8:00 am, January 7, 2015
THE annual publication of the BCA Used Car Market report unleashes a wealth of information on used cars and motorists, with some interesting glimpses into how used car buyers intend behaving over the next 12 months.
Based on a bespoke consumer survey carried out by TNS/BMRB, 4,000 motorists are quizzed annually for BCA’s report, generating a robust dataset of opinions and perceptions.
Despite much brighter economic prospects, rising employment, higher house prices and low inflation, the number of car owners indicating they would ‘certainly’ or ‘quite likely’ buy a car in the next year was flat at 14 per cent in this year’s survey.
When it comes to buying that next used car, the number of motorists looking to do business with a ‘franchised dealer’ rose one point to 49 per cent this year, with nearly half hoping to trade in their current vehicle.
When choosing a used car retailer, the ‘right car at the right price’ was the most important factor (39 per cent).
Meanwhile, 16 per cent say they intend buying from an ‘independent used car retailer’ and nine per cent from an ‘internet trader’. A significant number of used car buyers – 30 per cent – still intend to deal ‘privately’ or with a ‘family member or friend’, with men much more likely to buy privately than women.
But what sort of used cars will dealers be selling in the years ahead? This year’s report asked motorists ‘how they thought technology might affect motoring over the next five years’. Around half felt ‘cars will become more fuel-efficient with better fuel consumption’ and ‘electric cars will become more commonplace’. A third of respondents believe ‘safety will improve because of automatic braking systems and other driving aids’.
