A CAR is a considered purchase and many factors play into the decision-making process. From the most desired car features to transmission and fuel type preferences, car buying habits differ for everybody. So what are British motorists looking for in their next car and how do habits and preferences differ depending on region and generation?
Automotive masking experts JTAPE conducted a study to find out what matters most to Brits during the car-buying process and why.
Methods of buying a car
Researching online first and then going to a dealership to purchase is currently the most popular method of buying a car, with more than half (54 per cent) of participants stating that this is their way to go. The next most popular method was to simply go to a dealership and buying directly, with one in five choosing this.
Fifteen per cent said they would prefer to approach buying a car online through a marketplace like Autotrader, Facebook or eBay, which outweighed the five per cent that said they would purchase online from a dealership website. This could be due to the wider range of options available from online marketplaces.
How far would Brits travel to collect a car?
A quarter of Brits stated the furthest they would travel would be to their closest city. Just over one in ten said they would travel within their county, while slightly more (22 per cent) would travel anywhere within their region.
Some were willing to travel hundreds of miles, with eight per cent being willing to travel anywhere as long as it was in the UK, and three per cent even stating that they put no limit on how far they’d travel to collect a car.
Car Preferences: colour
Black was the most popular colour preference, with more than a quarter of participants (27 per cent) choosing this as their favourite. The second top choice was blue, with just under 1 in 5 (19 per cent) choosing this colour. Other popular options were silver, red and grey.
Car Brand Preferences
The number one chosen car brand was Ford, with 16 per cent selecting this as their favourite. This is likely due to their affordability and reliability, as well as the fact that the beloved Fiesta model has been winning the hearts of Brits for many years. The Fiesta model has now been discontinued, with the final cars produced in June 2023. Could this impact the future answer to this question?
Audi came in second place with eight per cent of participants choosing the brand, followed by Volkswagen at seven per cent.
What matters most when buying a car?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, cost was the most popular important factor to Brits when purchasing a car, with 83 per cent of participants selecting this when asked about what is important to them. Following, but not notably closely, came mileage (67 per cent) and fuel efficiency (66 per cent).
Of the top ten only one factor was focused on the aesthetics of the car: body condition at 49 per cent, proving Brits are generally very sensible when it comes to choosing a vehicle based on things such as safety, fuel efficiency, documentation and costs.
Of the top ten, three factors focused on costs: 83 per cent said the cost of the car mattered most, while 51 per cent said the cost of the insurance was the most important. Thirty nine per cent said they thought the tax mattered most.
Search trends for petrol, diesel and electric cars for sale.
The Government’s proposed ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars was introduced in 2020, with the ban set to come into force in 2030. In September 2023, the ban was delayed until 2035.
Searches for 'electric cars for sale' saw a much higher volume in 2022 than in 2023 overall possibly due to the cost of living crisis.
With the Government announcement regarding the ban being pushed back to 2035, searches for electric cars for sale declined in October 2023 by around 18 per cent.
Search volumes for petrol cars increased in 2023 compared to 2022, which again ties in with them generally being more affordable than electric vehicle options. The trend for searching for petrol cars saw a lot of peaks and troughs in 2023, with declines in February, May, June, September and November.
Search volumes for diesel cars for sale also increased in 2023 compared to 2022. This is likely to be because internal combustion engines are the more affordable option generally compared with electric vehicles and the country had been experiencing more financial difficulty in 2023.
*Chris Jevons is Commercial Director of JTAPE
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