What Your Car Says About Your Personality
I'm sure we've all driven past someone and thought about what their life must be like to own that car, or made a judgment of another driver's personality based on the car they're driving—well, there may be something to the idea that people in certain types of cars have predictable personality types. Let's examine what your car could say about you as a person.
Three's A Crowd, But You're Okay With It
Any parent with more than two kids will tell you three's a crowd. Well, if you own a minivan or other large SUV with more than two rows of seats, chances are you're used to being the kid's taxi—from home to school or from home to sporting events. If your car has three or more rows of seating, you thrive on the chaos of the backseats.
Don't Dim Your Lights? Don't Be So Selfish
We've all accidentally left our "brights" on—but purposefully not turning them off can be a real hazard to other road users. The newest headlight technology is ultra-bright LEDs, which is great—unless you happen to be staring down the barrel of them while driving. Purposefully leaving your lights on bright when approaching another vehicle tells the world you're selfish and that you don't care for the astigmatism of others.
Got Family Stick Figures? You're Family-Oriented
Not only is the multi-row minivan an indicator of just how much you love driving your family around, but so too are the little white stick figures you see on people's rear windows. Often indicating how many children and/or pets they have, these fun stickers tell the world that you're family-oriented and that your family comes first.
Sports Stickers Tell Everyone You're The Life Of The Party
While many can go overboard with their support of a sports team (such as covering almost every square inch of their car in paraphernalia from their favorite sports team), a few stickers here and there with the team's logo or slogan let everyone know which team you support. Chances are you're the life of the Sunday football party and go harder for your team than almost anyone else.
Big Trucks & Political Bumper Stickers
I don't know what it is about drivers of massive trucks—I'm talking dual-wheeled behemoths with engines loud enough that the deaf could hear—and the presence of political bumper stickers, but these people are typically outspoken and don't mind letting you know how they view a particular political issue.
Rebekah Zemansky, Shutterstock
You Appreciate The Safety Of An SUV
There may be many reasons as to why you're driving an SUV, but one of them is probably because you appreciate how much safer you are inside of one, rather than in a car. This is particularly the case if you're driving around with your kids. Being higher off the ground, having a more weighty car that's more difficult to roll over, having an extended crumple zone because of the length of an SUV (unless you're driving a subcompact)—all of these things tell other road users that you appreciate how safe you feel inside an SUV.
Damian B Oh, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Exotic Car Fresheners Tell Everyone You're An Individual
They're sort of like the tiniest window into someone's soul. Okay, maybe that's too deep, but chances are that if you have an exotic car freshener of some sort, i.e. not an ordinary tree-shaped one, people are going to be making snap judgments about what kind of person you are. And why not flaunt it! Heck, choose the most "you" car air freshener you can find and go with it. At least your car won't smell funny.
Messy Car? You're A Multi-Tasking Extraordinaire
If, when you open the car door, an inordinate amount of trash spills out (we're talking more than a couple of receipts and maybe yesterday's lunch), chances are you don't have enough time to clean the car because you're a multi-tasker who's got far too much on the go to worry about how clean your car is.
Drive A Late-90s/Early 2000s Car? You Might Be A Recent College Grad
Maybe your parents got you the second-hand car when you graduated college, or maybe it's the old clunker from when you were in high school that you drove many miles to your college or university. But if you're driving "old Faithful"—a 1998 Toyota Corolla, or a 2002 Dodge Neon, or possibly a 2000 Ford Fiesta—chances are you're a recent college grad armed with a degree, tens of thousands in student loan debt, and a mightily-dependable car.
Driving A VW Van Or Beetle? You're A Hippie At Heart
Peace, love and Volkswagen—right? Or at least, that might be the case if you're driving around in an old VW bus, or have a Volkswagen Beetle. The iconic brand couldn't be more resonant of the 1960s and 1970s hippie movements. Stick a peace sign sticker on there and you're a bona fide hippie. Regardless of the practical implications of a small car like the Bug, or a home-on-wheels for many, as the VW or other van can be, you'll be seen as a hippie at heart.
Drive A Prius, Or Other Hybrid? You're Environmentally-Conscious
While, of course, all-electric vehicles are more environmentally-friendly than their half-gas hybrid forefathers, it still demonstrates a great commitment to the planet to buy a hybrid. While the Toyota Prius is one of the most popular models out there, and one that brought hybrid vehicles into the public consciousness, many other car manufacturers now have entire hybrid lines of vehicles.
Mytho88, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Big Gas Guzzlers Can Signify Obnoxiousness
While there's definitely a place in the market for gas-guzzling SUVs and trucks, driving huge vehicles like a Hummer H2 around in a small city, squeezing it into the tightest of parking spaces—or worse, taking up two parking spaces because your giant vehicle won't fit into just one—can signify obnoxiousness. Don't be that person.
Alexandre Prevot, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Driving A Mercedes Or BMW? You Might Be The Boss
Chances are, if people see you rolling down the street in a brand new Mercedes, Lexus, or BMW, they'll assume you're a corporate head honcho of some sort. Same if you just left the car sitting in the driveway, un-driven, and spent Sunday afternoon furiously polishing it for no apparent reason.
A Rising Star? Get Yourself An Audi, Volvo, Or Acura
Doing well for yourself? Your car could express your newfound financial success (maybe as a result of a recent new promotion or better-paying job). Get yourself an Audi, Volvo, or Acura to tell people that you're on the rise in the corporate world. The Audi A5 is a favorite of those ascending the corporate ladder.
Rance Costa, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Plastering Your Name Over Your Vehicle Says You're Self-Employed
Self-promotion is perhaps the cornerstone of running a successful business and there's nowhere better to let people know about you and your business than the panels of your car. While you don't want to go overboard and appear self-obsessed (one sticker per side of your car is the general rule of thumb), plaster your name and business logo on your vehicle somewhere—it's a great free marketing tool that you only have to pay for once.
Settling Down In Your Corolla, Jetta, Or Civic
Chances are, if you're driving a reliable vehicle like a Corolla, VW Jetta, or Honda Civic, you're settling down and not still drowning in student loan debt, but also make enough to pay your mortgage, your various subscriptions, and maybe put money aside for a newer car. But saving is the most important thing to you and that's why you're driving a car that exudes cost-consciousness and not lavish exuberance.
. Lukács Gábor, Wikimedia Commons
Your Travel Van Says You're Living Outside The Box
If you're driving an older VW or GMC Sierra, or Chevrolet Express 3500, or even a mid-90s Chevrolet G10/20/30, and you're living out of it, people can look down upon you all they want, but you're thinking (and living) outside the box and probably aren't paying an arm and a leg for rent. And you have your entire home with you wherever you want to go. Sounds pretty idyllic to me.
The Kids Are Alright—You Drive A Dodge Grand Caravan
The Dodge Grand Caravan is the best-selling minivan in North America (and has been for years), and there's a reason for that: It's the favorite among families with two or less children. Spacious enough for the kid's hockey or football gear, but small enough that you can only seat four including the front-seat passengers, it says that you've got two kids under the age of 13 and neither are going to grow into people with very long legs.
Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
You're Saving For A Rainy Day—And Driving A Rust Box While You're At It
Sure, your car may be falling apart and is questionably passing it's motor vehicle inspections annually, but it's yours and you love it. You're saving up for something big—probably a vacation or a home, and would rather drive the rust-worn late-80s/early-90s rust bucket till it's engine literally falls out than spend a penny on it. More power to you. At least people will assume you're wealthy and are just stashing away money in some vault somewhere.
Driving A Ford Mustang—You Love The Classic Things In Life
Sure, so you could also just be a gearhead, but chances are if you're driving a classic Ford Mustang (something like a 1965 model), you have an appreciation for the engineering marvel that it was at the time. Similarly with an old Pontiac GTO or Dodge Charger, a love the classical things in life and the finer engineering doesn't necessarily make you a car snob, but others might assume so.
Kieran White, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Driving That Supercar In The City Makes You Look Silly
While you may be very happy with your purchase of a faster-than-the-speed-of-sound supercar—other people are looking at you and sneering. If you bought a very fast production car, like a Ferrari or Corvette, or a Dodge Viper, or an even more exuberant Lamborghini, joke's on you. Unless you're heading somewhere like the desert of Arizona where you can put your foot all the way down, then your uber-quick car in a big city or small town is pointless.
Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The City Slicker In The Smart Car
People will know you're from the city if you drive a smart car. That's one of the only places where they have practical utility. While sure, they're great on gas and can fit into almost any parking space, they generally don't have much use outside of a city where parking spaces are limited. Chances are, if you rock up into a smaller town in one of these, people are going to assume you're from the city.
Tesla Drivers Are Often Tarred With The Tesla Brush
While driving an electric vehicle is laudable and should be celebrated, does it have to be a Tesla? Unfortunately, through no fault of its customers, Tesla has grown from a revolutionary brand of electric vehicle manufacturer, to a pariah of a brand with a bad reputation for all sorts of reasons. Unfortunately, Tesla drivers are often tarred with the same brush as Tesla CEO, Elon Musk. Just be aware that people are judging you for driving your Tesla.
Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Jeep Drivers Walk On The Wild Side
If you drive a Jeep, chances are you love to ride with the top down and the doors off, no matter where you're driving, particularly at the peak of summer. That's fine. We get it. If we had a car that basically turned into a Transformer with a few quick clicks, we'd drive it like that too. Also, if you drive back through town after having been absolutely murdering your transmission and suspension in the mud, we understand: you like to walk (or drive) on the wild side.
Ram Trucks Takes The Accidental Cake
If you're experiencing a phenomenon when driving your Ram pickup (formerly Dodge Ram), wherein road users are extra cautious around you—that's not your driving, necessarily, that's Ram's reputation. Similar to Tesla, which came in second place on the "Incidents Per 1000 Drivers" score, Ram Pickups are caught up in 33 incidents per 1,000 drivers (whereas Teslas are caught up in 31 incidents per 1,000 drivers).
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