Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- New vehicle sales expected to plateau for 2017
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- Figure 1: Total US unit sales and forecast of new cars and light trucks, 2011-21
- Outside of top four, brands struggle in brand perception
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- Figure 2: Brand perceptions, March 2017
- Diesel emission scandals erode trust in auto manufacturers
- The opportunities
- SUVs and crossovers will drive the market
- Younger women open to other brands for next purchase
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- Figure 3: Attitudes toward car brands, by age and gender, March 2017
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- New vehicle sales expected to plateau for 2017
- Low gas prices stall demand for efficiency
- Recalls and scandals scare off car buyers
Market Factors
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- Recalls and scandals can turn shoppers away
- Low gas prices put less emphasis on fuel efficiency
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- Figure 4: US gasoline and diesel retail prices, January 2007-April 2017
- Longer-lasting vehicles impact purchase decisions
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- Figure 5: Average age of vehicles, 1996-2016
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, and Honda are the top four brands in sales
- Nissan Rogue top-selling non-pickup truck in the US in start of 2017
- Ford and GM seek to rebrand as mobility companies
Vehicle Sales by Brand
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- Total new vehicle sales by brand – 2016
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- Figure 6: Units sold and market share, by brand, 2016
What’s Working?
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- Nissan Rogue charges to the top of the sales chart
- Ram’s “longest lasting pickup truck” reputation sticks
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- Figure 7: Ram pickup truck direct mail, March 2017
What’s Struggling?
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- Volkswagen hopes to shed emission scandal with heavy EV investments
What’s Next?
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- Ford and General Motors seek to rebrand as mobility companies
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Brand perceptions vary by demographics and interest in vehicle types
- Half of consumers won’t buy a car made abroad
- Younger women are an ideal audience to conquest other brands
Vehicle Types Considered
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- Sedans and SUVs top body style considerations for car shoppers
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- Figure 8: Vehicle types, March 2017
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- Figure 9: Vehicle types, by SUV, crossover, and wagon/hatchback shoppers, March 2017
- Men more likely than women to consider specialized vehicle types
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- Figure 10: Vehicle types, by gender, March 2017
Brand Perceptions
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- General population brand perceptions
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- Figure 11: Brand perceptions, March 2017
- Car shoppers’ brand perceptions
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- Figure 12: Brand perceptions, by car shoppers, March 2017
- Brand perceptions by gender
- Minor differences between genders
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- Figure 13: Select brand perceptions – Toyota, by gender, March 2017
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- Figure 14: Select brand perceptions – Jeep, by gender, March 2017
- Figure 15: Select brand perceptions – Ford, by gender, March 2017
- Brand perceptions by generation
- Ford and Chevrolet top perceptions among iGeneration
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- Figure 16: Brand perceptions – Toyota, by iGeneration, March 2017
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- Figure 17: Brand perceptions – Dodge, by iGeneration, March 2017
- Figure 18: Brand perceptions – Volkswagen, by iGeneration, March 2017
- Jeep sees the most improvement among Millennials
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- Figure 19: Brand perceptions – Jeep, by Millennials and non-Millennials, March 2017
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- Figure 20: Brand perceptions – Toyota, Chevrolet, Honda, Ford, and Jeep, March 2017
- Jeep, Volkswagen, and Kia see drops among Gen Xers
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- Figure 21: Brand perceptions – Jeep, by Generation X, March 2017
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- Figure 22: Brand perceptions – Kia, by Generation X, March 2017
- Figure 23: Brand perceptions – Volkswagen, by Generation X, March 2017
- Brand perceptions by race/ethnicity
- Asians overwhelmingly favor Toyota and Honda
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- Figure 24: Brand perceptions, by Asians, March 2017
- Kia and Nissan outperform among Blacks and Hispanics
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- Figure 25: Brand perceptions – Kia, by ethnicity and Hispanic origin, March 2017
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- Figure 26: Brand perceptions – Nissan, March 2017
- Figure 27: Brand perceptions – High performance, by ethnicity and Hispanic origin, March 2017
- Brand perceptions by body style interest
- Toyota and Honda excel among sedan shoppers
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- Figure 28: Brand perceptions – Toyota and Honda, by sedan shoppers, March 2017
- Jeep and GMC outperform among SUV shoppers
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- Figure 29: Brand perceptions – Jeep and GMC, by SUV shoppers, March 2017
- Subaru shines in eyes of crossover and wagon/hatchback shoppers
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- Figure 30: Brand perceptions – Subaru and Volkswagen, by crossover shoppers and wagon/hatchback shoppers, March 2017
- Domestic brands see largest uptick among pickup shoppers
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- Figure 31: Average percentage of brand perceptions across all categories, by pickup truck shoppers, March 2017
- Toyota and Honda top brands among hybrid/EV shoppers
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- Figure 32: Brand perceptions, by hybrid and electric vehicle shoppers, March 2017
- Kia elevates among minivan shoppers but still lags Toyota and Honda
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- Figure 33: Brand perceptions, by minivan shoppers, March 2017
Attitudes toward Car Brands
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- Less than half of car owners enjoy driving their own car
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- Figure 34: Attitudes toward car brands, March 2017
- Younger women are less brand loyal than men and older women
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- Figure 35: Attitudes toward car brands, by age and gender, March 2017
- Convertible and sports car shoppers self-identify with brands
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- Figure 36: Attitudes toward car brands, by vehicle type, March 2017
Factors Influencing Perceptions
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- Price and gas mileage are the most prominent influencers
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- Figure 37: Factors influencing perceptions, March 2017
- Gas mileage often ranks in top five but is rarely the top factor
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- Figure 38: Factors influencing perceptions, by ranking, March 2017
- Parents with children in the household influenced by family and friends
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- Figure 39: Factors influencing perceptions, by minivan shoppers and parental status, March 2017
Attitudes toward Domestic and Foreign Brands
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- Nearly half of consumers would consider a vehicle not made in America
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- Figure 40: Attitudes toward domestic and foreign brands, March 2017
- Younger generations can be turned by good reviews or price
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- Figure 41: Attitudes toward domestic and foreign brands, by generation, March 2017
- Country of origin more important than the brand
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- Figure 42: Attitudes toward domestic and foreign brands, March 2017
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Direct marketing creative
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – Key Players
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- Figure 43: Top 15-selling non-pickup truck models, January-May 2017
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