Women At Wheel: What Women Want While Buying A Car

The moment a woman sets foot onto a dealership premise, she is mostly always met with looks of confusion or contempt from sales assistants. That is because women are presumed to know nothing about automobiles except for the colour and ‘where to keep the purse’. But on the contrary, women are more often than not, the ones making or influencing decisions regarding such purchases. Women are rapidly gaining prominence in the automobile segment, with female customers emerging as one of the fastest growing auto buying segments across the globe. In fact, cars have been regarded as the second major purchase that a woman goes for, after buying a home.

While men usually visit the store, sift through cars, and opt for test drives to compare and make a decision; women tend to research well before going to the store, strike an insightful conversation followed by a test drive and eventually, make a well-assessed choice.Even though each woman has her own unique set of requirements and desires when it comes to buying a car, here are some generalities that they usually look for:

Safety

Safety is one of the foremost concerns that women want an addressal of when it comes to deciding on a car to purchase. Women are willing to even pay a little more if the features provide better assurance of safety, as against one that does not. They research well about the safety ratings and make it a point to go behind the wheel before deciding on a car to purchase. Contrary to the general perception, any car that looks good but does not feel safe enough is a definite no-go for a woman!

Performance

Women are well-aware of the fact that performance is the deciding factor of an easier, smoother and more fun driving experience. They do not just want their cars to have power for bragging purposes, but genuinely regard performance and reliability as major deciding factors. Be it the performance, power, durability or fuel efficiency, women take into consideration all of these just as significantly.

Value for money

Value for money is a necessity for women in such decisions. If the car is worth it, they do not mind spending some extra money on the purchase. Even when it comes to purchasing a pre-owned model, women usually prefer dealerships that are upfront about the price estimates and do not over quote unnecessarily. In such cases, they are more likely to buy a car that falls within their budget, and has flexible payment plans and suitable car financing options. In fact, these reasons have led to women being considered as more rational buyers than men who tend to act impulsively during such situations!

Features

These days, cars are equipped with loads of attractive and useful features that have been enhancing the experience as well as comfort for customers. Women around the world are now well-acquainted with amenities like automatic transmission, GPS navigation, anti-lock braking system, rear parking camera, run flat tyres, and cruise control, among others. Therefore, women zero in on a car upon an in-depth research of and real-time scrutiny of their desired features, instead of just the exterior!

Style

It goes without saying, but style is among the major deciding factors for women when it comes to an automobile purchase. In order to make an informed decision, women seek to know not just about safety, cost-effectiveness, features, and performances, but also car models and colours. After all, if it does not seem stylish, it is not worth it! For women, the car is often a reflection of who they are. Be it the design, the dashboard finish, the legroom and an overall comfort, these factors play an integral role in decision-making for a woman when it comes to buy a car.

Dealers’ credibility

Women are very particular about the dealers’ credibility and the reputation they hold when it comes to an automobile purchase. Women tend to research well, going through fellow customers’ reviews about the dealer experience available online, before visiting the store in person. Moreover, they tend to consciously avoid making a purchase from a store where advisors do not lend them an ear but go about harping on their own. Women look for an empowering dealership experience where their voice is duly. This also helps build trust, leading to the dealership earning their trust, loyalty, and ultimately, the purchase. In fact, it has been found that trust is the no. 1 factor that women consider when buying from a dealership!Therefore, women believe in distinguishing between dealerships not just on price but also on respect and reliance. 

Best trade

In certain cases, women may be looking for trade options wherein they could sell off their previously owned car to finance the one they want to buy. For this, they might research about and visit dealership that offer the most viable trade-in-value options. In such a scenario, women might also want to have a level-headed negotiation with the dealers for the best value of trade-in, the package prices, dealer fees, and interest rate on financing, etc.

Women across the globe are relentlessly breaking stereotypes questioning their skills when it comes to buying or driving a car. This has brought about a paradigm shift in the automobile industry which has historically been male-centric. Through such well-informed decisions and flair behind the wheel, women are successfully bringing about a change in the general outlook with such élan!