How much of car preference is just vibes?

I made a what-car-should-I-buy post on here yesterday and received some great feedback. Comments about what cars are fun, reliable, aesthetically pleasing - and everyone has different opinions which is great.

Looking at all the suggestions, every single time the first impression I get when considering a car for the first time is either "I can see myself driving that" or "I would feel weird driving that". This seems to set the tone for everything that happens next - looking at features, tech specs, size, cost, etc.

Also, take brands like Subaru, Jeep, Tesla, or BMW that have a strong identity. The identity goes beyond the specs.

For those that did their research before buying, how much did you go on vibes vs a more calculated approach of determining what is the best car for your situation? Were you surprised with what you ended up buying? Were you happy with that decision?