In defense of "chick" cars

"hethoughtofcars" (hethoughtofcars) 01/17/2014 at 15:45 • Filed to: manual

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Awhile back I wrote that I think the original Audi TT is one of the best looking cars ever, and one I'd love to own. Over at another automotive website a commenter had this to say about the TT:

I know this is a cult car, but to me it was always a chick mobile.

Ouch. Quite the insult there. I've owned my share of "chick" cars and I have to say they are some of the best vehicles I've driven. Let's start with the original "chick" car or "hairdresser's" car as they used to say, the Mazda Miata

Now to say it's image has been re-rehabilitated, especially on sites like these and autocross tracks everywhere would be an understatement. But when it came out most guys would not be caught dead in one of these. Yet we all know the specs now, front engine, rear wheel drive, a British-y roadster with Japanese reliability (in a time when Japanese reliability was ridiculously far ahead of American and European cars). Not only would most car guys not mind being seen it one, they are actively searching Craigslist RIGHT NOW for one. Preferably a '94 or later when the LSD became standard. Can any car with a limited slip differential really be a chick car?

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The VW New Beetle

My first car was a Beetle. The air-cooled kind, with enough rust in the battery tray area (under the rear seat) you could see the asphalt below. I was really, really excited about the New Beetle when it came out. Yet it quickly established itself as only a car for girls due to a multitude of factors: the two point slow base engine, the fact that a Mk4 Jetta is the car that every girl in high school drove, the fact that it's a less functional Golf....but the one thing that really cemented its reputation: the flower vase.

I've never driven a base New Beetle, but my mother owned a Turbo S like the one pictured. It had a 180 hp engine and a six speed manual. Basically it was a slightly better than base TT. It was also a blast to drive (and my first introduction to the phenomenon known as "torque steer"). Did it have a flower vase? Yep, with a ridiculous plastic faux-titanium ring around it. You could get a replacement vase for a base New Beetle from VW for $3 for the standard version or $27(!) for the Turbo S version.

I also drove a standard turbo (150hp, 5 speed) and it was, well, not bad. This one was a neon green color that my girlfriend at the time had named "Cricket", stuck a spoiler on the back (ugh), and put the word "TURBO" on the trunk. It also smelled intensely of melted crayons.

So yeah, so far I bet you are thinking, two New Beetles, two women owner's. Clearly a chick car. But wait! My friend who works as a mechanic at a VW dealership owns a diesel New Beetle with a manual (he also owns a '94 Miata, remarkably). It gets at least 45 mpg and makes that distinctive clatter that only a diesel engine can manage. It's his daily driver. Let me repeat that: he owns a Miata and his daily driver is a New Beetle.

I'm clearly a fan of MINI (you can tell by the fact I capitalize all the letters in MINI). My avatar is taken from a MINI ad campaign promoting manual transmissions. I traded in an e90 BMW for a MINI Clubman and have no regrets. I will defend the center speedometer til you give up (you don't actually use that speedo, you use the digital one that's incorporated into the tach RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU). Yet when my fiancee tells people at her work that I drive a MINI they inevitably say 'Isn't that a girl's car?' Ok, maybe a Countryman is, I have no defense for that one. Except maybe like the delusional Porsche fans who believe that all that money they are racking in on SUVs will go towards building a sub-Boxster.

But the MINI Cooper hardtop and Clubman? I don't really feel I have to defend them. No, they are not as MINI as the original, they have safety features and brakes that work. They have a silly "sport" button that artificially tightens up the steering. And, according to Consumer Reports, they are the least reliable brand on the market today.

Yet they are great to drive. You hear the cliched phrase "drives like it's on rails"? That's a MINI. You want a car that's fun to drive and still gets 35 mpg? MINI. You want your child to have his own door but not be able to open it unless the passenger door is open first? MINI. Oh and hey, they even advertise the benefits of driving a manual!

What about you? Do you feel any car has been unfairly maligned as a chick car? Want to stick up for the Fiat 500? The aforementioned Mk4 Jetta? Mercedes SLK? Any Acura SUV?

This is the final post in my self-declared "Manual Week" You can find the others here:

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Bird > hethoughtofcars 01/17/2014 at 15:50

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The Fiat is a chick car...

Her's my girlfriend's...( she's on Oppo )

And I own 3 Miatas...so yeah....

Patrick Frawley > hethoughtofcars 01/17/2014 at 15:53

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The only car that was too chick for me to ever really consider buying was the Ford Escort ZX2.

If you could get past the looks/image it was supposed to be a nice machine. They're cup-of-coffee cheap. The late great David E. Davis Jr. once called it a personal favorite. But... damn , it's just a massive wussmobile.

CobraJoe > Patrick Frawley 01/17/2014 at 16:02

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I was seriously looking at one, After all, they're only 2700 pounds and easily found with a 5 speed.

Also, the last couple years fixed that grill

Bird > Patrick Frawley 01/17/2014 at 16:04

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While I was in college I drove one of those for a few months...it was about 2 years old at the time.

It was the best NA FWD car I had ever driven....

Patrick Frawley > CobraJoe 01/17/2014 at 16:06

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I actually prefer the original grille. Add on some visible changes (meaningful suspension drop, +2 on the wheels/tires, etc.) and you're well towards shedding the pansy/girlie vibe.

Of course, you do the same thing to a Miata and you're way further ahead.

Patrick Frawley > hethoughtofcars 01/17/2014 at 16:11

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Three-step process to de-chick-ing the Miata:

1. R spoilers front and rear. Cheap, simple, really ties the whole thing together.

2. Nicer wheels. They don't ahve to be mondo stancey oil drums, but a bit of an upgrade is good.

3. Suspension drop. Minor but significant. Half an inch. All kinds of attitude.

Took the pic above late last summer. The Rotas are just a touch too wide - more show than go - but otherwise it worked so well.

505Turbeaux > hethoughtofcars 01/17/2014 at 16:12

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Ever since I saw the concept for the TT I was hooked. That baseball stitched leather, basic ragtop (coupes not so huge a fan of). Great driving cars. A bit porkier than a miata in any way, but a good solid car you can take a date out in (more so than a gen 1 Miata)

My girlfriend has a Turbo S beetle too, thing is fun as anything

hethoughtofcars > Bird 01/17/2014 at 16:13

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I wouldn't be ashamed to own/drive that Fiat. Plus she's on OPPO? Definitely a keeper. :)

D > hethoughtofcars 01/17/2014 at 16:15

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LSD was standard on '94+?

D > Patrick Frawley 01/17/2014 at 16:16

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Pop the center cap off of daisy wheels and you get instant poor man's Panasports

Bird > hethoughtofcars 01/17/2014 at 16:19

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She is a keeper...and she even changes the oil herself .

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Also....I absolutely love driving it....

hethoughtofcars > 505Turbeaux 01/17/2014 at 16:20

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Definitely agreed about the Beetle. Do you throw the flower vase in the glove box like I used to do when driving it?

505Turbeaux > hethoughtofcars 01/17/2014 at 16:21

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haha I always comment on it. Girl hates it too. To the glove box you go!

GasMan > hethoughtofcars 01/17/2014 at 17:10

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I am still driving the '90 Miata I bought new and I have never had my man-card questioned. If someone thinks I am a wimp because I drive a Miata then so be it. I don't want to know anyone that shallow and uninformed.

Team6.1 > hethoughtofcars 01/17/2014 at 17:15

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Would be ashamed to own every car on this list. Different strokes for different folks I guess. EDIT: Not because they are labeled as a "chick car" but more so the reasons why they are turn me off

Makoyouidiot > hethoughtofcars 01/17/2014 at 19:08

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People are invariably surprised when I unfold my 5'10", 310lb body from inside this:

fhrblig > Makoyouidiot 01/17/2014 at 21:37

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I just bought one, a blue 2012 Sport. I am getting hit on right and left by women. Does that happen to you? First they go nuts over the car, then they get all flirty with me. Which would be awesome, I'm sure, if I liked women.

Makoyouidiot > fhrblig 01/17/2014 at 21:45

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It does. And I'm married so it's an odd combo of awesome and terrifying.

fhrblig > Makoyouidiot 01/17/2014 at 21:49

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It's every bit as terrifying for me, girls haven't hit on me since high school. I never knew how to deal with it then either, at least not without being overly crass.
The reactions from guys are hilarious. I can almost smell the contempt. Especially if they are driving a pickup truck.

Axial > hethoughtofcars 01/18/2014 at 00:43

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Apart from the New Beetle, I don't consider any of those chick cars, honestly. Now, just about any Mercedes-Benz that isn't an AMG (and even some that are)? Those are chick cars. Cadillac...chick car. Land Rover? Chick car. Audi? Chick car. The only luxury brand that doesn't exude as much of a "chick car" vibe is BMW.

That said, I try not to judge an automobile or the person who drives it by looks.

Patrick Frawley > D 01/19/2014 at 13:38

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Worth it for the real thing.

D > Patrick Frawley 01/19/2014 at 16:35

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Bah, here are mine. They look fine. But yeah, Panasports would be the dream

crowmolly > hethoughtofcars 01/20/2014 at 21:47

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V6 Mustang. The end.

hethoughtofcars > crowmolly 01/21/2014 at 01:01

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You feel it's a girl's car? Even with the latest 305hp version?

crowmolly > hethoughtofcars 01/21/2014 at 08:36

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Historically speaking, yeah. Carroll Shelby even called it a secretary's car back in the day. The GT does a 180 and is way more dude-car, and if we are talking 2014 models then maybe not as much. I've only seen demographic data for the Mustang as a whole and not broken out by gender so I do not have hard numbers. 40% of last gen stang owners are female, for whatever that's worth. But it seems like every V6 stang I see on the roads has a 18-30 female behind the wheel.

Saf1 > Makoyouidiot 01/24/2014 at 22:04

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I love the 500, absolutely adore it. Ticks all the right boxes for me (not hit first car yet)

Saf1 > Patrick Frawley 01/24/2014 at 22:05

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Where are the spoilers then? HYPOCRITE! :P

Saf1 > Bird 01/24/2014 at 22:07

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I'm sure you'd be tired of answering this by now but...3 Miatas?! Why??? Why not, say, 1 and then an MR2/Elise/etc?

Bird > Saf1 01/24/2014 at 22:49

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Well I had one Miata and an E46. Miata was the track car, E46 was the daily. I ended up daily driving the Miata more than the BMW until I finally tore down the miata for a complete rebuild. After a few months without the Miata, I missed it. So I sold the E46 and went looking for Miata's.

I wanted something cheap, so I emailed about every cheap Miata I saw. One in particular, the seller kept dragging out me going to see it. I eventually bought a different car, then as soon as I bought that, the woman that had been stringing me along called and said to come look at the car.

Since I'm a crazy car guy, I went to look at it even though I just bought one. It was a wreck of a car with great mechanicals, so I thought lowballed her. She took my offer instantly...probably could have went lower....

So that's the story of the 3 Miatas. I'm looking to thin the herd and get something else now though...

Makoyouidiot > Saf1 01/25/2014 at 00:19

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I definitely recommend it. I would spring for the extended warranty just to be safe, but I do that on all my new cars anyway.

Miata. Cos HP is cheating. > hethoughtofcars 01/25/2014 at 09:33

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I defense of chick cars: Stop being such a insecure nonce and letting your car somehow define you.

Real men/women drive whatever the hell they want.

Miata. Cos HP is cheating. > D 01/25/2014 at 09:35

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Nope.

BadMotorScooter > hethoughtofcars 01/25/2014 at 09:42

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Is this a chick car? To me, this is the litmus test of the condition known as Jalopism. To most not afflicted with the condition, this car is a chick car. To those with the condition, the is a Japanese scalpel sharp sports car that can only be maximized on a race track by a highly capable driver.

steevkay > hethoughtofcars 01/25/2014 at 10:03

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If I, as a man, did not have the fortitude to enjoy what I liked for fear of being labelled "less manly", would ironically be less manly anyway.

SamaJama > hethoughtofcars 01/25/2014 at 10:08

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This is one of my favorite oppo articles to date considering I drive a MK4 Jetta (Sadly non-turbo, non-diesel, automatic and reeks of crayons as well) and am actively searching for a 94-97 Miata to replace it. Well done sir

Patrick Frawley > Saf1 01/25/2014 at 10:25

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?

They're right there.

Compare to a stock model:

So you get this thing:

http://www.rspeed.net/RSpeed_R_Packa…

Casper > hethoughtofcars 01/25/2014 at 11:14

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No. They are still chick cars. Just because a car is a chick car doesn't mean it's bad, it just means it looks very feminine. Such an assessment of the Miata and TT would be quite accurate... and it was a design goal of both cars.

It's just a fact of the general design/packaging of the vehicle. If don't like it, buy a more masculine car or significantly change the way the car looks.

Saf1 > Patrick Frawley 01/25/2014 at 11:54

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I did notice the front but thought it might be stock as you were mentioning front and rear and couldn't see anything on the rear? (I don't know much about the MX-5, I know heresy etc lol)

TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma > fhrblig 01/25/2014 at 13:32

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I'm a Texan pick-up truck driver and I love the 500, haha.

therotaryisdeadlonglivetherotary > hethoughtofcars 01/25/2014 at 14:46

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See, I would go the other way: I am glad there are chick cars out there because there are people out there that like cute cars. Everyone's trying to bring the meanest, baddest assest car to market and it makes the road look like it's filled with posers and road ragers. My Mom, who is apathetic to cars, has a new Beetle in yellow (diesel with a five speed) and she loves it. My Dad feels slightly embarrassed to drive it, but it's my Mom's car, so whatever. I like that there's the choice out there, even if I wouldn't choose it.

hethoughtofcars > BadMotorScooter 01/25/2014 at 15:39

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Did you try to upload a pic and get kinja'd? I'm not sure which car you're referring to.

Cormac > hethoughtofcars 01/25/2014 at 15:40

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Anyone else think of that 5th Gear show?

hethoughtofcars > SamaJama 01/25/2014 at 15:42

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That crayon smell is crazy! It bonds all VW owner's of that generation. I have checked with my VW mechanic friend and he says it's a real phenomenon.

And thank you for the kind words. :)

Cormac > hethoughtofcars 01/25/2014 at 15:47

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Works for Macgruber, works for me. Anyone who says differently...

FlimFlamMan > Bird 01/25/2014 at 17:16

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I was taking a leisurely cruise in the San Gabriel canyon the other weekday. It was about 10 a.m., barely any traffic at all. I come around a blind corner and see a 500 coming down the bend. As it approached (quickly I might add) I realized it was an Abarth, and that dude had the BIGGEST shit-eating grin on his face. I chuckle, and I am like... yeah.. I hear ya, bro! Heh.

BadMotorScooter > hethoughtofcars 01/25/2014 at 17:52

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Yes, it was an unflattering view of a yellow S2000. Kinja'd.....

hethoughtofcars > BadMotorScooter 01/25/2014 at 18:08

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I don't know if an S2000 ever really looked too much like a girl's car, it has sharp lines and nothing terribly "cute" about it. It's certainly not a Del Sol (which I've also owned and loved). The VW mechanic friend I reference in the article is constantly searching for his dream car which is an S2000. Yet, yellow cars always give me pause, as that has to be the worst color any car can come from the factory. To paraphrase Sean Bateman when he gets into his friends yellow SLK in The Rules of Attraction , 'I didn't know they came in banana.'

BadMotorScooter > hethoughtofcars 01/25/2014 at 22:16

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Right, the S2000 is not a chick car to you because you (and your mechanic) suffer from Jalopism. Most who don't have the same condition only see a cute small convertible, which in yellow makes it all the more chickish.

I think a Miata is a great car and probably the best ever all around general sports car, capable of great fun whether on a daily commute or a weekend autocross or roadcourse. But, like a Beetle or PT Cruiser or V6 Mustang convertible, a Miata suffers from the overall perception of a chick car, even from many Jalops.

The S2000 however seems to be a more crisp dividing line, at least from what I have seen. I have seen many 'car' guys who snicker at a S2000 thinking it is a cute convertible that can't win a drag race with a lawnmower. They of course have never driven one. Some of the younger generation don't really even know what a S2000 is, but they do seem to know what a Miata is, and again the chick car perception persists.

This opinion is based on my perception, as an owner of several muscle cars, sports cars, big diesel trucks, and currently, a first gen yellow S2000.

hethoughtofcars > BadMotorScooter 01/25/2014 at 23:54

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Yikes! Didn't mean to insult your car, I'm obviously just not a fan of yellow. Whatever you like, you like was basically the whole idea behind this article. I'm sure your 120hp/liter s2000 would destroy my 102hp total Del Sol. :)

Barry Land > hethoughtofcars 01/26/2014 at 00:17

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A Miata is a chick car, but it's not the ultimate chickmobile, that would be a Ted Bundy dreamcar, a VW Cabriolet. I personally am too old, and too set in my likes and dislikes to ever even consider buying anything with the "chick" thing attached to it. That includes VW New Beetles (The old air cooled ones only barely qualify as a "Chick" car), Last gen Mercury Cougars, the VW Cabriolet, Audi TT, a Miata, and all the other past and present chickmobiles.

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > Makoyouidiot 01/26/2014 at 06:29

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I love the 500. Also, it's brown? Bonus points.

BadMotorScooter > hethoughtofcars 01/26/2014 at 09:16

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No worries, no insult taken. Yellow is not my favorite color either but that is just what the car happened to be when I bought it. But that makes your point more valid; it isn't what the car looks like that matters as much as how it performs and feels, at least to a Jalop! Your Del Sol is in the same category, a very fun car that you know and appreciate but may be perceived differently by the non Jalop.

firefoxUSSR > D 01/28/2014 at 16:58

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LSD is not standard on all 94+ Miatas. I have a 99 and it definitely has no LSD. It is a cloth-interior model, all leather Miatas seem to have LSD.

D > firefoxUSSR 01/28/2014 at 19:00

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Yeah I didn't think it was