A survey from Driving.ca revealed that 85 per cent of Canadians in the market for a vehicle weigh price and fuel efficiency more heavily than safety when considering a purchase.
The sites New Car Survey took a look at Canadian car buyers’ habits when shopping for a vehicle. All of the information in Driving.ca survey was self-reported. It found that, on average, shoppers are comparing three to four different models before choosing one to take home.
The features the respondents considered to be most important were price and fuel efficiency while quality, style, and safety were less important.
Of the survey participants, 56 per cent said that they would prefer to know what a neighbor paid for the same model of vehicle that they were looking to purchase, which further reveals Canadian car buyers’ tendency to think with their wallets, first and foremost.
The importance of the remaining factors fell out the following way:
- 73 per cent of respondents cited fuel efficiency as a top concern;
- 61 per cent of respondents said the vehicles handling was one of the most important factors in their decision;
- 45 per cent of respondents felt vehicle aesthetics are just as important as quality;
- 20 per cent would consider a vehicle with more horsepower over those with less; and
- 16 per cent of respondents need software, technological components or gadgets to keep them interested in a vehicle.
The survey also revealed that other concerns could be attributed to age and gender. It seemed that more male respondents enjoyed the car-buying experience than women and that women prefer to purchase vehicles that are safer and more fuel-efficient as compared to the choices of their male counterparts, who typically value the look of the vehicle over its quality.
Some respondents (12 per cent) said that they feel shopping for a new car was more stressful than planning a vacation, but that planning a wedding would be more stressful than both of those experiences.
Tracking Trends for Safety’s Sake
While this survey only sampled a portion of the population, it is helpful to see where the majority of respondents place their priorities when it comes to purchasing a new vehicle. If the trend is to buy flashier vehicles with fewer safety features, the driving public must remember to make driving defensively a habit now more than ever.
Were you or someone you love hit by a driver who was not being careful? Negligence behind the wheel is dangerous. If you were a victim of someone else’s recklessness, contact a Windsor car accident lawyer from Greg Monforton & Partners for a FREE review of your claim. You could be entitled to compensation for the harm that was done to you.
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