The world’s smartest drivers can usually be found behind the wheel of small cars, illustrating that you don’t need to spend millions to prove that you know your stuff.
UK-based Scrap Car Comparison recently did a study on which car brands are favoured by people with high IQs, and found that the number one automaker for the average intellectual is none other than your typical Suzuki.
The study asked more than 2,000 motorists to complete an IQ test as a way of measuring intelligence, and these results were then sorted according to the brand of car owned by each participant.
It also looked at other factors, such as whether the individual has opted for a customized number plate, and what vehicle colours people preferred.
High-IQ brands
When all the data was crunched, it was found that Suzuki drivers have the highest IQ with an average score of 98.09.
This was followed by Peugeot with a score of 97.79, and Mini at 97.41, suggesting that the cleverer of individuals do indeed prefer a more compact way of getting around.
It’s a similar story for fourth and fifth place, which went to Mazda and Toyota with an IQ of 95.91 and 95.76, respectively, showing that savvy customers prefer to stick with more affordable car brands for their daily transport.
On the other hand, of the 21 vehicle brands included in the study, the lowest score was awarded to those behind the wheel of a Land Rover with an average IQ of 88.58.
The other two entries found at the bottom of the list included Fiat owners, with a rating of 90.14, and BMW aficionados, who had a surveyed score of 91.68.
The full results of the survey are as follows:
| Rank | Brand | Average IQ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suzuki | 98.09 |
| 2 | Peugeot | 97.79 |
| 3 | Mini | 97.41 |
| 4 | Mazda | 95.91 |
| 5 | Toyota | 95.76 |
| 6 | Opel | 95.11 |
| 7 | Mercedes-Benz | 94.74 |
| 8 | Nissan | 94.71 |
| 9 | Seat | 94.71 |
| 10 | Citroen | 94.29 |
| 11 | Hyundai | 93.52 |
| 12 | Renault | 93.41 |
| 13 | Audi | 93.25 |
| 14 | Kia | 93.01 |
| 15 | Honda | 92.88 |
| 16 | Ford | 92.75 |
| 17 | Volvo | 92.40 |
| 18 | VW | 92.25 |
| 19 | BMW | 91.68 |
| 20 | Fiat | 90.14 |
| 21 | Land Rover | 88.58 |
What car colour says about your IQ
The study also found that higher-IQ individuals tend to gravitate towards white, grey, and other monochrome vehicle colours, while drivers of brighter-colour vehicles tended to score less favourably on the IQ test, with green being singled out as the least flattering hue.
This is how the most common car colours were ranked:
| Rank | Colour | Average IQ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | 95.71 |
| 2 | Grey | 94.97 |
| 3 | Red | 94.88 |
| 4 | Blue | 93.60 |
| 5 | Black | 92.83 |
| 6 | Silver | 92.67 |
| 7 | Green | 88.43 |
It was further revealed that people who choose to spend their money on a personalized number plate tend to rank lower on the IQ scale than those who don’t, with an average of 91.95 compared to 94.15.
The final aspect that the survey looked at was which fuel type was favoured by higher scorers, which turned out to be petrol (94.35), followed by hybrids (93.89), diesel (92.91), and finally electric (90.19).
“It’s always interesting to us to delve a little deeper into the differences in characteristics of drivers out on the roads,” said Dan Gick, Managing Director at Scrap Car Comparison.
He also raises the point that an average IQ tends to range from 85 to 115, so the difference in scores here is rather minor in the grand scheme of things.
“For us, being smart behind the wheel boils down to one thing – keeping yourself and other drivers safe, and not making decisions that would put anyone in danger.”
Keyword: The world’s smartest drivers can be found behind the wheel of these cars