Saturday

Volkswagen Beetle For Women

Auto experts say that women prefer chic and fun cars. Stereotyping dictates it would be difficult to figure out a woman like Kate Moss and Paris Hilton driving a Ferrari. According to Kelly Blue Book, Ferrari, like some of the other high-end performance vehicles, is a notoriously "male" car.
So what cars are associated with women? What cars are the flirtiest?
Earlier, NBC divulged the top ten flirtiest cars. First on the list is the Volkswagen Beetle. Statistically, the Volkswagen Beetle is the most popular car for women, with 57 percent of all buyers of Beetles since July having been women, according to JD Power and Associates. The starting price $16,400 and its uniqueness seem to be the feminine appeal of the car.
Rachael Yos, the VW brand manager, said that the color on the Beetle helps boost its appeal.
"There are unique colors on the Beetle that you can't get on any other vehicle. I think the Beetle is a more feminine car to begin with, it's a real rounded shape," she said.
"Females, they have a much better sense of styling than men," said Tom Lisle, the general manager of Denny Hecker VW Dealership in Inver Grove Heights, Minn. "I think they like being different."
Women are so into style. As a fact, it is one of the most important factors that a woman considers in purchasing a car. The Beetle has it. Its sibling, the Jetta, has it too. No wonder the latter comes next to the Beetle on NBC’s list. It is not just the VW Jetta grille – it is the entirety of the package.
The Volkswagen Jetta continues to be one of the most popular automobiles for young women, said Kelly Blue Book senior editor Jack Nerad. The reason is the overall price (around $16,500), and its style and performance.
"(The Jetta) is especially popular with college students," Yos noted. "It's a fun, very affordable car. It's safe, sporty, and we have a great college graduate program."
Third on the list is the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. While it has fallen in popularity in the last two years, the Eclipse Spyder was the most popular car for women in 2005, according to JDPA, with 65 percent of all buyers being female.
"It's a very stylish car, much better for a single person than a person with a family," said Nerad. "Even with one child it would be kind of difficult. It's a car that gets attention. It's reasonably economical, especially in a four-cylinder form."
Next in line is another VW car – the Eos. According to JDPA, the Eos is one of the most popular brands for females, with 52 percent of all owners being female. Yos, however, views the car as appealing to an almost solely female clientele, mostly in their 30s. "I think I've only sold one male an Eos so far. It's definitely a female-driven car," he said. "I think it definitely has an elegant feel to it, just a really sleek line."
BMW enters the list with its captivating Z4. The Z4 is engineered to cater to auto fetishes of successful, young women. Even for those who cannot afford the car, the Z4 still is still their option.
Representing Japanese car magnet is the Toyota RAV4, a sleek SUV. "It has a sporty feel, but you're still high enough up so you feel like you have the security of an SUV, but with great gas mileage," Yos said. "It's very inexpensive. You can get Rav-4's for as little as $20,000. They're real great starter cars."
Completing the top ten are the Honda CR-V, Pontiac Solstice, Mini Cooper, and the Mazda Miata.

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