We’ve all been there, stuck in an argument with someone online or in person over a supposed car fact that they hold as an absolute truth. For example, manual cars might be more enjoyable to drive, but they aren’t more fuel-efficient than modern automatic transmissions. Some drivers just need to have objective proof to defend their subjective preferences despite it not mattering at all.
What’s the dumbest car myth that you’ve ever encountered? I want to know the takes that left you scratching your head, like the idea that premium fuel provides better performance for every single car or the belief that stop-start technology actually wastes fuel or damages the engine. People are willing to believe the wildest things without any evidence because it just feels right to them. No matter how much information you can dig up, you can never change their mind.
Personally, I think the dumbest car myth is that one horse can produce one horsepower. The unit of measurement is actually a salesman’s analogy that was taken a step too far. James Watt created horsepower as a simple-to-grasp measure for people to compare his steam engines to draft horses. His estimation of a horse’s power was closer to an educated guess than a scientific standard. The peak power output of a horse is actually around 15 horsepower. I’d love for the kilowatt to replace horsepower completely in the automotive world, but that will never happen.
Don’t hesitate to share the dumbest car myths in the comment section. If you think any of these myths are actually true, tough luck.
