Rewatching the Brilliance of Early Regular Car Reviews
Screenshot: Regular Car Reviews via YouTube
I don’t usually rewatch YouTube videos in the same way I do with my favorite TV shows. For the most part, YouTubes are one and done, on to the next one. However, that’s not the case with Regular Car Reviews.
Mr. Regular and Roman are probably the first automotive YouTubers I watched. They showed me that car culture is more than just spec sheets in a magazine. Every car has a personality. Their channel is a big reason why I’m here at Jalopnik today (whether you like it or not).
The early stuff is what really speaks to me, and I cannot recommend enough that you stop what you’re doing on this lovely Monday and watch the channel’s Season 1 playlist, “The Early Years.” Is it for everyone? Certainly not. Some videos are, let’s say, a lot, but if you’re a fan, they’re absolutely worth revisiting.
My personal favorite video has to be the one on the 2000 Saturn L-Series Wagon. It makes me feel all sorts of warm – like a Spring Friday in middle school. You know what I mean? Warm and fuzzy.
Mr. Regular has been a fixture on Jalopnik; he’s written for us and even driven a few of our cars.
If you’re in your 20s, a lot of what they say hits real close home: finding your place in the world, dealing with social issues, figuring out who you are. It’s all there, woven into what first appears to be … a regular car review. Plus, you can even find out how to clean the cupholders in a Toyota Echo, if that’s something you need to do.
Mr. Regular’s first video, reviewing his personal Echo, is now over 10 years old. I may have some bias in favor of the Regular Cars team, as I too went to school in Pennsylvania. Regular Car Reviews videos are chock full of deep-cut references and themes pertaining to life in the Keystone State.
I recommend the first season, but don’t stop there. Right now, amazingly, they’re up to Season 29. The back-catalog of videos is immense. Take the time, watch them. You’ll learn a lot, about more than just cars.
It’s really cool to watch artists grow and change over a decade, the same way it happens to all of us. They’ve calmed down. Mr. Regular and Roman are different people now. But they still carry that magic of the early years.
