A car salesman is going viral on TikTok after saying that men in their 20s either buy one of two cars, and it sparked a viral debate on not just which one of these options make for the best choice, but if one should even put that much stock into taking on an expensive car payment from the get go.
The TikTok account for Ron Tonkin Chevrolet (@rontonkinchevy) is going viral by airing out this common dilemma, raking in over 681,000 views on the popular social media platform.
“Guys in their 20s finally start making real money and picking between a fast car or a truck,” a text overlay in the video reads as a car salesman leans against a large pickup truck and begins looking out at the showroom floor toward what looks like a grey Corvette Stingray.
“Tough choice,” a caption penned by the dealership writes.
There have been numerous studies conducted on the psychology that goes into the cars people drive, and particularly, the relationship men have with their vehicles. Keen Psychic penned a whole list of different types of cars and what they say about the men who drive them, like classic vehicles, which, the author states, belongs to “hopeless romantics” who will more than likely care more about their own drama, and vehicle, over the person they’re in a relationship with. The same author of the piece writes that men who prefer “beaters” have settled for the type of vehicle that they drive and, as a result, will more than likely settle for the type of person they end up with.
A Medium piece highlighted a Finnish study that didn’t mince words when it comes to high-end vehicles, suggesting that men who “drive luxury cars are monsters.” Now there may be some folks who would criticize the Helsinki researchers as being unappreciative the finer things in life, or perhaps they’re a bunch of bitter nerds who conducted a study lambasting people who can afford things they only wish they could make enough money to purchase. But the analysts behind the survey wrote of high-end branded cars: “Self-centred men who are argumentative, stubborn, disagreeable and unempathetic are much more likely to own a high-status car such as an Audi, BMW or Mercedes.”
The study surveyed 1,892 car owners, and found a connection between “Finnish car owners” and cars that they selected as a means of “show[ing] off their wealth.”
Educational resource Gale Academic also hosts a study that delves into the psychology of masculinity when it comes to vehicles, but discusses the oftentimes tragic circumstances that can occur as a result of young men not reconciling with these factors in the selection of their vehicles. I.e., opting for faster, high-performance vehicles that can increase a risk of serious injury or death for drivers, or larger trucks that can be seen as a means of projecting dominance or strength, which, when involved in an accident, can seriously harm or kill others in addition to the driver due to the sheer size and weight of these trucks.
A Men’s Health piece, however, sheds a more positive light on the “masculine urge to work on cars,” by an author who confided that the work he performed on his classic MGA helped him reconcile with discovering his ex had cheated on him in a “lurid and public fashion.”
Numerous folks who responded to the TikTok account had varying opinions on the types of cars they’d like to purchase. One person highlighted how a higher-end base truck’s MSRP is the priced equivalent of a tricked out BMW M3: “$80k base truck is a highly specced M3…”
Someone else said that getting stuck with a pricey car payment, however, is a terrible idea, because once you rid yourself of that monthly albatross hanging around your neck, you’ll be able to keep more cash in your bank account to use for other ventures/investments: “Get neither and stack money”
Another person seemed to echo this sentiment: “Financial illiterate, buy a 3k Honda and diversify the rest into different crypto sectors: AI, Gaming, Metaverse ifykyk“
“Invest don’t waste money on toys that lose value right off the lot,” another echoed.
@rontonkinchevy Tough choice 🤔 Lots of cool cars at www.tonkincarshow.com #truck #trucks #car #cars #corvette #vette #racecar #race #v8 #hp #carshow ♬ original sound – <?>
But for folks who don’t want to spend their time managing virtual investment portfolios and wanted to focus on vehicular purchases, another person in the comments section had some advice for folks who were torn between the truck vs fast car debate: “Fast car, you can get a truck when the wife wants to get an RV.”
While someone else said that you’re probably better off: “Get[ting] a truck and a motorcycle.”