There is no doubt that stereotypes rule our society and people are greatly influenced by an inbuilt perception.
The type of car we choose to drive is a deeply personal decision with hidden psychological implications. What appears to be a seemingly innocent trip to the local car dealership to buy “any car, I don’t mind, as long as it works properly” has underlying motives as to what car we will actually choose over another one, regardless of cost.
This underlying way of thinking is referred to as ‘psychographics’ – the theory that grouping customers can be achieved according to their beliefs and attitudes, and selling them products to fit their group. Experts claim that the type of car you choose is determined by your personality: the same group of people always buy the same type of car.
People can usually be stereotyped into seven distinct groups when it comes to car choice: small cars, mid-sized cars, luxury cars, sports cars, minivans, pickups and SUV’s.
Small Cars (Prius, Honda Civic, SmartCar etc): Small-car drivers are pro-environmental and are comfortable living in crowded neighbourhoods than other car drivers. The logic behind this is that if you live in a city, it is easier to park with a small car, and a fuel-efficient car is good for the environment.
Mid-sized Cars (Volkswagen Passat): These owners were most likely to be female and homemakers who had higher incomes and did not really have a distinct preference when it came to travel mobility.
Luxury Cars (Cadillac, Lexus): Owners of these distinctive cars were defined as status seekers and capable of driving long distances. These drivers were profit-oriented workaholics and over-represented as highly educated and higher-income people.
Sports Cars (BMW, Porsche): The adventure seekers with university degrees. Surprisingly, these drivers were more likely to have lower incomes. These drivers have been described as younger, financially unstable people who attempt to emulate achievers.
Minivan: Predicably, minivan drivers were more likely to have children, were sociable (hence the need for a big car) and enjoyed travelling in their car.
Pickup: The quintessential workaholics, who had lower education, middle-income and obviously have service-related jobs.
SUV: Drivers of SUV’s do not have much regard for the environment, as indicated by the carbon footprints these cars leave. They are most likely to come from large households, have children and preferred to travel short distances in their cars.
Beyond this, there is the theory that the car colour your choose is unconsciously influenced by your personality: a black car indicates a driver who loves elegance and class; a silver driver loves the futuristic look and is corporate-focussed; white car drivers are fastidious; red implies a high-energy and dynamic driver; blue car drivers are confident and dependable; a green car driver indicates a traditional and well-balanced driver; and yellow car drivers are intelligent and young at heart.
It must be noted that, just like most psychological theories, these presumptions cannot be generalised to the wider population. Regardless of what car you choose to buy, car insurance is a must for any responsible driver.
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