10 Surprising Things Your Car Says About You
Our possessions are often extensions of who we are and reveal parts of our personality to the world. Your vehicle is one of your most valuable possessions, and the vehicle you have can say a lot about you and your lifestyle. Read on to discover some surprising things your car says about you to learn how the world might perceive you through your vehicle of choice.
Your Level of Responsibility
Responsibility comes in various forms, from paying your bills on time to signaling when you merge into a lane. But did you realize that the type and condition of your vehicle influence how responsible people perceive you to be?
If you drive a truck with many scratches, people will consider you an irresponsible driver. Conversely, if you drive a sports car that looks well maintained and drives well, people will see that you take care of your vehicle and stay current with maintenance. Essentially, you can drive better-looking vehicles to appear more responsible to the people around you.
Your Environmental Values
Vehicles significantly impact the environment, and as emissions from car engines continue to pollute the air, the effects on the climate continue to compound. However, different vehicles impact the environment more than others, with trucks impacting the most with their thicker diesel exhaust. On the other hand, electric cars positively impact the environment thanks to using renewable energy as their power source.
Therefore, your vehicle can demonstrate how much you care about the environment. Teslas and Priuses often tell the world that the owner has an eco-friendly mindset and wants to look good while doing their part to leave a smaller carbon footprint.
Whether You’re Introverted or Extroverted
Cars and personalities will often interact, so a vehicle’s appearance, style, and brand have a personality that likely matches its owner. Just as the differences between introverts and extroverts are noticeable, people can notice both personality traits in the car you drive. Introverts often try to remain unnoticed with gray, black, or dark-colored cars that have a simple design. On the other hand, extroverts are more likely to drive cars with bright colors and modifications.
Your Spending Habits
Cars are expensive purchases, and depending on the car you drive and any modifications it has, you may give away your spending habits. A Maserati with numerous modifications and carbon fiber accents will look excellent to many people, but they might also interpret those extravagant accents as reckless spending. Of course, performance-improving modifications to luxury vehicles don’t in and of themselves portray extravagant spending habits. However, expensive decorative modifications might. In contrast, a jeep with a roof rack and tires with large treads will make people think you have preparedness in mind and a responsible attitude valuing function over form.
Your Level of Success
People with success-driven mindsets often view the accumulation of expensive, quality things as a physical measure of said success. Because the general public recognizes this trend, people are inclined to view people with luxury vehicles as successful individuals. Basically, people will see the vehicle you have, notice its elite appearance, and consider how much work you’ve put into owning that car.
Whether You’re a Risk-Taker
While safety is a priority in the manufacturing of all vehicles, certain features allow for risky road behavior. For example, speed is a huge factor in road accidents. Therefore, vehicles with great speed capabilities might imply to other drivers that the owner is a risk-taking thrill seeker. For this reason, people often perceive sports car drivers as less safe companions on the road than their minivan-driving counterparts.
Your Level of Confidence
Numerous factors affect how confident people perceive you to be, from posture to style to job title. Included in this list of factors is the kind of car you drive. Bold, high-quality vehicles—such as the Audi Q5 and the different Tesla models—can indicate to other people your willingness to stand out and look sharp. So although true confidence stems from within, it is true that people might perceive you as confident without knowing you based on the car you drive.
Your Sense of Individuality
People who value and pursue individuality often have unique aspects about their car. Individuality focuses on being special and one of a kind, and if you have a car that appears rare or different compared to most others, people will notice this.
For example, classic car styles like the Jaguar XKSS will stand out amongst the mostly uniform style of modern cars. Likewise, a neon paint job will certainly turn heads. The person driving will seem to value individuality, and the vehicle will create a unique identity for them on the road.
How Busy You Are
How busy you are in life is a surprising thing that your car says about you that many people don’t realize. Leading a busy life often comes with a lot of transportation to different places to run errands or travel to work. The car you drive, its condition, and the signs of how long you’ve had it are important parts that people note.
For example, driving a vehicle with a dirty exterior and a messy back seat will indicate you lead a busy life, as your vehicle is just your transportation means. Conversely, if you have a Bentley Continental rental that is clean and looks as if it’s fresh off the lot, the perception will be very different. People might assume you’re on a joyride to spend your free time or you’re on a business trip and take time to enjoy the experience.
How Technologically Savvy You Are
Finally, technology has become more relevant in our daily lives, and newer vehicles have more technological features installed. The amount of technology a vehicle uses will tell people how savvy you are with it. A vehicle with numerous buttons, switches, and a large middle console screen will cause people to think of you as someone familiar with most technology. In contrast, if you drive a manual with limited electronic features, people might assume you’re more comfortable with older technology and ways of living.
In the end, the car you drive says a lot about you, making your mode of transportation an opportunity to curate how you represent yourself in public. Of course, everything we mentioned is only what people might assume about you based on your vehicle. If you want your vehicle to represent what you most value about yourself, then you can! But who you actually are will always win out once people get to know you, regardless of the car you drive.
