Pete's Auto Body

Top 5 Best Reality Car Shows

Television reality car shows have evolved significantly in the past few years and there are now probably two dozen of them that many car enthusiasts agree are worth watching, particularity for the die-hard car aficionado. At Pete's Auto Body, we love fixing cars here in Merced, CA, so we just naturally like to watch many of these shows when we get the time.

So, here is our list of the most entertaining and engaging reality car shows out there right now:

1.) Top Gear with former co-hosts Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May makes most lists at or near the top of every favorite list. It’s the only TV car show that presents such “stunning adventures, all the latest exotica, playful jokes among the three hosts, and of course the wild inventions and outrageous challenges,” according to topspeed.com. Adam Ferrara, who stepped in for Adam Carolla, has become a highlight of the show. 

2.) Fast N' Loud with Christie Brimberry, Richard Rawlings, Aaron Kaufmann also tops most lists. In its fifth season, this is a Discovery Channel show based in Dallas, Texas’ Gas Monkey Garage. The hosts search for and restore dilapidated vehicles for profit. Unique in the reality world, each show includes an episode-themed skit, and is widely considered the funniest and most interesting of the auto-makeover shows. It’s also spawned a spin-off called Misfit Garage.

3.) Wheeler Dealers with Mike Brewer and Edd China, and Wheeler Dealers Trading Up are restoration/modernization shows, but with a more detail-oriented approach to selecting which classic cars to work on. With more than 10 seasons under their belts, the guys have broken down and rebuilt dozens of magnificent machines like Lamborghinis, Range Rovers and Porsches. There’s a spin-off called Trading Up that follows Brewer as he tries selling cars in exotic locales like India, Japan, the UAE, Britain and Sweden, hoping to earn enough profits to buy a supercar for himself.

4.) Fifth Gear, a longtime younger sibling to Top Gear in the UK, the show has upped its game in recent years, with improved camera-work and a huge auto testing center as home base. This hour-long program is in the running of list-topper for originality and entertainment value.

5.) One Car Too Far and Car Vs. Wild is a twofer of off-road and adventure-focused programs that are described as “really incredible television shows." The premise is dropping two guys and a 1998 Jeep Wrangler in the Chilean jungle, a remote desert, glacier or somewhere else totally desolate and remote and watch them drive their way out! It's a fun romp and a huge hit worldwide.

Sources: Ranker.com, Topspeed.com and Autoblog