It’s commonly accepted that most men are attracted to hot cars. And it’s also believed that hot cars typically attract hot women. And, of course, hot women attract men. Why else would automakers hire good-looking women to stand by their latest vehicles at events like last week’s New York Auto Show?

But according to a Harris Poll conducted in conjunction with the international matchmaking site AnastasiaDate that surveyed both men and women “on the connection between attraction, ‘date-ability’ and choice of car,” this perception is more fallacy than fact. For example, more than half of the women surveyed said that they equate “fancy cars with negative character traits” in men.

That's just one of the gems gleaned from the survey that purports to upend long-held preconceived notions on cars and sex appeal. And we have our own opinions based on firsthand experience.

Other takeaways from the survey include:

• 56 percent of women and 38 percent of men say they view the opposite sex “as being show-offs or arrogant” when seen behind the wheel of an “exotic/fancy” car
• 17 percent of women perceive men in such a vehicle as “being insecure," while 6 percent of men said they view women in such cars as “emotional”
• More than a third of women see men who own expensive cars as compensating for a lack of "something"

But while the highlights of the survey focus on fancy cars, it also asked women what a man’s wheels say about him. Nearly half felt a car reflects a guy’s economic status (48 percent) and self-image (46 percent). Eleven percent said the choice of car “reflects the guy’s feelings on having a family,” while an equal number said that it indicates his “future plans.” That would also be our impression of a man driving a minivan.

Here at MSN Autos we get to drive a lot of vehicles, plus a few  “fancy cars” on occasion. And in our experience, a hot car does attract a lot of attention -- from both sexes. But we'll be honest: It's mostly from men.