• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, April 7, 2005

According to Hitwise, women comprised 40 percent of visits to automotive Web sites for the four weeks ending  March 19, 2005. Though Automotive Web sites often are thought of as a man's domain, women are the majority to several sites delivering information about automotive finance, registration and vehicle insurance.

In contrast to women's preferences, men are more likely to visit online auctions, forums and enthusiast groups. For the four weeks ending March 19, 2005, men comprised more than 70 percent of visitors to three major auto auction sites, and males comprised 63 percent of the audience to eBay's auto-auction site.

Bill Tancer, vice president of research, Hitwise, said "The higher tendency of men to seek out car sites geared to knowledgeable enthusiasts would be expected, however the fact that women are comprising the clear majority to many other major auto segments is a valuable insight."

When it comes to auto manufacturers, women comprise the majority of visitors to Web sites of the more practical brands, while men comprise a majority of visitors to sites of luxury brands. The one exception to this division is the BMW Mini, whose audience is mostly women.

Top 5 Automotive & Manufacturers Web Sites* with the highest proportion of Males and Females. (4 Weeks Ending March 19, 2005)

MALE

FEMALE

*From top 100 sites for specified category. Does not include car rental sites, duplicate sites, or sites for motorcycle, RV, or parts manufacturers.

You can find a copy of the Hitwise online Automotive Report here.