Consumer Reports Says Parents and Children Agree on Used Car Criteria

Both groups see reliability, cost and fuel economy as key factors; But young people want more fun options—and are willing to pay more for a car

YONKERS, NY — Contrary to what some might expect, parents shopping for a used car for their son or daughter and young adults shopping for a vehicle themselves have some similar priorities, according to a new survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

Both groups favor the same types of used vehicles—small cars and family sedans—and rank reliability, price, and fuel efficiency as being among the most important buying factors, the survey shows. Parents and young adults even identified the same four vehicle brands—Ford, Chevrolet, Honda, and Toyota. But young people who intended to buy their own vehicle expressed more interest in features such as MP3 players and subwoofers. They also indicated they were willing to pay considerably more for a used car.

Conducted in late April and early May, the online survey included 1,338 parents and 1,200 teens and young adults from nationally-representative sample. Responding parents had a child aged 16 to 22 years old and either were recently involved in the acquisition of a new or used-car for their offspring or planned to be involved in one soon. Respondents in the second group ranged in age from 16 to 22 and either had recently acquired a new or used car or planned to soon. For this analysis, CR focused on used-car buying.

Fifty-five percent of parents and 41 percent of young people said they would choose a small car over some other vehicle type. Family sedans were the second most popular sort of vehicle, with all other vehicle types trailing well behind. Perhaps reflecting current gasoline prices, large SUVs came in last.

For a complete survey report or Consumer Reports advice on selecting used cars for young drivers, more information is available online at www.consumerreports.org/grads. Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Kit is an interactive car shopping tool that guides shoppers through the buying experience at Consumer Reports Car Buying

More than two-thirds of both groups, parents and young adults, said they intended to buy a used car that was at least six years old (2000 model year) or older—and inexpensive. Respondents named Ford and Chevrolet as the used-car brands that were chosen more often than the others. Honda and Toyota came in third and fourth-place in the survey, respectively.

Other Survey Highlights:

• When the younger group of respondents was asked what they were looking for in a used car, they named comfort, style, engine power, and accessories more often than those parents who were surveyed. The younger group also placed greater importance on features, such as sunroofs, heated seats, electronics, and sound systems.
• Safety was a leading concern for both groups. Parents ranked safety as their number two concern, while their children listed it fifth, behind cost, overall performance, and gas mileage.
• Parents were slightly more concerned with having up-to-date safety features such as antilock brakes (85 percent) and side air bags (68 percent).
• A feature that nearly everybody agreed on was air conditioning: 87 percent of parents and 86 percent of youngsters ranked it first among features they want to have in the used car.
• Young respondents also expressed interest in a long list of entertainment features including MP3-compatible audio systems and subwoofer speakers. Though hard to find in used cars, these features are commonly available as aftermarket add-ons.
• When asked about their used car budget, parents said they intended to look at vehicles costing around $6,600 while youths said they were considering cars costing more—around $8,200 on average.

The Consumer Reports Auto Price Service offers a series of products online to help consumers shopping for used cars. Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Kit is an interactive car shopping tool that guides shoppers through the buying experience and offers the latest information and pricing, as well as test results, side-by-side comparisons, and more. A three-month subscription to the Used Car Buying Kit costs $24. Individual used car-pricing reports are available for $10 at www.ConsumerReports.org/carbuying.

Consumer Reports offers complete used car ratings and reviews. For more information about the best and worst used cars, best used cars under $20,000 and helpful buying advice for selecting used cars for young drivers, go to www.ConsumerReports.org.

Consumer Reports is one of the most trusted sources for information and advice on consumer products and services. It conducts the most comprehensive auto-test program of any U.S. publication or Website; the magazine’s auto experts have decades of experience in driving, testing, and reporting on cars. To subscribe to Consumer Reports, call 1-800-234-1645. Information and articles from the magazine can be accessed online at www.ConsumerReports.org.