Car-shopping has evolved massively in recent years. These days, you can request a test drive through Amazon and order a 2.5-second Tesla through your phone like it’s a pair of new headphones.
Now, fresh research from Hyundai has revealed further insight into modern car-shopping habits. From the 2,000 UK drivers surveyed by the South Korean car maker, over a third know exactly what they want and buy the very first car they see. Add in those people that only went to see one other car, and that figure rises to more than half.
Second opinion
Even though motorists are viewing fewer cars, many will still bring someone with them to help look over their next potential purchase.
Men were deemed to be more confident than women, with 40 per cent of men taking someone along, compared with more than 71 per cent of women. Regardless of gender, the accompanying party will most likely be their partner, with dads coming in second.
Priorities
Price was considered to be the most important factor in the buying decision – a view shared by 71 per cent of the survey sample. As a side note, the average cost of shoppers’ current vehicles was found to be £11,313; seven times what they typically paid for their first car (£1,596).
Reliability was a close second, followed by fuel type, comfort, car brand and economy. Size was an interesting factor for different reasons. Men were more concerned than women by whether a car would be large enough to carry their family and pets.
Meanwhile, women were more bothered about the size of the car in terms of how easy it would be to manoeuvre.
Pet peeves
When asked what people hate the most about their current car, the biggest factor was how slowly it accelerates, followed by how much it costs to fill up with fuel and how many scratches and dents it has.
On the whole though, Brits seem to be happy with their current cars. Over half said that absolutely nothing annoys them about their car and the thing they love the most is how reliable it is. Owners tend to keep their car for five years and eight months on average before getting a new one.
When it comes to certain features motorists want on their next car, air conditioning came out top with 42 per cent saying it was a must, followed by parking sensors, electric windows and sat-nav in fourth place.
Tony Whitehorn, president of Hyundai Motor UK, said: “Clearly, today’s car-buyers are better informed than ever and they’re making very concrete decisions on which car they want before even going to see it.”
What do you love and hate most about your current car? Let us know down in the comments.
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