5 Embarrassing Misconceptions We’ve All Had About Cars
We’ve all been young and foolish, especially when it comes to cars. There are just so many of them, and they all sport different terminology and different features… it can get very confusing at time. Growing up around cars and other young’ns, rumours about what certain things mean and how things work travel quickly, and soon we’ve all got several misconceptions. Growing up, this becomes quite embarrassing… Reddit was good enough to start the discussion, so let’s list them.
1. Top Speed On The Speedo
Surely we all thought this at some point? If a speedometer of a car goes up to 140mph, then that’s its top speed, right? I think most people have gone through the disappointment of finding out your friend’s dad’s car has a larger speedo than your dad’s. Obviously, this isn’t the case, but before the world of Google, it was the logical option.
2. 4-speed 4Matic
There are several fancy names of all-wheel drive systems being used by manufacturers at the moment. Audi uses Quattro, BMW has X-Drive, and Mercedes has the most confusing name in the world: 4Matic. I think a lot of us have at some point been embarrassed to find out that it meant AWD over a 4-speed automatic gearbox. Oops.
3. Turbo Just Means Fast
When the name of a car includes the word ‘turbo’, it’s usually because the engine is turbocharged. But growing up without the knowledge of what a turbo is or how it works, the word alone makes the car sound very cool and very fast. I even once slapped a turbo badge on my pushbike and told all my friends it was turbo. Everyone believed me. While Porsche may now use the word ‘turbo’ to make a car seem fast (see the Taycan), most others are just stating what’s under the bonnet.
4. Scary Dashboard Buttons
When you’re new to driving after getting your own car for the first time, it can be daunting looking over the sea of buttons of your very own dashboard. If you see a button with ‘reset’ written on it, I’d bet you $20 you had to think twice about pressing it. The trip reset button is commonly thought to reset the mileage of your car (and not just the trip mileage) so new drivers will shy away from it.
Ever taken a photo of your odometer just in case? You’re not the only one…
5. Mustang and Camaros have Insane Price Tags
They’re so fast and so cool, especially from the eyes of a child, so of course we all thought Mustangs and Camaros had a similar price tag to supercars. Plus, before we all knew our Top Trumps cards like the back of our hands, we thought they were as fast, too. Of course, these days they are.
Got your own embarrassing story that you want to share with us? Of course you have! Let us know in the comments below.
