Probably one of the most disregarded parts of automobiles is the owner’s manual. That isn’t just an observation, mind you – a 350-strong study conducted by Bristol Street Motors in the U.K. has found out that 60 percent of vehicle owners who participated didn’t bother reading the car’s manual. That’s even before heading out for a drive for the first time.
Only 37 percent of these owners consult the handbook whenever issues arise, with the majority preferring the help of the internet (YouTube) and friends instead. Not a surprise, really.
26 Photos
But that’s not the only interesting part of the Bristol Street Motors’ study. According to the car-selling website, the car owner’s manuals are painfully long to read, with the Audi A3 topping the list of 30 popular cars in the U.K. at 167,699 words – or at least 11 hours and 45 minutes to read.
In comparison, the Audi A3’s car manual is sandwiched in between J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (11 hours and 50 minutes) and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (10 hours and 56 minutes). It’s no wonder why owners won’t even bother looking at these would-have-been-helpful manuals upon taking delivery of their new car.
The shortest car owner’s manual from Bristol Street Motors’ list is the Vauxhall Zafira’s, with 37,147 words and will take you 2 hours and 36 minutes to finish. The Fiat 500 is at a close second with 2 hours and 47 minutes. Those aren’t so bad but take into consideration that you can finish doing so in that period if done non-stop without breaks. Doable for the Zafira and Fiat 500 but can you imagine spending a good part of your entire day reading about the A3?
Then again, let this be a reminder that no matter how long your car owner’s manual is, it’s still the best reference when you need something to know about your car.
Time