What to look for in a car

A FEW weeks ago, I got a call from a friend who wanted to buy a car. But before asking me, she had asked some of her guy friends for advice. So when I told her my recommendations, she said, “Hmmm this guy told me that this car is not so good.” I asked her why did the guy say that it was not good, and she told me it lacked power etc. etc.

To cut the long story short, I advised her to take a look at the car and weigh the pros and cons according to her needs, not someone else’s.

In the end she ended up buying one of my recommended vehicles.

This is a common scenario. We usually ask people for a validation of what to buy or who to date or even if we are going to ditch a guy or not. We all need to feel good about our decisions and in a weird way we all need some sort of validity.

But like in relationships, no one can really tell you what you can do because they don’t live your life and therefore don’t know what you really need.

So why did my friend go with one of my recommendations? Because I told her what guys prioritize is different from what women need (this sounds too familiar).

Take the cue from the book, “Men are from Mars and women are from Venus.” In Mars, men need a car that is fast, impractical and loud, while in Venus, the terrain calls for a car that will drive smoothly, is easy to drive, and has lots of space.

So for fellow chicdrivers, what do I think do we really need to look for in a man, er, car?

First impression. Did you have a fuzzy feeling the moment you saw it? Or it just grew on you when you were getting to know it.

Just like any choice, you need to like what you see. If you harp on the good points, you will always feel you settled on what you chose.

You need to be able to answer “yes” when your friends ask if it’s good-looking, and not “well, its fuel efficient.”

What matters: The inside or outside?

We all know that looks are not everything. What’s inside also matters. Is it diesel or gas? Does it have a turbo or is it fuel-efficient? Is it fast or reliable?

I usually recommend a diesel vehicle but this should not be the final deciding factor. Imagine what your daily commute is like? Do you just go around the village or you need to suffer a couple of hours of traffic each day?

Size does matter. If you will be ferrying a football team or just two people, this I believe for women outweighs the performance two notches up.

A car is first and foremost a utility vehicle to women; if it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t work.

Commitment. Is it the right car or the car right now? Unfortunately, the hashtag #walangforever applies to vehicles.

Instead of a seven-year itch, cars have a three-year honeymoon period where none of the bad and dysfunctional traits will come out.

After the three years, the relationship becomes high maintenance and will often result to visits to the Casa.

For cars, I suggest you don’t go for a long-term relationship. Four to five years is a good, long stint with a car; after that, it’s time to move on.

Ride and ease of driving or parking. Do you want a smooth sailing one or a bumpy, exciting one? For guys, low-profile wheels, bumpy rides and uncomfortable seats are all part of the package when driving a sports car. They accept all of these shortcomings in exchange of how it makes them feel.

Women, on the other hand, would trade the good-looking factor for something they are comfortable with.

When you test drive the unit, drive it through some rough roads and potholes, and try parking them. This will give you a feel of what is in store.

Fuel economy. Is it a spender or frugal? Nowadays this is a big factor due to traffic.

Car websites usually post fuel economy numbers of units. Just always remember the fuel economy runs are done in the most ideal situation, so give and take a couple of percentage points up or down for the real life.

So with that in mind, the next time you need to purchase a vehicle, don’t automatically go for what your Facebook friends’ surveys say.

Get to know yourself and your needs, and you will find a vehicle that suits you. Test it, take it for a ride, scrutinize it, and if you feel that it’s not for you, reject it without explanations or thoughts of hurt feelings.

Unfortunately this only works with cars.

For comments and suggestions, please e-mail me at jnt@chicdriven.com; follow me @chicdriven on Instagram and Twitter; like our page in Facebook/Chicdriven.