Many generalisations can be made about you as a driver, with people stereotyping your driving style based on your age, gender and job role – we even found in previous research that some types of drivers are more likely to possess psychopathic tendencies than others.
The insult of a “stupid driver” may be thrown around by motorists in a fit of road rage – but can the type of car you drive actually correlate with how intelligent you are?
We wanted to find out, so we tasked over 2,000 drivers with taking an IQ test – the scores of which indicate how clever participants are. An IQ (intelligence quotient) is a score based on participants’ performance on a set of standardised tests designed to assess intelligence. According to studies, approximately two thirds of the general population will have an IQ score of between 85 and 115, while only 2.5% will score below 70 or above 130. For those scoring more than 130, a score of over 144 means you are ‘very gifted’ or ‘highly advanced’ – essentially, a genius – according to the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale.
From the results of our study, we’ve calculated average IQ scores for different groups of drivers, categorised by the brand, colour and customisation of the car you drive. Depending on what you drive, the results might shock you. Read on to see where your motor ranks!
Skoda drivers are the most intelligent
Our research showed that Skoda drivers were the most intelligent of the 22 car brands included in the study, with an average IQ score of 99. Interestingly, our previous research found that Skoda drivers were the drivers with the least psychopathic tendencies too, perhaps demonstrating that Skoda drivers may be calmer on the roads.
Suzuki (98.09), Peugeot (98.09), Mini (97.79) and Mazda (95.91) drivers followed to make up the top five most intelligent motorists when split by car brand driven, all with average IQ scores of over 95.
On the other end of the scale, our study found that BMW drivers generally had a lower IQ, with a score of 91.68, alongside Fiat (90.14) and Land Rover (88.58) drivers. However its worth remembering that worldwide average IQ sits between scores of 85 and 115, so all surveyed sat within that scale.
Rank |
Brand |
Average IQ |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Skoda |
99 |
2 |
Suzuki |
98.09 |
3 |
Peugeot |
97.79 |
4 |
Mini |
97.41 |
5 |
Mazda |
95.91 |
6 |
Toyota |
95.76 |
7 |
Vauxhall |
95.11 |
8 |
Mercedes Benz |
94.74 |
9 |
Nissan |
94.71 |
10 |
Seat |
94.71 |
11 |
Citroen |
94.29 |
12 |
Hyundai |
93.52 |
13 |
Renault |
93.41 |
14 |
Audi |
93.25 |
15 |
Kia |
93.01 |
16 |
Honda |
92.88 |
17 |
Ford |
92.75 |
18 |
Volvo |
92.40 |
19 |
Volkswagen |
92.25 |
20 |
BMW |
91.68 |
21 |
Fiat |
90.14 |
22 |
Land Rover |
88.58 |
Which fuel types correlate with high IQ scores?
With the nation aiming to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars in the next seven years, and more people switching to electric-powered vehicles, we also wanted to find out if the fuel type you choose could correlate with how high your IQ score is.
While electric car drivers are doing their bit to help the environment and protect future generations (a smart move, we’re sure most would agree) – it’s petrol drivers who were found to be the most intelligent, according to our research.
Petrol car drivers scored an average IQ score of 94.35, followed by hybrid (93.89) and diesel (92.91) drivers, while electric drivers placed in fourth position with an average score of 90.19 – 4.16 less than petrol drivers on average.
Rank |
Fuel Type |
Average IQ |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Petrol |
94.35 |
2 |
Hybrid |
93.89 |
3 |
Diesel |
92.91 |
4 |
Hybrid |
90.19 |
Can the colour of your car be linked to how smart you are?
Once you’ve decided on the model and fuel type of your chosen vehicle, the next thing to choose is the colour of your car. But could the colour you choose correlate with how smart you are? Our findings suggest this is the case, with those choosing a white car scoring on average 95.71 on the IQ test – a significant 7.28 more than those choosing green vehicles, who ranked with an average IQ score of 88.43…
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 |
Personalised number plate owners are less intelligent, according to IQ scores
Finally, we also investigated whether having a personalised number plate would correlate with how high drivers scored on the IQ tests. The personalised number plate industry was estimated to be worth a whopping £1.3 billion in 2022, with many drivers investing in customised plates either to use on their own vehicles, or as memorable keepsakes.
Our study revealed though that those who own a personalised number plate are generally less intelligent than those without, with private plate owners scoring an average of 2.2 less on the IQ test, compared to those who don’t own one.
Rank |
Personalised number plate? |
Average IQ |
|---|---|---|
1 |
No |
94.15 |
2 |
Yes |
91.95 |
Regardless of your IQ score, or the type of car you’re driving, ensure you’re staying safe on the roads to avoid your vehicle prematurely hitting the scrap heap.
Methodology
We partnered with Censuswide to survey 2,024 UK drivers and analyse the brand and colour of the car they currently drive, in addition to whether they owned a personalised number plate or not.27 car brands were researched in total however five brands were discounted due to there not being sufficient data.
Each participant then undertook a twenty question IQ test inspired by https://www.arealme.com/iq/en/ giving each driver an equivalent IQ score.
Average IQ scores were then calculated for car brands, car colours and types of number plate, to reveal which drivers are the smartest.
Survey conducted in January 2023.
