SHE SAYS...

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31669, 3 May 1968, Page 9

SHE SAYS...

It is all very well for a husband to tell his wife that he has been looking for a new car, but he will have to consider her needs as well as his own in his choice of vehicle. Ideally, if the car is to be driven by both husband and wife, it should suit both persons. In practice some compromises are almost certain to be necessary. When looking for a new car, it should be easy to avoid the disadvantages of your present model —but can you list the disadvantages? In a logical approach to the problem, such items as the size, comfort, performance, price, and uses to which the car will be put must be considered.

Women are probably more conscious of the first two items—size and comfort—than the men, whereas the men are often more interested in the latter features. What may suit a man for size and comfort when driving may not necessarily suit his wife. For instance, a man more than 6ft in height and heavily built may have a wife who is considerably shorter, and slightly built. Their individual choices of driving and seating positions must differ. What car will suit both? The woman will naturally want a closer driving position, and pedals that suit her husband may be wrongly positioned and difficult for her to reach. She will want light steering for parking, and may even need a seat cushion to be able to see over the steering wheel or out of the rear window. All this makes it very obvious that choosing a family car when both husband and wife drive can be a long and difficult business.