Car Question

Selling people the concept that a car is an expression of their personality was one of the motor industries smartest moves* - they took a tool, more complex but no less a tool than a hammer or a computer, and coaxed us to apply emotions and personality values to it. When customers are moved into this area, suppliers can charge more. And, critically suppliers can then dictate the terms on which they can generate interest and market advantage (rather than the hard-nosed factual information about the performance of the car for example).

Ultimately this has a negative affect on the consumer since promoting the image of cool/smart/sexy/macho/capable/rugged/efficient is cheaper than making products which are actually cool/smart/sexy/macho/capable/rugged/efficient.

If you buy into the concept of cars for "real men", congratulations - you've bought into this concept hook line and sinker.


*and one that other manufacturers have done also - mobile phones being another fairly recent one. In their early days they were seen as a tool to get a job done but when the phone companies started to market them as fashion accessories with replaceable covers (remember those) the sales rocketed (and consumers 1st started upgrading their phones on a 12-24 month basis even when the old phones were still pretty close in spec to the new (I'm talking early 90's here before the smartphone))

I'm a woman and couldn't care less about what car men drive, lol.

Buy yourself something you will enjoy driving to work and back....especially if youre gonna be stuck in traffic.

How about the Fusion Hybrid, decent looking and get's almost 40 mpg. Tint the windows and maybe some rims and keep the man card. Win win lol.

If you want cheap dependable transportation that is 35+ MPG get a Honda.. You just can't beat a civic or accord!!!!

there are many hybrid cars out there. prius is just one of them
frankly, my corolla is pretty sexy

Purchasing an expensive personally owned vehicle so that you can have diamond lane privileges is an expression of being perfectly willing to be "nudged", in the modern language of governmental coercion, to comply with the desires of others.

And what happens when too many people comply? The privilege becomes worthless.

It's Caesar's money. Do with it as Caesar wishes. Cat.