joel_clark37•6d agoOG Member

Overheard a guy at the diner say he only buys cars based on the cup holder placement

I was grabbing a late breakfast yesterday at this little diner off Route 9, and this guy at the counter was dead serious telling his buddy that cup holder placement is the only thing he looks at when shopping for a used car. Not mileage, not reliability, not even the price. He said if the cup holder is too far back or too close to the shifter, it ruins the whole driving experience. Honestly, I laughed at first, but then I thought about my own truck where my coffee always gets knocked over by my elbow on sharp turns. It made me wonder how many small things we totally overlook that actually mess with us daily. Like, have you ever bought something and later realized you hated it because of one tiny dumb flaw nobody talks about?

3 comments

3 Comments

morgan.rose6d ago

That thing about Ford engineers is interesting, but I gotta gently push back on the 60% number. I read that same piece and it actually said 60% of F-150 owners rated cup holders as "important" or "very important," not a "top priority." There's a difference between "hey, this matters to me" and "this is the main thing I factor into a purchase." Still, the point stands that even a slightly off cup holder can make you curse your car every morning commute. Your friend with the minivan story is a perfect example of how a shallow plastic ring can totally ruin what's otherwise a practical vehicle.

gracec166d ago

I actually read an article a while back about how Ford engineers spent months just getting the cup holders right for the F-150 because people kept complaining. It said something like 60% of owners rated cup holder placement as a top priority in surveys. So that guy at the diner might be on to something more than we think. Little things like that can completely change how you feel about a car every single day. My friend bought a minivan once and ended up hating it because the cup holders were too shallow for her travel mug and it always spilled in her lap. It's funny how the small stuff becomes the biggest deal in real life.

spencer7826d ago

yeah and the thing people dont think about is how cup holders mess with your passenger too. my girlfriend always complains the passenger cup holder in my truck is too close to the gear shift so when i reach for a drink i elbow her in the arm. it sounds dumb but after an hour drive it gets real old. plus if you have kids in the back they need them too and most cars just stick one tiny one in the middle that barely holds a juice box. its like car companies forget people actually live in these things.