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It’s signaling; in my mind it’s the same for many Tesla drivers. But I mean, same for me, I drive a Subaru Outback because while I do use it for outdoor explori

It’s signaling; in my mind it’s the same for many Tesla drivers. But I mean, same for me, I drive a Subaru Outback because while I do use it for outdoor exploring and want to signal that, its off road use is honestly limited to a dirt parking lot. It’s often about image. (Edit) consumption waste of traditional F150s, and yes, even that of my beloved Subaru is not great, but the absolute worst are coal rollers and those with loud modified exhausts. That Newsom didn’t veto legislation that undid AB1824 was very disappointing to me.

dboreham 5y ago
Come to southwest Montana -- you'd be signaling "I like to blend in to the crowd" :) While nationally Subraru marketing emphasizes being different by owning a Subaru, around here its far and away the most common car. You exit Costco, look at the parking lot and ask "which of these 10 gray Outbacks is mine?".
- bigmattystyles 5y ago
  I think we’re saying the same thing - just because it’s common, doesn’t mean it’s not signaling. You can signal that you want to be seen as part of the majority.
  - dboreham 5y ago
    I think it's also practical -- if there are tons of Subarus around then it probably means they cope with the road conditions here and are reasonably cost effective and reliable.
durge 5y ago
Yeah you're just signaling being Bozeman or Boulder basic.
ben7799 5y ago
I own a Subaru Outback too and the greenwash earthy crunchy marketing/image of the Outback is horrible. It's a pig of a car in traffic. Mine is a 2013 with the smaller engine and it struggles to get 20mpg in traffic. It was a cheap vehicle, but it most certainly is horrible on gas for it's size & work capacity.
- bigmattystyles 5y ago
  Agreed, but my point is as long as you get to signal the image, the actual performance of the vehicle is secondary for most. Including yours truly.
jacurtis 5y ago
If you live in San Francisco and drive a truck than you might be signaling. But if you own a Tesla you are just blending in. By contrast, here in Idaho owning a truck is just blending in. Owning a Tesla out here would be signaling. It is interesting how perspective changes so much based on where you are. In Oregon I swear 80% of the population owns a Subaru Outback. The other 20% owns a Prius. So owning a Subaru in Oregon is just blending in. It doesn't mean anything. But if you drove that Subaru to San Francisco, now everyone thinks you are "outdoorsy".
- bigmattystyles 5y ago
  But blending in can also be a form of signaling. I mean, pretty much everything is I guess. From Zuckerberg’s t-shirt and jeans demeanor to my favorite form of signaling which are those that wear their faang badges to malls and restaurants on weekends. It earns an instant eye roll. I’ve made my point on signaling poorly and disjointly in the thread but my original point was that buying a brand new vehicle, whatever it be, has a lot to do with image and what you want to signal to others. You can signal that you want blend in or that you are different. It’s mostly harmless, but when you do so with a vehicle, you consider actual perf second.
Noos 5y ago
The irony in this is that the imaging for subaru outbacks is "the car of choice for gays and lesbians." It's not just pickups that have associations with them.

dboreham 5y ago

Come to southwest Montana -- you'd be signaling "I like to blend in to the crowd" :) While nationally Subraru marketing emphasizes being different by owning a Subaru, around here its far and away the most common car. You exit Costco, look at the parking lot and ask "which of these 10 gray Outbacks is mine?".

bigmattystyles 5y ago
I think we’re saying the same thing - just because it’s common, doesn’t mean it’s not signaling. You can signal that you want to be seen as part of the majority.
- dboreham 5y ago
  I think it's also practical -- if there are tons of Subarus around then it probably means they cope with the road conditions here and are reasonably cost effective and reliable.

durge 5y ago

Yeah you're just signaling being Bozeman or Boulder basic.

ben7799 5y ago

I own a Subaru Outback too and the greenwash earthy crunchy marketing/image of the Outback is horrible. It's a pig of a car in traffic. Mine is a 2013 with the smaller engine and it struggles to get 20mpg in traffic. It was a cheap vehicle, but it most certainly is horrible on gas for it's size & work capacity.

bigmattystyles 5y ago
Agreed, but my point is as long as you get to signal the image, the actual performance of the vehicle is secondary for most. Including yours truly.

jacurtis 5y ago

If you live in San Francisco and drive a truck than you might be signaling. But if you own a Tesla you are just blending in. By contrast, here in Idaho owning a truck is just blending in. Owning a Tesla out here would be signaling. It is interesting how perspective changes so much based on where you are. In Oregon I swear 80% of the population owns a Subaru Outback. The other 20% owns a Prius. So owning a Subaru in Oregon is just blending in. It doesn't mean anything. But if you drove that Subaru to San Francisco, now everyone thinks you are "outdoorsy".

bigmattystyles 5y ago
But blending in can also be a form of signaling. I mean, pretty much everything is I guess. From Zuckerberg’s t-shirt and jeans demeanor to my favorite form of signaling which are those that wear their faang badges to malls and restaurants on weekends. It earns an instant eye roll. I’ve made my point on signaling poorly and disjointly in the thread but my original point was that buying a brand new vehicle, whatever it be, has a lot to do with image and what you want to signal to others. You can signal that you want blend in or that you are different. It’s mostly harmless, but when you do so with a vehicle, you consider actual perf second.

Noos 5y ago

The irony in this is that the imaging for subaru outbacks is "the car of choice for gays and lesbians." It's not just pickups that have associations with them.