Are You Democrat or Republican? Your car reveals everything

Did you know politics can determine which car most people drive or prefer? Today we’ll take a look at the difference in car ownership between the republicans and democrats. Even if you want to keep your political interest a secret, your car may be tipping people off, especially when you arrive at the poll for votes. 

In many instances, cars are a surefire way of knowing someone’s political interests, even more so than the clothes they wear or their overall style. In a recent survey that included more than 170,000 vehicle owners, some clear buying styles were noticed.  

According to the survey, the top 5 vehicles driven by republicans are all American pickup trucks including the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado, and RAM trucks for their rugged, and powerful nature with good road presence. 

The democrats on the other hand were more interested in smaller and economical crossovers, mostly from Japanese manufacturers including Subaru, Honda, Toyota, and more. Cars like the 2021 Honda Civic are mostly preferred by the Democrats, with people looking for a pickup truck preferring reliable Japanese models like the 2021 Toyota Tundra instead of big American models.   

The independent voters preferred more functional and reliable vehicles, leaning more towards the Democrats than Republicans, preferring SUVs and compact SUVs mostly from Japanese manufacturers for their reliability. 

Democrats are also most likely to prefer electric vehicles like Teslas. When it comes to modern and future technologies like autonomous driving, the Democrats were a lot more comfortable with it compared to the Republicans.

Body-style preferences  

Diving deep into body-style preferences, well take a look at the different body styles and which party prefers them the most. 

As discussed above, Republicans prefer big, burly, and expensive American pickup trucks the most, with more than 50% heavy-duty pickup truck owners being Republican, while Democrats own less than 10%. The difference between the two reduces as we go down the price range. 

The most balanced segment is the Entry level CUV, and the mid-size segment is tied between the Republicans and Democrats. Smaller and more economical segments are preferred by the Democrats. In the small APT car segment, the Democrats far outnumber the Republicans with nearly 40% market share compared to 15%. 

In general, Republicans tend to own more luxurious, expensive, and prestigious vehicles including sports cars, convertibles, and coupes. On the other hand, if you spot a small economy car like a hatchback or sedan, it most likely belongs to a Democrat. Let’s take a look at body styles and their popularity among both parties. 

Small Hatchback: In general, Democrats are 4 times more likely to own hatchbacks thanks to their economical and user-friendly nature.

Minivans: Minivans are preferred by both parties thanks to their unbeatable practicality

Sedans and Coupes: These are usually preferred by Democrats, with Republicans owning under 40%. 

Luxury Cars: Generally, both parties own plenty of luxury cars but, Republicans prefer brands like Lexus, Cadillac, and Lincoln, while Democrats prefer BMW, Acuras, and Audi. 

Convertibles: Republicans own more than 70% of convertibles

Eco-Friendly and Electric Cars: Green and efficient cars including electric models like Teslas are often owned by Democrats. 

Pickup Trucks: Unsurprisingly, a vast majority of Republicans prefer pickup trucks. 

Imported Cars: More than 70% of imported cars from companies like Honda and Toyota are owned by Democrats. 

Other notable trends

Republicans generally lean on traditional values and are patriotic, supporting American manufacturers like General Motors and Ford, while Democrats lean on foreign and imported cars, focusing more on reversing climate change by driving more efficient and green cars from manufacturers like Honda and Toyota. 

According to Kelley Blue Book the most popular cars in each state and it directly correlates with the Republic and Democratic states with the trend in car sales. It also revealed that Republican states are three times more likely to purchase American-made cars compared to Democratic states.

American pickup trucks like the Ford F-150 are more popular among Republican states like Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, and more. While Democratic states like California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, and more sold the most number of Japanese cars like the Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4. On the flip side, Japanese cars like the Honda Accord, and Toyota Corolla are popular in some Republican states like Florida, and North Carolina. 

The study also shows just how popular pickup trucks are in the American market, with more than 31 states having them as the most popular choice, with most of those states being Republican. 

Most American luxury cars from manufacturers like Cadillac and Lincoln are owned by Republicans. Surprisingly, the list also includes cars from Lexus and Land Rover. Mercedes-Benz is also very popular with Republicans.

On the other hand, brands like Audi, BMW, and Volvo are most likely owned by Democrats. 

Brands like Chrysler, Genesis, Kia, and more are balanced between the two. 

Republicans usually buy new vehicles with ownership lasting just 3 to 6 years compared to the average car ownership period of 12 years. On the flip side, Democrats prefer spending a lot less on their vehicle, usually opting for pre-owned ones, and they own them for a longer time compared to Republicans. 

Unsurprisingly, Democrats also prefer an environmentally-friendly vehicle that is very efficient and reliable, while Republicans prefer a powerful, rugged, and expensive vehicle.

The study also found that more Republicans feel secure and feel they are more in control of their lives, while Democrats see themselves as smart with a lot of them having much higher education. 

Performance cars like the Ford Mustang are mostly owned by the Republicans with an astonishing 89% market share.  

Some of the most common cars owned by Republicans are Ford Mustang convertible, Audi A8, Mercedes GL, Ford Expedition, and Ford F-150. On the other hand, some of the more predominantly owned vehicles by the Democrats are Honda Civic Hybrid, Volvo C30, Nissan Leaf, Acura TSX wagon, and Ford Fiesta sedan. 

The survey also revealed the median income to be $88,000 among buyers, with Republicans earning more at $93,000, while Democrats were below average at $86,000 reflecting the type of vehicles they buy.

This trend can help manufacturers sell more vehicles by appealing to their demographic. Like Ford can invite Republican leaders to their trucking events, which will help their brand significantly.