Clear highway. No traffic. No exit. No reason. And the person in front of you just randomly taps the brakes. Then does it again. And again. Every single time I drive on I-95 this happens at least once. Is it anxiety? Are they half asleep? Do they not trust their own foot on the gas? What do you think is actually going on?
25 years around cars and this one still gets me. It’s a G-Class. Not a “G-Wagon.” It’s a Lamborghini. Not a “Lambo.” It’s a BMW. Not a “Beamer” or “Bimmer” or whatever people are calling it this week. These aren’t real names. The manufacturers don’t use them. The engineers don’t use them. Nobody at the dealership uses them. What fake car nickname makes you cringe the most?
25 years around cars and this one still gets me. You had one job — stop behind the car in front of you. Instead you stop half a block back and then spend the entire red light creeping forward an inch at a time. Either stop where you’re supposed to or go. Pick one. What’s the driving habit that makes you lose your mind?
Just stop where you’re supposed to and wait. You’re not going anywhere faster. The light is still red. Every single time. What’s the driving habit that makes you irrationally angry?
Squatted trucks are pretty much everyday sight in my area (NE Florida) what do you think about that? Is that like a trend or car culture like cambered cars or what it is ?
Mine was a 2019 VW Jetta. Drove it ten round trips Florida to New Jersey on I-95. Dead quiet, 40+ mpg, comfortable as hell. Thought I’d found the perfect car.
Then the oil consumption started. Carrying a bottle in the trunk “just in case” is not normal. Sold it to Carvana and never looked back.
Turns out what I actually needed was boring reliability, not highway comfort. Learned that lesson the expensive way.
What car changed how you think about what you actually want?
I’ll go first. Bought a 2019 VW Jetta — first year of a complete redesign. Didn’t know that meant first year of untested engineering. 11 NHTSA recalls later and a dealer who dismissed an oil consumption problem twice without running a single test, I learned: never buy the first model year of a redesign. Ever.
What’s your rule — the thing you know now that you wish someone told you before you signed?
Bought a 2019 VW Jetta fleet vehicle with 24,000 miles. Good price, great fuel economy, comfortable on long highway drives. Seemed like a smart buy.
By 50,000 miles I was carrying oil in the trunk. The dealer dismissed me twice without running a formal consumption test. VW’s own manual says burning a quart per 1,200 miles is “normal.” I disagree.
Sold it and moved on. The warning signs were there — first year of a complete redesign, 11 NHTSA recalls — I just didn’t know what to look for at the time.
What’s yours? And what would you tell someone about to make the same mistake?
Full breakdown with what to check before buying one used: https://spotforcars.com/2019-volkswagen-jetta-problems/
Most people’s dream road trip car looks great on paper and would make them miserable by hour 6. Supercar seats weren’t designed for Montana highways. Range anxiety is a real buzzkill in the middle of nowhere.
So what’s the actual answer — unlimited budget, you’re driving coast to coast, what are you in?
I’ll go first. 25 years around cars changes how you think about this. You stop chasing horsepower numbers and start thinking about what you’d actually enjoy every single day.
My answer surprises people. What’s yours?
I’ll go first. After 25 years around cars — skipping the Lamborghini. I’d grab a loaded Land Cruiser and a Porsche 911. One for real life, one for the fun. Reliable, capable, no drama.
Most people say Ferrari or Bugatti. Nobody actually wants to daily a car they’re scared to park. What’s yours — the honest answer, not the Instagram answer?
I’ll start — walked into a VW dealer in Florida with a legitimate oil consumption complaint on my 2019 Jetta. Took it in twice. Never got a single test performed. Just “come back at your next oil change.” Sold the car shortly after.
What’s yours?
*2020 Honda Insight — 156,000 miles. Still on the original brake pads. Not a single mechanical failure.*
*But I want to hear the legends. The 300k Corollas. The half million Volvo wagons. The F-150 that just won't die.*
*What's yours, and what was the secret — luck, maintenance, or just pure stubbornness?*
2020 Honda Insight — 156,000 miles. Still on the original brake pads. Not a single mechanical failure.
But I want to hear the legends. The 300k Corollas. The half million Volvo wagons. The F-150 that just won't die.
What's yours, and what was the secret — luck, maintenance, or just pure stubbornness?
I'll start both sides.
Then: Manual choke on a rear-engine Škoda 120 in a Polish winter. You didn't start the car — you negotiated with it every single morning.
Now: Brake hold. I feel personally offended every time I drive a car without it.
What's yours?