Are Car Stickers Tacky? What Do Drivers Say?
Market research conducted in the US revealed that more than 60% of car owners had at least 1 sticker on their bumper. Although the sample size of this survey was only 2,860 people. Still, it says a lot about the popularity of stickers. People express their views, likings, causes they are striving for, and political inclination through these.
People tend to do things that they regret later. Stickers are also one such thing. They might seem fashionable at a certain time, but later they might not look good or damage your car. In this article, we will discuss if car stickers are tacky, how many stickers you can have, and what types of stickers are not tacky.
Are Cars Stickers Tacky?
Car stickers are really tacky most of the time. Certain stickers are even illegal in some countries. But the biggest drawback is removing these stickers while selling the car, as they could potentially damage the paint of your car. Moreover, it is better to keep your views and affiliations to yourself rather than putting them on display.
You might think that you won’t have to remove these stickers at any time. But this isn’t true. Since when you are selling your car, buyers demand to remove the stickers as they want to check what is underneath. Removing these stickers on such an occasion might be a bad sight.
All the glue and sticky stuff clinging to your car can put off any potential customer. Moreover, it is quite possible that even after cleaning the top surface of your car, the sticker might leave a stain. These stains would not be easy to get rid of. It will have a negative effect on the resale value of your car.
Also read: 10 Cars Under $20K that Look Like They’re for $50K+
Are There Any Downsides to Having Car Stickers?
Yes, there are several downsides to having car stickers. Some of these disadvantages are:
- Car Stickers are Tacky
Fashion is something that keeps on changing. One thing that is in trend today might not even be relevant tomorrow. Stickers on the car are there to stay. If you apply good stickers, then they might cling to your car for several years. So, to make such a commitment, you must be damn sure about getting that thing.
- Damage the Paint of Your Car
Apart from the fashion, what you must consider is that stickers can damage the surface of your car. These stickers have sticky glue that bonds with the top layer of paint. When you want to remove these stickers, they would not come off that easily. Instead, you would need an exterior servicing team to get rid of these.
- It Might be Illegal
It might seem all fun and stuff in the beginning but behold your excitement as it can be illegal to put certain stickers on your car in some countries. Like in most countries, it is illegal to put stickers related to armed forces or police on your car. As it could be misinterpreted as impersonating them.
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- You Could Hurt Someone
Everybody has a right to express themselves, but hey, no one said that you have to hurt others. If you are a sensitive person yourself who gets easily offended by others, then don’t apply political or religious stickers on your car. Since chances are that it might hurt the feelings of others and offend someone.
How Many Stickers Can You Have if You Don’t Want Your Car to be Tacky?
You should not have any stickers on your car if you don’t want it to look tacky. But if you are feeling the irresistible desire to apply a sticker on your car, then one or two are enough. They should satisfy your fashion sense and urge to display emotion. Moreover, you would not be damaging your car with two stickers.
But the one or two stickers which we are suggesting that you apply to your car must be small. If one was to put it numerically, then the stickers should not cover an area of more than 1 square foot under them. Small stickers would not capture too much attention and would serve your purpose as well.
Large stickers or multiple stickers are very triggering. It seems like that your car is a hoarding or display arena of some kind. No matter how wonderful or expensive a car you are driving, it will leave a bad impression on the people looking at it. Plus, there is no universal design that appeals to everyone.
Also read: Are Audis Expensive to Maintain? Here are the Facts
In Which Places Should You Stick the Stickers?
You can only stick the stickers on the windows of your car. There are no other safe spots on the surface of your car where you can apply the stickers. Glass windows are a better spot because they offer the best visibility, yes, they might obstruct your view, but it is easier to remove a sticker from there.
You should not be applying large stickers anywhere on your cars. But you must avoid the two hot spots, the bumpers, and hood of your car, at all costs if you hold your car dear. Both these spots are most popular among car enthusiasts to apply stickers. As mentioned that 60% of owners have a sticker on their bumper.
But most people don’t consider is that it will be more difficult to remove stickers from the bumpers because they are made of plastic. Unlike other body parts of the car that are made up of metal, the plastic bumpers are capable of sticking stickers to them in the worst way possible. Stickers from bumpers don’t come off easily.
Why hood is a bad choice to apply stickers is because of all the heat the engine is dissipating. For the cars in which the engine is placed on the front side, the heat generated might melt the stickers. Then it will become near to impossible to remove those stickers and their marks.
For someone who is looking to promote a product or want to convey a simple message, glass window are the best spots. Glass is the only elevated part of your car, if you apply the stickers there it will be visible from a distance. Others can view it very easily from inside their cars.
Also read: 15 Cars that NEVER Rust (100% Galvanised)
What Types of Cars are OK, and What aren’t for Stickers?
On some types of cars, stickers look better than others. So you can apply stickers on these cars, but some cars aren’t made for stickers. We will take a look at both.
What Types of Car are OK with Stickers
It is OK if you apply a sticker or two on the glass windows of the following types of cars:
- Pickup Trucks
- Mini Vans
Pickup trucks and Mini Vans are the most common types of vehicles to have a sticker. More than 72% of pickup trucks have a sticker on them. With 69% of minivans having at least one sticker is a close second in this race.
Both these vehicles are utilized for rough work. So, it won’t hurt to apply a sticker on a pickup truck or minivan that is four or five years old. Stickers might save your truck from body damage as well.
What Types of Cars aren’t for Stickers
- Premium SUVs
- Executive Sedans
Imagine purchasing a new C-Class and applying some gross sticker on it. What on the earth would make you do such a disastrous act. So you should avoid applying stickers on executive and premium sedans and SUVs, or any brand-new cars for that matter.
What Type of Stickers aren’t Tacky?
Vinyl stickers are the best choice if you don’t want your car to look tacky. There are at least 6 types of vinyl stickers as well. But in my perspective, the best bet would be to go with clear vinyl stickers. If you want something that doesn’t last long, then you can consider clear cling as well.
The benefit of applying clear stickers is that they are relatively easier to remove. You can see that what they are doing under your body. If you apply these to the glass, they hardly obstruct your view, and you can easily see across.
What Do Drivers Say About Car Stickers?
When drivers were asked how they feel about the car stickers and are car stickers tacky, then this is what they had to say:
raYne_07 who is a member of an online platform said this:
“Tacky as hell.
I don’t want logos, sayings, or random unfunny cartoon characters anywhere near my cars. Hell, I don’t particularly like brand names, models, or sh*t like engine size or “awd” sh*t on them either. Just like the clothing I buy, I’m not a billboard, and I’m not advertising for anyone.
Perfect world? Car logo and that’s it.”
jjreamPop said:
“Some are super over-the-top.
But I like seeing minimalist game/show/fandom stickers of things I’m also a fan of. Kindred spirits. I have a Hyrule crest stashed away somewhere that I’ve been meaning to apply, but can’t find it.
But full images? Nah.”
BasilZero had to say this:
“I have the Texas Flag on my car but other than that nope.”
Another perspective was shared by amusix:
“don’t see anything wrong with them, just a form of expression. sometimes I agree with what’s being expressed, sometimes not…not sure I could be as judgmental as many seem to be about them. For me, they just don’t merit that much thought.”
References:
carstickers.com, businesswire.com, skylinetint.com, oleantimesherald.com, thenewswheel.com, cars.com, worldstandards.eu, resetera.com, quora.com, websticker.com, resetera.com
