The used car market in Ireland continues to vastly outstrip that for new cars, according to a new report by Carzone.ie and Cartell.ie. The report (based on 60 million searches of the Carzone.ie database, vehicle transactions listed by Cartell and a survey of 2,187 buyers) showed that of the 474,418 used vehicles that changed hands in the second half of 2013, it was German cars that dominated the wants and needs of Irish car buyers.
The Volkswagen Golf was the most searched-for car, followed by the BMW 3 Series, BMW 5 Series, Audi A4 and Ford Focus. Overall, BMW is the brand buyers search for the most, with Volkswagen and Audi in second and third places. Used vehicle transactions were some 16 per cent ahead of the same period in 2012.
According to the survey, the cost of fuel and road tax are motorists' primary financial concerns. Some 80 per cent still want to drive diesel, and while almost three quarters drive less than 100km a day, only one per cent would consider buying an electric car. Interestingly, of those surveyed, women will tend to buy an older car, with lower mileage and at a lower purchase price than their male counterparts. Those female buyers also prioritise reliability over anything else, while male buyers are frequently 'just looking for a change.'
Black is still the predominant choice of colour, followed by silver and grey, but an increasing number of buyers are now being swayed by in-car technology. More than half based their purchase on whether or not cars had key items of optional equipment.
Commenting on the findings of the report, Warren Cray, general manager at Carzone.ie, said: "It is clear from the results that there is cautious optimism in the market as used car transactions continue to rise. More than 60 million searches were carried out on Carzone.ie in the second half of last year alone and we are on track to continue that trend in 2014. Indeed, over half of the respondents to our survey plan to buy a car in the next six months so the market shows no sign of slowing down any time soon."
The full Carzone.ie Motoring Report can be read here.