Personal Study: Car attraction

[19xx]

Hey everyone, I'm on my psychology class and the teacher assigned our first essay. She basically said 'Anything related to psychology will be sufficient.' So I was brainstorming for the last hour and I had quite a few ideas relating to cars.

One of them is about certain cars that appeals to some people while some aren't. Now I do know that age plays a role because the older they are, the more reasons they will compare against other cars. For example, with the introduction of Lancer Evolution VIII to the US, the Generation Y (15-27) stage will envy its abundant power, super-short gear ratio and rally-bred suspension resulting in extreme attraction. However, if you're in the Baby-boomer (40) and higher ages, comfort becomes their main factor, which the Evolution will not provide.

Gender, probably, plays a factor too. Women want nice, cute looking cars. Men want power. This can go inversely too (gay and lesbians).

One rather sensitive part that bugs me still, is the ethnical part. I myself is Chinese, and I do enjoy the exterior looks of cars. Cars like the Evo and Sti attracted me for their large wings and rather 'bulky' front ends, but I haven't quite got the design idea of some models like the late model Pontiac LS1 Trans Am or the K20 Lotus Elise even though I know they are even faster for less money. What do the Americans see in the Trans Am and Europeans in the Elises? Why different ethnical groups like certain styles of cars? I have asked several people and only come up with 'because I like them'...

I do want some technical aspects regarding this study because for some, we value the global diversity of this board. I have been here for some time and the most memorable member I've seen is BlazeXtreme, who most enjoys GM models. I would like a word from him in this topic. If anyone finds this too sensitive please don't get furious. I'm just looking for answers.

19xx

 

[Poverty]

I haven't quite got the design idea of some models like the late model Pontiac LS1 Trans Am or the K20 Lotus Elise even though I know they are even faster for less money. What do the Americans see in the Trans Am and Europeans in the Elises?

Faster in what way? Combined cornering and staright line speed a 340hp evo out runs both of those cars. But I think you americans only get the 280hp version?

The average european doesnt really car to much about elises. Uusally theyre fans are the hardcore ones. Over in the UK young boys dream of Evos, Type R's, M3s and R32 golfs.

 

[VIPFREAK]

I'm hoping Watches Tell More Than Time will help it has some interesting views on how my old teacher thinks of Products and uses cars as an example. The reviews are interesting too.

Good luck

 

[Sage]

Well, I don’t think the ethnicity factor is one of certain ethnicities liking certain styles, but rather certain manufacturers, namely the ones most closely associated with their own ethnicity. For example, you say:

I myself is Chinese, and I do enjoy the exterior looks of cars. Cars like the Evo and Sti attracted me for their large wings and rather 'bulky' front ends […] What do the Americans see in the Trans Am and Europeans in the Elises?

Bingo! You’ve nailed it right there without even realizing it. You’re Asian, so you like the Asian cars; the Trans Am is an American car, thus a greater appeal to Americans; the Elise is a European car, thus a greater appeal to Europeans.

Honestly, I don’t think it’s anymore complicated than that. It’s all a national identity thing.

 

[240Z]

Sage's "national identity thing" has merit, but I think a lot of what you (19xx) say is based on age and sex is generalizations. To me, a more interesting essay would be people who break with these generalizations, such as a 60 year old who races, or something like that. It'd probably be harder to find material, but I think it'd be interesting.

 

[Sage]

Duke wants an Evo, and we all know he’s a redneck who couldn’t spell “dictionary” if he had one.

 

[Joey D]

Well since I've been called upon I will be more then happy to tell you why I enjoy GM vehicles.

My family comes from a long line of GM workers, my great grandfather worked at GM Truck and Bus, both of my grandfathers worked on an assembly line, my great uncle worked at Oldsmobile, and my uncle works at the Mesa, Arizona proving grounds. So as you can see it runs in my blood. Also when I was in high school I was on a General Motor's FIRST Robotics team, which opened a lot of doors for me. I was granted with a General Motors internship at the end of my senior year and I've been there off and on ever since.

The reason I support GM cars is because GM has supported me and my family over the years. Also I just like them, sure they make some crap, but mostly they are good cars.

** I got into cars when I was a youngin though, my dad had a sweet old truck it was a 1980 Chevy Truck, lifted and a bunch of engine mods. I used to crawl and I mean crawl around under the truck with him when I was a kid. That memory will always be with me.

 

[Gil]

I simply like cars. But then my dad had an interesting array of cars that he also enjoyed.
I started reading Motor Trend when I was about 12, cause my dad read it.
Then I got into Car Craft and Hot Rod because it dealt with the cars we drove.
I now read a bucket-load of other magazines including Import Tuner, R & T, Truckin' and Diesel Power because they pique my interest.

Yes, there is a certain "ethnicity" to liking particular cars. For me, I grew up with an old man that played with cars. My old man had a old T-bird that eventually became my first car. My mom drove a slew of Ford Falcon's the last being a "Sprint" equipped with a 260 V-8.
Then there was the '66 Mustang, the Big block station wagon, three Austin Americas, a Mercedes, and a couple of Chevy's from the mid 50's. Just to name a few.
I love old American Iron. But I have a soft spot in my heart for Porsches, Subarus, Ferraris, and Saab's. That covers five countries right there. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
I guess I'm trying to say that you have to take into account some of us that were raised as Gear-heads.

 

[xXSilencerXx]

It might have to do somethin with the cars you grow up around. I like GM products more than anything probably becuase its the only thing been around my entire life. Chevy is about the only brand of vehicle my dad will buy probably for similar reasons. His first three cars were all Camaros and guess what I'm aimin for as my first car.

 

[Gil]

It might have to do somethin with the cars you grow up around. I like GM products more than anything probably becuase its the only thing been around my entire life. Chevy is about the only brand of vehicle my dad will buy probably for similar reasons. His first three cars were all Camaros and guess what I'm aimin for as my first car.

I'd bet a nice '69-73 Camaro with a Small block.
I grew up with Ford's and now I have 3 Fords, 3 Chevies, and a Toyota. (My uncle had a Corolla that lived for many, many years and miles).

 

[Mt. Lynx]

I´m from Sweden, but I can´t say I´m especially fond of swedish cars. I like British styling, german engineering, italian attitude, american muscle and japanese refinement! How´s that for liking?

 

[YSSMAN]

So I'm 19, part of "Gen-Y", and here is my story:

1) My entire family has all worked for GM, Chrysler, and Ford at one point in time
2) My immediate family (of that from my Grandfather Richard and his brother Bob) all drive GM and Chrysler products, with the few Volkswagens, two Honda Preludes, four Nissan Maximas, one Mustang GT, and one Ford F150.
3) My other family members (that of my Grandfather's other brothers) will only drive Ford products.

...The point I am getting at is that what type of family environment that you grow up in will greatly effect what kind of car decisions you make. I was tought since the time my father could tell I was interested in cars that Fords were the scum of the Earth... My Grandfather instilled in him the same idea... But being educated about automobiles will also have a great effect on what kind of cars/tucks you may like as well.

I personally find the Grand Touring European cars, along with American Muscle and Sports cars to be the most appealing sold in the world. If I were to rank the cars I would want the most right now (newer than 2000) they would be the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, 2006 Aston Martin DB9, and 2002 Berger Chevrolet Camaro SS 430.

As an American, I often look for the best performance for the cheapest ammount of money, and that generally leads me to cars like the Camaro and Mustang... I would never dream of buying an STi or an Evo (despite the Evo's appeal)... Or I would play the VW card (as they are my second favorite brand behind Chevrolet) and go with a GTI or GLI.

It is a rather long topic, and very interesting...

 

[19xx]

Thanks for eveyone with their inputs. So far I'm only 1/8 done at this point (5 pages, SINGLE spaced) and I have grasped a couple points implicated from the posts:

1) Childhood memories and family relatives' influence play a enormous role with the likings in their adult life. For example, BlazinXtreme goes with GM cars because it's in their generations' blood. Or Gil who has been liking cars since 12. It might be probably recently that people start to have different tastes due to a massive variety of vehicles currently available at a price they can reach.

2) Being 'fast', while only slightly relevant to this study, might not be as specific as 'acceleration' which is most likely the main appeal towards potential buyers. Obviously if people buy sports cars like Evo and Trans Am they are looking to tune them even more to compensate their ride comfort (sometimes even safety). I would say each have their own strengths and weaknesses, and Different people look at those differently.

I'm looking at more like, in America I see derbys, monster trucks, NASCAR, drags, etc. But why don't they care about F1 and WRC? What turned them off? Does childhood memories play a role (i.e. my father likes NASCAR and he used to tell stories etc) ? My current theory is Americans don't like to get technical when presenting their sports. Monster trucks and NASCAR can get complicated, but when presenting to the audience, everyone can have fun with it.

I can give some general observations about the Asians too... until recently Koreans don't enjoy buying Japanese things because of what they've done to them during WWII. The Chinese were pissed off too but in US somehow they mostly buy Japanese cars. Chinese is a money culture, so it is next to impossible for them to switch to the American side because of the cheap plastics and always have this thought of 'not very reliable'. They're fine. Crown Vics and Ford/Chevy trucks are some of the most reliable cars I've seen. They have failed to realize that even BMW, MB, and Nissan are not anymore reliable, yet they buy them anyway. In california they personalized their plates with 628 (easy money), 888 (BIG money). To them 8 is a better number than lucky 7.

Cars also mean a lot to them and they could talk about cars all day. They also try to be technical with their stuff to make them feel good. This leds to my belief of how the ricer days started. They have simply underestimated the technical aspects of cars...

240Z does had an interesting idea - it's about 'schema' - generalizations toward people with their age groups, sex, etc. (i.e You don't see 60 year olds drive fast as often as 17 year olds). Might be good for my next essay. I do want to go soft on my first essay though.

Vip, I'll look into that. Thanks.

And it's too long with most of them are rambles, I'm sorry.
19xx

 

[Gil]

Actually, I was able to name cars by company and model when I was 4. (I could tell an Impala from a Biscayne, and LTD's from Galaxies, etc).
I asked the old man if I could have the T-bird when I was old enough to drive, before I turned 5. (See Avatar. Imagine it in Peacock Green with a white roof) and bless his soul, he kept it for me.(I had such a cool dad 👍 )
I just started reading more about cars when I was about 12.
Heck, I still have many boxes of car magazines going back to around 1979 (I was about 15 then).
My wife won't make me toss them either, because I still go back and look up information in them.(I have such a cool wife)

 

[240Z]

Regarding NASCAR and motorsport in America:
NASCAR has a more mainstream appeal, therefore it is shown more. It is more easily understandable by the "masses" who may not be familiar with other forms of motorsport. I don't think this has as much to do with the "technical" aspects of the sport, but more with the rules/regulations needed to follow the sport, and strategy involved with the race.

In my experience, those who are more directly involved with motorsport (those in the car industry) have more interest in F1/WRC/etc. than others, although this may just be because of the sector of the industry I'm familiar with.

 

[19xx]

This is from further researches.

---
One particularly interesting observation is the 300C being most appealed to blacks.

If by performance and value stats, today the 300C has potent competitions such as the Toyota Avalon, Ford Fivehundred *1 and the recent Buick Lecerne.

Some advantages are - being RWD for the 300C, resulting more fun to drive in general due to the nature of the drivetrain. The gas milage of the Hemi 5.7 V8 is comparable to the Avalon if going by performance/gallon. It is also exceedingly fast with over 300 horses, enough to engulf a fleet of Honda Civics for lunch. AWD provides extra safety measures, and it is only a hair less safe compared to the Five Hundred, with 4 star front seat crash rating in the 300C compared to five in the Five Hundred.*2

The designer, Ralph Gilles, also seemingly know what the potential buyers are looking for.

Gilles designed the interior of the Viper GTS/R, the Dodge ESX2, and the Jeep Jeepster concept cars, and was chief designer on the production 2003 Viper and Jeep Liberty. But his biggest coup was the 300C and Dodge Magnum, with special attention to the chrome accents and trim. Time called him the "King of Bling" for a car that so captured the imagination of hip-hoppers that Snoop Doggy Dogg wrote DaimlerChrysler's CEO, Dieter Zetsche, asking for one. But it's not just urban youth and their rap icons who like the design. Motor Trend magazine named it "2005 Car of the Year," saying, "Few cars we've driven have received such pan-generational, pan-cultural approval."

"Part of the reason may lie in the enthusiast magazines' discovery that cars have "nationality," a style that resounds in the culture that produced them, and that U.S. carmakers are rediscovering their ability to transmit American pride and sense of worth in sheet metal and glass. "

*3

Some might even argue the 300C is niche marketed towards blacks. However, without sufficient proof to support the theory, it will be rejected.

---
Unofficially, the 300C is said to be a black man's Bentley. I think the 300C looks nice inside and out, but when I sat in one, the budget made, hard felt plastics on the doors makes me stay away. I just don't feel that a 35000 vehicle has as much hard plastic as an F-150 regular cab. But the pride of driving one is priceless. While alebit immature, in an Avalon 'a Toot, a Toy, or Toyota Viagra' may apply. (Creative use of AVALON and ACURA LEGEND, cut off L to become I - my brother said 'hell no')

*1 - http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/0507_avalon_comparo/ (Comparisons of 300C, Avalon, and 500)
*2 http://www.safercar.gov
*3 - http://blackengineeroftheyear.org/v3/news_display.php?id=16 (Ralph Gilles)


(I understand that *3 is a skewed note, but it's reliable enough to be used)


19xx

 

[YSSMAN]

Things about motorsport...

Its not that Americans dont like F1 or WRC, but its the fact that the sport rarely ever comes to the US, there arent any American drivers participating, and there arent any American manufactures supporting racing teams in the respective sports.

NASCAR is something that is as American as Apple Pie, Baseball, or Football (or Gridiron, whatever you Europeans call it)... Although the whole concept of NASCAR today is far from what it was back in the '40s, '50s, etc... Its really just a bunch of guys getting together and saying "My car is faster than yours!"

As NASCAR is deeply routed in the South Eastern states, mostly being derrived from the Moonshine running cars from the early part of the 20th century, it is deeply rooted in American automotive history as well.

The same can be said for NHRA drag racing... Much of its history comes from the post-war era of the 1950s where again, it was a bunch of guys saying "My car is faster than yours!"... Much of that lead to the greatest era in American automobiles lasting from 1949-1973, creating cars like the '55 Bel Air, '64 1/2 Mustang, and '69 Charger.

F1's popularity is lacking in the United States largely because it is not deeply rooted in American society (like NASCAR or NHRA). There isnt a single American manufactuer competing in F1 (not to say they could not), nor is there a single American driver in competition as well.

Another problem with F1 is that the Media largely does not pay attention to it. Sure Schuey may be one of the highest-paid drivers in the world, but many Americans do not know who he is, nor does Schuey even know who some American drivers are... And with the bad publicity that F1 recieved after the American Grand Prix fiasco, I highly doubt it will grow in popularity that easily.

Many automotive Journalists here in the US have dealt with the same question you ask when it comes to motorsports. Brock Yates at Car and Driver talks about it, a lot. Although he never condems F1 as a motorsport below any American one, he refuses to believe that F1 is as compeditive as they say it is.

 

[Disturbed07]

I have seen on a few instances, though mainly heard, that F1 is a highly dominated sport. I also know that there were a couple races this past year in F1, where Ferrari told each of their drivers, who was going to win, and who got second place, ahead of time, simply so they wouldnt take each other out, and lose. Americans do not like this sort of thing, and we also like seeing cars be competitive with each other, as they are in NASCAR. How close they are in F1, I don't know exactly, but most NASCAR fans, along with other people who like racing, in America, think F1 is a completly dominated sport. Also, the few times I can see an F1 race, they simply don't explain what's going on as well as they do with NASCAR, which contributes to more new fans. Like was said before, this doesnt bother people more knowledgable about cars, and racing, but people don't watch what they don't understand, and that's the common American's standpoint with cars in general. I know quite a few people who can't even change a battery, but love NASCAR, and know plenty about the cars, aside from their speed on the track, but specifications, like how they adjust their tire pressure, and camber, and toe, and everything else that they adjust, we know about it, it's not the secret that F1 is. While these may not be all the reasons, and might not apply to some fans, I think it's a good portion of the reason NASCAR is big here, and F1 is not.With that said, the American mentality is "bigger is better" again, maybe not all, but a large chunk. hence, Muscle cars, and no sports cars that are remotly underpowered, barring 1 or 2 excptions, and an oil crisis. We like Power, in any shape or form, it's a large form of superiority in many Americans minds.I personally like any car, that meets a certain criteria, and as far as I know, I have absolutly no preference to any country or continent's cars, but one country may buil cars that match this said criteria, which is, and not in any particular order, but rather a balance of:1. Good looks. 2. Power-Speed. 3. Handling, though my definition is defferent from europeans, I prefer pure grip, rather than being focused on suspension, and chassis, and the mix, I'm happy with not leaning to much, and having the grip there, regardless of how it is provided to me. really, if the grip's there, your turning just as fast, and, with the power, its a lot harder to get the grip through balance, and stiff suspension, because you have to worry about traction when accelrating. And I think that may well sum-up (in general) the differences.in Japan, they like handling, and control. In europe, (though they vary more)they like balance, with power, comfort, and control, with a stronger preference to power than the Japanese, but not the level of Americans (this exclude's Italian's), who prefer flash, and have a prouder, style than most. Americans, want comfort, and power, because in America, you'll get called a crazy bastard for going to fast around a turn, no matter how under control you are, and that sums the general, over-concerned American public, right there.Hope this helps, and if I left anything unfinished, or you have a question, fire away.I am young, maybe one day I'll care about comfort, right now, nothings more fun than a car bouncing all over and around those little bumps, especially when it's red-lined.

 

[Gil]

Suprisingly,
I agree with most of what Disturbed07 had to say.
I want the good handling and comfort (Think Porsche 928).
But then, I'm an old guy that's a bit of a kid at heart.

As for racing, I can't stand Nascar. Too damn hard to follow. With everyone going around in circles, it's much harder to keep track of who happens to be in the lead.

The points system is fairly easy to understand. But the cars look too similar, and, as I said, they're going in circles for the most part.

I like road racing. I used to really get into the IROC (International Race of Champions) aka International race of Camaros, in the early days).
A bunch of basically identically prepped Camaros and a bunch of drivers from several different genres of racing and a series to see whose the fastest.
Too cool for words.

I also used to dig drag racing. Bracket racing, NHRA, etc.

You'll find that car guys, can be extremely opinionated. But generally we agree that cars are one of the neatest things since sliced bread.

If you want an interesting look at American car culture. Check out the movies "Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry" and "Vanishing Point". Some very subtle but nonetheless interesting car stuff going on in both of those movies.
For more blatant examples, check out "Grand Prix", "Bullitt," the original "Gone in 60 Seconds" for starters.

 

[Disturbed07]

The new Gone in 60 seconds should give a pretty good impression of what American car culture has evolved into today, as well....just stay away from the Fast & Furious movies.... even though they sum up a new wave of crap, the general disregard for quality in the movies, also sums up the wave of dumbasses that believe an Intake adds 20hp to a 4-banger, at the wheels, of an automatic...Fortunatly, this wave is drowning in their own stupidity.

 

[T5-R]

As other people have said in this thread, for me it probably boils down to 'being brough up with Volvos' as we've had 2 as family cars. My brother bought one a couple of years ago and I myself got one for work a couple of months ago. However even without this I reckon I'd still be a fan.

I guess reasons behind why I like Volvos is that they aren't perhaps percieved as 'flashy' as say BMWs yet they are smart, comfortable, reliable and they are something different (this would probably not be a reason if I lived in Sweden though!). Plus you can laugh at people that have spent more money and got less of a car (hello bog standard BMW 318/Compact owners )I also like cars that are 'proper car shapes' i.e. smart 'box like' saloons and door wedge like sports cars

I also think its true many people grow fondness of cars they remember from their youth. I'm more impressed when I see an old Sierra or a Metro then am some new generic silver blob with christmas tree lightbulbs.

Not that bothered about Saabs though if I'm honest (Especially there god awful dashboards)...

 

[YSSMAN]

One of the biggest differences in car culture between the United States, Europe, and Asia has to do greatly with the number of people driving cars as compared to the room in which we have to drive them... Similarly, fuel prices also have had a HUGE effect on the cars we drive here in the States since 1973...

That being... Americans generally like bigger, more comfortable cars, because we often spend more time driving in our cars than we do at home during the week. Unlike other parts of the world, we often have to drive to the grocery store or bulf food warehouse to do the grocery shopping for the week/month... And that can take as much as a half-hour to reach our destination... We often have large spaces to cross to go to school, to work, to get our cars fixed, etc... Our cities are placed further apart, and it is often much easier to travel by car than by train (or airplane for that matter) unlike how it works in Europe.

That is also why the automakers have been so hesitant to introduce cars like the SMART ForTwo, ForFour, and ForMore here in the US... But as the Scion brand has had huge success in moving small, economic cars, many automakers (from all nations) have begun to think about or are executing plans to introduce these small cars in the US by the 2007 model year.

Nissan will be launching what is essentially a Renault Megane as the Versa this spring, Toyota in launching the Yaris 3-door and 5-door soon, Mazda has begun selling the 5, Honda will be selling the Fit/Jazz here this spring, Chevrolet is fixing the Daewoo-based Aveo to be more compeditive, Ford has considered shipping the Ka to the US, and DC is still talking about selling the SMART brand here by the end of the year.

 

[Slicks]

I have always been a gearhead. When growing up, I lived in a town where some of the major businesses were car dealerships. I believe, off the top of my head, that there were at least 10 dealerships in a town of approx. 12,000. My dad worked for a Chev/Olds dealership for a number of years, and as such I have become biased towards Chevrolet and GM products. At an early age (3 or 4 years) I could tell the difference between a Chevy truck and a Ford (Which for the longest time I thought was scum, and am still biased against) truck. My dad owned cool cars ('67 Firebird convertible, and then a '69 Olds. Cutlass Supreme convertible. Incedently, the way it was optioned out, it was quite rare) for a number of years, and often involved me in working out in the garage.

I think a large factor in your preferences of cars (And music, etc.) comes from your upbringing and the type of which you were surrounded with when you were young and impressionable. I was surrounded by old cars and classic rock, and now I like old cars (among others, I have wide tastes now) and classic rock. I'm 17 now, and take a particular liking to classic sports cars from both Europe and the US, and I also am attracted to many modern cars (Incedentally, not ricers/tuners of imports), be it Italian, British, German, or American. I don't particularly like Asian cars, with exception to certain classics (like the 240Z, Datsun 510) and a limited number of new cars (Subie STi, Miata, RX and Z cars).
I take interest in road racing and drag racing, but not NASCAR or F1. Instead, I like more accesable series such as Speed GT and Touring Car, SCCA races, ametuer rallying, and lower-level drag racing. I think that accesability plays a large role in NASCAR's popularity in both the 'States and, to a lesser degree, Canada. The cars look (but are in no other way) similar to those you would find on the road, you have drivers from the same country, tracks in your locale, and multiple networks televising the races. F1 is much less accessable for the average Joe, with advanced, expensive cars, foreign drivers, and complicated tracks. Lastly, it's not widely televised. These factors combined make it relatively un-popular in North America, although I can't say I know about it's popularity elsewhere.


...I know I was going to say something else, but it has slipped my mind. Perhaps because I've been up since 6:30, and it's now midnight. I'll try and remember it tomorrow.

 

[YSSMAN]

You bring up a good point about the GT racing Slicks. I have noticed that it has caught on a bit here in the US (although not as well as it should), and I think that much of it's popularity is definatley owed to games like Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport.

If there is a good meeting place for F1 and NASCAR, it is indeed the ALMS, JGTC, and DTC racing series from around the world. The cars are still production based and the technology behind them is still somewhat easy to understand.

 

[19xx]

Below summarizes the attraction to Hybrid cars specifically. I just copied from my draft:
---

Recently in America, due to a surge of gas prices, people all over the nation were asking left and right for the latest generation of Toyota Prius, the most fuel efficient, environmental, and popular gasoline-electric vehicle ever in mass production. Even entreprenurs were taking a shot knowing their cars will sell well above the MSRP of the vehicle.

The primary reason of attraction is it can produce an EPA estimate of 61 miles per gallon in the city, 51 freeway, and 55 combined*1. Despite the controversy of the numbers, this literally save thousands of gas dollars than normal gasoline vehicles in the long run. Other benefits include a one-time tax deduction, one person qualified for a HOV lane in California, and is able to match the performance of a typical compact vehicle using the continuously variable transmission. Maintaince is significantly less with oil change occur in every 10000 miles.

Moreover, there is also a second category of hybrid vehicles - the performance hybrid. Cars such as the Honda Accord hybrid and Lexus RX400h were produced for V-6 to V-8 horsepower with the fuel efficiency of a 4 cylinder engine. However, these cost around $5000 more compared to their normal gasoline counterparts.

If hybrids sound too good to be true, then yes, it is. The benefits are simply priceless. Nevertheless, please be aware that there are always two sides in each story.

For the Prius, first the EPA estimate is not realistic and does not reflect driving habits and conditions by any means. In reality the Prius may be getting around 45 combined miles per gallon as opposed to 55. Second, the replacement of the battery pack, the electric motor, and components in between will most likely cost an arm and a leg. Depending on their locations, this may increase the chance of a car being totaled if involved in an accident. Ideally, we would like to think that the engineers have done their part to protect these components as preciously as the fuel tank. Today they are rarely to be replaced from maintainence, and are expected to last 180,000 miles and beyond from Toyota officials.*

As you can see, the hybrid is a major milestone and is a potent replacement against economy diesel cars. Before we reach the fuel cell age, which is expected to be 20 years, the hybrid market will soon rise to a new level of customer satisfaction. Since there is no market for fuel cell vehicles in the moment, it will not be discussed.

*1 - http://toyota.com/prius/specs.html
*2 - http://www.edmunds.com/advice/specialreports/articles/103708/article.html
---

19xx

 

[19xx]

You guys have really helped me with my essay. Thanks. Wish I can provide free beer for everyone.

For now it is tentative that attraction comes form

- childhood impressions;
- habituation of the environment; (i.e. America has bumpy roads and distant grocery stores, so we want big, functional and comfortable cars)
- native cultural styles; (still not fully explained - i.e. why one culture like the looks of the Trans Am? What about the Mazda Miata? How come hippies like the vw van so much?)
- gender resistance; (ie is Miata a girl's car? a gay man 2 seater? or just a perfect chassis to transplant a Ford V8?) also related to age resistance
- Unsatisfaction (i.e 'I'm fed up with this unreliable POS Touraeg and decided to go with the Oddysey even if they are for soccer moms only. The reliability of the Honda attracts me')


I do have a question:

How has it been evolved that the Americans were concerned with safety more so than every other part of the world? I saw this show in history channel. I do recall that during the Tri-years and earlier, no one cares about safety. I believe Chrysler (or Dodge, don't remember) had a model that was concerned with safety, but didn't sell well at all. I just couldn't recall when, how and why safety was all the rage in the engineering and marketing department.

 

[niky]

America isn't more concerned with safety, but it's where the culture started. Germany and Japan put a high premium on safety too.

But I suppose the inclination of Americans to consider safety more as a right than a privelege (in many other car markets some of the required safety features aren't even an option on some models) is due to the consumer rights culture, and the litigious nature of the American public (sue sue sue! Who cares if the accident was YOUR fault? We should make the corporations pay for everything!).

"Hippies" liked the Microbus because it was cheap and fuel efficient. If the sixties happened just two decades later, it could've been the Civic.

The cultural icons of the young generation are defined by such groundbreaking cars. Before the Beetle, nobody else had made motoring so cheap or so accessible. Before the Civic, no other company had put so much thought and engineering into subcompact cars. It was like the Volkswagen GTi of the 90's (The GTi at this time had evolved into a caricature of its former self) in that it delivered so much of everything for so little.

Unfortunately, the Civic is going the way of the Golf, but the impression it left behind is still there. It paved the way for the success of the Accord and the various Acuras.

You could also take those previous statements and replace Civic with Corolla... same situation.

The original "Fast and the Furious" movie was overblown, yes, and utter crap from a technical point of view, and from the point of view of the very culture it supposedly depicted. But you get the gist of it from the movie, underneath all the glitz, vinyl and neons. Some of the key players in the import scene are there, too.

Mass media and marketing have a big role in defining our perceptions and attraction to automobiles, but it's the culture that drives it forward. The "Import" culture spurred the drive for big wheels, spoilers, tacked on aerodynamics and flashy lights. Is it any wonder that even marginal and upscale manufacturers are following suit?

What I'm trying to say, is that cultural attraction to cars is often guided by the point of entry. With American cars, this point of entry used to be the affordable and powerful V8s of yesteryear, and in recent decades, the all-purpose SUV. The decline of the American Automobile can be linked to an inattention to the all-important entry-level market. Sure, they sold tons of SUVs, but the brand perceptions of many young buyers were being shaped by the first cars they got into. If your perception of Chevy or Pontiac were shaped by, say, the Cavalier or Sunfire, then your opinion of those companies would be very low indeed.

In Asia and Europe, the point of entry for a maker like, say, Mercedes, would be one of their fleet-cars or taxis. That Merc allowed their "luxury" cars to be used for taxis spoke highly of their durability (at the time... God knows when it'll get better again.) Their ad slogan "Nothing makes a driver more faithful to their car than a car that's faithful to its driver" hits the nail right on the head.

The gender resistance question is uniquely one-sided. Women will drive anything nice. Some men will shun anything they define as a "chick car". It's ridiculous that such a tag should be attached to what is arguably one of the best driver's cars of all time. The "chick car" tag is traditionally attached to any convertible that's not a V8. It's a ridiculous one, but it certainly hurts sales for those cars...

Except, strangely, for the Miata, which really didn't need poseurs to accept it as a potentially fun car. Lots of non-sexually insecure men bought it anyway.

Gender resistance also applies in many markets to any car that is sensible and economical, such as the minivan or the subcompact. Cars which women do drive because they are sensible choices, and which some men refuse to drive because women do.

 

[Disturbed07]

Safety has become "the rage" slowly over the past 40=50 years, I believe, there never really was any sudden jolt, but I think it has much to do with the "information age" and.... Maybe in America the media trys harder to "scare" people, as people will watch more if they think its really bad, or threatening... and maybe people in America watch more news programs, and/or pay more attention to them, and along with all the rights, and laws of America, everybody's always looking to sue somebody, the media has that much more of a field day with scams, and many others issues....And while I can't say in other countries, I know we're some nosy SOB's around here, too. While none of this really affects me, and I'm not concerned with safety to much, I don't even have health insurance, but maybe this is why, for the concerned ones?
Or, it's simply because in America, you'll get sued if somebody dies in your car, even though it met the crash-safety ratings at that time... that could be a large portion of it to.
Ford got sued several years back, because they didnt put airbags in an 89 Taurus. Now keep in mind there was no law about airbags back then, and Ford did not have to put airbags in it, they claimed they had the technology, and therefore should have installed them anyway. Sadly the court heard this case, instead of dismissing it. wether there was a settlement or not, or who won the case, I do not know
Edit: While many women may choose minivans for practical purposes, and with them in mind, I'd say for most men who refuse to drive them it can also be, A. Something else can do the same job, aka SUV (one reason why so many were bought) or B. The minivan is not practical, not at the moment at the least. C. They don't need 2, so the woman can drive that, she wanted the kids anyway. (while that is somewhat a joke, there are plenty of guys that think that way) Either way, I know many a 20-something's who, have a kid, and the wife/girlfriend deems a minivan/SUV necessary immediatly. why? for the kids, even though there's only 1 right now, they'll have more later. and even though the kids 1 year old, and, they won't have soccer practice (or whatever) for at least 5-6 years... by then, the woman wants a new one, this is how your SUV's and minivan's get so many sales as well - women, and men who listen and/or don't care themselves... Remember, America is also the country in the world where men get the most whipped (maybe not literally) but you get the idea, women tell many men what and where to do it, in everything, in many a sad relationship

 

[YSSMAN]

- native cultural styles; (still not fully explained - i.e. why one culture like the looks of the Trans Am? What about the Mazda Miata? How come hippies like the vw van so much?)
- gender resistance; (ie is Miata a girl's car? a gay man 2 seater? or just a perfect chassis to transplant a Ford V8?) also related to age resistance
- Unsatisfaction (i.e 'I'm fed up with this unreliable POS Touraeg and decided to go with the Oddysey even if they are for soccer moms only. The reliability of the Honda attracts me')

Lets get a few things out of the way first:

1) Hybrids are a fad at the moment and only offer a temporary solution to a problem that isnt going to go away. Much of the attention given to the Hybrid vehciles, such as the Prius, by the media is a direct effect twards the surge in sales over the past few months, espically after Katrina.

When it comes down to it however, Hybrids never save you any money unless you were to drive more than 60,000 miles a year for six years if you were to compare a similarly equipped Prius and Corolla. Even then, with the anticipated costs of replacement batteries in the Prius topping $4000, is it even worth it?

Brock Yates and the rest of the folks at Car and Driver have done many interesting edditorials and stories about Hybrids and other fuel-efficent vehciles, most of which condemn the Hybrid as this automotive savior that the media makes it out to be... The future lies in biodiesel and ethenol, not hybrids.

2) Cultural styles have much to do with the history of the country as a whole. Americans like to stand out and make an impression, and that is part of the reason why the Trans Am always had such an extroverted style. The "coke bottle" design that many American cars have taken after is simply a trademark design of an era that was defined by sexy, fast cars that could be compared to the women of the same time period. Americans and Italians seem to share the idea of attributing the looks of a car to the looks of a woman... Curvacious but sleek designs are always given high marks, but lately that notion has been very popular on Aston Martin and Jaguar designs.

The Miata, and the rest of the Japanese cars for that matter, have a much more withdrawn look because the people of Japan are much more reserved than most Americans or Europeans. That is changing however because the younger generation is much more Americanized, and the drive to stand out is becoming more popular.

The biggest difference in design between all of the regions come from practicality. In America, no one really cares, but Europe and Japan its different... Better drag coefficents mean better fuel mileage, etc...

Its tough to really define exactly...

3) Gender identification for particular cars I think is something that just happens and rarely is intended. The Miata is often reguared as a "Chick-Car" because more often than not it is a woman in the drivers seat, and it's small size is better suited to most women over men. Although there are many hederosexual men who love to drive their Miatas (including my Uncle), most guys wouldnt be caught dead in one...

Volkswagen has a similar problem with their cars. The Jetta and Golf are also called "Chick-Cars" on occasion, and as an owner of a Jetta, I really do not see why. Then again, most women would never be caught dead driving a real pickup truck or a full-out muscle car like the Charger or 300C...

4) Age identifications with particular brands is another thing that just happens. Over time however, certain brands have learned to just cater to those who buy them, particular Buick and Mercury who generally are bought by 60+ folks... Older people generally like softer, bigger, more comfortable cars similar to those that they have been driving for decades... Younger folks will always enjoy faster, more sporty rides that appeal to their youthful attitudes...

5) Reliability is a somewhat of a variable when it comes to new cars. To people who are loyal to a particular brand or model may not care if say their Jetta is full of small problems, but to someone who has no clue what the difference between a Focus and a Fit is, reliability would be a selling point. That is partially why people flock to Toyota and Honda dealers mainly because of their high reliability reputations... My Mom bought a Camry in 1995 on a similar basis, and although she has never had a problem with it, she wont buy another because the car wassent that satisfying... Thats why brands that have notorious problems like Volkswagen and Cadillac keep (and attract) customers because of their good looks and appealing value.

6) As far as Americans being concerned about safety, it is another variable when buying a car. Over the past few years, it has been the automakers that have gone overboard with safety concerns, not the public...

 

[niky]

Actually, many women love driving "men's cars". The sense of dominance and independence they get from them, and the assurance of equality with men, drives lots of women to buy SUVs and Mustangs. Some women do get it. It's mostly men who stay away from "chick cars". For some men, cars that reassure them of their masculinity attract them.

As for hybrids, it's a conundrum. Even those savings calculated over time don't really make sense if you compare the Prius to a Honda Fit. The Fit gets 99% of the fuel economy of the Prius and 90% of the space at less than half the price. When people realize this, this car will hit America as hard as the original Civic did.

It's already a cultural phenomenon in Japan and other markets... I can't wait to see how America responds to it. Oh, only problem is, it's a "chick car".