What matters most to these car buyers?
Price is the most important factor for both men and women when buying a car, but that’s where the similarities end.
According to a survey of more than 500 motorists conducted by My Car Check, women are concerned about fuel efficiency after price, while men care more about the car’s design.
Meanwhile, men said negotiating price was the most uncomfortable part of buying a car while women said it was physically inspecting the car they disliked most.
The survey also found that 97% of men said they were either good (60.7%) or competent (36.1%) drivers, while less than half of women (47.8%) described themselves as good, the same percentage that described themselves as competent.
Head of My Car Check, Roger Powell, said, ‘For the vast majority, price is always the most important consideration; people set a budget and then see what they can get for the money. The secondary driver is where we see clear differences along gender lines. Women are most concerned with fuel efficiency, a significant ongoing cost of ownership, while men are more concerned with image, the ‘what will my mates think?’ factor.
‘On the scariest aspect of car buying, again, there was a clear difference according to gender. Women worried most about inspecting the vehicle, while men worried most about the price negotiation. The fact is the average buyer, male or female, won’t buy a car very often and won’t have great technical knowledge. In those circumstances, the sums involved can make the process stressful, and with good reason too: almost half of all used vehicles searched on MyCarCheck.com have a warning against them.
‘The responses to the question on driving ability reveal some classic male bravado. Women are happy to be described as ‘competent’ – having the necessary ability – whereas men think ‘good’ sounds much better.’
