Women love their cars longer

MIAMI, April 29 (UPI) -- A survey of 2,500 U.S. men and women finds the honeymoon with a new car lasts longer for women.

"Generally drivers living a leasing lifestyle have a shorter honeymoon period with their car," said Sergio Stiberman, chief executive officer and founder of LeaseTrader.com, based in Miami. "Every car lease driver goes through this stage."

For men, four months seemed to be the tipping point, the LeaseTrader survey found. At that point, 33 percent began parking closer to other cars, 22 percent began transporting sporting equipment in the back seat, 17 percent stopped cleaning their car as often, 12 percent started grousing about high payments, 7 percent stopped using the gas mileage button and 3 percent stopped fighting over who was going to drive.

The survey found women remained in love with a car longer but did not specify how much longer.

Thirty-nine percent of women said they realized the honeymoon was over when they finally allowed their spouses to drive, 24 percent when they started carpooling other people's children, 12 percent when they started eating in the car, 9 percent when they started putting on makeup while driving, 6 percent when they started leaving clothing in the car and 2 percent when they started smoking in the car.