You are what you drive – this is what your car says about your personality

Prestigious, security-seeking or old-fashioned? Your choice of car can say a lot about your personality, it turns out when we asked the Swedish people the question.

Most Swedes associate a certain car brand with a certain personality type. The brands that evoke the most associations are Porsche and Ferrari , where 9 out of 10 Swedes (91%) have a connection to some personality trait. The most anonymous brand is Chinese BYD , only one in four (27%) has any idea what kind of personality the owners of BYD cars have.

Few people associate car brands with youthfulness

The personality trait that most people associate with a brand is financial, with as many as ten brands being associated with this by the respondents. However, few people see owning a car as something youthful, only Mini has that connection.

People who own brands like BMW , Mercedes and Jaguar are considered prestigious, while those who own a Kia , Toyota or Skoda are seen as economical. If you own a French car, you are old-fashioned, according to this survey; owners of Renault , Peugeot and Citroën all get that epithet. A Volvo or Volkswagen, on the other hand, signals that you are seeking security.

“Many people may not think about how the car they drive affects how they are perceived. But it is clear that we place values in different car brands – even if it happens unconsciously,” says Daniel Odsberg.

The car brands associated with different personalities:

Security seekers: Volvo, Volkswagen

Economical: Kia, Toyota, Skoda, Nissan, Seat, Hyundai, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Fiat, Dacia

Prestigious: BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Jaguar

Sporty : Audi, Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini, MG

Old fashioned: Renault, Peugeot, Ford, Citroën, Opel, Saab

Interested in technology: Tesla, Polestar

Adventurous: Subaru, Land Rover, Jeep

Youthful: Mini

Environmentally conscious : BYD, Lynk & Co

About the survey:
The survey was conducted in Kantar Media's web panel (Sifopanelen) during the period March 13–21, 2025. A total of 1,050 people aged 20–79 with access to a car were interviewed.

The web panel is nationally representative and recruited based on random selection. There is no self-recruitment in Kantar Media's web panel (Sifopanelen).