You are what you drive

Last night I was convinced by my roommates to go out to a club to meet up with some of their friends. I’m usually not one to go out on weeknights simply because I have to wake up at 6am to for work. (I know.) I think partly because I haven’t been out with my roommates too much and partly because my bosses are away at a conference today I decided that I could get away with partying on a Thursday. Because I had to be up early and therefore was gonna leave early I decided that I would drive. Once my roommates were in my car they started exclaiming how nice it was, which of course served to stroke my ego a bit. That said, I bought my car for less than they paid for each of their cars, but was willing to get something used. A pic of my car, in front of my new house, can be seen below.



It was then that one of my roommates said something that caught my attention. “I told my friend what you drive and he said ‘Wow, he must be a baller.’” This got me thinking about what various cars in my price range that I was looking at buying and what they would have said about me.



For example, if I bought a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, they would say, “Wow, he must be a street racer”

Nissan 240sx, “Wow, he must be a drifter”




e46 BMW M3 “Wow, he must be a toolbag”




Cadillac Escalade, “Wow, he must be a gangsta”




Mercedes CL500, “Wow, he must be a drug dealer”




Ferrari 308, “Wow, he must be an idiot”


With the exception of the Escalade, these are all cars that I considered getting. Ok I didn’t actually think about buying a Ferrari 308, but I did look at them online. It is interesting to note that cars do have a use and value outside of what they do and how they look and perform. All of the cars above are good looking and will get you to work in varying levels of comfort and speed. The intangible component here is the attitude and social class that’s associated with cars. Ultimately, you are judged by your car much as you are judged by your clothes. Being as I don’t usually wear boots, baggy jeans, and big white T’s (anymore), I couldn’t really pull off an Escalade or a big Merc. My car looks clean, professional, and sporty, but with no big silly wing on the back, which is about the image I was going for. I wonder of older people decide at some point that they WANT to look like they’re near death, and this desire leads them to buy Buicks.

-CLDC