Poll: What Matters Most to Car Buyers?

Washington DC February 13, 2007; The AIADA newsletter reported that a Detroit Free Press poll last month found that gas mileage ranked as the most important issue among Michiganders when buying a car.

Forty-three percent of the respondents said fuel economy was at the top of their list, followed by concerns about safety, room for people and cargo, and low maintenance costs.

Amy Wieleba said she wants a more fuel-efficient car in large part because of concerns about the environment. "We have to take care of the environment, each and every one of us as best we can," she said. "I am concerned about everything we are doing -- the global warming, the pollution, the drilling."

In addition, the poll indicates that loyalty among young people in Michigan to U.S. automakers isn't strong as it once was.

The survey found that Michiganders younger than 35 are more open to buying a foreign car than ever before. About 44 percent of the people in that group said they either would definitely buy a foreign car or they could go either way with their purchase.

The Michigan Poll found 26 percent of respondents said safety matters most; 22 percent said room for people and cargo was first on their list, and 20 percent cited low cost for maintenance and repairs. The poll, taken Jan. 28-31, had 803 respondents and a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.