We see our car as a family member

Esztergom, 01 December 2022 – Seven out of ten Hungarians treat their car like a family member, which is why they make the decision before buying with the help of their loved ones or friends. We don't lack personal items in our vehicle either, we often talk to them. In fact, almost a third of the respondents even name their car - according to research carried out by Magyar Suzuki in November .

"A car is just an object!" - we often hear that, but many Hungarian car drivers do not know what to do with this statement. They are the ones who name it, decorate it and, if they can, take their car to the best service center. Magyar Suzuki's research in November provides telling feedback about how many people in the country consider their car as a member of their family. Seven out of ten of the interviewed Hungarian car drivers treat their car as a family member, which is why they decide on the selected model together with family or friends before purchasing. The emotional attachment is greatly supported by the fact that 34.1 percent of the respondents name their car, and for this some external characteristic, such as color, shape (54.3%), the letters of the license plate (26.7%) or a past memory (19%) calls for help as a muse.

We secure ourselves with a talisman
Car manufacturers now include many technical innovations in their models that help and make driving safer, but at the same time, last year's research revealed that motorists often do not request or use them due to cost effectiveness or lack of information. On the other hand, according to the latest research, almost eighty percent of motorists place some kind of functional or comfort device (31%), such as an air freshener, seat cover, clothes hanger, or a personal item, a talisman that brings security (23.4%), or a hanging ornament on the rearview mirror (23.1%). But plushies (17.6%), stickers reminding us of our family, pets or hobbies (7.5%) or some external decorative element (6.1%), something that keeps children busy (4.6%) or a humorous, retro decoration (2.7%) also happens to find a place in the passenger compartment. Since our car is dear to our hearts and we consider it important to pay extra attention to the extra family member, if we can, we take it to a quality mechanic or a branded service (38.6%), we choose premium fuel when refueling (37.2%), almost a third of the respondents and (30.5%) wash their car themselves (27.9%).

„My car is me!!”
For those who see their car as an object, it may be strange that there are car companions who even apologize to their vehicle and regularly talk to the car. Based on this, it is no coincidence that they are the ones who capture famous events (for example, the first trip to the car dealer, vacation, trip, wedding) for posterity (56%). For 86 percent of us, the saying is true: my car is me!

„According to the Central Statistics Office’s data, almost five million road vehicles participated in traffic in Hungary at the end of June, of which approximately four million were cars - on

average, every household has one. It is also clear from the numbers that for many, the use of a car is essential for everyday life. That is why it is understandable that the car that helps us on the journey will become an important player in our lives, to which many people become emotionally attached. During the 31 years of our company, we have often come across such customer feedback that the car became a part of the family almost imperceptibly and when they decided to buy another, they said goodbye with tears," said Zsuzsanna Bonnár-Csonka, head of communications at Magyar Suzuki Corporation.