New, clean, and fast, does your car describe you or how you wish to be perceived? Are you a practical sedan or an over-sized 4x4? What must be going on in the head of that petite woman climbing down out of the Suburban? What your car says about you is much more than just the typical top ten list of one line descriptions. Your vehicle is not a reflection of what you are as much as a projection of what you wish to be. When the physical differences between these two ideas clash, the results are unmistakable. That frail woman in the Suburban wants the world to know that she is tougher than she appears. Or at least she doesn't want to seem as vulnerable as she really is.
Sometimes the stereotype can fit perfectly. Rest assured, all is right with the world when an aging college professor emerges from his Triumph Spit Fire, complete with wire wheels and British racing green paint job. The professional football free-safety who drives the bright red Ferrari is doing his part to ensure that society as we know is firmly tacked into place. Of course any good-ole southern boy who didn't drive a lifted 4x4 with just the right mud coating patina would be shunned at the next deer hunt.
More than just a driver's choice of automobiles goes into this persona projection. How the car is cared for, driven, accessorized, even the color goes into making the image sell. The ubiquitous Honda Civic is an excellent example of this. From the college sophomore who drives the "riced-out" Civic complete with asymmetrical racing stripe, huge rear wing, custom wheels, and over sized muffler to the librarian who's slightly faded, white, Civic which still sports the missing front hubcap from her flat on the freeway.
Financial impression can be some of the most passionate projections. Does the guy who lives on the wrong side of the tracks really rake in the big bucks? His '92 Cadillac Eldorado with the gigantic wheels and bass boat metal flake paint job sure portray his extravagance. While the multi millionaire in the 300,000 mile Volvo certainly wants you to think that he is just an average citizen. Put in these terms, its easy to see why the ultra rich didn't dare ride about town in their Duesenbergs during the great depression. Prudence dictates a limit on how strong of an impression should be sent in some cases.
What does your car say about you? Your car says what you think about yourself. Whether you are who you wish to be perceived or if you would rather appear differently to others, you're wheels tell all. It's not just sales price and value, but more importantly personal feelings and impressions.