While men tend to tip toward trucks and SUVs, women have a completely different take on what makes for the best car brands in 2023. All of the brands you typically attribute to making trucks are the lowest-rated brands by female auto buyers. But from the perspective of women, it’s Buick that comes in the highest for auto brand preferences. 

Why did Buick rank as the highest brand for female buyers?

Over half of all Buicks sold were by women. At 55%, it tops the list. Just below, at 51%, are Mitsubishi and Mini. The industry average is 41%. Interestingly, though Buick saw the most brand loyalty when it comes to volume, Toyota gets the win. With 43% purchased by women, that translates to over 600,000 auto registrations. Honda was second in volume with 363,799 cars registered to women. 

In general, female auto buyers tend to have more brand loyalty for car brands compared to men, which is why this analysis by consumer data company S&P Global is so important. Higher conquests for brands from women mean a better chance of selling another one in three or five years.

What are the top brands for female buyers?

Here’s the list of brands appealing most to women in 2023:

1. Buick, 55%
2. Mitsubishi and Mini 51%
3. Lexus and Infinity 50%
4. Mazda and Kia 49%

Here are the brands that least appeal to women in 2023:

1. Ram 17%
2. GMC 29%
3. Ford 31%
4. Tesla 33%
5. Dodge 34%

According to S&P, the brands that have recently had a tough time with snagging returning customers are Dodge, Ram, and GMC. And guess what, they are the three lowest brands preferred by females. Women are four points more likely to return to an automaker.

Why does this matter to automakers?

“Best practices at OEMs should look at women as not just one homogenous group,” says Marc Bland, S&P Global Mobility’s chief diversity officer. “For example, African-American women registered more new vehicles than their male counterparts.” 

Another interesting observation is automakers that focus marketing toward women see a higher percentage of women buyers. And another odd fact is that women are not drawn to Tesla, which, as you know, seems to be driving the entire auto industry. This shows that women have still not embraced the EV revolution. 

“That EVs aren’t being purchased by women is leading to more questions than answers,” Bland said. “Women shoppers have concerns about range anxiety and safety. These brands need to do a lot more educating.”

Does Buick market directly to female buyers?

One thing we haven’t mentioned is that there are more women than men. Right now it’s 50.5%. So everything being equal, which isn’t always the case, automakers should want to go after women in marketing and promotion. 

S&P Mobility says one of the reasons that Buick comes out on top is because of GMs “Women’s Retail Network.” Bland says, “The majority of the OEMs now have a minority dealer organization, but GM takes it a step further: They have a Women’s Retail Network.”

The next time you see commercials targeted toward women, you’ll understand why men might take a back seat to manufacturers’ sales efforts.