As enthusiasts, we love to think we're right about everything all the time, but unfortunately, that isn't possible. It happens. It's fine. Of course, it would be great to never be wrong, but part of being a mature adult is changing your mind when you learn you were wrong about something. Maybe you thought Henrik Fisker had finally done it this time and were convinced the Fisker Ocean was on its way to being a huge hit. Maybe you thought other countries would pay Trump's tariffs on the cars they sell
here. No one can be right 100% of the time.
Since we can't always be right about everything, it's also healthy to talk about the things we initially got wrong. So on Wednesday, we asked you what car opinion you were most wrong about. And what do you know, there were a lot of things that you believe you got wrong. Let's take a look at some of the most popular answers.
Read more: These Cars Are Going To Age Terribly
Too Much Horsepower
"There is no such thing as too much horsepower."
As a young car owner I dreamed of owning a Viper, and loved the stories of early muscle car antics like putting money on the dash and challenging people to take it as you accelerated.
When I bought my first "powerful" car I quickly realized it's only good if you can use it. What's the point of low 0-60 times when you almost always end up stuck behind a Prius.
It's nice to have more than average for those moments when you need to pass or merge quickly, but the only thing worse than not having enough power is paying for it and never being able to use it.
Suggested by: Damien Civiello
Chevrolet Volt
I have many hot takes and hills to die alone on, but I'm clearly wrong about the Prius being superior to the Volt. It was clearly the opposite, because once I learned about how the car was designed, I realized it was a greater technological marvel than its Japanese competition.
This isn't even the thing I was most wrong about. After finding out about this and looking into all of GM's other crazy projects, it became clear to me that GM itself is an automotive engineering juggernaut that I grossly underestimated by a long shot. There's no company in this world that will give you equivalents to a Blackwing, Super Cruise, highly badge-engineered cars (looking at you Honda), or a quarter-price supercar, but lucky for us, there is one such group that exists.
Suggested by: Drift of Air
Car Enthusiasts
I used to think all car enthusiasts were cool, then I experienced the real world.
Most so called "car enthusiasts", aren't, and ruin what used to be a great hobby with nothing more than biases and other terms I'd rather not say.
And I'm not talking about street takeovers either.
Suggested by: World24
Mazda Miata
Miata, if course. In 2002 I went to a Chrysler dealership to buy a Wrangler. I drove one and hated it. On the way out, I saw a tan over white NB on the used lot. I drove it. I drove it home. I fell in love with a "hairdresser's car".
Suggested by: Jeff Purvis
Elon Musk
Elon is tony-stark-level revolutionary genius inventor and Tesla is the king of future EV with Autopilot Full-Self-Driving level 5
I've never been so wrong in my life
Suggested by: Derry
Minivans, Y'all
Don't sleep on the minivan, ya'll. I will die on this hill. I was never flat out against them, but I never intended to own one. And then one fell in our lap several years ago and we will never go back. All that space, cargo and passenger capacity, towing capacity, ease of access through the massive openings created by sliding doors and the rear hatch, and its sooo smooth to drive and just comfortable to be in. Why would anyone choose an SUV or crossover over a minivan? Who care what other people think, I'm comfy and loving it.
Suggested by: Maxis47
Plug-In Hybrids
I originally didn't see the point of plug-in hybrids with their short EV operating range. When I realized that the EV-only miles were for commuting, and you could basically EV through the week by charging at home or more until you take a longer trip, I bought one and now let my solar panels fuel my wife's daily commute.
Suggested by: Jonathan C Baker
Being Judgy
Judging someone based on what type of cars they like or choose to drive. That driving a manual makes you a "genuine" enthusiast. That anyone who chooses basic no-frills transportation is a soulless bore.
A younger, dumber, version of me was guilty of all these crimes. Now I couldn't care less.
Suggested by: Funky Dynamite
V8 Or Nothing
I have two.
1.) There's no replacement for displacement. I'm over my childish "it's got to have a V8" and realized the power a turbo 4 cylinder or a straight six can produce is plenty quick, and fuel efficient to boot.
2.) Pumped in engine sounds. I usually hate anything unauthentic (i.e., fake vents, fake air scoops, etc.) However, I now understand the benefit of pumped in engine noise. I can now pretend I'm Cole Trickle or Colin McRae to my heart's content without being obnoxious to everyone around me. My car can be silent on the outside for all I care now. Let me vroom, vroom on the inside and I'm happy.
Suggested by: Michael Tonelli
CVTs
When CVTs first came out there was a lot of negative talk about them so assumed they were a bad idea. But now I have one in my Maverick and honestly it's fine. I'm 100% satisfied with the way the truck drives and don't even give the transmission a second thought.
Suggested by: BuddyS
Bigger = Better
The very first car I ever bought with my own money was a 1996 Geo Metro. Yeah, yeah, hush. Thanks to a triangular daily route between work, school, and home that covered about 200 miles a day (Georgia is a big state), my focus was on maximum fuel efficiency. And that 3 cylinder, 5 speed manual delivered! But after a particularly close call with a semi carrying logs as I foolishly tried to merge onto I-95, I became convinced that bigger was always, in every instance, better. This partly explains why over the years I've always had SUVs and extended cab half-ton trucks, and even daily drove an OBS Ford F-250 with the 351ci Windsor V-8 for a while-about as opposite a Geo Metro as you can get.
But gradually, I matured and realized that sometimes, a small, arguably underpowered, vehicle is exactly the right tool for the job. My driveway currently hosts a 2026 Freightliner Cascadia, a 2023 Kia Forte GT, a 2015 Toyota Tacoma...and a lowly 2006 Kia Rio that makes all of 100 horsepower. And you know what? Despite having only 40 horsepower more than my 1981 Suzuki GS650G motorcycle, if I ever have to teach someone how to drive, it'll be the Rio I'll take to the lesson. It's easy to maneuver, has great visibility with almost no blind spots, and it's too weak to get an inexperienced driver into trouble. Bonus: if they somehow manage to wreck, it's a cheap car to fix.
Suggested by: Benjamin Reed
Ford Thunderbird
Mine was the last generation Ford Thunderbird. I was convinced it was somehow secretly good. I was seeing potential no one did, maybe it could very easily made amazing with the aftermarket. This was based on my having driven the platform-mates like the Lincoln LS that were decent and so were all the other parts bin stuff. They had Jagaur's help! And it was bringing back an Icon. Clearly car culture just didn't get it and Ford did.
I have test driven 2 in my life and was very wrong. They are ugly soulless pigs.
Suggested by: Jonathan Chapman
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