Chick cars

Gone is the Volkswagen Cabriolet. The matchbox-sized Mazda Miata adored by women has given way to the faster, edgier MX-5. Even the diminutive Toyota RAV4 has been muscled up.

Has the chick car gone androgynous?

Automakers don't admit to ever purposefully making a car for just one gender, but over time certain types of rides have earned the sobriquet ''chick car." They tend to be petite -- even tiny -- sports cars, with appealing lines and a peppy but not overpowering ride.

But now automakers are trying to broaden the appeal of some car lines, in part to sell them to wider audiences. Models that had been hits with women have been redesigned to encourage men to give them a second look.

Toyota, for example, appears to have pumped steroids into its small sports utility vehicle, the RAV4. It dropped in a bigger V6 engine, lengthened the vehicle by 14 inches, and gave it sharper lines. Still, Toyota tried to maintain the sleek, aerodynamic look that appealed to women.

The redesign was prompted by complaints from focus groups that the RAV4 was too small and unsophisticated, said Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong.

''They were finding a lot of males were rejecting it because it was too cutesy. It was a little toy to them," Kwong said. ''We were trying to attract more male buyers by making it more rugged-looking, more muscular."

Women purchased 70 percent of RAV4 models last year. Toyota also wanted to compete with the Honda and its CR-V, also a small SUV, which was outselling the RAV4 in metro markets.

''It's really a balancing act trying to get more rugged, but not so rugged that women are going to be turned off by it," Kwong said.

Indeed, about the only real girly car left on the market is the Volkswagen Beetle, two-thirds of which are owned by women in the United States.

''It has a bud vase in the center console, for goodness sake," said Kelly Toepke, manager of vehicle testing for Edmunds.com. ''I don't know that any man would want a fresh flower in his car."

But maybe in the right color or with a more powerful engine, a chick car becomes a car that appeals to both sexes -- such as Chrysler's PT Cruiser.

Then there are the other kind of girls' cars -- ''mom cars" designed for hauling around the kids and stuff. Today's minivans, like the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna, are a far cry from the frumpy, boxy minivans of the '80s. They are stocked with high-tech gadgets such as navigation systems and wireless headsets for the DVD player.

''It's literally like being in your living room," said Toepke.

While not overtly designing chick cars, manufacturers are doing more than ever to keep women in mind as they develop models, said Cynthia Price, women's marketing manager for the diversity initiative at General Motors.

GM formed its Center of Expertise on Diversity in 2001, responding in part to statistics that showed women influence 80 percent of car purchases. Company officials realized they needed to appeal more to women, not only in marketing campaigns and on the sales floor, but also in the design stages, Price said.

''It's not about creating pink cars," she said. ''You run the risk of alienating certain groups if you say this is only for women."

The Mini Cooper has bridged the difficult divide between cute and girlish. It has been wildly popular with men, despite its tiny size and buggy shape.

But even this successful nongender car has found limits to its appeal. So, BMW is reportedly working on a new design with a longer front intended to make the Mini more family-friendly.

Volvo, meanwhile, has a concept car designed almost exclusively by women, which offers a headrest that allows women to comfortably wear a ponytail. It includes features that will appeal to men, too, including a better line of vision, interchangeable seat covers in materials such as linen and wool, and computerized parking assistance.

GM's Price said using women's ideas about what's important in a car can result in cars that are more popular with both sexes. ''Women are more picky," she said. ''If you please women, you will please the rest of the population."

And adding thoughtful innovations to a car that appeals to women makes good business sense, she said, mentioning accessories such as remote starters, retractable entry steps, and safety features, including OnStar.

Women consider styling important, industry researchers say, and they like luxuries such as leather seats and DVD players. And, a car doesn't have to be petite to appeal to women. In fact some female car buyers like their vehicles downright brawny.

Price compared the Chevrolet Tahoe to ''a little black dress," implying it is something no woman should be without.

Vicki Barletta, a Chestnut Hill grandmother, bought her first GM Yukon last month after owning several Chevrolet Suburbans.

She likes being able to load the big SUV with bags of soil from Home Depot, chauffeur her entire family, or dress up and head out for a night on the town. Barletta, 63, said two of her best friends drive them, too.

''Our society has changed. That's why all the cars have changed," she said. ''It's a very, very unisex world."

SHARE YOUR CHICK CAR THOUGHTS And vote for your favorite all-time chick car at boston.com/business.