That is a big claim. Is there anything other than a sense of superiority that a nice car will give you. Well, some researchers in Canada believe that you get more than the brand in an expensive car, according to a recent study they conducted. I know what you are thinking, "do they have cars in Canada?" Well they do, and they put men in a Porsche 911 cabrio (costing around $100,000) and a Toyota Camry (costing about $20,000). The mens' testosterone levels rose in the 911, but didn't in the Camry.
So, it seems that an expensive car will, uhhhhh, stimulate a man. Does this excitement come from the knowledge that you are driving an expensive car or the superior road feel and acceleration. I don't know. As someone who loves cars, I like to think that people feel excited about expensive cars because they are great to drive, but, honestly, there are a lot of expensive cars that aren't very good. People buy them anyway. Why do people buy lexus RXs? There is a simple answer: they like a sense of superiority but for some reason don't want to enjoy an 'ultimate driving machine'.Note: look at the photos I chose of each car; the Camry is in a subrban driveway while the 911 is moving at a pace in the triple digits on a track.
As someone who also has sort of passion for motor vehicles, I can definetely agree with you here Sam. When you buy a car and drive it you are telling the world something about you, the only exception being you don't have a choice(i.e a teenager who drives his parent's vehicle). If you drive a Porsche or a BMW, what are you saying about yourself? If you drive a Ford or a Chevy, what are you saying about yourself? This actually gives me quite an idea for a blog post.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I totally agree with the point Tommy made about people only buying cars for the image. Granted, lots of people do, but there are also a lot of people who don't care about cars all that much and just buy them for their practicality. (i.e. people who buy a Honda Civic or a Toyota Corolla). Many people aren't looking to make a statement with their car, but just want decently priced, decent working car.
ReplyDeleteAlso, just wondering, why didn't they test women in this study?
Natalie, you make an interesting point, and in most respects I would have to go with practicallity over image or 'flashiness'. For example, I love my Jeep because it is incredibly reliable, despite being a '99 with 60 or 70 thousand miles on it, its a big car so I'm reasonably safe god forbid an accident or something happens, and being a 4x4 it works quite well in the snow and ice.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with your point that people buy cars for other reasons such as fuel efficiencies, it is becoming more and more tempting to buy something with good gas mileage. I wasn't trying to say that people buy cars purely as status symbols, but that is one way that people can express themselves.
Just a correction for Tommy-- though the Jeep may be safe rolling through the jungle, it is hideously unsafe on the road. Not only is the car bestowed with a high center of gravity, making it prone to tipping, but is also unsafe in head on collisions. It is built like a brick, which sounds good enough, but think of it this way, instead of crumple zones and ergonomically designed break-away panels absorbing the crash, your body is.
ReplyDeleteNotice in this picture how the frame of the car is wrinkled like a noodle all the way back:(http://www.car-accidents.com/2007-auto-crash-story/2-9-07-jeep-wrangler.html). This is not what you want. This little 10,00 nissan versa is much safer: (http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/12/22/automobiles/533-Nissan-Versa-crash.jpg) Notice how the structural beams beyond the passenger compartment are all in tact. The front absorbed the whole crash.
You make a good point Sam, and you have bested me even on knowledge of my own brand of vehicle. But the model of Jeep you link to is a Wranger, possibly the most unsafe motorized creation ever devised by man. I have a 99 Grand Cherokee, and I looked up the safety ratings, and it has a 5 star side impact rating, and a 3 star front rating, which isn't bad for such an old car. In fact the new Cherokee has 5 star for both front and side. But either way as much I'd love a BMW, I try to make the best of the humble vehicle I've been granted in my early years of driving (though I have yet to come up with a good name for the thing)
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