Tyred of road rage?

Tyred of road rage?

Braking news shows over a third of New Zealanders have experienced a road rage incident

Auckland, 21 May 2015 – A recent survey by consumer research company Canstar Blue has revealed Kiwis don’t always mind their manners on the road, with over a third having experienced a road rage incident.

Road rage is even more common place over the ditch, where 42% have experienced a road rage incident and 65% of Australians frequently get frustrated by other road users.

While 39% of New Zealanders overall had been caught up in driver anger, It was more likely to be men (42%) compared with women at just 33%.

Megan Doyle, Canstar Blue Head, says on top of this, Gen Ys are in the biggest rush, with almost half (47%) of them exceeding the speed limit on a regular basis.

“It’s a reflection of the fast-paced nature of today’s youth. Baby Boomers are far less likely to test the odometer. Only 16% of them admit to doing it on a regular basis,” she says.

Don’t judge me
Though people aren’t always polite on the roads, they are conscious of what others think of them with more than 40% buying their cars based on appearance.

One in three (34%) Kiwis feel people judge them by their car, with Gen Ys (54%) twice as concerned about onlookers’ thoughts, compared to Baby Boomers (21%).

But fuel economy still played a large part in purchasing decisions, with 71% of people stating it as a big factor when it came to choosing a vehicle, a small decrease on the year before.

Chasing cars
With more than 40% of New Zealanders changing their cars every two to five years, Kiwis are often on the hunt for a new car.

However, while people are cycling through cars, more people are getting into debt to so, says Doyle.

“One in three (34%) Kiwis are borrowing money to purchase cars, a large jump from last year’s one in four. Owners mustn’t forget that in most cases they are buying a depreciating asset. This needs to be taken into account when thinking about taking out loans to trade-up,” she says.

Let’s torque about new cars
While new cars are a big ticket item, it’s not all about price. When examining drivers of satisfaction Canstar Blue found that vehicle performance was twice as important as any other factor at 42%. Vehicle reliability was next for satisfaction (21%), with value for money coming in third as a consideration (19%) and point of sale service was the least important at just 4%.

The survey asked new car buyers to rank major car brands across six variables:
1. Value for money
2. Point of sale service
3. After sale service
4. Reliability
5. Performance
6. Overall satisfaction

Suzuki prevailed as the overall winner for the second year in a row, being the only brand to receive a 5/5 for overall satisfaction.

“This year Suzuki has come out on top once again, securing the top prize for overall satisfaction. It’s continuing to make small cars affordable and attractive to a wide audience and is to be commended for upholding its high standard for another year running,” says Doyle.

www.canstarblue.co.nz

Breaking down New Zealand’s car-buying behaviour by region*:

Waikato: Those in the Waikato are the most likely (44%) to have experience a road rage incident, as well as borrow money to purchase a car (39%). They are also most likely to buy a car based on fuel economy (80%) and to prioritise technology features over safety features (25%).

Wellington: Wellingtonians are least likely to exceed the speed limit on a regular basis (24%).

Canterbury: Cantabrians feel the least (30%) judged by others for their cars, and to buy cars based on appearance (29%). They are also least likely to have experienced a road rage incident (35%). Fuel economy was the least important (67% - tied with Otago) to Cantabrians and they were the least likely to consider purchasing a hybrid/electric vehicle (44%).

Otago: Those in Otago were most likely to feel that people judged them by their cars (41%) and most likely to purchase a car based solely on appearance (51%). Tied with Cantabrians, those in Otago were least likely to factor fuel efficiency into their purchasing (67%), least likely to test drive a range of vehicles before buying one (46%), and most likely to text/talk on their phone while driving (31%).

Bay of Plenty: Those in the Bay of Plenty are most likely to consider purchasing a hybrid/electric vehicle (62%), least likely to borrow money to purchase a car (18%), most likely to regularly exceed the speed limit (31%) and least likely to talk or text on the phone while driving (13%). They are also the least likely to prioritise technology features over safety features in purchasing habits (10%).

About the survey
Canstar Blue commissions respected professional market research agency Colmar Brunton Australia, to undertake research on our behalf using SSI NZ panel.

The outcomes reported here are the results from a survey of consumers who have purchased a brand new car from a dealership in the last five years. In this case there were 624 people surveyed.

Age Groups:
Gen Y: 18-29
Gen X: 30-44
Baby Boomers: 45+

*This geographical breakdown outlines exceptions only.

ENDS

ends

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