Perceptions of cars and the people who drive them.

[NWFRS]

I've noticed that certain cars, for whatever reason, are just perceived as "gay". I think most of us would agree that cars themselves are fairly innocent of their own styling and function. Almost all cars have some redeeming quality going for them. I think it has just as much to do with the people who buy the cars and what they do with them that gives a car a reputation.

As an example, a coworker of mine is shopping for a fun, inexpensive and economical car at the moment. I suggested a secondhand Miata. His perception is that Miatas are "gay", but he thinks Del Sols are awesome. (He's a truck guy)

I don't understand his reasoning AT ALL. But that's just me, bringing my own preconceptions and biases with me. I don't want to be associated with the Honda crowd in any way, shape or form.

Another coworker is hunting for a white Honda S2000. He wants a factory hard top, bronze wheels and a brown leather interior. That sounds absolutely AMAZING to me, but I would probably wind up passing on it, just because of my own, probably unjustified perception of Honda.

I was just wondering if anyone else had noticed the same thing, and if anyone else had any funny and/or frustrating stories to share...

[funwheeldrive]

The Scion IQ should have an optional rainbow paint option.

[Jegan_V]

If you want to blame anybody for the Mazda MX-5/Miata's image as a gay car you'd have to blame Mazda's marketing from the 1990s. When that car came out, the target audience in Mazda's mind wasn't the male who wanted a light weight roadster in the vein of say a Triumph TR5 but rather women who wanted a cute convertible. Their commercials reflected that hence why its always been stuck with that image, the early NC did a better job making it a bit more muscular, but the refresh happy face grille kind of puts it back to fighting off that stigma.

If you want to count lesbians in the picture, the Subaru Outback is very much their favourite which is why it often gets the "lesbaru" nickname. That vehicle also used its marketing to target a demographic, the difference is Subaru wanted to target a group of people who were long marginalized. High driving position, very practical, reliable and suitable for most lifestyles...hard to argue Subaru actually knew what that demographic wanted.

Overall if you feel the car's stigma is too much for you to handle, then you're better off not getting it as you simply won't ever be comfortable. If you don't care about the stigma, why should you care what others think? That said, if you want a car that's more attractive to feminine tastes, going with a "gay" car isn't such a bad thing. Whereas with my FRS, if I wanted to attract men its a much better car, none of the women at my work were interested in my car to ask, until they found out it was me who had one, perhaps surprised Mr. Boring/Quiet man had something more interesting to drive. The men on the other hand all wanted to know everything about it asking everyone the very moment they saw it.

[Bobblehead]

The boxy Scion xB's have been dubbed "lesbobiles" in my area.

People are always going to have a distaste for certain cars or brands, no matter how nonsensical or trivial it might sound.

I personally don't like Honda either, and I've never had luck with any GM vehicle. Its just how it rolls.

[TylerLieberman]

Didn't know cars had a sexual orientation...

Personally though, I don't care for the Beetle, iQ, or the Forte at all

[nick_318is]

The Miata most definitely has a chick car stigma. But I think FRS/BRZ guys understand the appeal, so they're not gay. I would say most of these qualify more as chick cars, so I guess that makes them gay, especially the fiat and beetle.

[LSxJunkie]

I don't classify vehicles as identifying with sexual orientation mostly because I don't use gay as a perjorative. This isn't 1997.

[NWFRS]

Originally Posted by LSxJunkie

I don't classify vehicles as identifying with sexual orientation mostly because I don't use gay as a perjorative. This isn't 1997.

Thank you.

You're absolutely right. I thought putting it in quotations was enough, but I think it needed another qualifier. I'm using the word because it's the one that, nine times out of ten is used by others to describe cars they don't like. I'm also quoting my coworker directly. Believe me, I find the term as silly as you do.

[Model Citizen]

Why isn't frs/brz on the list?

I couldn't get more attention from other dudes in this car if I paraded around San Francisco at night in assless chaps.

[edeekeos]

One of my buddies is gay, and he drives a lava FRS.

[Superhatch]

I find it amusing that the Miata is viewed as a girls car, but also probably one of the most raced cars in the US.

[Entroper]

Well this is an amusing poll.

Funny enough, the only time I've had some random person yell insults about my car was when I was unloading my fiancee's BRZ in the driveway. A bunch of kids were driving past in an old Sentra, one of them leaned out the window and yelled "fuck your gay car!" I turned to my fiancee and said, "the garage door wasn't even open -- they didn't even see the Miata!"

[PHLonomenal]

I also do not like the terminology but do understand the discussion. Let us not forget the 1st gen Porsche Boxster. Only now is it NOT fighting the "chick car" moniker. Due to better marketing and it's so damn good.


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[tahdizzle]

Originally Posted by Superhatch

I find it amusing that the Miata is viewed as a girls car, but also probably one of the most raced cars in the US.

Because if you are a racer, you probably wear booties to bed too!

J/k