Heck...riding in the country in a stock diesel Vanagon is not "calming"
either, unless you enjoy being flipped-off and yelled at and having a couple
of close calls from frustrated impatient unsafe passers every mile or so. (I
base this on only one day of riding around in the North County of San Diego,
Ca. in a diesel Westie, so ...)

  Each of us Vanagon owners have our own 'style'..Some love to whizz down
the highway in their 6-banger turbo Subie vans, some like to climb Half Dome
in their Syncros, some like to drift along on very little fuel...it's all
good, I guess...

  My Vanagon is calming to drive when I am way out in the country...The
wide-open spaces of the Western US just make me calm...and the Vanagon feels
right for that.  Driving through rush hour in Portland or traversing greater
LA?  Maybe in a chaufer driven stretch Humvee Limo I might be 'calm' but
even my vanagon with a Lyle Lovett tape and other 'assists'...I hate that
kinda driving...
  Don Hanson
On Thu, Aug 19, 2010 at 7:18 PM, Jason <uberhare@gmail.com> wrote:

> Has anyone else ever driven a stock diesel Vanagon through rush hour
> traffic?  Now that's not very calming.... :) Darn right frustrating!!
>
> Jason
>
>
> On Thu, Aug 19, 2010 at 8:39 PM, Christopher Berchin <ctbtyper@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> > For me, no, it isn't calming.  But I do generally have a stupid grin on
> my face
> > while I drive it.  :)  I own and have driven many nicer cars than my bus,
> but I
> > still smile when I drive it.  It's just fun.  But who am I telling that
> to...
> > :)
> >
> >
> >  Chris
> >
>