Price and Safety Round Out Top Three
RICHMOND, Va., Sep 29, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
According to a recent telephone survey conducted for CarMax, Inc. (NYSE:
KMX), the nation's largest retailer of used
cars, more Americans say quality is the factor that most influences
their car buying decision.
More than a third of Americans who have purchased a vehicle say quality
has the greatest influence on their car buying decision, followed by
price and safety, in that order. Men and women chose quality as their
top factor individually too - women with 34 percent and men with 43
percent. Environmental or green factors were only six percent.
Women surveyed online last year responded differently. Last year, when
asked the question, "Which of the following: price, reliability, fuel
efficiency, safety, space, convenience options, would be most important
to you when choosing what car to buy?" women chose price over
reliability.
"We want consumers to get the most for their money, and buying a used
vehicle is a great way to get more car for less," said Rod Baker,
Phoenix region vice president of service operations. "It's why we put
our cars through a rigorous Certified Quality Inspection, checking more
than 125-points to meet our high-quality standards."
The following are the results of the recent poll that asked adults:
"Which of the following factors most influences your car-buying
decision?"
| Responses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percent |
|
Quality
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
37%
|
|
Price
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
28%
|
|
Safety
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
22%
|
|
Environmental or green factors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6%
|
|
Resale value
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The survey was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of CarMax.
The national, random sample consisted of more than 1,000 U.S. adults who
were interviewed by telephone during August 19 - August 22, 2010. Of
those surveyed, 3 percent had no response.
Consumers can search thousands of quality used cars on carmax.com or
visit their local CarMax store to browse a large selection of vehicles.
Each vehicle is reconditioned, goes through a more than 125-point
inspection for quality and comes with a free online Vehicle History
Report. Consumers can search vehicles from 30 top brands by fuel
economy and features, read
customer reviews, review reliability ratings by J.D. Power and
Associates and obtain safety ratings by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, all on carmax.com. All vehicles come with a
five-day, money-back guarantee and a limited 30-day warranty (60-day in
Conn.).
About CarMax
CarMax, a FORTUNE 500 company, and one of the FORTUNE 2010 "100 Best
Companies to Work For," is the nation's largest retailer of used cars.
Headquartered in Richmond, Va., we currently operate 103 used car
superstores in 49 markets. The CarMax consumer offer is structured
around four customer benefits: low, no-haggle prices; a broad selection;
high quality vehicles; and customer-friendly service. During the fiscal
year ended February 28, 2010, the company retailed 357,129 used vehicles
and sold 197,382 wholesale vehicles at our in-store auctions. For more
information, access the CarMax website at www.carmax.com.
SOURCE: CarMax, Inc.
CarMax, Inc.
Britt Farrar, Manager, Public Relations
804-747-0422, ext. 3473
or
Elia Imler, CarMax Public Relations
804-747-0422, ext. 4029
or
Twitter: @CarMax