It is hard to describe the mental processes that go into buying a car to someone who has never been through that experience. The car has to be durable, affordable, reliable, and suit the purchaser’s needs. Another important consideration is its appearance, and rightly so. Many people treat their cars as a visual representation of their personalities, so it follows that they want their cars to look a certain way.

Logically, it makes sense to think that people value the reliability of their car over its appearance – after all, the basic purpose of any car is transport, so its ability to do so reliably sounds fairly important. Whether it looks like a clown car or the Batmobile should be a relatively immaterial consideration.

Surprisingly, after a survey of 1,000 American drivers, The Zebra found that a majority of them would not purchase a car if they did not like how it looked, even if it was proven to be reliable. A staggering 76% of those 1,000 drivers would not even consider it. However, there are more data points within these findings that are significant.

First, there is the gender disparity. A majority of both men and women said they would not purchase a car they did not like the appearance of, but 80% of women – compared to 73% men – fell under this category. This is surprising, seeing as the survey group contained 25% more men than women.

The second data point that is worth consideration is the age of the drivers. Drivers who were 45 and older were more likely to value a car’s appearance over its reliability. On studying the data further, it was found that there was a positive correlation between the age of the driver and the likelihood of them considering the appearance of a car over the reliability – that is, the older a driver was, the more likely it was for them to report that they would not consider purchasing a reliable car that did not look good. 68% of the youngest drivers surveyed indicated that they would prefer to have a car that looked good over one that was reliable, compared to 81% of the oldest drivers surveyed who said the same.

As technology progresses, increased reliability in good-looking cars is becoming more possible. Users are emphasizing both reliability and interior and exterior styling. To find out which features were the most prized among American drivers, there was another survey conducted, this time with 5,000 respondents. There were regional differences, especially when considering features influenced by the environment, like heated seats. However, 27% of the drivers surveyed across most states indicated that the most important feature was a backup camera. The least important feature by and large was voice control.

All in all, American drivers really care about the appearance of their cars, even to the point of valuing it over their reliability. Conversely, the most important feature they look for in a car is a functional one – a backup camera. There are many factors that go into purchasing a car, but the findings in this article could be significant for both car companies and people looking to purchase a new car.

Would Americans buy a reliable car, even if they didn’t like its appearance?

We conducted a study of 1,000 drivers to see if they would buy a reliable vehicle, even if they didn’t like the way it looked. Surprisingly, we found that a majority of American drivers wouldn’t even consider purchasing a reliable car if they didn’t like its aesthetic.

Though we found that most drivers would not buy a reliable car if they didn’t like its appearance, we noted several related data points.

Both men and women would not buy a reliable car if they did not like its appearance. However, a higher percentage of women said they would not consider the purchase: 80 percent of women — and only 73 percent of men — said they would not buy a reliable-but-unappealing car. This, despite the survey group containing 25 percent more men than women.

Age also influenced how drivers answered this question. Older drivers — starting at age 45 — were most likely to say they would not buy a car if they did not like its appearance, regardless of reliability. A pattern emerged here: on average, the older the driver, the more likely the respondent is to report that they would not consider the purchase. This could be a result of older drivers having more available funds to spend on a new car. These older drivers might have the means to ensure a car checks all the boxes, appearance included.

The youngest drivers surveyed — aged 18 to 24 — were more likely to discount vehicle appearance when choosing a car. Only 68 percent of young drivers indicated they would hesitate to purchase a reliable-but-unattractive car (compared to 81 percent for drivers aged 65 and up). Because drivers in this age group could have less disposable income, they might value reliability above appearance.

What feature is most essential to Americans when buying a car?

According to a past study by J.D. Power, appearance is the number one determinant in whether potential car buyers avoid a particular brand or not. Though reliability is becoming increasingly more important, exterior and interior styling were still the most important features for consumers in choosing which car brand to buy.

We tried to learn which styling features were most important to consumers. We asked 5,000 respondents on a state-by-state level to rank these features from most to least important: backup camera, blind spot monitoring, Bluetooth connectivity, heated seats, keyless entry and voice control.

Respondents spoke loud and clear, with 27 percent of drivers indicating a backup camera was the most essential feature when buying a car.

This isn’t surprising. A recent study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety found backup cameras drastically reduced the possibility of backover accidents into pedestrians. David Zuby, the Institute’s vice president and Chief Research Officer, said backup cameras are “the most promising technology” for reducing the number of these accidents, which often involve small children in the driveways of their own homes.

Regionally, Midwestern states showed the strongest preference for this feature, with 83 percent of drivers in the region choosing a backup camera first over other options.

Which feature did drivers think was second-most important? 40 percent of states said keyless entry was the second most important feature. Keyless entry offers extra layers of security, automatic locking functions, and hands-free operation. No wonder it’s drivers’ second choice among essential features!

The Northeast, however, had different preferences. At the beginning of 2018, the region faced blizzards and some of its coldest recorded temperatures. In fact, on January 6th, Mount Washington (New Hampshire) tied with Armstrong, Ontario for the second coldest place in the world on that day: -93F. With most of the region in a deep freeze during winter months, drivers say having heated seats is a must in a new car. As a result, this feature was the most popular second-choice answer for drivers in the Northeast. In fact, this feature was a strong contender for second place in many of the northern states!

Looks really are everything when it comes to buying a new car, according to most American drivers. From our study, we found that a majority of drivers would not consider buying a car if they didn’t like its appearance, regardless of reliability. We also found most American drivers believed a backup camera was the most essential item to look for when shopping for new cars.

Regardless of which new car you choose, it’s important to stay safe while driving. Practicing safe driving habits and having good auto insurance can help you get the most from your new car, whether or not it has all the latest bells and whistles.

Sources

J.D. Power | IIHS | Independent