traded a playstation BMW Drivers

Cars and Personalities: BMW Drivers

Every car brand out there evokes certain kinds of feelings, stereotypes, sometimes even downright prejudices. You’ve no-doubt heard some of these classics: Porsche is for men going through a midlife crisis, a Corvette driver is a republican, a Prius is a self-righteous environmentalists’ high horse, and a Land Rover is a soccer moms’ school run machine. Depsite many counterfactual examples to all these stereotypes, when it comes to BMW, the verdict is clear – BMW drivers are supposed to be obnoxious, self-important douche bags.

But rather than one-off experiences and internet memes, let’s explore some studies of BMW drivers that tell us what they like, what they are like, and whether reality made the stereotypes or the other way around. The results may just shift your thinking. Be warned, if you are a driver or fan of these Bavarian machines, you might not like all the facts we’ve found.

The Perceived Image of BMW Drivers

BMW drivers tend to get a bad rap for being in love with themselves. For example, a study by One Poll reveals that the perception of typical BMW drivers is “Smarmy BMW businessmen, holier-than-thou Prius drivers and reckless Subaru boy-racers”.

While that is nothing but a stereotype, BMW drivers do tend to display some personality traits which fit the profile. Below are study and survey results that give us an inside look into the typical BMW enthusiast:

1970 BMW 2002 and 2012 BMW 135i

Less Respect for Regulations and Etiquette

The Wall Street Journal reported that BMW drivers do indeed tend to side-step road regulations, based on two different studies – one from the UK and another from the U.S.

BMW drivers are “far less likely to stop for a pedestrian who had just entered a crosswalk,” according to a study from the University of California. In all fairness, the study found that “the fancier the cars, the less likely they were to stop.” However, “BMW drivers were the worst.”

A second study from the UK is even more shocking. When researchers asked over 2,000 participants to share their experience with road rage and aggressive driving, one brand came to mind. BMW drivers, especially males in their late 30s and 40s were the worst behaved.

BMW Drivers Are More Confident in Their Knowledge Than Other Drivers

According to a study by YouGovProfiles, 70% of BMW drivers consider themselves more knowledgeable than others. While this confidence might merely stem from driving ‘’The Ultimate Driving Machine,” it does tend to give off a whiff of superiority. For reference, the 2nd place in the “knowledgeable” category is taken by Chrysler drivers at 56. All other drivers scored under 50% for this personality trait.

Who Are BMW Drivers ?

And the traits which fall in line with the stereotype don’t end there, at least on paper. BMW drivers are likely to be “hold rightwing political views and workin the business, finance or consulting sectors.,” they describe themselves as “a leader,” with a  tendency to be abrupt and demanding.

While those traits alone are not too serious reasons for condemnation, combined with the other characteristics they do start to conjure up a mental picture. You will imagine the typical asshole you’d instantly root against in a movie. Someone with slicked hair who speaks too loudly, disrespects the waiter, cheats on his wife, and finally gets punched.

Brand Identity

You don’t put chocolate on a mouse trap, you put cheese because that’s what mice like. That’s why what a brand decides to bait their advertisements with speaks volumes of their target audience’s personality. The ad below, as creative as it is, certainly doesn’t portray BMW drivers as the biggest gentlemen:

BMW ad for second-hand cars

Reality Making Stereotypes

Nevertheless, no two people are the same, and no stereotype should be taken as a universal truth.

It’s important to remember that BMWs are some of the best cars out there. Naturally, people who can afford it are likely to have high-end jobs and consider themselves winners in life. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But there are lots of people who feel the same way without having achieved anything.

Furthermore, after looking at over a million car insurances quotes, a website found that BMW drivers are not the ones involved in the most car accidents. They were surpassed by quite a few brands, including Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, and even Volvo drivers.

Stereotypes Making Reality

And last but not least, let’s not forget the power of prejudice and expectations. They can not only be a 180-degree change our perception, but even get people to act unlike themselves, make them say “I might as well do it since I’m already being accused of it.”

That’s exactly what some BMW drivers experience:

“If I’m on the highway and I’m driving in the overtaking lane within the speed limits and come up behind a much slower car…9 out of 10 times, he won’t let me pass…now, either I’ll have to overtake him from the wrong lane or tailgate him till he lets me through…whatever I do will make me the ‘typical idiot BMW driver’…if a faster car is behind mine, I always let it pass so why can’t others do the same when they see a BMW behind them….Frankly, BMW owners quickly get used to the stereotype and we don’t care about it because half of the people hating us will gladly exchange their cars for what we drive.”

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You can check out the rest of this series with our articles on Jaguar drivers and Audi drivers