The love that Americans have for cars has been well documented in the past, with many different makes and models being the object of affection among car enthusiasts over the years. Up until now, no one has been able to quantify American drivers’ love for specific cars and find out what types of drivers love their cars the most, but a new research that was recently conducted aims to change that.
Consultancy firm Strategic Vision has conducted a survey to see just how much Americans love their cars and what are the country’s most-loved cars. The company surveyed over 44,000 new-car owners, asking them to rate their level of satisfaction with their vehicles and then breaking down the best-loved cars in each segment.
In addition to finding out the favorite car models for American drivers, researchers sought to assess the differences in satisfaction levels from their cars between different generations, as well as between owners of gasoline-powered vehicles and those who own alternative fuel cars. Based on the answers, researchers compiled the first-of-its-kind “Customer Love Index” (CLI).
They found that Millennials, or Generation Y, as they are also called, love their cars far more than other generations, which does sound a bit odd, given that they are buying fewer cars than some other demographic groups, such as Baby Boomers. The average score that reflects how passionate they are about their cars given by respondents younger than 40 was 470, whereas drivers over the age of 40 gave an average score of 400 points.
“As new younger buyers enter any market they essentially crush hard on their choices, believing that their first love will always be their only,” reports Christopher Chaney, Senior Vice President of Strategic Vision. “Of course, this isn’t new to Millennials. Every generation in their youth can remember their first love and the deep emotional impact it had on their lives, and future decisions in life,” he added.
When it comes to the most-loved vehicles by segments, the report shows that Mercedes makes the most appealing luxury models, Chevrolet is the winner in the pickup segment, whereas Subaru produces the best mid-size cars.
As far as what types of cars different demographic groups favor, the report states that Millennials love compact hatchbacks, as opposed to older, wealthier drivers, who prefer luxury sports cars in general.
Another interesting finding is that people who own hybrid vehicles are not all that excited about them. Hybrid-car owners gave lower scores for their vehicles compared to those who own conventional cars, which is most likely due to the fact that these alternative fuel vehicles do not offer anything beyond good fuel economy – such as styling and thrilling driving experience – that would make owners fall in love with them.
“Most US customers will not spend more than an additional $50 per month for a vehicle just for MPG enhancing or environmentally friendly powertrain. Instead, creating a product that customers can love will allow buyers to spend significantly more money because it has the right balance of styling, innovation, performance and environmental friendliness,” says Alexander Edwards, President of Strategic Vision.