These are the SUVs women prefer
Over a three year period, online car shopping by women has grown by 76%. And with the SUV ranked as the most searched for body type in car searches in South Africa, this trend remains true with female car shoppers.
The stylish, sturdy and spacious SUV has become the car of choice for many women. For good reason. The more sturdy, high-riding vehicle ticks the versatility, size, space, safety, comfort and lifestyle boxes.
The larger size and elevated ride height of the SUV are standout qualities, both adding to the sense of safety for women drivers, as does its pothole hopping ability. And for the adventure seeking, SUVs offer varying degrees of sporty performance and off-road ability.
So, if you thought women were not that much into cars that ramp up the excitement, think again.
Topping the list of the most searched for SUVs by women from January 1 and July 31 on AutoTrader, is a high-performing beast of a car. Big, boxy, brash, and blisteringly quick, the Mercedes-AMG G-Class G63 is no shrinking violet. This legendary off-roader with its throaty V8 exhaust notes is a real standout. But one would have to drop nothing short of R3.4 million on average to indulge in a 2019 model of this statement SUV.
Yet another V8 performance SUV with an elevated price tag points to the popularity of statement SUVs. Large, posh and immensely powerful, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR is an aspirational pull.
Adventure-seeking ladies seem intrigued by another boxy SUV. The four-wheel drive V6 Jeep Wrangler Sahara is a superior off-roader with fewer creature comforts. But what this unique, unpretentious SUV lacks in comfort and frills is more than made up by its cool factor and versatility on the adventure trail.
Predictably, less pricey SUVs with somewhat more sedate personalities offered by much-loved brands like Toyota and BMW, feature in the search list, among these are the dependable 7-seater Toyota Fortuner 2.8GD-6 and 3.0D-4D, large luxury BMW X5 xDrive30d and premium mid-size SUV, the BMW X3 xDrive20d. Notably, all are diesel variants, another signifier that, like men, the fairer sex also prefer cars with grunt.
Most searched for SUVs by women3
*Source: AutoTrader, January 1 to July 31. AutoTrader is the largest motoring marketplace in South Africa. Its live market data provides insight into car shopping trends.
1. Searches for cars by women on AutoTrader, August 2019 versus August 2022
2. According to the 2022 AutoTrader Mid-Year Car Industry Report, reporting period January 1 to June 30.
3. AutoTrader for August 2022.
