Twitter Hilariously Reacts to a Student Driver Who Crashed Into a DMV

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Taking your driving test is a formative experience. It’s nerve-wracking, and it’s not uncommon to wonder if you’ve done well enough to pass. Usually, it goes off without a hitch or at least without any major issues. But some people know for sure they didn’t pass. In fact, they failed spectacularly. That’s what happened to a teen who crashed right into a DMV building where she was taking her test.

And this isn’t the first time accidents like this have occurred.

A student driver slammed into a DMV building during her driving test

The teen driver crashed a Chevy Traverse similar to this 2011 model | Peter Kramer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

A Minnesota teen was taking a driving test at a DMV in Buffalo, Minnesota, in 2018. While trying to back a Chevy Traverse out of a parking space, the 17-year-old accidentally shifted into drive instead of reverse.

The SUV smashed through a window, took down part of a brick wall, and caused “significant” damage to the building where the DMV was located, the Buffalo Police Department in Minnesota reported.

The driving examiner had to be transported to the hospital by ambulance. But the 60-year-old’s injuries were non-life-threatening. 

The teen was identified only as female, and no charges were pending, the police said. 

However, Twitter had a field day with it.

Social media reacts to the outlandish accident

It didn’t take long for Twitter users to react to the news after SFGate posted about the incident.

“Somehow, I feel like they passed … also got approved to drive for Uber at the same time!” one user joked.

Another tweeted a GIF of the iconic scene in Clueless when Alicia Silverstone’s character says, “Oops! My bad!” during her doomed driving test.

Yet another surmised the driver had been watching too many Fast & Furious movies. 

But some Twitter users came to the teen’s defense, saying nobody’s perfect.

Another user commiserated with her:

“She probably did it on purpose tbh. She hates the DMV just like every other American. Don’t blame her one bit.”

He added, “Someday when she’s 32 and she’s been at the DMV for 2 hours just to find out she has to pay $30 for them to get her name right on her registration, she’ll look back and think, ‘Yeah, I don’t regret that AT ALL.'”

This wasn’t the only accident at the DMV

Believe it or not, other people have run into DMV offices.

According to WTNH News 8 in Hartford, Connecticut, another 17-year-old student was trying to back into a parking spot at the Waterbury DMV in 2018. But she made a mistake and completely messed up. Instead of stopping in the parking space, the student hit the gas on her Toyota Prius. 

WTNH said that as the car reversed, it knocked over signs, mauled bushes, and crashed through a glass window into a lobby full of people waiting to be seen. 

One DMV customer, Keisha Smoakes, was knocked over in the chaos. “It was very horrifying,” she said of the crash. Paramedics checked her out and determined she wasn’t badly injured. In fact, she kept her spot in line and finished her business at the DMV later that day.

Another customer at the scene was Chris Burke. He said some people panicked, and everyone tried to protect themselves. However, when the dust settled, most people just wanted to ensure they still had their place in line.

Fortunately, no one sustained major injuries. That includes the unnamed teen student and the driving instructor in the car with her.

Let’s hope these teens practiced, retook the driving test, and passed.

RELATED: An Alarming Number of Car Accidents Happen in Parking Lots

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The Ford Festiva Was an American Car That Was Designed by Mazda and Built by Kia

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The late 80s and early 90s were an interesting time for the automotive industry. Rising gas prices and stricter emission laws made compact cars a commodity and the Japanese automakers like Honda and Toyota were quick to deliver. Ford did the same via a plucky little hatchback called the Festiva. However, it wasn’t all-American.

The Festiva was one of the cheapest cars you can buy in America

1991 Ford Festiva | (Photo By John Prieto/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

The Ford Festiva was in the automotive market from 1986 to 1993. According to Driving Line, during the Festiva’s seven-year production run, it was one of the cheapest cars that you could buy in America. Back then, you could scoop one of these econoboxes up for less than $4,000 brand new, but as you might expect, it didn’t come with much.

Autopedia reports that the Ford Festiva “fit the bill perfectly for those needing a small, inexpensive no-frills car that achieved 40 mpg.” As such, there were three different trim levels offered: L, L Plus, and LX. The base trim came with a 58-hp, 1.3-liter engine connected to a four-speed manual transmission while the higher trims benefitted from an extra gear.

As years went on, the 1.3-liter engine went from being carbureted to fuel injected, which resulted in a horsepower increase to 63 hp. A three-speed automatic was also offered as an option.

What it lacked in features and safety, it made up for in fuel economy

As you can likely guess, the Ford Festiva wasn’t exactly the safest car on the road. In fact, the car only weighed around 1,700 pounds, which is about half the weight of most compact cars on the road today. In fact, a 2021 Kia Rio hatchback weighs about 1,000 pounds more. But you can’t expect a small hatchback from the early 90s to have much in terms of safety or entertainment features. In cars like the Festiva, you’re lucky to get a cassette player and automatic seatbelts.

But what the Festiva lacked in safety and other features, made up for it in fuel economy. After all, Ford produced the Festiva to rival cars like the Geo Metro and Hyundai Excel and it delivered on that front. Fueleconomy.gov shows the 92 Festiva fuel economy ratings as 30 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway according to the new rating standards. That’s still pretty good, and we actually have more than just Ford to thank for the car.

That’s right, although the Festiva was produced by Ford for the American market, it was also a global platform. As such, it was designed by Mazda – since Ford controlled Mazda at the time – and built by Kia. In fact, the Festiva was even marketed in South Korea as the Kia Pride at the time.

Can you still buy a Festiva now?

1992 Ford Festiva
1992 Ford Festiva | Wikimedia Commons

If for whatever reason, you decide that you want to buy a Ford Festiva now, you still can. However, it could be slim pickings and an expensive one at that. A nationwide search on CarGurus reveals one 1991 Ford Festiva listing in Illinois and that car has over 195,000 miles on it.

How much is it listed for? A cool $5,995, or almost twice as much as it was when it was new. That’s a lot of money to spend on a 30-year-old economy car, but if you’re into nostalgic American/Japanese/Korean cars from the early 90s, then a Festiva could be a great buy for you.

RELATED: The Kia Rio Hatchback No One Is Paying Attention To

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Try the 2021 Toyota Sienna Instead of That Ridiculous SUV

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Do you really need one of those massive SUVs, or will the 2021 Toyota Sienna do the trick? We understand the appeal of SUVs. They are pretty cool. But minivans are an excellent alternative to consider. Plus, we’re taking our advice and will provide a Toyota Sienna review soon. 

Is the 2021 Toyota Sienna better than SUVs? 

2021 Toyota Sienna | Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc

First of all, we have to debunk the myth about minivans being for soccer moms. Also, what’s wrong with being a soccer mom? Someone needs the epic ability drive the team around and provide snacks. 

The 2021 Toyota Sienna is a way to do that with convenience and style. Plus, all genders love minivans. It can be the proud man-van of the family. Resistant to vans could come from not knowing much about them. But we’re about to discover all there is to know about the Sienna. 

One positive thing to mention is the price. The Toyota Sienna has an MSRP of about $36,460. The Chevy Tahoe begins at about $49,600, and the Ford Expedition starts at around $49,625. So, you can save over $10,000 for a vehicle that has more than enough space for the whole family. 

Plus, the Toyota Sienna Hybrid gets an EPA-estimated 36 mpg in the city and up to 36 mpg on the highway. The Expedition receives an EPA-estimated 17 and 23 mpg. So, enjoy saving on fuel. 

How capable is the Sienna? 

The 2021 Toyota Sienna Hybrid can’t do SUV things, right? Wrong. The Sienna Hybrid is available with all-wheel drive. That means it can handle snow, gravel, and other slippery situations. We won’t push it on off-roading trails, but it can definitely go camping. 

With the Sienna, you get a gasoline-powered 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that’s paired with electric motors to generate 245 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. When properly equipped, it can tow up to 3,500 lbs and carry a payload of up to 1,335 lbs. 

This is enough power to haul smaller campers and boats. But the Expedition can tow up to 9,000 lbs and carry a payload of up to 1,758 lbs. So, consider an SUV if you plan on towing heavier loads. 

The Sienna can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 7.7 seconds. This is on par with other vans. The Expedition can reach 60 mph in about 6.9 seconds, so it’s not even a whole second faster. 

What is the Toyota Sienna’s interior like? 

2021 Toyota Sienna interior
2021 Toyota Sienna interior | Toyota

The 2021 Toyota Sienna is spacious, comfortable, and versatile. The second-row seats slide 25-inches front and back to make room for everyone and everything. On higher trims, the seats recline and have ottomans. 

Higher trim models can be equipped with an onboard vacuum cleaner. Plus, there is a rear entertainment system that includes an HD screen and two sets of wireless headphones. A 9-inch touchscreen comes standard, but you can upgrade to an 11.6-inch display. 

You get Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, seven USB ports, an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot, and two 120-volt outlets in the rear. You could go camping in this van. Convenience features such as a 360-degree exterior camera system and parking sensors will help you navigate tight areas in the cities or woods. 

Plus, space is abundant, with 33.5 cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seats and up to 101 cubes total. There are 16 cup holders, multi-level door pockets, and ample storage cubbies. 

This minivan provides the convenience of an SUV without the high price. We can’t wait to test it and will let you know how it compares to massive SUVs soon.

RELATED: Off-Road Minivan? That’s the 2022 Toyota Sienna Woodland Edition

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Mustang vs. Camaro vs. Challenger: Which is Cheapest to Insure?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Much like gas prices, auto insurance is another aspect of owning a car that every driver must deal with, only there isn’t a regional flat rate. Auto insurance costs depend on many factors, including the type of car that’s being insured and the insured driver’s history. Ideally, a driver should be well behaved for several years to get the cheapest insurance.

New drivers, drivers with speeding tickets, and other blemishes on their record pay higher premiums. Muscle cars, unfortunately, also fit within the higher premiums category. MotorTrend released its findings of how much it would cost to insure a 40-year-old male with a clean record and good credit, with a Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and Dodge Challenger.

Base models are cheap, but also base models

The Mustang Ecoboost, powered by its turbocharged inline-four clocks in at $1,850 per year, according to MotorTrend. The Challenger goes for a cool $2,000 with its V6, while the Camaro, also powered by a turbocharged inline-four, gets the lowest horsepower but also the cheapest to insure at $1,732. This comes out to $144 per month, which sounds high because it is, especially for a driver of this experience. Buying used could save some money, and lowering the policy limits would bring the price down as well.

Which performance variant is cheapest to insure?

Jade Buford drives the #41 Ford Mustang on the track during a GT race at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg | Brian Cleary/Getty Images

Surprisingly, the rates don’t change very dramatically, despite the big horsepower increase. The Mustang GT, with its 460 horsepower V8, is the cheapest to insure at only $1,951 per year, which is only $100 more than its base. The Camaro LT1 gets 455 horsepower and costs $2,012 on average, but despite its incredible value isn’t the cheapest to insure. The Challenger is the least powerful with 375 horsepower and costs the most to insure, but not by much at $2,091. If insurance is the most important factor in choosing which one of these to buy, the Mustang GT seems to offer the best bang for the buck.

Camaro SS vs. Challenger R/T Scat Pack

2020 chevrolet camaro ss on display in chicago
2020 Chevrolet Camaro SS is on display at the 112th Annual Chicago Auto Show | Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

The Scat Pack is the best valued Challenger of the lineup, in terms of MSRP. It has 485 horsepower and still comes with a manual transmission, starting at just $41,000. However, true to form the Challenger is still the most expensive of the three, at $2,329 per year. The Camaro SS has 455 horsepower, and costs just $2,016, making it the cheapest to insure and only a few dollars on average per year more than the LT1. If not for the Mustang GT’s higher horsepower, the Camaro SS would offer the best value for insurance.

Top of the line models and their insurance rates

ford mustang gt500 driving on track cheapest to insure
Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 | Ford

Considering the Mustang GT500, the Camaro ZL1, and the Challenger Hellcat Redeye, the Mustang comes out on top once again. The Challenger boasts as near as makes no difference 800 horsepower, but costs $3,282 per year on average to insure. Meanwhile, the Camaro ZL1 has just 650 horsepower but only costs $2,539. The Mustang has them both beat, with 760 horsepower at only $2,488 per year. Costing just $500 more per year than the GT, it makes just about zero sense as the cheapest to insure of the three.

Which car is the cheapest to insure for performance?

ford mustang gt parked outside
Ford Mustang GT | Ford

Hands down, of all these choices, and considering the insurance premiums, the Mustang GT is the car to get, followed closely by the Camaro. The Mustang has the most horsepower among its competitors and costs less than $2,000 on average to insure. Unfortunately, the Challenger doesn’t step up with horsepower until the Challenger R/T Scat Pack, but even then it’s still the most expensive to insure at every performance point. Otherwise, it’s almost a dead heat between the Mustang GT and the Camaro LT1 for which is the cheapest to insure, for the performance they offer.

RELATED: What Is Classic Car Insurance and Is It Necessary?

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