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PITTSBURGH — A recent survey completed by Women-Drivers.com analyzed the purchasing experiences of women at a dealership in two categories — women older than 40 and younger than 40. Which group had the more enjoyable experience?

Turns out, the site found that female buyers older than 40 had a better overall dealership experience. The positive percentage for this segment was 89.4 percent.

Meanwhile, the satisfaction percentage for women 40 and younger didn't trail behind by much. That figure came in at 87.6 percent.

Women-Drivers.com determined that the reasons why women 40 and older had a positive dealership experience were best price and deal, the dealership's reputation and best trade-in value.

The reasons for women 40 and younger were similar, with best deal, the dealership's reputation and best financing coming in as the top grounds for satisfaction.

"The reason best trade-in value is a higher indicator with women over 40 is because they are interested in the maximum value of the vehicle in which they want to trade," site analysts indicated.

"On the other hand, the third indicator for women under 40 is best financing. For women under 40, financing is important because this is usually their first car purchase and more likely their first new car purchase," they continued.

Conversely, the top reason for a negative experience in both age segments was the same — pressure from the salesperson.

"It's a valuable lesson for all, and goes back to the basics of human interaction," Women-Drivers.com pointed out.

"What the report concludes is that regardless of age, ethnicity or marital status, women want to be treated with respect, spoken to truthfully and to feel included in the process," the site went on to say.

"More importantly, women want to feel confident about their ability to make good decisions, in a process that may or may not be familiar to them," site officials added.

Women-Drivers.com noted that its latest survey was based on the analysis of more than 2,800 reviews submitted by women. The mean age of the two segments was 48 and 27 respectively.

Anne Fleming, president of Women-Drivers.com, indicated that on average women visit three dealerships before making a purchase.

"But she buys from only one," Fleming interjected. "Our data provides insights and trends regarding the purchase experience at car dealerships.

"The report reflects the very real imperative of dealers and manufacturers to familiarize themselves with the individual needs and desires of women buyers," Fleming continued. "A quarter of the women in this survey indicated they plan to buy another car within one to two years. Therefore, it behooves dealers to become aware of factors that contribute to a successful purchasing experience."