We often view women as the fairer sex, with their lives focused on childcare and running their homes efficiently. But, times have changed, and women are showing their dominance in their careers and in the cars they choose to drive. From basic Volkswagen Vivos to high-end BMW 3 Series’, South African women know what they want in a vehicle.
Gone are the days of choosing minivans and “soccer mom” cars. Women are looking for something sleek, sporty, and stylish to shuttle their children around while climbing the career ladder.
Based on search data from AutoTrader South Africa, the ten most searched cars by South African women have shown some surprising results. From simple Polo Vivo’s to BMW 3 series, South African women want quality and reliability while looking good in a sexy vehicle.
Here are the top 10 cars searched for in the last financial year:
- Toyota Hilux
- VW Polo
- Ford Ranger
- BMW 3 Series
- Toyota Fortuner
- Mercedes Benz C-Class
- VW Golf
- BMW 1 series
- Audi A3
- VW Polo Vivo
For most, a choice of the car reflects your lifestyle and your needs and the needs of your family. Are you a stay-at-home mom who spends her days on the road ferrying children to and from school and sporting activities? Or are you a career woman who wants to get from point A to B in style?
South African women want both, which is seen in the list of women’s most searched vehicles in South Africa. Who says a mom can’t drive her kids to soccer or ballet practice in a Mercedes Benz C-Class? And by the same token, why can’t a career woman drive from one meeting to another in a Toyota Fortuner? South African women are different.
Gone are the days when the car you drove dictated your lifestyle. While factors like vehicle prices, fuel consumption and access to parts are still essential, women in South Africa choose luxury vehicles and personal taste over societal expectations. With big names like Audi, Volkswagen, BMW, and Toyota common on the list of popular cars for women, reliability and “status” influence the choice of car they prefer.
Other factors that might influence the choice of vehicle that South African women choose are the vast array of maintenance and payment plans available from these big names. With companies offering multiple solutions to those wanting to buy cars, luxury brands and vehicles have become more accessible to those who might not have been able to afford these cars otherwise.
The choice of car is a personal one, with the buyer’s tastes, lifestyle, and affordability influencing the vehicles they choose to drive. With women fast climbing the corporate ladder, and gender equality at the forefront of company hiring strategies, women have access to a fair wage, allowing them to choose the vehicles they want to reflect their lifestyles and needs.
Author
