What women want most in a car

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Hi: We are looking for a replacement for our '98 Pathfinder. My wife wants a fuel-efficient four-banger as she uses it to go to work, but it must also have all-wheel drive to make the weekend ski trips for the four of us. What do you guys suggest for the best bang for the buck? -Charlie in Kelowna, B.C.

Cato: I should answer this one myself, Vaughan. You've never had the slightest idea about what women want. You are guided in life by what you want, but women don't want what you want. Charlie, on the other hand, needs to get something the woman in his life wants. You're disqualified.

Vaughan: Ah, Cato, the oracle of all when it comes to male-female issues. You are so sensitive, so in touch with your feminine side. A new-age guy.

Cato: Well, I love women, respect them and want to … Ah, I'm wasting my time on a Hobbit like you. To the research.

Vaughan: Since when does Cato the Oracle need anything other than his own divine inspiration?

Cato: The world knows that you know it all, Vaughan, but I trust research. The latest Maritz New Vehicle Customer Study says when it comes to cars, women want small ones packed with value and great fuel economy. Our short list will therefore include three small, fuel-efficient, affordable SUVs.

Keep in mind, nearly half of all women in Canada say fuel economy is their top purchase reason, followed by value for the money (41 per cent) and the price or cost to buy (39 per cent).

Vaughan: Chuckie-boy's spouse runs with the mainstream crowd. Not much more mainstream than a Ford.

I say Chuckles needs to show the wife a Ford Escape Hybrid. I'm betting that being from Kelowna, Chuckie and the bride are outdoorsy types who worry about the environment – they ski, right? So a hybrid SUV makes sense.

Cato: Reliability is important, though just one in five women say it's a top reason to buy. The Escape has been around so long – seems like forever unchanged. Ford surely has worked out any bugs.

Better still, it's a deal. The Escape Hybrid with AWD lists for $40,799, but if Charlie can nail down an Employee Pricing discount at the end of this promotion it's worth $3,055. Add the $3,000 Delivery Allowance and you're up to $6,000 in discounts. And all before tax. Charlie, you'll also save 12 per cent HST on $6,000, too.

Vaughan: I see something else in this Maritz study you love: women care little about "fun to drive" qualities and the manufacturer's reputation – two elements that figure significantly into a lot of automotive advertising.

Cato: Car company advertising seems mostly aimed at men, in case you hadn't noticed. Not men like you, who love old diesel runabouts. No, men with gasoline running through their veins – or men who like to believe such a thing or at least project it.

Vaughan: Stick with your research, Cato. Women want small, reliable vehicles that go a long way on a tank of fuel and sell at a discount.

Cato: Haven't you figured this out? Women are on top of the family budget in a serious way. It explains Chuck and the world of so many other men.

This brings me to my second option: the Nissan Rogue. Say Chuck goes for the Rogue S with AWD. It lists for $26,448, but Nissan Canada has a $4,000 factory-to-dealer discount on the Rogue – a before-tax discount for cash purchases, my friend.

Vaughan: The Rogue is extraordinarily fuel-efficient with its CVT or continuously variable transmission. It's a little small, though. Big enough for four to get from Kelowna to Big White for skiing, but not much further if the back-seat passengers are going to be comfortable.

Cato: For a third choice, I nominate the Dodge Journey R/T with AWD: $30,995 and with that new cabin, it's very nice inside.

Vaughan: Cato, Journey sales are up 52.7 per cent on the year. One reason why: this is the biggest crossover of the three.

Cato: And Charlie, Dodge has some money for you. If you're a Gold Key leaseholder, Dodge may have as much as $5,000 available in factory discounts which can be combined with finance rates of 1.99 per cent for three years.

Vaughan: I say the Escape Hybrid.

Cato: My pick is the Journey. Regardless, we're on safe ground.

The automotive research company CarGurus recently produced a report called "Fenders by Gender." The Escape Hybrid, the Rogue and the Journey were three of the top four vehicles women want. Embrace the research.

Vaughan: You are such an egghead.

*****

HOW THEY COMPARE

Source: car manufacturers

Jeremy Cato and Michael Vaughan are co-hosts of Car/Business, which appears Fridays at 8 p.m. on Business News Network and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. on CTV.