New study: your pet may influence the kind of car you drive

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We are all guilty of stereotyping people by the car they drive. We often see our cars as a reflection of who we are, but did you know your car may also be a reflection of your pets?

According to a report by automotive shopping site BestRide.com and national radio show Car Talk, dog and cat ownership influences automotive brand choice, while multi-pet ownership–as well as affinity for certain breeds–can indicate a much higher preference.

Survey

The report stems from a poll conducted by Harvard Applied Mathematics students. In the poll, which was taken through a voting mechanism/survey on the Car Talk site, more than 3,000 pet-owning respondents were asked not only what brand of car they drove, but whether they had multiple pets, and multiple species of pets.

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Results

The results showed that, indeed, the type of pet and number of companions you own is an indicator of the car you drive (or, is it vice versa?). Here are some of the results of this fun survey:

• Respondents who lived only with dogs were significantly more likely to own vehicles from Hyundai, Volvo or Lincoln.
• Every owner of a Lincoln or an Audi reported having either a dog or a cat.
• Toyota and Mazda owners were more likely to own a cat than the general population.

• Mazda owners much more strongly prefer cats to dogs.
• As the number of cats owned increase, the more likely responders are to drive a Subaru. (Maybe the Subaru commercials should have a family of cats driving their car instead of dogs!)
• HOWEVER, Subaru, Acura, Lincoln, Hyundai and Volvo owners statistically preferred dogs versus cats.
• Respondents with more than one dog favored Hyundai models.
• Jeep, Ford and Dodge owners are statistically more likely to own both a dog and a cat than the general population.
• Lexus owners are more likely to have either a cat or a dog, but not both.

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Some cars have breeds that are tied to them:

• Ford owners are passionate about Rottweilers.
• Acura owners were much more likely to have a Poodle than any other breed.
• Yorkshire Terrier owners have a particular passion for Honda products.
• The strongest brand identification for Bulldog ownership is with Ford at 22 percent more likely, and Cadillac at 17 percent more likely.
• Own a Pointer? Then you are statically more likely to own a Honda Pilot.
• When it comes to the Golden Retrievers, no type of car owner is more or less likely to have one – they seem to be “everyone’s dog.”

You can find out more about the poll results, here.

What kind of car do you drive, and what pets do you share your home with? Do you fit the statistic or break it? Share in the comments!

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