We're all guilty of it. We'll be driving down the road, see somebody in a particular car, and immediately make inferences about their life choices. But there is a chance those inferences are 100 percent wrong. Here are 10 cars that we've been wrong about all along.
Now, as a disclaimer, I should say that really any car can be driven by an asshole. It isn't the car that makes the asshole, it's the asshole that makes the car. For some reason, we seem to find them migrating to these cars. But, you know what, we might have judged too soon.
Jalopnik readers know what cars are getting a bad rap.
10) Hummer H3
Ah, the Hummer H3. The baby of the too large SUV brand. Thing is, while the H1 and H2 were ostentatious and obvious, the H3 was a rather capable little truck. Let MontegoMan562 explain:
H3 Hummer. It gets comparable gas mileage to similar sized SUVs, and actually only had an I-5 Motor (14/18 mpg and a nicely balanced 239/241 hp/torque).
Frankly, I thought it was a pretty bad ass little truck that got one HELL of a bad rap.
Suggested By: MontegoMan562
9) Smart ForTwo
Smart cars are frequent parking offenders to the eyes of many, but that is actually how the car was designed. In order to take up less space, the short cars are meant to be parked head-on in a parallel parking space. It saves time for the parker, room for others. Instead of being a hassle, it's actually a good idea.
Too bad it makes you look like you have no clue how to park a car.
Suggested By: POD
8) Porsche 911 GT3/GT3 RS
Ah, the Porsche 911. Some variants are driven by that certain group of people you'd deem assholes. But the people in the 911 GT3s and GT3 RSs? These are discerning buyers who want the best Stuttgart can build.
So the gaudy graphics look a bit off, so what if it has a big wing? It's a track bred 911. That's gotta say something.
Suggested By: GameCat235
7) Lamborghinis
Lambos have gotten a bit of a bad rap over the years, and that's mostly because of a very small minority of owners that happen to be very vocal. You know, the guy who wraps his car in chrome and calls his wife concubine. Just your normal, run of the mill, guy.
But the truth is that most every Lambo owner you'll come across is a friendly guy or gal that wants to share their car with the world. They understand that Lambos are cool and people want to see them. That's pretty rad.
Suggested By: JayHova
6) BMW M3
Ah, the M3, how you've fallen from grace in the eyes of the public. You went from golden boy of the touring car scene to a joke on Top Gear about looking like a cock.
Problem is, the M3 is still one hell of a brilliant car. People that buy M3s recognize that it is one of the most brilliant cars you can buy today. It's fast, it's comfortable, it's truly lovely. Unfortunately, people driving like assholes and flipping off cliffs ruins it for the rest of us.
Suggested By: Victorious Secret
5) Subaru WRX
When I was in high school, I knew a few people that owned Subaru WRXes. How many of those WRXes made it past high school?
None.
And that's because the kids drove like idiots. The WRX was too much car for the inexperience behind the wheel. That hides the fact that, in the right hands, the WRX is pure magic.
Suggested By: Stig-a-saw-us wrecks
4) Bentley Continental GT
If you only watch The Kardashian Happy Hour Ultra Fun Time, then you might get the idea that the Continental GT is for people that have more money then brains.
That's not true. The Conti is for discerning people who love high quality worksmanship, smooth power, great sound systems, and flying under the radar. The Conti isn't ostentatious unless you make it ostentatious. That's lost when the only ones you see in the media have 28 inch wheels and diamonds all over them.
Suggested By: Manbearpig
3) Chevrolet Corvette
Where do we start? The 'Vette is an uber-capable sports car that can keep up with most anything on the road.
But then you see them crashing at car shows or into other 'Vettes at stop lights, and a bad reputation is born. And it's a shame, really, since there isn't a much better way to get bang for your buck than a Corvette.
Suggested By: Patrick Frawley
2) Ford Mustang
The Mustang suffers from the same syndrome as the Corvette, in that it's a hilariously fun car that is frequently seen being driven like a moron.
The publicity of high schoolers doing burnouts sucks. The affordable performance in a fashionable package does not.
Suggested By: icanhazmoarpwrplznow
1) Toyota Prius
The Prius. We LOVE to loathe the Prius. We LOVE to loathe the people in the Prius. But guess what? They're people like you and me. They commute to work, they go visit their folks for dinner, they go to the mall on occasion.
But they use less gas when doing it. Occasionally, you'll meet a driver who is holier than thou about his fuel usage, but for the most part the Prius is perfect for commuting and is just driven by people with slightly different priorities than our own. That's cool with us.
Suggested By: 6cyl