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?
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well, i can add GPS via Garmin or TomTom for little money. a metal roof without a hole cut in it for a sunroof won’t leak. i don’t *need* bluetooth. a fake tape (cassette adaptor) gives me all the ipod connectivity i need.
but a sedan without fold-down seats is essentially useless to me. it’s the single biggest reason i turned down a WRX TR.
Imagine the shock when they discover that men don’t just want rompin’ stompin’ V8s and ear-piercing burnout capability or vents all over the damn place. What? Reliability and safety? Low cost of ownership and quality interior materials? What the whaaaaaaaaaa?
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.
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