Car owner stereotypes - Are you one of them?

A car is much more than just a form of transport. For many, a car also says plenty about its owner, and forms an extension of your personality, in a way. What you drive very often tells us a lot about who you are, and it is quite common to see certain types of people gravitate towards certain kinds of cars.

We take a tongue-in-cheek look at some common car stereotypes here in Singapore and what they say about their drivers.



For some people, any car is better than no car. Even if they're not financially well-off, they somehow manage to find a way to acquire a set of wheels, by hook or by crook. After all, having your own form of transport is always better than relying on the public transportation system, right?

As these people tend to be unfussy, or rather, they don't have a choice in being fussy, they generally go for a basic budget hatchback. Sometimes they may even register their car under the Off Peak Car (OPC) scheme, to save even more money. They may not even drive their car every day, but at the end of the day, they still have a car to call their own.

Often seen in: Chery QQ, Perodua Kelisa, Suzuki Swift, Honda Jazz



The Singaporean dream these days tends to go like this: graduate, get a stable career, find a partner, apply for a BTO flat, get married, move in, have kids, live happily ever after. A car is a bonus in such an equation, but if your finances can stretch to it, what kind of car fits in this situation?

More often than not, the humble family sedan is the ride of choice for these couples. Given how expensive cars cost here, it is often wise to think and plan ahead, even if kids are not on the immediate horizon. The car is expected to last for at least a few years, so why not settle into the rhythm of driving a reliable family sedan now?

Often seen in: Toyota Corolla Altis, Nissan Sylphy, Mazda 3, Honda Civic



For those who have gotten further along in the family planning stakes, and have now produced a few offspring of their own, perhaps a humble family sedan may no longer cut it when it comes to their personal transport needs.

As such, it may be wise to upgrade the family ride to a seven-seater Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) in order to accommodate the growing brood. It can also perform double duty too, for those who are taking care of aged parents, in addition to their kids, making the MPV the ultimate versatile mobile for the considerate family man.

Often seen in: Toyota Wish, Honda Stream, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Estima



'Active lifestyle' is a buzzword that's common these days among the younger crowd. These people tend to spend their weekends at the park or beach, running or cycling. They also like to indulge in sports, or other activities such as yoga or whatever new age things that happen to be trending at the moment.

These folks often look for a car that can fit into their 'active lifestyles', and the answer invariably draws them towards a crossover or Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). The combination of tough looks, an imposing raised ride height and excellent practicality makes these cars ideal for posing, looking good and accommodating all their assorted sporting knick-knacks.

Often seen in: Anything from a Mercedes-Benz GLA to a Land Rover Discovery to all sorts of SUVs in between



There is a notable sub-culture of enthusiasts who enjoy tuning and modifying their rides, to varying degrees. Some opt for the subtle, with perhaps minor mods under the skin to enhance the car's performance. Others may be a bit outlandish, fitting big wings and attention-seeking body kits to stand out from the crowd.

While pretty much any car can be modified, most of these guys tend to go for a relatively affordable and reliable option that is easy to work on. These cars often have a wide availability of parts for easy modification, and they have to be reasonably bomb-proof in order to handle the various performance upgrades that tend to be fitted to them. Japanese performance models fit the bill very nicely in these instances.

Often seen in: Subaru Impreza WRX, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Honda Civic Type R



For those born with a silver spoon, getting a first car is probably as easy as simply picking one out from a brochure. Technically, the sky's the limit, depending on the family finances of course. But more often than not, a young and well-off kid's first car tends to be something at the lower end of the scale but still offers plenty of street cred in order to show off to the other kids at school.

Something from a premium European brand is generally desired, and looks and image are paramount when it comes to the choice of ride. The car has to look good, and boast enough performance so as not to 'lose face'. After all, no self-respecting elite kid wants to be seen trundling along in a base model car, do they?

Often seen in: Anything from a Volkswagen Golf GTI to high performance Audis, BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes



For those working in a certain industry, especially one where facing clients is necessary, one would want to drive around in something that tells people that you're moderately successful, and yet not too over-the-top such that it comes across as arrogant.

An executive sedan helps to express the right message, being conservative-looking and yet possessing the right cachet to reflect your social standing. It's all about projecting the right image, with the right kind of brand, even if often times the car itself may be an entry-level model without all the frills. The better models are reserved for when you climb even further up the corporate ladder.

Often seen in: BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, Volkswagen CC



If we're talking about stereotypes, then there's one particular group that truly stands out. After all, standing out is the key to their success, and as such, their ride of choice is often one that turns heads, be it in a good or bad way.

Social media influencers, especially the younger and more attractive female ones that run their own fashion 'empire', often seem to have a liking for cars that embodies the same chic style as their 'brand'. It's therefore not uncommon to see these young ladies favour smaller-sized cars that can match their style, and will look pretty in pictures, which they will inevitably post a million of on their social media accounts, naturally.

Often seen in: Volkswagen Beetle, Mini Cooper, Audi TT



After reaching a certain age, especially after many years of contributing to society, some people may feel the need to reward themselves with something nice. There's nothing wrong with that, even though sometimes the 'gift' may not really be in keeping with their actual age.

Still, age is just a number, and if one remains young at heart, honestly there's no issue at all with going for something sporty, or at least sporty-looking. It's a great way to enjoy one's twilight years, and it could even help relive memories of days of yore. Surely that's a great way to celebrate retirement, by living life to the fullest and fulfilling your automotive dreams.

Often seen in: An expensive and sporty-looking car, anything from a sports sedan to a two-seater sports car



Finally, with the advent of services like Uber and Grab, there is now a growing fleet of drivers who are effectively private-hire taxi drivers. These services have their own car rental arms here in Singapore, and they tend to stock just a select few models for hirers to choose.

As such, these models are now commonly viewed as the de facto steed of the private hire driver, now with the mandatory blue private-hire sticker in the corner of the windscreen. Spot one of these on the roads, and there's a very high chance that it belongs to an Uber or Grab driver, eyes glued to their GPS map on their phones as they head off to pick up another rider.

Often seen in: Mitsubishi Attrage, Toyota Prius, Honda Vezel

So, regardless of where you are in life, there's always a car for you out there to suit you and your style. Head over to sgCarMart's Used Car Listings to find your ideal car today!