Never mind that gas prices were at a near historic high. Drivers still want to pilot big cars.
Three years ago, when car buyers began to clamor for more efficient forms of transportation, sales of SUVs and pickup trucks declined precipitously. Once fuel became affordable again, however, drivers seemed to pine for the good old days of enormous, gas-guzzling SUVs. And now that the price of gas seems in competition with the price of gold, you'd think car buyers would be less inclined to make that mistake again.
Think again. Consumer Reports recently polled almost 1,000 new car-buyers to gauge the potential size of their next vehicle. Fifty-six percent of drivers said their next car or truck would be the same size as the one it replaces, with only a quarter of the people planning to downsize. Nineteen percent said they were set to buy a bigger vehicle the next time the choice came around.
Of those drivers who stated a desire to downsize, 92 percent cited improved fuel efficiency and 71 percent said they wanted less expensive repair cost. Earth, you're low on the list of priorities. Only 67 percent stated they were concerned about the environment. Improved reliability and a lower purchase price were also factors, as were repair costs.
Have you downsized your car, or (heaven forbid) have you upsized? Let me know here.
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