Family cars - how involved were you in choosing yours?

[carriemumsnet]

We have this hunch at MN towers that when it comes to choosing the family car - the estates, people carriers (dare we say 4x4's?) family saloons, compacts with a bit of a boot - basically anything other than sports cars - women get quite involved and are the ultimate decision makers.

We also think women should be consulted more when manufacturers design cars (we're thinking wipe clean seat fabrics, fewer holes for crumbs to get in, more drink holders, decent make up mirrors). We can see the launch of the New Mumsnet xxx model now

We just wondered if our hunch was right - what do you think?

paulayates: I have wanted a beetle since my first car (a Polo!). Cannot now justify it on environmental grounds .

i used to have an old one!! now i REALLY loved that - it is a bit bad having two cars - we dont use it much but our other car is a tank!

i am now covetting caravelles!

In our house I have the Honda Accord estate and DH (6 foot 6) has the 20 year old mini.

The steering wheel is between his knees.

I chose the mini, he really wanted a honda.

But we have ended up driving each others cars.

But yes I do have a big say in cars. And no crumb catching crannies would be good please

i think your right MNHQ.

i was the only driver for many years, sometimes there really wasn't any choice - it was as simple as - what can i get for £300!

dh learned to drive 3 years ago and got a company car - no choice there.

so i always chose my car.

i recently bought a new one - choice - all mine.

dp used to drive a fiat 126 when we met - now that IS silly

i am far more concerned with - leather seats - integral child seats- room to reach through to deal with small people - blinds integral blinds!

speakers in rear that are independant of the front ones so that i can

1.turn it up for less than small children to keep them happy but me peaceful

1. turn it up to discuss friends lack of sex life/finances/issues (delete as applicable ) without teens ear wigging

-plug for fridge for frozen breast milk - yes i am sad and yes i have done that

• ability to climb into back to administer potty on m4 (yes i have done that)

boot big enough to put bugaboo and or phil and teds UP in it. cannot do with that collapsing them malarkey - no siree!

big enough to accommodate a million kids and a great dane (work not pleasure - oh and it vomited!)

it needs to GO as well like proper sh@£ off shovel stuff - might look family styled but there is more than one way to show your husband's got balls I am an awful show off!!

i could go on !

haven't had leather seats ....

He gives me a list of the cars that he likes.

I strike some off the list.

Research the others

We decide together what to get.

With his company car, he had the last say as he was driving it more

With our private car, I pretty much made the decision (between Mazda and Renault) as I am driving it more often.

Not bothered too much about wipe-clean-ness but I do like gadgets.

We are 50/50 but I probably do a get a final veto so it's perhaps more like 60/40 in my favour.

I don't drive but i get the final say.
DH did all the research and i just went along for the test drive on a Saturday morning and the sales man was desperate to sell it to me cos he realised I was making the decision.
If I had said I didn't like it DH wouldn't have bought it.

Researched safety/reliability, decided on a couple, presented options to DH, found car, both went to buy it.

Far more involved than my DH.

He happily goes along with whatever is best based on the extensive, slightly anal research I present on a pretty spreadsheet.

The main thing we needed in this car was that it comfortably fit 3 adults, 2 children in cars seats and have decent boot space for suitcases and a buggy. I researched which cars seemed to fit the brief online and then we all went to see/ test drive them. Some never even got test-driven as once we had adjusted the front seats for leg-room, installed the carseats, put the children in and attempted to get into the 3rd row of seating, we knew that we could never all fit in (or have any bootspace left).

DH has a company car so although I do get to voice an opinion, in the end the final say isn't 100% ours. ATM we have a VW Passatt estate which is perfect with 2 ds's both in big car seats although I do find it ver tricky to park as it doesn't have any parking sensors. Not sure what we'll do if (when!) dc3 arrives.

I have a Skoda Fabia estate which I had most of the say in getting as it's me and the dc that are in it 99% of the time. That had to fit the brief of: cheap (to buy, run, tax and insure), have a boot that could fit the pushchair and a big weekly shop, 5 doors, a/c, and a turn off-able front airbag. I also had to feel confident that it wan't too big for parking (I do lots of reverse parking).

I will happily trial any cars

About 50:50 in our house, we're both interested in different things from a car so works best if we choose as a team.

Don't we sound harmonious? Wish making decisions about building projects around the house was just as straightforward.....

I have been pondering this exact question for years. If women make the decisions about cars, why is there no handbag hook in the footwell so a. you don't have to scrabble on the floor for it when you need a tissue, and b. it wouldn't be so easy to have your bag nicked by someone opening the passenger door at traffic lights?

Proper rubbish bins instead of fiddly, piddly ashtrays.
Hosedown seats and doors instead of ruinable upholstery .
Swivel passenger seat so the non-driver hasn't got neck cramp from attending to the needs of DCs.
Built in sunshades that can't be pulled down and bits broken off exposing sharp metal poking implements.

I choose the model, DP does the test driving.

Ditto Lastyears I state the exact nature of the vehicle I need, something akin to the TARDIS this time around, and DH attempts to locate this vehicle, and incorporate some sort of "sports" mode for himself.

I find colour is also important, as is sequential transmission, although I don't think any MPVs carry that as yet.

I make all the decisions about everything remotely technical in our house, from the cars to the vacuum. Dh has no interest whatsoever - I even picked his car.

And yes, women's input on design would be a fantastic idea.

I have as much input as DP and i get to veto any cars that i don't like or think would be practical as does he.

I think a woman on the design team would be fab, yes wipe clean seats are needed especially in my car and an onboard rubbish bin would be great to.

Also soe better trays/cup holders ect that were big enough for the dc's to put a toy or 2 on so i don't constantly hear 'muuuuummm i dropped my x,y,z'

When we went looking for our car I told dh that he could pick any car he liked...so long as it was a Ford Fiesta and a diesel. There was only one