# Gay/lesbian vehicle choices: why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 19, 2004, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810 "2004-04-19T12:39:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/21 "2004-04-21T02:13:13Z")
Put Martina Navratilova in a car ad, and it will forever be known as a “lesbian car”. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/22 "2004-04-21T02:40:18Z")
Wasn’t there an advertising campaign for the Jetta, a few years ago, that featured two young guys who may or may not have been a gay couple? The one where they picked up a chair that was on the sidewalk, then threw it out again when they noticed a bad smell? They weren’t exactly identified as gay in the commercial, but a lot of people thought they probably were. Anyway, that may have had something to do with the Jetta acquiring a gay-friendly brand image. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/23 "2004-04-21T02:45:50Z")
Post first, research later - that’s my motto! Anyway, I was mistaken - the ad I was remembering was for the Volkswagen Golf, not the Jetta. However, there was a “gay” commercial for the Jetta as well. [cite](http://www2.commercialcloset.org/cgi-bin/iowa/portrayals.html?record=1040) ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/24 "2004-04-21T03:14:51Z")
My vote goes for what the car at the GM Pavillion on The Simpsons said: _ **"Hello. I’m an electric car. I can’t go very fast, or very far. And if you drive me, people will think you’re gay…"** _ Flamingly dressed animatronic robots then chant, _ **"One of us! One of us!"** _ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/25 "2004-04-21T12:26:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Volkwagens in general, and most extremely the Golf… just have the rep for being made for, and owned by chicks. I remember that a certain stereotype was that a white Rabbit or Golf Cabriolet would probably be driven by a blonde named Donna. One of my flight instructors, a straight man, drove a Golf. Golfs are also somewhat popular with “racer boys”. In another thread I said I was considering buying a Golf because of its size and practicality. So I never considered them “chick/gay cars” (except for the white Cab stereotype). I also considered buying a Jetta a couple of times. It is a comfortable car, and has a massive boot for carrying stuff. I also liked at you could carry your snow skis inside. Again, I never thought “Jetta = Gay”. If there’s any stereotype I’ve noticed, it’s that they seemed to be very popular with Hispanics. What turned me away from the Jetta is that they didn’t seem to age well. Many of the older ones I saw on the road had oxidized paint and just looked shabby. I didn’t know if Jetta owners just didn’t take care of them, or if Jetta paint was particularly prone to aging in the hot California sun. **Manduck** : I remember that Golf commercial. Those guys did not seem gay to me at all. (I’m about to make a gross generalization.) Can you imagine gay guys picking up shabby furniture off the street? Or dressing as they did? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/26 "2004-04-21T14:24:11Z")
Hmm… what do these cars look like? [Vokswagen Jetta](http://www.vw.com/jetta) First shot we get of the car is the bulging, curvy rear end sticking in our faces. Coincidence? Maybe, but it’s a _nice_ looking car. Am I a metrosexual for loving clean design? Let’s take a look at [the Subaru Outback](http://subaru.com/servlet/showroom?model=OUTBACK&trim=SPORT&command=overview). Will I guess it’s … um… ah… _practical_. Quite the no-nonsense web site. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/27 "2004-04-21T14:49:19Z")
> [@dnooman](#): > > I’ve never personally known a straight man that drove a Cabriolet or a Tracker, those are indeed “chick cars”. Tell that to my husband, who drives a convertible Volkswagen Cabrio. He’s straight - last time I checked. I also had a Cabriolet until December. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/28 "2004-04-21T15:09:25Z")
Just got back from running an arrand. The closest parking space was between a new Jetta and a beat-up Subaru Legacy wagon. The Jetta has a blue and yellow equals sign sticker in the back window. The Legacy has a thin rainbow sticker along the tailgate. Hmmmmm … ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/29 "2004-04-21T19:51:16Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > One thing that may be a bit of a factor in Jettas being disproportianatly gay cars is that among straight guys(at least in the areas I’ve been in) they are considered chick cars. Volkwagens in general, and most extremely the Golf, the Jetta and the new beetle, just have the rep for being made for, and owned by chicks. Guys I knew in college and High school who drove one of those got a fair ammount of teasing for drving a chick car. And it just may be that most straight guys just subconsciously don’t want to drive one. Oh, yea, I have owned 2 Sciroccos, a Rabbit, 3 Cabriolets and currently drive a Cabrio. Is it because I’m gay or because they are well built, reliable cars that are fun to drive and run well? Bend over and let’s find out, shall we? 😜 Seriously, I thought GQ was the place for facts, not WAGs. Do you have any evidence for your claims that VWs are widly seen as chick cars and that guys won’t drive them? ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/30 "2004-04-21T20:30:04Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > Do you have any evidence for your claims that VWs are widly seen as chick cars and that guys won’t drive them? I don’t think anyone’s really done a scientific survey on this (nor would I expect anyone to). However, I can tell you for a fact that most people in at least the Seattle area, my age, are quite aware of that stereotype. It’s really to the point of it being common knowledge. Furthermore, I’ve seen jokes on various TV shows (though I can’t recall any at the moment, damn) that have made jokes in regards to VWs being chick cars. So this certaintly isn’t just one person who began this idea. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/31 "2004-04-21T20:55:16Z")
For clarifcation, “my age” = 19 ---
**Author:** ![jeevwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jeevwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevwoman)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/32 "2004-04-21T21:57:42Z")
**jeevmon** and I just bought a Forester and neither one of us is a lesbian. I am not particulary ‘girly’, though that might not be said for the husband 😉 . . but the reason we got it was because we have two dogs that need to actually fit in the car with us. Of course, there _is_ that stereotype that lesbians like dogs, right? Maybe that’s it. 😉 I didn’t know it was a lesbian car, but hey, I could think of worse things. (Wouldn’t want to drive an NRA car or something.) ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/33 "2004-04-21T22:32:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Seriously, I thought GQ was the place for facts, not WAGs. Do you have any evidence for your claims that VWs are widly seen as chick cars and that guys won’t drive them? It’s pretty much common knowledge around here that VWs are seen as chick cars by lots of guys. [http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/2001/January/01.html](http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/2001/January/01.html) Here is a Car guy column excerpt to that end. Referenceing where they did a survey - Bolding by me\* > [@](#): > > Tom: Amy, you have launched us on another Ph.D. dissertation! We were so fascinated by your question that we asked our Web site visitors for help. We asked them to tell us which cars they perceive as “chick cars” – and which cars they see as “guy cars.” > > Ray: And the results are in. And no, they haven’t been recounted by hand. At least according to this limited study, the vast majority of cars fall into the middle, being neither chick cars nor guy cars. Since there’s no obvious anatomical/mechanical way to tell a chick car from a guy car, people tend to make their own assumptions about these cars in the middle. > > Tom: That appears to be the case with your Camry, Amy. Often, the “chick car” designation is used by one guy to insult another. And it always works since – as you well know – guys are incredibly insecure about their masculinity. Conversely, such an insult never works on women. You tell a woman she’s driving a “guy car,” and she couldn’t care less. > > Ray: Anyway, here are the top five chick cars, according to people who visit the Car Talk section of [www.cars.com](http://www.cars.com), along with selected comments from the nominators: 5. Dodge Neon – “Neons are Barbie cars: little and cute and rounded in the hips. Even in black, they are feminine and adorable, only just a bit tougher, like Tattoo Barbie.” **4. VW Jetta – “Anything by Volkswagen is a chick car. VW realized this years ago and joined forces with another company to sell guy cars – they called that company Porsche.” \*\* 3. Mazda Miata – “I discovered this phenomenon when I got a Miata. `Girlie car.’ That’s all I heard.” \*\* 2. VW Cabriolet – “All teen-age girls classify them as cute. 'Nuff said.”** \*\*1. VW New Beetle – “A chick car, definitely. And made to be so. \*\*How? I know of no other automobile with a FLOWER VASE as standard equipment.” So the perception is not a WAG the perception is there. The WAG part was suggesting that the perception might _might_ be widespread and strong enough to cause an actual demographic shift toward gay among men who own and drive them. Which I feel is feasible enough to post in the GQ forum. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/34 "2004-04-21T22:59:54Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > And in general we of the old-school Subaru club consider the Outback, and the Forester poser Subarus. 🙂 😕 So what is a non-poser Subaru? The Impreza? The Legacy? The Baja? Or may I only be allowed to non-pose if I go back before 1993, when none of the current 5 base models existed yet? I drove a non-posing '84 Brat in High School and now drive a 2003 Forester. This may be the new poseur in me talking, but the Forester is about a gabillion times better than that POS ever was. (I called it the 'wurst :)). (FTR: Straight, married, wife is decidedly non-butch). As for the OP, I live in San Francisco, and I can’t say I’ve ever noticed more gay people driving Jettas or lesbians in Outbacks. I do, however, remember that Subaru commercial, and it had a few other female athletes in it, not just Martina Navatilova. IIRC there were a couple of LPGA golfers and an Olympic skiier. Now that I think about it, I don’t know if the other athletes were gay or not, but I must shamefully admit I assumed they were at the time. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/35 "2004-04-21T23:37:04Z")
> [@](#): > > So what is a non-poser Subaru? The Impreza? The Legacy? The Baja? Or may I only be allowed to non-pose if I go back before 1993, when none of the current 5 base models existed yet? The heirarchy of real Subarus goes like. 4wd Wagon(I don’t know if it had a more official name) Brat GL and DL series XT SVX WRX Legacy Impreza Loyale Outback Forester (and we just pretend the Justy never existed) (and in case anybody can’t tell, this is all tounge-in-cheek :)) ---
**Author:** ![Donovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donovan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/36 "2004-04-21T23:51:07Z")
just another anecdotal mee too on the whole vw = chick cars, especially jettas - according to multiple friends and acquiantences from a couple of my peer groups. But its not universal, just among some of the more macho type guys, the types who are likely to call each other ‘faggot’. In any case, I think the Jettas a sweet car, my sis has one that blows away my civic, but I’d be more partial to a GTI if I got a VW. In any case, the whole chick car thing isn’t universal in my experience, I have a friend with a GTI (that he adored) who considers Jettas and passats, and even Golfs ( :rolleyes: ) to be ‘chick cars’ - it was always really fun to talk about his Golf (“it’s NOT a fuckin GOLF man, it’s a G. T. I.” ) when he was drunk - boy would he get pissed off. ---
**Author:** ![Donovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donovan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/37 "2004-04-21T23:55:49Z")
just another anecdotal me too on the whole vw = chick cars, especially jettas - according to multiple friends and acquaintances from a couple of my peer groups. But its not universal, just among some of the more macho type guys, the types who are likely to call each other ‘faggot’. In any case, I think the Jetta is a sweet car - my sis has one that blows away my civic - but I’d be more partial to a GTI if I got a VW. In any case, the whole chick car thing doesn’t apply to ALL VW’s in my experience, I have a friend with a GTI (that he adored) who considers Jettas and passats, and even Golfs ( :rolleyes: ) to be ‘chick cars’ - it was always really fun to talk about his Golf (“it’s NOT a fuckin GOLF man, it’s a G. T. I.” ) when he was drunk - boy would he get pissed off. /edit ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/38 "2004-04-22T00:06:09Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > It’s pretty much common knowledge around here that VWs are seen as chick cars by lots of guys. > > [http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/2001/January/01.html](http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/2001/January/01.html) > > Here is a Car guy column excerpt to that end. Referenceing where they did a survey > > - Bolding by me\* > > So the perception is not a WAG the perception is there. The WAG part was suggesting that the perception might _might_ be widespread and strong enough to cause an actual demographic shift toward gay among men who own and drive them. Which I feel is feasible enough to post in the GQ forum. Oh, Christ, I guess I’m hosed then. _Ahem_ So, what ya doing Friday night, big guy? **bats eyelashes** ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/39 "2004-04-22T01:35:19Z")
> [@Dooku](#): > > I do, however, remember that Subaru commercial, and it had a few other female athletes in it, not just Martina Navatilova. IIRC there were a couple of LPGA golfers and an Olympic skiier. Now that I think about it, I don’t know if the other athletes were gay or not, but I must shamefully admit I assumed they were at the time. Juli Inkster (LPGA champion) and downhill skier Diann Roffe-Steinrotter are the passengers in question. After discussing the specs of the subaru that they’re in, (in stereotypically mangeek speak) Martina shrugs and says, “But what do we know? We’re just girls.”, or something similar. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810/40 "2004-04-23T00:21:47Z")
Being that I live in the “Motor City,” it seems here (really) that Volkswagens of any type are “Canadian cars” (really, almost all of them I see bear Ontario plates), followed by “black [african-american] cars” – I have no explanation, other than Ontarians aren’t persuaded by the US’ auto industry, and black folks aren’t, either. And where I’m saying “black” I guess you should read “the culture of any race or color that is generally identified as being black,” the majority of which is black. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-lesbian-vehicle-choices-why/240810.md?page=3)