Rather than let their videos and content speak for themselves, there are lots of automotive YouTubers who do annoying things for engagement. Last week, we asked readers to share what they think are the most irritating tropes from the automotive side of YouTube, and the answers ranged from obnoxious thumbnails to sketchy financial situations. Keep scrolling to see some of our favorite responses, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Why Does Everything Have To Be A Supercar?
Everything supercar.
I’m just tired of seeing car videos on cars I can’t afford. I’d rather watch something more realistic. I think I’ve always been that way though... even my favorite TG stuff was the bonkers races with shitty cars, not Clarkson’s latest SLS review.
Suggested by: dolsh
Sketchy Sponsors
I wish car YouTubers (and really every other YouTuber) quit it with the scammy sponsors. Oh boy, I lost count here. Let’s see, Established Titles can’t legally change your title and the “plot” of land you’re buying is a joke. BetterHelp is mining your data, overcharging you, and your “therapist” might not even be licensed. Honey is lying about the discounts you’re getting and stealing from creators. Factor is overpriced microwave TV dinners pretending to disrupt food prep. FTX was, well, FTX.
Finally, there’s a special place in hell for the companies that claim colorblindness glasses make you see color. MegaLag has a great video on that scam...
Suggested by: Mercedes Streeter (also hi Mercedes!)
Having To ‘Sell’ A Car For Some Financial Reason That Doesn’t Add Up
The “I’m going bankrupt” or “I can’t afford my house”, so “I HAVE to sell *insert car* to pay the bills”. Later in same video buy another car but don’t pay bills. From recent memory, it’s Stradman.
I do enjoy his content over the year, but it has slowly been turning in clickbait titles. One of them recently was “I can’t afford the house, but I’m keeping the Keonsegg.” He was selling off smaller cars to be able to make partial payments, instead of finally selling the ‘Egg, which everyone said to do so he could pay off the house all at once, and be debt free, to make new content.
His last video had the story of that car was his ‘1st’ and desired car, got to meet it when he was young, and he had the opportunity to get his ‘one and only dream car’. Yet he has all these other dreams cars.
His house is pretty awesome, yes it is very large, enough room to have 20 cars (I think), with an unfinished Batcave and other areas, but that’s what he went for. The journey to that house brought in a lot of views. His other journeys in real life, his new Pizza joint venture, and (hopefully) a proposal to his girlfriend Sophie, these all bring in tons of views. So, selling the house (possibly) just to keep the car, really was against most of the viewer comments.
He did end the last video with “I’m selling the car”, after he gets it fixed. But there are plenty of these Youtubers who do the “I’m broke, I have to sell my favorite thing, I’m quitting...and selling this one item but buy more.”
Suggested by: Rob from the Toe of Texas
What’s Going On With...?
-Channels like That Dude in Blue or anyone that uses the words or phrases “What’s going on with...” or “RUINED” or anything close to it. I get those words and phrases are to get eyeballs on your videos, but come on!
Suggested by: ocarrothers
Cringey Thumbnails
The fucking thumbnails. I don’t even get past those, so I don’t watch majority of the videos. I don’t know what happened in the past 5-6 years, but the thumbnails have gotten out of hand. Every single one of them has a stupid click bait title and an idiotic, punchable face. And not a single of these videos actually lives up to the stupid fucking titles.
“Oh no, I destroyed my car. Watch what I do next.”
“Oh no, I’m installing stolen parts. My life is over”.
FUCK YOU ASSHOLES.
The only car related YouTuber I still watch is Mat Armstrong. His video thumbnails actually show the real thing that he buys and rebuilds.
Suggested by: willzyx
The Obsession With Wealth
The atrocious obsession with money, expressing everything in monetary value and having to stretch said monetary value to the absurd to attract viewers. As a random example, you buy a 10 year old McLaren that had a 300k sticker price, but it depreciated to a point you picked it up for 100k ish, you’d still get a thumbnail/title that is something along the lines of ‘I BOUGHT A 300K MCLAREN!!’
Suggested by: NavGTI
Hacks That Don’t Actually Know What They’re Doing
Absolute hacks that somehow make it as “Youtube Mechanics”. I’m not talking about Uncle Tony’s Garage or ChrisFix, who are both wrong sometimes about some things, but are genuinely knowledgeable and helpful overall. No, I’m talking about the Scotty Kilmers of the world, who have no idea whatsoever what they’re talking about, but still have a cult following of ignorant sheep.
Suggested by: Mustang2Matt