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"Car Reviews mixed with toilet humor."
Mr. Regular, partially summing up the series.
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rcr_logo_1307.jpeg

There are two extremes when it comes to car review shows. On one hand, there is the dry, factual style of MotorWeek. At the other end are the slickly-produced, entertaining, yet still somewhat factual reviews of Top Gear. Between these two extremes sit the various other shows, all leaning toward one side or the other of this scale.

And then, not even acknowledging that this scale exists, there is Regular Car Reviews.

Created by two car guys from around Reading, Pennsylvania, Brian "Mr. Regular" Reider and Nick "The Roman" Roman, Regular Car Reviews focuses exactly on what the title suggests: normal, everyday cars that are bought by the average person. The reviews, however, are anything but normal. Rarely are the performance figures given any real focus; if they are, it's typically in a sardonic fashion. Often, the reviews focus on the types of people who buy the car in question, the socioeconomic influences behind their design or typical buyers, or something entirely different, all interspersed with extremely crass, perverted sex and toilet humor and occasional bouts of Dadaism, combined with graduate-level literary theory (both creators have master's degrees in English literaturenote ).

Often compared to RedLetterMedia's Harry S. Plinkett reviews due to several similarities including the humor style (both series make non-sequitur revolving around disturbing sexual humor) and even how Mr. Regular's "crazy" voice sounds similar to Harry S. Plinkett's (some people seeing both series for the first time even assume it's the same person).

Their YouTube channel can be found here and their official website is here. New reviews every Monday at 4 AM EST.


Provides examples of:

  • Alan Smithee: Invoked in the Kunkleman Chevrolet segment of the 1999 Oldsmobile Alero review; when The Roman says "end credits", the phrase "Directed by Alan Smithee" appears on screen.
  • And the Adventure Continues: The "Roman Through Time" story arc from Summer 2021 appears to end this way... until The Roman steps in and says "That's it, that's the last one".
  • Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking:
    • The RedBubble Store advert, when Mr. Regular, in a stereotypical Upper-Class Twit voice describes several vulgar topics the show “at no point devolves into” and then throws in “British Food,” “Catholicism,” and “North America.”
    • “I DRIVE AN E46!! MY SISTER’S A PROSTITUTE... and an Uber driver.”
  • Artifact Title: While it's called Regular Car Reviews, the cars themselves vary from common vehicles up to supercars and imported kei cars. Later videos have also covered airplanes, motorcycles and... lawnmowers? note 
    • Not to mention sheep and horses.
  • Ass Shove: "Surpriiiiiiiise!"
    • "Melon baller up my ass."
    • "Forget the flashlight. We're taking this to A WHOLE 'NOTHER LEVEL." (Brings out a can of Barbasol)
    • From a text frame in Part 2 of the Subaru SVX review: "I'm gonna print out a thirty-page peer-reviewed journal from EBSCOhost, shove each page of 9-point typeface up your ass, and pound it in good with five Expo markers snapped together to form a ramrod."
    • "I shove an electric razor up my ass so I can WIPE EFFECTIVELY!!"
  • Art Evolution: The Roman's singing and guitar work steadily improves as the series continues.
  • Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: "Even other Fords are also looking kinda PINBALL!"
  • Author Appeal:
    • Chryslers, especially from the Lee Iacocca era. Expect any Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth review to have a lot of focus on how the car fits with his idea for the company (even if it was produced after he retired). The most notable example is the Dodge Challenger Hellcat, which got a few throwaway mentions of being a great car by its own merits and seven minutes of criticism for not being the kind of cheap dependable car that Iacocca favored. Mr. Regular expands on this point later in the 1994 Dodge Viper review, noting that unlike the Hellcat, the Viper was built after Chrysler rebounded financially thanks to a successful lineup of economy cars and minivans.
    • Also Hondas. He likes their manual gearboxes, which can take any kind of abuse and are therefore fun to use,note  especially in combination with the Honda engines that (in Mr. Regular's words) "want to go." He also likes that Hondas are dependable and hard to kill, even in the harsh winters of interior PA. He said he was "a bit of a Honda fanboy" in the 1996 Accord Wagon video.
    • And also Toyotas, basically for doing what Iacocca's Chrysler did—make cheap, reliable cars as the baseline, and then add a line of cool cars on top as a "reward" for that. He particularly loves the MR2, but other cars get praise, as well (including the Sprinter Trueno, which he originally approached wanting to hate because of its association with Initial D fans who don't actually know much about cars). He also explicitly called himself a Toyota fanboy in one video.
  • Author Filibuster: Frequently. Sometimes taking up more time than the actual review. Tropes Are Not Bad though, since it's the main appeal of the show.
  • Awesome, but Impractical: Mr Regular's opinion of a Subaru Impreza that has a Toyota 2J engine swapped into it note  that the owner previously tried to sell for $150,000. Issues with the car include insufficient tire width to handle the power, excessive cranking to start the engine, and an unfinished interior with gauges that fall out.
    froglaps40:'' That starter has almost as many miles as the transmission."
  • Back Seat Sex:
    • "Those handles help you into a red velour interior FOR SIIIINNNNN."
    • Even the Chevette's puny backseat will do if its owner is desperate enough. "Anything to get their bald band leaders marching in the Pink Paraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaade..."
  • Bad Humor Truck: "Iron blocks and pushrods are for airport shuttle buses. And my whitewashed ice cream van, filled with Mondo, and 99 Bananas, and GORILLA TAPE."
  • Bait-and-Switch: One of the reasons for the channel name, at least in the beginning. Imagine someone browsing YouTube for reviews on everyday cars, finding nothing but reviews of the latest and greatest sports cars, before stumbling on a channel named "Regular Car Reviews," thinking "Ah, this is what I'm looking for," and watching it. As Mr. Regular puts it:
    "...and then halfway through, HERE COMES THE DUMPSTER OF POOP."
  • Berserk Button: The Joke.note 
    • Leather gaiters on automatic shifters.
    • The Mk3 VW Jetta, at least for Mr. Regular. The very first line in the review?
    "I HATE YOU."
    • The 2003 BMW E46 M3 is also this for Mr. Regular. First line of the review?
    "I think I hate you more than I hate Jettas."
    • "NO CLUTCH (pedal), NO MANUAL!".
    • Aftermarket exhausts on motorcycles, especially Two Brothers Racingnote  systems.
    "Mmm! Mmhm, mmhm. Two Brothers slip-on exhaust. Arrrrgh, fine, you get a pass because you put on larger injectors and remapped the ECU. I will concede that you're doing this correctly. BUT I'M WATCHING YOU."
    • Fake engine or exhaust sound enhancement (on anything but a modern BMW), taped headlights, lowered suspension and other typical Rice Burner modifications.
    • Timing belts.
  • Big "NO!": In the end of the 1987 Jaguar XJ6 review.
    "But should you own an 87 Jaguar XJ6?"
    "No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No-no. No No No [repeating] UGH NO! NOO! NO DON'T EVER, DON'T DO IT!"
  • Black Comedy: Dear lord, YES.
  • Black Comedy Rape: When trying to describe how daunting it is driving an RV:
    "It's like being in the final level of Legends of the Hidden Temple. Like...yeah, you're supposed to be having fun, but I have no pendants of life, and I'm pretty sure if I pull this switch a Mayan temple guard is going to jump out and pull me into his
    TOUCH
    TOUCH
    CAVE
    for touching"
  • Blasphemous Boast: In the Bandit review.
    "WHEN I POOP, I POOP TWICE. WHEN I POOP AGAIN, YOU SAY MY NAME."
  • Boring, but Practical: Mr Regular has a great affinity for cars like that.
    • Discussed in depth in Subaru Loyale review. Subaru spend the 80s pumping out reliable, practical but not very exciting cars. This gave them a reputation of a brand of cars people can rely on and they parlayed this reputation into their high-end rally inspired models in the 90s. The brand was a success because the reliability of the base models made people confident when buying sports cars and the pedigree of their sports cars made people interested in base models. Mr Regular contrasts it with Chrysler, which spends a ton of time on their muscle cars, but their base lineup still suffers from The Alleged Car reputation they gathered in the 90s.
  • Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: From the 1997 Subaru Outback Sport review:
    "This is the official car of hambone fundraisers, and band bus boob feels! And Surge. And band bus boob feels while drinking Surge.
  • Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: "Pots? Snots? Knots? Dots? Rumps? Shlumps? Dumps? SHEMALE PORN ADDICTION."
    • "I am truly blessed for my friends/children/great day out/Simply Orange orange juice/Green Mountain Coffee/CLIT PUMP/Honda Pilot/guardian angel/MUNCH GROUP/parents."
  • Brilliant, but Lazy: Porsche, at least according to the owner of the 911 SC. Porsche's design decisions were often them sticking to what they knew, or, in the case of the odometer-driven O2 sensor light,note  not wanting to invent a whole new system.
  • Call-Back: The tap & die set joke from the GS500 review returns in the Avenger review.
    • The Bandit 1200 is full of callbacks to the GS500 review.
    • The Neon SRT-4 review includes a joke about washing ones gym shorts in the sink after jerking off into them for easy cleanup. Cue a scene of washing gym shorts in the sink in the Focus ST review.
    • The random belching during the Fit review is likely one to the Echo review, the very first of the series and previous car of Mr. Regular.
    • The BMW E30 review has numerous callbacks to the Miata review, especially in the intro.
      • The Toyota 4Runner review's intro is one to both reviews.
    • The spoiled brat voice from the original S2000 review returns in the second.
    • The Afrikaans in the description of the Fiesta ST review, to the CitiGolf review.
    • The Dodge Caliber review ends with the "Roman Through Time" theme music coming on in his Mustang, appearing to be a new installment of the arc, only for The Roman to not go through with it.
    • The Jeep Compass Latitude review has a clip of the cat video seen in "Brian's Secret Past".
    • The "Tommy Fenstermacher" jokes from the Latitude review later show up in the Toyota Corolla Apex review and the 2023 Car Meet video.
    • The 2023 RCR Car Meet video has an audio clip of the "I just gotta touch base with you" joke from the BMW 320i review.
      • The show itself featured appearances from some cars that had already appeared on Regular Car Reviews, including the 1992 Chevy Astro, the 2004 Ford Escape, and the 1977 Ford Pinto Squire.
  • Calling Your Bathroom Breaks: "And in the middle of recording this, I have to go to the bathroom." *Cue music and flashing lights*
  • The Cameo: Patrick George of Jalopnik shows up in the Aspen review to get called by Mr. Regular. Who's on the toilet. You can see where this is going.
    • Blake Rong of Autoweek shows up in the V8 Vantage review for the same thing.
  • Cargo Cult: Subaru owners and Wankel engine advocates.
  • Catchphrase: "[Car model], the official car of/sponsored by [stereotype about the aforementioned car's owners or joke about the car's reputation]".
  • Chekhov's Gag: In the Volvo S60r episode, Mr. Regular growls that the S60r will never be a BMW, and that he has to "PLASTI-DIP MY SHAME". A MagLite bearing the words "MY SHAME" is later seen rolling along a bathroom floor.
  • Christianity is Catholic: The RAV4 episode, delivered in the scolding, booming tone of a preacher, with specific references to the Hail Mary, mass, and confessional booths. Then the other shoe drops and it cuts to him scribbling in a Bible with markers saying "DURRRRR I'M A PROTETHTANT. AUHHEUGHHEUGHHEH! IT'S A COLORING BOOK NOW."
  • Christmas Creep: The Roman's 2018 Christmas song, It Starts Earlier Every Year.
  • Close-Knit Community: What Corvettes At Carlisle is described as.
  • Cluster F-Bomb: Discussed in his BMW E30 review, in which he notes that E30s require careful work to repair in contrast to Mazda Miatas which "can be fixed with swear words."
  • Compensating for Something: Neon SRT-4 owners, attempting to prove their masculinity, even though they drive a Neon.
  • Cool Car: Sometimes, usually in the Christmas reviews involving the Lotus Elise and the Ariel Atom. Other examples of cool cars Mr. Regular has driven includes the Tesla Model S, Ferrari 360 Modena, and even his own Vagabond Falcon.
    • The Alleged Car: What some of the other cars are like. Averted sometimes when Mr. Regular gives positive reviews of notably terrible cars such as the Chrysler PT Cruiser, but others (notably his old Toyota Echo, Mazda RX-7 and 8, and the Chevy Chevette) play this straight.
  • Cordon Bleugh Chef: In 2017, Mr. Regular introduced the Gainswich Jr., a "sandwich" made by putting Nutella and crushed multivitamins between two pieces of grilled chicken.
  • Creator Provincialism: The series is chock full of jokes that only Pennsylvanians will truly get. The weirdly specific Pennsylvanian humor is in itself a joke, though: the meaning of the reference is usually clear from context (you can tell from Mr. Regular’s tone and the content of the joke that, for instance, the tattooed girlfriend from Lower Heidelberg Township is probably kinda trashy, or that the Lehigh Valley Mall is desperately average, or that the cheesesteaks at Citizens Bank Park are overpriced for the quality) so the specificity of the in-joke makes it funny both to Pennsylvanians (who get the reference) and outsiders (who can roll their eyes at the obvious in-joke).
  • Creepy Crossdresser: Harold Slovinsky, the BUSINESS ACCOUNTS voice.
  • Creepy Monotone:
    • Dodge Caravan: "I have to know what time it is..."
    • Saturn L-Series: *While playing a Casio mini-keyboard* "The madness will return next week.
  • Curse Cut Short: The Roman's intro song for the 1987 Jaguar XJ review (which is a parody of "Ol' 55" by Tom Waits) is cut off before he says the f-word:
    The Jaguar is not a truck, though it sleeps with Lady Luck, XJ is down to f-
    • Happens again at the end of the finale of the Roman Through Time audio drama story arc from the Summer 2021 reviews note , when The Roman realizes that Mr. Regular forgot to turn off the stove.
  • Damn You, Muscle Memory!: Raphael Orlove's Beetle has an unusual gearshift pattern that constantly tripped up Mr. Regular.
    • He also has a tendency to turn on the wipers accidentally every time he tries to use the turn signals on a right-hand drive car.
  • A Day in the Limelight: The Roman's taken the lead quite a few times; examples are the Fiero review, as well as one half of the NY Auto Show 2015 videos and the 11th-gen Thunderbird review.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Mr. Regular, natch. The Roman also waxes sarcastic in the intro and outro songs sometimes and the times he takes over the narration.
  • Didn't Think This Through: "We'll really fart into the microphone. (Does exactly that) Now the microphone smells... ahh-haaaah, it's coming through the pop filter I made out of an old dress sock..."
  • Distracted by the Sexy: Not if someone owns a Honda S2000.
    "Hello, ladies. As long as this car is in your mans life... you aren't."
  • Double Entendre: It's subtle, but I guess it's not surprising that a show called Regular Car Reviews features a lot of toilet humour.
  • Dumbass DJ: Mr. Regular portrays one, named DJ Double Lunch, in the 1994 Lincoln Town Car review; DJ Double Lunch later makes another appearance in the 2003 Cadillac CTS V6 review.
    "He-hey! Welcome back to 98.3 The Beer Belly! We got Hawaiian shirts, Bud Light in a beer koozie, "Cheeseburger in Paradise" coming up top of the hour, and we're giving away a Lincoln Town Car!"
  • Eagle Land:
    • The signified images brought about by the word "Mustang" increasingly lean toward flavor 2.
    • "Happy 4th of July. I am driving a Corvette C7 on the 4th of July... <revs engine> 'MERICA!! "
  • Early-Installment Weirdness: The very first reviews, compared to later ones. The Citi Golf review doesn't even show actual footage of the car in question.
    • Earlier episodes made heavy use of copyrighted images and music. As the series became popular enough to justify monetizing, these have disappeared, and the intro songs were replaced by original works and song parodies by the Roman.
    • In a literal sense early reviews were much weirder, with more frequent and longer sections of The Voice.
    • The 1980 Dodge Aspen was the first old-car review he'd done and by far the oldest car Brian had driven to date. It shows.
  • Enforced Plug: RCR is too weird to get sponsored by most brands and rarely gets press cars, but the advertisements for the website at the beginning of 2021 videos fit. They get weirder over time.
    Mr. Regular:(with a branded drawstring bag over his head) The bag is also a hat.
    Prime Driven Guy:(speaking into a phone despite being behind the camera) The bag is not a hat.
  • Epileptic Flashing Lights: Sometimes shown when Mr. Regular needs to use the bathroom. In the Avenger review, he even grabs a strobe light for whatever reason.
    "THIS IS INDIGESTION. *singsong, while piecing together a tap-and-die set* EVERYBODY NEEDS A HELPING HAND."
  • Evil Sounds Deep: The more perverted Mr. Regular's train of thought goes, the more deeper and raspy his voice gets.
  • Exotic Equipment: Defied in the AE86 review, to shut up the stereotypical fan of the car.
    "If I'd wanted you to open your mouth, I'd shove both my dicks up your nose!"
  • Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: The Roman's song preceding the Audi S4 review.
    "It's a wi-fi hot spot, it's got a holder for my coffee, it's got really nice seats and a poem by Keats and...Wait, this car's a Starbucks, isn't it?"
  • For Inconvenience, Press "1": The process for pairing a phone to a 2010 Mazda 3 is deeply confusing for the uninitiated. The hands free system will speed through all available pairing options with very short pauses between each selection, uses the same voice sample for the words ''for'' and ''four'' and will stop listening if it thinks you're done. The Roman likens it to to cancelling cable.
  • Foreign Culture Fetish: Mr. Regular likes stuff from Australia and New Zealand (especially New Zealand, after Season 20, which was filmed there), including both automobiles (he has a solid respect for Holden and Ford Australia) and slang. He particularly likes the word "bogan", and even described the Subaru WRX I as a "cashed-up bogan" of a car in the BMW 335i review. He is also fond of the term "hoon" (for ostentatiously reckless joyriding); though that word had already caught on in some corners of American car culture, he seems to use it in practically every video involving a cheap, high-powered or tight-handling car since the first trip to NZ. (The Roman, for his part, likes one Australian in particular...)
  • Foreign Queasine: At the end of the Yard Man mower review.
    "Dear People of the United Kingdom, we sell some of your foodstuffs in our store.
    (holding a bottle of Major Grey's Chutney) What is this?
    (holding an Aero bar) What is this?
    (holding a can of Idris Fiery Ginger Beer) What is this?
    (holding a tube of digestive biscuits) Why is this...
    (focusing on a box labeled "Clotted Cream Fudge") EWWW."
  • Formula-Breaking Episode:
    • The reviews that either remain entirely calm, or dive headlong into Nightmare Land.
    • The reviews of things that aren't cars. Usually motorcycles, but has extended to lawnmowers and aircraft too.
    • The reviews of car shows, instead of cars themselves.
    • "And to keep costs down, independent suspension was passed over for... whatever this is. *Cut to a black and white POV shot of a baseball field* PUT ME IN, COACH. *Starts undoing his pants* I'M READY TO PLAY." *cut to Mr. R chasing after a few guys*
    • The Elise review suddenly breaks into a detailed tangent on penis pumps.
    • When cars that are definitely not regular are reviewed. Usually these are reserved for Christmas specials (Lotus Elise, Ferrari 360, and Ariel Atom), but there's a handful of non-regular cars that were reviewed on non-holiday days.
    • The review of a sheep (a "2017 Ovis Aries"note ), in the very same style he'd review a car. And the Roman's review of a horse.
    • A literary analysis of the themes and aesthetics of Night in the Woods, which being inspired by Rust Belt Pennsylvania, is definitely up RCR's turnpike.
  • Found Footage Films: The first five minutes of the 2001 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 review claim to be found footage on a camera from the early 2000s, with period correct camera quality to match.
    • An actual Real Life example is the episode "Brian's Secret Past", which features footage from Mr. Regular's old cell phone that he previously assumed was lost.
  • Freud Was Right: Freudian comparisons are pretty common in the series, but it's taken up to eleven by Mr. Regular in the Oldsmobile Super 88 review when he explains how the car represents the 50's sexual frustrations and how the car was supposedly designed by a man suffering from this repressed sexuality:
    Back to the 1950's and buttsex: The Super 88 was drawn through the lens of someone completely horned out. Look at the face of this car! It has the face of a man having his behymen busted. Look at the delicate chrome lines on the Super 88's dash thin, sensitive, concentric, moving in, in, in, down, down, down, inward, inward, inward to a puckered oval where information lies and time stops. How long can you pass for straight?
  • Fun with Subtitles: Often.
    • "Congratulations!" -> "Extolment!"
  • Gag Penis: "MY COCK IS THE UNIVERSE!"
  • Gasshole: "Oh, real fart!"/*This is a real fart*/"Real fart!"
    • "The Honda Fit is supposed to make 117hp, and it totally doesn't. *Belches* IT'S supposed to ma-hake 106 pound-feet of torque, and it doesn't."
      • "And it's covered in silicone! WHY? Oh, man, I've been drinking, like, straight vermouth. I'M OUT OF GIN."
  • Gratuitous Spanish: 1997 Saturn SC2 review.
    "Donde esta el FOUR DOLLA TUBA?"
  • Haunted Technology: Discussed in "Tales of Cursed Cars", an RCR Stories episode where The Roman retells several famous stories of vehicles that were allegedly haunted.
    • Also discussed in "James Dean and the Cursed Porsche", retelling the story of James Dean's 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, aka "Little Bastard", which is claimed to be haunted after several accidents occurred involving the car after it was crashed in the auto accident that took Dean's life.
  • History Repeats: Chrysler in the 70s-80s and today, according to Mr. Regular.
  • Honest John's Dealership: Kunkleman Chevrolet is definitely one. Their commercials aggressively pitch their cars and the later ads have them reveal that they've been spying on their customers and literally know where they live.
    The Roman (in character): "your wallet and your soul are FORFEIT at Kunkleman Chevrolet! (Buick, GMC, Oldsmobile, Nissan)"
  • Huge Rider, Tiny Mount: Mr. Regular is a pretty tall dude, so he's a tight fit in Kei Cars from Japan. He has to take his shoes off to fit inside the Autozam AZ-1 and scrunches down to give his head-mounted GoPro a decent view out the windshield. He later notes that if you're taller than six feet, you're never going to enjoy a Mazda Miata.
  • Hype Backlash: Invoked and then downplayed with the AE86 Trueno review, which starts off with Mr. Regular going off on a rant about Initial D making people want to import the car — even though a major point of the series is that it's not necessarily the car that's good, the driver of it happens to be really, really good — before gradually becoming more relaxed throughout the review and explaining that it's actually a more enjoyable car than his distaste for the hype led him to believe.
  • I Am Very British: The Mini Countryman review is peppered with multiple stereotypical aspects of Britishness.
  • I Call It "Vera": Mr. Regular's cars, "Ol' Heller" (a Toyota Echo), "Silicone Sally" (a Honda Fit), "Goldie" (a Subaru Forester), "Susie" (a 2000 Toyota 4Runner), "the Vagabond Falcon" (a custom 1960 Ford Falcon) and "Wendy" (a pristine Toyota MR2) as well as the Roman's Ford Mustang, "Red Betty".
    • Some reviewed cars are also given nicknames, examples being Justin Kramer's Chevette nicknamed "Squirt" (hence the license plate) and the "CamMaster": a Buick Roadmaster with a manual transmission from a Camaro.
  • I Hate Past Me: Why he hates the 2003 BMW E46 M3 even more than Jettas, his self-proclaimed archenemy. The 2003 BMW basically is one colossal reminder of his insecurity back his post-college graduation over his societal status and the worst aspects of the "PA Dubbers" subset of car culture.
    Mr. Regular: I wold still be a moody, shifty, daydreaming Coal County loser inside, but you couldn't tell at first. And that's why I don't really like M3 series BMWs. Because they remind me of me.
  • I Meant to Do That: In the 2003 Subaru Baja review, Mr. Regular mentions that one of the people on the design team said that the car was meant to "look funny" and be different from the rest of the lineup. He then compares that to "a guy wrecking on a snowboard and then saying 'I meant to do that'."
  • Invincible Classic Car: Mr. Regular calls a classic Olds Super 88 one.
    And when you're driving in traffic...: "O-oh am I taking too long on this stop sight? wh-wh-what're you gonna do? Honk at me? OOH. Or maybe you have neck tattoos and a mushy brain and you're gonna bump me from behind on your Dodge Durango. O-oh go ahead, run into me, I dare you! I have 16 gauge steel all around me and your kit-kat plastic SUV will shatter! O-yeah yeah I'll be dead because there's no seatbelts or head restraints and the steering column will impale me but heh your day will be ruined!"
  • In the Style of:
    • The Porsche Cayman, NY Auto Show, and Porsche 928 reviews are reviewed in the style of Hunter S. Thompson. The Gonzo references show up again when Mr. Regular reviews the Ducati 900ss cr bike, this time to Thompson's "Song of the Sausage Creature" article.
    • As confirmed on The Smoking Tire Podcast, the inspiration for the Nissan 370Z review was K-PAX.
  • It's All About Me: The Honda S2000 is the official company car for this trope. Well, almost...
    "Okay, fine. Fine. Here. Have a VENT. You can have a VENT. Have fun with your VENT."
  • Japanese Ranguage: The first Subaru WRX review.
    "JALOP-A-NIK WILL NOT-A RUN THIS ONE, UUUUUUUU."
  • "Just Joking" Justification: Discussed in the Dodge Stealth review, where Mr. Regular talks about how Chrysler rebranded the Stealth as a grand tourer instead of a sports car:
    "Calling a Dodge Stealth a GT car and expecting that label to retroactively stick is the automotive equivalent of the "I was joking" defense after your shitty behavior gets you in trouble.
  • Killed Off for Real: Mr. Regular's Toyota Echo, Ol' Heller, featured in the very first review, and lurking in the background of nearly every other review, was lost in a traffic accident.
  • Lampshaded the Obscure Reference: In the 2013 Infiniti G37xS review, Mr. Regular mentions the interchange from the Lehigh Valley exit of the Northeast Extension to Interstate 78 and says "How's that for a real specific Pennsylvania reference?".
  • Last Het Romance: Subtly invoked in the first Outback review. It's done from a POV of husband whose wife just left him. He mentions Grindr and "a club for girls only". Once you remember the stereotype about Subarus being popular with lesbians it becomes clear.
  • Last-Second Word Swap: Played with in the FR-S/BRZ review, as well as the Chevy Sonic review.
    "So the exhaust cutouts around the bumper are way bigger than the stock tips, as if to say, 'Okay, we know you're going to cram some big SHEMALE PORN ADDICTION in there, so we made room for you.'"
  • The Law Firm of Pun, Pun, and Wordplay: Harold Slovinski works at the Four Gs - Goldberg, Goldberg, Goldberg & Goldberg.
  • Let the Bully Win: The suggested strategy when facing a Corvette in a race:
    "If a Porsche Cayman driver loses a race, they'll just go buy more polo shirts. But if a Corvette driver loses a race... they call the cops."
  • LOL, 69: In the Lexus LFA review, Mr. Regular turns the camera to show the production number for the car; the car's production number is 69, and Mr. Regular sarcastically says "Of course it's that number".
  • Lost in the Maize: The 2003 Toyota Tacoma review ends with Mr. Regular lost in a cornfield.
    *While "BALLSACKS!" can be heard chanting in the background* "Yeah, keep running. Keep running in that cornfield. Where's the way out? Where is the way out? Oh, no, not that way."
  • Lower-Class Lout: The "PA Dubbers" in the Volkswagen Rabbit pickup review are Pennsylvania VW enthusiasts whose cars are as trashy and disjointed as their personalities.
  • Madness Mantra: "I have to know what time it is... (Beat) I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT TIIIIMMMMMEEEE IT IS!"
    • "ALL WE BASE SYSTEM IS BASED ON THE NUMBER TEN. TEN. TEN. TEN. TEN. TEN. TEN. TEN. TEN. TEN. TEN. TEN. TEN. TEN. TEN. TEN..."
    • "SO SMALL, SO MUCH POWER! SO SMALL, SO MUCH POWER! SO SMALL, SO MUCH POWER! SO SMALL, SO MUCH POWER..."
    • "No car. No car. No car. No car. No car. No car. "
    • The typical AMC Ambassador owner is said to keep repeating "They don't make 'em like this anymore," at car shows, even when there's no one there to listen to him.
  • The Mafia: Rinaldi and Kline Excavation: They dig holes, whatever you put in them is your business, not theirs.
  • Man of a Thousand Voices: Mr. Regular has a surprisingly broad vocal range outside of his normal speaking voice and The Voice.
  • Mathematician's Answer: "Dimensions! It's got a wheelbase, it's got length, got width, got height."
  • Matryoshka Object: Occasionally seen at car shows with the realistic model cars inside the actual cars. Exaggerated at a show in Kutztown with a model car inside of a car with an even smaller model car inside that model car. Also there was a 50's panel van that had an image of the same van airbrushed on the side with a smaller copy of the same image on the image of the van.
    "I have a picture of my car... on a picture of my car... on my car!"
  • Musical Episode: The Toyota Tacoma review.
  • Mysterious Past: Mr. Regular's life apparently involved living in South Africa for a time and teaching in rural Alaska before returning to the Lehigh Valley.
  • N-Word Privileges: Invoked with the "And I'm GAY!" running gag in the Studebaker Lark, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and 2017 Ram 3500 Cummins reviews. After he says the phrase, Mr. Regular reads a mock disclaimer reminding the audience that he is a gay man in real life.
  • No Guy Wants an Amazon: "MY WIFE HAS TRICEPS NOW. She never puts the weights down. *Empties a random bottle of pills* What do these pills do? *Empties a box of bullets* WHAT DO THESE PILLS DO?! *grabs a bottle of gear oil and pours it into a beer bottle* She only loves me when I CUM BLOOD."
  • No. Just... No: Mr. Regular's initial response to reviewing the Elise, at least until he's offered the keys.
  • No Respect Car: The Dodge Neon SRT-4; Too American for the import crowd, not V8-y enough for the muscle car crowd, earned the respect of no one.
  • No True Scotsman: The Roman discusses this trope when talking about Ford Mustang fan reactions to the Ford Mustang Mach-E:
    The Roman: "No Mustang would have SUV curves and an electric motor." "The Mach-E is a Mustang with SUV curves and an electric motor." "Ah, but no true Mustang has SUV curves and an electric motor."
  • Noodle Implements: Often, in the sex moves Mr. Regular describes/makes up.
    • The Dirt Mall requires a Lego village, a stopwatch, and a full box of Cracklin' Oat Bran.
    • Whatever the Angry Dragon is, it involves paprika.
  • Noodle Incident: The Forrest Incident.
    • Something involving "cue-ball doms in Eagle Talons."
    "I HAD EXPERIMENTAL PHASES."
    • Having to flee to South Africa after the Commonwealth found out about... the book.
    *Whispering* "The boooook..." *Shouting* "THE BOOOOK! THE BOOK! I CAN'T THINK ABOUT THE BOOK!"
    • A possible real life example is the story Mr. Regular alludes to in the JK Wrangler review, before deciding to hold off on it.
  • "Not Making This Up" Disclaimer: The Volvo 240 review ends with Mr. Regular saying that his greatest accomplishment was jerking off on the upper deck of a South African Airways 747-400 somewhere over the Azores. The screen briefly flashes the text: "I'm not lying."
  • Obligatory Joke: Mr. Regular tries to avoid douchebag jokes in the Audi S4 review. Eventually he limits himself to just one.
    "Audi S4, the official car of elliptical machine bluetooth conference calls."
  • Occidental Otaku: Acccording to Mr. Regular, any American who faced shady importers and obtuse import laws to get their hands on an underpowered right-hand-drive mid-80s time capsule that is the Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno, just because it's the car of the main character of Initial D.
    Mr. Regular: SHUT UP! You don't like this car! You like a cartoon! A boring cartoon!"
  • Oh, Crap!: Mr. Regular, often, while driving the "Orlove Bug" through New York traffic.
    Mr. Regular: "Only, I'm in an only.note  Do I have to only?
    Raphael Orlove: "You have to only."
    Mr. Regular: "I have to only."
    Raphael Orlove: "Nah, you don't have to only-"
    Mr. Regular: "ONLYYYYY!"
  • Perky Goth: The Buick Regal Grand National. A cultural icon that comes in any color as long as it's black, black, and black.
    "A real life Dark Knight... A sinister rolling reminder to any passing oligarch that death claims all.. Nah! If you want to know the truth, this is the happiest car in the world."
  • Pet the Dog: Some widely disliked cars got positive reviews (most notably PT Cruisers).
  • Precision F-Strike: Once, while driving That Dude In Blue's Mustang GT in the wet.
    *Pulling away from a stoplight* "YEAH, DESERT STORM *The back slides out under power* HOLY SHIT!"
    • And twice more in the Tesla Model S review, when confronted by the (electric) car's immense, instant torque.
  • Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: When expressing the danger of the Dodge Viper RT/10;
    • "This car...will kill You. This car. Will. Kill You."
  • Put on a Bus: Harold Slovinsky. Aside from the occasional cameo, he hasn't been heard proper since the Accord review. According to Mr. Regular, he'll be brought back when they find another Accord to review.
    • The Bus Came Back: He's back in the weird(er) version of the Civic Si review.
    • Back on the Bus after failing to make an appearance for a review of a '96 Accord station wagon.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: "Hey. Volvo S60R. Guess what? You're NOT a BMW, and you never will be."
    • The first half of the VW Jetta review.
    • The entire Smart ForTwo review effectively boils down to all the reasons why the Smart car really isn't.
    • The intro to the AE86 review, towards really devoted Initial D fanboys.
    • The intro monologue for the Fiesta ST review.
    "WHY IS THERE A HOSE GOING FROM THE AIRBOX PLUMBING INTO THE CABIN?! WHY ARE YOU PUMPING SOUND INTO THE CAR?! YOU'RE NOT BMW, FORD! NOW, CUT IT OUT!"
    • The intro to the VW GTI review as well, characterizing Volkswagen as taking advantage of their customers and their own customers as stupid enough to fall for it. He does end up liking the car by the end.
  • Rated M for Manly: the Triumph Daytona (which is said to easily get you into stupid situations that FILL YOUR ENTIRE BODY WITH TESTOSTERONE) is "for the guy who bangs her so hard sonic rings come out".
  • Refuge in Vulgarity: The series runs on this.
  • The Reveal: Part 4 of The Vagabond Falcon build finally shows guys faces.
  • The Roast: The series is effectively a mild one toward the cars it reviews, their owners, car culture in general, and its various subcultures.
  • Running Gag:
    • "Headlights go up! Headlights go down!" whenever a car has pop-up headlights.
    • "Volvo!" whenever one of Volvo's unusual design decisions makes an appearance.
    • "RRRRGGGRRRRGGGHHHH THIS ISN'T A CAR!" whenever Mr. Regular reviews a Suzuki motorcycle. If he doesn't say it, someone in the comments will.
      • "NOT A CAR."
    • "SO BRITISH" whenever discussing the peculiarities of British vehicles.
    • "Hey, AUX jack!"
    • "*PPHHHBBBBBTTT* fuel injection" whenever a car uses single-port (throttle-body) fuel injection instead of multi-port or direct injection.
    • An audible fart typically preceded or followed by some variant of "Oop, real fart!" spoken or shown onscreen (sometimes both, sometimes neither)
    • If a car has a stereotypical obsession(s) amongst its owners, expect an intro all about that obsession...
      • Mazda Miata (Track day, bro!)
      • BMW E30 (Time attack, bro!)
      • Toyota 4Runner (Moab, bro!)
    • "Digital gauges. Boo-bee-bah-bee-bah-bee-bah-beep!"
    • "Which (X) is best (X)?" (example: "Which Corvette is best Corvette?")
      • "My (X) is best (X) because (reason)." ("My Corvette is best because motorcycle helmet.")
      • "My (X) is best (Y)." For when an X looks more like/would be better suited for/etc. a Y than its intended purpose.
    • "Car show"/"Cars and Coffee" (repeat throughout the video.)
    • "Here's my toy car. (Zoom out to identical real car) Here's my real car."
    • Accidentally hitting the windshield wipers when trying to turn on the turn signal, in a right-hand-drive car. And loudly groaning about the mistake.
    • "This is not Matt Farah's Million Mile Lexus"
    • "The box said '10 horsepower!'", whenever he sees a car with an aftermarket air filter.
    • "BROWN", both as a euphemism for feces, and a response to anything colored a shade of brown (especially if from the 1970s-80s).
    • "SEW FAUNSEH", in reference to certain performance cars having something remotely perceivable as a sign of affluence.
    • "On a long-enough timeline, everything gets an LS," whenever he sees a car that has a GM LS-series engine note  swapped in.
    • "Winga-dinga-dinga-dinga-winga-dinga-dinga-dinga...", when classic '40s, '50s or '60s American hot-rods are spotted at car shows. It's an onomatopoeia of the guitar riffs you usually hear in the repetitive rockabilly music (or "winga-dinga music" as Mr. R. calls it) that's associated with '50s greaser culture and is often played at classic car shows.
      • By the same token, "Wampa-dampa-dampa-damp..." for pre-World War II cars. Here it's onomatopoeic for big-band jazz or swing, associated with the '30s and earlier.
    • Following any mention of the number 69 with "nice", in the same breath, no matter the context, in reference to the longstanding meme.
    • Using the word "brand" as a trigger for segments of THE MEAT, or general pisstakes on consumer culture, almost always spoken in a dopey, drawn-out voice.
    • Regular's seeming inability to pronounce foreign-sounding words and names.
    • Roman seeing a car and saying "AH WAUN'IT".
    • "CafĂ© le EEEEEEEEEUUUUUUUUGH".
    • "...on an EMPTY ROAD IN MEXICO.", following up statements about a car's owner testing the vehicle's top speed well in excess of statutory or posted speed limits.
    • Roman's adoration of adult-film actress Angela White, culminating in a cameo by the lady herself in a Roman-helmed review.
  • Rule of Three: The SHEMALE PORN ADDICTION joke in the FR-S/BRZ review.
  • Sacred Cow: invoked The Ford Mustang.
    "Semiotics dictates that if you rip on the 'Stang, you're also disrespecting 'Murica. So, let's do it!"
  • Self-Deprecation: Whenever he brings his own cars to car shows. For example, "This dick" when showing the Vagabond Falcon in "Pypes Car Show 2016". The Roman will also do this to his car, Red Betty, such as when he brought it to RCR's 2023 car meet ("Pfft, what jerk brought this?").
    • The 2003 BMW E46 M3 review has shades of this since he notes he hates the car (even more than Jettas) because it reminds him of himself.
  • Shaped Like Itself: "The steering feel (of the late model Mustang) can be changed from 'Windstar Minivan,' to 'New Windstar Minivan.'"
  • Shmuck Bait: Sometimes.
    • The Elise review.
    "Maybe you're watching this on your cell phone, or your iPad, while everybody else *gibberish* opens Christmas presents in front of you, and you're watching this. Look at your family, look at your family and friends. Find the oldest male. Eh, found the oldest male? You looking at him? YOU'RE NOW PICTURING HIM EATING PUSSY. YOU'RE NOW PICTURING HIM EATING PUSSY. OH, HE'S EATING PUSSY. BIG 1970'S BUSH. OHHH, JINGLE BELLS.
    • The Miata review, at least for anyone tempted to google "Bad Dragon."
    Youtube Commenter: "My curiosity made me look up Bad Dragon. MISTAKE I MADE A MISTAKE"
    • The "homework" Mr. Regular gave in the Toyota Century review. Mr. Regular said to look up the "Japanese Businessman" episode of the Ten Minute Podcast.
      Youtube Commenter: What kind of homework did RCR give to me? What is this?
  • Shotgun Wedding: The usual cause of an unwanted purchase of a Honda Odyssey:
    "I've settled! The wedding is in June, save the date!"
  • Simple, yet Awesome: His review of the 1995 Mazda Miata sums the car up as this; it's a low-cost sports car that's well-rounded for its price range, features a curvy design that's easy on the eyes, and can be easily modified to suit the driver's wants and needs.
    "Everybody's happy to see a Miata!"
  • Small Reference Pools: Defied and defiled. As you'd expect from English majors.
  • Smug Snake: The Smart ForTwo. The name suggests that every other car is the wrong car, but the car itself isn't that good.
  • So Unfunny, It's Funny: The Dad Joke in the Honda Pilot review.
    • "What's three hundred feet long and has three teeth? (Beat) The bellini line at a Shenandoah block party!"
  • Something Else Also Rises: The doors on a DeLorean have... an effect on Mr. Regular...
    "ALL THINGS THAT RISE MAKE ME RISE."
  • Song Parody: Most reviews begin and end with The Roman singing a parody of a popular song with lyrics relevant to the car being reviewed.
  • Sophisticated as Hell: Yes, really. Mr. Regular and the Roman have graduate degrees in English (they met in grad school), so the series often switches between surprisingly articulate observations about the car being reviewed, before breaking them up with The Meat.
    • Two excellent examples of this are the Vantage and FJ Cruiser reviews.
    • Near the end of the Ferrari 360 Modena review, Mr. Regular decides he's going to deliver the rest of the review in the prosaic style of Nathanie Hawthorne.
    • The PT Cruiser review includes a decent introduction to postmodernism (as the thesis of the video is that the PT Cruiser is Chrysler's—unfortunately successful—attempt at a postmodern car).
  • Sound-Effect Bleep: Common in the very first episodes, but absent these days.
  • Speak in Unison: At least if you show up to a Subaru meet in a BRZ instead of an otherwise identical FR-S. "ONE OF US. ONE OF US. ONE OF US. ONE OF US."
  • Speed Sex: "Headlights go up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up! URRRRRRRRNH *Premature Ejaculation*"
  • Spiritual Successor: The Focus ST is described as this In-Universe to the Neon SRT-4.
  • Start My Own: How Regular Car Reviews got its start, as a response of sorts to the amateur videos of people video-ing/reviewing their own cars, in a clearly unprepared, improvised method, which Mr. Regular finds horribly boring. The result was the Toyota Echo review.
  • Stylistic Suck: The camerawork has a cheaply produced, amateurish feel. It likely wouldn't work otherwise. Admittedly, part of this comes from an actual lack of funds.
  • Suddenly Shouting:
    • "You just ate your vegetables, so next week COMES THE MEAT."
    • The entire pair Suzuki motorcycle reviews. The GS500 review even inverts it.
      "RRRG FIBER. RRR MORE FIBER. BAKED BEANS! RRRRRRRRRRRrrroooowhen the 1993 Suzuki GS500 came out..."
    • "Why is the rear wing so SUBARU IMPOSSIBRU!"
    • "Did I tell you it has a rotary engine? VRRRR MORE TRIANGLES."
    • "Ohhh, and you've got white gauges. Oh, you think you're SO NICE."
    • "$12,000 ENGINE REBUILD, SOOOOON!"
    • "I NEVER WEAR A HELMET, AND I! RIDE! A SUZUKI HAYABUSA!"
    • "...and, finally, we have one. So let's do this. WHY IS THERE A HOSE GOING FROM THE AIRBOX PLUMBING INTO THE CABIN?!"
  • Surreal Humor: Very prominent in early episodes (Citi Golf, Dodge Caravan and Toyota Tacoma especially). Toned down as of later but still shows up sometimes.
  • The Tag: Over the summer of 2021 starting with the Toyota HiAce review, Roman's regular outro songs were replaced with a Story Arc involving his Mustang being turned into a time machine and him being sent back to 1964. Listen to the whole thing here.
  • Take That!:
    • The breathless, mumbled, rapid-fire listing of all the figures of the 330ci can be seen as one towards the people who complain about how he doesn't review cars normally.
    • Mr Regular appeared in this Car Throttle video to mock /DRIVE for switching to paid subscriptions.
    • The Triumph Daytona review has one toward mens' rights activists.
      "Sure, in your Smirnoff eyes, women are taking over the world, BUT THEY'LL NEVER TAKE MY TRIUMPH." *Subtitle: (is repossessed in the divorce)*
    • The AE86 Trueno review begins with a rant about Initial D fans who only like and try to import the car because the protagonist drives it.
    • His 1995 Mazda Miata MX-5 review levels a few against self-described "nice guys" and hypermasculine car culture, while praising the Miata for its relatively soft appearance and being "the only sports car that works on girls."
      "Put that fedora back on the rack at Turkey Hill, put your Genesis collection up on eBay, and start saving your laundry quarters for a Miata."
      "You see, us guys think that this..." (clip of a car with a noisy muffler) "...this..." (clip of a car doing donuts) "...and this..." (clip of a motorcycle rider popping up his rear tire) "...creates girl boners, and it does, but only for chicks who hate their dads."
  • Teenage Death Songs: From the Nissan Leaf review:
    "[The Leaf is] designed to be accepted by everybody, from electric vehicle optimists to the man whose favorite genre of music is 1950's pop that's about teenagers getting killed to death. [Starts singing "Last Kiss" by Wayne Cochran in a mock Eddie Vedder yarl] Oh where, oh where can my baby be? The Lord took her away from me!"
  • Testosterone Poisoning: The Dodge Ram, and every pickup since that apes its styling.
    "I AM EVERYTHING THAT IS MALE."
    • The Dodge Neon SRT4 is described as a failed attempt to invoke this.
  • That Came Out Wrong: The Roman's closing song for the Ford Falcon 289 review (which was filmed at a track day event in Austin, Texas) ends with him singing "Thank you, Austin, for letting us come inside" before realizing it sounded dirty and saying he didn't mean it that way.
  • The Faceless: Up to the fourth Ford Falcon video, Mr. Regular and The Roman would blur out their faces if they were in plain view (or Roman would hold up a funny sign on a clipboard). Some of the earlier videos do have their faces on camera, but usually at a distance, only for a split second, or covered by a helmet. Review videos are still going to be limited to brief glimpses and mirror shots, however.
    • Apparently the review of the Stock Vagabond Falcon was important enough for Mr Regular to break this rule with a second reveal at the very end of the video as he walks away from the "Flagship car" of Regular car Reviews.
  • The Unintelligible: Mr. Regular sometimes says something that even he can't understand.
  • Toilet Humor: Yes. Listing individual examples would break the article.
  • Too Awesome to Use: What ultimately lead to Mr. R. selling his beloved MR2 AW11.
  • Unintentional Period Piece: invokedSome of the reviewed cars (Toyota MR2 AW11 and Saturn L series for example) are described as those. A few times, though (such as the Acura NSX), he specifically points out that the car managed to achieve timelessness.
    • The review videos themselves can be this based on recurring subject matter referenced by Mr. Regular. An example being a handful of reviews from late 2015 to early 2016 are flooded with Undertale references.
  • The Unpronouncable: The Shi- ... Uuuuuggh... Automobile Companynote , and their car, the- Argh, really? OK... Noblenote , from the Smart Fortwo review.
  • Unusual Euphemism: The first DeLorean review: "Maybe it's her inexplicable fondness for my FULLY ENGORGED, BLOOD-FILLED SIN SWORD."
    • Beef Thermometer, from the C7 Corvette review.
    • The RAV4 episode subtly uses "pillar-of-salt" as a euphemism for another expression whose initials are "P.O.S."
  • Vaporwave: In some more recent episodes, Mr. Regular's known to break into strange, vaporwave-fueled interludes often triggered by the word "aesthetic", such as him repeating "ZIP DISKS ARE THE FUTURE" over a late '80s-styled CG backdrop.
  • Vulgar Humor: In spades.
  • Waxing Lyrical:
    • The Cobalt review: *While creepily touching two men* "I'M BACK IN THE HIGH LIFE AGAIN."
      • "ALL THE DOORS THAT ARE CLOSED ONE TIME WILL OPEN UP AGAIN."
    • A couple reviews contain references to the Beastie Boys:
      • In the 1994 Dodge Grand Caravan 5MT review: "Like 'Paul Revere', the driver will tell you a story that sounds well rehearsed."
      • From the 2001 Saab Viggen review, when Mr. Regular says "The true performance of Saab could never be more than just a mirage":
      The Roman: I'M TELLING Y'ALL, IT'S SAABOTAGE!!!
  • What a Piece of Junk: In his BMW E30 review, he points out that the vehicle's four-door property makes it seem less powerful than it actually is:
    "You see, your brain's dick thinks that 2-door cars are faster because structural rigidity or whatever. So when a 4-door BMW passes you in your S13 you're pissed because there is no M-badge on the back of that car on which you can lay your excuses."
  • Yandere: The first Subaru Outback review.
  • You Bastard!: Without any doubt, Mr. Regular LOVES this trope.
    • Also, his rant in the beginning of the AE86 Sprinter Trueno review serves as this. (See Take That!)
  • Zeerust: He views skirted rear wheels as this, saying they look futuristic but it's the 1950's idea of the future.

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