BMW Z4
There is something exhilarating about driving behind the wheel of one of today’s luxury vehicles. But, what is it about the Lamborghini Gallardo or the Ferrari F430 that appeals so viscerally to men? And why do women long for the Volvo V70 or the BMW Z4? Whether it is the high-tech features on the inside or the slick, cool exterior of the outside, men and women buy cars for very different reasons.
According to a national survey by CNW Marketing Research and published by Forbesautos.com, women prefer subtlety, sophistication and safety, while men want the flashiest, priciest, most muscular vehicles on the road. CNW conducted more than 15,000 phone surveys during 2006 on a range of topics about car buying and ownership to determine the top ten luxury cars driven by men and women.1
Three of the top ten luxury cars driven by women in the survey were the Volvo S60, V70 and C70. Paul Anecharico, Sales Manager of Bill Kidd Toyota/Volvo says, “Safety is the top priority for people who are thinking about buying a car. A lot of people have been in an accident and they realize how quickly it can happen, so they want to be in the safest car possible if it ever happens again.”
Women not only value safety but attention to detail is very important on the interior; on all of the key driving interfaces such as the gauges, shifter area, steering wheel, and seats. Women also seem to have more practical reasons than men when it comes to buying cars.
Volvo V70
I’ll give you an example of the differences in some of the local buying trends between men and women. The Lexus LS460 is a luxury vehicle that sells 73 percent male, because it’s a big car with a lot of horsepower. The Lexus RX350 is a smaller sport utility vehicle that sells 63 percent female because it has a car-like ride and women really like the reliability of this car. A lot of buying choices depend on where people are in their lives, how many kids they have and if they have little kids, teenagers, or no kids at home,” says Jimmy Berg, Vice President, Len Stoler, Inc.
Men have a much different need in their car purchasing desires. Subconsciously, a lot of men identify themselves with their cars and therefore, have a deeper emotional connection to their choices.“Men don’t seem to be basing their decisions on practicality; their choices are pretty testosterone-based,” says Art Spinella, president of CNW. 2
With a V12 engine that goes from zero to sixty in less than five seconds, the Maybach 57/62 ranks number one on the top ten luxury cars driven by men in 2006 according to the CNW survey. Other top sellers on the men’s list include the Hummer H1 and H2 and the Mercedes-Benz GL and G series.
Though nationally, the GL series made the top ten list of luxury cars for men, locally, Rick Astarita, general manager of R&H Mercedes says that “approximately 70 percent of the Mercedes-Benz GL-class cars are driven by females. The GL is our only vehicle that is a seven-passenger full-size sports utility vehicle (SUV). The majority of our clients are mothers with children and that’s what they need.”
Luxury cars for men and women come down to personal choice. The car reflects the person and individual needs; for the most part women tend to go for style and safety while men chose speed and precision. At the end of the day, luxury is wrapped up in one fast, beautiful, very expensive package.
Top 10 Luxury Cars For Women
(1) BMW Z4 (2) Audi A3 (3) Volvo S60 (4) Volvo V70 and C70 (5) Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ
(6) Volvo S40 (7) Audi A6 (8) Land Rover Sport (9) Cadillac SRX (10) Lexus IS
Top 10 Luxury Cars For Men
(1) Myabach 57 and 62 (2) Hummer H1 (3) Mercedes-Benz GL-class (4) Rolls-Royce Phantom
(5) Ferrari F430 (6) Lamborghini Gallardo (7) Hummer H2 (8) Mercedes-Benz G-class
9) Pontiac GTO (10) Volkswagen Phaeton
*Top 10 vehicles with highest percentage of male and female primary drivers based on CNW Marketing Research survey data published by forbesautos.com. The list does not account for yearly vehicle sales volumes. CNW conducted more than 15,000 phone surveys during 2006 on a range of topics about car buying and ownership. Vehicles below $30,000 were excluded.
Contacts:
Len Stoler Lexus: lenstolerlexus.com or 410-581-7000
Bill Kidd Toyota/Volvo: gettoyota.com/Timonium or 410-666-8900
R&H Toyota: rhtoyota.com or 410-363-3900
1 Milioti, Stephen “Style and Substance: Top 10 Luxury Cars Driven by Women,” forbesautos.com.
2 Milioti, Stephen “Macho Movers: Top 10 Cars Driven by Men,” forbesautos.com.
