Why aren’t there any dedicated motoring magazines for women?

See the typical magazine titles if you don’t believe me; look at the colours, the cover cars and the headings… they’re SO obviously for men.

And yes I realise that most female magazines don’t carry much about motoring either which is surely another reason to think about this surely… They don’t include cars or other motoring matters for women, presumably because most of us prefer to read about beauty, health, celebrities, cooking and so on.

I also realise that it’s a gender thing. Traditional men are more likely to be petrolheads than us (with some notable exceptions, no offence intended) and they are more turned on by performance cars, gadgets and mechanical matters.

Whereas traditional women are more likely to look at practicalities like whether the car is fit for purpose, its safety and reliability record as well as how much it costs to buy and run, the onboard space and its environmental credentials. Then there’s the brand, looks, colour and accessories of course. This is a big homework job to do before you can be sure you’ve bought the right car. Remember that you immediately narrow your choices when you step into a new car showroom; good sales staff will do all they can to sell you a car they’ve got, not suggest one they don’t have but which might be better for you.

But the most important fact is that 80% of all consumer goods decisions involve women nowadays and we instigate some 60% of car sales and probably influence other ones our family and friends buy. AND we’re getting wealthier, more independent and definitely more discerning.

So if women want to buy cars AND it’s clearly a tough job to choose the right one let alone negotiate a fair deal AND most magazines are writing about cars from a male perspective AND ordinary women like me can write about cars and motoring matters without having to be racing drivers or Top Gear fashion accessories … what’s the real problem here Mr/Mrs Publisher?

Knowing the business case, wouldn’t a magazine or motoring section for women be supported by the likes of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and likely to attract manufacturer advertising? Many car companies are using Mumsnet and similar hi-density female websites yet Mumsnet readers aren’t there to buy a new car, nor are they daft enough to say ‘A new Ford, what a good idea, I must buy one now.’

Surely females considering their next big item new or used car purchase would buy a Magazine that was dedicated to helping them choose a car that was right for them. A Magazine with down to earth reviews and feedback from females rather than macho technospeak? And couldn’t they be interested in other motoring matters too, such as how to negotiate the best deal, find a female friendly car dealership or measurably good garage and compare the best insurance deals for women. And perhaps this could include content about what to do with your car in terms of days out, leisure and travel activities?

If this exists already Mr/Mrs Publisher, please tell me and I’ll subscribe to it. If it doesn’t, I think you are missing a trick here and women drivers are the worse off for it.

FOXY Steph

To do this it is likely to be a small (but see the Prius for a larger car) and lightweight car so don’t expect the full Monty in terms of gadgetry or accessories that might tip the balance over 100g/km.

As things stand, this still gives you a great choice for your shortlist; the following models led by the weeny smart fortwo CDi.

Audi A3 1.6 TDI E – 99g/km

Audi A3 1.6 TDI E – 99g/km

Citroen C3 1.6 HDI 90 – 99g/km

Citroen DS3 HDI 90 – 99g/km

Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDCi Econetic – 98g/km

Ford Focus 1.6 TDCI Econetic Start Stop – 99g/km

Ford Focus 1.6 TDCI Econetic Start Stop – 99g/km

Peugeot 207 HDI 90 Economique – 99g/km

Renault Clio 1.5 DCI eco2 – 98g/km

Seat Ibiza 1.4 TDI Ecomotive 3 Door – 98g/km

Seat Leon 1.6 TD Ecomotive – 99g/km

Seat Leon 1.6 TD Ecomotive – 99g/km

smart fortwo CDI – 86g/km

Toyota Auris HSD – 89g/km

Toyota Auris HSD – 89g/km

Toyota iQ 1.0 – 99g/km

Toyota Prius T Spirit – 89g/km – (larger family car)

Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 CDTI Ecoflex – 98g/km

Volkswagen Polo 1.4 TDI Bluemotion – 99g/km

Volvo C30 1.6 TD Drive – 99g/km

Volvo C30 1.6 TD Drive – 99g/km

These cars don’t have to pay London’s Congestion Charge either.

Looking at the manufacturers who are doing best in terms of producing vehicles with low average CO2 emissions the top 5 in order are Toyota, Fiat, Hyundai, Mini and Citroen with c10% improvement in emissions (Q1 2010 vs Q1 2009) recorded by Kia, Alfa Romeo, Nissan, Mazda and Renault.

But these rankings don’t include short term pollutant nitrogen oxide NOx (as in hot weather smog and soot particulates) nor do the environmental labels on new cars mention this. Should we be worried?

FOXY Steph

Find out about a motoring association for women providing advice and support

Find out where the female friendly car dealerships are who won’t overcharge or patronise women drivers

“In an underdeveloped country, don’t drink the water; in a developed country, don’t breathe the air.”
Changing Times



Following in the footsteps of the likes of Inchcape’s Autobytel car buying website, and others like it, Ford is now cutting out the middle man franchised dealerships and selling cars direct and online.

How do Ford franchised dealers feel about this I wonder?

Especially after comments from their MD confirms what we know already; that many motorists, especially female shoppers, prefer online convenience/anonymity and the joy of not having to haggle with a commission driven salesman who feels the need to demonstrate his male superior knowledge …

From FOXY’s point of view this is good news because a large number of our members drive older Fords, like a canny deal and, with our support if they need it, are prepared to buy a brand they trust without even test driving the car before placing an order.

The only problem is that Ford will sell them a Ford , not help women find the best deal or car on the market, from other makes, to suit their needs and budget. So there will always be a demand for a foxycars buying service for females.

Ford Online’s MD, Steve Hood says “It shows that consumers are now ready to fully use the internet in the car industry.”

The site is backed by a team of Ford specialists working from a UK contact centre to help female customers find the best cars, come up with part exchange values and low prices… without a visit to a showroom.

FOXY advice? Always shop around first. This promises to be a good service and we like Fords but it’s too soon to see how their prices compare yet. Better still – why not join FOXY Lady Drivers Club who’ll pass on their insider nous and you can do the car buying homework and the deal together?

FOXY Steph

To find a female friendly car dealership for MOT’s, car servicing and repairs, visit FOXY Choice. All garages listed have signed the FOXY Promise© to ‘never overcharge, patronise or sell you services you don’t want or need’.

One assumes these dealerships aren’t FOXY Choice subscribers who have signed the female friendly FOXY Promise to ‘never overcharge, patronise or sell women services they don’t need or want?’.

But who are they Which?

We look forward to reading which Audi, Citroen, Fiat, Peugeot and Vauxhall dealerships failed the Which? Car undercover investigation in January… and I predict that women fared worse than men, given a fair gender comparison.

Overall, the details of car finance deals weren’t properly explained to the potential buyers and on some occasions interest rates weren’t even mentioned!

Not one of the sales staff at the 15 dealerships verbally told researchers ie potential customers the total cost of the interest on a finance agreement. Two thirds failed to mention the APR and a third didn’t include it on their written quote, which contravenes the Consumer Credit Act, by the way.

How else can you work out how much interest you’ll be paying on a finance deal?

One salesman even refused to give a written quote at all, wrongly claiming that to do so would break the law. Was his name Tim I wonder?

On a typical car such as a £13k Fiat Bravo hatchback 1.4T Jet 120 Active 5 dr the quote was for a £300-£350 monthly repayment, and an initial deposit of £1,000. At that time a bank loan would cost a customer £15,319 whereas hire purchase with payment protection insurance would cost them £18,433 – a staggering difference of more than £3,000.

Peter Vicary-Smith, Chief Executive, Which?, says:
“When you take out a mortgage, the bank or building society has to clearly state APR rates up front, and explain terms and conditions fully. We think car finance deals should be conducted in the same way. We urge car buyers to avoid showroom finance deals if they think dealers haven’t given them all the necessary information.”

FOXY wholeheartedly agrees but wishes we could name and shame in these situations – even if only within FOXY Lady Drivers Club.

Having reported its findings to the OFT, the response was that ‘it was disappointed some dealers didn’t appear to be aware of their obligations, or are simply refusing to comply’. However the OFT promised to take enforcement action where necessary.

Yes, it’s necessary.

Members of FOXY Lady Drivers Club can ask us for a second opinion when shopping for car finance deals – here’s a simple bit of foxy advice for all women drivers for starters; don’t imagine that the car salesman has quoted the best car finance deal out there. Sad but true.

FOXY Steph

For advice about buying and negotiating a new car deal, including car finance, women drivers can read FOXY’s Top Ten Tips about buying a new car…

BE ON YOUR GUARD.

There is now a new DS3 which is elegant, stylish and innovative; as you might expect from Citroen.

We think it could be a serious contender to the Mini for women drivers shopping for a new car, especially with its £199 servicing pack (3 years/35k miles) alternative to Mini’s TLC pack. And it’ll give the Fiat 500 and Alfa’s MiTo a good run for their money…

Feminine and chic, the DS3 ticks all the boxes for safety with a 5 star NCAP rating for the driver and passenger. It also comes with ESP which we always recommend to FOXY Lady members.

Yes it’s compact but it has more boot space than the Mini and the MiTo. There are five proper seats which can fold down (split 2:1) and two ISOFIX points for child seats.

The HDi 90hp engine is the best CO2 performer at 99g/km; it does up to 74.3 mpg; offers a Gear Efficiency Indicator (high revs = not good, that sort of thing); insurance groups from 12E to 22E and prices start from £11700 for the petrol Vti 95bp engine.

There are a fantastic number of customisable options include 38 body and roof colour combinations, chrome mirrors, alloys, bumper LEDs and various dashboard and upholstery combinations.

You could also have digital air conditioning, parking sensors (I’d have those), auto headlamps and auto windscreen wipers when it rains. Nice one Citroen.

The only uncertainty is the discount you might expect to negotiate post scrappage. It used to be that Citroen did good discounts but there’s a new school of thought and the brand is being re-positioned which may or may not produce the sales volume that’s needed.  We’ll keep you posted when we know more…

And if you are in Cheltenham, the DS3 is on show in the Regent Arcade until 28 March and female friendly main car dealership Warners in Blaisdon Way will surely tell you all you need to know…

FOXY Steph

I find that few women drivers realise that they have a period of six months in law to take a car back when it has developed an ‘unreasonable’ fault. ‘Unreasonable’ in terms of the price paid, the age and mileage and, of course, the sales proposition (and often the make of car itself…).

Few women drivers are as fussy as they should be and too many trust that the person, usually a man, who sells them a car that looks good on the forecourt is telling them all they need to know. And they don’t always tell the truth of course.

Very often the car was bought at an auction elsewhere in the country (usually where the prices are cheaper), transported (usually where the prices are higher ie the South of England) to be sold at a higher price and far from the original owner.

My industry experience makes me cynical here. If a car is not as good as it should be then the customer should know her rights. The dealer should be required to sell a car with a finance and a prescriptive pre-sale car fitness check. This is not the case unless you buy from a main dealer Approved Car scheme which I prefer to recommend. Where there are potential problems, these should either be rectified and declared or be documented on a caveat emptor basis and the price adjusted accordingly. Simple. And if an unexpected falut occurs the dealer should see this as an opportunity to demonstrate his superior customer care so she is so delighted she tells her friends…

That’s the theory at least!

Instead, the situation remains much the same over many years… there are too many modern day Arthur Daley’s and Swiss Toni’s out there who see a customer with a car fault as an opportunity to sell her repairs, claiming that a one or three month warranty was all she was entitled to. They have no scruples and tell a mosy convincing tale to the gullible.

I hope the OFT tightens this up and deals with unscrupulous dealers accordingly…

At present the law is too lightweight in this area which I would describe as car fraud or the auto-equivalent of passing off.

FOXY Steph

Women drivers can search for good and female friendly car dealers at FOXY Choice.

All FOXY Choice garages, fastfits and dealers sign the female friendly FOXY Promise to ‘never knowingly overcharge, patronise or sell women services they don’t need or want.’

Not that I accept that we are any worse than men at doing either by the way but these (usually male driven) perceptions give women drivers a bad name and being peace makers by nature, we are more likely to accept blame for things we aren’t always responsible for… knowing that many men feel the need to believe/convince us that they are the better drivers

Parking sensors make sense to me (and I must say that it isn’t just women drivers who need these in our household…) because…

• Repairing a scuffed bumper costs £460 on average
• Bumps and scratches can reduce your car’s value by £00s
• 37% of all accidents are caused whilst reversing
• The majority of minor car repairs are likely to come out of your insurance excess

Well worth checking that your new car has these and to find out how much parking sensors cost to be fitted to used cars.

If you live near Peebles or Galashiels, female friendly Ford car dealership David Harrison lists costs from £270 on their website.

And female friendly Inchcape Ford car dealerships in Farnborough, Guildford, Wokingham and Guildford are advertising these from £234…

Needless to say you’ll also find some great new and used Ford car deals at both locations.

FOXY Steph

PS To check out female friendly garages and dealerships near you, use the FOXY Choice search finder on the home page…

Lethargy, apathy or a lack of online sales experience one wonders?

Sales business Optilead believes dealers are lagging behind the likes of travel and financial businesses who now know how to use the internet to their advantage.

To be sure, they carried out a survey based on mystery shopping via the internet at dealerships, contacting them via their website or by email to organise a test drive.

Most of us know that a test drive request suggests a customer is ready to buy and gives a salesman a very strong opportunity to sell that car…

Out of the dealers that Optilead contacted (no mention of survey size by the way) c25% called back within 24 hours, about half took between one and three days to call and the rest made no contact at all. That’s dreadful, especially when every sale counts in a recession…

Bearing in mind that some 80% of new car buyers do their homework online, and that women influence the majority of all car purchases, this is tantamount to dealers giving the driving wheel to a back seat driver who may then choose to go and buy from an online car retailer they don’t know to avoid the dealership experience altogether.

If the car buyer is female chances are she’ll be even more likely to buy online than her male counterpart to avoid being patronised and/or overcharged if she’s on her own.

This mightn’t be the case in some  dealerships but it is the perception of many women drivers and those that are not seen to be female friendly and efficient will steadily lose her custom as others strengthen their internet act and sales pull.

FOXY Steph

Find out more about how female friendly car dealerships can win more female business at FOXY Choice website.

Surely this is Ford’s opportunity to move back into the Number One position – it’s a known brand, these are good deals and anyone selling a Toyota might be tempted to change brands as things stand…

The following prices are for new car orders confirmed by March 31, bought via a participating Ford dealer,  registered by June 30 and subject to taking out a Ford Options deal (which may be worth taking even if you don’t need the finance).  Other sales offers in 2010 still stand, subject to terms and conditions and similarly guaranteed to the end of June.

The underlying message from Ford is clear – tell us what you want and we’ll be flexible. More flexible in March because the scrappage scheme* has been extended until the 31st but still flexible until the end of June.

NEW FORD PRICES (guidelines at least)

*The scrappage discount of £2,000 also applies to these prices other than the Ka where the additional scrappage discount is reduced to £700.

If you are looking for a female friendly Ford car dealership in Bracknell, Farnborough, Guildford or Wokingham visit FOXY Choice subscriber Inchcape Ford.

If you are looking for a female friendly Ford car dealership in Southampton visit FOXY Choice subscriber Hendy group.

If you are looking for a female friendly Ford car dealership in Cambridge visit FOXY Choice subscriber Marshall Ford.

If you are looking for a female friendly Ford car dealership in Scottish Border towns Peebles and Galashiels visit David Harrison.

Sadly many don’t get the new car buying process right and in 2009 HM Government’s Consumer Direct received 50,790 complaints about second-hand cars bought from independent dealers, up by 8% on the previous year and well over double the number of complaints about TVs and mobile phones.

Knowing that at least half of those buying a new car are likely to be women drivers, it is fair to imagine that a higher percentage of them will be buying and driving used cars than men. I say this based on speaking to many members of FOXY Lady Drivers Club where the typical family has children and two cars with Dad more likely to be covering motorway miles in the newer car and Mum more likely to be running the older car and doing local mileage with children on board.

And of course many secondhand cars are bought from private individuals who may or may not be known to the buyer. It is only when things go wrong (private sales are not recorded in the Consumer Direct 50,000 complaints remember) that the driver learns that they have no protection in law…

Yet as few as 20% of all HPI car checks are carried out by women drivers which means (I am guessing here) that they are more likely to have subsequet problems and be the complainants (or the affected drivers at least) about Arthur Daley-like practices in today’s secondhand car sales industry.

The Consumer Direct survey information is used by the Office of Fair Trading, Trading Standards and other enforcement bodies so it’s good news that the OFT has finally launched a report into this selling scandal and will tell us what they find in May this year…

I did email them to see if they wanted my feedback but they didn’t reply ;-(. This is what I would have said, if invited…

• Poorly maintained, badly serviced and shoddily repaired cars are potentially dangerous so those who sell them should be named, shamed and fined heavily.
• Based on my anecdotal experience, women drivers are particularly vulnerable here, especially older women living on their own and who think they can trust car dealers. They need to know their options and their rights.
• All used cars sold via a dealer should be sold with a HPI check – whether a franchised or independent dealer.
• All used cars sold via a dealer should also be sold with a signed and dated checklist to show the customer that all the important and safety related items have all been checked and are either fine or need attention.
• All used cars via a dealer should be sold with a minimum of a 6 month warranty (as in law) which that dealer must honour.
• All used cars sold by private individuals should either be sold caveat emptor (where SORN or for restoration project) or with a HPI, MOT and local car check carried out by an authorised garage. Then the buyer knows what he or she is in for… after all we have to declare the truth to sell a house and there are serious consequences now of not doing this.
• Finally an unbiased organisation should adjudicate when sales go wrong. It would be good to see the onus put on helping the buyer more than the seller; make any conciliation service friendly and free and help the motorist take matters further in law if need be. I don’t think that a service involving dealers should be run by a motor industry organisation with a vested interest in selling trade membership, for example.

Of course it will be difficult to determine the reasonableness of all this when the dealer has bought a car online/at auction and depending on the age and mileage of the vehicle.

But when you see ITV’s Debbie Dingle in Emmerdale collude with a driver to sell a cut ‘n’ shut car that is unsafe and illegal you know that the law isn’t doing its job here and the cost of that is being borne by innocent motorists looking for a bargain and who are too trusting to realise that if a car is too cheap there will be a very good reason.

FOXY Steph

“It is our resonsibilities, not ourselves, that we should take seriously.”
Peter Ustinov