I'm A Car Enthusiast That is Starting to Hate Cars. Here's Why.

It’s true. I’m a lifelong car enthusiast. I’ve owned 50 cars, I’ve restored cars, I’ve ruined cars, I’ve raced cars, I’ve done fun things in cars, I’ve done dumb things in cars. It’s why I started this channel! But I have something to admit—I’m starting to hate cars.

Today let’s talk about how owning multiple vehicles is an insanely bad idea. Let’s talk about trying to make car videos on YouTube that don’t suck. Let’s talk about why car dependency is terrible and why car enthusiasts should care about reducing traffic fatalities. Let’s talk about whether or not I should just give up and quit YouTube. You know, lots of fun lighthearted stuff. Come join me!

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Table of Contents:
0:00 Why I Loved Cars.
2:20 Owning Multiple Cars is Awful!
5:04 I Kinda Lost The Plot.
6:45 Cars Are Actually Terrible!
9:40 Real Costs of Car Ownership.
12:31 The Automaker Problem.
15:49 What Should We Do?

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Music used in this episode:
- Selected tracks from the YouTube music library

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Clips used in this episode:
- Las Vegas stock footage provided by AndreConrad, from Pond5
- Rush hour stock footage provided by WeatherNews, from Pond5
- Brooklyn stock footage provided by slicedbread, from Pond5
- Hollywood Freeway 1, Oxford/Bristol England stock footage from Videvo
- Bike lane footage from California Dept of Consumer Affairs

[ccasto]

The framing of not hating cars but hating car dependency is spot on

[Brononomous]

Finding other car guys that understand the problems of car centric infrastructure is the best

[blujitsu]

I can’t thank you enough for bringing a critical perspective to the automotive Youtube bubble. Having run some of those same figures through my head, it’s definitely changed my perspective on car dependence. Not enough people give these things thought because things “are the way they are.” If you want to reorient the channel with an eye towards the reality of car ownership and how car enthusiasts can also coexist with a less car-dependent world, I will certainly be along for the ride.

[kevinproefrock]

Car guy here. I have found myself thinking these same things. I’m honestly tired of owning them and wish I could do simple things like go to the store or go for coffee without needing to walk on the shoulder of a freeway essentially.

[claytonmansel]

This is the most reasonable car enthusiast I have ever heard on YouTube . I am literally a member of The War on Cars yet you’ve just earned another subscriber.

YouTube’s algorithm heavily discourages reasoned nuanced takes like this so good for you for putting this out there!! 🎉

[CalaMariGold]

I absolutely love to see a car enthusiast advocate for sustainable and safer urban infrastructure and development. I'm a car enthusiast myself and always try to spread the word where I can.

This is the first video I'm seeing of yours, but if this is the direction you want to go, then I'll definitely stick around.

[alanthefisher]

Despite what my channel is about I very much consider myself a car enthusiast. I still own a manual legacy and eventually would love to build a Volvo 240. But I agree with everything your video goes over, and it's hard to convey this to many people because it's just how they've lived and never thought about it.
I find that usually car enthusiasts understand the problems better because they actually know how hard it is to wrench on cars and they understand how wasteful they can be when building one. Great video!

[joshwoodward]

I didn't expect your channel to produce such a great YIMBY/urbanist video, but high five for nailing all the problems our car-centric world brings.

[cameron]

I felt like I was alone and crazy for thinking this. Really happy to see someone with influence put a light on this.

[jackd]

I really appreciate the urbanist rant coming from a car YouTuber, focusing on how one can both enjoy cars as a hobby but still emphasize that making a society car dependent hurts everyone.
Driving is so often romanticized and distracts from the fact that the vast majority of the time people are in a car they are commuting; they are in that car for the sole purpose of getting from point A to point B.
Forcing everyone to drive everywhere makes life worse for everyone, even those behind the wheel.
Thank you for bringing much needed attention to this topic.

[FifyTheurn]

I can relate so hard. I use to be OBSESSED with cars. I would drive them in racing games, play with toy cars, draw cars, watch car movies... Then, I started driving them... On the road... With other people. Also I saw the impact they had on our environment and our society.

[CC-qegq]

As a Swiss (and maybe even as a female) car enthusiast, I perfectly understand your point.
I use public transport and my bike as an alternative to drive often as an alternative for daily activity and I drive as much as I can for fun

[illhaveawtrplz]

I’ve been coming to the same realizations as you and I gotta say, it’s super refreshing to hear this coming from a car YouTuber. It sounds crazy to most people, but if we build alternative methods of transportation and fix hyper-restrictive zoning laws, driving a car will actually get BETTER. LIFE will get better, too. You earned yourself a new subscriber today, keep fighting the good fight.

[NikVargaLiverpoolever]

Just found this. I used to watch you when I was big into cars, around 4 years ago. I would consume so much car content on YouTube and talk about it with my friends. I remember specifically it was one of your videos that made me want a Ford Probe. However, around 2 years later I went to college and started to get more into urbanism and bicycling, and started realizing that I was starting to hate cars as well. Being in an environment that treated pedestrians as a priority totally changed my perspective on cars and car culture. It’s so cool to see someone from the car YouTube scene I loved have this realization and post it on YouTube.

[scottfrazer]

I had the same realization a few years ago. Sold my car for an e-bike and haven’t looked back since. These days I’m actively fighting against car infrastructure at town meetings

[empirestate]

This is one of the best videos I've seen on this subject. It's possible to like cars while understanding the pitfalls of using automobiles for everything. Designing our cities around cars was one of the worst urban planning decisions in human history. Not everyone can afford a car or can drive, and even if you can afford a car, it's hardly a trivial expense. Expanding transit & building walkable cities will dramatically lower transportation costs while improving quality of life. I'm glad you recognize this as a car enthusiast!

[Mitchthemysteryman]

THANK YOU for this perspective. I am a new city planner, and it really is messed up how car-dependent our profession has made cities in the past. I have no issue with car enthusiasm, it is important though to distinguish between enthusiasm and advocating for it as a prominent form of mass transit, which is uninformed. The traffic we are seeing is ruining the freeing spirit of car ownership. I thank you for bringing this perspective, and having the awareness of the flaws of living in a car-dependent society.

[krinos]

Its not that cars are bad, its infrastructure and design of America that is bad, i love cars but i also love walking, cycling and riding trains and im glad in Europe i can do all of these

[edgarkazak]

You have great style and vibe and the points you make are great. I love urbanist videos from NotJustBikes and City Beautiful but always felt they were too far into their camp to deliver the message to a car-caring community, and you seem to be the missing link!

I think some long-term collaboration is a must because the vibes really match, especially with NotJustBikes.

Good luck, hope you're still at it!

[SkyeEEPY]

Less car dependency makes for better driving experiences. I love cars too but driving everywhere sucks and is unsustainable. I just found your channel and am super interested in where your content will go!