Are cars still a thing for dates? Evidently in Canada they are, according to a survey prepared for the totally unbiased and vehicle neutral Auto Trader.

Canadians looking to impress on their next romantic date might want to stay clear of on-demand car services, taxis or even public transit, according to the findings of a recent autoTRADER.ca survey that explores the role of the automobile in modern-day dating. In fact, a whopping 92 percent of Canadians say they find it appealing when their date shows up with their own ride. And don’t even think about “borrowing the car” for the occasion – close to half of the population surveyed (48 percent) reported that they would find a borrowed vehicle unattractive or “embarrassing beyond words.”

The Globe and Mail's urban affairs writer sees a problem.

Poll for Auto Trader says you need a car to impress a date. Suck it, urbanites, you'll all die alone. pic via @1236pic.twitter.com/R39ZZgQNag

The experts explain that cars are evidently still sexy:

“People, regardless of their age, tend to equate certain ideals with certain possessions – owning a car symbolizes freedom, success and reliability, all qualities that look good to the opposite sex when one is on a date,” says renowned sexologist Dr. Jess O’Reilly, PhD.

Interestingly, unlike all those photos from the fifties, convertibles are out of fashion, with "39 percent of Canadians ranked a coupe/sedan as the number-one type of vehicle they would like their date to arrive in, followed by an SUV (27 percent) and a convertible (20 percent)."

I wonder if our TreeHugger audience polls differently:

Are you impressed if your date shows up in a car?

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