In today’s marketplace of inventory shortages and rising prices, finding the car you want is more than a challenge--it can be a budget-buster.
Many car shoppers head out with their heart set on a specific car, but they should still review other comparable vehicles in the same class to make sure they haven't overlooked an even better choice, advises car search site Edmunds.com.
To find the right car, experts recommend considering things like how many passengers and how much cargo you carry, the length of your commute, the type of driving you do, and what safety features and other things you must have. After you set a budget and decide whether to lease or buy, it’s time to start narrowing down your choices.
The majority of car shoppers care more about the reliability of a car over any other factor, according to a consumer perception survey conducted regularly by Cox Automotive and Kelley Blue Book. Some 80% of car shoppers said that reliability and durability was the No. 1 factor in their search. Next most important was safety at 73% of shoppers, driving comfort (69%) driving performance (66%) affordability (56%) fuel efficiency (52%) and reputation (50%.) These were followed by interior layout, technology, exterior styling, ruggedness and lastly, prestige/sophistication, according to Kelley Blue Book’s Brand Watch report for the third quarter of 2022.
The Brand Watch report is a consumer perception survey that tracks what is most important to consumers when shopping for a new vehicle, as well as the brands and models that shoppers are looking for. Survey respondents are in-market for a new vehicle and recruited from car search site KBB.com.
Despite lower inventory levels, Toyota (TM) was the most-shopped for brand of all 18 non-luxury brands this year, the report found, and it’s held that spot for the past five years. Lower inventory can mean higher prices, and Toyota dealers ended October 2022 with an average of just 10 days’ supply of cars to sell, compared to 28 days for Ford (F) and 26 days for General Motors (GM).
Based on the third quarter 2022 KBB Brand Watch report, here are the most and least popular vehicle brands among car shoppers. Non-luxury brands are listed first, followed by luxury brands.
Non-Luxury Car Brands Shoppers Considered Most
1. Toyota
Shopper consideration: 35%
Toyota holds the top spot, with more shoppers looking at the brand than any other, and beating Ford by five percentage points. Of the 10 models most considered by shoppers, four are Toyotas -- the Camry, RAV4, Tacoma and RAV4 Hybrid. The No. 1 factor shoppers look for in a car is reliability, and Toyota was their top-ranked brand for that.
Toyota
2. Ford
Shopper consideration: 30%
Consideration for Ford slipped 1 point since the second quarter. The Ford F-150 was the most considered model.
Ford
3. Chevrolet
Shopper consideration: 29%
Chevy was third among the brands, with the Silverado the second most-shopped vehicle behind Ford’s F150. The Chevy Bolt was the 10th-most shopped electrified vehicle.
Both Chevrolet and GMC brands are made by General Motors.
Chevrolet
4. Honda
Shopper consideration: 24%
The Accord was the third-most shopped vehicle, and increased by 5% over the second quarter of 2022.
Honda
5. Hyundai
Shopper consideration: 15%
Hyundai
6. Kia
Shopper consideration: 13%
Kia
7. Nissan
Shopper consideration: 13%
Nissan
8. GMC
Shopper consideration: 12%
GMC
9. Jeep
Shopper consideration: 12%
Jeep is one of the brands made by Stellantis (STLA). The others include: Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and Ram.
Jeep
10. Subaru
Shopper consideration: 12%
The No. 2 factor driving shoppers when looking for a car is safety, and Subaru was the top-ranked brand in this category.
Subaru
11. Dodge
Shopper consideration: 9%
The Dodge Durango was among the most-shopped SUVs, and in the car segment, the Dodge Charger was fourth.
Dodge
12. Volkswagen
Shopper consideration: 6%
Volkswagen
13. Ram
Shopper consideration: 6%
The survey asks shoppers to rank the importance of a dozen factors they consider when looking for a vehicle. Ram was the No. 1 brand rated by shoppers for seven of the 12: driving comfort, performance, interior layout, tech, exterior styling, ruggedness and prestige.
Ram
14. Mazda
Shopper consideration: 5%
Mazda
15. Chrysler
Shopper consideration: 4%
Chrysler’s Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid minivans were among the top five most-shopped minivans.
Chrysler
16. Mini
Shopper consideration: 1%
Mini
17. Mitsubishi
Shopper consideration: 1%
Mitsubishi
18. Fiat
Shopper consideration: 1%
Fiat
Most-Shopped Luxury Vehicle Brands
1. BMW
Shopper consideration: 22%
BMW consideration was up 21% compared with the second quarter. The popular models are the 3 series, 5 series, and X5.
BMW
2. Lexus
Shopper consideration: 17%
Lexus marginally beat Cadillac for second place. Consideration of the Lexus RX was up 16% over Q2, and was the fifth most-shopped luxury SUV.
Lexus
3. Cadillac
Shopper consideration: 17%
For the third consecutive quarter, the Cadillac Escalade was the most-shopped luxury SUV, though consideration for the Escalade was down 5% compared with Q2, and the Cadillac CT5 dropped 8%.
Cadillac and Buick are luxury brands made by General Motors.
Cadillac
4. Audi
Shopper consideration: 14%
Audi
5. Mercedes-Benz
Shopper consideration: 14%
Mercedes-Benz
6. Tesla
Shopper consideration: 12%
Tesla consideration was down 3% from Q2. The weakening demand is likely due to intensifying competition and price increases, the report says. The Model Y and Model S dropped off the top 10 most considered, while the Model 3 softened. Still, the Model 3 was the most-shopped model in the luxury car segment (non-SUV) and the third most-shopped model overall.
Shutterstock
7. Acura
Shopper consideration: 12%
Consideration of the popular Acura MDX, the third most-shopped luxury SUV, dropped by 11%.
Acura
8. Buick
Shopper consideration: 11%
The Buick Enclave was the second most-shopped luxury model, though it dropped by 15%. The Encore, the sixth most-shopped, dropped by 8%.
Buick
9. Infiniti
Shopper consideration: 8%
Infiniti
10. Genesis
Shopper consideration: 8%
Genesis
12. Volvo
Shopper consideration: 7%
Volvo
13. Lincoln
Shopper consideration: 6%
Lincoln is Ford's luxury brand.
Lincoln
14. Land Rover
Shopper consideration: 6%
Both Land Rover and Jaguar are owned by Tata Motors.
Land Rover
15. Porsche
Shopper consideration: 6%
Porsche
16. Jaguar
Shopper consideration: 2%
Jaguar
17. Rivian
Shopper consideration: 2%
Rivian
18. Alfa Romeo
Shopper consideration: 2%
Alfa Romeo and Maserati are luxury brands made by Stellantis.
Alfa Romeo
19. Polestar
Shopper consideration: 1%
Polestar
20. Maserati
Shopper consideration: 1%
Maserati
21. Lucid
Shopper consideration: 0%
Lucid
See the full reports for luxury and non luxury vehicles at Cox Automotive.
