If you drive a vehicle on a regular basis, chances are that you're a victim of car myths that have been circulating for years.
Leather Seats Are The Best
Leather seats are actually a real pain in the backside. So much care and attention goes into maintaining them or else you get that worn-out look that nobody wants. Plus, that "leather smell" that you think is amazing — it's actually perfume, real leather hides smell terrible!
Bigger Engines Keep You Safer During Crashes
This is a great up-sale technique that salesmen like to use, but it's completely false. The big engine will still move towards the driver during a serious frontal crash, just as a small engine would.
The Engine Is Stronger Than The Brakes
Not a chance (assuming you have some life left in them). Even if you are driving the fastest production car available (Hennessey Venom GT, in case you were wondering) at top speed, your brakes will still stop you. Most cars today will cut the throttle completely when you slam on both pedals, so there's no threat of a "runaway" car.
SUVs Are Safer Than Cars
SUVs aren't held to the same safety standards that cars are, since SUVs are technically trucks in the eyes of the law. While there is some merit to the thought that more mass will fare better in a collision with a lighter vehicle, this would not be the case against a bigger vehicle designed with lower safety standards.
All Gas Is Created Equal
While the gas component is the same throughout all brands, what they each add to the gasoline varies from one to the other. Every brand adds their own type of detergent to the gas to achieve what they believe is the best blend.
When Fueling Up, There’s No Problem With Getting Back In The Car.
Every time you get in and out of the car, regardless if you realize it or not — you are building up static electricity. Now, imagine touching the metal handle of the pump and releasing that static shock near highly-flammable gas fumes. Be safe and just wait next to the pump until it's finished.
Convertibles Are More Dangerous Than Hard-Tops
This was the case in the 60s, but not anymore. With the way technology has advanced and safety being front and center among manufacturers, convertibles are now just as safe as hard-tops. Even in rollover accidents, most brands feature rollbars that pop out to protect your head from hitting the pavement.
Increasing The Speed Limit Will Cause More Wrecks
People usually attribute speed with accidents. This is the case sometimes, but not every time. Even if there were no speed limits, not all drivers would be flying 120mph — studies show that drivers usually drive at speeds they are most comfortable with. Crashes tend to happen more in lower speed zones than they do in the higher ones.
All-Wheel Drive Is The Only Way To Drive In Snow
While all-wheel drive will help you accelerate in the snow and maintain control in some low traction areas, it does lack in one major area — it can't help you stop any faster! The best way to deal with snow is by putting snow tires on your car during the winter months, as any car will perform substantially better with the them added.
Trucks Are Better In The Snow Than Cars
Quite a few of the trucks produced today are still rear-wheel drive, which causes problems in the snowy conditions. Since there is very little weight over the back tires on trucks, the chances of losing control and spinning out are greater than that of front-wheel drive cars.
There’s No Need To Inflate The Run-Flat Tires
Many people assume that since they're called run-flat tires that they don't need to fill them up after they have lost pressure. This couldn't be farther from the truth. The tires are designed with reinforced sidewalls that allow the car to safely (under a certain speed, usually 50mph) get to the nearest area where you can swap out the tire. It's still a normal tire, just with the added benefit of not having to hear that "thud" noise when it goes flat.
The Wider The Tire, The Better It Performs
This isn't always the case. Yes, a wider tire will help an indy car fly down the track, but it won't help your Chevy Impala perform any better down the road. Even in snow and rain, a narrow tire is better suited for the conditions. So, unless you specifically need the wider tires, more narrow ones are the way to go.
Your Car Will Never Be The Same After It Has Been In An Accident
Is the car going to be different after an accident — simply put, yes, but not for reasons you think. High quality repair shops go into extreme detail to repair cars, so the only real difference may be an aftermarket part or two. Around 99.9% of the people who see your car after it's fixed will not be able to tell a difference.
Modifying Your Car Will Void The Factory Warranty
Depending on what you do to the car, you won't void the warranty for doing any mods to it. The only catch is if the part that you modified fails, then that will not be covered in the warranty. The rest of the car is still covered, so go ahead and mod away.
You Need To Change Your Oil Every 3000 Miles
Tons of people are just throwing money down the drain by following this old rule. Most of the cars produced today can travel up to 10,000 miles before ever needing an oil swap. Now, each car has its own requirement for oil changes (which you can find in the manual), but you should be fine if you miss the 3000 mark by a few thousand miles.
