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What's a Real Gay Car? The New York Times Postulates
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It's taken the grey lady, the New York Times, just 38 or so years to realize there are "gay cars" in the world. This morning, they've canvassed the world of gay car writers and engineers in a quest for the skinny on the prime players - MINI, Miata and Beetle, Wrangler--along with the stalwart lesbian vehicle of choice, the Subaru Outback.
In the process of outing cars, the Times invus two of our favorite homosexualists, who point out that even in the gay world, gay cars sometimes carry a stigma. Joe LaMuraglia, Gaywheels.com titan, told his partner he wanted to buy a MINI--and his partner reminded him that in gay ghettos around the country, a MINI is pretty much "a gay cliché.”
Markus, who tech-directs the newly sheeny Motor Trend, debunks the clichés of a guy in Jeep “to show off his hot body,” and offers instead that “If you could actually push a button and see what every gay person drives, it’s probably not too different from what the average person drives, but it might skew higher in price.” To that point, one of Gaywheels.com's most popular searches is not the fabulous New Beetle or the very, very gay Wrangler - it's the Toyota Yaris.
What's totally gay to you, in the best possible sense? Tell us. Maybe we'll buy one next when we trade in the exceedingly versatile Element. Keep your comments "nice," in the non-Imus sense.
Gay by Design, or a Lifestyle Choice? - New York Times
Listen to Joe LaMuraglia of Gaywheels.com talk about "gay" cars on XM:
Responses (40 total)
By anthony | Posted: Oct 31st 2007, 11:47:48 AM
I have just bought my 4th Volkswagen Jetta...a Silver 2008 model...and love it.
Jettas are classy fun good looking roomy and oh so trendy.
Love my VWs.
By Mark | Posted: Sep 8th 2007, 08:19:04 PM
"Never the X3..."
Ridiculous. One of my good friends lives in the middle of West Hollywood with his partner. They're both very involved with the gay community. My friend drives a BMW X3 and his partner has a Mercedes M-Class (also not on your list of "gay cars").
By Fred | Posted: Jun 1st 2007, 09:54:02 PM
I live in LA, and there are tons of gay cars here. I'm on the westside, so I see boystown quite often.
I'm 20, gay and I understand that every gay man that can afford to, will have a gay car.
Gay cars:
Audi a4, s4 (my personal favorite)
Mercedes C, E, S, SL, CL SLK, G classes
BMW 3, 5, 7, and any M models (Never the X 3 or 5)
Infiniti G35 2 door
VW Passat, Jetta, Golf
These cars are all over gay areas. Even when I was in high school, all us gay boys drove BMWs and Audis. It seems that tops buy cars with stronger engines too.
By PPPB | Posted: May 18th 2007, 05:43:19 PM
FJ Cruiser, the Bruiser, baybee!
By Jeff | Posted: Apr 19th 2007, 07:30:39 PM
Everyone's comments were really funny to read. It would be interesting for gay.com and/or out.com to work together to do a survey of 1000's of 'family' to get a better answer on what gays/lesbians typically drive. Not because it matters but because it's just for fun (and manufacturers may be able to better suit cars for demographics).
I am a car nut and I can tell you what most gay guys in Chicago prefer to drive. Public transportation! I live right in the middle of Boystown and actually, it would be almost anything with a foreign nameplate excluding Jeep. I'm not saying you won't see Ford Focus' or Saturn Ion's driving around but I did say 'preferred'.
GAY
Acura TSX, TL, RSX
Audi A4, S4 (tons!), A6, TT
BMW all of the above (especially 3-series)
Honda all of the above (Civic and Accord especially)
Hyundai Sonata
Infiniti G35, FX
Jaguar X, S, XJ, XK
Jeep all of the above (especially Wrangler)
Lexus all of the above
Land Rover Discovery, Freelander
Mazda 3, 6
Mercedes all of the above (C, E, SL, SLK, ML especially)
Mitsubishi Eclipse, Evo
Nissan Altima, Maxima, 350Z
Porsche Boxster, 911, Cayenne
Range Rover
Scion
Toyota Corolla, Camry, FJ, 4Runner
VW Jetta, GTI, Passat, Cabrio
Volvo all of the above
LESBIAN
Jeep Wrangler
Subaru Outback
Subaru Forester
(someone else will have to finish this list as I am not a good resource)
By Usergonemad | Posted: Apr 18th 2007, 06:56:11 AM
Argh! I've owned two on this list ('92 Miata, YELLOW thank you) and traded that in on a '96 Outback. I also seriously have two others on my "short list". I'm straight, proud of it, and have endured countless jibes on the subject from friends. I buy what I like, and I loved the Miata like a favorite pet - the only reason it was traded in on the Outback was work-related. I needed cargo capacity! In truth, I'm flattered that both cars carry a percieved gay-lesbian stereotype. I'm also highly gratified to see that so many people who've responded to this article are openly gay or lesbian - and that so few of the straights are homophobic. Thanks for an enjoyable read...but not so much for validating my friends' statements about the cars I drive. :)
By BostonPerspective | Posted: Apr 17th 2007, 06:38:30 PM
I fully appreciate everyone posting here who is pointing out how they don't drive stereotypically gay cars, but regardless, there are patterns, at least where I live, of car models and makes consistently bought by gay and lesbians.
In New England, I'd suggest the following:
Lesbians:
-Subaru's, preferably the Forester: it's perceived to be like a good flannel shirt: plain, rugged, comfortable, informal, unpretentious, and commodious. There's some sort of "anti-appeal" in these cars that appeals to lesbians -- giving the finger to the establishment attitude why wouldn't you wanna buy a flashy car.
-the Micro-Car category: Years ago, you'd see lots of Geo Metro and other small hatchbacks. They were thrifty cars that reflected an attitude of "I'm not worried about the car I drive. I just need to get from point A to point B with a CD player for listening to the Indigo Girls, and the occasional run to the organic grocer." Today, the Echo, now Yaris has appeal as do the boxy Scion xB, I'd say, because of that anti-appeal factor.
-The Honda Civic: This represents more of the "I need a basic no-frills car" attitude mentioned above but with a dose of "I sort of read in Consumer Reports and heard on an NPR show that these are reliable cars." Civic buyers also have a little more in their budget to upgrade from the tiny cars and are more blindly obedient to dispassionate evaluations of cars than to what makes your heart race or makes you fawn. Lipstick lesbians who may only have a passing interest in practicality would be interested in this car as well.
-Along with cargo capability, the desire for "ruggedness" lures lesbians to several corners of the car market.
-- The Jeep Wrangler is such a cliche icon of ruggedness that it traps many hearts. That is, until your brakes lock up on an icy road and you careen off the road, landing on your side, with nothing but the roll bar keeping your head on your shoulders (true story). All of a sudden, its fabled abilities and deeply lugged tires are useless.
-- The Honda Element, butt of many jokes over the misguided target marketing ("We can sell this to active 20 something males seeking adventures."), has so many uber practical features like hose-down vinyl flooring, suicide doors and the "I'm so practical, I'm ugly" aesthetics. All that cargo capability, coupled with unflattering plastic fenders is perfect for those runs to Home Depot to buy shelving kits and bags of loam.
--The Small Pickup: once, this included the Ford Ranger and s-10, but nowadays, because of the smart consumer component, this usually means a Toyota pickup. This plays off the same dynamics mentioned above in the Wrangler and Element.
Finally, there is the mindless fidelity to the word Hybrid. Yes, I think lesbians should mobilize into some sort of bargaining collective to demand their own prices on the Prius based on the volumen they acquire. Having shifted their attention from econobox microcars w/very good gas mileage to the sci-fi dorky Prius, they preserve the "I like cars that aren't mainstream beautiful" mantra. Just don't mention the environmental cost of making those batteries, the risk of hi-voltage electrocution to first-responders in a car accident, or the potential expense for repairing the high technology. They don't wanna hear about it. Mindless fidelity. Gaia demands that I buy a Hybrid.
The above comments are intended to be descriptive, based on what I see over and over, every day on the roads of Greater Boston.
Gay men are a little tricker to pin down.
I'd agree with some of the posts above that the practical gay man's car is the VW Jetta, or Passat if he's doing well. That's for the modest, "I'd rather spend the money on a down payment for a summer home in P-Town." kinda guy.
The Subaru "not a car person and all I need is something practical" factor weighs very heavily in stormy New England. One friend, a harpsichordist, has gone thru 3 Subie wagons over the decades as the vehicle of choice for transporting his harpsichord.
Then, there is the more open ended 20-30 something "actively seeking" gay man who wants a little cruise-friendly glitz and flash without being overkill. Here, you'll see Asian and German coupes take the day: C230 Kompressor, Acura RSX, 3 series Bimmers. Never the base model. I find that coupes are very de-rigueur. The 2 door layout connotes you're not interested in practicality, but instead, dare I say...ease of entry.
Those are a few observations from inside Rt. 128! Okay, I have to go back to work...
By Wandering Jew | Posted: Apr 17th 2007, 05:30:56 AM
My partner and I have been together ten years this month. That being said, we are probably the two non-car car gay guys in the desert (Rancho Mirage).
We are both crazy about Toyota products, but not from a performance or look perspective, rather from a purely economic decision to purchase many Toyotas that are inexpensive to repair, rarely break down and they go, go, go and go!
Currently we are driving:
2007 Camry Hybrid
2003 Toyota Highlander--Waiting For 2008 Highlander To Be Realeased In A Few Months. (I joke that the only men I see in Highlanders are asian men and gay guys...it's true!)
2003 Pontiac Vibe--(Toyota Vibe in disguise, used to transport the dogs to the park, we don't like cleaning the hair from the Camry, plus the 4 dogs don't fit! Purchased this used for $5700 when we purchased the Camry.)
2003 4 Runner V6--For Sale--Purchased Camry Hybrid
2003 BMW 325i--Hmm, this car has been a real source pf problems between me and my partner. I say sell it and get a Lexus, which we should have done to begin with. The cost of maintenance is much more expensive than Toyota!
Other cars we have owned:
2001 Tacoma--Sold For The 4 Runner
1996 Camry--Sold For The Highalnder
1997 T100--Sold For The Tacoma
1990 Camry--Sold For the 1996 Camry.
When we met, we both drove Toyotas and shared a common interest in the overall reliability of Toyotas, probably the only thing we had in common since he's Guatemalan and I'm a grumpy German Jew.
We have assisted close family members purchase:
2004 Corolla LE
2002 Sienna LE
2000 Corolla CE
1997 4 Runner
1995 Tercel
Aside from the Camry Hybrid, all cars are paid in full. We both get a bunch a static from gay friends who just don't get why we buy boring cars. We have had a few compliments about the Camry Hybrid, that's only because it's a Hybrid, rather than a standard Camry. One guy remarked that we were so eco-friendly, and this guy drives a Yukon! I replied that I work for an oil company and I couldn't care less about being eco-friendly. The only reason I bought the Camry Hybrid was that it was an "ad" car, and for the IRS tax credit!
Anyway, the beauty of being gay in southern California is driving around in boring cars...what a life!
By Chuck | Posted: Apr 16th 2007, 11:15:16 PM
We got a 300C the week they hit the market. Now with 40,000 miles on it - and the waning of HEMI madness - we're about to move on. We're Philadelphia urban guys, and our choices are actually pretty diverse. The next vehicle will either be an Infiniti M45, Land Rover Sport, or Mercedes E350. Oh, and the wildcard is the Buick Enclave!
We're nothing if not eclectic and completely open in our tastes.
Prestige is fine, but a great design is the most important thing. You own a car for a finite period of time, and it makes a statement. For us, if it looks good, feels good and drives well, it's a gay car.
The 300C was all about May of 2004. We spent 10 months having board members asking us for a test drive!
By Daniel LBC | Posted: Apr 16th 2007, 10:05:25 PM
First off, I'd like to write that it's really terrific to see so many comments from my fellow GLBT "motorheads"! I've owned many cars over the past 25 years, but I have honestly never bought one because I thought owning it would fit into the "gay" car stereotype. In fact, I bought them for the same reasons any consumer would: price, functionality, reliability, safety, and styling (in that order). Here's a list of this gay man's new car purchases since 1981: VW Rabbit, Dodge Daytona, Pontiac Grand Am (twice - one base coupe, one GT sedan), Pontiac Grand Prix GT coupe, Mazda 626 LX sedan, and VW Jetta GLS 1.8T sedan. With the possible exception of the Jetta (ok, it does!), none of them fit into the gay car theme. My next purchase: you'll probably see me cruising through WeHo in a loaded Saturn Aura XR sedan =)
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