Who
In the fall of 1998, AutoPacific surveyed 40,000 people to obtain information on the type of vehicle that purchasers/leasers were considering for their next purchase/lease. For those 30 years of age and under, 73% indicated that they were considering an SUV for their next purchase, as did 63% of survey participants in their 30s and 50% of those in their 40s. For those 65 and older, only 13% were considering buying an SUV. Overall (i.e., all ages), 48% responded that they were considering an SUV. It is interesting to note that consumers currently in their 30s and early 40s would have been children and teenagers during the oil crisis of 1973-74 when families were urged to conserve energy and people were lining up for hours at the gas station in some parts of the country. Yet, some in this group seem to have lost the “energy conservation” mindset, as they are now ardent fans of SUVs.
The average SUV customer is male (63.7%), married (76.4%), aged 45 years, in a household with an income of $94,400, and at the head of the household (84%). SUV customers expect to drive 14,367 miles each year and 39% are prior owners of another SUV. Because SUV owners are fairly affluent, the price of the vehicle and of fuel is not sufficiently important to cause them to consider changing the type of vehicle they drive.
Based on data from the 1995 Nationwide Personal Transportation Study (NPTS), Niemeier determined that 29.3% of total household vehicles (i.e., non-commercial vehicles) on the road are SUVs, vans, or trucks (most of these are pickup trucks), and only about a third of these vehicles are owned by persons with annual incomes under $35,000.
Although the primary SUV customer is male, women are beginning to enter the
SUV market because of their perception that the SUV is safer and provides better
visibility. This perception of safety is based on the size, shape, and rugged image of the
vehicle, rather than published reports or statistics (see Section 5). In addition, soccer
moms who drove minivans are changing their personna when they move from a minivan
to a sport utility vehicle. It has been projected that 53.8% of future SUV buyers will be
female. In the United States, women influence “as much as 80% of all vehicle buying
decisions.”
In early 1999, an opinion poll queried 1,000 consumers to determine the single
most important reason for purchasing a particular type of vehicle. Owners of small cars
responded with reasons such as price/value and fuel economy; owners of large cars indicated price/value and safety; owners of minivans indicated size of family and more
space/room; and owners of pickups indicated price/value and hauling (as well as
work/business). SUV owners responded that the primary reason for their purchase was
availability of four-wheel-drive. Additionally, 5% indicated hauling capabilities and
another 5% noted towing as reasons for their purchase.
Opinion polls taken in December 1996 and in February 1998 asked questions
concerning the characteristics most desired in vehicles. In both polls, the most important
characteristics were dependability and safety, and both of these characteristics were listed
as even more important to consumers in 1998 than in 1996.
In both polls, fuel economy and low price were the least important attributes, and they were listed as of lesser importance in 1998 than in 1996.
Owners of minivans and SUVs are more likely to have children than owners of
any other automotive category. In addition, SUV buyers list “Family Vehicle,”
functionality, and reliability as the most desirable characteristics in a vehicle.
SUV purchasers have been categorized by J. D. Powers as either “Domestic
Indulgents” (those who buy a vehicle based on size, status, and luxury equipment) or
“Utility Seekers” (those who buy for functionality – hauling, towing, room for more
passengers, and safety).
According to The Polk Company, the Babyboomer generation is leading the way
in buying SUVs. The basic sedan was the vehicle of choice when the family only owned
one car. The number of vehicles per household in the United States had grown to 1.9 in
1998, however, and now most households own one car and one truck.