Almost two thirds of UK motorists say fuel economy is the number one priority when buying a new car according to a new survey by Motorpoint.
The poll by the UK’s leading car supermarket group found 64% of people regarded fuel economy as the key consideration when changing their vehicle – a clear indication that the escalating cost of petrol is having a direct effect of people’s buying behaviour.
This comes as new sales figures from Motorpoint show a sharp rise in sales of small cars such as Ford Fiesta, Fiat Grande Punto, Renault Clio and Vauxhall Corsa for the first quarter of 2008 as drivers look for ways of offsetting recent price hikes at the pumps.
Says David Shelton, Managing Director at Motorpoint: “With petrol prices increasing almost by the day, it is little wonder that fuel economy has become the number one concern for car buyers.
“Fortunately, the savings that drivers can make from buying at Motorpoint can go someway towards offsetting the extra fuel costs. For instance, we are currently selling a 57 Reg Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 16v Club for £7,799 – a saving of £2,218 on the recommended retail price or enough fuel for two years average motoring*.”
* A 57 Reg Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 16v Club 5dr is currently priced at £7,799. Based on an average saving of £2,218 on the recommended retail price, a driver could save themselves over 440 gallons worth of fuel (or over 21,000 miles) buying from Motorpoint.