Men secure better deals in showrooms and are typically able to shave a larger amount off the price of a car than women, research suggests.
According to a study by What Car? and women’s car-buying website evecars.com, the average male car shopper is able to secure £544 more of a discount than his female counterpart.
The experiment asked male and female participants to visit showrooms across the UK enquiring about five different cars – an Audi A4, a Ford Focus, a Honda CR-V, a Renault Clio and a Vauxhall Zafira.
In 55 per cent of the dealerships visited the man was offered the better deal, compared to 20 per cent that made a better offer to the female customer.
Steve Fowler, group editor of What Car?, said there is no reason for gender to be an issue when negotiating the price of a vehicle.
"Discounts can be relatively easy to come by if you’re well prepared before you go shopping," Mr Fowler said. "Our target price proves that you can save an average of £1,454 on a new car – often much more."
Alex Jenner-Fust, editor of evecars.com, said this survey illustrates the importance of carrying out research before visiting a showroom and urged all car buyers to be "brave" when haggling with salespeople.