A survey of almost 4,000 motorists in Ireland by 123.ie has revealed the following: Audi is the most desired car brand in Ireland; white is the least popular car colour; most people support the 30km/h Dublin city speed limit and almost 62% of the population is frightened by driverless cars.
The annual Irish Car Review revealed that once again, Audi topped the poll as the brand that most drivers in Ireland would choose if budget were no issue. BMW ranked second with Mercedes following closely behind, whilst Landrover and Aston Martin came fourth and fifth respectively.
Renault least popular car; Nissan least attractive
Renault was once again selected the least popular of the leading car brands sold in Ireland, with 26% of drivers saying it is the car they would least consider. Kia (12%) and Seat (also 12%) were a distant joint second.
At the other end of the scale, Toyota (3%), Hyundai (4%), Ford (4%) and VW (4%) escaped notice and by default are considered brands that consumers find attractive. They also happen to be the best sellers amongst Irish drivers.
The research pointed to Renault’s poor reputation; Seat and Kia’s bad resale value; the unattractiveness of Nissan models and the bad personal experience afforded by Ford.
Respondents were invited to state why they would be unlikely to buy from the leading car brands under specific categories:
- Poor reputation: Renault (65%), Seat (48%), Skoda (45%)
- Bad resale value: Seat (46%), Kia (45%), Skoda (39%)
- Bad personal experience: Ford (41%), Opel (36%), Hyundai (28%)
- Unattractive: Nissan (56%), Kia (47%), Skoda (44%)
Audi was considered dear to buy and maintain, but its high reliability rating lead to a very strong satisfaction rating amongst Audi owners. In fact, all German car brands including Audi, Mercedes and BMW scored high satisfaction rates with their owners.
Two thirds support 30km speed limit; two thirds fear self-drive cars
More than two thirds of drivers in Ireland say they support the introduction of the 30km speed limit on residential streets throughout Dublin, which, says Padraig O’Neill is a ringing endorsement of public support for tough but practical measures aimed at tackling road safety issues.
When it comes to safety and self-drive cars, almost two thirds say they would feel frightened in an autonomous vehicle and a small majority (51%) would not feel safe sharing the road with a car that was not fully under the control of the driver.
White cars a no no for drivers in Ireland
People are also influenced by colour with black being the most popular for 29% followed by silver (22%), blue or navy (14%) and one in ten people would choose a red car. White cars didn’t fare out so well in the 123.ie Car Review for 2017, emerging as the least popular car colour for 30% of respondents, followed by maroon and red (both at 17%).
Bluetooth essential according to Ireland’s drivers
Technology influences people’s choices in every facet of life and that includes the choices made by drivers in relation to the technical specification of their cars. Bluetooth ranks as the most important technical feature for almost 60% of drivers and adaptive cruise control, which assists with avoiding collisions by keeping the car a safe distance from traffic ahead is considered more important than a digital dashboard (54% V 48%).
Petrol engines on the way out?
More than a third of drivers are planning to change their car this year and whilst this might sound like positive news for the new car market, 64% are considering buying a second hand model.
Almost half of those surveyed are driving a diesel-engine car but, with diesels attracting a lower motor tax rate than petrol engine models, two thirds of people say they will now look to buy a diesel next time round. With consumers continuing to seek out value and savings, it will come as no surprise that the majority (92%) say that the motor tax rate is an important factor in deciding which engine type to buy.
Irish drivers are a savvy lot and 60% recognise the value offered by UK imports. Notwithstanding, only 3% of respondents looking to change their car this year will actually choose an import. The majority of drivers will go through a dealer for their next car (75%) and almost a fifth will opt for a private purchase.
We have learned a great deal from the resondants to our survey and we can't wait for next year's review to compare!
