Car Buyers Not Walking Environmental Talk

Environment not a major factor in car purchases

Updated Thu. Feb. 1 2007 9:15 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

A survey of new vehicle buyers shows Canadians are not overly concerned with purchasing an environmentally friendly car.

In fact, buying a vehicle that was better for the environment ranked just 23rd among 26 factors for purchase, according to the Maritz New Vehicle Customer Study of 38,500 buyers.

The ranking was far behind the top three reasons for buying-- value for money, fuel economy and reliability. It was even ranked lower in importance than towing capability and interior styling. Buyers of subcompact cars were more interested in storage and cargo capacity than they were in an environmentally friendly vehicle.

Chris Travell, vice-president of Maritz's automotive research group, told The Globe and Mail that buyers are concerned about the environment but they get overwhelmed by other factors.

"In actual buying behaviour, it's not manifesting itself in the purchase-decision process," said Travell. "It doesn't hold a candle to these other issues."

He did say that as hybrid cars come down in price, consumers will probably start choosing them over non-hybrid models.

Also, while fuel economy ranked high on the list, Canadian buying habits did not reflect that in 2006.

Sales of large SUVs jumped 17 per cent from 2005 levels while luxury SUV sales jumped 6 per cent, according to data compiled by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.

Reasons why people buy:

1. 30.7% Value for the money

2. 28.4% Fuel economy

3. 27.5% Reliability/dependability

4. 21.5% Price/cost to buy

5. 19.5% Exterior styling

6. 15.9% Manufacturer's reputation

7. 15.2% Fun to drive

8. 14.6% Interior comfort

9. 13.1% Quality of workmanship

10. 11.3% Durability/long-lasting

11. 10.2% All-wheel drive/four-wheel drive

12. 9.8% Storage & cargo capacity

13. 9.4% Engine performance

14. 9.2% Safety features

15. 8.8% Road-holding/handling

16. 8.1% Future trade-in or resale value

17. 7.2% Ride quality on highway

18. 7.2% Warranty package

19. 7.0% Rebate/low interest rate

20. 4.8% Interior styling

21. 4.7% Towing capability

22. 3.6% Discount/value pack

23. 2.2% Environmentally friendly vehicle

24. 1.8% Manufacturer's loyalty program

25. 1.4% Security features

26. 0.5% Ability to accessorize vehicle

Source: Maritz Research