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According to a survey by GfK Automotive, men and women really are different when it comes to their next new car purchase. Fast and expensive vehicles drive men to take out their checkbooks while women seem to be on the lookout for affordable, family-friendly wheels.

For men, the Porsche 911 is the biggest draw, with both the coupe and convertible models making the Top Ten List (No1 and No10 respectively). Men also gravitate toward the exotic end of the auto spectrum with the Maserati Spyder, Jaguar XK8 coupe and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution all appearing on the radar screen for the next car or truck they plan to purchase.

The ladies' list, however, reads like a lesson in financial planning 101, with most cars costing under US$30,000. The top pick is the Pontiac G6 convertible...a coinci-dence, perhaps due to Oprah's mega giveaway of the sedan version last year. The Volkswagen Beetle appears twice, in both sedan and convertible form. Two Kia models – the Rio sedan and the Optima – have also made an impression on wallet-conscious females, taking the number nine and ten spots, respectively. Interestingly, the one common thread for men and women is that both groups prefer foreign-made vehicles over their US counterparts.

"It seems the cliches are indeed true," says Doug Scott, senior vice president, GfK Automotive. "Men are drawn to higher-priced 'performance' cars, with 41 per cent citing looks and design as a key consideration. Women, on the other hand, want the more conservative, 'value' models... affordable, fun and practical."