7 Automotive Myths and Lies People Still Believe
Remember when Frau Farbissina in Austin Powers would scream, “LIES!” every time someone made a disparaging remark? This is how we feel when we hear yet another person talking about how there “ain’t no replacement for displacement” or how oil changes need to be conducted every 3,000 miles in order to keep a car’s engine from exploding.
Khodrocar - The internet has given myths and misinformation a new home, with "trustworthy forum sources” replacing common sense and good old-fashioned research. Many people still believe handmade vehicles are superior to robot-built automobiles and that tire compounds don’t matter as long as they fit the wheel.
No one seems to read anymore. And when they do, it always seems like gossip is more of a priority than properly sourced information. On the flip side, some car owners tend to err on the side of caution too much, over-servicing their vehicles and following false maintenance schedules set in place by greedy corporations and dealerships.
Whatever the cause, we feel it’s time to expose a few of the more gregarious automotive myths and lies people still believe. In the autos realm, myths tend to focus on false information passed down generation to generation. Lies, on the other hand, are intentionally contrived to deceive, often to garner a particular reaction or to swindle someone out of some money. Don’t fall for falsehoods, people. Misinformation is everywhere, and here are 7 prime examples of fallacies too many people believe.
No one seems to read anymore. And when they do, it always seems like gossip is more of a priority than properly sourced information. On the flip side, some car owners tend to err on the side of caution too much, over-servicing their vehicles and following false maintenance schedules set in place by greedy corporations and dealerships.
Whatever the cause, we feel it’s time to expose a few of the more gregarious automotive myths and lies people still believe. In the autos realm, myths tend to focus on false information passed down generation to generation. Lies, on the other hand, are intentionally contrived to deceive, often to garner a particular reaction or to swindle someone out of some money. Don’t fall for falsehoods, people. Misinformation is everywhere, and here are 7 prime examples of fallacies too many people believe.
Aluminum can’t be as safe as steel
Other automakers might make jabs at Ford over its use of high-strength aluminum, saying it’s inferior to steel. But there is plenty of proof that states otherwise. After Chevrolet aired a commercial showing the aluminum beds of Ford trucks sustaining significant damage from things, such as empty toolboxes, Forbes did some investigating. "Ford and third-party quality surveys show that more than 99% of F-150 customers have no issues with their cargo boxes,” a Ford spokesman told Forbes.
Forbes reported on an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study, showing Ford’s aluminum F-150 was the safest pickup in the segment. During crash testing, the extended SuperCab F-150 outperformed competitive trucks from Chevrolet, GMC, Toyota, and Ram, debunking the myth that the use of aluminum makes a vehicle less safe.
Korean cars are crap
Many people are still oblivious that some of the best cars on the road today are from Korea. With famed German engineers and designers from companies such as BMW and Audi on the roster at Hyundai and Kia, as well as permanent facilities taking root at places such as Nürburgring, performance and quality have become an integral part of Korean car manufacturing.
Long gone are the days of sub-par reliability, cheap materials, and ugly interiors. Still don’t believe us? J.D. Power awarded Kia the top spot in 2016 for having the best initial quality out of any other automaker.
Hybrids are slow
Back when the first-generation Prius emerged on the scene and the original Honda Insight was still powered by a 1.0-liter motor, the claim that hybrids were slow was rightfully founded. But in recent years, this notion has been turned on its head, with electrified versions of the RAV4 and Lexus 450h proving hybrids can indeed be more powerful than their gas-powered counterparts.
Modern hybrid battery systems are lighter, more efficient, and more powerful than ever, translating to more speed. Fortunately, because electricity provides instantaneous energy, the myths surrounding sluggish hybrid speeds have begun to disappear as new technologies come to market.
All SUVs are rollover risks
It used to be that SUVs offered unrivaled crash protection but were prone to flipping over, regardless of whether they were a Jeep Wagoneer or a Suzuki Samurai. But thanks to modern traction control systems, electronically moderated all-wheel drive configurations, and even torque vectoring, today’s SUVs have almost completely overcome this Achilles heel. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of larger vehicles on the market today that can flip, so don’t expect any guarantees when a massive wind gust hits you at 90 miles per hour.
AWD makes you invincible to the elements
How many times have you seen a 4×4 stuck in the snow or an all-wheel drive vehicle beached in the sand? Even with power hitting all four corners, poor tire choices, aging suspension components, minimal traction settings, and extreme ice can render a vehicle useless.
Drivers often believe that 4×4 features will make them unstoppable. In actuality, they’re still at Mother Nature’s mercy. So regardless of whether you are behind the wheel of the latest symmetrical all-wheel drive Subaru or a differential-filled Ford Raptor, remember there are always limitations to what you can do.
V6s can’t be as powerful as V8s
Thank you, Ford, for helping to dispel V6 myths. Although quite a few Japanese automakers tried desperately to boost interest in twin-turbo technology in the 1980s and 1990s, it was the Blue Oval that got this advancement to stick. Yes, the GT-R is awesome, and the new NSX is astonishing. But people still don’t believe they can match a big-block V8.
The second-generation Ford GT harnesses 647 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque via a mid-mounted V6. And they aren’t the only ones replacing V8 engines for more efficient, smaller substitutes. Ever since Nissan announced the birth of variable compression engines in 2016, we’ve wondered whether the V8 will someday become obsolete. Turbo and hybrid advancements support those musings.
Horsepower is more important than torque
Jay Leno said it best: "Horsepower sells cars, but torque wins races.” And the man is right. For decades, Americans have been duped into believing myths that extreme horsepower numbers win both bragging rights and drag races. But it’s actually torque they should be praising.
Having a ton of twist on tap to seamlessly feed into top end thrust is one of the main reasons why cars, such as the Chevy Camaro SS, rocked our world in 2016. Don’t buy into the myths that high horsepower will always make you fast. More often than not, those types of engines will benefit primarily during interstate action.
Don’t place car batteries on the ground
Modern batteries are encased in a special kind of polypropylene plastic that doubles as an electrical insulator. Once paired with the latest advancements in seals and vent systems, it virtually eliminates electrolyte seepage and migration. Interstate Batteries has a great write-up on the subject, saying all those old myths about not leaving your battery on a concrete floor are now completely irrelevant. The days of wooden battery cases, glass jars, and porous rubber structures are long gone. Hopefully myths about ruining batteries this way will someday disappear, as well.
Other automakers might make jabs at Ford over its use of high-strength aluminum, saying it’s inferior to steel. But there is plenty of proof that states otherwise. After Chevrolet aired a commercial showing the aluminum beds of Ford trucks sustaining significant damage from things, such as empty toolboxes, Forbes did some investigating. "Ford and third-party quality surveys show that more than 99% of F-150 customers have no issues with their cargo boxes,” a Ford spokesman told Forbes.
Forbes reported on an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study, showing Ford’s aluminum F-150 was the safest pickup in the segment. During crash testing, the extended SuperCab F-150 outperformed competitive trucks from Chevrolet, GMC, Toyota, and Ram, debunking the myth that the use of aluminum makes a vehicle less safe.
Korean cars are crap
Many people are still oblivious that some of the best cars on the road today are from Korea. With famed German engineers and designers from companies such as BMW and Audi on the roster at Hyundai and Kia, as well as permanent facilities taking root at places such as Nürburgring, performance and quality have become an integral part of Korean car manufacturing.
Long gone are the days of sub-par reliability, cheap materials, and ugly interiors. Still don’t believe us? J.D. Power awarded Kia the top spot in 2016 for having the best initial quality out of any other automaker.
Hybrids are slow
Back when the first-generation Prius emerged on the scene and the original Honda Insight was still powered by a 1.0-liter motor, the claim that hybrids were slow was rightfully founded. But in recent years, this notion has been turned on its head, with electrified versions of the RAV4 and Lexus 450h proving hybrids can indeed be more powerful than their gas-powered counterparts.
Modern hybrid battery systems are lighter, more efficient, and more powerful than ever, translating to more speed. Fortunately, because electricity provides instantaneous energy, the myths surrounding sluggish hybrid speeds have begun to disappear as new technologies come to market.
All SUVs are rollover risks
It used to be that SUVs offered unrivaled crash protection but were prone to flipping over, regardless of whether they were a Jeep Wagoneer or a Suzuki Samurai. But thanks to modern traction control systems, electronically moderated all-wheel drive configurations, and even torque vectoring, today’s SUVs have almost completely overcome this Achilles heel. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of larger vehicles on the market today that can flip, so don’t expect any guarantees when a massive wind gust hits you at 90 miles per hour.
AWD makes you invincible to the elements
How many times have you seen a 4×4 stuck in the snow or an all-wheel drive vehicle beached in the sand? Even with power hitting all four corners, poor tire choices, aging suspension components, minimal traction settings, and extreme ice can render a vehicle useless.
Drivers often believe that 4×4 features will make them unstoppable. In actuality, they’re still at Mother Nature’s mercy. So regardless of whether you are behind the wheel of the latest symmetrical all-wheel drive Subaru or a differential-filled Ford Raptor, remember there are always limitations to what you can do.
V6s can’t be as powerful as V8s
Thank you, Ford, for helping to dispel V6 myths. Although quite a few Japanese automakers tried desperately to boost interest in twin-turbo technology in the 1980s and 1990s, it was the Blue Oval that got this advancement to stick. Yes, the GT-R is awesome, and the new NSX is astonishing. But people still don’t believe they can match a big-block V8.
The second-generation Ford GT harnesses 647 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque via a mid-mounted V6. And they aren’t the only ones replacing V8 engines for more efficient, smaller substitutes. Ever since Nissan announced the birth of variable compression engines in 2016, we’ve wondered whether the V8 will someday become obsolete. Turbo and hybrid advancements support those musings.
Horsepower is more important than torque
Jay Leno said it best: "Horsepower sells cars, but torque wins races.” And the man is right. For decades, Americans have been duped into believing myths that extreme horsepower numbers win both bragging rights and drag races. But it’s actually torque they should be praising.
Having a ton of twist on tap to seamlessly feed into top end thrust is one of the main reasons why cars, such as the Chevy Camaro SS, rocked our world in 2016. Don’t buy into the myths that high horsepower will always make you fast. More often than not, those types of engines will benefit primarily during interstate action.
Don’t place car batteries on the ground
Modern batteries are encased in a special kind of polypropylene plastic that doubles as an electrical insulator. Once paired with the latest advancements in seals and vent systems, it virtually eliminates electrolyte seepage and migration. Interstate Batteries has a great write-up on the subject, saying all those old myths about not leaving your battery on a concrete floor are now completely irrelevant. The days of wooden battery cases, glass jars, and porous rubber structures are long gone. Hopefully myths about ruining batteries this way will someday disappear, as well.
Source: cheatsheet.com
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