Do you choose the family car - or does he?

[HelenMumsnet]

Hello.

We've had a hunch for a time that women play a huge part in choosing what make and model of family car to buy. But advertisers keep telling us that's not true - it's the men who make car decisions, they say.

So, we thought we'd ask you what you think...

What part do you play in the decision to buy your family car (and we do mean family car, not the sporty two-seater your other half might have his mid-life-crisis eye on)?

Do you choose it by yourself? Or does he? Or perhaps you do all the research but it's a joint decision in the end?

Do tell...

He cares, I dont - he chooses

we choose jointly i.e. we both have the power of a veto. Our current car is more my choice than DH's as I really wanted it and he wasn't that fussed.

sorry, forgot to add that Honda were fine but Toyota and Ford dealers were less than helpful when I went with ds to see some cars. We now have a honda and didn't revisit Ford or Toyota.

With the car we are probably going to buy this weekend, I saw one parked next to me in the car park, looked at all the important things like space to get a double buggy in the back etc, number of seats etc came home went on Autotrader, emailed DP and then we went to see one yesterday and liked it. He knows about things like the bhp, mpg etc. This one is a mumbus so he has less say in it as long as I am happy with it he says. Now I just have to work out a way to park the thing.

I decide on a shortlist of family cars. He goes and test drives them as I find cars boring. He tells me what they're like to drive, and we then decide together.

His car he chose himself, but I decided his budget!

I decided that both our cars have to be automatic, as I don't enjoy driving.

we choose not have a car

but in all other big purchases I do the research then we decide

Advertisers are completely wrong for my household. I handle pretty much all the car matters! Not just the choosing of the car, but also getting the tax/insurance, sorting the MOT/service and even down to the day to day maintainance!

I doubt my beloved DH would know where to start with checking the oil or pressures of the tyres, let alone anything like changing bulbs, bleeding the breaks or tightening the fan belt! On a good day, he might be able to tell you the make and model of our car, but I doubt he knows the engine size.

On the other hand, DH is very good at the cooking and cleaning. We're a bit gender reversed in our household roles.

DH usually has some preferances regarding what car we get, he prefers smaller vehicles which don't have too much power because he feels he can't control them. I go and find something that matches up to his vague preferences, get a couple of options to run by him, then he pretty much agrees with my first choice!

It works pretty well for us.

I usually state my requests - things like a large boot, safety features etc and then he goes off and researches . Having said that the last one he bought was a total surprise and it fitted the bill perfectly so much so that I don't want to sell it and find another !

Thank you all very very much!

Really interesting reading...