Girly cars

When I was in high school I bought a 94’ Firebird and after that I realized the majority of the owners of the 4th generation Camaros and Firebirds were women. I don’t think this holds true for any other years, but for some reason it does for 93’-2002

I just heard that Volkswagen is no longer going to make the Beetle. If it’s the 2nd best selling car in the female demographic, why they are dropping it?

GURU: It isn’t the second best selling car, but rather the car with the second greatest difference between female and male buyers. It might be that they sell 3, 2 to women and 1 to men.

Another split rear window:

I see a lot of Priuses and more & more Smart Fourtwos and they’re all driven by men.

But, we’ve forgotten the Girly Trucks and who drive them.

Got it.

hhmmm, it would appear I drive a woman’s car. Don’t look, my mangina is showing :wink:

The one thing im realizing is left out of this list is the cars that are driven by 16-24 year old women that are registered/insured in their parents name. In which case this list will be filled with pontiac sunfire, chevy cavalier, and pontiac g6/grand am… at least thats the case in michigan!

i have never noticed this. maybe its because i live in Michigan but the 4th gens are at least 10 to 1 male to female that i have noticed (i have a 99 camaro, so i always notice other 4th gens on the road).

I noticed the streets here have flooded with these, and they’re all driven by young women.

Seems small and cheap is the way to go, but not as small as a smart or toyota IQ. Most seem to have 5 doors although 3 door versions are there cheaper.

Is that Aygo the Euro version of the Yaris?

No we have Yaris as well. Aygo is smaller. And then there’s the even smaller IQ. They are more common than you would expect (I see a couple each week) but those I posted are everywhere. I think Toyota is running some sort of funky subscription-deal on Aygos. You pay an amount each month and you’re covered for everything except gas.

Hideous IQ

The Aygo is a much cooler design than the Yaris. The Yaris looks like Tupperware. It’s just too plain. I like all of the grooves and curves of the Aygo. It has more visual interest, you know? It might be good for a road trip. You just can’t beat that gas mileage, you know?

www.hccmis.com

I just remember my first car dad gave me. Didn’t realize that for others its a girly car. lol!
But I really enjoyed that car of mine. It really has great benz parts performance.

Top 10 NA cars for women. Tops is the Volvo S40. Beetle only powers its way to 4th.

Design wise the list is obvious except the Volvo and Jeep. Volvo looks sharp and refined, the Jeep looks agressive.
All others are rounder, friendlier and more bland.

So Volvo = Safety to a lot of people, and Jeep just looks safe/comfortable because of the size?

I actually read an article on the psychology of aesthetic attraction awhile back. Wish I kept it. The 30 second recap was that women are visual attracted to forms that remind them of what may be associated with “male” physique and desirable traits (think SUVs, things that look strong, solid, reliable, so Jeep and Volvo fit) and men tend to be attracted to female associations (think the curves of a Corvette, Shelby Cobra or Ferrari, even a lot of muscle cars have hips and curves within the overall blockyness, like the Camarro or the rear wheel bulges on a Mustang).

The interesting thing is when the test switched from sight to smell the attributes flipped. Women often preferred smelling female perfumes, and men preferred smelling male colognes. The article suggested that men should wear perfume and women should wear cologne to attract the opposite sex… again, wish I had the article.

Great thread - how to get into the minds of women when designing transportation they might buy;

  1. soft forms for friendliness/interaction, hard forms if meant to convey seriousness/durability,
  2. expanded color palette,
  3. safety, safety, safety
  4. economy minded but with lots of style,
  5. automatic everything,
  6. as un-intimidating as possible for any DIY interaction (operate stereo, move mirrors, windows and seats, operate HVAC, fill windshield washer…and if they’re brave and independent; add oil),
  7. and something few have attempted (think of the vase on the dash of the previous new beetle) - provide ability to customize the ‘living’ environment within the vehicle and
  8. value for price.

And even then, with the optimum combo of all those attributes, the end product might only grab maybe 50-60% of women…because they’re so darn complex and men tend to influence purchase decisions for many married couples (even if the woman is identified as the primary purchaser) :wink:

I notice Volvo and BMW capture a good bit of the higher-income single female demographic while Mazda and VW seem to grab a good bit of the lower-income single female demographic. I think the ratio slides more toward Toyota, Hyundai and Honda for married females, as value and ‘intent to save for the kids’ topples the need for style and fashion. (kind of equivalent to those Mom-haircuts my wife always points out).

I’m much easier, my cars must have a manual tranny (I flew 1200 miles to get one recently), must have lots of horsepower, must be refined in brand, design & handling, must do what they’re intended for REALLY well, must be easy to work on and must have that awesome smell of leather when you open the door!

Women are sited as the primary influencers in many couple’s decisions, including car buying decisions. Also, assuming worsen like softer forms is also a philosophy past it’s expiration. Women are not a solitary block of purchasers. It is not a consumer persona or segment. What types woman? What is important to her? What are the influences in her life. Who are the other people important to her in her life she is also considering in this decision? Is this a personal choice or something that will be shared by her family? It is MUCH more dimensional.

Way off.