The differences between men and women
While in the past it was particularly men who were involved with cars, this has changed significantly in recent decades. Nowadays, men are no longer the only ones driving, buying, and renting cars. Women are increasingly involved in this ‘male domain’ and are also making their own conscious choices when it comes to cars.
We also sometimes notice big differences between men and women when it comes to car hire. But what are these differences and are the prejudices about both men and women justified?
Men look at power and speed
When a man walks into our shop in Maastricht, he's looking for a hire car that accelerates quickly and drives smoothly. It varies what the car will be used for, but by definition, the man primarily looks at the power and speed of our hire cars.
What we particularly see is that men who come to us for a temporary rental car are looking for a car that drives almost the same as their own company lease car that is at the garage for maintenance. They want to notice as little as possible during those few days that they are without the car.
Furthermore, the car must have a tough or sporty appearance for men. The car is, after all, a kind of calling card to friends and acquaintances. Status and image therefore remain important. An example of a temporary replacement for a lease car is often the Volkswagen Passat.
Women pay attention to size and economy.
Unlike men who really look at speed and appearance, women pay attention to Choosing a hire car but often on other points. The size of the car is the first thing women notice: can I easily do a U-turn and, of course... park it?
For women, our hire cars should therefore be particularly easy to use and truly serve a purpose. In a city like Maastricht, the car shouldn't be too big, as that's not easy to drive and is inconvenient for parking during a quick shopping trip. Men clearly see this differently. An example of an easy-to-drive car that is often hired by women is the Volkswagen Golf.
This is how a woman looks much more at the energy efficiency of a car. Whether this is because women are more environmentally conscious or because they have to refuel less often is difficult to estimate. But we do get more enquiries about this from women than from men.
Hardly any difference for a rental car on holiday
When choosing a hire car for holiday, the differences between men and women are much less significant. When the car is going to be used for holidays, the first thing a man looks at is the boot space. This doesn't differ much from women. The most popular rental car with both men and women is the Ford Focus estate.
Trend of more women noticeable
So far, most of the prejudices have actually been confirmed. Nevertheless, a trend has been noticeable in Maastricht in recent years where we see more and more women looking for a temporary replacement for their company car.
What is notable is that women are increasingly looking for an equivalent option for a few days. Women don't so much look at the number of horsepower or the engine of the car, but primarily pay attention to whether the car's appearance is roughly the same. So, women think carefully about how they come across to their work colleagues.
We're curious to know what you consider a real men's or women's car. Let us know below!
