Color_o.jpg
 
Last edited:
jollystomper said:
I vote for "blow that dough". In retirement I am enjoying driving in comfortable cars. The loss of the ability to drive will be a major blow to my independence, so I intend to drive as long as I safely can.
Click to expand...

I'm hoping to delay that chunk of dough going out the door until 2022, especially since there's nothing on the market that has my interest right now.
 
Out of Steam said:
Spent some time looking over my Subaru yesterday and found that the rear tires were quite cupped or scalloped, suggesting a problem with the rear suspension. It wasn't hard to find once I ran my hands over the tire tread.

https://www.cartalk.com/content/are-cupped-tires-safe-be-traveling

This would explain the problems of both poor ride and road noise.
Click to expand...

That's really interesting! For a 5 year old car, I'm surprised you have issues. However, I've heard plenty of stories about Subbies needing wheel bearings. Not sure about struts and shocks and their reliability.

So far, so good for my 10 year subbie. But I need to keep an eye on the suspension.

BTW, have you ever driven next to a car with a "bouncing wheel?" It is wild! On long trips, when DW is driving, I'll look around. Every now and then you'll see a car with a wheel that is just so out of balance, with completely shot struts, and the wheel is just going crazy. It is amazing the people are actually driving without running off the road. I can see how this behavior would lead to cupping.
 
JoeWras said:
That's really interesting! For a 5 year old car, I'm surprised you have issues. However, I've heard plenty of stories about Subbies needing wheel bearings. Not sure about struts and shocks and their reliability.


<SNIP>


BTW, have you ever driven next to a car with a "bouncing wheel?" It is wild! On long trips, when DW is driving, I'll look around. Every now and then you'll see a car with a wheel that is just so out of balance, with completely shot struts, and the wheel is just going crazy.
Click to expand...


Car has close to 125K miles, so it isn't a huge surprise. Both rear wheel bearings have been replaced, at 80 and 100K miles.

Yes, I have seen the bouncing wheel several times. It's hard to believe people drive that way. I suspect the really visible ones are either a missing or broken strut. Hard to believe it would simply be a leak or weakness in the strut.
 
In my working years, I averaged 1000 miles per week plus working 40 hours on top of travel time. And I've had well over 100 new cars. I once had Virginia and Louisiana as territories--living in Atlanta area.

When ER came, I also retired from long distance travel. And after traveling so many places for work, I have no desire to take domestic vacations anywhere. We're just over 2 hours from 4 large cities, and I've only made one trip in 5 years to my home town.

And since we're raising an 8 year old granddaughter that gets car sick, we just run the hour back and forth to our lake house and over to the NE GA mountains where we keep a fifth wheel trailer. 300 miles is far enough for us.
 
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