Well, there are some cars and bikes in the Indian market, that, though are great products and have won a lot of hearts and have been sales successes, have earned a bad reputation for being the weapon of choice for rash drivers. Not just because of their majority of owners, but also because of people’s perception of those vehicles. So, let us have some fun, light up some fires, and being this list (since y’all want me to repeat this till I die, I don’t mean to offend anyone this is all in good fun)-
1. Hyundai Creta-The Creta is one of the vehicles, that have set a sales benchmark, and have taken the Indian market by storm. If there is one car of few cars that really made Hyundai such a dominant force in the Indian car market, it is the Creta. The Compact/Mid-Size SUV segment is also known by some as the “Creta” segment, because the Creta always was and still is the undisputed market leader. It is an all-rounder of sorts, and ticks all the right boxes. However, it has a bad reputation, and I confess I am guilty of poking fun at the Creta myself. Not because of the car, but mostly because of its owners. If you ask me and most people who hate the Creta, it is because me and them think (and this might be true to some extent) that Creta owners are just the meanest drivers out there. They have a habit of following you, coming up close, and just honking that annoying loud retake on a Skoda double-windtone horn and high beaming their annoyingly bright LED headlamps at you, and then roughly cutting you off. Even if you are at a good pace and following the rules, they will do this and make the excuse that you are going too slow. The Creta is a good product, no doubt, and I am looking forward to the Creta N-line, but the way it is rashly used has just tarnished its reputation. Unfortunately, I have just had too many recurring bad experiences with dumb Creta owners. How sad.
2. Toyota Fortuner-Another really amazing product that has a bad reputation and has been ruined by its fanbase. The Fortuner, is just impeccable. There is nothing else quite like it. Tough, charming, indestructible, capable, brave, and charismatic. However, it has a reputation for being a gangster’s car, and their owners have a habit of being jerks on the road. From beaming and honking like Creta owners, to demolishing toll booths, to blocking traffic on a narrow road, to playing loud music at night and scaring other drivers with their driving and overtaking so harshly that you feel that their car is going to roll over, the list goes on. The only two things that hold this amazing car back are-its price, and its reputation.
3. Mahindra Thar-Just like the Fortuner, this car is affected because of a toxic fanbase. This car’s situation is probably worse than the Fortuner’s. Because this is a jeep, it is already not as practical as the Fortuner, so it has a more niche crowd, and people who want practicality don’t take it seriously. An insanely capable off-roader, which has become daily-friendly and drivable, with a history of offroad-performance, it is sad that it has come to this.
4. Maruti Ertiga Cab-The Ertiga is an underrated and capable car. It just ticks all the right boxes for being a proper family-mover which is very affordable, reliable, and more fuel-efficient than most hatchbacks. It is a budget Innova. However, Ertiga cabs have a reputation for driving rashly. Don’t ruin a good car for it’s reputation, please.
5. Bajaj Pulsars- All of them have a bad reputation for being street-squid bikes, which is sad. They are really bang-for-the-buck, and reliable and easy to maintain sporty commuters. They fall for the same KTM syndrome, don’t they?
6. All KTMs-I have already written a post on this. They are quite the victims for their reputation, even though they haven’t done anything wrong.
7. Access 125-This one is pretty sad, not gonna lie. A scooter that set the benchmark, won the hearts of Indians, and remained the market leader till today, is a tool for rough-riding. Owners are infamous for using their smartphone while riding, and lane-cutting and rough overtakes, twisting across the highway and dancing through city traffic, quite dangerously.
8. Hyundai Verna-They are also known for rash-driving and all the other bad stuff
9. Maruti Suzuki WagonR-Used by Ola and Uber, they are known for cutting through streets like an auto-rickshaw and going really fast. You feel like the car is going to topple, but it doesn’t. However, others do get pissed off when you overtake them.
Allright, here goes. Honorable mentions include-Maruti Suzuki Swift(3rd gen 2018-2021), Kia Seltos, Toyota Innova and Tata Nexon. Do tell me if I have missed something out!
