The Ten Car Brands With The Worst Drivers
03-29-13, 08:19 PM
#1
The Ten Car Brands With The Worst Drivers
What Car Brand Has The Worst Drivers?
There are a lot of bad drivers on the road. Which brands do they gravitate to more than others?Read…
There are the kinds of drivers who make a u-turn on the highway and cut off half a dozen lanes of traffic to get to an exit. Jalopnik readers know what cars they're probably going to drive.
Welcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Every area has its own different terrible drivers, but we think we have a good national overview.
Are there other brands that draw the worst drivers that we forgot? Let us know in Kinja below.
Photo Credit: Top Gear
10.) Prius
Reader kmccauley puts the Prius problem pretty well. They're hardly even driving. it just seems like they're barely aware that they are operating a motor vehicle. And if they do have an awareness that they're driving, it's their 5th or 6th priority at that moment.
Suggested By: kmccauley
Expand9.) Minivans
No single brand sticks out, but you want to give these things some space on the highway. Reader b33g33 breaks it all down.
Minivans. There is no question that these are the most poorly driven vehicles on American roads and here are some reasons:
1. Distracted mom or dad trying to dodge cheerios, toys, urine, feces etc while also merging into the next lane.
2. Distracted mom or dad visiting the strange lands beyond the suburbs where the natives do strange things like walking on sidewalks, parking in parallel behind each other and signaling when turning.
3. Macho-man suburban dude secretly ashamed of driving mom-mobile and attempting to regain his man-card and ********* by racing every single vehicle on or off the road because his Honda/Toyota/Chevy has 250 HP! (Hey, toolbox, it also weighs 5000lbs without your fatass and no, I don't care if you beat me to the next light)
4. 'roidal teenage kid (almost always boy - because 'nads) with family minivan doing what he's seen his dad do since he was 5 (see point 3 above)
5. They are big, unwieldy and full of screaming kids. Who the hell can drive well when those things come together.
Suggested By: b33g33, Photo Credit: carloscappaticci1. Distracted mom or dad trying to dodge cheerios, toys, urine, feces etc while also merging into the next lane.
2. Distracted mom or dad visiting the strange lands beyond the suburbs where the natives do strange things like walking on sidewalks, parking in parallel behind each other and signaling when turning.
3. Macho-man suburban dude secretly ashamed of driving mom-mobile and attempting to regain his man-card and ********* by racing every single vehicle on or off the road because his Honda/Toyota/Chevy has 250 HP! (Hey, toolbox, it also weighs 5000lbs without your fatass and no, I don't care if you beat me to the next light)
4. 'roidal teenage kid (almost always boy - because 'nads) with family minivan doing what he's seen his dad do since he was 5 (see point 3 above)
5. They are big, unwieldy and full of screaming kids. Who the hell can drive well when those things come together.
Expand8.) Ram Pickups
Ram has been getting high scores (not a good thing) in the IIHS review of property damage claims since long before they stopped being Dodges.
This Pickup Driver Screwed Up A Donut And Landed On Top Of Two Boats
The 24-year-old asshat who owns this Ram pickup was arrested in Harrison Township, Mich. yesterday… Read…
Suggested By: Zekestone, Photo Credit: Ray Lievens
Expand7.) Nissan Murano
Our readers just call them "Moronos" at this point.
Suggested By: Bubs, Photo Credit: Nissan
Expand6.) Volvo
There are plenty of good, clean Volvo drivers, but then there's the whole crowd that buys them because they've already had one accident and now they feel they need a safe car to protect them in their next crash.
Suggested By: west-coaster, Photo Credit: Jack Amick
Expand5.) BMW
Despite Audi making a strong push to be the Most Bought By Douches Automobile, BMW still has more clueless, overly aggressive, and surprisingly distracted drivers. Watch out for weaving E92 coupes.
This Is Why People Think BMW M3 Drivers Are Asshats
There's been a lot of talk that Audi has replaced BMW for the car of choice for America's … Read…
Suggested By: ridered777, Photo Credit: Jalopnik
4.) Subaru WRX/STI
There are mature WRX owners out there, but some Subaru enthusiasts can't help themselves from driving like dicks. This leads to the more-than-occasional high speed traffic dissection.
This Subaru STI flew 100 feet into a building
A 20-year-old driver in Santa Fe, Texas had a yeeee-ha moment in a Subaru Impreza STI this past… Read…
Suggested By: Zergonn, Photo Credit: Santa Fe Police
Expand3.) Ferrari
Watch A Ferrari 458 Driver Run Over A New York Cop's Foot And Get His *** Kicked
Here we see an ******* get into his $257,000 Ferrari 458 and try and drive away from a ticket. The… Read…
Maybe it's because Ferraris are the first supercars rich people buy and they just don't know how to handle the power. Maybe it's because Ferraris attract a particularly 'boy racer' kind of young buyer. Either way, we're getting pretty used to seeing 458s crashed into a wall. Also, there's this guy who ran over a cop's foot.
Suggested By: Automatch, Photo Credit: AP
Expand2.) Mercedes G-Wagen
Either it's four-foot-nine ladies who can barely see over the steering wheel mashing the gas in a G55, or it's some bro who weaves through the lanes and blinds other drivers with his chrome 22s.
Suggested By: BULArmy, Photo Credit: TS Multimedia
Expand1.) Lexus RX
The Lexus RX seems to grab all the worst drivers it can, who our readers seem to find both distracted and aggressive, as GasGuzzler describes.
These are my own personal nemesis. Whenever there's an awkward gap in traffic, someone tying up the left lane, going 10 under the flow of traffic - 9/10 it's an RX driver, usually female, talking on the phone (bluetooth, yeah) with a two hand death grip on the wheel like it's their first time on an interstate. And let's not even get into the pathetic-ness that is the RX, especially the hybrid version. When 4-5 grown adults can max out the GVWR you have a problem.
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03-30-13, 08:31 AM
#9
RX drivers in my area show me its worthy to be on this list. Did I say that out loud
Prius would be #1 on my list.
As for German cars around me, everyone local to me with upscale/luxury cars are aggressive drivers but welcome to Chicago. Audi, BMW, Lexus, you name it. They will all run you off the road
Prius would be #1 on my list.
As for German cars around me, everyone local to me with upscale/luxury cars are aggressive drivers but welcome to Chicago. Audi, BMW, Lexus, you name it. They will all run you off the road
03-30-13, 09:49 AM
#10
Lexus Fanatic
#1.........Mustang V8s, especially with many younger drivers under 25. Nothing else (including Camaro/Firebird) even comes close....except for perhaps a few BMW M models. I've posted at length on that issue a number of times. Though not all Mustang jocks are idiots, I've seen enough people (mostly young) killed or injured in them over the years to conclude that it is the most addicting aggressive-driving machine in the country.
However, I do agree with at least part of this list. Subie WRX/STi and BMW (especially M models), though not as idiotic as some of the Mustang jocks, often do forget the simple rules of road-courtesy (and the laws of physics), thinking the road (and drag-racing) belongs to them, and that speed-limits are for chumps.
The idea of RX soccer-moms being too busy yakking on cell-phones for safe driving, from what I've seen, is vastly-overdone, and a somewhat inaccurate stereotype. These LX-mothers (and sometimes fathers) are often carrying children in back, and are usually concerned for their safety.
However, I do agree with at least part of this list. Subie WRX/STi and BMW (especially M models), though not as idiotic as some of the Mustang jocks, often do forget the simple rules of road-courtesy (and the laws of physics), thinking the road (and drag-racing) belongs to them, and that speed-limits are for chumps.
The idea of RX soccer-moms being too busy yakking on cell-phones for safe driving, from what I've seen, is vastly-overdone, and a somewhat inaccurate stereotype. These LX-mothers (and sometimes fathers) are often carrying children in back, and are usually concerned for their safety.
Last edited by mmarshall; 03-30-13 at 09:53 AM.
03-30-13, 09:58 AM
#11
Lexus Champion
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Add to the list anything with dealer plates on it, and older Audi A4
03-30-13, 10:45 AM
#12
^^ Love SUVs/CUVs or Utes (an Australian term - like some Falcon body styles etc.) as I like to call them. Grew up learning on an Explorer and still have her today. 2003 100k miles, never had any issues and still going strong.
That said, SUVs offer greater utility than a car can in some cases. Are they typically used for those purposes? Short answer no. 90% possibly more will never see more than a dusty dirt road once in their life time. But they are important. I can't imagine how you're going to haul a boat up to a lake without one.
It's not the car, but rather the driver. Do guns kill people? Without the shooter they wouldn't. An SUV can install a false sense of security sure, but it always comes down to the driver. I drive completely normal and don't act like a superhero in my Exploder. It doesn't handle like my IS350
In regards to styling or aesthetics, any vehicle can have poor visibility. Some of days low slung 4-door coupes have some of the worst visibility around the B and C pillars its ridiculous (though they do look sexy!) The Around View Monitor that is offered in the Infiniti QX is a really neat feature that offers a birds eye view of the vehicle and helps with visibility.
You're entitled to your opinion, but dealing absolutes will never help your case. In response to Range Rovers in ditches, most people just assume that 4WD means they'll be ok. Not really the case, as actually knowing how to drive is part of the equation, and again responsibility falls on the driver not the vehicle which is simply the tool or instrument to the user. Your little SC? Hah SC's are big, and despite them being RWD, a dedicated set of snow tires and a little confidence will have you out on the road in no time.
Lastly, for the record, the Ford Excursion is awesome
That said, SUVs offer greater utility than a car can in some cases. Are they typically used for those purposes? Short answer no. 90% possibly more will never see more than a dusty dirt road once in their life time. But they are important. I can't imagine how you're going to haul a boat up to a lake without one.
It's not the car, but rather the driver. Do guns kill people? Without the shooter they wouldn't. An SUV can install a false sense of security sure, but it always comes down to the driver. I drive completely normal and don't act like a superhero in my Exploder. It doesn't handle like my IS350
In regards to styling or aesthetics, any vehicle can have poor visibility. Some of days low slung 4-door coupes have some of the worst visibility around the B and C pillars its ridiculous (though they do look sexy!) The Around View Monitor that is offered in the Infiniti QX is a really neat feature that offers a birds eye view of the vehicle and helps with visibility.
You're entitled to your opinion, but dealing absolutes will never help your case. In response to Range Rovers in ditches, most people just assume that 4WD means they'll be ok. Not really the case, as actually knowing how to drive is part of the equation, and again responsibility falls on the driver not the vehicle which is simply the tool or instrument to the user. Your little SC? Hah SC's are big, and despite them being RWD, a dedicated set of snow tires and a little confidence will have you out on the road in no time.
Lastly, for the record, the Ford Excursion is awesome
03-30-13, 11:10 AM
#13
Lexus Fanatic
Originally Posted by Hoovey2411
It's not the car, but rather the driver. Do guns kill people? Without the shooter they wouldn't. An SUV can install a false sense of security sure, but it always comes down to the driver. I drive completely normal and don't act like a superhero in my Explorer. It doesn't handle like my IS350
In regards to styling or aesthetics, any vehicle can have poor visibility. Some of days low slung 4-door coupes have some of the worst visibility around the B and C pillars its ridiculous (though they do look sexy!)
Lastly, for the record, the Ford Excursion is awesome
At some 7000 pounds empty (three and a half tons), you had to be extremely careful with it....more so than with almost any other SUV I've ever driven, though the Suzuki Samurai was also squirrelly for other reasons, and some full-size GM trucks/SUVs had inadquate and unreliable braking-systems for several years.
Last edited by mmarshall; 03-30-13 at 11:14 AM.
03-30-13, 11:36 AM
#14
That volvo is a surprise though.
I agree with most of the dbags in the German cars, but around here, mostly it's the bmws.
Another one are the lifted trucks
I totally agree there. You can put that dbag in another car and he'll still drive like an ***.
A mad mom in a minivan is no worse than a mad mom in an suv, well maybe worst.
However, that type of car he's driving will just amplify his d-baggery
I agree with most of the dbags in the German cars, but around here, mostly it's the bmws.
Another one are the lifted trucks
I totally agree there. You can put that dbag in another car and he'll still drive like an ***.
A mad mom in a minivan is no worse than a mad mom in an suv, well maybe worst.
However, that type of car he's driving will just amplify his d-baggery
03-30-13, 11:41 AM
#15
Lexus Fanatic
The good safety-reputation of both Volvo and Mercedes products may lull some people into a false sence of security. 4WD/AWD, for instance, sometimes also does that with drivers in slick winter conditions (AWD vastly helps start-up traction and straight-line tracking in slippery conditions, but not necessarily cornering/braking)....and they pay the price.