Archive for October, 2009
The Differences Between The Sexes And The Cars They Want
There is an interesting ongoing debate regarding the differences between the sexes and their cars.
According to the results of J.D. Power Associates’ Power Information Network’s PIN most recent survey of the cars with the highest percentage of female ownership is the Volvo S40. The luxury car with the highest male ownership is the highperformance Audi RS4. It does not take a psychologist to conclude that men are more likely to buy cars with their heart and women with their head.
The RS4 has a starting price of over 66000 and can zoom from 0 to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds. The S40 has a sticker price of around 25000. Apparently it doesn’t matter how fast the S40 can go from 0 to 60. What does matter is that it aced the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s frontal crash test.
Interestingly enough there wasn’t a sports car to be found in the top 10. Instead there were sensible entrylevel cars and small SUV’s that emphasized safety quality reliability and value.
Of course that is not to say there aren’t thousands of women who don’t enjoy driving fast or wouldn’t choose a Ferrari over a minivan given the choice but these women would seem to be the exception. To arrive at its conclusions PIN surveyed hundreds of dealerships around the U.S. through the end of August 2007. The nationwide sample includes about 24 of U.S. retail automotive sales including both loans and leases luxury and nonluxury brands but excluding fleet sales.
So What Do Women Want? Volvo
Not only did the S40 nail the top spot; the Volvo brand dominated the top 10 with three winners which along with the S40 included the V50 wagon at No. 7 and the S60 sedan at No. 9. Volvo was also the No. 1 luxury brand for female ownership overall at 42.5 vs. a luxurybrand average of 35.8.
So how does this popularity translate to sales? Yeartodate through August women bought or leased more than half 53 of the Volvo S40 sedans retailed in the PIN sample which is fairly representative of the total market. However that doesn’t necessarily mean good news for the struggling Swedish automaker which is a division of Ford Motor because sales as a whole for the model are weak. As of August 2007 North American sales of the S40 were 13513 which was down about 17 yeartodate. Overall Volvo’s North American sales were off 9.4 to 72476 according to Automotive News.
Men clearly still buy the majority of cars. For example the racier and more expensive BMW 3 Series is the perennial sales leader in the entryluxury sedan segment and is increasing its domination. Through August 2007 3 Series sales were up about 25 to 97039 according to Automotive News. But it didn’t even make it on to PIN’s top 10 list of women’s favorite luxury cars.
Across the industry including nonluxury brands women bought 37.3 of new vehicles in 2007 through August based on the PIN sample data. Looking beyond luxury cars to include all price categories the S40 was the fifthmostpopular model for female buyers. The most popular according to J.D. Power with 58.3 of all female buyers was the Volkswagen new Beetle. Including nonluxury brands Suzuki was the No. 1 brand purchased by women through August 2007 the data said.
Reinforcing the PIN data a separate customer survey by another market research and consulting company San Diego’s Strategic Vision showed many of the same Volvos at the top of a similar list for the previous model year the most recent one available including the S40 at No. 1.
Known Quantities
“We’re known for one thing. We ‘own’ safety” said John Maloney vicepresident for marketing communications at Volvo Cars of North America in Irvine Calif. “Safety is sort of a foundational value for everyone. But on a relative basis it is more important to women” says Maloney.
Nevertheless Volvo is trying to expand beyond its “safe” image. The company’s new brand message continues to emphasize safety while still aiming to convince consumers that its cars are also rugged and fun to drive Business Week 9/14/07.
Some Like a Lexus
If Volvo is synonymous with safety Toyota’s Lexus Div. is synonymous with quality and reliability. It has won the J.D. Power dependability survey 13 years in a row. Lexus had fewer Top 10 femaleowned models than Volvo but the Lexus was the No. 2 luxury brand overall in terms of female ownership at 41.2 according to PIN data.
In liking Lexus women are little different from men since Lexus has been the No. 1selling luxury brand in the U.S. since 2000. The biggest reason for the brand’s high overall female ownership is the Lexus RX model a carbased SUV typically purchased for family use. The RX is the single biggestselling Lexus at 67686 unit’s year to date and ranks sixth on the list of the 10 most popular femaleowned luxury vehicles.
Primary Decision Maker
Tom Libby senior director of industry analysis for PIN noted that most of the models in the most popular luxury list purchased by women are at the entry level for their respective brands all of which have MSRPs of under 40000.
“You’re not going to get that many single women buying an 80000 vehicle. To some extent the lower the price the higher percent female” he said. According to Libby to determine the percentage of ownership PIN looked at the finance contract to see if a woman was the sole owner or the top signer. The data do not include marital status.
Colleen O’Dea sales manager for Kundert Volvo of Hasbrouck Heights N.J. said it is not at all uncommon for women shopping alone to come in and buy or lease a Volvo. She believes most of them are married. “It’s probably a household decision but it happens all the time that women are picking the car picking colors and the equipment. Maybe 10 or more years ago women would do that and then the men would come in and negotiate but today it’s just the opposite. The woman is definitely the primary decisionmaker” she said. O’Dea said that according to Volvo statistics for the Northern New Jersey sales region 63 of the S40 buyers for the last 60 days were female.
No Condescending Salesmen Allowed Another sign of the changing times is that women are increasingly knowledgeable about cars. As a result men and women indicate that they are equally satisfied with the automotive sales experience at least according to the most recent J.D. Power Sales Satisfaction Index. Both sexes gave the dealership where they bought or leased their new car an identical satisfaction rating of 847 on a 1000point scale a record high for the 20year study.
Of course there are some dealerships where salesmen treat less wellinformed women condescendingly or suggest that they “come back with their husbands” assuming that the man is the real decisionmaker.
“Women want a vehicle and an experience with the dealership that says she is respected for the smart choice she made that she is an expert at knowing what she wants” said Shedroff of Strategic Vision.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Victor Martel is an expert in buying and selling luxury and exotic cars.Do you want to learn more about luxury and exotic cars? Visit his website http://www.finestmotorsports.com. Also visit his blog at http://www.finestmotorsporsports.com/blog to understand the car buying and selling experience.
The A-z Of Driving Overseas
Autobahn
Germany’s Autobahn motorway is one of the best places to be for fast and furious drivers. You can legally drive as fast as you wish. There is no general speed limit but only a recommended speed limit of 130 kph 81 mph. The same rule applies on French motorways but in Norway youd have to slow down where its just 90 kph 55 mph.
Breakdowns
Make sure to bring breakdown cover before going on a cross country road trip. It could cost over 2000 for a stranded car and four passengers to be brought home from Southern Europe.
Company cars
Make sure to get permission if you plan to drive the company car overseas. Bring the official letter from your employer authorizing you to take it with you abroad. If its a lease car youll also need to secure a vehicleonhire certificate from the leasing company.
Driving license
Its a legal requirement to carry your license when driving unlike in the UK. You might need to get an International Driving Permit for other countries.
EU enlargement
Ten new states joined the European Union and make a perfect holiday driving destination. Be on the lookout for unfamiliar road rules. Speed limits vary on certain roads during certain seasons and winter tires must be fitted in snowing states.
Fuel can
In several European countries its illegal to be carrying a can of spare fuel in the boot. Theyre also banned on car ferries or Le Shuttle whether full or empty.
GB sticker
You dont need a separate GB sticker when visiting other EU countries if your vehicle is fitted with the newstyle euro plate. However if the vehicle has the old number plate the law requires a GB sticker close to your rear number plate. Towing trailers or caravans need another sticker as well.
Horn
Be careful not to honk your horn anywhere. Most places are annoyed with incessant honking and are introducing laws to stop unnecessary horn use especially in town.
Italy
Italy is home to fast and furious drivers with major motorways of speed limits increased to 93 mph. Its important to keep your headlamps on when driving in Italy.
Junctions
When driving in France a givewaytotheright rule applies. Motorists must give way to vehicles joining their road from the right even if their on the main road unless signs indicate they have priority.
Kangaroos
The outback could be very hazardous at night so avoid it. Collisions with kangaroos are common in Australia.
Lights
In Scandinavia its a legal requirement to keep your head lamps on. This is the same reason why Volvos have their headlights on all the time.
Mobile phones
Many countries have laws that ban the use of mobile phones while driving. Mobile phones are a wellknown necessity but also a fatal driving hazard.
Night driving
Make sure youre not drowsy while driving at night. Research has shown that the greatest risk of falling asleep at the wheel is between midnight6am and 24pm.
On the spot fines
French police are known to collect up to 375 Euros on fines. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the different road rules before setting off. This will save you the trip to the cash machine.
Parking
In France parking is allowed in one side of the road and is switched to the other side. This can be tricky so better make sure you get the rules before trying anything. In Austria motorists must leave sidelights on where street lights aren’t lit but must watch out for those streetlights that turn off at midnight.
Queues
Sometimes traffic lanes merge into one and in Germany the Reissverschluss or zipper law applies. This means that motorists on each lane must give way one at a time.
Rental cars
Before driving off with your rental do a damage check. You could end up paying for that damage after using it. In the US civil litigation is common and motorists need about 1m of Supplementary Liability Insurance cover.
Spectacles
When driving in Spain make sure to keep a spare pair of spectacles in the car if you wear them. It not only makes you look smart but it is required by law and applies to Switzerland as well.
Traffic lights
Red means stop and green means go. In America however motorists can make a right turn after stopping to check if the road is clear.
Undertaking
Lane swapping is allowed on American freeways so be very careful. Drivers are allowed to overtake on the inside a big nono in most European countries.
Vignette
In Austria or Switzerland a vignette or motorway tax disc is required. Dont go without displaying it on your windscreen.
Warning triangle
In some countries you need one and some countries two Spain and Turkey. In most countries like France carry a set of spare light bulbs too.
Xroads
In America where two or more cars stop at a crossroads the car that arrived first has right of way. If they both got there at the same time the givewaytotheright rule applies
Young drivers
You can apply for a license in the UK at 17 but you can’t in France and New Zealand till you’re 18. However for the first two years after passing your test youre not allowed to exceed 110 kph on the motorway.
Zebra Crossings
Drivers don’t always stop for pedestrians at a zebra crossing in most countries. Better be careful when you do to avoid getting rearended by a local driver.
by: Amalia Aviles
AutoTerminal.com
About the writer: AutoTerminal.com A worldwide distribution network selling used Japanese vehicles. Regionbased distribution centers are located in New Zealand Australia United Kingdom USA Asia Africa and South America.
The All New Ford Fusion
The new Ford fusion is a perfect blend of style amp; comfort. European styling toughbuild and versatile interiors define Ford Fusion. A product of Ford India the premium hatchback is positioned in the ‘midsize family car’ segment. The car flaunts gorgeous interiors and sporty exteriors. It is packed with a host of safety features and also fitted with a powerful engine that delivers good fuel efficiency. Be it the slow moving urban traffic or silky smooth highways Ford Fusion guarantees a relaxed and comfortable ride. The company initially introduced petrol variant of the car in 2004 and followed it with the launch of its diesel models in 2007.
The petrol models of Ford Fusion are powered by 1.6L 4cylinder engine which generates a power of 101 PS 6500 rpm and torque of 146 Nm 3400 rpm. On the other hand the 1.4L TDCi turbo diesel common rail injection diesel engine produces a power of 68 PS 4000 rpm and a maximum torque of 160 Nm 2000 rpm. Both the engines are characterized by good responsiveness and are fuelefficient as well.
Ford Fusion is a blend of classy exteriors and roomy interiors. The frontage of the hatchback has a commanding look with sleek front grille distinctly shaped headlamps and body colored front bumper with two chrome strips. Its sparkling taillights are arranged vertically in the rear portion which further enhance the overall appeal of the vehicle. The hatch offers a comfortable ride for five people.
The attractiveness of Ford Fusion is extended to its plush interiors. The cabin features softtouch materials on the dash and doors. Instrument panel is neatly integrated on the central console. Leatherwrapped steering wheel adds to the refined look of the interiors of Fusion. The cabin provides ample storage space headroom and leg space for the occupants.
Ford Fusion comes with a host of safety features. These include child safety locks in the rear door seat belts Antilock Braking System 40;ABS41; with Electronic brake force distribution EBD technology front and rear fog lamps and low fuel warning.
The four variants of Ford Fusion are 1.6 Duratec Petrol 1.4L TDCi Diesel Plus 1.6 Duratec Petrol and Plus 1.4L TDCi Diesel. The car is available in a number of vibrant colors including Panther Black Diamond White Paprika Red Moon dust Silver and Mystic Wine. The diesel models of Ford Fusion are priced at Rs 6.59 lakh whereas the petrol models come with a price tag of Rs 6.41 lakh.
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