Like Bob Dylan once sang, "the times are a changin'," and in order to end up on the right side of that change, it's best to drop outdated stereotypes. Thankfully, the latest data from Auto Express' sister site Carbuyer will help that process because it shows us that most of us hold incorrect preconceived notions about the differences between female and male car buyers. In the past, women were thought of as the emotional buyers who could be swayed by flashy colors, which prompted automakers like Plymouth to release special edition features like mod tops.

On the other hand, men were deemed the practical ones (but they don't like manuals) who were more concerned with the car's ability to meet life's day-to-day demands. But the data shows that the exact opposite is true. On average, men are 20% more likely to be swayed by paint color than women and 40% more likely to buy a car based on its brand reputation. On the other hand, women have a 25% greater chance of having their purchases influenced by fuel economy and are 20% more apt to spring for a car that has lower servicing costs. Overall, it seems that men are more likely to buy a car based on emotion, which may explain why the car with the highest percentage of male buyers in 2012 was the Porsche 911 while women chose the Volvo S40 most often.

Flip the gender coin and it turns out that it's women who scrutinize things like storage compartments, legroom, trunk space, and how easy the car is to park when deciding which cars are best cars. Despite this, Carbuyer's data managed to keep one stereotype alive by showing that men are 20% more likely to haggle over the price and end up with a better deal than women. This seems to be an issue with dealerships in general, confirming that car sales lots still have a ways to go when it comes to making women feel more comfortable with the car buying process. Whatever gender you happen to be, it won't hurt to prime yourself before hitting the dealership with these tips on how to score a deal.