Gas prices may be dropping, but fuel economy is still king when it comes to deciding which vehicle to purchase.
According to J.D. Power and Associates’ 12th annual Avoider Study, new-vehicle buyers ranked fuel economy as the most influential factor in selecting a vehicle for the fourth straight year. The study was based on responses from almost 30,000 owners who registered a vehicle in April or May 2014, before gasoline prices began dropping heavily. Respondents also revealed that they considered an average of 3.2 vehicles before purchasing, identical to a year before.
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Of those surveyed, 14 percent said mileage was the most influential reason for purchasing their vehicle. Fuel economy was also the second-most common reason they rejected certain models after originally considering them. In addition, 27 percent of the survey group didn’t even consider hybrid vehicles, saying that they were too expensive, while 15 percent didn’t consider a model due to the lack of the latest technology.
As for the top reason consumers avoided certain models? Exterior aesthetic followed by cost and interior aesthetic.