She was stubborn and slow, but reliable like a workhorse. Not too pretty, but nice and faithful. My old 1991 Honda Accord, I mean.

A boxy four-door with automatic seat belts and chipped paint, she was as fast as a tortoise. Except she wasn't about to win any races. She was so slow that if I didn't put my foot all the way down on the gas pedal, I'd wind up back in 1881.

In other words, she wasn't that impressive. And the girls I dated while I had her weren't impressed either.

I purchased her for a few hundred bucks. She was in good shape for her age, had good mileage, and could last a few more years. In work parlance, she was known as a "beater"—a reliable commuter car that I didn't mind beating up. I got into a fender bender once and didn't care at all about the scratches. They just blended in with the other scratches. As long as she could take me to work and back, that's all that mattered.

My daily commute was 50 miles one way, 100 miles roundtrip. That meant I needed to drive 2,000 miles a month to and from work. Driving a sports or luxury car with that kind of punishment was, well, just cruel. That's like shaving a cat and calling him Slim.

Thus, my 1991 Honda Accord. A practical, financially-sound solution to my commute problem. For a few hundred bucks, I could throw 2,000 miles a month onto it and pay relatively little for gas. Life was good.

Unfortunately, while my finances flowed, my dates ebbed. One date laughed at the cassette deck and said, "Oh my God, I haven't seen one of these since I was a little girl." Another jumped when the automatic seat belts wrapped around her shoulder. "I hate automatic seat belts!" she declared.

Friends told me not to worry. "You don't want a girl who cares about your car," they'd say. "You want a girl who likes you for you."

Sure. And seagulls explode when you give them Alka-Seltzer.

Whether you want to admit it or not, a guy is judged by the car he drives. Sometimes it happens subconsciously, sometimes it happens consciously. But it happens.

Why? Because deep down, every woman wants to know that their man can be a good provider, or at least successful in his own right. A car is an indicator of success, in other words, just like his watch, belt, and shoes (yup, women look at all those things too).

How in the world is a car an indicator of success, you ask? It's just a superficial item, right? Why should it matter if a guy likes his old, fuel-efficient, and reliable beater? Why should he be judged less than the guy who leases a BMW he can barely afford?

Here's why: different cars tell women different things about a guy. Such as:

A Beater
This guy is cheap, frugal, and probably an annoying penny-pincher. A guy who knows how to save up is attractive, but a cheapskate isn't.
A Newer Compact Car (like a Civic or Corolla)
This guy is cost-conscious, yet is able to afford a more modern car with contemporary luxuries, like electric windows and a CD-player. He's not a flashy guy, probably pretty humble and unassuming, yet caring and conscientious.
A Newer Mid-Sized or Full-Sized Car (like an Accord or Camry)
This guy may have a family, or at least kids. He may be the constant chauffeur or designated driver among his friends. While he's probably steadfast and reliable, he might not be all that much fun (in bed).
A Luxury Car (like a BMW or Lexus)
This guy has money, or at least likes to act like he does. Could be successful, ambitious, and have a good career. May have enough disposable income for the extra niceties in life (can you say Sugar Daddy?), but may be an arrogant bastard as well.
A 4WD/AWD Car (like a Subaru of some kind)
This guy is a rugged outdoorsman. He likes to snowboard (not ski), backpack across long distances, hike, mountain climb, swim, and maybe even go dirt biking. He loves the outdoors and always has dirt under his fingernails.
An SUV
This guy may have similar traits to the 4WD/AWD guy, except without much concern for the environment.
A Hybrid Car
This guy totally loves the environment and wants to let the world know. He recycles almost everything and will chide you if you don't sort out your trash appropriately. Could be idealistic, pompous, and a little smug.
A Pick-Up Truck
This guy is a rugged redneck who loves the outdoors. He especially loves shooting little animals with a shotgun (perhaps to compensate for something, hmm?) while outdoors. Loves country music, beer, and NASCAR races. Also loves his family, especially his sister (ahem).
A Sports Car
This guy is aggressive, arrogant, knows what he wants, and gets what he wants. He likes to live life hard and fast, and may like his women hard and fast as well. Every day with him is packed with fun, but if you can't keep up, you'll be left in the dust.
A Station Wagon
This guy also may have kids. Or he might be a mass murderer who uses the station wagon to transport bodies and digging equipment. Could be a practical guy with retro tastes and likes to stand out from the crowd, or an old-fashioned guy who's not up on trends and is boring (in bed).
A Motorcycle
This guy has a wild spirit and a death wish. He ignores his Mom's pleas and likes to ride the open road, skirting between rush hour traffic and baking in thick leather gear. May be a selfish adventure-seeker who's just as crazy in bed as he is in his head.
No Car
This guy lives in the city and sees no need for a car. He's practical and knows the public transportation system inside-out. If you want an excursion out of the city, however, he'll look at you funny, then ask why you'd ever want to leave the city.

You don't necessarily need a new, expensive car. Only a car that isn't in utter disrepair (or has an automatic seatbelt). Women will judge a man's car, even if they do it unconsciously.

You need not drive a leased BMW you can barely afford. But if you drive an old beater, however, then she's not going to think you're a good provider—she's going to think you're a cheap, penny-pinching old beater too.