If "Image is Everything" then the type of car you drive is telling the world a part of your story. Is it a good story thus far, or are you hoping for a fairytale ending?

Here's a list of 5 reasons why we buy the cars we do. (BTW - I think we actually purchase them with these reasons in this order as well).

Status

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"My boss should drive a better car than me!" is one reason we often search for something a little less extravagant. In fact, how we perceive others level of success in regards to our own grants us a benchmark from which to purchase within. If you are a successful small business owner, your Datsun 120Y is most likely going to be traded in on an upmarket saloon or base model sports car. A high level exec earning $100-200k pa is more suited to a mid-priced Jaguar or Mercedes while an apprentice plumber should be comfortable with her rusting Ford panelvan.

But the other end of the status spectrum is equally interesting. What happens when you are earning the high incomes but the position you hold is seen differently? For example, a CEO of a not-for-profit charitable organisation is most likely to raise the ire of contributors should they be seen in a brand new Bentley.

Like it or not, our vehicles say something about where we perceive our place in the world is.

Performance

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Hot on the heels of Status is the Perfomance factor. In fact, in some ways it's hard to separate the two because they're not mutually exclusive. Performance is either considered by two types of people - Revheads and the new Enviro-motorists.

Revheads want power - and lots of it! They want maximum torque, deafening noise and a rumble under the bonnet that makes a posse of Hell's Angels sound weak.

Enviro-motorists want cheap to run, clean, environmentally friendly cars that use any fuel that begins with "Bio" (because it's greener!) They like these types of cars because they say - "I care about the environment"

Both types of performance image seeker are at opposite ends of the spectrum and loathe each other's point of view.

Security

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The Security image seeker buys cars that have incredible safety standards. Brands like Volvo, Mercedes and BMW are synonymous with this buyer. They would rather buy a car that's 20 years old with a badge from one of these makers than a brand new Ford or Chrysler with better technology. Why?

Price

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Price is only important when it comes to what a financial institution will loan you. Most people don't pay cash for cars these days so a HP loan or salary effective novated lease is usually the main method of sourcing finance. Obvioulsy, the more you are allowed to loan adds to your image and personal wellbeing!

Economics

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The Economics-image-seeker has been around the traps for a while. They bought and sold cars over the years and have become jaded at the waste of money tied up in keeping your image healthy. Therefore, this image seeker finds cars that are likely to hold a greater portion of their value when it comes time to trade it in. They're not prepared to buy a car off the show-room floor because they know it will only set them back a minimum $10K to drive it onto the street.

These image guys are frugal and they would usually buy a car in the reverse order of this image-seekers list.

The Big Question

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What are you currently driving and where does it place you on the list?