What's you favorite automotive myth to debunk?

"TheOnelectronic" (theoneelectronic) 12/21/2014 at 03:18 • Filed to: None

3

38

You know; those things that "everyone knows" yet are wrong?

For me, it'd have to be the "They don't build 'em like they used to" argument, where it's said that because old cars were made of American, God-fearing steel, and lots of it, that they were far safer than these silly mocha-frappucino-sippin' crumple-zonin' tin can cars they sell today.

If the above gif does not make my point adequately, you can watch more from this test here:

Bluecold > TheOnelectronic 12/21/2014 at 03:23

2

'torque wins races'

power does.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > TheOnelectronic 12/21/2014 at 03:23

2

That Saab or Audi made the first Turbo charged cars..

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Bluecold 12/21/2014 at 03:34

2

Well depends on the type of race but generally, ya power

GhostZ > TheOnelectronic 12/21/2014 at 03:43

3

That a new, cheap car is better than a used, more expensive car.

Alternatively, that you NEED AWD for FWD even if you never get more than 3" of snow, or that RWD is horrible on all surfaces.

Alex from Toronto > TheOnelectronic 12/21/2014 at 03:45

1

"American cars only use plastic"

Ugh no

Everyone uses plastic.

CRider > GhostZ 12/21/2014 at 03:46

7

Or, that a used Mercedes AMG is affordable just because the price is in line with a new Ford Camry.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > TheOnelectronic 12/21/2014 at 03:46

4

The Bronco is not coming back!

Also, the myth someone drives "x" vehicle, so they are clearly compensating. Some people have different tastes, that doesn't mean their penis is small.

CRider > Bluecold 12/21/2014 at 03:52

0

What do you have without torque? (A Honda)

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > CRider 12/21/2014 at 03:56

0

Or a bike :P

CRider > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 12/21/2014 at 04:15

0

They make up for it by weighing next to nothing.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > CRider 12/21/2014 at 04:16

0

Indeed, and some bikes have quite a bit of torque indeed if I'm honest :)

GhostZ > CRider 12/21/2014 at 04:42

1

Agreed, the knife cuts both ways. Perhaps it would be better to say that used cars are not always broken down unreliable junk and that New Cars are not always secure and reliable.

Bluecold > CRider 12/21/2014 at 05:21

0

you probably have a higher ratio gearbox. You know you can multiply torque with a gearbox right? You can't multiply power with a gearbox. It is so simple that it boggles the mind people still believe you need torque. You need a big powerband as well. Peaky engines aren't as fast as expected based on their max power because their powerband isn't large, so the total energy they can put in a car while revving out a gear is smaller. Uneducated people think that the engine with the most torque won, but in reality the engine with the biggest 'swept' area under the power curve won.

Babz > TheOnelectronic 12/21/2014 at 05:22

3

"I've pulled a sweet ass drift yesterday in my -insert name of FWD car here-"

Having to explain this is physiclly impossible makes me cringe a lot.

whatisthatsound > TheOnelectronic 12/21/2014 at 06:40

0

The cars I drive are mine, not my parents.

Explaining to people a car doesn't just go from point A to B. The amount of time and money spent on cars we should enjoy them.

Brian Silvestro > TheOnelectronic 12/21/2014 at 07:06

3

"Ya gotta let ur car warm up before you can start drivin' it"

TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts > TheOnelectronic 12/21/2014 at 08:07

0

That video makes me cringe every time. Im not a chevy guy but that hurts. Just like I cant watch Mythbusters anymore.

Connor > Brian Silvestro 12/21/2014 at 08:48

0

If you think I want to get into a car with an internal temperature of 19 degrees every morning, you got another thing coming, Buddy!

I jest, but the main reason to warm up a car is to warm up the cabin.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > GhostZ 12/21/2014 at 09:02

0

+1 on debunking the "RWD is dangerous" myth.

John Norris (AngryDrifter) > TheOnelectronic 12/21/2014 at 09:43

1

... that a 1959 Impala weighs more than a 2009 Malibu because of all that American, God-fearing steel.

Brian Silvestro > Connor 12/21/2014 at 10:25

1

Eh I just deal with it.

fhrblig > TheOnelectronic 12/21/2014 at 10:29

1

"RWD is terrible in the snow."

I believed everyone that told me this, and they were full of shit. I loved driving my 2WD Ranger in the snow. Sure, the back end could kick out sometimes, but the motions felt way more predictable and I could correct it without much thought.

tromoly > Bluecold 12/21/2014 at 11:27

0

But if you look at the vehicle dynamics behind acceleration, they use Torque, not Horsepower.

Bluecold > tromoly 12/21/2014 at 11:40

0

instantaneous, yes. But total acceleration is energy added to the car. Which is horsepower by time.

tromoly > Bluecold 12/21/2014 at 11:56

0

Right, but isn't Horsepower a function of Torque and engine RPM? So if you have two engines that have the same RPM range, whichever engine has a higher torque curve will have more power. Am I reading that correctly?

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts 12/21/2014 at 11:57

0

Imagine all the C4's that have been destroyed.

44444444444 > TheOnelectronic 12/21/2014 at 12:08

0

Volvos are slow.

Volvos are fast. Even the LPT ones haul ass...

Take someone in a V70R and watch as they get shoved into the amazingly comfortable seats.

CRider > Bluecold 12/21/2014 at 16:25

0

High power/low torque engines are the peaky ones. Your argument makes no sense. A good powerband is the direct result of having torque.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 12/21/2014 at 16:33

0

Dynacorn is making 60's Bronco shells so they are back!

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > fhrblig 12/21/2014 at 16:34

0

Very true. I was almost always in 2wd in my Jeep in the snow... I only put it in 4x4 for braking — it helped to keep the front wheels from locking — or in fairly deep (6"+) snow. Going to an AWD (open diffs all around and no computer aids) car, it's so much less predictable... No guarantees of more traction off the line cause you only need to get one wheel spinning. Not to mention it's got all the oversteering tendencies of RWD and all the understeering tendencies of FWD, and there's no way to predict which combination you'll get in which situation as a different combination of wheels will break traction every time.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 12/21/2014 at 16:35

1

Yup. Oldsmobile FTW.

Bluecold > CRider 12/21/2014 at 16:37

0

No, your 'a good powerband is the direct result of having torque' is the one that just isn't true.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 12/21/2014 at 16:39

0

You know what I mean.

TheOnelectronic > fhrblig 12/21/2014 at 19:17

1

Conversely, that FWD is good in the snow. I've driven a RWD car and a FWD car in similar conditions on the same snow tires, and I much prefer the RWD.

TheOnelectronic > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 12/21/2014 at 19:18

0

It's all about that weight transfer; if you're understeering, dab the brakes with your left foot. If you're oversteering, stay on the throttle.

Bad72AMX > TheOnelectronic 12/21/2014 at 22:53

0

It kills me that they crashed any classic, much less one in as nice a shape as that Impy. But I wish they would've chosen anything else to get a real taste of crash worthiness. The Imp they used has an X frame, which means it has little support against that folding action shown. I think a full framed vehicle or even a unibody would have been much stronger.

thebigbossyboss > TheOnelectronic 01/06/2015 at 14:57

0

The Prius is an environmentally friendly car.

TheOnelectronic > thebigbossyboss 01/06/2015 at 15:07

1

Agreed