Women Don't Like Buying Cars Made In Detroit

[FarCenter]

The bad news for the Big Three is that roughly 39 percent of new cars sold are sold to women — a figure that's ticking up about half a percentage point each year. (Among minority shoppers, the number creeps closer to 50 percent.) And even when a man's name appears on a vehicle's registration, there's a good chance that a woman had a hand in picking out the car: women influence 80 percent of today's auto purchases.

Making things worse is the fact that more women in the U.S. have driver's licenses than men. And that trend doesn't show any sign of reversing.

Research firm R.L. Polk recently looked at sales data to determine which brands were popular among female shoppers. The top spot went to MINI, which sells nearly 49 percent of its cars to women. Kia, Nissan, Honda, and Fiat rounded out the top five.

No domestic automaker broke the top ten, and only Buick fared better than the industry average. (To be fair, some brands like Ford are at a disadvantage on surveys like this because they sell huge volumes of pickup trucks, which are disproportionately favored by men. However, even with truck sales factored out of the equation, Detroit still trails its foreign rivals in selling to female shoppers.)

http://www.businessinsider.com/women-buying-cars-from-detroit-2013-3

[kairos12]

1. Perhaps women have not so fond memories of...

the Pacer, the Gremlin, and the Pinto.

[Matariki]

21. '74 Pinto! My first car!

Riding in a '74 Pinto talking shit with The Devil!

[LWolf]

32. I had a Pinto in the 70s.

I also had a '69 Cougar. I loved the Cougar, even though it overheated, the windows wouldn't stay on track, and the front end wouldn't stay aligned.

The Pinto? About 2 months after I had major engine work done to keep it on the road, it broke down 3 miles from home and never started again. I hauled my toddler and infant and diaper bag and purse all 3 miles home. No such thing as cell phones then, and there weren't any payphones in between the car and home.

[LibertyLover]

38. A Gremlin was my first car and I loved that

vehicle. My husband had one as well and we talk about one day buying an old Gremlin and restoring it. They weren't bad cars at all, you could get a ton of stuff in them, they rode and drove well and they were built like tanks. I got t-boned in an intersection by a car gunning out of a side street. The driver's side door took the brunt of the impact and crumpled some and that was it.

[Lex]

2. Do they even try to market their cars to women?

I honestly can't recall. It seems like endless Ford and Chevy truck commercials.

[politicat]

6. Not that I've noticed, but not a TV watcher.

I've seen a few car ads on various webcasts, where they are really targeting me, but never a Detroit ad. Lots of Nissan, Honda, Kia.

[JI7]

10. aren't a lot of the ads about how manly men those cars would make one feel

?

or am i confusing with beer ads ?

[Egalitarian Thug]

63. And just look at them. Angry masculine front ends, square, blocky without a curve to be found.

Detroit is still run by the same assholes that ruined it before.

I'm a man and even I don't like the ugly aggression the new Detroit clunkers display.

[politicat]

3. Warranty, warranty, warranty.

Detroit still hasn't picked up on the fact that their machines are good for 48 to 60k miles. A 3/36k warranty will run out before the payments are finished.

Improve the warranties and so will sales.

[Initech]

19. Another thing they don't take into account: depreciation.

American cars - especially lower end Chrysler and Chevrolet models - depreciate extremely quickly over their Japanese and Korean counterparts. The reason? The rental car companies buy - say Chrysler 200 and Chevrolet Malibu models in bulk because they're inexpensive and can rent them out as new cars at a much higher rate than normal cars. Then they quickly turn around and sell them to recoup the loss. The result - more of these models available for sale, the less yours will resell for. I don't really see Ford in this area but that doesn't mean that Avis and Enterprise don't buy them in bulk as well.

[enlightenment]

4. The marketing I recall seems to be aimed at couples or men, not women.

I think size matters, too - US cars tend to be larger; even the "compacts" are bigger than international brands. A friend recently bought a Chevy Sonic hatchback; I was really surprised how much bigger - bulkier and actually longer and wider -it was compared to my Scion XD (which holds just as much and has a similar safety rating).

I remember when they started marketing SUVs to women with the "you'll be safer in a bigger vehicle" line. I guess they still go with that idea.

[raging moderate]

5. Hey, Detroit! Make a mini-station wagon, and I will buy it!

I love my old Saturn mini-wagon! And I loved the Chevrolet Cavalier mini-wagon I had many years ago! Please listen to busy women, Detroit! We need small, fuel-efficient, road-hugging, easily maneuvered cars with cargo space. If you build it, we will come to buy it!

[KittyWampus]

15. I miss station wagons. They are my prefer car build.

[Freddie]

27. Yep! Loved my Escort wagon

Reliable, practical and comfortable for a fairly short person. Gave it to my son-in-law who uses it for his painting business; plenty of room for ladder, paint, buckets, etc.

[Nay]

31. I had a Subaru mini-wagon and I LOVED that thing! I had plenty of space in the back to carry

my yard sale finds and whatever else might be needed for kids/grandkids, etc. I even hauled plywood and 2x4s in it. A very useful vehicle.

[kentauros]

36. Reminds me of the 1988 VW Fox Wagon I used to own.

(not my car, just the same model and color by the looks of it)



One time I managed to get a full-sized drafting table in the back! The base was disassembled, but the 4'x6' board couldn't be. No problem getting it all in there

I miss that car...

[we can do it]

54. Me too, but I will only drive stick shift. I was told at 2 GM dealerships "Nobody drives a stick".

(I was their in my manual transmission Z24.) So this nobody took her business elsewhere, got a much safer, more solid Subaru who will have my business from now on.

[annabanana]

57. How about a mini-suv? I just got a

C-max hybrid in Easter Egg blue and I love it!

[Control-Z]

7. Both my daughters love

and have been touting MINI for years. We now own one.

[LibertyLover]

41. I drive a Mini Cooper S now too

and while I love that car for its handling and responsiveness, having to use premium gas is not fun. Nor is my Mini good on bad roads, which lately are all we have around where I live. I've had to have a strut boot replaced and now the car is making the same noise only 6 months after the repair. And now with 2 large dogs and a kid going into middle school, the Cooper S just doesn't cut it in terms of space. I had thought about buying the Mini Countryman in a year or so to replace my Cooper S, but reviews of it suggest that it is made poorly and not a very good car at all. Back to the drawing board.

[snooper2]

8. cars are usually designed for men...

I doubt the percentages have changed much over the last 60 years---


Would you like a 4 door Coronet with a 318 or a 2 door Duster with a 360

[Marie Marie]

9. This woman has always bought American cars - out of principle.

[Lugnut]

17. I drive a Buick.

My daughter drives a Pontiac. Go figure.

[UtahLib]

11. I'll be driving my Saturn Vue until it falls apart. Buy America Always! n/t

[Starry Messenger]

12. I'm hanging onto my Ford Ranger.

I'd like to get back into a station wagon, a Saturn, but it would have to be used, because they stopped making them. For some reason they were kind of expensive here even used, the last time I looked.

[OhioChick]

13. This woman only buys cars made in Detroit n/t

[kiva]

14. I'm a woman and my last four cars have been American.

Well, it would have been three except that my last car was mangled when someone made an illegal turn in front of me. It was a 6 month old Chevy Sonic. Totaled. I got a scratch on my hand, a bruise on my shoulder from the seat belt, and a bruised shin - the medic said my knee would have been injured but the leg airbag protected it.

So, having walked away from a wreck that totaled my car with a few bruises, what did I buy? Another Chevy, of course.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

16. I'm used to Japanese cars.

Owned three of them over the last 35 years.
I like small/medium four doors like the Mazda 626. I'm small and feel comfortable driving that size car.

I think I would feel insecure in a Mini Cooper or a smart car.

For my next car I would like something small but raised higher up so I could see the traffic better.

[JDPriestly]

18. I want a small car. I drive a Honda.

I don't have the money to buy a new car so I probably don't count anyway.

[get the red out]

26. Yep, small car

That isn't super expensive but gets great gas mileage. I wanted a hybrid last time I got a car and American hybrids were way out of my price range. Honda Insight for me. I wanted to buy American but the American companies didn't have what I wanted in a small car.

[Knightraven]

20. For my lifestyle and pocketbook, I find a Car a problem.

I prefer my motorcycle.

[Hekate]

22. Both my common sense and my budget tell me to shop with Consumer Reports in my hand

A combination of price, safety, mileage, and durability are what I have always looked for in a car. Used Toyota, used Datsun, new Toyota Tercel that lasted 24 years, new Toyota Camry wagon that is almost that old by now that my husband drives, and a new Honda sedan that may be my last car, given that I am 65 and plan to keep it as long as the others.

As an American, I am exceedingly glad that President Obama saved our auto industry. I'm also glad their quality is improving, especially mileage. But in all the years I've been buying cars, the US auto industry has tried to sell the people on everything but the combination of qualities I look for in a car. "Urban assault vehicles" were just about the last word in unsafe, arrogant, consumption.

And yes, I am a woman, and yes, my voice counts in this marriage.

Hekate

[ecstatic]

23. The better looking American sports cars, sedans, and SUVs have a masculine feel/look and/or

are too expensive. I liked the Chevy Camaro (still do), but the dealership played a ton of games with price etc. The Challenger, Charger, 300, etc. are attractive but they all look masculine to me. The escalade, cts, and navigator are gas guzzlers and cost too much. The Mustang is played out. And I can't think of any other American cars that have caught my attention recently but I'm hearing good things about Buick.

[Fawke Em]

43. I LIKE the masculine feel to a car

I'm female and drive an American sports car - the "played out" Mustang you mention (that isn't played out, btw.)

In fact, I think the cars marketed to most women by foreign car companies are simply ugly. They look like insects. I like the sleeker lines of American muscle cars, which, as a smaller woman with kids, I still have no trouble controlling and/or carting kids around town. As a matter of fact, I get better gas mileage because my car has a manual transmission.

[octothorpe]

53. I know a woman who bought a new challenger last year

She said people were surprised to see it and asked her where the mini cooper was...

[REP]

24. Japanese cars are a better 'fit' for my height/reach than many domestics

I drove and loved Pontiacs for years, but until I got my current car, a Nissan, I'd never had one that felt like it was built for me.

[olddots]

25. As a male pig

I say oink-oink and have to say that the automotive world is run by real male pigs and that's why sales to everyone are down .These guys are clueless and living in the 50s or maybe the 70s .
America built some small cars but thought small should mean cheap and they were garbage.!00 years later and they figure out we need smaller efficient well built cars that should start heading away from fossil fuel----hope its not too late .

[Ilsa]

28. My last four vehicles were from Detroit.

My next car will be American made. I realize that It is not exclusively built in the US, but the profits on my cars stays in the US. (GM and Ford).

[bklyncowgirl]

29. Women tend to be more practical about cars--men are more aspirational

Women, on the whole, tend to see cars as tools. A car's job is to move you and your family and your stuff from one place to another, safely and efficiently. Guys, are much more easily moved by ads which speak to their desire to be more powerful, more sexy, more in control.

The one time Detriot really moved women was in the 90s with all of those ads showing SUVs plowing through blizzards with a woman at the wheel and a sick child in the car. Suddenly many women, who, unlike their menfolk, couldn't care less about plowing through blizzards before, suddenly decided that the expensive, gas guzzling SUV, their husbands were salivating over were a NECESSITY even if they lived in a part of the country where it hardly ever snows. "If you can see it in your mind, you should see it in your garage" was one of the catch phrases they used and it worked.

Japanese cars, for the most part, are marketed as practical, durable and safe and for the most part their record backs up their marketing. They're designed by and for people who tend to be a little smaller than the average American male. That works for women.

Build a solid, affordable, fuel efficient, durable. small car that doesn't look like a joke; market it properly and American women will buy it.

[Nay]

34. I agree completely. As a female, I couldn't care less about a car's sexiness, style, 0-60

speed, etc. To me, it's a metal box that should ferry me and mine safely and reliably from place to place without costing a mint. Period.

I've had a Lexus E300 for 14 years (bought used) and plan to run it straight into the ground. It has performed magnificently, is comfortable with a large trunk, and is safe for Grandbaby Nay. It doesn't get the greatest mileage, but I don't generally have long drives, either. I will cry when it finally dies.

[spinbaby]

30. I owned two Saturns

I didn't learn my lesson after the first one and stupidly bought another. They were comfortable cars and nice to drive, but basically started to fall apart after 50,000 miles or so. I don't like the feeling that my car is unreliable and these cars were unreliable--the last one left me stranded with a bad fuel pump and then the transmission went out a month later.

Next car was a Toyota Prius, still going strong and perfectly reliable after 110,000 miles. Be a long time before I learn to trust another GM car.

[OldDem2012]

33. Kia, Nissan, Honda, and Fiat, manufacture cars that are fuel efficient,...

...crash-tested for safety, easy to maneuver, and with lots of extras sold as standard equipment.

That message has been sent to the Detroit manufacturers for decades...is anyone listening?

[CTyankee]

37. I am on my second Altima. I bought the current one in 1999. I'll die before this car will...

[Fawke Em]

44. Kia and Fiat?

Hardly.

[politicat]

47. Don't know about Fiat, but I'll vouch for Kia.

We drove a Rio for 10 years until it got totalled sitting in a parking lot; we now drive a Soul.

35 mpg? Check
High crash safety? Yep.
Sensible features? Indeed.
Good in ice? Verily.
Park anywhere? Pretty much -- it's not quite fold it up and put it in your pocket, but I definitely fit in the compact slots, and parallel is easy.

When we bought the Rio, nobody American was making anything at all that small and efficient. The Metro had been discontinued, the Festiva was deservedly dead and Saturn was on the chopping block. When we bought the Soul, we wanted a small wagony thing that could handle a level of cargo or people. The Cruiser got rejected because it handled badly snow, had worse mileage and a safety record like a traveling carnival. Again, not much in the small market.

[Fawke Em]

62. That's nice, but I live where I-40 and I-75 meet.

I drive alongside semis on a regular basis.

Some itty bitty car is not gonna cut it here, but some regular-sized, manual will.

BTW, I never liked the PT Cruiser. That's not a real car.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

55. My Fiat 500 Sport averages about 33 mpg

in city driving. It's a stick shift (I don't like driving automatics). I can get it to 35 mpg at times. I reset the mpg average each time I fill it up so I can see what I'm doing.

For a price around $19K, I got a sunroof, satellite radio, bluetooth and Bose speakers/audio system. When I was looking to purchase a vehicle, it was very difficult to find U.S. brands that offered various options and a manual transmission. Generally, manual transmission cars don't come with many options and the ability to upgrade is very limited.

For the price and the features it has, the Fiat was a perfect choice for me.

[Ganja Ninja]

60. I'm getting 36.7 mpg with mine doing mostly highway driving.

It's an automatic. I just spent the last 12 years in a manual transmission truck and I decided I could live without a clutch pedal.

[LWolf]

35. Some of it is a trust issue.

Some of it is that Detroit doesn't build what I want. They've never seemed to care about what I look for, until just recently.

I drove Ford, Mercury, Dodge, and Chevy vehicles the first 15 years of my driving life. They constantly broke down, left me on the side of the road, and needed constant extra maintenance. Especially the Fords. Most of them were gas guzzlers.

Here's what I want from a vehicle:

1. It must be rock-solid reliable: no break downs on the road.
2. It must be built well enough to take a licking and keep on ticking: regular oil changes and fluid checks/changes, air filters, windshield wipers; belts and hoses changed out every 100,000 miles; brakes and clutch every 100,000 miles; no major engine work needed until 250,000-300,000 miles have been reached; electrical systems etc. keep working.
3. It must LAST that 250-300K, 15-20 years. That's what makes it worth the price it costs to buy it.
4. It must be available in 4wd, or at least in awd. I prefer 4wd, because it's on demand and I can turn it off when not needed, increasing mpg. Unfortunately, unless it's a truck, awd with lower mileage seems to be the best available.
5a. It must get good gas mileage. Great gas mileage if possible. At least for its class.
5b. I'd love a hybrid or an electric vehicle that offered all of the above.

I don't care about making a fashion statement or a power statement with my care. I care about getting where I'm going safely, reliably, and economically.

Small, dependable, efficient, and will go the distance. Maybe Detroit is doing better on that "go the distance" thing than it was back in my first 15 years of driving. I don't know. The last 3 vehicles I've driven have taken me another 25 years without the cost in time, $$, roadside assistance, and repairs I experienced those first 15 years.

[MillennialDem]

39. Only drive american sports cars - japanese cars are too small for me, I'm a 6'2 woman and like to

sit on the floor and put my legs forward rather than down (my knees hit the dash in pickup trucks and "normal" cars).

[Ron Obvious]

40. My Jetta

I just found out that my VW Jetta is apparently "a Chick car". Whatever that means.

Sorry Detroit, I rent a lot of American cars and they all seem to have that sloppy steering and they handle and hug the road like a wet sponge. I don't know if that's what your studies show that American consumers prefer, but I don't like it, and I also don't care for the obvious cost-cutting I see. For example, whenever I close the trunk on a Cavalier (a common rental car), I fear breaking the lid as it appears to be made of tinfoil.

[davidn3600]

46. Foreign cars definetly have better handling

Test drive a Toyota or Honda or VW and then test drive a Chevy or Ford..... there is a difference.

The foreign cars tend to steer better, have softer transmission shifting, and are quieter overall. They just feel as if they are better quality.

[Fawke Em]

42. I'm female and I don't own anything BUT American-made

cars.

My Mustang was built in Dearborne.

Wouldn't catch me dead in the cars they mentioned.

[HappyMe]

50. I would love to have a Mustang.

I'm not opposed to speed or sexy when it comes to cars.

[madokie]

45. Money talks and bullshit walks is the story here

this is a bunch of hooie if you ask me.
Right off the top of my head I know a dozen at least women who wouldn't buy a foreign car for it. For a lot of reasons too, Quality, longevity, fit and finish, material the interior is made of, ride and a host of other reasons.
We have two 15 year old fords, one was my work truck so it seen a lot of work and the other is our suv which has seen a lot of starts and stops, short trips etc. Both has seen a lot of people getting in and out of the cab and both of the seats in them is still like new, interior still looks as good as new. No tears, no wear spots at all. Show me a toyota or nissan or any of the others that that is the case, well I've not seen anything like that myself. 15 years of lots of service and both still good solid vehicles that I'd drive anywhere, around the world if there was enough bridges, just to prove my point.

[dmallind]

48. Their sample size and random sampling are far better than yours however

Data talk. Anecdotes are bullshit.

[Dreamer Tatum]

52. Wow...that's some astute data analysis.

[lumberjack_jeff]

49. YMMV. I drive a Subaru and my wife drives a Dodge.

[southernyankeebelle]

51. We needed a second car when we lived off base near Ft Bragg, NC. So on a saturday

w e really was looking to get a car but we happened to stop at this dealership that had brand new cars with payments less then $100 per month. Just for the heck of it we decided to stop. It was a Yugo dealership. The salesman was really nice gave us the key and told us to drive it around for a couple of days and if we liked it we could talk. We did and we loved it. We ended up buying the car. Our friends made fun of us. Asked us wear the key was to wand it up. We got the last laugh. I am telling you it was one of the best cars we ever had. When we got transferred he went from Ft Belvoir to Tn to visit us til we got a place to stay. When we retired and moved to our rural home in Tn that car did pretty good. It had some breakdowns but we were able to still get parts. One day my husband and son were coming home on the back road. All of a sudden he took the curb alittle to hard and the car flipped on its side. They both were alright and had to climb out of the car and the both of them were able to flip it right back on all 4 tires. They got in and drove the car home. I wish they still made them. I would buy another in a heart beat. We had to finally get rid of it because we were having problems finding parts. But it was a great car.

[union_maid]

56. I would love to buy American cars

I want the American auto industry to make it, but maybe they need a clue about what kind of cars a lot of women want. I just don't have the money for the repairs or to replace a car as often as seems necessary with most of them. I'm assuming they're doing a better job now. We haven't bought a new car for over 10 years and don't really know what's available, but like most people have said, I don't car about sexy, don't want sporty, don't want big. I just want a reliable car that handles well and holds up over time.

[One_Life_To_Give]

58. Maintenance?

Another reason may be my Honda's rarely need anything other than routine scheduled maint. My Chevy truck can't say the same. And even my Sister-inlaw the professional mechanic doesn't like to interact with the misogynist service writers at commercial repair centers.

[Ganja Ninja]

59. I bought a new 2012 Fiat 500 last Labor Day.

36.7 mpg, Automatic Transmission, Sunroof, Power Windows, Power Locks, 4 Wheel Disc Brakes, Tire Pressure Monitoring, A/C and Automatic Stability Control and the Engine is made in Detroit. 16,000 miles on it already and no problems.

The longer I drive it the more I like it.

[Romulox]

61. Most DUers only pay lip service to supporting unions. It's shameful. nt

[davidn3600]

64. Make better cars and provide better service and people will come

GM especially has a LONG way to go in terms of customer service.

[Romulox]

66. Exactly. And if Americans were better workers, I wouldn't support outsourcing, H1Bs.

WORK HARDER, you lazy tech workers! Maybe then you can earn my tech dollar. Until then, bring on the H1Bs!

[LeftyMom]

65. I love my Chevy. Of course it was made in 1966...

[Arugula Latte]

67. We've been giving American cars a try, but I'd like to go back to Japanese cars next time.

We bought used Fords for a very good price, but I think I'd rather spend a bit more and feel more confident in my vehicle.