A car rental company is reporting a four-fold year-on-year increase in the number of people renting high-class motors, despite the economic downturn.

Avis is reporting that UK rentals of cars from its upmarket Select range like the BMW 5 Series and Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet have soared, with a customer survey indicating that making a good first impression to friends, relatives or at a social event is a key priority.

When asked about their reasons for renting the car they chose, 37% said they were attending a wedding, 29% were going on a date, 28% were going to a school reunion, 19% had a party in mind where an ex-partner was on the guest list and 14% were meeting the in-laws.

There is some overlap in answers because respondents could choose more than one reason, but more than a third (35%) said they thought hiring a better car would give the impression they were doing well for themselves.

Closely behind, 29% said they thought a nicer motor gives a better first impression, while 27% even believe that the better car means people are nicer to them. The same percentage believes the car makes people think you earn more money.

Dr Peter Collett, psychologist and author of Driving Passion: The Psychology of the Car said: "When people hire a car, one of their concerns is what impact the car they've selected is likely to have on people they encounter. For example driving a BMW 5 Series gives others the impression you're totally in control, so it's the surest way to turbo-charge your image and polish up your reputation."

Kaye Ceille, Managing Director of Avis Budget UK added: "Our research clearly shows that for Brits first impressions really do count and when it comes to standing out from the crowd, having a flash set of wheels is the ultimate way to grab attention and get people talking."