Will Your Car Stab You In the Back? What Kind of Car Owner Are You?

[@rolensss]

I would like to have the mentality of people who don't care about cars and nothing ever happens, they don't spend anything on a car unlike me who finds something all the time and wants to fix it as best as possible with the best parts

[@SliderFury1]

This is why brands like Toyota and Honda are so popular, people just want to purchase it and forget about it. You're not like that and neither am I. Sometimes I wish I were but most of the time I appreciate the fact that I appreciate a vehicle that's trying to be more than just a thing that goes from A to B when no fuss and no fun.

[@nmot97]

​​@@SliderFury1 even Hondas and Toyotas need some attention. Is not set and forget completely

[@JDM-Jack]

​@@SliderFury1 were* They're getting unreliable as any other brand recently

[@Warmsunset26]

I have a Mazda 3 petrol 2018. Happy with it. It gets a major service once a year. Any replacements must be at least same manufacturers part. If the garage I use, whom I trust, recommend a '' better '' an upgrade - then yes. I heed their advice. A short cut, becomes a long cut. Had to replace my pads on my vehicle, was given an option. Went the upgrade route. Same for front tyres. Hate going cheap. Long term is cheaper. Take the initial hit and long term it to be cheaper. Also my vehicle gets a wash twice a month, wash/ wash/ restorer once a month. A clean vehicle is SECOND HAND BRAND NEW.

[@carlovanrijk4039]

@@Warmsunset26 it’s like my Dad always says: good quality will cost you less in the long run.

[@peterjohnson9438]

I have two ~20 year old cars, a Hyundai Coupe and a Mazda 3. I try to keep on top of most issues - rattles, squeaks, etc., I change my oil at minimum 1 year or 8000 km intervals with known good quality oil, I use OEM or known superior aftermarket parts when something needs replacing; all safety-critical stuff gets priority and is never skimped on. The Hyundai has turned into a bit of a science project with various modifications. That said, the cars will sit outside all year, they get hand washed when I get to them. I usually drive them hard when I'm out. So far the Hyundai is getting close to 400 000 km and the Mazda is closing in on 300 000. Both still have perfectly working manual gearboxes and good power in the engines. Maintenance is important, but so is regular use. It doesn't matter if you change your oil and coolant every time you go out in your car if you only do that once a year: the rubber parts will dry out and fail. If you drive your car every day but never take the engine past 1/3 of the rev range and only drive it for 10 km or less before stopping at low speed, your car *will* fail prematurely due to gunk buildup. Edit: and yes, I'm definitely a "built, not bought" type - the kinds of cars that are "fine as is" are low power grocery getters that were never meant to be enjoyed, and excessively expensive exotic sports cars that are more a financial liability than anything else. Beyond that, if you want a fun car, get a car that has potential, and customize it until it suits *you*. Besides the obvious exception of the law, nobody can tell you what you are and aren't allowed to enjoy. A 1994 wagon filled with speakers is just as valid as a new track-tuned Supra, as long as you enjoy it.

[@Hamsteak]

I'm a super picky owner, where if I hear any new vibration or noise, I get it checked out, or at least check it out myself. I never get my oil sent off to get checked out in a lab. I always get my oil change done once a year and I only drive 6000 kilometers per year......so maybe a combination of the 2nd and 3rd one I'm also a big believer of buying upgraded OEM or Aftermarket parts when it's time for repairs and maintenance. Unless time i wouldn't is if it was a certain rare/collector car, where it's better to go with just the OEM.

[@squareapples5118]

2016 Mazda 6 2.2d. Service it myself every 5k miles or so. Replaced the original injector washers with upgraded steel ones which Mazda released, as the earlier washers were prone to leaking, potentially leading to solidified diesel/carbon blocking the oil strainer and oil starvation. Many people are scared of this engine for that reason 😅 Car still runs like clockwork. Moral of the story is to ensure you're familiar with the weaknesses of whichever car you own, and apply preventative maintenance accordingly (most cars have at least one)

[@tboneisgaming]

I would say I'm a car enthusiast. I've built up a lot of technical knowledge about cars which means I can speak fluent mechanic. I Iike learn about automotive engineering and history. This is especially true relating to the brand of car I drive. I service and maintain the car regularly and ensure there's a good make of tyre on all four corners. I appreciate other people's cars that aren't run of the mill.

[@FatherJack-73]

"Fluent mechanic" love it 😁

[@tboneisgaming]

@FatherJack-b1u it's true though. Mechanics have a language all of their own. 😁

[@escalade8025]

I'm a super enthusiast but I won't go insane for my car, i look after it very well (good quality oil, full service every 6000 - 9000 miles and I always try to buy the oem parts or at least the parts that are the closest to the oem quality, let it warm up a minute before leaving home and then drive gently until the engine is up to temperature and let it cool down a minute after a pull on the motorway) in my opinion this is the best way to keep your car running good.

[@carlovanrijk4039]

I am the type of owner who does the majority of maintenance items needed with mid- to upper-tier materials. If a repair is above and beyond my ability, I will take it to the dealership or a shop that specializes in my make of vehicle.

[@sassyrav]

Love all my cars. I have two (1999 2WD Hilux and 2012 Mini Cooper JCW). I love servicing them and keeping them clean. I worry when mechanics look over my cars because I dont like people touching them which can be frustrating for me, I hate being this way sometimes. I believe if you look after your car it will look after you as you said. I do give them spirited drives (I dont flog them). I keep them out of the sun when parking. I dont worry about upgrades unless it helps keep it reliable so most of my cars stay close to standard.

[@victor8192002]

Great comment! I am the same way! Cars are minor miracles and we need to be good stewards.

[@nickb7369]

Owner #2 is an exact description of me! Combined mileage of my BMW 7 Series and BMW 5 Series is 435,000 miles. Oil change every 4k, premium tyres, OEM parts only, Oil analysis regularly, any squeak or rattle is solved even if that involves removing a headliner, seats, dash etc.

[@F3udF1st]

I'm not a car owner anymore but I would definitely fall into the "tight with money" category, combined with "not very practical". I've always had such shitty cars that spending money on them just wouldn't be a smart idea, and most of the time I'm not knowledgeable enough to do anything on my own. The idea is to put the car on life support, so that it barely survives until something major breaks, saving as much money in the process as possible. I'm still very interested in engines and motoring, hence why I frequent car channels here on youtube.

[@4BillC]

I've rebuilt just about everything on my car except the transmission. Some parts are cheaper than others and some from a junk yard. I do my best to maintain my vehicles the best I can. Not everything is done perfectly and I joke about how half of my car is held together with zip ties. But considering I've had no training at all, and how the car was when I got it, I think I did good. I built it, I tuned it, but most importantly I drive it! I didn't built it for car shows, I built it to be a fun daily that can handle abuse. The engine has almost 20K miles on it (built in my basement) and only been in the car 6 months!

[@redmile999]

I'm a enthusiast and owner . I have a audi tt mk3 tdi, remapped otherwise OE as it will stay. I also daily my 2011 A3 1.4tfsi, which is as manufacturer intended.both cars are kept clean and maintained as audi intended. If i buy a car , i prefer to buy from a caring owner who is proud of the maintenance. I definitely avoid the sellers who have not been bothered about warning lights

[@stottybox3185]

I found that i can buy new parts from the local car spares shop, cheaper than i can get them from a breaker.

[@davidellis8141]

Audi A3 saloon 2lt diesel 2014. Under 7,000 miles a year, service and mot every year. Anything wrong fix it, so far one rear spring broke so had both replaced, listen to what the garage tells me ask for advice. Bought new to last rest of life current 63,300 miles. The only thing I haven’t done is change cam belt at Audi recommended time 45,000 miles or 5 years. Garage said it should last to 100,000 miles, but will change along with water pump soon. Kept in garage . Go’s like a dream,use engine without thrashing.

[@winjinsinjon]

12 years ago i bought a mk3 mondeo 2.0 TDDI gha x estate as a stop gap car but fell in love with it, i abused it for years did next to no maintenance it was just there to get me to work and back, the car never let me down it just wouldnt give up even surviving being crashed into twice, i repaired it and carried on, so i thought to myself the car has looed after me so i'll look after it, i welded on new sills replaced the front wings and rusty doors, and started to do regular maintenance oil changes every 5k i even did upgrades like bigger brakes better alloys a bigger turbo, its 23 years old 190k and has finally been beaten by a rusty rear subframe which is unique to the estate so hard to find and very expensive when they come up BUT i plan to fix it eventually as the car looked after me.

[@Xenon777_]

The "boy racer" stereotype is a common one. These drivers often prioritise speed and style over proper care and maintenance, often to their car's detriment. Lacking the deeper mechanical understanding, they will drive the car hard from cold, wheelspin, and speed over speed bumps, etc. They focus their money more on modifications and the look of the car rather than upkeep and maintenance.

[@FatherJack-73]

I'm currently driving a MK3 Leon 1.6 TDI as it gives good mpg for my work commute. I like to look after my car the best i can, change the oil at half the interval at least, always like to find good value for money when it comes to parts and oil, will generally go for bosch or mann for filters, I tend to go for the cheaper but good quality oils like mannol, what are people's opinions of mannol as an oil brand?

[@paultraynorbsc627]

Oil changes two times a year 6 months 5 30 winter. 10 40 summer filters. Once a year

[@pw601]

Your thumbnail with the MG metro, reminded me of when mine tried to kill me. It was the Turbo version. A massive turbo hanging off the cylinder head. The inlet manifoldretaining nuts became loose and the air leak it created caused the engine to die as I pulled out onto a dual carriageway. In my mirror I saw 2 lorries coming round the bend, one overtaking the other. Realising there wasn't enough time to get out of the car and run, I put the car in first year and turned the key to run the Staffordshire got me off the road and onto the hard shoulder. I didn't have a handy tree sapling to beat the car with à la. Basil Fawlty. I popped open the bonnet and grabbed the carb in a fit of anger, the bloody thing was loose! I could only put it down to the vibrations from the Turbo and all the mass hanging off causing the nuts to loosen. Needless to say I put on new nuts with thread locker and got rid of it.

[@pw601]

Staffordshire!! Starter motor, auto correct is a pain.

[@torquecars]

I remember those, they were so much fun. The MG was "The One" to have wasnt it, so much better than the Austin Rover version?

[@pw601]

Undeniably a fun car, handled and brakes well with a fair turn of speed especially in cool damp weather. However, after that incident that got my heart rate above acceptable levels of had to go. It was replaced by a FIAT Uno Turbo which was superb, though body build quality was fairly flimsy. That was replaced by a Punto GT, which initially looked more highly specced, but turned out to be heavier and despite producing more power was slower. A classic example of more is less. Though not as dreadful as the mk3 golf vr6 a complete turd.

[@torquecars]

You didn't go for the 6R4 then? i thought that would be the logical upgrade? lol

[@pw601]

My fantasy car was the Renault 5 Turbo2 rear wheel drive. Say beyond my means then and sadly even more so now.

[@novicetheaf]

I enjoy maintaining my car, buying good quality/price ratio, I normally try find reviews for tyres, or do research on cheaper products to see if they're still good enough. I don't skip on maintenance and make sure the car is running well. I own a Suzuki swift DDIS 1.3 diesel 2011 thanks great videos 👌

[@jayfrosvlogs]

i like to auto solo, modify and thinking of taking it on track. however I do really like to look after my cars any cars I own I always let them warm up for at least 2 mins and i like to change the oil every 5,000 miles and lanoguard every year. i will also take care of the paint. id machine polish and protect my cars and i will give them frequent safe washes

[@CorkVanDenHandel]

Such an excellent site. (Why is it the Brits have such great YT car sites?) For me, my attitude varies based upon the car and its purpose in the family's fleet. I keep all of them on schedule and have a good mechanic for all but my own daily driver. My car is older and overpowered for its weight and was purchased for the visceral driving experience. I do as much of the maintenance as my limited garage/tools allow. I was an engineer in my early career, and an amateur mechanic by necessity but I know that there's always more to learn and plenty of people with much more knowledge than me. The car's already stupid fast for any legal driving on US public roads, so I just fix things (and upgrade) as parts fail.

[@steviefpv]

I’m a car guy that loves and cares for my car. Im a modified car guy and service regularly keep on top of everything the slightest knock or rattle and I’m in onit. I hate insurance companies cause the last thing I want to do is crash my car and drive carefully and watch out for the idiots on the rode but my insurance hates me and charges me more for modifying when in reality they should charge joe blogs more for not giving a crap about their car. I’m a fiesta st2 owners.

[@ianjsallen100]

Hi we have two cars a Mazda mx5 2011, and a honda civic 2016 , both serviced at my local garage once a year with mot . Always with manufacturers parts and with premium oils .

[@Mr6384]

Well we have a few; A 2024 Rogue, a 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis with 147000 miles, a 1978 Ford Thunderbird Diamond Jubilee with 86000 miles and a 1978 Cadillac Fleetwood d’Elegance with only 49000 miles!

[@paultraynorbsc627]

Oil changes two times a year 6 months 5 30 winter. 10 40 summer

[@DashCamSerbia]

Well, a year and a half ago I bought an Alfa Romeo 159 2.2 JTS saloon manual for 5.300 euros. In this time, it probably needed about 2.000 euros for maintenece and repairs. But I wanted to fix many small things, to hunt for original parts all over the world, get additional set of wheels, two sets of new tyres,.. I ended up spending about 5.000 on it so far. Ops! 🤭

[@Karl_Burton]

3rd type

[@camperhonsa8633]

I’m the type of guy that will spend what my E46 is worth just to absolutely 100% dial in the shifting of my 5 speed… no stone left unturned… This is getting out of control💀

[@i2edbull]

Type 3 here

[@osamaradwan8173]

Im in Second type the person who keep his car as perfect as it can be 😊

[@graham197103010]

E39 530d manual, because it`s a wonderful drive and I love fixing things myself🥰

[@MrSonicAdvance]

I'm type 3.

[@paultraynorbsc627]

VW Passat 2016 2.0 TDI

[@matollsen2523]

Me: no 3😊

[@Dragnerve.]

Treat your car how men treated their horses back then.

[@4BillC]

Ride it hard and put it away wet?

[@4BillC]

Ride it hard and put it away wet?