What Does Your First Car Say About You?

By: Zoe Samuel

5 Min Quiz

Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Your first car says a lot about you. Hardly any of us had the first car that we really wanted, but still having that first vehicle of your own, really says a lot about who you are as a person and where you come from. And if your first car was all that you dreamed it would be, then that says a lot about who you are as a person as well; it also means the rest of us are jealous.

Now, we aren't talking about the first car that you drove. Sure, it was cool driving around in your dad's car at first, but that gets old after a while. Sooner or later you want your own wheels to drive, Who knows, maybe your folks got you a sweet ride for a graduation present, or maybe you saved up your pennies from a part-time job that you had in high school, or maybe your parents gave you one of their old cars when they were buying a new one. Either way, no matter how bad of shape that it was in, you know that you loved it - at least until it broke down and you had to pay that first repair bill.

Take this quiz to find out what your first car says about you.

How expensive was your car?

$400

$3,000
$26,000

$80,000

How big was it physically?

It was kinda boxy and big.

It was tiny.
It was compact.

It was long and sleek.

How big was the engine?

About 3 liters

1.2 liters
Um, four? The engine was as big as four engine size units?

All the liters! However many is a lot, plus two more.

What was its top speed?

62mph

120mph, though I never got near that.
I assume around 130mph, I'm not sure.

180mph - I know because that's how fast I was driving it when I rolled it.

Did it rattle?

It shook, rattled, but didn't roll.

Not at first
Not yet!

Absolutely not

Other than rattling, how loud was it?

It rumbled and grumbled and groaned.

It was below average volume.
It was very quiet - that was important to me.

It was so loud you could hear it from a mile away.

What sort of speaker system did it have?

It had two options: put a radio on the seat next to me and hope it got reception and had good batteries, or roll down the windows near other cars with music.

It had a radio with OK speakers.
It had this thing where I connect my phone and it was all around.

It had sixteen super high speakers with all the fancy extras.

How was the AC?

It had none.

Tolerable
Excellent

Totally pimpin'

Where did you drive it?

Around the farm

Around my town
To and from work

Highways, mostly, to open it up

Who paid for it?

I bought it from grandpa for cash.

My parents did and I contributed.
I bought it from a dealership.

My parents bought it for me.

How many miles were on the clock when you got it?

100,000

25,000
10,000

8

How long did you keep it?

15 years

8 years
I still have it.

3 weeks

Who else was allowed to drive it?

Whoever wanted to

Parents and older siblings
My boo is allowed.

No one

What bumper sticker did you put on it?

It already had some anti-war ones, which I left on.

I just put the names of a couple bands.
One bragging about how it is mostly electric - I couldn't help it.

I put curse words, to annoy people stuck behind me.

What's the worst thing you did to it?

I loved it as best I could but I could not save it in the end.

I got it in some minor scrapes.
I let it run out of battery.

I totaled it.

What's the dumbest thing you did in it?

Probably drove over the limit a little when I was a kid.

Nothing, it was all very sensible.
Parked on a hill without curbing my wheels.

Drove it double the speed limit while inebriated.

Irrespective of how many actual seats it had, what's the highest number of people you managed to get into it at once?

12

I never let more people get in than there were seatbelts to restrain them.
7

I only let the popular kids in and only four at a time, including me.

Did it have a sunroof?

It had a hole in the roof, if that counts.

Yes, but it was stuck shut.
Yes

It had all the extras.

Was it stick shift or automatic?

Stick and man, was it crunchy.

Stick because my parents wanted me to learn.
Automatic because I am lazy.

Automatic, no one drives a stick.

What sort of mileage did it get?

30

40
Over 100 - it's a hybrid plugin.

Like 6

Did it arrive with any sentimental value?

Yes, it was a third-generation family car.

The previous owner had left a note in the glovebox asking me to take care of it.
In a way yes because it symbolized my finally not being poor any more, which made me very proud.

No

Did the other kids make fun of you for it?

Yes, and it got to me sometimes.

Yes, but it never got to me.
Yes because I had no car as a kid.

No, they were just jealous.

Did it have automatic wipers?

No, it barely had regular ones.

No, they would have cost extra at the time.
Yes, of course.

Yes, before they were standard.

How good was the crash test safety rating?

I think it predated that whole system.

Very high
Top of the line

I didn't ask but since I am still here, I'm going with good.

Did you ever feel like the other cars were just going to roll over you and not even notice?

No, they'd notice.

Yes, all the time, I was so little.
No, they will not roll over me.

I would do that do them!

What sort of paint job did it have?

A sort of spotty rusty theme - no idea what color it was originally, it had definitely had a layer or two put on it over the years.

Blue with flecks coming off
Burgundy

White with silver and red flames coming out of the wheel rims

Did you ever have to replace any parts?

Yes but I always mended them a few times first.

Tires and the battery
Not yet

Yeah, the whole car

After it left your possession, where did it go?

To the great big scrapheap in the sky

To another owner
I still have it in my possession.

I'm guessing to scrap, I was still in hospital at the time.

Was it the first car you always hoped you'd get?

Yes, it was a hunk of junk but I always knew one day, it'd be my very own hunk of junk.

It was perfectly fine for me, and I was perfectly fine with that!
No, it's way better.

Yes, I wanted to get another one just like it after I crashed it, but my mom was all, "Chad, you have to get something safer" and I was all, "MOM! UGH!" but then it was either that or no car, so, you know how parents are.

How did you feel about your second car, compared to the first?

It was like I went from Motel Six to the Ritz.

It was a slightly bigger and more fuel-efficient version of the same car.
I still have my first car.

My second car was humiliatingly small and crappy.

6 Minute Quiz 6 Min

About HowStuffWorks Play

How much do you know about dinosaurs? What is an octane rating? And how do you use a proper noun? Lucky for you, HowStuffWorks Play is here to help. Our award-winning website offers reliable, easy-to-understand explanations about how the world works. From fun quizzes that bring joy to your day, to compelling photography and fascinating lists, HowStuffWorks Play offers something for everyone. Sometimes we explain how stuff works, other times, we ask you, but we’re always exploring in the name of fun! Because learning is fun, so stick with us!