MIAMI -
Move over, fellas. When it comes to the under-30 crowd, the luxury market is seeing a greater number of female drivers than males, according to LeaseTrader.com.
 
In fact, more than half (about 51.2 percent) of females younger than 30 who use the site have a luxury ride. Five years ago, just 42.6 percent could say the same.
 
This is just one indication of females’ emerging presence — and perhaps control — in the luxury-vehicle market, LeaseTrader.com noted.
 
Citing some examples, the site pointed to a New York research firm’s study of 2008 U.S. Census Bureau data that indicates women between 22 and 30 years old living in metropolitan areas pull in eight percent higher earnings than their male counterparts.
 
LeaseTrader.com cited the Council of Graduate Schools, which said that most doctoral degree recipients are women.
 
As far as the site’s own data, LeaseTrader.com has found that the majority of the under-30 crowd of female luxury vehicle owners live in such areas as Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco and Washington D.C.
 
Among their rides are the Audi TT, Audi A4, Infiniti G37, Lexus SC, BMW Z4 and Jaguar XK.
 
“The shift in driving power has been progressing over the last few years on the LeaseTrader.com marketplace as more women take a greater interest in what they drive,” commented Sergio Stiberman, LeaseTrader.com’s chief executive officer and founder.
 
“Especially as it relates to education, young women commanding higher salaries are becoming a larger customer base in shopping and trading for luxury leases,” he added.