Back in our misspent youth after enduring the agonizing engineering ineptitude displayed by a string of otherwise seductive European sports cars from the likes of Triumph and Fiat, we decided to take the wheel of what was then the most mechanically rudimentary vehicle a very few bucks could buy: A used right-hand-drive postal Jeep. Though spiffed up with a pair of bucket seats harvested from an old Camaro, reclaimed carpeting and a truly loud stereo with bookshelf speakers bolted to the floor, it did little to bolster our sorry love life at the time.
Years later this explains everything: A survey recently conducted by the stat-happy folks at Insure.com found that women are in fact the least attracted to men who drive mail trucks. Of course ours was painted bright orange, which couldn’t have helped matters, but there you go.
At the top of the list, the survey determined that women find a man who climbs up and into a big black Ford pickup truck to be among the most sponge-worthy guys on the road. “A full-size truck implies that you can fix a leaky pipe, and regular $100 fill-ups suggest that you’re not money-obsessive,” explains the website’s editorial director. “(The) $100 fill-ups also suggest that you regularly have $100.”
Here’s the vehicle types women find most attractive among male drivers:
- Pickup trucks: 32 percent.
- Sports cars: 27 percent.
- SUVs: 16 percent.
- Sedans: 11 percent.
- Hybrid or electric: 9 percent.
- UPS truck: 4 percent.
- Minivans: 2 percent.
- Mail trucks: 1 percent.
For their part, the men queried said they’d be most likely to rev their biological engines for a woman who straps herself into a red BMW sports car. “Based on results, I’d recommend a red BMW Z4 for single women,” Danise says. “Two seats signal ‘no kids.’ The fact that it’s expensive means it’s probably leased, which indicates you’re not heavily into commitment. The convertible top says you’re not worried about your hair.” On the other hand, don’t expect a second look from Mr. Right-Hand Lane if you’re a woman who drives a green minivan, which would seem to be the vehicular kiss of death no matter which gender is sitting behind the wheel.
Here’s what the guys found most and least alluring in terms of women’s automotive fashion statements:
- Sports cars: 39 percent.
- Sedans: 22 percent.
- SUVs: 20 percent.
- Pickup trucks: 10 percent.
- Hybrid or electric vehicle: 6 percent.
- Minivans: 4 percent.
Among brands, women said they find a guy driving either a Ford (16 percent), Chevrolet (13 percent) or Porsche (11 percent) most appealing, which seems to indicate a preference for practicality on the one end and reckless abandon at the other. By comparison, men noted a preference for a gal who owns a BMW (16 percent), Mercedes-Benz (14 percent) or Porsche (10 percent). An older divorced lady of independent means, perhaps?
And no matter what the type or brand of make or model, the survey identified are certain vehicular attributes both genders agree upon that can trip that sensitive emotional switch into turn-off mode. These include having cigarette butts in the ashtray, trash on the seats or overly loud music playing on the audio system. Maybe that guy in the sparkling clean second-hand mail truck playing Mozart at an acceptable level might be worth a second look after all.
The fine print: Insure.com queried 2,000 licensed drivers age 18 and older during December 2013. Respondents were split evenly between men and women and distributed across age groups and regions.
