If You’re a Woman, You Probably Don’t Drive These Cars

If you drive a Lamborghini, McLaren or Ferrari, you’re probably a guy. Men constitute about 93 percent of the owners of these high-priced, luxury sports cars, MarketWatch says.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the vehicle spectrum, the car with the highest rate of women owners is the small, fuel-efficient Mini.

Edmunds.com compiled the car data for MarketWatch, which is based on a survey of nearly 10 million vehicle registrations from 2013. It identified the 10 cars with the highest percentage of male ownership, something MarketWatch called “the overcompensation index.”

The results seem to suggest that men are more concerned with power and prestige than their pocketbook, says Jessica Caldwell, senior analyst at Edmunds. “Brands with high male percentage tend to be more performance-oriented,” she says.

“Women car shoppers tend to be more pragmatic, so the value brands are at the top,” Caldwell says. “Vehicles like compact crossovers and compact cars tend to also score high with women.”

Not surprisingly, men and women seem to be on entirely different pages when it comes to buying a vehicle.

• Men appear to choose a vehicle “based on how it makes them feel and the image it presents to the world,” MarketWatch says. Brands that are perceived as “rugged” are popular with guys. And when it comes to color, men are 12 percent more likely than women to select vehicles in a flashy red or orange. Top male brands: Lamborghini, McLaren, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Fisker.
• Fuel efficiency and price are the most important factors when ladies select a vehicle. Female new-car shoppers are more likely to purchase an imported car and one that boasts safety features. Women also tend to favor more muted colors, like silver or brown. Top female-owned brands: Mini, Kia, Fiat, Mitsubishi and Hyundai.

Interestingly, while women make up 51.6 percent of the U.S. population, they represent just a third of vehicle registrants, according to The Huffington Post.

The disproportion of vehicles registered to men may stem from the fact that males are more likely than females to purchase a second or third car. This might explain why vehicles by Lamborghini, McLaren and Ferrari — sports cars that are generally purchased as a second or third car — are registered predominantly by men.

I drive a sport utility vehicle. The gas mileage isn’t terrible, it has four-wheel drive – a must for Montana’s winter roads — plus plenty of room for my kids’ two car seats. What do you drive and why? Share your comments below or on our Facebook page.