Car Shopping…. who holds the purse strings?

Did you know women buy more cars than men???

Yup, it’s true.  Women directly purchase about 54% of all vehicles, and they influence the purchase of 84%.  If you put two and two together, that’s quite a lot of buying power.  (And yes, I realize I just stated the obvious.)

So what do they buy and how do the sexes differ in their buying process?

Well, for starters, the purchase motivators are distinctly different.  Looking at what tops the list, for women it’s safety, and for men it’s performance.  Their needs, desires, and priorities differ, as well as their reason(s) for purchase. Therefore, the buying process is different.  Ahem, [car] salesmen…correction, sales “people”, please take note.

I’ve seen many lists as far as which cars women buy vs. men, and they vary depending on the source.  However, the general conclusion across the board is that women favor SUVs, crossovers and compact sedans, while men have a preference for trucks and sports cars.  Again– this is a generalization– exclusions may apply, yours truly included.  (I prefer sports cars myself, but that’s neither here nor there.)

Delving further into the difference when it comes to car shopping, one will see that women tend to be more economical and pragmatic. Again– we already stated that safety is their number one purchase motivator.

Now let’s take a look at the process in terms of being at a car dealership.  Women, hands down, ask more questions.  They want to know everything. (I think perhaps I fit that stereotype…maybe.)  And they want to feel happy, satisfied and content with their purchase.  Men, on the other hand, revel at the game.  They take pride in getting a good deal, and they definitely don’t ask as many questions.  Men tend to rely on what they [assume] they know.  Could that be an ego thing??? Just sayin’….

Women complain that they’re intimidated by the whole car buying process– specifically when it comes to walking into a dealership.  They dread it.  Sometimes they’re ignored.  Having conducted my own recent survey, I garnered the same findings.  Not one female did I speak with state that she had a “fabulous” time buying her car.  In fact, in one instance, a lady told me she was initially excited, got home, and then started having buyers’ remorse, contemplating whether or not she got a good deal on her new vehicle.  Interestingly enough, 9 out of 10 car salespeople are men.  Perhaps that has something to do with it?

The evolution of the internet is definitely making things easier for car shoppers— both men and women, and shifting the process. Before the internet, women used to visit 5 to 7 dealerships before deciding on one.  Nowadays, most visit just one store.  That being said, there’s still room for improvement as evident by the discontent of people’s experiences.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with two powerful and interesting findings.  First off, more women have a driver’s license than men– 1.4 MILLION to be exact!  So basically more women can [legally] drive than men.  And secondly, women spend $300 BILLION on cars annually!!!  Now THAT is quite a compelling number, wouldn’t you say?  Maybe car dealerships should be figuring out how to cater to them a bit more…..