You are What You Drive

My mother use to tell me, You are who you hang with, and I believe there is some truth to that just as there is truth to, You are what you drive.? The fact that people perceive you in a certain way based on the car that you drive is not news to anyone. However, does the way a person perceives they are being evaluated affect their own self-image? I think most would agree so, but to what degree?

I remember when I bought my first car at 19; it was a MINI Cooper with a sunroof, black leather, and a white top that contrasted perfectly with the purple metallic exterior. I was on a wait list for months before I was able to drive my MINI home, but the day that I did, I remember that I kept asking my sister, “Are people looking at me?�

I know that may sound a bit pretentious, but I thought when people saw a purple MINI Cooper driving down the road they would envision a bubbly?, cute?, girly, quirky driver behind the steering wheel. Prior to owning the MINI, I was driving a car that had several dings, dents, and scuffs from the ten accidents that I had been in and that people imagined a reckless?, negligent?, disheveled?, and dangerous driver. I was excited that people might be curious of me rather than fearing me when I sat behind the wheel of the Cooper; my confidence immediately increased as I settled in to the MINIs sport seat that hugged my body in all the right places. I felt as if I was filming the Italian Job 2 and I was the star.

I have purchased two other vehicles since the MINI and with each one I felt like a different person. I traded in the MINI for a used Nissan Xterra after I finished college. I wanted to start my own business and not only was a MINI illogical for transporting equipment, but I didn't think a purple car was very professional. While I was an owner of the Xterra, I randomly took up hiking and lived a more practical life style, including shopping for clothes at Target rather than Nordstrom's. Was it just a coincidence or was my new found love for the outdoors and practical shopping a result of my self-image being altered by the vehicle that I was driving?

This past year I was hired as a Marketing Director for a used car dealership, Dream Cars Credit, and it wasn't long before I traded my Xterra for a used 2007 BMW Z4; I have wanted a BMW Z Series since I was 16 and I had the opportunity to acquire one at a price that I could afford. I sit here now and wonder if I have exhibited any different behaviors since becoming an owner of a Z4. The stereotypes of BMW drivers that I could think of are snooty? and rich?. I certainly hope that I do not qualify the former and know that I do not fulfill the latter. I can definitely attribute a boost in my confidence as I had felt when I drove the MINI, though, which I can only assume has affected my thoughts and behaviors in other ways.

It is without doubt that consumers purchase vehicles based on their lifestyles and personalities; after all, an avid snowboarder in Utah will not likely be driving 2WD convertible coupe with summer tires. After the vehicle has been purchased, however, how does this impact a person's self image? Buying a car is a big event in most people's lives and I can only presume that it influences the way in which they perceive themselves, especially if they believe that driving that vehicle makes others view them in a certain way. A person's behaviors are related in part to their self-image so, once again, you are what you drive,? to some extent...

About The Author Michelle Chait is the Marketing Director for Dream Cars Credit in Austin, TX.