Women: Forget What You Believe About Car Buying

“It is a statistical fact that more Americans prefer to visit the dentist and get a root-canal than to suffer through the car-buying experience.”
Love it or hate it, it has to be done, and lucky for you I’m obsessed with car shopping (The long list of cars I’ve owned is proof of it). That’s why I set off on this divine mission to share my knowledge with those of you that may not know the drill as well.

Why do people hate car shopping?

• It’s their first time buying a car.
• They don’t understand car jargon.
• It involves applying for credit.
• They are intimidated by sales people or dealerships.
• They’ve been screwed before.
• Someone they know has been screwed before.
• *My most hated reason —because they are female*

Like most things in life, knowledge is power and unfortunately it’s common for females to be segregated into a special category when shopping for cars. I certainly hope this guide provides everyone, and specially fellow women enough confidence to courageously venture into a dealership the next time you need a new set of wheels!

Common Myths about Car Shopping

• Expectation: A male car salesman won’t take a female shopper seriously.

Reality: All, if not most dealerships are now held highly accountable by the auto manufacturers to generate positive customer satisfaction results. That being said, on my recent visit to a high-end dealership, the salesman me paid close attention to my needs and was very thorough with all the information. At another visit to mid and lower-end brands, the process was rushed a bit, but salesmen were still active listeners and tried to match me to a vehicle that fit my needs.

• What made the difference?

I came in with a fair idea of what I wanted to look at, and knew enough information to sound educated, and although you may or may not be a car expert, carrying yourself as an knowledgeable shopper is always important. I had previously done my research and had a slight idea of which packages or options I cared for. This not only helped me by showing the salesperson that I am informed, but it also protects me against being up-sold or mis-matched with the wrong vehicle.

 

• Expectation: Female buyers are taken advantage of because they’re emotional.

Reality: Car buying can be a very emotional experience. Whether you are buying a car out of necessity, or you are upgrading due to a recent promotion, you must be mentally and emotionally in-the-zone to make the right purchase. The process of buying a car involves more figures than just the price, but also payment terms, interest percentages and even cost of maintenance, insurance and extended warranties.

• What made the difference?

As we all know it, us girls can be just a bit more emotional than guys, so unfortunately that puts us at a bit of a disadvantage, so even if you love the car enough to cry tears of joy —don’t do it! Be friendly with your salesperson, but a game-day poker-face will go a long way. A confident, reserved, yet nice attitude is the way to go when car shopping, and it’s very important for your heart and mind to be in the right place.

 

• Expectation: A Female buyer needs to bring a male partner when car shopping.

Reality: While shopping solo or with a partner is a personal preference, it is common for women to ask male friends or family to accompany them to car dealerships. Why? Because our grandmothers, and mothers have (for the most part) relied on their  male counterparts to deal with all things automotive, including the shopping. Therefore, this is the one myth that I think is still alive in most dealerships across the country, but I do believe this is quickly changing as more women abandon their male shopping-buddies.

• What made the difference?

Women are empowered by society nowadays to not depend on a male to make large purchases like cars and homes. Even in family settings it is the mother figure that normally signs off on large purchases, so in this case it is women themselves that have made the difference.

Car shopping in 2015

It’s a fact that most dealerships are aware that trends are changing, as in today’s data driven world, dealerships carefully analyze customer data to improve their customer satisfaction scores, and if they don’t they may even get the boot from the manufacturer. All in all, one cannot generalize and say that all dealerships still see female shoppers with different eyes, or that all dealerships have moved on with the times and improved their mentality. But based on my quite frequent trips to all kinds of dealerships, I can safely say that things are looking up for us! And remember… have fun!

Kari. “When not tinkering on my car, I’m endlessly rambling about auto-news to my very patient husband who tolerates it for hours on end. I’ve owned everything from a Tacoma to a Benz, and I now have a 2014 Scion FR-S to play with, which you may spot at The Circuit of Americas parking lot while I’m yelling at the top of my lungs.”

Be sure to check out all of our awesome automotive articles while you are here!