• by Karl Greenberg , December 4, 2008

Most consumers don't see their cars as a chariot of the gods, a freedom machine, a wheeled camel for Lawrence of Arabia, an automatic chick/hunk magnet, or portable fountain of youth.

Instead, they view their vehicles simply as functional and safe for getting around. That explains a lot about why, for years, machismo-impaired cars sold by import brands have sold like hotcakes while big-attitude cars like Chrysler's 300 start strongly, then fade (gas prices haven't helped, either).

Some automakers have played with this idea in ads. Kia's campaign for the new Borrego SUV comes to mind. The campaign, by L.A.-based David and Goliath, offers a run-through of car-ad cliches: a rich guy putting clubs in the back, the car rolling down a country road accompanied by an orchestra, the vehicle as secret-agent escape car, the SUV perched on the top of a southwestern butte.

Chicago-based consultancy Mintel says its survey of car owners suggests that what most people actually feel behind the wheel, regardless of the name on the sheet metal is: responsible and practical, not sexy or powerful.

In its online survey, Mintel asked consumers: "How do you feel when you are driving?" and gave them 19 choices for a response. Three of the top four feelings chosen by respondents had to do with utility and security, per the firm, with 46% saying they felt "responsible"; 40% saying "safe"; and 37% saying they felt "practical."

The more amorphous sentiments typically highlighted on Madison Avenue started further down, with 39% saying "happy" was the thing they felt behind the wheel. Mintel says that near the bottom of the list landed emotions like "powerful," "fast," and "sexy." The bottom of the list was "rich." Half of the respondents currently have an American vehicle as their main car or truck.

Mintel found that 60% of survey respondents believe the main purpose of a vehicle is to get from point A to point B, and 55% say the true value of a car or truck is how long it lasts. Only 13% say they want their vehicle to catch other people's attention.

"We found that for most people, driving a car or truck does not make them feel sexy, fast or powerful," states Mark Guarino, senior analyst at Mintel. "The problem is that the auto industry is built on selling power, speed and sex. Those images are dynamic, but they don't necessarily resonate with the majority of utilitarian, safety-focused drivers."

Mintel also found that the top information sources that people use when researching new vehicles are word-of-mouth, car dealer brochures, consumer buying guides and the Internet.