To celebrate the new Beetle, I made an internet top 10 list

Yesterday Vdub dropped the 2012 Beetle. The fresh redesign and powertrain will no doubt attract many new buyers, but will it help to shake the stigma of being considered a “chick car”? Certainly it’s not a death knell for any brand, but unless an automobile is wildly successful, you can count out 50% of your buyers, and that’s a big problem for any manufacturer. But really, what do you expect when you put a flower vase in the dash?  There are even rumblings of a type R package which should further help to shake the powder-puff image of the car a bit.



Surely it’s the question that’s keeps designers and automarketers up at night - How can I keep my car loved by both sexes? Some, like Mercury embraced the estrogen. Minivan and family friendly SUV marketing is certainly aimed at women, but more as a practical utility for families.

So what is the biggest chick car of all time? Below is my top 10 list of the most feminine “chick cars” and why.

1. Acura RSX -  how did this happen? How did the replacement to the venerable Integra become a popular sweet 16 present? A combination of small motor, cutesie compact styling and no sport trim models available led to this once great coupe to become the Civic of the upper middle class teen.


2. Toyota RAV 4 -   While the recent redesign looks nothing like its original body, the car must have a hard time shaking the image of its first generation as a cute little purple SUV. And where is everyone getting the airbrushed rear spare tire covers?


3. Chevy Beretta – This one is a curveball, I know. It seems growing up I knew so many girls that drove this car despite its obviously masculine name.  And the odd part -  every single one was purple.


4. Chrysler PT Cruiser -  you can drop the top. Throw in a turbocharged motor, it's still gonna be a damn ugly Neon. Speaking of that…


5. Dodge Neon – through multiple generations, the Neon has represented cheap transportation for those who just don’t care about cars. So what if the paint peeled off after the first winter? It only adds to the charm of this cute lil’ bugger with its big round headlights. Oh, and the SRT-4? Still a chick car.


6. V6 Mustang -  I don’t care if the fuel efficiency is amazing. I don’t care that its kicking nearly 300 ponies. I don’t care if its RWD. The bottom line is that as long as a V8 model exists as a proper muscle car, the V6 will always be the feminine choice. This is especially true of the convertible models.


7. VW Jetta -  While the Beetle gets knocked, lets face it, VW sells far more Jettas. Its another perennial favorite of car of the co-ed.


8. BMW 325i -  I’m gonna take some crap for this one, I know it. Its not only a chick car, its also a favorite ride of douchbags across the northeast.  Yeah, it handles, yeah, its got some cojones, but its still small, and screams “my banker daddy bought this for me after I totaled my Mustang.” But once you bump up the displacement to the 328 or a 5 Series, it’s a totally different car for a different buyer.


9. Mazda Miata -  The folks over at Mazda were so fed up with the stigma surrounding their extremely capable roadster, they actually changed the name to the MX-5. It really is a shame, but when give a tiny car such a feminine name, what do you expect to happen? That’s, and the thing was tiny. I’m not a big guy, but I tried to drive one once and could barely fit.


10. Chrysler Sebring / the modern K car – the mixture of a small motor, bland, non aggressive styling and a convertable option is a formula for instant chick car success.

Honorable mentions -  Nissan Altima, every Saturn ever made, Honda Civic, Chrysler LeBaron, Toyota Celica, Mitsubishi Eclipse