Reliability Still a Key Factor for Car Buyers In Spite of Rising Fuel Costs
May 5, 2008
Despite more than a year of high gas prices, new car buyers still rank vehicle reliability over fuel economy as the first thing they look for in a new car.
A new poll by automotive consumer web site BuyingAdvice.com asked over 4,000 new car buyers to list the factors that went into their decision in order of priority.
Reliability was the first choice of 28 percent, with safety rating second at 26 percent and fuel economy rated third at 24 percent. Gas mileage was the highest scoring second priority beating out safety rating and reliability.
Performance was notably a lower priority given to its buyers; it consistently ranked well below the main three factors identified as first or second keys to a car buying decision. Asked to name their main priority, performance ranked fourth among buyers but with less than half the votes of third ranked fuel efficiency.
Comfort and resale value also ranked low in the priorities of the buyers sampled. Comfort did, however, top the list for the fourth most important factor in the buying decision being the choice of 24 percent.
All 4124 participants in the poll were drawn from among the over 50,000 new car buyers who request competitive online price quotes from BuyingAdvice.com each month. All respondents stated they were within 30 days of purchasing a new car or truck.
This survey was the latest in a series conducted by BuyingAdvice.com designed to provide a comprehensive pictures of buyer opinion and preferences today. BuyingAdvice.com is a consumer advice that features pricing tips and advice for new car buyers, including reviews and the latest information from the automotive world.
