History YMMV / CARs

* BellisariosMaxim: The concept of a world populated exclusively by sentient cars raises a lot of questions (how can cars print newspapers if they don't have hands? What does the inside of a car consist of? How do cars reproduce? How do cars ''die'', except in car accidents? etc.), which non-fans find its most distracting flaw. This is especially noticeable in ''Mater's Tall Tales'' and the second movie, which go all over the world but only "car-ifies" it with cheesy jokes rather than the more subdued internal logic of the first movie.

* MST3KMantra: As mentioned above, a world inhabited solely by vehicles lead to a lot of questions over how it functions like the real world does with regards to reproduction, consumption, ethnicity, etc. It's recommended (particularly by fans) not to think too hard about it.

** ''Cars'' is easily Pixar's most divisive film. While there are those who find it just as good as any other Pixar film, the people who dislike it consider it a dumb concept by Pixar's standards and consider it to be their [[WesternAnimation/Cars2 now-second]] weakest film. [[TakeAThirdOption There are also those]] who like it despite it not being Pixar's best. The fact that this was the first film released after Pixar merged with Disney (though produced before said merger) and John Lasetter became Disney Animation Head didn't help matters.

** He arguably crosses the event horizon way earlier at the start of the movie when he caused a massive pileup, injuring as many as 40 other cars ([[FridgeHorror some of the injuries could've possibly proven]] ''[[FridgeHorror fatal]]'' [[FridgeHorror for some of the cars had their crews not fixed them up]]), just to keep [=McQueen=] in as much of a disadvantage as possible. Fortunately for [=McQueen=], he was able to not only make it out unscathed, [[NiceJobFixingItVillain but also got him in first place for quite a while because he went in his pitstop when news breaks of [=McQueen=] making it through the pileup]].

** He arguably crosses the event horizon way earlier at the start of the movie when he caused a massive pileup, injuring as many as 40 other cars, just to keep [=McQueen=] in as much of a disadvantage as possible. Fortunately for [=McQueen=], he was able to not only make it out unscathed, [[NiceJobFixingItVillain but also got him in first place for quite a while because he went in his pitstop when news breaks of [=McQueen=] making it through the pileup]].

** One of the supporting characters is a diminutive and lovable forklift named ''Guido''... damn you Series/JerseyShore...
** Magazine/{{MAD}} did a spoof that mentioned (among other things) that they cut an appearance by the "Popemobile" at the last second. Well, guess what actually appears in the sequel...

** During the chase scene between [=McQueen=] and Sheriff, [=McQueen=] starts zigzaging because he thinks Sheriff is shooting at him (he's actually backfiring), to which Sheriff responds by calling him a crazy hot rodder. In the Spanish dub, he wonders if [=McQueen=]'s a taxi cab, which is arguably funnier than the generic hot rodder line.

* BellisariosMaxim: The concept of a world populated exclusively by sentient cars raises a lot of questions (how can cars print newspapers if they don't have hands? What does the inside of a car consist of? How do cars reproduce? etc.), which non-fans find its most distracting flaw. This is especially noticeable in ''Mater's Tall Tales'' and the second movie, which go all over the world but only "car-ifies" it with cheesy jokes rather than the more subdued internal logic of the first movie.

** He arguably crosses this at the start of the movie when he caused a massive pileup, injuring as many as 40 other cars, just to keep [=McQueen=] in as much of a disadvantage as possible. Fortunately for [=McQueen=], he was able to not only make it out unscathed, [[NiceJobFixingItVillain but also got him in first place for quite a while because he went in his pitstop when news breaks of [=McQueen=] making it through the pileup]].

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Mater, mostly due to all the adlibbing from Creator/LarryTheCableGuy. While most will agree that the character works best in doses, people are split between those who find him to be hilarious, and those who find him obnoxious and painful to listen to. He would only grow more devicive in ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'', where he was made the main focus of the film.

* ClicheStorm: ''Cars'' is considered to be one of these. It's easy to imagine a little counter in the corner dinging kinda like WebVideo/CinemaSins whenever you see a Pixar cliché. Stranger in a community or group? Check. Brooding moment from a side character? Check. Wacky sidekick who forms a comedic duo with the main character? Check. Said group full of wacky members with their own quirks? Check. All of the development threatens to go downhill when something happens to separate or alienate the stranger? Check. They all decide they like this new stranger and want him back in the group? Check. The stranger decides that s/he really is a member of the group? Check.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Mater, mostly due to all the adlibbing from Creator/LarryTheCableGuy. While most will agree that the character works best in doses, people are split between those who find him to be hilarious, and those who find him obnoxious and painful to listen to.

* OneSceneWonder: Ferrari F430, voiced by Michael Schumacher, makes his brief appearance near the end of the movie.

** In the Norwegian dub, during the credits scene where Mack complains about the using of the same voice actors has been repurposed a little. Since none of John Ratzenberger's characters have the same voice actor in the Norwegian dub, but [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory Woody]] and [[WesternAnimation/MonstersInc Mike]] do, the Norwegian Mack instead complain that all the movies have the same voice cast.

** In the Norwegian dub, during the credits scene where Mack complains about the using of the same voice actors has been repurposed a little. Since none of John Ratzenberger's characters have the same voice actor in the Norwegian dub, but [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory Woody]] and [[WesternAnimation/MonstersInc Mike]] do, the Norwegian Mack instead complains that all the movies have the same voice cast.

** In the Norwegian dub, during the credits scene where Mack complains about the using of the same voice actors has been repurposed a little. Since none of John Ratzenberger's characters have the same voice actor in the Norwegian dub, but [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory Woody]] and [[WesternAnimation/MonstersInc Mike]] do, the Norwegian Mack instead complains that all the movies have the same voice cast. ... which isn't actually an unfair complaint when it comes to Norwegian dubbing in general.

** After Lightning discovers [[spoiler: Doc's past as a famous race car before a [[CareerEndingInjury crash]],]] he's amazed and tells him about how they are [[NotSoDifferent Not So Different]], to which Doc immediately denies. 10 years later, the WesternAnimation/Cars3 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4K7JgPJ8-s teaser]] shows Lightning getting into a devastating crash similar to [[spoiler: Doc's]].

*** Another deleted scene had Lightning choose standard community service over doing a race in the first Radiator Springs Grand Prix, [[OpinionChangingDream only to have a dream]] that Doc put his engine (and consciousness) in a steamroller while Mater's engine is put inside Lightning's body, with Mater [[GrandTheftMe running off to live Lightning's life once Mack shows up in the dream]] and Lightning is forced to pave the road. When he wakes up from the nightmare, he notices a steamroller corpse on the side and, rather understandably, changes his mind and ends the scene by deciding to do the race instead.
** Frank. He's a large, red, loud vehicle with a very mean face and a very loud engine. He also has blades on the end of his body. When he catches Lightning in his fields tipping tractors, he pops up in front of him and roars as loud ominous music plays. The scene is very tense.

** Many older fans see the franchise as something of a DorkAge for Creator/{{Pixar}} as a whole. In general, a lot of the disdain for the franchise stems from its perceived CreatorsFavorite status--after all, the sequel was greenlit on the press tour of the first movie and making it the second Pixar franchise to get a full trilogy after ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'', and that's on top of Disney releasing a pair of theatrically-released spin-offs. All of this in spite of the consensus that the movies represent a low point for the company. That it's also a MerchandiseDriven property does not do anything to alleviate the situation, with many accusing the sequels of being made only as a cash-grab. The common sentiment among these older fans is that the movies simply aren't worthy of the embellishment that Pixar has placed upon them, and that the company's efforts would be better reserved for creating new movies that are up to the company's usual quality or creating sequels to more beloved films like ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''[[note]]which did ultimately happen, albeit much later than most fans were expecting[[/note]]. That being said, the series does have its fans, especially among younger viewers who look at ''Cars'' as a GatewaySeries for Pixar, and the third movie's trailer--with the DarkerAndEdgier tone and the stunning visual effects--has indicated that Pixar is taking the franchise as seriously as any other property they've put work into.

* {{Woolseyism}}: During the chase scene between [=McQueen=] and Sheriff, [=McQueen=] starts zigzaging because he thinks Sheriff is shooting at him (he's actually backfiring), to which Sheriff responds by calling him a crazy hot rodder. In the Spanish dub, he wonders if [=McQueen=]'s a taxi cab, which is arguably funnier than the generic hot rodder line.

* CreatorsPet: Within the Pixar "canon," these films are very much John Lasseter's baby and were treated as such in the decade following the first one's release, giving them lots of spin-off material, most of which he directed himself (these would be his last directing jobs at Pixar) at a time when his role was becoming increasingly executive, all while the general public was growing increasingly antipathetic for it. Tellingly, there's been nary a word about any future ''Cars'' material following his departure.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: Part of why the films have always been divisive is that some audience members simply can't get into the concept of a world populated exclusively by cars. Others don't care for the rural southern setting and GoodOlBoy characters, which have become controversial for their association with white nationalism in recent years.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Mater is either the BreakoutCharacter or TheScrappy. The general medium ground is that, while he's tolerable in small doses (the first and third films, ''Mater and the Ghostlight'' and ''Mater's Tall Tales''), making him the main character in the sequel caused him to quickly overstay his welcome.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: Part of why the films have always been divisive is that some audience members simply can't get into the concept of a world populated exclusively by cars. Others have said that the films' rural southern setting and GoodOlBoy characters make them feel too "hick" to be appealing.