WeBuyCars (WBC) has conducted extensive research on the buying behaviours of used vehicles between men and women in South Africa, revealing interesting insights that you may not have expected.
They are attracted to different styles of vehicles and they prefer different ways of paying for them, but they tend to agree on the same brands.
WBC Chief Marketing Officer Rikus Blomerus breaks down the different purchasing patterns of the genders at the company’s many outlets below.
Body style preferences
There are noticeable differences in car body type preferences between the genders, as women are far more likely to choose hatchbacks and SUVs, while men are more likely to choose sedans, single cabs, double cabs, cabriolets, coupes, and station wagons.
“Women on average prefer cars that are fuel-efficient, safe, and reliable. While some men may prefer cars that are luxurious, sporty, and fancy,” said Blomerus.
“The fact that other men are more likely to purchase bakkies signifies that they prefer practicality, functionality, and oftentimes, status.”
The breakdown of body style preferences between the genders is as follows:
| Body style | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Hatchbacks | 34.71% | 43.39% |
| Sedans | 20.89% | 14.69% |
| SUVs | 20% | 26.65% |
| Single cabs | 8.43% | 4.21% |
| Double cabs | 7.99% | 4.62% |
| MPVs | 2.64% | 3.07% |
| Coupes | 2.35% | 1.48% |
| Station wagons | 1.62% | 0.85% |
| Cabriolets | 1.38% | 1.04% |
Cash vs finance
When it comes to financing their cars, a surprisingly high number of buyers pay cash – women more than men, but only by an almost negligible 0.63% – and it was revealed that the average value of vehicles that women purchase is 4.9% higher than men.
“Females tend to purchase more expensive vehicles than males across most age categories, with males only buying more expensive vehicles than females after the age of 70,” said Blomerus.
“This is further supported by the fact that females are more likely to purchase vehicles on finance than males, and that males are more likely to purchase a vehicle on an auction, thus securing a lower purchase price.”
WBC provided a comparison of the type of financing for car purchases at its outlets:
| Financing methods | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | 62.56% | 63.19% |
| Bank finance | 24.19% | 31% |
| Online/auction | 13.25% | 5.81% |
Favourite brands
Irrespective of gender, VW is by far and away the most popular car brand on average in the pre-owned market, Toyota falls in second, and BMW and Ford share third.
According to WBC, its sales records show the top three most popular used-car brands and models by province are:
- Free State – VW Polo, Ford Ranger, VW Golf
- Eastern Cape – VW Polo, Toyota Hilux, BMW
- Gauteng – VW Polo, VW Golf, Toyota Hilux
- KwaZulu-Natal – VW Polo, VW Golf, Toyota Hilux
- Limpopo – VW Polo, Toyota Hilux, BMW
- Mpumalanga – Toyota Hilux, VW Polo, Ford Ranger
- North West – Toyota Hilux, VW Polo, VW Golf
- Northern Province – VW Golf, Toyota Hilux, Mitsubishi Triton
“Women and men have fairly similar preferences for multi-purpose vehicles, which may imply that they have similar needs for versatility and functionality when choosing a vehicle type,” said Blomerus.
“Men are more interested in whether a brand of car is fun to drive, has a powerful engine, or is seen as prestigious, while women are more interested in affordability and safety when deciding which car to buy.”
Keyword: Men vs women – How South Africans approach used-car buying