IMAGE through good branding. A spacious cabin without a long body to make parking difficult. And affordable running costs. These are a few of the things women are said to look for when buying a car.

As a result of growing affluence, car distributors are seeing more and more women buying cars for themselves. And they say attractive designs and snazzy colours are factors these ladies consider - after they are convinced the cars are from a company generally known for its reliable products, and that the purchase makes financial sense.

'Women buyers tend not to focus so much on technical specifications like the engine and performance of the car,' says Gem Yeo, executive director of Car Times, a parallel importer and authorised dealer for Subaru. 'But they look at accessories such as leather seats and DVD players. They usually like a car for its look, functionality and practicality. Is it easy to maintain, for example. What is consumption or the monthly instalment?'

Vincent Ng, product manager of authorised Honda distributor, Kah Motor agrees. 'Men want the latest model with the most power and sexy styling,' he says. 'But women usually look at the product and whether it's useful, either for themselves or for their families.

'It's a big ticket item - not a blouse or a pair of shoes. So it must be easy to drive, comfortable and keep the kids happy. So a woman's idea of a good-looking car is different from a man's.'

Mr Ng says the Honda Jazz hatchback and Honda CR-V sport-utility vehicle are two popular female choices. Women like the Jazz's attractive styling and utility - 'the versatile cabin is big even though the car looks compact'. It also drives smoothly and is very fuel-efficient.

He declined to give figures, but it is understood that more than half of all Jazzes here are bought by women or their purchase was decided by a woman.

Fun to use

Another hatchback that seems to appeal to the fairer sex is the Toyota Yaris.

'Women also buy the Vios and Altis, but most find the Yaris more convenient to use,' says Gavin Yeo, director of sales and marketing for Toyota at Borneo Motors, the authorised distributor of the top Japanese brand. 'It is easy to park and manoeuvre.'

Styling is also important because women are now more affluent and sophisticated, he says. There are two types - the single, career woman, and the woman with a young family,

'The Yaris' sportiness suits their lifestyle,' says Mr Yeo. 'It's fun to own one. And if you have kids who go to school or enrichment classes, it's a convenient and economical runabout.'

Like hatchbacks, compact SUVs or sport-utility vehicles also appeal to women. And the Honda CR-V has one thing in common with the smaller Toyota Rush - both are high-riding models with good visibility.

'The Rush is taller so you can see better and feel more confident when driving,' says Car Times' Ms Yeo. 'It's also more hip than a saloon because its shape is less traditional and boring.'

She says 60 per cent of those who buy the Rush are women, and they usually go for striking colours like red and yellow, as opposed to black, which is a favourite among men.

'The women are usually young executives, aged about 25 to 30-plus,' she says. 'They are in sales or marketing and need to move around to meet clients, so the 1.5-litre engine is manageable in terms of fuel consumption and road tax. Yet it looks like a bigger car.'

Car Times also offers pre-owned cars, and Ms Yeo says she has an older set of women customers, aged 30 to 40-plus, who are 'more established in their careers' and reward themselves with more expensive Continental cars like they would a Louis Vuitton or Prada handbag.

'They have good incomes and they choose sporty cars or convertibles like the Mercedes-Benz SLK or CLK,' she says. 'Whether they are single or married, they make the decision to buy on their own because of their buying power.'

DaimlerChrysler, which owns the Mercedes-Benz brand, agrees.

'In the last few years we have seen more women in the showroom,' says Gilbert Kwek, general manager for sales and marketing at DaimlerChrysler Singapore Operations. 'First, more men are bringing their wives along. Second, women are buying for themselves. The ladies are financially independent and are becoming an important group of customers.'

Chic in black

He says they tend to buy niche models like the SLK and CLK convertibles as well as the A-Class and the C-Class.

'But increasingly, they are also buying the E-Class for themselves - and some S-Class. There are women CEOs in the corporate world.'

One interesting fact about a Merc purchase is that when a woman buys a car it will be for her own use, says Mr Kwek.

'They don't buy to share with their husbands.'

An unusual feature when it comes to a Mercedes is the choice of colour.

'People tend to think women choose the softer colours but a lot of them like black,' says Mr Kwek. 'But then, our cars are not meant to be cute.'