It's often said that a car is a reflection of the owner and the type of life he or she lives. Construction workers are often seen with dirty work trucks parked in their driveways because of their need for such vehicles in their professional lives. "Soccer moms" are thought to drive minivans and sport utility vehicles so that they can fit all the kids, carpoolers, and their sports equipment in there when it's time for practice. People who want to live a green life are thought to drive hybrids and electric vehicles because of their desire to reduce their carbon footprint.

When it comes to professional athletes, however, there's a whole other belief. They're thought to live their lives in the most lavish of ways and drive the most lavish of cars. People believe they live in 20-room mansions and live in such a way that "regular" people can only dream of. It's also thought that they all drive half-a-million-dollar sports cars, wear designer clothes, and are the definition of snobby. This may be the case with some of them, but it's not so with all of them.

There are plenty of athletes that do drive the kinds of vehicles that we all expect them to, and then there are those who drive cars that'll surprise their fans. This is one of those articles that give readers an interesting insight into the lives of some professional athletes (current and retired). Let's take a look at 12 athletes who drive incredibly expensive cars (like we all expect them to) and 12 athletes who drive beaters (that'll really surprise you).

24 Drive Amazing Cars: Clayton Kershaw- $1.8 Million Collection

In honor of the 2018 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers, we're going to start this list with 3 Major League Baseball players who are playing in the 2018 World Series.

Clayton Kershaw is a starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and since 2015, according to Spotrac.com, he's made between 30 and 33 million dollars a year.

He definitely has the car collection to match that crazy salary. He's known to have a Mercedes, a Ferrari, and a Bentley, among others, all parked in his garage. AutoWise.com estimates his car collection to be worth $1.8 million.

23 Drive Amazing Cars: Manny Machado- Bentley Continental GT

This past July, Manny Machado was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers by the Baltimore Orioles. He's now the Dodgers' starting shortstop in the 2018 World Series. I'm pretty sure he was happy with that trade.

He was signed to a 1-year $16 million deal as listed by Spotrac.com, and he definitely drives a car that lets everyone know how lucky he is.

He's been known to drive a Rolls-Royce, a Nissan, a Mercedes-Benz, and a Bentley Continental GT. He's definitely not one of those athletes who live understated, as he enjoys his success and his wealth to the fullest.

22 Drive Amazing Cars: Mookie Betts- BMW 7 Series

Mookie Betts (what a great name for a baseball player) plays right field for the Boston Red Sox, and he recently upgraded. He's been previously seen in Toyotas and Nissans but recently made the upgrade to match his recent success on the diamond.

He now is the proud owner of a BMW 7 Series executive sedan.

Spotrac.com has him listed as making $10.5 million this year with the Red Sox. Since making his way into the big leagues in 2014, he's made his way into 3 All-Star Games and Won 2 Gold Gloves, among other accolades (www.baseball-reference.com). He's definitely one professional athlete who drives an amazing car.

21 Drive Amazing Cars: Antonio Brown- Rolls-Royce Ghost

Antonio Brown is the ace wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the go-to target for Ben Roethlisberger. He's one guy who loves his cars, and he's been seen showing up to the Steelers facility in a wide range of classic and new luxury vehicles. AutoWise.com reports that Rolls-Royce vehicles are some of his favorites. Aside from his Alfa Romeo Coupe and Ferrari F12TDF, he's been seen sporting this fully customized Rolls-Royce Wraith that reflects his Steeler pride and a Rolls Royce Ghost. It's easy to do when you've just inked a fresh 4-year $68 million deal with the Steelers. He can drive whatever he wants to drive.

20 Drive Amazing Cars: Odell Beckham Jr.- Rolls-Royce Wraith

The Giants are having a tough go of it this season, but that didn't stop them from making sure their number 1 wide receiver got paid. This past summer, the Giants offered (and he accepted) a deal for 5 years and $90 million, with $65 million of it as guaranteed money. He's happy with the contract but not with the Giants' losing season (that's a whole other subject).

AutoWise.com lists some very nice cars parked in his driveway, including a Rolls-Royce Wraith and a Mercedes-AMG CLS 63.

It's reported that the Mercedes was fully customized by West Coast Customs.

19 Drive Amazing Cars: Aaron Rodgers- Chevrolet Camaro

Aaron Rodgers is the starting quarterback for the historic Green Bay Packers. He's one of those quarterbacks who's listed in the elite ranks with Tom Brady and Drew Brees. Rodgers is also a lover of cars and has amassed himself a nice little collection along with a brand new contract.

In an AutoWise.com article, it was said that he sports a $3 million collection that includes a Mercedes SLS AMG and a Chevrolet Camaro that he received as a Super Bowl gift in 2013.

He received the car for being named the Super Bowl MVP. Aaron Rodgers is such an elite quarterback that the Green Bay Packers, this past offseason, signed him to a 4-year $134 million contract with almost $99 million of that as guaranteed money. That's one hell of a payday.

18 Drive Amazing Cars: Serena Williams- Bentley Continental Supersports

We're definitely going to include a couple of ladies on this list. Serena Williams is one of the greatest tennis players to ever swing a racket. From her humble beginnings in Compton, California to where she is now, she's shown the world what hard work and determination can do. One of the ways that she's rewarded herself is with a nice ride.

She's been seen sporting a Bentley Continental Supersports.

InStyle.com recently published a great article on the mom and tennis great saying that her net worth (as of 2018) was around $180 million. You go, girl!

17 Drive Amazing Cars: Cristiano Ronaldo- Bugatti Veyron

Ronaldo is probably the greatest soccer player in the world right now and arguably one of the greatest of all time. He's also known to be a huge fan of high-end sports cars and supercars. He has so many cars that we're not even going to be able to list them all (that's an article all by itself).

AutoWise.com listed such vehicles as a Bugatti Veyron, an Aston Martin DB9, a Rolls-Royce Phantom, and a Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 as being just a few of the cars in his collection. It's easy to have a collection like that when you have a net worth of around $400 million, according to Time.com.

16 Drive Amazing Cars: LeBron James- Dodge Challenger SRT

LeBron James is one of the greatest basketball players on the planet right now and one of the greatest of all time. He recently signed a super max deal with the Los Angeles Lakers worth an incredible $154 million for four years (BusinessInsider.com).

In an interview 4 years ago, he told GQ that becoming a billionaire was one of his goals, and that new contract definitely helps get him closer.

His wealth has helped him create an incredible car collection including a 1975 Chevy Impala, a Maybach 57S, a Dodge Challenger SRT, a Porsche, and a Mercedes S63 AMG. We'll tell you about another of his cars later.

15 Drive Amazing Cars: Kevin Durant- Range Rover

Kevin Durant is the starting small forward for the Golden State Warriors. He's been part of a back-to-back NBA Championship run with the Warriors and is one of the best basketball players in the world (alongside LeBron James). His latest contract was a 2-year deal worth an incredible $61.5 million (Spotrac.com).

According to Forbes.com, Durant ranks #11 on their list of the world's highest-paid athletes of 2018. Durant has plenty of money to do what he wants, but cars aren't at the top of his list. He does, however, have 3 amazing cars that we'd all love to have including a Chevy Camaro, a Range Rover, and a Ferrari California. If he doesn't buy cars, I wonder what he spends his money on...

14 Drive Amazing Cars: James Harden- Bentley Bentayga

James Harden has an affinity for British cars, and his garage contains a Range Rover Sport, a Rolls-Royce Wraith, and a Bentley Bentayga. James Harden won the NBA regular season Most Valuable Player Award last year and is the shooting guard for the Houston Rockets.

He's definitely one of the elite players in the NBA, and his car collection definitely reflects that status. His latest contract was a 4-year deal that was worth just over $169 million (Spotrac.com). He has a fine taste in cars and the type of salary that allows him to indulge in that taste, no problem.

13 Drive Amazing Cars: Ronda Rousey- BMW X6

Ronda Rousey, within the last year, made her debut in the WWE and currently holds the Raw Women's Championship belt. Before that, she was a groundbreaker in the UFC as the 1st Women's Bantamweight Champion and a bronze medalist in judo representing the United States in the 2008 Olympics.

She's rewarded her hard work with some amazing cars such as a Mansory-tuned BMW X6 and a Chevrolet Corvette C7, according to AutoWise.com.

Hers is one of those inspirational rags-to-riches stories that anyone can get behind, and she continues to be a role model for women and girls everywhere. Her net worth currently sits at $12 million, as reported by MoneyInc.com.

12 Drive Beaters: Kawhi Leonard- 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe

Kawhi Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors this past summer after a drama-filled back and forth with his former team, the San Antonio Spurs. His previous contract with the Spurs topped $90 million, and his latest contract was worth $20 million for the 2018-2019 season (after which he'll be a free agent).

Aside from all his wealth and success, he's a man of few words and understated vehicles. His daily driver is a 1997 Chevy Tahoe that he salvaged from his grandmother. AutoWise.com reports that before he got the truck, it didn't even run, and now, he drives it all the time.

11 Drive Beaters: Giovani Bernard- 2007 Honda Odyssey

Minivans are normally a vehicle that most people picture for soccer moms and not for professional athletes. Giovani Bernard, a running back for the Cincinnati Bengals, begs to differ, though.

His car of choice is a 2007 Honda Odyssey minivan that, as AutoWise.com reports, belongs to his girlfriend's mother.

This isn't the kind of vehicle that one would expect of a guy who's going to make at least $3 million this season (and possibly $4.25 million after bonuses), as reported by Spotrac.com. I'm sure that his frugal spending habits will prove well for him later on in life. As we all know, NFL careers don't last forever.

10 Drive Beaters: LeBron James- Kia K900

Yes, Lebron James is on this list twice. He definitely has a side of him that doesn't need to spend half a million on a car. At one point, James entered into a marketing deal with Kia, and he received a Kia K900 as a part of that. It's not something that he just leaves in the garage, as he's been seen driving the car around on more than one occasion (AutoWise.com).

It goes to show that he's the kind of guy that wears many hats. He has his moments of being just like everyone else who wants to drive a car that's good on gas and that you don't mind the kids making a mess in.

9 Drive Beaters: Ryan Kerrigan- 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe

Ryan Kerrigan plays linebacker for the Washington Redskins and has gotten himself quite the contract. In 2015, according to Spotrac.com, the veteran signed a 5-year contract that guaranteed almost $24 million, and if he gets all his bonuses, he could bring in upwards of $57 million.

That's more than enough to get himself some amazing vehicles, but his 2012 Chevy Tahoe is just fine for him. It goes to show that just because people are professional athletes, it doesn't mean that they aren't just regular people, too. In Ryan's case, maybe he likes to spend his money on other things (like charity).

8 Drive Beaters: Mitchell Trubisky- 1997 Toyota Camry

It's weird to think that the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears drives a 1997 Toyota Camry, but he definitely does. Spotrac.com says that he's scheduled to make a guaranteed $5 million this year and, possibly, just over $6.5 million with bonuses. That type of money could buy some really nice cars, but his Camry has sentimental value.

It's said that it was a car that was given to him by his grandmother.

There's something to be said about guys like that, including Kawhi Leonard, who value cars given to them by their grandmas.

7 Drive Beaters: James Harrison- 2008 Smart ForTwo

James Harrison likely played a Hall of Fame career at linebacker with 3 different teams. He played with the Pittsburgh Steelers (with whom he won 2 Super Bowl rings), the Cincinnati Bengals, and the New England Patriots over a 16-year career, and TheSquander.com estimates his net worth at $30 million.

He also made a name for himself with the workout videos he posted on social media. Despite all of that, he's been seen riding around in a 2008 Smart ForTwo. Oh, you read that correctly: he has a Smart car.

6 Drive Beaters: Alfred Morris- 1991 Mazda 626

Alfred Morris is an NFL running back who's played for the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys and currently plays for the San Francisco 49ers. He's going to earn himself just over $750,000 this season and made $3.5 million between 2016 and 2017 with the Dallas Cowboys (Spotrac.com). All of that success didn't make him feel the need to get rid of his 1991 Mazda 626, a car he refers to as "Bentley."

AutoWise.com reported that in 2013, Mazda completely redid his 626 for him, new engine and all.

He must be one of those people who really doesn't need that much to be happy.

5 Drive Beaters: Kirk Cousins- 2000 GMC Savana Passenger Van

How many 2000 GMC Savana Passenger vans do you think are still on the road? Probably not that many. One that people can bank on is the one that's driven by the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. This is amazing, considering the size of the contract that Spotrac.com says he signed this past offseason.

He and the team entered into a deal for 3 years and $84 million, with $82.5 million of that contract guaranteed. I guess he's a fan of Chevy or maybe of vans that most people don't even remember were made by Chevy. Whatever the case may be, he's just an all-American guy with simple taste.