Road To New Vehicle Purchase Often Bumpier For Women

Men Generally More Confident Car Shoppers, Perform Less Research than Feature-Focused Females

IRVINE, CA -- Oct. 15, 2014: When it comes to car shopping, women are driven by features – engaging in extensive research to find the best fit – while from the outset many men are revved about a particular car brand, according to a study just released by Kelley Blue Book.

One-in-five men know the exact vehicle he wants, while women are twice as likely to be undecided about what vehicle they desire, the study revealed. Additionally, 58 percent of men are confident in the car-buying arena, versus 38 percent of women. As a result, women take longer to make a purchase (a median of 75 days, compared with men's 63 days), because they are spending more time than men doing research in an effort to build confidence and knowledge.

"It's striking that while there exist many similarities between how men and women shop for vehicles, there also are some very marked differences," said Hwei-Lin Oetken, vice president of market intelligence for Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com. "What we can glean from this research is that we need to continue our focus on providing the proper tools and content to help shoppers narrow down choices, therefore bringing balance and filling gender gaps in the car shopping experience."

Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com study also revealed:

While men are more likely to view their cars as tied to their image and accomplishments, women are more likely to see them simply as a way to get from point A to point B.

Men, who tend to be more image conscious, want trucks, coupes and luxury sedans; women, who tend to be more utility-minded, prefer non-luxury SUVs and sedans.

Men want domestic trucks and European luxury brands because of the image they portray; women prefer non-luxury Asian brands, which they view to be more practical.

Women value practical, fundamental benefits – things like durability and reliability, safety and affordability – more than men, who are more drawn to interior layout, exterior styling, technology and ruggedness.

For men, a successful transaction depends on the negotiation – getting the best deal – while women define it as getting the exact vehicle they want.

Results from the study are from Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence's analysis of data from KBB.com traffic and survey data from BrandWatch, Combined User Profile, Recall Awareness, and Price Quote Follow-Up studies. These studies offer insight into how shoppers perceive important factors driving their purchase decisions, brand/model familiarity, brand loyalty, dealership experience, and the impact a recall would have on a brand's perception. Total sample size from all sources was approximately 40,000 U.S. adults.

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