Top Five Chick Cars

Even our burliest, manliest male staffers happen to actually like some of these vehicles.

W

hile we think the term "chick cars" is more than a bit sexist/misogynistic, that hasn't stopped the term from sticking. Even in 2012, there are several cars that get that dreaded label. We've picked five of them—and five more for the all-time Hall of Fame. OK, really, we've picked four for the latter category, since one overlaps. We should note that we're playing on public perception here, and we don't necessarily condone the term "chick car." Not to mention even our burliest, manliest male staffers happen to actually like some of these vehicles.

2012 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Today's Chick Cars:      

Mini Cooper: Just too much cuteness in too small of a package. Yes, Coopers are fun to drive, but they don't exactly look macho. Not even in hi-po John Cooper Works form.

Mazda MX-5 Miata: Another fun-to-drive sporty car that has "chick car" written all over it. Its smiling grille doesn't help it shed the label.

Fiat 500: OK, the Abarth gets a pass, thanks to some help from a bad-ass exhaust note and Charlie Sheen advertisements. But the regular 500 seems like the automotive equivalent of high urban fashion. Cute, and aimed for women.

Volkswagen Eos: Now that the Beetle has been "masculinized" it's up to this diminutive drop-top to represent VW's feminine side.

Lexus RX 350: The RX seems to be a popular choice among suburban soccer moms, so it gets lumped into the list more as a factor of demographics than stereotypes.

Hall of Fame

Mazda MX-5 Miata (again): The Miata's been around for so long that it makes both the current and all-time list. That's quite a feat.

Dodge Neon: Dodge wasn't afraid to market this car based on cuteness. And why not? The Neon never did strike anyone as "manly."

2005 Dodge Neon SXT

VW New Beetle: Any car that comes standard with a flower and vase just can't be considered masculine. It's like a law or something.

Pontiac Sunfire: Have you ever seen a Sunfire that wasn't being driven by either a teenaged or twenty-something girl? We don't think so.

First-Gen Jeep Liberty: Like the Lexus RX, this SUV gets chick-car status more because of who bought it than anything else. The first Liberty seemed to be a suburban staple among female buyers.