Why Emotional Vehicles Will Trump Reliable Vehicles Every Time

Whether you’re building a time machine, a supercar or an EV, there’s just something about gullwing doors that makes everything else seem boring. Doc Brown made it clear in Back to the Future when he explained: “The way I see it, if you're going to build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?” Many years later, in the HBO series Silicon Valley, the billionaire venture capitalist Russ Hanneman reaffirmed the theory when he slammed the basic out-swing doors of his Maserati, proclaiming: “These are not the doors of a billionaire!”

Given our pop cultural infatuation with cool doors, innovative sources of propulsion and futuristic technology, it should come as little surprise that Tesla owners get very excited about their cars—even if those Falcon Wing doors on the Model X don’t always line up properly when they close.

PUGPROUD - 7/23/2020 8:42:53 AM

0 Boost

The heart wants what the heart wants...

MDarringer - 7/23/2020 9:38:28 AM

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False dichotomy.

vdiv - 7/24/2020 2:08:57 AM

+2 Boost

Reliable cars use proven simpler tech and are boring as a result.

qwertyfla1 - 7/23/2020 9:48:56 AM

+1 Boost

I prefer reliability because cars that breakdown all the time make me very emotional in a sledgehammer way...

MDarringer - 7/23/2020 10:07:57 AM

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I have a thing for British sports cars of a certain vintage and they can be reliable with constant attention but they will never be as reliable as say our Escalade and I'm OK with that. If my daily driver has the reliability of a vintage British sports car, it will not be my daily driver very long. The Giulia I had the displeasure of living with for a very short time was a sledgehammer car and I didn't even own it.

cidflekken - 7/23/2020 10:46:34 AM

+3 Boost

Reliability is a more important factor in the non-premium market. Emotional factors seem to drive much of the premium market purchase decisions.