What Women Want: Fold Down Rear Seats
It's true: TTAC panders to PR-meisters who use surveys to hook hacks into stories with only a peripheral link to the companies that sponsor them. And more than a few of these polls are about as scientific as astrology. Still, sometimes we can't help but share the bizarre-o info that nine out of ten spin doctors prescribe for their clients who chew gum. In this case, leasetrader.com— the e-Yenta of the leasing biz– claims they surveyed 2000 female customers/potential customers to discover that fold down rear seats are their most fave feature, car-wise. Then it's Bluetooth capability, MP3/iPod connectivity, automatic open/close hatchback and GPS technology. In an interview with TTAC (below), leasetrader.com's Vice President of Marketing Communications insists that women are crying out for somewhere to put their damn handbag (paraphrasing) and can't see the point of a sunroof (so to speak). In case you're wondering what this all means, John Sternal kinda promises he might poll men on the same topic eventually, although he reckons men's magazines auto coverage proves we're performance-minded oafs pistonheads. Ya think?
More by Robert Farago
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I have owned two four-door sedans since 1993, and I would find the lack of fold-down rear seats enormously inconvenient. I might need a sunroof if I had a Chrysler 300 or some other car wth those damn slit windows, but with a decent greenhouse, it seems pretty superfluous, and furthermore, I don't fit in most cars with sunroofs. "hook hacks..." I like that.
One vote from a guy.. gotta have fold down 60/40 in the back.
My wife's new 2007 Sonata has a little hook on the right side of the console, just right to hold her handbag. She actually was surprised to see that "someone" in the auto industry actually stopped to think about something so practical for women. ("Mamma's happy? Everybody's happy.") The Sonata also has 60/40 rear folding seats, but I think my wife thinks the '08 Prius takes the cake because it's a hatchback too, and we can get a LOT of food for the church food pantry in it on shopping trips, among many other uses. Though when we have to, the Sonata has a massive trunk (and fold-down) so we can get a lot of food in there, too, for the same job as needed. It's just not quite as convenient as a hatchback.
What do Women Want, Just Ask! Check out CarBlabber on AskPatty.com. Car Reviews for women by consumer women who are really driving those cars...they tell all on what they really love or hate about their cars! Go here to visit CarBlabber: http://www.askpatty.com/carblabber/ Jody DeVere President AskPatty.com