Top cars: Men vs. Women - TriStateTuners.com :: Home of Tristate Auto Enthusiast

slavetothemuzic · 06-07-2005, 10:54 AM

When it comes to cars, it's easy to figure out what men are after. It's women who are complicated.

June 7, 2005; Posted: 10:35 a.m. EDT (1435 GMT)
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN/Money staff writer

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - A look at marketing data showing which cars men prefer and which ones women like revealed something I'd long suspected.

While men may, indeed, be from Mars, women are from someplace much more complex and difficult to figure out. Maybe Boston.

The figures, supplied by NOP World, a market research firm, show specific car models and an index number representing how many men -- or women -- intend to buy that car and no other compared to the percentage of their gender-mates who intend to buy the average car.

The most striking thing about NOP's data is how easy it is to figure out what guys want.

The Porsche 911 -- the most overwhelmingly male passenger car -- has an "Index Male to Total" of 214.3, for example. That's more than double the average. The car's "Index Female to Total," on the other hand, is just 14.3.

It's surprising the 911 doesn't grow hair on its hood and eat Kispy Kreme for breakfast.

Other cars at the top of the masculinity dial include the exotic Ford GT supercar, Maserati Spyder, Jaguar XK8 sports car and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

You get the idea: If it's very fast, awfully fast, terribly fast or way, way too fast, guys like it. Also, they tend to be expensive.

The one common trait among cars that women like is that they are not expensive.

The most womanly car, with a "Female" index of 200, is the yet-unreleased Pontiac G6 convertible. (You go, Oprah! Plus, it's a convertible.)

Actually, the G6 has a wide lead in the "girl car" category. The closest other passenger cars are the Suzuki Forenza with an index of 150 and the Volkswagen New Beetle with an index of 147.6.

How do women decide which cars to buy?

"If you picture a fraction with cost as the numerator then, as the denominator, you have things like reliability, performance..." said Doug Scott, NOP World's automotive analyst.

He went on with a long list of factors.

To sum it up, women add up the good things, subtract the bad things, then compare the result with the cost of the car. Then they think carefully about the result.

Men, it seems, just add stuff up then wonder if they can afford it without having to switch to domestic beer.

If a typical male mind -- take mine, since I'm evidently not doing much with it -- were expanded to the size of the United States of America, that portion of the mind dedicated to responding to the word "enough" would be the size of a bumper pool table in a New Jersey bar.

That portion of the brain dedicated to responding to the word "more," on the other hand, would occupy everything west of the Rockies, including Hawaii and the territories of American Samoa and Guam.

That is why the Mustang GT has four headlights. Not because men want more headlights, but because those two extra headlights -- Ford calls them "fog lights" but, really, they're headlights -- are only available on the V8-powered Mustang GT.

The male driver of a V6-powered Mustang, with its 210-horsepower engine, clearly has "enough" power. Probably more than enough.

But when stopped at a red light next to a four-lighted 300-horsepower Mustang GT it is immediately obvious to everyone that the other driver has "more."

This is the same reason that Dodge has greatly increased the size of the "Hemi" badge on its cars for the 2006 model year. The larger badge makes it very easy to see, at some distance, who has "more."

Dodge has stated outright that it designs and markets cars for men. So it has given us the Dodge Magnum, a muscle-car station wagon. It has also given us the new Dodge Charger, a muscle-car family sedan with four doors, roomy back seats and a nice trunk.

Clever, those Dodge boys. Clearly, they understand that, even though they are marketing cars to men, most men don't just go out and buy cars on their own. They still have to get the thumbs-up from someone else. Someone who knows what a "numerator" is and how to use it.

Women. Always making stuff complicated.

Top 10 cars for men

1. Porsche 911 coupe, $70,095 - $193,765

2. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, $28,504 - $35,274

3. Ford GT, $143,345

4. Volkswagen Phaeton, $68,905 - $104,455

5. BMW 6-series convertible, $76,900

6. Jaguar XK8 coupe, $69,830

7. Maserati Spyder, $92,302 - $96,465

8. Mercedes CL, $96,720 - $132,320

9. BMW 6-series coupe, $69,900

10. Porsche 911 convertible, $79,895 - $141,995

Top 10 cars for women

1. Pontiac G6 convertible, (Not yet available)

2. Suzuki Forenza, $13,994 - $18,494

3. Volkswagen New Beetle convertible, $22,940 - $27,100

4. Volkswagen New Beetle, $17,185 - $27,100

6. Pontiac Sunfire coupe, $11,460 - $15,770

7. Volvo XC70, $36,080

8. Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible, $25,744 - $31,544

9. Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible, $20,045 - $29,120

10. Kia Rio sedan, $10,535 - $13,065

Source

chrism · 06-07-2005, 11:00 AM

i know i bought my car out of sheer ego!.....but ofcourse had to get the wife's permission first....

MuddyREX · 06-07-2005, 11:04 AM

Pontiac G6.......WTF.

97TSi · 06-07-2005, 11:16 AM

I find it funny that the EVO is above the GT.

ps - I don't see an STi on that list

wait, sorry, OT

2k5_tC · 06-07-2005, 11:37 AM

wtf! i definitely am not in that list with those other women where's that emoticon of someone barfing when you need it?

wrx_snobordr · 06-07-2005, 11:46 AM

PT Cruiser convertible and the kia rio?????

:thumbdow:

What women did they talk to!?!?!?

Twin_Cam · 06-07-2005, 12:37 PM

What could possibly be more manly than a 427 Cobra? Nothing. Why is it not on that list? And Miata isn't under chick cars? Chicks can't get enough of the Miata. That list is really bad.

slavetothemuzic · 06-07-2005, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrx_snobordr

What women did they talk to!?!?!?

I'm assuming average women and not auto enthusiasts.

slavetothemuzic · 06-07-2005, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twin_Cam

What could possibly be more manly than a 427 Cobra?

Eh...I don't consider the Cobra the "most manly" car ever. I'd have to go with a 69 camaro rs/ss for that title. Of course that is based on combination looks/power, not just one or the other, and certainly not at all on handling. lol

SexyDSM95 · 06-07-2005, 01:43 PM

Wow women suck....I know my top pick would be a nice Evo or Poopra. Sure the Porsche...but a 911. An Aston Martin just to say I have one though...

slavetothemuzic · 06-07-2005, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SexyDSM95

Wow women suck....I know my top pick would be a nice Evo or Poopra. Sure the Porsche...but a 911. An Aston Martin just to say I have one though...

The poopra would be a great choice. One of my favorites. I respect Porsches, but I can't realy say I "want" one.

And the EVO is definitely #1 on my list for handling/power. Maybe for my next car...who knows.

xEJ20x · 06-07-2005, 02:06 PM

Why am I not seeing Saleen S281 on there!

xEJ20x · 06-07-2005, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slavetothemuzic

Women. Always making stuff complicated.

Words of wisdom Lloydd. Words - of - wisdom.

slavetothemuzic · 06-07-2005, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xEJ20x

Quote:

Originally Posted by slavetothemuzic

Women. Always making stuff complicated.

Words of wisdom Lloydd. Words - of - wisdom.

Stop trying to get me in trouble. It was the writer that said it.

Aaron · 06-07-2005, 02:33 PM

Oprah is like Hitler in many, many ways.

SexyDSM95 · 06-07-2005, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron

Oprah is like Hitler in many, many ways.

I think her and Dr. Phil get it on...seriously

But yea women are stupid, I agree...

wrx_snobordr · 06-07-2005, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slavetothemuzic

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrx_snobordr

What women did they talk to!?!?!?

I'm assuming average women and not auto enthusiasts.

sounds more like they talked to a group of woman who work at mcdonalds.... Seriously, every girl i know into cars or not has a car they think is "cute" and want. Nowhere do you see a girl who has a choice driving many of the cars on that list. I smell some funny business, it kinda looks like those car companies paid those people to put their cars on the list. alot of the cars on that list are the companies poor sellers.I mean think about it, if they arent "car girls" then how do they know about the pontiac g6, **** i consider myself a car guy and i barley now what the deal is with that car. People who dont know or care about cars learn about them AFTER they come out.

the mike · 06-07-2005, 07:04 PM

heh, the #2 car...

Aaron · 06-07-2005, 07:07 PM

Keep gloating while you can, traitor :P

This only goes to prove that the eclipse is, in fact, a chic car

slavetothemuzic · 06-07-2005, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrx_snobordr

sounds more like they talked to a group of woman who work at mcdonalds.... Seriously, every girl i know into cars or not has a car they think is "cute" and want.

I know my g/f doesn't want/care about "cute". She just wants reliable and economical. True, she isn't representative of all women, but I guess it was women like her who were talked to.

06-07-2005, 11:16 AM	#4
97TSi Tri-State Addict Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Haddon Heights, NJ (SJ) Member #150 iTrader: (0)	I find it funny that the EVO is above the GT. ps - I don't see an STi on that list wait, sorry, OT __________________ -Nick 97 TSi B16G FactoryRemoved.com

06-07-2005, 11:37 AM	#5
2k5_tC Tri-State Aficionado Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Feasterville, PA Member #364 My Ride: 2005 Scion tC iTrader: (0)	wtf! i definitely am not in that list with those other women where's that emoticon of someone barfing when you need it? __________________ Kristen To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 signatures. - My MySpace

06-07-2005, 11:46 AM	#6
wrx_snobordr Tri-State Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Member #21 iTrader: (1)	PT Cruiser convertible and the kia rio????? :thumbdow: What women did they talk to!?!?!? __________________ Stock

06-07-2005, 12:37 PM	#7
Twin_Cam Tri-State Addict Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Lebanon Valley College, Annville, PA Member #288 iTrader: (0)	What could possibly be more manly than a 427 Cobra? Nothing. Why is it not on that list? And Miata isn't under chick cars? Chicks can't get enough of the Miata. That list is really bad. __________________ Jeff '00 Saturn SL2m- slowest car on TST

06-07-2005, 02:06 PM	#12
xEJ20x Tri-State Post Whore Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: South Jersey Member #72 My Ride: 13 STI iTrader: (3)	Why am I not seeing Saleen S281 on there! __________________ Nothing to see here.

06-07-2005, 10:54 AM	#1
slavetothemuzic Tri-State Addict Join Date: May 2005 Location: Vancouver, WA. Member #421 My Ride: 1991 Nissan 240SX SE Fastback iTrader: (0)	Top cars: Men vs. Women When it comes to cars, it's easy to figure out what men are after. It's women who are complicated. June 7, 2005; Posted: 10:35 a.m. EDT (1435 GMT) By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN/Money staff writer NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - A look at marketing data showing which cars men prefer and which ones women like revealed something I'd long suspected. While men may, indeed, be from Mars, women are from someplace much more complex and difficult to figure out. Maybe Boston. The figures, supplied by NOP World, a market research firm, show specific car models and an index number representing how many men -- or women -- intend to buy that car and no other compared to the percentage of their gender-mates who intend to buy the average car. The most striking thing about NOP's data is how easy it is to figure out what guys want. The Porsche 911 -- the most overwhelmingly male passenger car -- has an "Index Male to Total" of 214.3, for example. That's more than double the average. The car's "Index Female to Total," on the other hand, is just 14.3. It's surprising the 911 doesn't grow hair on its hood and eat Kispy Kreme for breakfast. Other cars at the top of the masculinity dial include the exotic Ford GT supercar, Maserati Spyder, Jaguar XK8 sports car and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. You get the idea: If it's very fast, awfully fast, terribly fast or way, way too fast, guys like it. Also, they tend to be expensive. The one common trait among cars that women like is that they are not expensive. The most womanly car, with a "Female" index of 200, is the yet-unreleased Pontiac G6 convertible. (You go, Oprah! Plus, it's a convertible.) Actually, the G6 has a wide lead in the "girl car" category. The closest other passenger cars are the Suzuki Forenza with an index of 150 and the Volkswagen New Beetle with an index of 147.6. How do women decide which cars to buy? "If you picture a fraction with cost as the numerator then, as the denominator, you have things like reliability, performance..." said Doug Scott, NOP World's automotive analyst. He went on with a long list of factors. To sum it up, women add up the good things, subtract the bad things, then compare the result with the cost of the car. Then they think carefully about the result. Men, it seems, just add stuff up then wonder if they can afford it without having to switch to domestic beer. If a typical male mind -- take mine, since I'm evidently not doing much with it -- were expanded to the size of the United States of America, that portion of the mind dedicated to responding to the word "enough" would be the size of a bumper pool table in a New Jersey bar. That portion of the brain dedicated to responding to the word "more," on the other hand, would occupy everything west of the Rockies, including Hawaii and the territories of American Samoa and Guam. That is why the Mustang GT has four headlights. Not because men want more headlights, but because those two extra headlights -- Ford calls them "fog lights" but, really, they're headlights -- are only available on the V8-powered Mustang GT. The male driver of a V6-powered Mustang, with its 210-horsepower engine, clearly has "enough" power. Probably more than enough. But when stopped at a red light next to a four-lighted 300-horsepower Mustang GT it is immediately obvious to everyone that the other driver has "more." This is the same reason that Dodge has greatly increased the size of the "Hemi" badge on its cars for the 2006 model year. The larger badge makes it very easy to see, at some distance, who has "more." Dodge has stated outright that it designs and markets cars for men. So it has given us the Dodge Magnum, a muscle-car station wagon. It has also given us the new Dodge Charger, a muscle-car family sedan with four doors, roomy back seats and a nice trunk. Clever, those Dodge boys. Clearly, they understand that, even though they are marketing cars to men, most men don't just go out and buy cars on their own. They still have to get the thumbs-up from someone else. Someone who knows what a "numerator" is and how to use it. Women. Always making stuff complicated. Top 10 cars for men 1. Porsche 911 coupe, $70,095 - $193,765 2. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, $28,504 - $35,274 3. Ford GT, $143,345 4. Volkswagen Phaeton, $68,905 - $104,455 5. BMW 6-series convertible, $76,900 6. Jaguar XK8 coupe, $69,830 7. Maserati Spyder, $92,302 - $96,465 8. Mercedes CL, $96,720 - $132,320 9. BMW 6-series coupe, $69,900 10. Porsche 911 convertible, $79,895 - $141,995 Top 10 cars for women 1. Pontiac G6 convertible, (Not yet available) 2. Suzuki Forenza, $13,994 - $18,494 3. Volkswagen New Beetle convertible, $22,940 - $27,100 4. Volkswagen New Beetle, $17,185 - $27,100 6. Pontiac Sunfire coupe, $11,460 - $15,770 7. Volvo XC70, $36,080 8. Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible, $25,744 - $31,544 9. Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible, $20,045 - $29,120 10. Kia Rio sedan, $10,535 - $13,065 Source __________________ "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell

06-07-2005, 11:00 AM	#2
chrism Tri-State Aficionado Join Date: May 2005 Member #492 iTrader: (0)	i know i bought my car out of sheer ego!.....but ofcourse had to get the wife's permission first.... __________________ 04 VR GT 6MT Clear Corners, B & B catback, rotary extreme intake, ms oil cap, rotary accents, strakes, rotary valve caps, burnout lip, oem skirts, satin fuel door

06-07-2005, 11:04 AM	#3
MuddyREX Tri-State Post Whore Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Perkasie, PA Member #82 My Ride: 02 Subaru WRX iTrader: (4)	Pontiac G6.......WTF.

06-07-2005, 01:43 PM	#10
SexyDSM95 Tri-State Post Whore Banned Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Glenside, PA Member #188 iTrader: (1)	Wow women suck....I know my top pick would be a nice Evo or Poopra. Sure the Porsche...but a 911. An Aston Martin just to say I have one though...

06-07-2005, 02:33 PM	#15
Aaron Tri-State Addict Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Yardley, S. Jersey Member #185 iTrader: (0)	Oprah is like Hitler in many, many ways. __________________ Grape Kool-Aid.

06-07-2005, 07:04 PM	#18
the mike TST Ruined My Life! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: 08075 Member #19 My Ride: 1991 Toyota Previa!!! iTrader: (1)	heh, the #2 car... __________________ My speed is only limited by my grip. Offramp Touge.

06-07-2005, 07:07 PM	#19
Aaron Tri-State Addict Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Yardley, S. Jersey Member #185 iTrader: (0)	Keep gloating while you can, traitor :P This only goes to prove that the eclipse is, in fact, a chic car __________________ Grape Kool-Aid.

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