Canadians may be known internationally for their good manners, love of maple syrup, and ice hockey, but according to a new study commissioned by autoTRADER.ca, we may have another less obvious national pastime: intimate encounters in automobiles.
The cross-Canada poll, administered by maru/matchbox, discovered that three out of every four Canadians (75 per cent) admit they’ve been physically intimate with someone in a vehicle at some point. What’s more, 74 per cent said they would happily pursue another lap at love in a car, if they knew their partner was open to the idea.
“Despite technology dramatically transforming dating culture, something about getting hot and heavy in a car transcends generations and has stood the test of time,” says psychologist and relationship expert Nicole McCance. “It seems the majority of Canadians are open to moving beyond the bedroom, but want to make sure their partners are on the same page. Not only does an intimate encounter in a car offer an element of excitement and danger, it may also be considered convenient in some cases.”
So much so in fact, that 41 per cent of Canadians confessed to engaging in intimate acts on multiple occasions. Interestingly, boomers (aged 55+) report being most experienced in this area (79 per cent), yet their younger millennial counterparts (aged 18–34) aren’t far behind (65 per cent).
“The majority of Canadians described this amorous activity as ‘fun and exciting,’ or ‘naughty and risqué’ – it’s a new, playful side of Canadians that we haven’t seen so overtly before,” added McCance.
What keeps bringing Canadians back to their vehicles to express their affections? The study suggests “riskiness” is the most influential factor: in fact, almost half (46 per cent) of millennials report the risk appeal is a turn on. In today’s time-crunched, “communal living is the norm” culture, more than one third (36 per cent) of respondents also said they value the “convenience factor” of it all.
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When it comes to vehicle types that are most likely to get Canadians in the mood, a smooth and sexy luxury vehicle wins over a fast and furious sports car (35 per cent vs 25 per cent). Nearly a third of Canadians (31 per cent) agreed that a large and roomy SUV, and even a safe and reliable sedan, have lots of love potential (31 per cent and 22 per cent respectively). In contrast, eco-friendly hybrid/electric cars (11 per cent) and motorcycles (9 per cent) don’t get Canadians revving up for romance.
“In recent years, SUV sales have experienced an all-time high, with the vehicle quickly becoming a household favourite for Canadians,” says Michael Bettencourt, managing editor, autoTRADER.ca. “Traditionally, the popularity of SUVs can be credited to many factors – from comfort, to safety – but perhaps we’re learning there’s more to the story….”
The roomier the better. Canada’s friskiest vehicles ranked in order of preference:
- Recreational Vehicle (RV)
- Minivan
- Convertible
- Pickup Truck
Perhaps it can be attributed to being a literal “bedroom on wheels”, if given a choice, 40 per cent of Canadians would love to get things going in an RV (a favourite for Boomers and a popular choice for millennials alike). Whereas minivans do the trick for many Boomers (27 per cent), millennials generally favour rugged and risky options such as the back of a pickup truck (27 per cent) or a topless convertible (22 per cent).
Other highlights from the autoTRADER.ca love and cars survey include:
Frequenting a romantic rendezvous
There’s nothing like the feeling of driving to a destination with a reputation for setting the mood. Findings indicate that the majority of intimate vehicle hook-ups take place at local “look-out” points (59 per cent). Interestingly, this figure jumps to 70 per cent for those who have engaged in such behaviour multiple times.
Put it in park
Surprisingly, the second most popular (and perhaps practical) spot for action in a car is none other than the garage (17 per cent), followed by underground parking lots (12 per cent).
Making room
Four in ten Canadians (43 per cent) report taking extra care to get comfortable by reclining their seats when engaging in intimate activity in a car.
Turn down the radio
R&B or Classic Rock anthems are the preferred music genres to set the mood for one in five Canadians (21 and 20 per cent respectively) during an intimate encounter in the car; however, twice as many people (43 per cent) say they’d prefer to go without music altogether, favouring some tender talk with their partner instead.
Sweet solitude
For 38 per cent of Canadians (and 42 per cent of millennials), when it comes to romance and dating, the car is a place to escape – to get some alone time away from parents, families or roommates.
“We can see that Canadians are great at leveraging their practical side to purposefully go after their romantic pursuits,” says McCance. “Cars give us that perfect ‘carpe diem’ opportunity to emotionally and physically connect with our partner, anytime, anywhere.”
Survey Methodology
From January 24th to January 25th 2018 an online survey was conducted among 1,512 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error – which measures sampling variability – is +/- 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec, language) census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.
