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What does your car say about you?

Study reveals what the worst drivers drive, who is most likely to cheat on their partner, who is most likely to park in a disabled bay without a badge and more.

Most drivers have a rough idea of the stereotypes surrounding cars, but have you ever wondered exactly what your ride of choice says about you?

To try and answer that question, British retailer Halfords used a combination of 14,000 pieces of data from YouGov, a nationwide survey and what it calls some ‘shameless stereotyping’ to come up with an online tool.

The idea is you enter your name, the manufacturer responsible for your car, the colour of your car and then you get to see what ridiculous stereotype you get. 20 major manufacturers have been included so anyone with a Lancia Delta Integrale will just have to guess.

A male with a white Audi is said to be ‘a raging egomaniac who lacks substance’ and someone who ‘pays on dates and everyone knows it’, adding that they are typically guilty of using their phone behind the wheel.

A male in a grey Volvo, meanwhile, is ‘dependable’ and often ends up landing themselves in the ‘friend zone’. The data also suggests they are ‘the type to wear pleated trousers’ and always ‘worship the speed limit’.

Then there are Land Rover owners, who are said to be ‘wannabe farmers’, Mini drivers, who think of themselves as ‘cute’, and Audi drivers, who are ‘addicted to selfies’.

Female car owners also come under fire from the survey. Anyone who owns a silver Vauxhall, for example, is the type to ‘brag about their pets’ and ‘choose healthy food options and pretend to like them’. They are also said to be ‘quite average on the attractiveness scale’.

As for a lady named Sarah with a red Porsche, you are said to ‘like dates in a half-empty club’ and host fondue parties at the weekend. Your driving style is said to be ‘cautious and stubborn’.

Alfa Romeo drivers most likely to kill you

Survey participants were also asked to confess their sins. Alfa Romeo drivers came out the most dangerous, thanks to 80 per cent admitting to speeding and one in 20 admitting to social media usage at the wheel.

15 per cent of apparently vain Lexus drivers said they have taken a selfie while driving, while 14 per cent of BMW drivers said they have used Snapshat while driving.

Nearly one in three Porsche drivers are said to be the worst for paking in disabled bays – to avoid their cars getting scratched. Not only that, 20 per cent said they routinely used family bays for the same reason.

Coming second in the worst driver showdown is Land Rover, followed by Mitsubishi, the latter of which has the most self-confessed speeders (86 per cent). Skoda came in fourth, just ahead of Vauxhall, suggesting the less exciting brands still have their troublemakers.

Lexus drivers most likely cheat

The data also looked at romance. Lexus drivers were found the most likely to cheat on their partner, thanks to 43 per cent admitting they had cheated on a partner (most said it was with a friend), followed by Alfa Romeo drivers, at 40 per cent.

Mazda drivers were also keen on a bit of love outside of their relationship. 67 per cent said they had cheated on their partner with someone at work.

As for being aesthetically pleasing to fellow road users, Mercedes-Benz owners came out as the ‘hottest’, followed by Audi, Porsche, BMW and Jaguar in second, third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Those in a Ford came out tenth, one place ahead of Volkswagen, so maybe reconsider that Focus. Although anyone of sane mind would want a Mustang owner regardless of looks.

The survey failed to mention which brand of car is home to the most tailgaters or those who fail to indicate (voted some of the most inconsiderate driving habits), but it does use just about every other stereotype you care to mention.

Feel free to give the tool a go – just don’t expect it to be flattering.

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