Johannesburg - Women tend to opt for substance while men go for looks, according to the latest international research on car buying trends.
A survey on Truecar.com found that the fairer sex was far more interested in practicality rather than flashiness when choosing their vehicles.
In South Africa, Marketresearchworld.net found that 35 percent of men would like to buy their dream or fantasy car compared with 27 percent of women.
“Based on over 9 million retail car purchases, the international study revealed that women car buyers were more likely to buy fuel-efficient cars and were far more conscious of affordability,”said Robyn Farrell, executive head of 1st for Women Insurance.
“Men, on the other hand, were more likely to inquire about pickup trucks, vans and coupés.”
Fuel efficiency ranked as a high priority among 67 percent of women, compared with 48 percent of men. Men preferred to buy cars that were big and brawny or an expensive, high-performance vehicle.
Men gravitated toward models considered “rugged”, and 28 percent of men were more likely to shop for such vehicles, compared with 19 percent of women.
“Top of the list for women was making sure that their car was inexpensive to buy, run and maintain, and that it was practical,” said Farrell.
When it came to buying vehicles, women put a much greater emphasis on safety, reliability and dependability, durability, low interest rates and cargo capacity, according to Maritzresearch.com
Survey data showed 76 percent of women sought out safety features in their next new car, compared with 61 percent of men.
“Women tend to prioritise a family orientated vehicle like seating capacity and a car that suits their personalities,” said Farrell.
“Men seem to be much more into looks, image, style and speed, especially in South Africa, where driving a fancy car is superficially perceived as being successful and having ‘made it’.”
Star Motoring