Well, a recent survey says women don’t clean their darling cars as often as men.

Shock horror – what sort of sluts are we females?

Let me suggest three reasons why this might be the case.

1 We are too busy doing everything else

2 We have asked someone else to do this for us (a man probably – they are very good at this I find)

3 We are talking about a car to take us from A to B, not live in…

And another survey in the same week says that men feel unsafe when the car is driven by their wife or girlfriend. But not if she is driving sober so he can down a few pints I suspect.

The fact is that these sorts of survey get published and businesses who sponsor them get mentioned, especially online or as fillers in male magazines and motoring publications.

The reason they get published (and then read by people like me) is to do with the differences between the two genders.

Whereas if women drivers were to publish ‘I feel frightened when my husband drives’ (and there must be many of us who do feel that way) there’d be a savage outcry from men whose pride had been dented and because they are fed up reading that women are doing well in all areas of their lives, especially the ones that used to be ‘male domain’.

Whereas we women are the peacemakers (yes, dear, you are the best…), we have a vital sense of humour (…yawn…), realise that none of this trivia matters very much and have more important things to do anyway; family, children, homes, career, community, leisure, holidays, fashion and so on.

Finally we know we are better drivers because insurance companies keep on telling us and they should know.

No contest men – get used to it! Or dig out that sense of humour (you’ll find it below the sense of indignation you feel when anyone challenges your male preserves…).

And it’s perfectly normal for you to feel this way – it’s how we are hard wired respectively.

FOXY Steph

Ford list prices are due to fall between 6% and 15% for Ka, Fiesta, Focus and Kuga models in August. This is because fleet drivers are taxed on the list price, not the transaction price (the transaction price means the net discounted price to a fleet operator) and Ford is focussing on securing this business ahead of individual motorists.

Kevin Quigg, Ford Dealer Council chairman said: “There was an immediate effect in the showroom as a result of the lower list prices on large cars [in April and for fleet buyers again]. Ford dealers are delighted to see the company continuing to lead the market by applying the initiative across the entire Ford car range.”

Sadly Ford dealers didn’t do at all well in the recent AutoExpress poll of c20,000 customers so perhaps Mr Quigg needs to address the service gap in terms of reported poor standards of workmanship, poor technical knowledge and poor helpfulness scores otherwise they won’t keep that business, fleet or private buyers.

I was surprised I must say to read the Daily Telegraph’s InBrief PR this week stating that Vauxhall and Ford dealers, Britain’s two biggest selling car brands, are the worst in the country, according to this survey.

Could it be that Ford is too busy courting the fleet wallet to bother about the private and typically female purse? This wouldn’t be very foxy at all because so many of us drive Fords and with Hyundai champing at the value for money, customer service and warranty bit they could lose that female support if they don’t pick their skirts up fast.

FOXY Steph

Find out about your female friendly garage choices in FOXY’s Good Garage Guide for women.

See which female friendly garages could look after your car near you.

Join FOXY Lady Drivers Club to sample a female friendly motoring support service with the best deals on offer for women drivers.

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’.

So what chance do we women stand? We who aren’t all that interested in petrolhead, garage or industry jargon and rarely read motoring sections in the local or national press.

To give you an idea of the motor jargon that can surely be improved upon with a bit of creative thinking…

Block Exemption
The fact that there is good EU news for motorists has failed to hit the spot for men and women alike, simply because the mention of Block Exemption surely equates to an instant yawn…

Aftersales
Franchised dealers tend to use this when they mean garage services.

Scrappage
Surely the ugliest word in the UK vocabulary?

Swappage
Not quite as bad as scrappage but time to be a bit more imaginative surely… and often trying to disguise a poor part exchange value

Used car
Imho this definition sounds like a car for poor people – aaah they can’t afford a new one and have to put up with one that has been used by others first .

Manufacturer Franchised Dealer vs Manufacturer Authorised Repairer vs Independent Garage
Aren’t they all just garages when it comes to the likes of MOTs, servicing and repair work. Or is there a point that the manufacturers are trying to make here?

And all this is before we consider the many acronyms used to sell onboard gadgets and/or new car features…

HOW I WISH that the industry would write about cars, garage services and motoring matters so that your average Jack and Jill customers knew what was meant…

FOXY Steph

To find out where the female friendly garages are near you…

To join a motoring association for women to save money, get a better motoring deal and have someone to ask when the jargon gets too baffling…

Understandably the battle for this valuable business is intense because car dealerships have been used to maintaining most new and nearly new cars within their warranty and, in the light of fewer garage services following fewer new car sales in 2008/9/10 they will be looking to replace this lost garage income by finding new customers to look after, those driving older cars who would otherwise use independent garages…

This has become more interesting following new EU rules concerning the repair and maintenance of cars which came into effect on 1 June 2010. The intention was to benefit motorists by making it easier for independent garages to get access to technical support from car manufacturers – who had previously been known to encourage women (and men) drivers to have their cars maintained, serviced and repaired by their franchised dealerships whilst within warranty. This often resulted in the customer paying more than she could have done because typical franchised hourly rates are higher than in most independent garages.

If you end up paying more than you need to, without having been given a choice, you do feel ripped off and you may well complain about this which may have something to do with the level of complaints about dealership services (on a par when I last looked with independent garages…).

So all in all, anything that gives the customer more choice of value for money and quality garage services is a good thing?

Yes, of course but I believe there is still a grey area here from the female motorist’s point of view…

On the one hand car manufacturers can no longer make a warranty conditional on having oil changed or other services carried out in authorised garages. That’s the good news.

But car manufacturers can still ‘request’ repairs that are covered by the warranty and to be paid for by the manufacturer be carried out within the authorised manufacturer’s network.

Of course this is understandable as it is in the best interest of manufacturers that their franchised dealers do well in this area. I THINK this means that all oil and routine car services can now be carried out where the customer wants the work done but that when there is a necessary repair (examples invited to help me understand some circumstances here) and the manufacturer is clearly liable, that the manufacturer should be able to ‘dictate’ where the work is done.

But who is to define what happens if the manufacturer ‘requests’ an authorised repairer which isn’t as convenient for the customer as another? Isn’t the word ‘dictate’ a more honest representation of what is likely to be the case?

And isn’t it also likely that dealerships have a vested interest in muddying the waters here a tad by suggesting to female motorists (who are likely to be confused here) that the definition of ‘repairs’ within a warranty period includes servicing to maintain that warranty. This would be an easy message to convey even though the easiest way is for them to compete with independent garages would be on the basis of

• ATA qualifications
• high customer service levels/facilities
• female friendly garage standards (FOXY Choice plug but definitely relevant here)

I’d also like to know who in the UK motor industry is responsible for telling women drivers about this change to their car servicing rights?

And how are we expected to find out? I haven’t read anything about this in the sort of publications I read although if it was titled ‘Block Exemption’ (its catchy EU nom de plume) I wouldn’t read on any further…

FOXY Steph

Find out about genuinely good and female friendly garages for your MOT, car servicing and repair work.

• Six in ten men would drive less in order to reduce their motoring costs, but less than half of women would be prepared to do the same

Which just might be because many of us work part time and can’t carshare; are more likely to have children with us; are less likely to go out solo using public transport and less likely to waste miles anyway…

• 45 per cent of men would apparently drive more slowly to use less fuel compared to 37 per cent of women

Which might be because we drive more slowly in the first place?

• Women are 23 per cent more likely to combine car journeys to reduce their overall mileage which is one of the most effective ways to reduce the environmental impact of driving.

A bit like multi-tasking perhaps – we are good at planning to make the most of our time and money…

Andrew Davis of the Environmental Transport Association said:

“Since women do fewer miles and are far more likely to keep to the speed limit than men, arguably they are the greener drivers, but everyone can enjoy financial and environmental benefits by occasionally leaving the car at home.”

Said with a degree of bad grace I thought from the use of the word ‘arguably’ . But that’s because men never could accept any criticism about their driving, especially when this might advantage women drivers.

FOXY Steph
FOXY Lady Drivers Club

“Men can read maps better than women because only the male mind could conceive of one inch equalling a hundred miles.” Roseanne Barr



Whilst it has been true and easy of old to say that independent garages are much cheaper than dealerships, the recession has to a certain degree bridged this value gap with more offers, discounts and services than ever before. Certainly this is what FOXY Choice is finding across the UK (that dealerships are getting more competitive in the search for more business).

Our advice to female motorists is to always start with an open mind and by doing your garage services shopping homework online, you’ll be better prepared in terms of knowing the local experts each occasion plus measurable quality factors and probable prices before simply going to the same old garage as before…

In terms of customer loyalty levels when it comes to car servicing I read that Honda drivers are most likely to revisit their franchised car dealerships (39.5% business retained for cars of all ages for servicing in 2009 BUT how do they know this after the car is sold I wonder? ) whereas the likes of Rover and MG, Nissan and Fiat languish towards the bottom of this Trend Tracker 2008 loyalty league survey (which surprises me about Nissan).

No surprises about MG Rover picking up after the XPart network took on that motoring responsibility.

All in all, across all brands and ages of cars surveyed, independent garages accounted for c38.4% of all services carried out. The future therefore brings interesting times ahead with the likes of Toyota leading the field (who will follow) by lengthening their warranty to 5 years in an obvious move to keep dealership contact with their customers for longer.

Providing female friendly marketing services to garages FOXY Choice’s experience is that some independents are doing brilliantly and others are struggling to stay alive. With little in between. The difference seems to be location (near competition vs niche wealthy area), perceived quality (and dare I say a commitment to female friendly standards as a minimum…) and therefore perceived value for money.

Most of us know that ‘too cheap’ is bad news in the garage industry but you have to know that garages aren’t licensed and too many mechanics aren’t qualified to understand why this could reflect in your being ripped off; or worse, left with an unsafe car. Few of our younger drivers understand this and I think the UK motor industry could do more to get this message across.

You also need to know which garages/fastfits/dealerships will sell you products you don’t need because they are encouraged to do so to earn commission as part of their income. More than we realise I suspect…

It’s a competitive world and the best and ethical garages need to stand out in a crowd of sometime mediocrity. Have a look at the FOXY Choice website to read which are the genuinely good and best garages near you in our FOXY Good Garage Guide. Then search for ‘female friendly garages’ and your nearest postal town to see which businesses have signed the female friendly FOXY Promise to ‘never overcharge, patronise or sell women services they don’t need’. Imho this simple promise matters to women much more than the industry seems to appreciate.

And whilst this is early days for our reasonably new female friendly marketing service for garages, it’s telling to see those that can and can’t sign the FOXY Promise.

Find out about female friendly garages near you…

FOXY Steph

Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” Steve Jobs

No matter if your Alfa is a Giulia, a Spider or a modern MiTo, your personal photo can be added to Alfa Romeo’s centenary mosaic which has been designed to celebrate this milestone birthday.

“Many of the images capture those special memories or magical moments which bring all Alfa owners together; from the special birthday cake to the son helping to clean his dads car for the first time,” says Damien Dally UK Brand Communications Manager for Alfa Romeo.

If FOXY was writing this, read Mums and Daughters of course because, as the photo confirms, women drivers love and drive Alfas too…

Any Motoring Juliets who do this before June 18 will also be included in a prize draw to win an exclusive Alfa Romeo goodie bag and a pair of VIP tickets to the Goodwood Festival of Speed (2 – 4 July).

To submit your photo before July 5th please visit www.alfacentenary.co.uk.

To find out about genuinely good and female friendly garages who can service or repair your Alfa Romeo, have a look at the FOXY Choice website or join FOXY Lady Drivers Club to get a 1:1 recommendation near you.

FOXY Steph

“Fashion fades, only style remains the same.”  Coco Chanel

Familiar to most of us as BBC Radio 2′s Sally Traffic, her reassuring voice is the one that tells us how lucky we are not to be where the traffic delays are and, if it’s too late because we’re there already, she brings us up to date with the latest news because so many traffic reporters know to phone her traffic hotline on 08700 100 200 with the inside story.

She’s a great ambassador for women drivers and for the UK motor industry and combines a natural foxy (as in shrewd, canny and astute) awareness, fun and female intelligence to the role.

You can see what Sally Traffic thinks about many motoring issues from a female perspective in her replies to our FOXY Lady Driver of the Month questions. Somehow we thought she’d find a way to mention James Taylor here.

To see the sort of corporate engagements and broadcasting events that Sally can help at, please contact her agent June Ford Crush.

FOXY Steph

“Sally is loved by every driver in the country because they know she looks out for them and speaks to each one as if they’re the most important thing in the world. And I reckon that to her, they are.”

Steve Wright, BBC Radio 2 Presenter and DJ

The offer is called an Econo Check service which costs £30 and comes with a £15 voucher to be claimed against the next scheduled service.

Garage technicians will carry out a 15-minute check on the car including tyre pressure and condition as well as oil and air filter cleanliness. They will also fit ‘a data logger’ to the vehicle’s diagnostic port which remains in the cabin for seven days after which either the dealer or the customer will detach it and return it to Ford by post. Assuming she has driven enough to make sense of this in the meantime, this will give Ford enough information about the driver’s speed, anticipation, braking and gear change to create a personalised report (the Econo Check) which will then be emailed to the customer.

This report is likely to recommend

1    driving style adjustments that could reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 25%.
2    eco driver training, which could be provided through Ford’s driver training partner, the AA.
3    upgrading to a new Ford Econetic car.

“The primary function of this is to help change driving styles so drivers can become greener and save money” a Ford spokesman said.

And the secondary function, says FOXY, is to re-engage with male and female drivers they have lost touch with and who have gone to cheaper independent garages AND to sell them new cars of course.

By and large, this is a good thing but whether cost conscious motorists running older cars will choose to pay £30 to be sold a full service at dealership rates, driver training (unlikely if they’re male ) or a new car in tough economic times is a very different matter.

And the independents will react of course.

FOXY Steph

To find out about FREE quarterly FOXY Car Fitness Checks that include tyres, oil, coolant, CO2 emissions and a seasonal item such as your air conditioning system, visit FOXY Lady Drivers Club.