I much prefer writing for female readers and as you might expect, Women Actually is one of my favourite columns.

It’s easy to write about motoring for women you identify with, those who are busy organising family, home and work priorities but who often run out of time to take care of their cars regularly.

Research suggests that few women enjoy visiting garages so this could be a reason why many of us don’t get our cars checked by the professionals as often as we might.

Which can be a false economy, of course, as a good garage will inevitably spot any work that needs doing before it gets too expensive...

But we’re not just talking about female garage fears, it seems. Only today I read the latest survey carried out by the Good Housekeeping Institute where two out of every three women think car dealerships can be more female friendly as well, when they go car shopping. In fact, half of the women asked find car sales staff patronising and a quarter said their tone was disrespectful.

Of particular concern to me was that only 69% were prepared to haggle for a new car; presumably this means that nearly one in three female car buyers were likely to pay over the odds, simply because they didn’t know to haggle. That’s a very poor state of affairs.

Reading between the lines and based on my personal experience of female-friendly approved garages and car dealerships FOXY works with, it’s sad the genuinely good businesses get tarred with the same brush as those that treat women like eye candy or muppets.

And yet some of these businesses seem to thrive! Is this because men and women are making do when they should walk away or perhaps nobody realises they have a better car shopping choice? My advice to women who are shopping for a new car or value for money garage services is to do your homework online and well in advance before shopping in earnest to compare prices.

Look at the business website too and see if it looks at all female friendly. If this doesn’t appeal to you, chances are you won’t be impressed by their facilities and customer services either.

Whether you are paying for a car service or for a new car, all businesses should be bending over backwards to impress you, as I know the FOXY Lady Approved female-friendly garages in Brighton and Hove do. I know this because I’ve visited them all personally and can vouch for their commitment to getting service levels right for women. They are all listed at the FOXY Lady Drivers Club website, include free seasonal car fitness checks for Club members and are my recommended female choice for all motorists this February.