Study: Do people with luxury cars drive differently?

Do you know the difference between a porcupine and a bmw?

 

I've met people who drive a Lexus. They hate getting passed.

 

I would question if it, as they conclude, wealth, or simply driving a car with more performance?
I have seen many people in rusted out muscle cars that drive like jerks.

 

Here's another version.
Wealthy Prius drivers can be huge jerks- MSN Money

 

I heard it with a Porsche and a porcupine.

 

According to some family who live in Germany, the Audi driver is the stereotypical "BMW driver" over there.

I think certain brands just attract certain types of people. I say that as someone who intends to own a BMW someday, and probably would if I didn't have such a long commute and such a strong urge to be practical. BMWs are arguably the "muscle car" of the European brands, although if they keep softening up the 3 and 5 series maybe they won't be much longer.

 

Hey, if you're behind the wheel of "the ultimate driving machine" all lesser driving machines (and annoying objects on 2 legs) should yield to you right?
I think a good part of the attitude/behavior is in the marketing/image promoted by certain vehicles. I do notice in my area Audi drivers seem to think public roads are their own personal race track, other cars are mere obstacles which must be overtaken(signal lights optional). BMWs and Mercs for the most part driven by old people around here, so rather slow and unpredictable.
I can see wealth being a big factor too, when it comes to traffic violations a few hundred bucks here and there, pocket change for these people. I find it funny they classed the prius as a premium vehicle. Isn't stereotyping fun?

 

that msn article was one of the worst pieces of journalistic trash i have read. and the 'researcher' didn't sound much brighter.

 

This was a berkely study, and in the bay area the prius is owned by many of the wealthy. now in southern california Leo as traded in his prius for a fisker karma, but that may mean that he has lost a little tallent too. It did land high on the forbes list of what the wealthy drive
Toyota Prius - In Photos: Cars Rich People Drive - Forbes

Now if you have a high percentage of prius owners braking the rules as if they are privileged, and I have seen this, and you are studying the effect. You might want to characterize the cars this way. I suppose they could have run the plates and found out where those rule braking prius owners lived though.

 

German cars don't have brakes, you're suppose to get out of their way.

 

The mass media constantly drones that that the super wealthy think and behave differently from the regular working class bee - this supposedly justifies their higher social and financial standing. So even if a regular working class bee was driving a luxury car, he/she wouldn't be driving it the same way as a person born of higher social standing by this logic.

 

Of course this is the stereotype. Because you can't tell that a regular looking guy, with non-flashy clothes and non-flashy car and acting humble is in fact very wealthy when you see them on the street or wherever.

Mike

 

This makes me think of an old bugs bunny cartoon where the wind is carrying a bunch of different hats and as different hats land (and replace other hats) on the head of the cartoon characters they act out the sterotypical behavior associated with that hat...

write up (censorship)
Bugs' Bonnets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

see the video
Bugs Bunny - Bugs Bonnets (1956).avi | on-line video | Uloz.to

 

Does this justify having a chauffeur?

Bob Wilson

 

"In the San Francisco Bay Area, where the hybrid gas-and-electric-powered Toyota Prius is considered a status symbol among the environmentally conscious"


Good grief. Can this idiot of an author possibly do any more stereotyping?
Puts every single worn-out cliche about the Prius -from 2002- into one sentence.

I, for one, and getting sick and tired of Toyota. At least GM executives stepped up to defend the Volt from the knuckle-dragging crowd (writing op-eds in Forbes is hardly a robust defense, but still).
What has Toyota done? In the past 10 years, the Prius has rightly been criticized for lacking performance, but that sin was forgivable, as this is not the design intent of the Prius, and it had to work around early limitations to battery technology. However, since then the Prius has been accused of:
(1) being about some sort of "Hollywood" green-image thing.
(2) being worse for the environment than a Hummer
(3) having unintended acceleration (specifically the guy in S. Cal who faked a runaway Prius on the freeway)
And so on.

So, the Prius cuts oil use by 50%....this means each owner has helped in reducing the country's oil imports, but the national security aspect is never touted, from Toyota or anyone else.
Instead, the Prius is dismissed as an over-priced, underpowered car bought by bad-driving jerks who were duped by Hollywood elite into thinking they were 'being green', when in fact the car is worse than a Hummer.
Meanwhile, Hummer/Excursion/F350/muscle car drivers are the real 'patriots' because they drive cars that guarantee we need Middle East oil, but they "support" the troops because they have a yellow sticker on the back of their SUV (made in China) that says so.
Only in America.

 

Funny, I've noticed a lot of Corvette drivers who were driving very sedately, easy on the gas. They look like sharks, just cruising...

 

They're looking out for bumps. The low ground clearance means they have to accelerate to lift the front end up and then decelerate when the front wheels clear the bump so the rear end lifts.

 

It's the same over here. The 'BMW driver' has now become an 'Audi driver' and BMW's appear to be driven more like normal cars. It's the Audi that you'll find tailgating you, driving like a prat, overtaking, undertaking or generally being arrogant.

What goes around comes around though, I make a mental note of never flashing one out of a junction - ever


People do react to you differently according to the car you drive. When I'm in the gf's IQ I get cut up a lot and people pull out in front of me more often than is healthy. When I drove a £100k Mercedes for a previous job I'd have foxy ladies flash me out of junctions and give me a cheeky wave. Now that NEVER happens in my Prius.

 

Yeah I am going to be Star,
I just need Booth babe to drive my Car!
Beep beep beep Yeah.