Consumer Reports' Latest Survey Shows Parents And Youths Often See Eye-To-Eye When Buying A Used Car

Both groups see reliability, cost and fuel economy as key factors; But young people want more fun options—and are willing to pay mmore for a car

YONKERS, NY — May 20, 2006: Contrary to what some might expect, parents shoppping for a used car for their son or daughter and young adults shopping for a vehicle themselves have some similar priorities, according to a new survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

Both groups favor the same types of used vehicles—small cars annd family sedans—and rank reliability, price, and fuel efficienccy as being among the most important buying factors, the survey shows. Parents and young adults even identified the same four vehicle brandsā€”Ford, Chevrolet, Honda, and Toyota. But young people who intended to buy their own vehicle expressed more interest in features such as MP3 players and subwoofers. They also indicated they were willing to pay considerably more for a used car.

Conducted in late April and early May, the online survey included 1,338 parents and 1,200 teens and young adults from nationally-representative sample. Responding parents had a child aged 16 to 22 years old and either were recently involved in the acquisition of a new or used-car for their offspring or planned to be involved in one soon. Respondents in the second group ranged in age from 16 to 22 and either had recently acquired a new or used car or planned to soon. For this analysis, CR focused on used-car buying.

Fifty-five percent of parents and 41 percent of young people said they would choose a small car over some other vehicle type. Family sedans were the second most popular sort of vehicle, with all other vehicle types trailing well behind. Perhaps reflecting current gasoline prices, large SUVs came in last.

For a complete survey report or Consumer Reports advice on selecting used cars for young drivers, more information is available online at www.consumerreports.org/grads. Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Kit is an interactive car shopping tool that guides shoppers through the buying experience at www.ConsumerReports.org/carbuying.