Everything Women Always Wanted to Know about Cars; But Didn't Know Who to Ask

by Lesley Hazelton

"I remember everything about the day I bought my first car. The pride, the awe at the financial responsibility, the way I stroked the paintwork...I loved that car with an intensity that still persists, years later. And even after all the fancy cars I've driven since then, if you gave me half a chance -- if they still made that car -- I'd buy it again."

Lesley Hazleton remembers that day so clearly because while men take for granted the independence that cars bring, women do not. For women, a car means freedom. It means control over their own lives. It means, really, far more to women than it does for most men. Yet for years, automakers didn't consider women when they designed cars. As far as they were concerned, women were in the bleachers and men were in the grandstands.

Not anymore.

Lesley Hazleton talked to 150 women all over America to find out what they really thought about cars. What she discovered will make you laugh and it will make you think. This book is as much about the romance of owning a car (and romance inside a car) as it is about antilock brakes and air bags. More than a car manual (though it's filled with how-to advice on taking care of your car), it will enable you to negotiate for the best deal, teach you how to test-drive, help you decide whether to buy or lease, explain safety features and security issues, and guide you to know your car as much as you love it. With lively anecdotes, charts, and illustrations, Everything Women Always Wanted to Know About Cars, But Didn't Know Who to Ask is revealing, insightful, and extremely informative.

Genres: Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1995

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's very informative! It helps you keep the mass amounts of cars and data distinct and separate from each other. She presents the information in a simple, "let's start from the beginning fashion", assuming the reader knows nothing. Her fundamentals really relate to the information on how to purchase and what things are important to look for. She makes it a very personal experience to find "your" car, and when you stop reading you feel a sense of empowerment and calm concerning your next rendezvous with any part of the car chain, from dealership, to on the road, to repair shop.

[Fin · Rating 3 out of 5]

i stopped reading finally, not because i didn't find the book enormously informative, but because the library wanted it back. :) would be 4 stars if updated for today. as is, just the chapter on how exactly an engine works is worth its weight in book.

[Nora | breezechaser on storygraph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great all-around intro to cars! Covers everything without dumping info on you like a ton of bricks, written in a conversational tone that makes it fun to read. The section on buying a car is great - definitely read this before getting a new one.