We all have our personal preferences. We identify with different groups, ideologies, and even brands. Two of the most significant things that people identify with in the United States are political parties and the cars that they drive. Much of our country is divided between Democrats and Republics, liberals and conservatives. Many people also have a strong association and loyalty to specific cars and car brands. These two elements are linked, for there is an association between political leanings and the cars that people buy and drive. Find out the cars that each political party drives the most. 

What types of cars do Democrats and Republicans drive the most?

As detailed by Forbes, Strategic Vision, a market research firm, conducted a study on the association between political leanings prior to the 2020 presidential election. The market research firm found that there is a clear relationship between the two variables. For example, full-size pickup drivers were more likely to vote for Donald Trump, while drivers of sedans, EVs, and hybrids were more likely to vote for Joe Biden. 

Here are the types of cars that Republicans drive the most:

• Heavy-duty pickup trucks
• Full-size utility
• Full-size pickup trucks
• Luxury SUVs
• Luxury CUVs
• Standard pickup trucks
• Entry SUVs
• Premium coupes
• Midsize SUVs
• Luxury SUVs

Here are the types of cars that Democrats drive the most:

• Small APT cars
• Midsize APT cars
• APT utility
• Small multi-function cars
• Near luxury APT cars
• Premium APT utility
• Small cars

“Democrats outnumber Republicans in the sedan segment and they are more likely to drive hybrids or EVs. Republicans lead in the trucks, luxury, sporty, and family vehicle categories. There is near-parity in smaller sub-segments of the market such as midsize mainstream and luxury sedans as well as smaller crossovers.”

– Alexander Edwards, President of Strategic Vision

What car models do Democrats and Republicans drive the most?

Strategic Vision also delved into the specific car models that Democrats and Republicans drive the most. The market research firm also covered people with liberal/progressive and conservative political leanings, but no party affiliation.

Here are the cars models that Democrats and liberals/progressives (no party affiliation) drive the most:

Democrats:

1. Honda Civic Sedan
2. Honda Accord Sedan
3. Subaru Forester
4. Jeep Compass
5. Honda HR-V
6. Nissan Sentra
7. Nissan Altima Sedan
8. Volkswagen Tiguan
9. Subaru Crosstrek
10. Tesla Model 3

Liberals/Progressives (no party affiliation):

1. Tesla Model 3
2. Honda Civic Sedan
3. Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
4. Honda Civic Hatchback
5. Chevrolet Trax
6. Kia Forte Sedan
7. Ford F-150
8. Mazda3 Sedan
9. Subaru Outback
10. Honda Insight

Here are the cars models that Republicans and conservatives (no party affiliation) drive the most:

Republicans:

1. Ram 2500/3500
2. Ford F-150
3. GMC Sierra 1500
4. Chevrolet Silverado 1500
5. Ram 1500
6. Ford Explorer
7. Ford F-250/350
8. Toyota Tundra
9. GMC Sierra 2500/3500
10. Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500

Conservatives (no party affiliation):

1. Ford F-250/350
2. Ford F-150
3. Ford Ranger
4. Kia Forte Sedan
5. Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
6. Honda Odyssey
7. Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500
8. Mazda CX-9
9. Ram 1500
10. GMC Yukon

Car brand preferences for Democrats and Republicans

In addition to looking at the types of cars and specific car model preferences for the different political leanings, Strategic Vision also looked at the association between political leanings and car brands. According to Edwards, “Audi, BMW and Volvo are Democratic, while Cadillac, Land Rover, Lexus, and Lincoln are heavily Republican.” While Mercedes-Benz buyers significantly skew toward Republicans, “a significant minority are Democrats.” For Jeep, Kia, Chrysler, and Genesis, there is an even split between the political parties.