MEN ARE more motivated by emotion when it comes to buying a car while women watch their purse strings, according to a survey.
Such things as the make and model of a car and the brand reputation are far more important for male purchasers than female ones, the survey by information services company Experian found.
Men were also nearly twice as likely than women to worry over what a car said about their personal image.
Running costs and reliability of a car were the most important pre-purchase issues for men and women.
The survey of 1,016 UK car owners also showed that 69% of women hold on to their car for more than three years compared with only 60% of men.
Kirk Fletcher, managing director of Experian's automotive division, said: "The older the car, the higher the chance of it having some sort of history that would affect a person's decision to buy it. It is important for women to protect themselves because they are more likely to buy older cars.
"Men are just as vulnerable if they are more inclined to base their decisions on what the car means to them. Buying a car can be an emotional process, especially if the car buyer has gone through a lot just to find the right one."
