What’s The Worst Kind of Car To Be Stuck Behind On a Mountain Road?

The trailhead is up there, a few dozen miles ahead. You’ve made good time on the interstate and now you’ve entered the twisty bits of a two-lane mountain highway. The sun has just risen. The scent of warm pine trees fills the air. Visions of soaring alpine peaks, glittering streams, and meadows of vibrant green grasses fill your mind.

But then a different kind of vision.

A rental RV pulls out of a turnout a mile in front of you—the last turnout for many more miles. The speed limit is 45 mph, but you’re doing closer to 30, with nowhere to pass. Suddenly, the trailhead seems much, much further away. You’re not in a race, really, but still, ugh. Come on, man.

Or, maybe it’s winter, similar road, this time you’re on your way to snowshoe out to a backcountry hut. There’s plenty of snow around, but it’s a bluebird day. Chain controls aren’t mandatory which doesn’t apply to you in your AWD anyway, but from out of the vista point parking lot ahead, a Honda Civic piloted by a driver unaccustomed to snow, the front tires wearing cables, putters out in front of you, the cables loudly scraping the mostly dry pavement. Turnout after turnout the car drives right past them, forcing you to travel at their same speed. What gives?

But heck, at least you can see around the Honda, still enjoy the scenery. The RV, on the other hand, has a giant fiberglass rear end with a wolf painting blocking the view of pretty much anything.

Sure, we’re open-minded peaceful people here. But still, we get impatient. There’s a certain kind of vehicle many of us really don’t want to see swing out in front of us, slowing our pace. So which is it for you?

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