Women are choosing more powerful, better-equipped and more expensive cars than men, according to a new survey.

And when it comes to a woman and her car, size does matter. Women are choosing bigger cars with 42% of those surveyed saying that their current car has a larger engine size than their previous one. Only 30% of men said the same.

The results are part of a survey of 1,300 drivers by Godfrey Davis Contract Hire (GDCH), the corporate arm of Bank of Scotland.

The survey also shows that women are more likely to spice up their driving with a sports car or coupe with 18% of female respondents driving a sports car compared to just 10% of men. In fact, it’s men who are more likely to have the family in mind as they opt for saloons (36%) whilst women opt for sporty hatchbacks (41%).

More and more women are also upgrading – 59% of women said their current car cost more than their previous car, compared to 45% of men and 63% of women said their current car was better equipped. Features like air conditioning, air bags, CD player and satellite navigation are common gadgets in a woman’s current car compared to their previous car. 63% of men said the same thing.

In addition, 73% of women think that the motorway speed limit should be increased to 80mph compared to 68% of men. More women than men also think that the speed limit on motorways should be unlimited.

Sean Bingham, director of new business at GDCH, says: “This research clearly shows women are placing a greater emphasis on things such as engine size, sport kudos, price and added extras compared to men, who appear to be more concerned with issues such as fuel and tax efficiency.”