When asked why they bought their car, men will give a variety of different responses. They may talk about its power or performance, how economical and sensible it is, its safety features (and reduced auto insurance costs), or how they got a great value and saved money.

But the vast majority of them are lying. That's because men buy cars for the same reasons they make many other kinds of decisions: to impress the ladies.

So for those guys who want to embrace reality and quit confusing themselves with industry buzzwords like "resale value," "affordable," and "practical," here's the list that you've been waiting for. Presenting: six different vehicles that will score points with the fairer sex.

Mitsubishi Eclipse  Surprisingly, it's well-documented that women tend to find the Eclipses sleek and sexy. Maybe it's because ladies who grew up loving Cinderella have a fantasy of being spirited away in a horse-drawn carriage. Driving a woman around in an Eclipse is exactly like that -- if the carriage had 18-inch alloy wheels, a scoop on the back, and 165 horses underneath the hood.
Mazda 6  This car boasts a nice balance of power, comfort, sportiness, and amenities (not to mention a big back seat). But it makes this list because women are always looking for a man who is different from the rest. Which is why they're drawn to the Mazda 6: because it's a sedan that's chock full of style and charisma -- unlike the cookie-cutter Camrys and Corollas and Civics and ZZZZzzzzzz…
Toyota Plug-in Prius Hybrid  The driver of the Prius practically screams to the world, "I wholeheartedly care about the environment!" Since you rarely have to resort to putting fume-belching gasoline in it, you don't make a habit of befouling the air around you. To women, this sends the message that you are a guy who is sensitive, kind, caring, giving, in touch with your feelings, and all that other touchy-feely crap that women say they like about a man.
Ford F-150  If you find a woman who likes pickup trucks, you can almost guarantee that she will be fun loving, free spirited, and low maintenance: much like the Ford F-150 -- which also has a smooth ride and features lots of creature comforts. Hey, they don't call the middle of a pickup's bench seat the "girlfriend seat" for nothing.
Lexus IS F   Okay, let's face it: women tend to like men who drive expensive cars. (It's been scientifically proven.) Even so, the Lexus IS F, which starts at around $61,000, still gives you a lot of bang for your buck. It comes with a 416 horsepower 5-liter V8 engine, excellent handling and acceleration, and interior features such as leather upholstery, heated seats, a Levinson surround-sound system, and a voice-activated navigation system so you can say, "Take us to my super-groovy love cave."
Porsche 911 GT2 RS  There's nothing like a $245,000 sports car to make a lady go weak in the knees. And its outlandishly-fast 610 horsepower engine, catlike cornering ability, and speed to burn are bound to make her swoon. When owners of this fine automobile begin describing their rise to a lady, it's not uncommon for her to say, "You had me at Porsche!"

Image credits: edmunds.com, toyota.com

For years, SUVs were considered dangerous to their drivers because of the rollover risk. Fortunately, electronic stability control, a standard safety feature on modern SUVs, has made the number of rollovers go down significantly. Unfortunately for people who don't drive SUVs, that means their risk of injury -- and even death -- in a collision is going up.

It's important to note, before we go any further, that across all models of cars, the risk of injury or death by any sort of accident has been sinking by double digits over the last 10 years. New advances in materials, safety systems, and restraints mean accidents that might have been fatal in 2002 are mostly auto insurance headaches in 2012. Even in the riskiest vehicles for accidents -- namely small, light cars -- the numbers boil down to 72 deaths per million vehicles, or .000072%. Driving a car is relatively dangerous...but that's relative to our overall safe existence.

That said, accidents between smaller cars and bigger ones are still a pretty big problem in the world of car accidents, and one car manufacturers and auto insurance companies are struggling to solve.

When Big Car Meets Little Car
It's really all a matter of physics, which just aren't in the little car's favor, no matter how you slice it. If, say, a 2012 GMC Sierra, which weighs more than three tons, runs into, or gets run into, by a Toyota Prius, which weighs one and a half tons, the "energy transfer" is decidedly in the Sierra's favor. If the Prius hits the Sierra, the impact will be less than the Sierra hitting the Prius, and the Sierra will be more likely to absorb the energy.

It raises the question of what we can do. Obviously, most of us have no desire to get in a car accident, and certainly not to kill anybody. And car makers are working on new ideas every day to reduce the damage: for example, as crumple zone technology advances, it ensures that more of the energy is absorbed by areas of the car, not the passengers. But beyond relying on technology, what else can we do?

Four Ways to Protect the Little Guy

1. Respect each other on the road. Let's start with the most basic way we can, and something we should be doing anyway: driving safely. C'mon, admit it: sometimes you don't use your turn signal, or you speed, or somebody gets you angry and you cut them off. Well, like it or not, that's how people crash; somebody's thoughtless action triggers an unintended problem that gets nasty, quick. So, take a deep breath and drive mindfully of others.
2. If you’re in a large car, keep your eye out. This is especially true on side streets and in cities. Move carefully with a full awareness of other drivers, and be conscientious of your turn signal. The bigger the car, the more careful you'll need to be.
3. If you’re in a smaller car, don’t speed. The temptation to go zipping around, or try and get through a yellow light, is great in a zippy little car, but that's how you get hit. Even if a giant SUV is in your way, be patient.
4. Get a more modern car. Cars manufactured before 2002 are a higher safety risk, so whether you want a family-hauling vehicle or a tiny gas-sipper, look for a later model vehicle, and be sure to ask about available safety features.

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