There are a number of things Canadians dislike about their vehicles, but the most common concern is fuel economy, according to a news release from Desrosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. (DAC).
The information is based on the DesRosiers Light Vehicle Study (LVS), which is an annual consumer survey that includes input from 4,500 Canadian vehicle owners.
“When Canadian consumers were asked what the main reason was for their dissatisfaction with their current vehicle, the most commonly cited concern was fuel economy; an issue mentioned by 20.9% of respondents,” said DAC. “Among a Canadian public that is increasingly enamoured with the SUV side of the market — traditionally the less fuel-efficient choice versus most passenger cars — this is a valid if unsurprising concern.”
When broken down, fuel economy was seen to be a larger concern among 22.7% of males, versus 18.4% of female respondents.
Other concerns hover around things like the age of the vehicle, its performance, quality, reliability, and specific features. In fact, technology/ features came in as the second concern on DAC’s list, with 14% of respondents. For consumers that are still leasing their vehicle, 27.7% are more likely to be concerned about the lack of technology and features versus consumers who own their car.
“Those who lease were not particularly concerned with fuel economy as only 7.1% stated this was an issue,” said DAC. “As one might expect, consumers who purchased their vehicles used were more concerned with their vehicle’s fuel economy, mechanical issues, and repair/ maintenance cost versus those who purchased new.”
Mechanical issues came in third with 10.6%, and interior/ cargo space came in fourth with 9.3%. Other concerns include repair/ maintenance (9%), performance (6.1%), comfort (5.9%), appearance (3.9%), quality (3.8%), and dealer/ service experience (3.1%).
