MAJORITY OF CONSUMERS WANT TO CHANGE CAR BRAND, SAYS MOTORS.CO.UK

• Nearly three quarters (74 per cent) of consumers want to change the brand of car they drive
• Audi owners are the most loyal to the manufacturer when looking to part exchange their current car, according to Motors.co.uk figures
• Peugeot, Renault and Toyota owners are most likely to consider another brand when selling their current car

New figures from Motors.co.uk suggest that the majority of consumers consider changing the brand of car they currently drive when purchasing a new vehicle. Data from January to September 2016 shows that 74 per cent of visitors to the car search website looked for a different brand when trying to part-exchange or sell their current car.

By analysing car valuation requests and part-exchange enquiries made by visitors using the What’s Mine Worth tool after they had viewed a car on sale, Motors.co.uk also found out which brands, makes and models commanded the most loyalty.

It was revealed that Audi owners were the most loyal, with more than 50 per cent viewing another car from the Ingolstadt manufacturer before enquiring about part-exchanging their current car. The second most loyal group were Ford owners, with more than 45 per cent considering sticking with the blue oval brand, while 10 per cent of them considered either a BMW or a Vauxhall.

Drivers most likely to consider other brands were owners of Peugeot, Renault and Toyota models, with 69 per cent, 74 per cent and 68 per cent viewing a model from another brand, respectively, when trying to part-exchange or sell their current car.

While Mercedes-Benz owners were some of the most loyal (almost 45 per cent considered another one), 20 per cent searched for a BMW before looking to part-exchange or sell their current car.

Dermot Kelleher, Director of Marketing & Business Intelligence at Motors.co.uk, said: “These results show that consumers have a wide consideration set when looking for their next new car and are prepared to shop around and take the time to research different brands, rather than just stick to what they are used to.

At Motors.co.uk we have built tools like Smart Search that help buyers find cars that match their requirements by the things like budget, running costs and extras. It’s also why we have search functionality that allows buyers to select multiple makes and models within the same search query so they can compare vehicles they are considering side by side and make the most informed decision possible.”