Drive — Seinfeld Kramer Test

The coup de grâce? When he returns the car to the curb, the muffler falls off with a pathetic clunk . Kramer kicks it, looks at Jerry, and delivers the death blow: "I think it was the manure."

(For the uninitiated: Kramer had previously transported a truckload of manure in Jerry’s car. Yes, really.) Why are we still talking about a 30-year-old sitcom scene? seinfeld kramer test drive

Jerry, making the first of many mistakes that day, asks: "You’re not going to test drive it, are you?" The coup de grâce

Listen closely. The sound of the loose hood flapping is comedy gold. It’s the auditory representation of Jerry’s sanity unspooling. The Verdict Don’t let Kramer drive your car. Don’t let him "borrow" it to move a sausage. And definitely don't ask him to "see what it can do." Yes, really

If you have seen Seinfeld Season 5, Episode 21 ("The Opposite"), you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, stop reading this, go open Netflix, and witness 90 seconds of pure, unadulterated automotive anarchy. Let’s set the scene. Jerry has just bought a new car—a dark grey 1994 Saab 900. It’s sleek. It’s sensible. It’s Jerry. But Cosmo Kramer, the human hurricane, needs to run an errand. He offers to drive Jerry’s new baby to the mall.