Everyone loves a nice ride… erm, in a car that is! Having some wheels is an instant leg up the social hierarchy, especially for those who are younger and still in school, cars mean that extra level of trust, responsibility and more importantly, a level of independence that has never been available before. No longer are those with wheels restricted to being chauffeured by their parents, taking the buses or God forbid, walking places and exercizing! It also ups social status instantly and one of the major draws for young men is the fact that owning a nice car is a magnet for the ladies, to drive them around and maybe well…

The fact that “chicks like cars” is never something that really leaves a man’s mind and many guys have this philosophy stay with them for their entire lives. It is for this reason that the popular stereotype of the middle-aged man ditching his reliable auto to indulge in a sports car is typical of their mid-life crisis as having a great motor is a sign of wealth and success, which is a sure fire lure for many women. Although as with numerous things between men and women, tastes differ, as they do with even twin siblings! However, a lot of women are not as fond of automobiles and their technology as guys are, so what seems appealing to the eye may not always appear as brilliant under the hood. So here are 15 cars that guys hate that girls love.

15. Volkswagen Beetle

More commonly known as a “Bug” too, this Volkswagen car was so popular back in the day, during the 60s hippy era that in the late 90s, the German car company decided to remake it. But although the original version was a staple of hippy culture and surfers in California, the only way that the new Beetle is associated with California today is Valley Girls! So no man wants to be seen in a car that would not look out of place in an episode of The Hills – especially the soft-top version that lacks every cool thing its predecessor had!

14. Volvo S40

A quite expensive yet functional car, Volvo is a Swedish brand that makes executive style vehicles that maybe to some women looks like a motor that belongs on a man who has done rather well for himself career-wise but is not too flashy or risky. Perhaps someone in an upper-middle-class occupation that can provide a good life and is ready to settle down. The Volvo S40 is also a practical car that works very well for family life, so it might be a good explanation as to why it made the top 10 of women’s favorite cars?

13. Chevy Volt

The environment is more of a concern than ever nowadays and like every other major industry, the automotive industry has to adapt to a world that needs to reduce carbon emissions. So for more people than ever, being environmentally friendly is a very attractive prospect and for this to take shape in car form will likely pull the more eco-friendly of the ladies, like the Chevy Volt might. The name of the motor gives a clue that it is an electric car and may charge up a guy’s love life as girls seem to like it, so plug in!

12. Mazda Miata

A sports car is usually a most wanted piece of kit for any man and sometimes it is exactly what they get and it becomes a cornerstone of the classic male mid-life crisis, when a man sees his grey hair and rushes out to buy a convertible! But desperation to recapture their lost youth and making rash decisions can result in a coolness fail like buying a Mazda Miata, a car that looks a little pretty although lacks the rugged passion and energy of a real sports car that any self-respecting dude trying to recapture the magic really desires. But convertibles always get the right heads turning.

11. Jeep Renegade

The Jeep is one of the icons of American motoring history and industry, a famous brand that instantly brings images of off road and charging through and over muddy mounds that is typical of a four-by-four. Although models like the Renegade lives up to its name by being a little more everyman than usual Jeeps (or should that be everywoman?) Maybe it is the all round usefulness of the Renegade that makes it such a maverick and makes it so appealing to women but men don’t have the same reaction to the boxy “off-roader,” more suited to the streets.

10. Nissan Juke

The Japanese brand of cars are known for their efficiency as all-round models but they are the kind of a basic motor that is fitted with a basic engine that are vehicles for the everyday errands that is more common to normality. It lacks the imagination and passion that might lie behind the more powerful engines under the hood, just offering the chance of putting a foot down on the open road. With a bizarre shape added to it, the Juke is a casual runaround that takes the fantasy out of guy driving and the inviting sense of being free on the road.

9. Mercedes-Benz C350 Coupé

This German brand of automobile is an icon of luxury, everyone who sees the logo for the vehicles instantly realize what kind of car they are dealing with. Despite Mercedes-Benz being a luxury brand, there is a range of different cars of value sold by Mercedes, which is what the C350 is, a lower value version of the high-end German cars. However, the C350 has the look that is unique to Mercedes-Benz so obviously gets everyone’s attention just through the sheer force of its name. So this is a great way to impress the ladies without costing as much as a house (even though a guy wishes he had the house priced version).

8. BMW X5

BMW is another prestigious German brand of car, and alongside Porsche forms the pinnacle of the German car industry and rank up there as one of the most sought after vehicles. BMW’s range of cars now come in many variations from a more value brand to the pinnacle of luxury, even the off-road types of automobile to appeal to as wide a customer base as possible. Although the X5 is a more practical type of BMW, it is less of a sporty and attractive vehicle to guys who want a roar in their engine and not generous trunk space for shopping and family.

7. Smart Fortwo

Why girls even like this car is a mystery! It appears to look less like a car and more like a toy and seems like a golf buggy than an actual automobile designed to tackle busy highways. The Smart Car however, is a vehicle that started the electric car revolution, although this revolution is one that seems a little slow in picking up speed (pun intended) and it is mainly one of the reasons that electric cars sales are sluggish, due to many that have sluggish speeds and lack the ballsy pace of gas guzzling cars, but Cozy Coupé cars are better for the environment.

6. Audi A5 Cabriolet

Another benchmark of German precision engineering and cutting edge luxury is Audi that even comes with its very own memorable slogan that indicates the company’s desire to achieve pure class: Vorsprung durch Technik (Advancement through Technology). Out of all the German luxury brands of motorcar Audi have the greatest range of engines to cater to tastes, from small cars to luxury sedans (all conveniently ranked from A1 to A8) but it’s the A5 that gets the ladies’ interest apparently. Although a car that is no slouch in the power department, it appears a little too clunky and practical for the racy tastes of many male sports car lovers.

5. Mini Clubman

The Mini was an icon of British car manufacturing from the 60s, in fact, it even made a brief appearance or two in the Austin Powers movies and underwent a revamp and unlike the reemergence of the VW Beetle, the Mini made a great transition to a newer model. Although with additions like the Clubman SUV being created seems like a rather square-shaped and ugly box that even though offers practical solutions to what is otherwise such a small car, lacks in the curvy and sleek style that many guys want from their vehicles and just looks like a stretched version of the Mini.

4. Volkswagen Golf Cabrio

Volkswagen cars are reliable cars, as many cars that come out of Germany are and one of Volkswagen’s most enduring models is the Golf, a nippy three or five door motor with an engine that is quite powerful for its class. Until several years ago, the Golf also came in a convertible model as well that looked stylish but otherwise was somewhat clunky as older models came without an electric roof that had to be taken down manually, so it’s not a very slick look for a guy trying to impress others (especially women) by not having a soft top that comes down with a flick of a switch.

3. Range Rover Evoque

British car maker Land Rover is an excellent example of off-road brilliance, the Defender model is a cornerstone of the British military and one is even owned by the Queen on her Balmoral estate that she uses to whizz around. The Range Rover is the luxury end of the off-road market that marries interior elegance with sheer force of the four-by-four to tackle nature head on, except for the Evoque version of the Range Rover. Designed to be a sleeker and sportier incarnation of the original Range Rover (and it also comes in a convertible) but lacks the beefier and intimidating presence of the original.

2. Dodge Neon

This is a 90s era American car that began a transition from the box-shaped objects that existed in the 80s to the more flowing metal shapes that we have on the road nowadays, but the Dodge Neon looks less neon and more dull lightbulb. Resembling something like the bubble car created by Homer Simpson when he was given the chance to make a car, the Dodge Neon may be practical, but practical doesn’t really get the pulses racing. It may also have a roomier back seat than a coupé but it might not get a guy into the back seat like he wishes!

1. Toyota Prius

The ultimate electric car, it may be a good thing that one is thinking of the Earth and is giving something back to the environment when behind the wheel but a Prius is not one for street cred or to get anyone’s heads turning. Although it did work for Brian in Family Guy, though he’s a cartoon dog, and in reality what is in its a defense a functional car for everyday life, it is not really the car of anyone’s dreams but it is still popular among women. Charging batteries instead of filling up a tank does not work well with the free spirit of the open road men dream about.