Before Buying A Vehicle: The Right Steps To Steer The Process

Editor Jeff Fortson is conducting a live car-buying clinic.

Women influence more than 85 percent of car purchases and this group purchase close to 50 percent of all new vehicles based on industry data. In fact, in Essence Magazine March’s 2014 collector’s issue, featuring Oprah on the cover, Jeff Fortson, editor of this site, put together an extensive car-buying guide. You can access the online edition, clicking on essence.com/digitalaccess for a 30-day no obligation free subscription.

Marc Bland, who is a multicultural research guru for IHS, revealed to Jeff Fortson that in 2013 black women purchased 49 percent of new vehicles in their household. This group new vehicle purchases is at a higher rate than any other women demographic. No pun intended, however, automotive executives and marketing gurus realize women and minorities are the key to driving more sales to the street. 

Within the past decade or so, there have been a lot of studies supporting what many of us knew is that women and minorities continue to pay more for a vehicle regardless of income, educational attainment and/or gender. A study conducted in the Chicago area in the 90s revealed African American males were paying more than every other group that made automotive purchases.