What Your Car is Saying About You

I was driving around with a friend one day, when a new Cadillac pulled up next to us. He derisively referred to the car as a "Capitalist-pig-mobile". I thought it was funny because my friend is very Republican and drives a Lexus himself. I've pondered the question since then -- what does you're car say about you? Do you want it to say anything?

If someone is strapped for cash, it's a moot point. His car is whatever runs, whatever is available. The question really centers on people who have discretionary income, and a wide variety of choices. Another friend once told me, "Your car isn't you, but it represents one aspect of you". I'm glad he said that, because the cars I've owned make a sad list, especially for someone who used to read "Motor Trend" and keep up with cars. My auto-biography follows:

1979 Ford Pinto - What can I say? It's all I could afford
1983 Buick LeSabre Limited Coupe - Dubbed the "pimp mobile", cruelly lampooned by all
1987 Nissan Stanza - Bland, boxy me-too car, that had A/C problems
1989 Mercury Cougar - Driven mostly by old ladies w/ big hair, serious maintenance troubles
1994 Honda Accord Coupe - At last, an agile, fun car that most people liked
2001 Toyota RAV4 - Cute, practical, agile; identified as mostly a "Lesbian" car by one friend

Clearly, I have failed in the car as an alter ego. Sexy and sporty usually isn't practical, so Corvettes and Crossfires fall quickly from my list. Gigantic and gas-gulping also falls off the list; I need something I can park and maneuver easily. My middle-classness rules out the expensive "trophy" cars, though I can't ever see myself in a BMW. (There is your true "Capitalist-pig-mobile"). Cadillacs have lost their capitalist cachet and are mostly driven by older, non-capitalists.

What will my next car be? It probably won't be domestic unless I get the extended warranty. It will be larger than a RAV4 because I need a bigger engine (at least V6) and more space. It might be an SUV, might be a passenger car. I'll try to steer clear of cars with a negative identity, but who knows? My pragmatism and cost-limitations narrow the choices. Whatever it is, I don't necessarily want to be seen as a lesbian, a capitalist, or someone who's having a midlife crisis. Cars are a bit like clothing, and a safer choice (think Honda) will probably get you in less trouble than something dramatic or different. So.... I wonder if the car lots are open right now. One other limitation - they cost as much as a small house now. Lets nevermind about the car lots being open! I still have some miles left on the RAV4.