I’ve come to realize there’s a huge difference between how women buy cars and how men buy cars. (These are all broad generalizations which isn’t to say some men may buy cars like women and vice versa).
How a man buys a car:
1. Decides he needs a new car.
2. Goes online and researches cars he thinks he might be interested in, might read a Consumer’s Report or other similar magazine for reviews.
3. Picks number one car.
4. Figures out what he wants to pay for number one car.
5. Test drives number one car. If number one car meets expectations… buys number one car.
How a woman buys a car:
1. Flip flops between whether she really needs a new car or old car can be salvaged.
2. Looks at cars online. Builds cars on every website to get an idea of features and color options.
3. Reads online reviews and magazines.
4. Asks all her friends for an opinion on any car ever made.
5. Decides maybe she can salvage her old car. Stops researching – overwhelmed by all the options.
6. Decides it would be ok just to look. Test drives every car within a fifty mile radius.
7. Agonizes over which car is “the one”.
8. Builds more cars online.
9. Asks random strangers about their cars.
10. Decides everyone is pressuring her to buy a car. Decides old car is perfectly fine despite various problems that had made her previously decide to sell said car.
11. Test drives and/or builds more cars online. Hopes to find “the one”.
12. Finds emotional connection to new car. Agonizes over how to get best price.
13. Buys new car.
Now obviously that’s all supposed to be funny. But the thing is I do feel like it has some truth to it. My car buying process and my husband’s car buying process is completely different. I think he’s actually sick of me agonizing over the car. He’d probably bought a car five test drives ago. I on the other hand recognize I don’t want to buy for two reasons: 1. If I wait just a bit longer something better that I like more might come along and 2. I’m horrible at making decisions especially when there really is no right or wrong decision. Not to mention the fact a car is a big investment. We’re not talking $50 for a skirt that if I end up hating it I can just get rid of it. I’ll have this car for the next five to seven years at least. There’s no need to be hasty about it.
The other point we differ on is what’s important in a car. My husband wants something with decent pick-up and blabbers about motors and engines and taking whichever color car we can get the cheapest. I want one that’s reliable and safe but Sirius is a must have and the color is pretty important (white cars are horrible, I don’t want some silly color like lime green or baby blue, etc). I’m willing to pay $100 more for a better color.
So far, I’m pretty sure I’ve test drove, considered or looked at most cars in a 30 mile radius from my house. They were all ok and all had pluses and minuses. Remember the part about no right or wrong answer? The whole thing has me anxious and wanting to go back to step 5 (I can repair the minor things wrong with my car and hang on to it another month/year).
Here’s my thoughts so far (I won’t name the car’s names):
Ford – I was leery to look American. Let’s be honest American cars don’t have the best reps and with all the bailout issues, etc. But Ford through all of the bailout mess was in the best shape. And the cars look nice. I looked at an Escort back in 2000 my problem then and my problem with Ford now was the car drove rough. Drive a Honda/Toyota/Mazda/need I go on? and then drive the Ford. There’s a noticeable difference in how the car drives. The interior was nice. The cloth was the same as in the Mazda. I’m not sold either way on cloth or leather, so not a huge deal for me. It's interesting though that the cloth in Ford and Mazda isn’t as plush as the cloth in my 2000. The interior had a lot of buttons that scare me. Make it nice but easy. I don’t want eighteen controls to turn on the radio. Overall – it was just okay.
Mazda – The car drove like a dream. They truly have a niche in the four door drives like a sports car market. The cars are even built to look sportier. The inside compared to some of the others wasn’t as flashy, and some of the plastic fittings just look cheap (I’ve heard this before from other people so I don’t think it’s just me). Plus for the price, other cars come standard with more equipment than the Mazda.
Honda – Toyota and Honda’s have the same rep to me – we build sturdy reliable cars but they’re not the car you get excited about. The one I drove didn’t have Sirius and the only way to get it was to go to the next model. A bit of a deal breaker. Plus it had an electronic dash – sounds fancy but I had a car in late 90’s with electronic dash and it was nothing but trouble. I will say hopefully technology has improved over the last 10 years but still….
Toyota – same thoughts on overall impression. Drive is nice. The car is quiet. But to get all the bells and whistles the price increases pretty dramatically.
VW – I’ve heard a lot of negative as far as if the car breaks and needs serving or parts. But the people that have one love them. The gas version drove ok but the diesel had the responsiveness of the Mazda. Diesel scares me a bit though. It’s not like every gas station carries it and I’ve never owned diesel. The interior and standard features are an upgrade over some of the other cars in the same price range.
The thing is if you ask ten people what car they think you should look at you'll get ten different answers. At this point, I almost want to step back and think about it. No need for hasty decisions. although I will admit that probably part of my hang up on the new car is two things: 1. I had a Passat for a rental and loved it. VW has decided the US doesn't get any more Passats and they're making a new car for 2011 which isn't out. The only Passats I can find are white. Yuck. 2. I don't want to give up my car. It's not limping into the service station quite yet and part of me just isn't ready to let go.
I've asked K if we can check out a few more cars tonight. I'm thinking that he suggested I go alone didn't bode well for that. I just want the right car or one that stands out as the best... and I'm just not there.
What's your car buying experience been? Do you agree that men and women shop differently?
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