What Does Your Car Mean to You Over Time?
The day your parents hand over their keys to you is the single greatest day of your life. You feel free, empowered, independent, and self-confident. You grab the keys without hesitation, promise you’ll be safe to your mom at least five times, and as you drive off into the sunset you feel the glare of your father’s eyes watching his investment drive away, and you’re not sure if he means you or the car.
What you don’t know is that you’d signed up to spend 4.3 years of your life, on average, driving in a car. A recent study came out estimating how we actually spend our time over our life time, and an average of 4.3 years in spent in the car. That’s enough distance to travel to the moon and back 3 times! On average, we’ll also spend about 3 months of our lives stuck in traffic, so find a couple nice audio books.
Fast forward a few years and now you’ve landed yourself a job. Well done you! Welcome to the world of daily commuting. You’ve had a few close calls over the years, and your brake pedal reflexes have never been better. This car is reliable. Those brake pads, are reliable. Rather, you hope they continue to be that way. Driving to work is preferable to taking trains or subways, and using a pass.
Next thing you know, you need more space. With two kids and another on the way, it’s time to trade up your “single me” car for one that’s more practical. You really don’t want to go the minivan route, too cliché. Nonetheless you do need a car with space, safety features, comfort, and an image that still protects your dignity.
As the second biggest investment in your life, having the right car is vital. It symbolizes what you value, and is viewed as an extension of yourself. There is a distinguishable difference in features valued by males and females. Males, generally speaking, focus on performance measures and exterior design as a means of building integrity for themselves in the form of their car. On the other hand, females center on safety features, price, and fuel economy cars.
With each new stage in your life, your car adapts with you. From beginner driver to young professional, and from family focused to empty nester, the car you drive reflects your lifestyle. Your car changes with you, but safety and performance features remain important to you.
What do you think about the findings reflected in the infographic above? Do you agree? What’s most important to you when it comes to your vehicle? Safety? Performance? Design? At K&M Collision, we know that all of these factors are important. That’s why we always follow manufacturer repair procedures to fully restore the safety and performance of your vehicle.
Sources:
Study, 4.3 years driving in life
male/female info: http://www.businessinsider.com/infographic-how-do-we-really-feel-about-our-cars-2012-4