Consumers already forgetting high gas prices, online searches for large vehicles increase
File under: damn, that was fast. According to two online car buying research sites – Cars.com and CarMax – consumer searches for larger vehicles (trucks and SUVs) rose in September. National average for gas prices have dropped from over $3 a gallon in August to around $2.30 a gallon today, according to the Energy Information Administration and that's all it took for car buyers to change their habits. Fickle shoppers.
Over at Cars.com, fuel-sippers like the Prius, Yaris and Insight topped the list of vehicles with the largest decline in search volume over the past month, while Cars.com users increased their searches for gas-hogs like the Hummer H2 and H3, Cadillac Escalade and BMW X5. At CarMax, small cars remained popular searches in September, but vehicles like the Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford F150, and Ford Expedition, all got more searches in September than August, said Tom Folliard, president and chief executive officer of CarMax.
[Source: Cars.com and CarMax, Inc]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mark_H 10:13PM (10/10/2006)
Well, that was predictable. Of course, people who buy 5,000lb, 15mpg vehicles now will be moaning and groaning and demanding government do something when $3/gallon gas returns. Personally, I wish Congress would announce a plan to slowly and surely raise gas taxes over the next five years; say, a nickel per year. That would get people's attention, I think, and keep them focused on somewhat more economical vehicles.
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Tim Russell 11:46AM (10/11/2006)
I personally think that it would be the only way to really change consumers buying choices however it's political suicide to raise the fuel tax. Most members of congress think toward the next election, not the future of the country. All they can see is a rivals ads saying (in that doomsayer voice) "he voted to raise the tax on gasoline taking money out of the pockets of working families" (add in the black and white graphics of hungry looking kids).
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Rock 10:27PM (10/11/2006)
I think it's great, less demand for the fuel sipping auto that I want to purchase means a better deal for me!
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