How much does the image of a car factor into your purchase?

"MentalJuggernaut" (mentaljuggernaut)
05/13/2014 at 17:33 • Filed to: None

Just curious to see what fellow Jalops think of a car's image and how it affects their buying purchases. I've found recently that I actually seem to care a lot more than I thought (with the exception of a few cars on my want list and exotics). For example, I wouldn't want the new Scion (even though it is an awesome car) because of the hundreds of them in the SoCal area, and I wouldn't want to be associated with the younger, ricer crowd. Similar with a lot of Asian Imports, actually - Miata and perhaps one of the standard drift chassis being the exception.

So what about the rest of you? How much does the image of a car affect your purchasing decisions?

DISCUSSION (62)

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 17:38

I like cars that no one really knows or cares about, the anonymity attracts me to them. Maybe that's why I liked Saturn's later line-up so much. No one cared about them by then so none of them really have an image to them, but they were all really good cars.

dinobot666 > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 17:40

I mostly drive hideous Subaru's, so not much obviously.

yamahog > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 17:42

This is actually kind of embarrassing, but one of the only reasons I wouldn't want a Mustang because of "hurrdurr girl driving a V6 Mustang," even though I'd be getting a 6MT GT with performance pack and doing all sorts of stupid.

Also, without fail, every time I cross the US-Canada border in my XJ and wearing business casual, border patrol is very skeptical and asks if it's really my car, so apparently the image thing matters to them. I swear I actually own that thing, stop asking why the windows don't roll down!

BeaterGT > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 17:44

Depends on the purpose. If it's meant to be tracked/driven hard I couldn't care less about the image. But if I have to drive it every day and use it like a responsible adult, then image comes into play.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 17:45

I sure hope the driving experience matters more than appearances to most Jalops. I bought a newer BMW in spite of the stereotypes that might come along with it. If people think I'm a jerk just because of what I drive, that's on them.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 17:45

none at all since I know I can change its image myself. I turned a boring, generic jetta into something properly wild thanks to some beer labels and coilovers. Went from a car driven by a high school girl to a car driven by a mad tuner scientist.

.....aaaaaand now I live the fiesta ST life so I still don't care about image.

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 17:46

I'm a bit ashamed to admit here that I'm concered about the image of some cars, so I wouldn't want to be seen in them although they are brilliant and/or great fun.

I'm a very average person and my looks are stealthy - not bad, but you know, not remarkable in any way. I'd hate it if people thought I bought a car to compensate for this averageness.

But don't get me wrong. If I truly love a car, and can identify myself with it, I don't care what people think and I even become a "bad version" of myself. Give me a '68 Charger and I would do embarrassing stuff around traffic lights.

In an Aventador, though, I would be embarrassed to be seen in at the same lights.

It would be too difficult to explain which cars I can identify with and which are simply wrong for me. I'd also inevitably contradict myself a lot so I don't try it at all here.

f86sabre > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 17:47

I'm a nearly 40 year old professional in management at a Fortune 100 company. I drive a bright blue Evo with a giant wing. Life is too short for boring cars no matter what people may think about them.

RazoE > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 17:48

I never let others dictate my life. I suggest you should do the same.

My hovercraft is full of eels > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 17:50

That's why I wouldn't buy any car (with the exception of some 20+ year old models) from the big German trio of BMW/Merc/Audi. Firstly, everyone looking for a premium car is choosing from these brands, and I wouldn't like to go with the crowd (when it comes to cars, at least). There are alternatives to choose from, so I'd go for something else, like a Jag, Lexus, Caddy, Infiniti, etc.

Secondly, where I live, these brands - especially BMW (no offense to Beemer drivers - really) - is very-very strongly associated with an image I don't want to take upon myself.

MentalJuggernaut > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
05/13/2014 at 17:54

Hey I feel you man. I drove (drive when I fix the head gasket) 05 Volvo S40 that I modded to give it personality - the car that was, quite literally, designed with a purse holder behind the center console is now (in my opinon) a badass car with lots of character.

I feel like i could get behind the ST line - it's got that right blend of yobbo-ness and hoon, but still is almost restrained? When you see it, you don't automatically think of Fast and the Furious which I think is good enough for me.

MentalJuggernaut > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer
05/13/2014 at 17:56

Exactly how I feel. The exceptions are if I love a car and exotics - when I buy my Diablo, I won't give 2 hot shits on the attention I may get because I love the car. I don't see that as trying to compensate but genuine adoration for a car past the point of caring about it's image. I suppose I'm asking more for cars which I don't necessarily love or want - seems like you and me align pretty well on this.

MentalJuggernaut > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
05/13/2014 at 17:57

I can definitely dig that. I don't even know much about Saturns and I like to think I'm fairly car-savvy, so seems like their anonymity is pretty intact!

MentalJuggernaut > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
05/13/2014 at 17:58

I will be buying an E46 M3 in the near future so I certainly understand that! Excluding cars you love because of aesthetics or driving feel or whatever makes you love a car, would it affect your purchase?

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 17:59

Yupp! ;-)

MentalJuggernaut > yamahog
05/13/2014 at 17:59

EXACTLY. Great example. I wouldn't really want to drive a modern muscle car (save perhaps a V8 stang and CTS-V) because of their image - also, I just don't really have a thing for them so that doesn't really help.

KnowsAboutCars > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 18:00

Image doesn't affect my decision making much. The exception to the rule being BMW. As a young guy I'm probably going to wait owning a BMW for a while because of how young BMW owners are perceived around here. (They aren't perceived badly without a reason though)

MentalJuggernaut > BeaterGT
05/13/2014 at 18:00

Hmm great point. If it was track-only it would certainly be a different case.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 18:00

that is a nice plus for the fiesta ST over the focus - it doesn't look as boy-racer as the focus and I think it gets away with a bit more. It looks sporty, but not too much. Everyone has said it looks good, especially in blue, and no one has really.made any comments on it being overdone or too far.

MentalJuggernaut > f86sabre
05/13/2014 at 18:01

That's awesome. I think I would rock an Evo or an STI, so long as it's tasteful. I don't think I could rock an FR-S though - not enough ROI (return on image LOL)

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 18:01

By the end 2 of the 5 cars they sold were rebadged Opels, one was built off the Epsilon platform, one was a sporty roadster, and then a Lambada. Not a bad little line-up if you ask me; and no one even thinks about it anymore.

MentalJuggernaut > RazoE
05/13/2014 at 18:02

True. As I've mentioned in some other threads, I exclude any cars I love from the question. I'll be picking up an E46 M3, I currently drive a boxster and a Volvo that I've modded so if a car has a piece of my heart I couldn't care less. I'm considering it more outside that realm though, where image is part of a car's appeal or vice-versa.

MentalJuggernaut > dinobot666
05/13/2014 at 18:03

Cheers!

MentalJuggernaut > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
05/13/2014 at 18:03

Must be fairly cheap to pickup then! likely not easy to find parts though...

yamahog > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 18:04

Oh, I definitely still want a modern muscle car, I just hate that ignorant people who can't read badges or hear exhaust notes will assume my Mustang is a V6 because woman driving, and I hate that I care about such a thing.

MentalJuggernaut > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
05/13/2014 at 18:04

Sounds about right. I haven't driven the focus but the fiesta was just good fun.

MentalJuggernaut > KnowsAboutCars
05/13/2014 at 18:05

That's funny, the E46 M3 has a part of my heart and I'll be picking one up soon. If you really love a car, the image shouldn't affect you! If it's just something you kind of want though, I see your point.

MentalJuggernaut > yamahog
05/13/2014 at 18:06

Or you know, the fact that it's a common rental car...

MentalJuggernaut > My hovercraft is full of eels
05/13/2014 at 18:07

Exactly, image of a car does go hand in hand with it's appeal. The only new car that I really want is the F-Type , nothing else gives me the tickle in the danglers that makes me lust after it.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 18:07

It definitely does play into the decision. My car is by far the most expensive car that I've ever bought (or probably anyone in my immediate family has ever bought), and even though my wife and I make good money, I generally try not to be a "showy" person, so that was in my mind when I was making the decision. In the end, the amount of joy I knew it'd bring me won out over those concerns.

Personal style preferences are different, in my mind, than how you think you'll be perceived by others. No matter how finely made and comfortable an orange-striped sport jacket might be, I'm just not the guy who's going to wear one. I'm kind of the same way with Mustangs/Camaros/Corvettes (although newer Z06s are so tempting for a track toy) - they're just not "jackets" I see myself ever wearing.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 18:08

They're all hovering around 15k for a low-mileage example, except the Astra, which is going for less, and Outlook, which goes for a touch more.

They all used either the 2.4 Ecotec 4, the High-Feature 3.6 V6, or the 2.0T from the Cobalt SS. All ran on common GM platforms. The only thing that really could be hard to find are body panels and some interior pieces.

PheeNoIVI > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 18:09

Im the same exact way with muscle cars. That's why im on the fence with the new mustang

MentalJuggernaut > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
05/13/2014 at 18:10

Well stated. Pajamas and sweatpants are super comfortable, but I'm bit past those college days where I can wear those everyday...

PheeNoIVI > My hovercraft is full of eels
05/13/2014 at 18:12

I feel like BMW drivers are looked at that way everywhere. Since i hear it so often. And they are here. One reason why I don't know if I'd buy one.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 18:14

Don't care in the least. How it drives > *

CRider > yamahog
05/13/2014 at 18:16

A woman driving a manual, rwd muscle car with 420+ horsepower? Oh hell yeah go girl! People that can't read badges or hear the exhaust don't matter.

yamahog > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 18:16

That too, but whenever I mention my sister's Mustang, the assumption is V6 auto and people are generally surprised to hear that a young woman is driving around in a manual V8 Mustang. Whereas for some reason, if I say I got a Challenger for the week, people assume HEMI.

fhrblig > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 18:21

Image doesn't really play a big part in my buying decisions. If it did, I probably wouldn't have owned half the cars I've owned in the past.

I'm sure that a few people have pulled up to my little Fiat 500 and done a double take when they see who is driving it.

KnowsAboutCars > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 18:22

Apart from e30 project car I don't particularly have a need to own a BMW although I like them. Even if I wanted one badly I couldn't currently afford decent enough example to daily drive. And don't worry if I get around buying that project e30 in near future I won't give a damn about the image it's associated with.

GhostZ > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
05/13/2014 at 18:23

Kinja'd!!!

yamahog > CRider
05/13/2014 at 18:26

I don't have one yet... waiting to test drive the 2015, but here is my sister's in the meantime:

Kinja'd!!!

MentalJuggernaut > KnowsAboutCars
05/13/2014 at 18:30

Amen to that! E30 project sounds awesome.

MentalJuggernaut > fhrblig
05/13/2014 at 18:32

Fiat 500 is a surprisingly fun little car! Sometimes I like driving cars just for the comedic effect.

MentalJuggernaut > yamahog
05/13/2014 at 18:32

Looks like it's got some potential!

thebigbossyboss > yamahog
05/13/2014 at 18:39

Border guards always comment about how loud my car is haha.

yamahog > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 18:41

heh, one of my coworkers once described minivans as "the sweatpants of cars."

thebigbossyboss > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 18:41

I bought someone's previously riced out Cavalier, at age 22. I don't regret it.

RazoE > yamahog
05/13/2014 at 18:42

"Sir, why don't you roll the windows down so we can talk better?"

"Can't officer, it's a Jaaaaag"

yamahog > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 18:45

Yea, potential to drink down all the gas and burn all the rubber it can ;) My sister's graduating college this Saturday with no job lined up yet, so unfortunately I think her spending priorities may be elsewhere for the time being.

yamahog > RazoE
05/13/2014 at 18:50

*Jeeeeeep?

And two of the windows work.... left the other two disconnected from the last time I had to rip the panels off to get the doors working again, but I figure that is something you do not want to share with US Border Patrol unless you want all the panels ripped off.

fhrblig > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 19:00

I'm having a blast with it, for sure.

The Compromiser > yamahog
05/13/2014 at 19:11

I get hassled if I cross in through Port Huron and out Through Detroit. I have friends and family in the sourthern peninsula (?) . If it's late in the day and I can't make it back to work in time, I go visit them. The fact that I am in and out in a few hours may lead them to think I'm smuggling or something.... the giant Charger makes them nervous too. Dark paint,graphics,windows.

BKRM3 > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 20:16

Meh. I own and track an E90 M3. I park at the end of every lot, always use my turn signals and have never had a speeding ticket in my home state over 15 years of driving.

Kinja'd!!!

MentalJuggernaut > BKRM3
05/13/2014 at 20:20

I want to give you more than one stars for using my favorite version of that meme.

BKRM3 > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 20:44

Well thanks but I'm not sure it's working right. It's supposed to be a gif but isn't currently moving on my dumb ipotato screen. I like it even better when it works! Also I want to give you more than one stars for not calling me an asshat for no reason at all.

MentalJuggernaut > BKRM3
05/13/2014 at 20:48

I'm soon to join the M3 family so I'm right there with you!

BKRM3 > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 21:00

That is the BEST choice. Please join the BMW CCA and do an HPDE as soon as you possibly can. All stock everything. You'll have the time of your life.

MentalJuggernaut > BKRM3
05/13/2014 at 21:03

I can't wait :)

George McNally > MentalJuggernaut
05/13/2014 at 21:36

That's a good question......I just bought a new Hyundai Elantra 2 months ago. I'm 54 years old, I really don't give a shit about what I drive is perceived by other people.

I bought the Elantra because it was less then 20k, had heated seats and some nice options for the price.

Kinja'd!!!

I woulda bought a Fiesta ST if my wife woulda been okay with a manual trans........

MentalJuggernaut > George McNally
05/13/2014 at 22:49

Hyundais are deceptively nice cars. You like it?

George McNally > MentalJuggernaut
05/14/2014 at 17:18

So far....yes. I've had it for about 2 months and about 1000 miles and haven't had any issues with it whatsoever. I'd say the only thing I don't like are that the tires are complete shit. I would imagine they are engineered for maximum MPG and everything else was secondary- they are noisy and don't have a great deal of grip.

They will be gone before next winter.

The interior is really nice and it's big for the size car it is. I can fold down the rear seat and put my mountain bike inside or carry 4 adults with plenty of rear legroom.

Fit and finish is pretty good for a 19,000 car. It's not the fastest car ever, but the acceleration is sufficient.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > MentalJuggernaut
05/17/2014 at 18:31

Right now, it is affecting my car buying process through no choice of my own. My dad won't drive a BMW, or let me have one, purely because of the stereotypes and bad image associated with BMW drivers.