According to a recent study by J.D. Power and Associates, consumers shopping for new vehicles are now considering more models before actually buying their latest car than in the past. The 2013 Avoider Study, revealed that today, shoppers consider on average, 3.3 different vehicles for each purchase, up from 2.9 back in 2010.
Jon Osborn, J.D. Power’s research director, says that although only five percent of the U.S. population actively buy new vehicles each year, automakers are still very keen to discover what factors cause consumers to avoid their products.
A major influence in a purchase decision, according to the study, remains fuel economy, with 15 per cent of new vehicle owners declaring it the most important factor when buying a vehicle. Reliability, which has been a key driver in past years, has become slightly less important, as fewer vehicles today exhibit significant mechanical or electrical issues. Only 17 per cent of new vehicle owners cited it as the most important factor in 2013, versus 19 per cent last year and 21 per cent in 2009.
Vehicle styling and image however, are seen as critical factors in the purchase decision process, with a third of all new vehicle buyers citing a vehicle’s styling as a reason for avoiding its purchase. When it came to interior design, the number was significantly lower, 19 per cent saying cabin features were make or break factors when it came to avoiding a vehicle purchase.
As for image, 17 per cent of respondents said that the image certain vehicles project in the marketplace was a major reason for avoiding them.
Electric vehicles were also an interesting observation. Cost (36 per cent) and styling (26 per cent) were the two main reasons consumers chose to avoid electric cars, indicating that despite the media hype, such vehicles are still conceived as being too far outside the mainstream for most new car shoppers.
