QOTD: Which Car Will Pick Up the "Bad Driver" Torch If Nissan Discontinues the Altima?
Rumors are sometimes way off the mark, but they’re fun to discuss even then. Earlier this year, the internet started buzzing about the Nissan Altima and its “upcoming” discontinuation. That got me thinking: If the Altima’s gone, which car will carry the torch for bad drivers everywhere?
If you’ve spent any time on the roads or the internet, you’re bound to have seen an Altima driver behaving badly. Reddit’s got r/Nissandrivers, and there are countless Facebook groups with similar themes. The drivers are usually pushing 30 mph above the speed limit, and many are missing hubcaps, bumpers, hoods, and even doors in some cases.
Without the rental-car-king Altima on the road, what car will take its place? You could argue the Dodge Challenger or Charger, but they’re going away. A recent LendingTree study pegged Ram, Tesla, and Subaru drivers as the worst in the nation, but BMW drivers had the most DUIs.
Let me know what you think in the comments. This is totally unscientific, and your answer doesn’t have to be rooted in anything data-related. My early guess was Tesla, but the automaker’s under increasing scrutiny for how it monitors its drivers’ use of semi-autonomous driving functions, so I could be way off.
[Image: Nissan]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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Some honorable mentions:
Any 250/2500 series truck - These dudes couldn't swing a raptor/trx, so they grabbed a 'super duty' diesel, defeated the emissions system, and put on a crappy lift with aliexpress spacers. These are always rolled over into the ditch the minute severe weather hits. Sometimes they try to take them off road with hilarious results.
Hyundai Tucson / Nissan Rogue - Without a doubt driven by a Tanya who can't find the headlight switch or an uber driver whose literacy is so low they don't understand every warning light on the dash.
Infiniti G35/G37 - These are always racing down the interstate by guys with no insurance who can't drive. They're always clapped out and sound like rental cars but LOUDER. Pretty much all of these are meeting their demise smashing into the rear end of a Toyota Sienna.
Dodge Charger - This is the infiniti G35/G37 for the south.
Dodge Journey - anyone driving a Dodge Journey has screwed up somewhere in life. e Funny enough, these are the drivers I see most hassling pedestrians/cyclists, which is funny given a bicycle has more street cred than a Dodge Journey.
Honda Accord - these used to just be sensible middle-class cars, but tbh these are quickly being crossed shopped with altimas it seems. I see these busted out all the time.
10+ Year old C-Class or E-Class Benzes - these guys test the limits of what chinese tires can handle. The headlights are always yellowed, they usually have a fake AMG badge, and four different off-brand tires (or a spare on a wheel)
Tesla Drivers - I don't see Tesla drivers as bad as BMW drivers, but I do notice they always signal right when merging left. Not sure what's up with that.
Chrysler Sebring / Dodge Avenger - what little of these there are left will be the most abused cars you can see on the road. If it has a working headlight it's had a meticulous owner . If the dashboard isn't completely covered by discarded 7-11 cups and food wrappers it's a garage queen by Chrysler standards.
Can't say that I found the Altima the "car for the worst driver". No, its not because I commuted in one (cut me some slack - it was employer provided) but based on my observations that honor goes to lifted trucks, Civics, and various German iron, and some pretender American stuff. Lifted trucks because, you know bigger automatically better and I'll go where I damn well please. Civics because, well, VTEC yo. German cars because I'm driving an Autobahn bred piece of superior machinery. Pretender Americans like V6 Chargers and Mustangs - just because I couldn't afford the good engine I'll show you what a good driver can do with a V6...
Check out dash cam crashes on Instagram - you see what absolute tools (or simply clueless drivers) do out there. The vast majority are caused by trying to weave through traffic with grossly insufficient room, merging on/off without looking, and super fast/slow driving in the wrong lane. Sadly, these tools often collect several innocent vehicles in the process.
Nobody has mentioned the Kia Soul so I will. Bought by people who want something roomy and cheap with no regard to the quality of the driving experience or how the package looks.
Or anything with Evo Shark fins attached to it. Today I saw a Subaru with a row across the front of the roof above the windshield. "Looks cool bro. Wait, they're there to actually do something?"
It will be the car built by dime-store Blofeld. Starts with a T.