• AA MEMBERSHIP
  • MOTOR
  • HOME INSURANCE
  • AA ROADWATCH
  • ROUTEPLANNER
  • HOTELS
  • WEATHER


  • LATEST NEWS
  • Advice
  • MOTORING
  • WINTER HUB
  • YOUR HOME
  • Travel
  • AA Life

Cars are moving… almost 13% of motorists will buy a car in 2011

date-icon 04 Feb 2011  author-icon Posted by Miriam O'Neill


12.9% of motorists are planning to buy a car this year. 4.4% say they will buy a new car while 8.5% say they will buy second hand. The findings are contained in an AA Motor Insurance poll of more than 20,000 motorists. The results will come as good news for the motor industry which has already reported a positive start to 2011, with an increase in revenue of €30 million on the previous January and a 29% increase in vehicles sold.

For new car purchase the figure is slightly weighted towards male drivers with 5% planning to buy a brand new car this year compared with 3.4% of women.  Reliability / durability matters most to new car buyers, with 98.1% rating it as important or very important. Price and fuel economy were also prioritised but interestingly ‘Top Speed’ was bottom of the list with only 21.4% considering it important.

Diesel sales, which accounted for 64% of new car sales in 2010, will continue to dominate the new car market again in 2011 according to the AA Motor Insurance poll.  60% of new car purchasers polled say they will opt for a diesel car over a petrol model this year.  23% of poll respondents say that they will buy a petrol model while the rest are still undecided.   It seems that more females than males are in the market for a petrol model.  30% of women intending to buy a new car in 2011 say they will opt for a petrol model compared with just 19% of males. 

“Across our portfolio of motor insurance customers, we see that twice as many women as men drive a car with an engine of 1.2 litres of less,” says John Farrell, Director of AA Motor Insurance.  “75% of new cars sold within this category during 2010 were petrol models, so it’s not surprising that petrol models are faring better among females.”

Overall, the AA Motor Insurance poll reveals that 15% of those buying a new car this year will opt for a smaller car that their last, 53.1% will choose something similar to their current model and 23% will upsizeertain vehicle characteristics seem to resonate better with the residents of some counties than others.   According to the AA Motor Insurance poll, Dubliners are least concerned by a vehicle’s fuel economy.  Limerick residents are the least likely to prioritize a vehicle’s handling in severe weather conditions such as snow whereas Longford residents were the most concerned by this.  And Cavan residents are the least interested in a vehicle’s top speed capabilities. 

Ends

Notes to the editor;

 Fig. 1 Poll respondents who are planning on buying a new car in 2011 (Based on 20,086 responses)

Yes, will buy a new car this year 4.4%
Yes, will buy a second hand car this year 8.5%
Not yet sure 20.4%
No, will not be buying a car this year 66.7%

(B) MALE poll respondents who are planning on buying a new car in 2011 (Based on 11,330 responses)

Yes, will buy a new car this year 5.0%
Yes, will buy a second hand car this year 9.2%
Not yet sure 21.2%
No, will not be buying a car this year 64.6%

(C) FEMALE poll respondents who are planning on buying a new car in 2011 (Based on 8,344 responses)

Yes, will buy a new car this year 3.4%
Yes, will buy a second hand car this year 7.7%
Not yet sure 19.5%
No, will not be buying a car this year 69.5%

Fig. 2 (A) Split by fuel type of new car purchases planned by poll respondents during 2011 (Based on 3,001 respondents)

Petrol 22.8%
Diesel 60.1%
Biofuel compatible 1.2%
LPG 0.0%
Electric 0.5%
Other 0.3%
Not yet sure 15.1%

(B) Split by fuel type of new car purchases planned by MALE poll respondents during 2011 (Based on 1859 respondents) 

Petrol 19.0%
Diesel 66.4%
Biofuel compatible 0.9%
LPG 0.0%
Electric 0.5%
Other 0.2%
Not yet sure 13.0%

(C) Split by fuel type of new car purchases planned by FEMALE poll respondents during 2011 (Based on 1080 respondents)

Petrol 29.5%
Diesel 49.2%
Biofuel compatible 1.6%
LPG 0.0%
Electric 0.4%
Other 0.6%
Not yet sure 18.8%

Fig. 3 (A) Size of vehicle that respondents who are planning on buying a new car this year will opt for (Based on 2,998 responses):

It will be a bigger car 22.8%
It will be a smaller car 15.0%
It will be a similar car 53.1%
I have not yet decided 5.8%
It is not a direct replacement for a current car 3.3%

(B) Size of vehicle that MALE respondents who are planning on buying a new car this year will opt for (Based on 1,861   responses):

It will be a bigger car 21.9%
It will be a smaller car 15.9%
It will be a similar car 53.4%
I have not yet decided 5.6%
It is not a direct replacement for a current car 3.3%

(C) Size of vehicle that FEMALE respondents who are planning on buying a new car this year will opt for (Based on 1080 responses):

It will be a bigger car 24.5%
It will be a smaller car 13.3%
It will be a similar car 52.9%
I have not yet decided 6.3%
It is not a direct replacement for a current car 3.1%

Fig. 4 – Importance respondents’ would place (either hypothetically/or in practice) on the below features and characteristics when making a decision to purchase a new car (Based on 20,556 responses) :

  Very important Somewhat important Neutral Somewhat unimportant Very unimportant
Reliability / durability 90.5% 7.6% 0.9% 0.0% 0.9%
Price 85.8% 11.7% 1.6% 0.6% 0.3%
Performance 62.5% 27.6% 7.4% 1.3% 1.3%
Fuel economy 83.0% 13.9% 2.2% 0.6% 0.3%
Comfort for driver and passengers 66.2% 28.0% 4.5% 0.6% 0.6%
Eco-friendliness 35.4% 39.5% 18.0% 4.5% 2.6%
Resale value 42.7% 35.9% 14.2% 4.9% 2.3%
High safey rating (e.g. 5 Star EuroNCAP crash test score) 57.1% 30.3% 8.7% 2.9% 1.0%
Number of seats (e.g. people carrier required) 25.5% 32.4% 22.5% 8.5% 11.1%
Top speed 4.2% 17.2% 33.0% 25.9% 19.7%
How well suited the vehicle is to severe conditions, e.g. snow 34.2% 38.7% 19.8% 4.5% 2.9%
Brand name / preferred make of car 24.3% 34.8% 27.5% 5.1% 8.3%
Luggage space 17.4% 34.7% 26.7% 15.1% 6.1%
Bluetooth 13.3% 18.1% 27.5% 13.3% 27.8%
Extra features, e.g. SatNav 6.2% 21.5% 30.3% 15.6% 26.4%

Fig. 4 – County by county split, of car features that respondents’ would rate ‘Very Important’ when making a decision to purchase a new car (either hypothetically/or in practice):

  Reliability / durability Price Performance Fuel economy Comfort for driver and passengers Eco-friendliness Resale value High safety rating (e.g. 5 Star EuroNCAP crash test score)
Carlow (200 responses) 95.5% 80.2% 61.8% 82.4% 66.8% 34.7% 41.1% 51.0%
Cavan (200 responses) 90.5% 76.0% 56.5% 78.4% 62.9% 27.9% 43.7% 52.6%
Clare (392 responses) 90.5% 78.3% 61.2% 81.5% 64.0% 35.8% 44.3% 55.8%
Cork (2,236 responses) 91.3% 80.8% 59.4% 78.9% 63.4% 33.5% 41.1% 55.1%
Donegal (319 responses) 90.5% 85.8% 62.5% 83.0% 66.2% 35.4% 42.7% 57.1%
Dublin (7490 responses) 90.5% 79.2% 54.4% 71.9% 62.9% 33.0% 35.8% 53.2%
Galway (902 responses) 90.7% 79.1% 61.8% 78.3% 63.9% 35.7% 40.2% 55.5%
Kerry (332 responses) 94.3% 85.8% 65.8% 85.2% 67.6% 42.8% 40.3% 57.5%
Kildare (1322 responses) 93.3% 81.3% 55.0% 80.3% 64.1% 34.7% 39.2% 57.3%
Kilkenny 93.9% 80.7% 62.0% 79.6% 62.7% 29.1% 40.4% 51.1%
Laois (259 responses) 93.0% 84.4% 63.5% 86.7% 67.7% 36.8% 40.2% 60.0%
Leitrim (99 responses) 91.8% 79.8% 56.7% 86.9% 64.6% 34.7% 43.8% 59.2%
Limerick 92.2% 79.5% 61.8% 79.2% 64.0% 35.3% 46.6% 57.4%
Longford (123 responses) 91.9% 84.6% 61.7% 77.7% 70.2% 39.7% 49.6% 54.2%
Louth (476 responses) 91.6% 80.7% 55.7% 80.4% 61.9% 34.5% 41.1% 54.2%
Mayo (388 responses) 90.9% 81.3% 59.0% 81.8% 69.5% 36.0% 43.3% 56.1%
Meath (915 responses) 93.0% 80.1% 55.1% 80.4% 63.5% 30.4% 39.8% 56.3%
Monaghan (113 responses) 94.6% 81.4% 61.6% 78.8% 66.1% 31.0% 35.5% 49.5%
Offaly (209 responses) 93.2% 82.0% 65.2% 82.1% 71.2% 38.0% 40.1% 67.6%
Roscommon (211 responses) 92.4% 76.4% 57.4% 83.9% 66.2% 32.1% 43.5% 61.0%
Sligo (226 responses) 92.4% 81.4% 57.5% 78.5% 66.2% 30.3% 37.2% 56.1%
Tipperary (475 responses) 92.6% 80.7% 61.1% 83.6% 65.5% 31.5% 45.1% 56.1%
Waterford (453 responses) 90.9% 82.0% 58.2% 78.0% 63.9% 30.4% 38.9% 55.0%
Westmeath (329 responses) 92.0% 80.5% 61.0% 81.6% 66.5% 30.2% 43.3% 58.2%
                 
                 
Wexford (546 responses) 90.0% 79.8% 59.0% 81.9% 68.1% 34.0% 42.3% 58.6%
Wicklow (865 responses) 92.0% 78.2% 50.9% 78.7% 64.7% 34.8% 33.9% 53.2%

CONT’D  County by county split, of car features that respondents’ would rate ‘Very Important’ when making a decision to purchase a new car (either hypothetically/or in practice):

  Number of seats (e.g. people carrier required) Top speed How well suited the vehicle is to severe conditions, e.g. snow Brand name / preferred make of car Luggage space Bluetooth Extra features, e.g. SatNav
Carlow 25.3% 4.1% 34.7% 26.5% 22.7% 21.4% 11.3%
Cavan 23.5% 1.5% 33.8% 23.4% 21.5% 20.4% 6.7%
Clare 24.1% 5.0% 27.3% 24.7% 21.1% 17.3% 8.2%
Cork 24.0% 3.8% 25.8% 25.2% 22.6% 16.5% 7.7%
Donegal 25.5% 4.2% 34.2% 24.3% 17.4% 13.3% 6.2%
Dublin 21.9% 3.5% 25.5% 24.6% 22.0% 17.2% 7.1%
Galway 22.8% 3.2% 27.1% 23.7% 19.5% 17.6% 7.3%
Kerry 24.3% 3.7% 28.3% 24.5% 19.0% 15.7% 7.4%
Kildare 24.0% 2.7% 31.2% 23.1% 22.2% 20.9% 7.4%
Kilkenny 22.7% 4.7% 28.2% 19.7% 21.4% 22.7% 8.7%
Laois 29.3% 2.8% 33.6% 25.0% 22.1% 15.7% 6.9%
Leitrim 32.7% 4.3% 37.1% 27.6% 28.6% 19.6% 11.5%
Limerick 23.0% 6.2% 23.8% 26.8% 21.9% 18.3% 7.7%
Longford 25.8% 5.0% 38.0% 28.1% 19.2% 22.3% 15.8%
Louth 25.4% 4.8% 28.2% 24.5% 20.4% 18.6% 8.9%
Mayo 28.0% 4.8% 34.2% 26.1% 19.7% 17.7% 8.2%
Meath 30.3% 3.6% 34.8% 24.2% 22.7% 21.4% 7.0%
Monaghan 20.9% 3.6% 33.9% 27.9% 16.2% 16.1% 6.3%
Offaly 26.3% 3.0% 28.6% 26.7% 19.7% 15.0% 6.6%
Roscommon 21.7% 4.9% 34.8% 24.6% 15.5% 14.1% 6.9%
Sligo 22.5% 5.0% 29.3% 24.0% 17.4% 15.3% 7.3%
Tipperary 22.4% 3.9% 25.9% 24.6% 16.9% 14.4% 9.6%
Waterford 22.7% 4.6% 25.3% 26.2% 19.7% 17.1% 8.5%
Westmeath 28.2% 3.7% 27.0% 29.7% 22.7% 20.2% 6.6%
               
               
Wexford 22.1% 4.4% 36.7% 23.3% 20.9% 17.2% 6.8%
Wicklow 23.3% 3.2% 32.5% 24.9% 23.1% 18.5% 7.0%
               
    Share This

Written by Miriam O'Neill


Related Posts


What Irish Motorists really think – view the results of our last Motoring Panel Poll here
March 25, 2011

Driver distraction goes beyond mobile phone usage reports AA
March 14, 2011

Women dramatically more stressed behind the wheel than men
February 7, 2011



1 Comment

textile industry news
7 years ago



Amazing site…

I really liked your blog, thanks for sharing this useful information……



  • SEARCH ARTICLES

  • New

    • 5 Tips To Remember When Buying Home Insurance
      February 18, 2019
    • 1 in 8 Suspect They Know an Uninsured Driver
      February 17, 2019
    • How to secure your home against burglary
      February 16, 2019
    • WIN TICKETS TO THE UPCOMING IRELAND V FRANCE SIX NATIONS...
      February 15, 2019
    • Check Your Contents As You Spring Clean
      February 12, 2019

  • 196,525

    followers

    1,190

    fans
    Subscribe
    To RSS Feed
  • Find us on Facebook




Copyright The AA (Ireland) 2017