That a used car having had a "lady owner" is not something to value

[Jolly77]

Searching for a used car on autotrader and other websites I see that reference is made to the car having had a 'lady driver' or 'lady owner' and this make it a better buy than a bog standard car.

Whilst I would be intrigued to have a car that has been owned by a member of the aristocricy I dont think that they are referring to this.

Instead they generally mean that the car has a low mileage and has only been used for local trips. To my mind this is not necessarily a good thing - surely these local short trips add more strain to the car than long motorway trips implied by a higher mileage.

Friend (male) also suggested that these cars are less likely to have had oil changes/ services etc and also that long nails make marks on the door handles but I think this was just his bad experience!

I am looking at cars in the region of £5-8,000, so usually 7+ years old and on second or third owner

So should I go for the lady owned or treat them with scepticism?

It meaningless sexist nonsense isn't it?

I accept that women are less likely to be involved in accidents but that has no bearing on how women treat their cars vs men.

Women are no more/less likely to appreciate mechanical sympathy, although you could argue that more men are engineers so might understand the inner workings more. But it's all BS really.

Friend (male) also suggested that these cars are less likely to have had oil changes/ services etc and also that long nails make marks on the door handles but I think this was just his bad experience!

Are the women he knows werewolves?

'Almost 1 lady owner'. Which parts of you are missing? 😄

My first car was sold me with the information that it had belonged to the vicar's wife. Word came round the grapevine eventually that it had been the son who drove it!

Does your friend think car door handles are made of butter?

Yes, but has a burnt out clutch ;)

That is exactly what it means!

My ladybrain can’t focus on this thread. The noise of my long lady nails clawing the screen is too much.

Totally agree.

On the other hand though, ex-MIL's windscreen was always scratched to smithereens on the inside as she used to (god knows how) scrape her diamond ring all over the window when wiping the condensation off.

At least it proved ex-FIL had given her a decent quality diamond I guess!

I may be wrong, I’d be interested in any actual data, but my understanding was always that on average women had more accidents but the cost of those was smaller.

My brother bought a car which had one lady owner, she was a Hell's Angel so mileage on the car was low as she preferred her bike, it was in mint condition. Not what you imagine with one lady owner, no twinset and pearls pootling down to the shop.

This.

I'd trade in your friend for a new one, he sounds like a stupid idiot. Unless he knows women with actual hardware nails attached to the ends of their fingers how could they be marking cars?

I completely agree - particularly if it has a diesel engine as the DPF will be prone to clogging if not used for longer higher speed runs. Also, people who don't do many miles are more prone to not do as many regular services which are time dependent as well as miles. Also I personally think that if someone doesn't drive as much they probably aren't as skilful at driving as someone who drives more regularly, which may cause wear on components. Cars that aren't used much have regular issues with the battery, and if it has a stop/start function batteries can be expensive to replace. Personally I would look at average mileage for the age.

If you're looking to buy privately please also ensure you use a reputable website to check out the cars history, such as Motorcheck. You can check it hasn't been written off, sold through a salvage auction, check MOT history, and check there isn't any outstanding finance on the vehicle. Make sure you view the vehicle at the address on the V5 and have seen the V5. Personally I wouldn't risk buying a car privately, as it doesn't have a warranty and people tend to sell cars when something goes wrong they can't afford to repair. Also check the service history, you could even call the garage to check service history is genuine. Check for any dashboard warning lights and always test drive if possible.

BTW I work in the motor industry and the above is mainly my personal opinion.

It's both. Not been doughnutted or thrashed, but also only used once a week to pop 1 mile down the road. Neither are good for a car!

long nails make marks on the door handles
Stupid

@Tombero wheezing at "almost one lady owner"

www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/emily-chung-mummy-mechanic/20140630/got-scratches-on-your-cars-door-handle

I laughed at that 💅🏽 the second I see white to my nails I cut them back down

I'm one of these ' lady owners.'
I've always bought my cars new, looked after them, serviced them etc and when I've come to sell them the first to see it has bought it being totally amazed at the condition.
I always keep them in the garage as well so don't dismiss the 'one careful lady owner mantra'
Go and see it you may be surprised !

Meh, my car had one lady owner before I got it. It’s a 10 year old car and I’ve only just hit 30k on the clock. It was in pristine condition when I got it!

My FIL only buys cars owned by lady owner and so far they’re were in immaculate like new condition, he recently got a Lexus and couldn’t believe his luck.
It was driven only 500 miles! Sunday trips lady driver.

I think he's misunderstood "Hard as Nails"

I’m pretty sure my Aygo will be described thus when it’s resold. Just over three years old, less than 6k on the clock and regularly serviced by dealer. No nail or jewellery scars. Someone’s going to get such a bargain.

They wouldn't advertise my daughter's car like that- definitely not a careful lady owner....more of a skip lorry driver....