Glitz and Glamour Sways Prospective Buyers
19 January 2001
Polk Auto Trend Center Report: Glitz and Glamour Sways Prospective Buyers POLK LOGO Polk logo. (PRNewsFoto)[JL] SOUTHFIELD, MI USA 01/04/2001
But Rush to Dealerships May Be a Year Away
DETROIT, Jan. 18 Today Polk released the sixth in a series
of trend center reports direct from the North American International Auto Show
(NAIAS). The report highlights consumer opinions captured by Polk during the
first six days the show was open to the public.
As of today, Polk shows that more than four out of five attendees (83%)
say that the NAIAS has been helpful in deciding which vehicle to purchase.
"Consumers are telling us that the NAIAS is an important venue to learn
about automobiles and therefore make an informed decision when purchasing a
vehicle," said Lonnie Miller, a performance consultant at Polk. "From an
informational point of view, over half of the attendees (53%) say the exhibits
do a 'very good' or 'excellent' job of offering useful information," says
Miller.
Percentage of Consumers Indicating NAIAS is Helpful
For Deciding Which Vehicle to Purchase
GENDER AGE
TOTAL Male Female Under 35 35 - 54 55+
83% 84% 85% 83% 87% 90%
Source: Polk
While the show is creating strong awareness of each manufacturer's product
line, dealers may not see an immediate rush of showroom traffic. More than
half (55%) of surveyed consumers said they would not be in the market for a
new car or truck until at least one year from now. Sometimes known as "ready
buyers" only 14 percent of this week's attendees said they will be in the
market for a new vehicle during the next three months.
With the excitement of the show's concept vehicles, manufacturers have an
incentive to bring ideal models to production, especially for those looking to
buy in the near future. Polk's analysis found that if their favorite concept
vehicle were produced this year, 43 percent of those ready to buy in less than
three months would purchase the vehicle. As the purchase horizon extends, the
likelihood of buying a concept vehicle drops.
Percent of Consumers Saying They Are Very Likely
To Buy Concept Vehicle if Produced
Among Those Ready To Be In Market To Buy New Vehicle
TOTAL Less 3 mos. 3 - 6 mos. 7 - 12 mos. 1 - 2 Years 2+ Years
32% 43% 29% 25% 26% 24%
Source: Polk
Favorite Picks
Polk is continuing to track the public's favorite models among several
different vehicle categories. Current results show that eight out of the
twelve segments (67%) have a domestic vehicle as a number one choice with five
segments dominated by DaimlerChrysler. These five segments are:
Minivan/Full-size Van, Compact Pickup Truck, Compact SUV, Regular SUV and
Sports Car.
January 13-18, 2001 - Top 3 Leaders Based on Voting
At the Polk Auto Trend Centers
Full-Size SUV: Minivan/Full-Size Van:
1. Hummer 4 Door 14.8 1. Chrysler Town & Country 15.6
2. Cadillac Escalade 11.5 2. Dodge Caravan 12.7
3. Dodge Durango 6.8 3. Ford Windstar 9.0
Large Car: Full-Size Pickup Truck:
1. Pontiac Bonneville 27.8 1. Ford F-Series 36.3
2. Chevrolet Impala 24.7 2. Dodge Ram Pickup 26.8
3. Ford Crown Victoria 22.2 3. Chevrolet Silverado 21.7
Compact Pickup Truck: Prestige Luxury Car:
1. Dodge Dakota Pickup 29.5 1. Rolls Royce Silver Seraph 11.0
2. Ford Ranger 25.8 2. Bentley Continental 9.3
3. Chevrolet S 10 Pickup 20.0 Jaguar XJ8 9.3
Mercedes Benz S Class 9.3
Luxury Car: Compact SUV:
1. Jaguar S Type 11.6 1. Chrysler PT Cruiser 22.2
2. Mercedes Benz CLK 8.1 2. Ford Escape 18.1
3. BMW 3 Series 5.6 3. Jeep Wrangler 17.4
Lexus GS400 5.6
Mid-Size Car: Regular SUV:
1. Volkswagen Jetta 10.1 1. Jeep Grand Cherokee 16.4
2. Dodge Stratus 8.4 2. Ford Explorer 15.8
3. Volkswagen Passat 7.3 3. BMW X5 11.3
Small Car: Sports Car:
1. MINI Cooper 26.6 1. Dodge Viper 15.0
2. Volkswagen New Beetle 15.6 2. Lamborghini Diablo 10.9
3. Ford Focus 10.2 3. Porsche 911 7.5