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Michelle Moore made a joint decision with her husband on their Holden SV6 ute based on looks, comfort and practicality.
Once the domain of males, the iconic Australian ute is fast becoming a "sexy" option for women.
A recent national survey has found four out of five people thought perceptions of women driving utes had completely changed. Just one in five still view the ute as a man's car.
Claire Tynan, boss of Mahindra Automotive Australia which conducted the survey, says people view the ute as an all-purpose family vehicle rather than just a workhorse. "In fact, some took their opinions further with 21.9 per cent saying women driving utes looked quite independent and sexy," he says. "Only a tiny 3.1 per cent thought negatively, saying they didn't think it was becoming."
When asked what women thought of having a ute as a family car, the survey found almost half would consider it, while one in five said they had one already.
Brisbane schoolteacher Michelle Moore said she and husband, Jeromy, made a joint decision on their Holden SV6 ute. "It was my main choice out of all the Holden cars," she says. "I think it was because it looks good and it's quite comfortable and also its practical - we can do trips to the dump, move furniture and also carry bikes in the back and with a plastic tray we don't have to worry too much about it being damaged as this can be replaced. Females these days are becoming more involved in handy man stuff around the house and find the need for a practical vehicle. Of course, though, it had to be black. My husband looks much more attractive in a black ute."
Wanda Lyon, of Tiaro, in Queensland, uses her Mahindra Pik-Up as part of her lifestyle. "I'm in a country area and there are more women driving utes in the country and some have them quite personalised," she says. "Most of it is a lifestyle choice, but even when we lived in Brisbane we had utes. I've got dogs and they can easily go in the back so you don't end up with hair in the car. You get a nice clean cabin and the dogs can go in the back. If you go camping you can sleep in the back because its so much easier."
Julie Hodgkinson, of Cloncurry, in Queensland, also uses her ute for her dogs and finds it easy to sleep in the back when she is attending weekend rodeos. "I started going to a lot of rodeos when I was younger and everyone had them," she says. "But I'm not real girly. I was always one of the blokes."
But don't tell beekeeper Kathryn Niklaus, of Beechworth, Victoria, that utes aren't for women. "Get real. That is the dark ages. Come on," she says. "The 4WD utes may be a little bit high for the average women, but they still are good for cargo space." She also reckons utes are "cool" as well as practical.
Colleen Rennie, of The Rock, NSW, says utes are not made only for men. "I've never had anyone challenge me on the male ute thing," she says. "Women should be able to drive anything they want. Utes don't just cater for men. I prefer them because I do a lot of travelling and I get everything I need in it."
Ms Tynan says their dealers are witnessing more women being involved in the purchasing process. "We have many female Pik-Up drivers who do a range of jobs, anything from farming to bird breeding, where space and durability is the key," she says. "Many of our male buyers also see their purchase very much as a joint decision, taking into account what their partners will appreciate."
Holden spokeswoman Emma Watts said they did not have any specific evidence showing whether women were buying utes in greater numbers. "Anecdotally, we understand that, over the past 10 years, there has been a marginal increase in the number of female ute purchasers," she said.
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