GM, Ford, Toyota Are Cars Americans Plan To Buy Next
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Ask most Americans what car they definitely plan to buy next, and, perhaps surprisingly, General Motors edges Ford and Toyota. But Toyota is the one most folks are willing to at least consider.
Chrysler falls much further down the list, with more Americans saying they will definitely buy a Mercedes than a car from the bailed-out automaker.
Rasmussen Reports asked Americans to pick among the eight most popular car manufacturers and perhaps the best-known of the luxury car makers, Mercedes-Benz.
Fifteen percent (15%) of adults say they will definitely buy a GM car next, and another 29% will consider such a purchase. Only 24% say there’s no way they’ll buy GM.
Ford is a definite buy for 13%, while 35% more say they’ll consider it. Just 19% rule out a Ford completely, though. Ford has consistently been viewed more favorably by Americans than GM and Chrysler because it is the only Big Three automaker who didn’t ask for and get a federal government bailout.
Eleven percent (11%) of adults say they will definitely buy a Toyota as their next car. Another 43% say they will consider buying from that manufacturer, with just 20% saying they will definitely not buy a Toyota.
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Mercedes came in next to last as a definite purchase but still did better than Chrysler. Five percent (5%) of adults say their next car will definitely be a Mercedes, and another 17% say they will consider buying one.
As for Chrysler, just four percent (4%) say it’s a definite, while 21% say they’ll consider buying from the bailed-out company. Forty percent (40%) say they will definitely not buy a Mercedes, compared to just 31% who feel that way about Chrysler.
Interestingly, 11% of government employees plan to definitely buy a Mercedes, compared to two percent (2%) of those who work for a private company and just five percent (5%) of those who earn over $100,000 per year.
Most Americans (58%) still say Ford, the company that didn’t take a government bailout, is the Big Three automaker that has the best chance of surviving and becoming profitable again. Nineteen percent (19%) say GM has the best chance, but just four percent (4%) say the same of Chrysler.
Eight percent (8%) of adults say they plan to buy a Honda next, with 36% saying they will consider buying one. Twenty-two percent (22%) know they definitely won’t buy a Honda.
Nissan is a definite choice for four percent (4%) of adults and a consideration for another 32%. One-in-four adults (25%) are sure, however, that they won’t buy a Nissan.
Hyundai and Volkswagen generate very similar responses. Just three percent (3%) say they would definitely buy one or the other. Twenty percent (20%) would consider buying a Hyundai, and 23% say the same of VW. Thirty-four percent (34%) say no way to Hyundai, while 31% have no intention of buying a VW.
Forty-one percent (41%) of Americans expect the quality of GM cars to get worse now that the federal government is the majority owner of the company. Just 19% believe the quality of GM cars will improve while 16% expect little change.
As part of its aggressive effort to grow sales, GM has come up with a couple attention-getting ideas – a 60-day money-back guarantee for all vehicle purchasers and selling cars online through eBay.
Fourteen percent (14%) of Americans say they are more likely to buy a GM vehicle because of the money-back offer, but 75% say it has no impact on their purchasing decisions. Twenty percent (20%) of adults say they would buy a new car online, but 68% say they would not.
Most Americans still think the bailout of GM and Chrysler was a bad idea. That’s one of the reasons why 66% of voters nationwide say they’re at least somewhat angry about the current policies of the federal government.
Article Link:
GM, Ford, Toyota Are Cars Americans Plan To Buy Next - Rasmussen Reports™
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