# Would it be "gay" for a guy to drive a hatchback? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 27, 2015, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954 "2015-05-27T11:03:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/61 "2015-05-27T16:05:59Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m actually surprised the Beetle is #3. Whoops. That should read: “I’m actually surprised the Miata is #3.” The Beetle is #1. I would have expected the Miata to at least be #2, although I can see how the general “any minivan” would cut in there. I was thinking specific makes and models. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/62 "2015-05-27T16:24:19Z")
I bought a Honda Fit hatchback in 2012. Since then I have seen more and more Fit hatchbacks around the Capital Region; it’s easily one of the most popular cars, driven by men, women, old people, etc. Why? - it’s cheap as hell. I got mine for $17K after taxes and fees. - it’s the largest Hatchback in its class - it has great gas mileage So I don’t think you should worry about being “gay”. I mean that’s kind of a douche thing to say! Instead you should worry about cost or fuel economy. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/63 "2015-05-27T16:31:45Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t want to say that you’re a bad person or anything, but I don’t understand the PT Cruiser. If you’re 90 years old and want to pretend that you’re driving the world’s smallest woody wagon, or bought it during the cash-for-clunkers bonanza, or went totally insane bordering on a death wish and bought the GT model; I think I can get close enough to understanding that I won’t stare at it in the parking lot. But other than those cases, why a PT Cruiser? You don’t necessarily owe it to a stranger on the internet to justify your automotive purchases, but I am asking in hope of understanding. If you’re just the type of person who buys “car”, and they’re largely interchangeable, how’d the PT win on that day? y’know, if you’re going to say he doesn’t “owe you anything,” why would you phrase the question such that you’re basically demanding he justify himself? He owns a car you don’t like, _deal with it._ I don’t think you realize that the PT Cruiser was a smash hit when it first arrived. they sold a (literal) million of them in six years. they even sold 10,000 of them in _Japan_, which was pretty remarkable for a USDM car. The only reason it turned into a joke was because the 2010 PT Cruiser was barely any different than the 2001. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/64 "2015-05-27T16:57:10Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > y’know, if you’re going to say he doesn’t “owe you anything,” why would you phrase the question such that you’re basically demanding he justify himself? He owns a car you don’t like, _deal with it._ > > I don’t think you realize that the PT Cruiser was a smash hit when it first arrived. they sold a (literal) million of them in six years. they even sold 10,000 of them in _Japan_, which was pretty remarkable for a USDM car. The only reason it turned into a joke was because the 2010 PT Cruiser was barely any different than the 2001. Umm, other than asking in a humorous way and explicitly stating that they don’t owe an answer, how else should I “deal with it” if I am curious as to what attracted to them to the car? If they never answer, or answer in a humorous manner, I assure that I will not pester them as if they are a witness and I am a prosecutor. If **panache45** takes offense at my questioning the reasoning behind their automobile purchase, I promise that none was intended. I know it was a smash hit. I still see them on the road, and they were purchased in droves. The HHR had a nice run, as well. I don’t really understand why they sold in droves though, and stating that they sold thousands overseas doesn’t explain the situation further. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/65 "2015-05-27T17:01:08Z")
Maybe best avoid the Audi TT. > **[Urban Dictionary: Hairdressers Car](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hairdressers%20Car)** > > A pejorative used to refer to an entry level sports car that is just cheap enough for the person you're insulting to afford, but not quite cheap enough for you to afford. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/66 "2015-05-27T17:15:24Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > I know it was a smash hit. I still see them on the road, and they were purchased in droves. The HHR had a nice run, as well. I don’t really understand why they sold in droves though, and stating that they sold thousands overseas doesn’t explain the situation further. You’re right to wonder. [You can’t give them away.](http://www.cars.com/for-sale/searchresults.action?feedSegId=28705&rpp=50&requestorTrackingInfo=RTB_SEARCH&stkTypId=28881&PMmt=1-1-0&zc=90210&rd=99999&mdId=21744&mkId=20008&searchSource=SORT_USED&crSrtFlds=stkTypId-feedSegId-mkId-mdId&pgId=2102&sf1Nm=price&sf1Dir=DESC&sf2Nm=miles&sf2Dir=ASC) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/67 "2015-05-27T17:17:20Z")
When I was in college I drove an[AMC Gremlin](http://www.productioncars.com/gallery.php?car=6605&make=AMC&model=Gremlin). See how the hot chick in the ad is checking out the car? That proves hatchbacks are chick magnets! Seriously, if I could get laid while driving that car – if I could get\*\*\* married \*\*\*while driving that car – it must prove that heterosexuality is strong. ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/68 "2015-05-27T17:18:41Z")
Amusingly enough, [the Dodge Le Femme](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_La_Femme), with exterior/interior color schemes and trim specifically designed to appeal to the ladies of the 1950s (didn’t quite work that way) nowadays would be considered by most non-gear heads as just another of those funky 1950s cars with garish paint colors - no gender preference present… …Well, unless you carry around the “keystone-shaped, pink calfskin purse that coordinated with the interior of the car. The purse could be stowed in a compartment in the back of the passenger seat,[2] and its gold-plated medallion faced outward” with you, then people might raise eyebrows :dubious:. Me, I’m a manly man\*, and I’ve owned a Chevette hatchback in the late '80s (hey, I was a poor college student who needed a practical car - it did have a fender painted in primer, if that helps), and I am considering one of the current crop of sub-compact hatchbacks (Fit, Yaris, Fiesta, et. al) as I need a practical second car which gets very good fuel economy and can haul some supplies (I won’t be going for any funky lime or electric blue colors - no fenders in primer only either). \*NOT a lumberjack who may or may not be OK, however. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/69 "2015-05-27T17:32:33Z")
One day, as I was watching Queer As Folk, I was surprised by the episode where Michael was getting a Miata and it was considered a gay stereotype car (as was Brian’s Jeep. A Jeep, a “gay” vehicle? In what universe?), as I drove one at the time (though not gold, that would have been too much, but I digress…). Was I in denial? Was my choice in car secretly sending out a “hey, sailor” signal that I couldn’t see? I could never be sure, so I sold it and got a Mini. No one would ever question my sexuality or penis size again! No siree. Sure, I can see New Beetles and VW Cabriolets as “chick cars”, but a Miata? Even without the “manlier” moniker MX-5, (which did not stand for Man seX) I don’t see it. It’s a sports car. As for PT Cruisers, and their cousins the Chevy HHR, I can’t speak for\*\* panache45,\*\* but I like the styling. A good “retro” feel for each, a throwback to the 50s vintage pickups. Well done retro. Like the Challenger and the Mustang, they looked like modern versions of old cars (and not like the new Camaro, which never seemed to “get” it). I ultimately never got either because I thought they were underpowered, not because of styling issues. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/70 "2015-05-27T17:33:58Z")
Here’s my unscientific prejudicial breakdown of vehicles and their personal use drivers in the US: Most Sedans: Boring or practical folks. Pontiac coupes/sedans: Women that would fight other women and sometimes men. Most likely smokers too. VW coupes/sedans: Women on their way to pilates class after visiting their homeopath. Subaru: Lesbian Hatchbacks in a very urban area: Smart folks. They know that parking can be a premium and are hedging their bets on finding a small spot Hatchbacks in a suburban/rural area: Poor people. Prius: A shitty, shitty driver. Hybrid, small: Eco-ego. Most of my ideas will be displayed via bumperstickers that will piss you off. Hybrid, large: Yeah, I’m “all about the environment” but it shouldn’t mean I have to sacrifice anything because look at all the other people. Trucks in a rural area: Practical, utilitarian, dude. Trucks in a suburban area with two doors: Probably a practical, utilitarian, person. Trucks in a suburban area with 4 doors: Asshole. Trucks in an urban area: A person who is going to complain about always being used by his friends for his truck but secretly loves that. SUV in a rural area: Practical, utilitarian, person SUV in a suburban area: If woman: soccer mom. If dad: “at least this isn’t a minivan”. Minivan: Poor woman since she can’t afford an SUV. Sports car: Dude. Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude. I have nothing to offer the world except my purchased ego. Convertible: If male, totes gay. If female, “free-spirit” meaning that the pinnacle of her life was getting wasted in Cabo. Of course all of those have a ton of asterisks. Someone can easily raise their hand say “but I’m X and I drive Y” and that won’t change my overall perception. I’m a gay guy and have driven a truck in the city and a Prius hatchback now. I don’t really fit some of my stereotypes anyways. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/71 "2015-05-27T17:57:38Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > I know it was a smash hit. I still see them on the road, and they were purchased in droves. The HHR had a nice run, as well. I don’t really understand why they sold in droves though, and stating that they sold thousands overseas doesn’t explain the situation further. The PT Cruiser I think is one of those cars that makes way more sense looking at it in 2015 than it did when it came out. It basically was a car-based SUV that, confusingly at the time, made absolutely no pretensions at ruggedness. That’s pretty much the dominant crossover paradigm these days. If it came out with it today, people would complain it was boring and derivative, not weird and ugly like they did back in the early 2000’s. See also the Pontiac Aztek. > [@kunilou](#): > > When I was in college I drove an[AMC Gremlin](http://www.productioncars.com/gallery.php?car=6605&make=AMC&model=Gremlin). See how the hot chick in the ad is checking out the car? That proves hatchbacks are chick magnets! I don’t know… the Gremlin only had a small liftable rear window and even that was optional. The wild impracticality of that might disqualify the Gremlin from really being a “hatchback” and might have let you retain your heterosexual card. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/72 "2015-05-27T18:14:04Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Convertible: If male, totes gay. I know you’re just doing stereotypes but where or when did this come from? In the 60s, plenty of manly men drove convertibles: [Mannix](http://s18.photobucket.com/user/indychauffuer/media/mannix70cuda1.jpg.html) [Jim Phelps](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DSqrMwuLID4/S538B_SXLvI/AAAAAAAAA74/47A6JUyL6uQ/s400/Buick+Skylark+68+S4.jpg) [Buzz and Todd](http://blog.cleveland.com/ent_impact_tv/2008/11/large_route-66.jpg) Seriously, when did it become a stereotype? Heck, if they’re good enough for [Steve McQueen](https://realchristianmcqueen.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/steve-mcqueen-jaguar-xkss-banner.png) that’s manly enough for me! ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/73 "2015-05-27T18:16:08Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > No one whose opinions have any worth will think any less of you for driving a hatchback. But a minivan on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/74 "2015-05-27T18:37:48Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > No one whose opinions have any worth will think any less of you for driving a hatchback. This. Hatchbacks are practical as hell. Maybe that’s why you think it is girly as women tend to be practical about their cars. A VW GTI is a hatchback and not at all perceived as girly. You only have so much money. Get the most bang for your buck by buying the hatchback. ---
**Author:** ![desertmonk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@desertmonk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/desertmonk)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/75 "2015-05-27T18:47:28Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I know you’re just doing stereotypes but where or when did this come from? > > In the 60s, plenty of manly men drove convertibles: > > [Mannix](http://s18.photobucket.com/user/indychauffuer/media/mannix70cuda1.jpg.html) > > [Jim Phelps](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DSqrMwuLID4/S538B_SXLvI/AAAAAAAAA74/47A6JUyL6uQ/s400/Buick+Skylark+68+S4.jpg) > > [Buzz and Todd](http://blog.cleveland.com/ent_impact_tv/2008/11/large_route-66.jpg) > > Seriously, when did it become a stereotype? > > Heck, if they’re good enough for [Steve McQueen](https://realchristianmcqueen.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/steve-mcqueen-jaguar-xkss-banner.png) that’s manly enough for me! He’s not serious, those are just jokes… ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/76 "2015-05-27T19:12:05Z")
> [@desertmonk](#): > > He’s not serious, those are just jokes… They’re not always. I’d heard most of his stereotypes in real life (and on this board - how many time have you read a post describing a sports car or big pickup as a penis substitute?) so _someone_ is thinking them. So unless he created the convertible one up just for his post, it must have a number of believers as well. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/77 "2015-05-27T19:12:17Z")
I hear that if you’re thinking of getting one it makes you buy-curious. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/78 "2015-05-27T19:16:01Z")
I drive a very small hatchback. I just tell people I’m compensating for something. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/79 "2015-05-27T19:22:44Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > If the OP is really that concerned about what is “manly,” perhaps he should read [this bit of tripe](http://www.mensmagazine.com/top-10-chick-cars-that-guys-should-never-drive/1/) on what are “chick cars.” Jesus. That is the dumbest article I’ve ever read. It’s like the author was given a list of names and told to make up stuff about each car (except the PT cruiser, which is more or less accurate.) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954/80 "2015-05-27T19:36:01Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Especially Miatas (or a gen 1 Rabbit Convertible). If loving cars that handle great and don’t weigh much makes you gay, then “hellllo sailor!” > > WooHoo! Wait until the wife finds out that she’s secretly a lesbian by virtue of having sex with me for 21 years. She’ll be mightily confused. Even moreso when she finds out I’m gay for wanting a Miata and owning a Mini, or that my penis is tiny because I’ve owned more than one large truck. (So, the guy who drives a Nash Metropolitan, his is like a baby’s arm holding an apple, right?:D) > > I don’t want to say that you’re a bad person or anything, but I don’t understand the PT Cruiser. If you’re 90 years old and want to pretend that you’re driving the world’s smallest woody wagon, or bought it during the cash-for-clunkers bonanza, or went totally insane bordering on a death wish and bought the GT model; I think I can get close enough to understanding that I won’t stare at it in the parking lot. But other than those cases, why a PT Cruiser? You don’t necessarily owe it to a stranger on the internet to justify your automotive purchases, but I am asking in hope of understanding. If you’re just the type of person who buys “car”, and they’re largely interchangeable, how’d the PT win on that day? > > * * * > > All that said, when I haven’t had a pickup at my disposal, a hatchback is a must. It doesn’t make you gay, but you can cram a lot in the back end, if you know what I mean (and I think you do, [bass amps](http://www.sonicyouth.com/mustang/eq/09kimamp4.jpg) are hard to fit in a coupe). > > But, at the end of the day, this is about the OP’s question. If you’re worried that you might be gay, try holding hands with someone of the same sex for an hour or so. If you like it a whole lot, you might want to try something a little more intimate and see where it goes. If it feels strange in a way that isn’t appealing, then you know it probably isn’t worth pursuing further. Either way, you’ll know enough about that question as far as how it relates to what car you drive, which was exactly as much as before the experiment. > > If you’re worried you might like driving a hatchback, I think it’s a less simple question. Test driving a car involves a lot less commitment than holding hands, but you also don’t know a car as well as a person you’d ask to hold hands with. Drive a Mazda 2, a Mazda 3, a Mini Cooper S, an Audi A4, a Volkswagen GTI and Golf R, an Impreza, the Hyundai Veloster, and certainly a BMW 135i. If you like how they drive and can afford it, buy it. If not, buy something else. If anyone comments on your sexuality because of your car choice, just see it as an easy way to locate grade A morons. Heh, heh… you said “woody.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-gay-for-a-guy-to-drive-a-hatchback/720954.md?page=5)